We've all had people ask us the question, "If you could spend the day with someone famous, who would it be?" And then, all sorts of names start rattling through your head...perhaps the president, maybe a famous actor or actress, a famous figure from the past? When you think about it, there are so many people out there that this really isn't such an easy question. So, if you are at all like me, when pressed for an answer, you blurt out a name, then start scratching your head. "Is that 'really' the person I would want to spend my day with?" We don't have anything in common. Well, I can now honestly say that the next time someone asks me that question , I know exactly who I would say....Dion Fortune. I fell in love with her book, "Glastonbury: Avalon of the Heart" and have read it several times. I love the picture she paints of that mystical place. Then, over the weekend I began to read her novel "The Sea Priestess" and I have to say, that clinched it for me. This is the woman I would most like to spend my day with.
She was, as I once considered myself, a bit of a rebel. Back in the day I thought nothing of walking across the bridge in support of a cause or to protest an unjust cause, but those days are over. Physically, it would be impossible for me to do it today ...although I did walk the Brooklyn Bridge when we had the last blackout, but could I do it now? But see? See how my mind wanders!!! This is not about me; this is supposed to be about Dion.
What strikes me the most was that she was very much her own woman. In a forward to the book, "The Sea Priestess" Gareth Knight writes, "The most striking was her mode of dress. Dion Fortune had a penchant for large, very wide-brimmed hats that partly concealed her face, together with a long cloak that descended almost to her ankles, while underneath she might sport a scarlet dress. She was also very fond of furs and chunky jewelry, including rings with enormous stones." I've been considered a bit of an eccentric, at times...and although I don't like furs, I do love my chunky jewelry and have tons of the stuff home.
To me, she was a woman far ahead of her time, and she fit in very well today... new age and occult books are coming out on the market everyday. But, remember, in Dion's time, things were very, very different, but she still managed to get her point across. In her time, esoteric matters were not something you discussed in public, so, after she was accused of revealing too much about her beliefs in her book, "The Mystical Qabalah", Dion decided that she would begin writing fiction . She found that with fiction she she was able to expound on her teachings without raising an eyebrow. Her fiction works also contained examples of practical magick safely hidden in the guise of a novel. "The Sea Priestess" was written as a teaching novel; some of the information in the book has made it into some of the traditional teachings Wiccan students receive today. Her message was not designed for everyone, but only those few who understood.
If you have a chance, I highly recommend your picking up the book. I can't put it down.
She was, as I once considered myself, a bit of a rebel. Back in the day I thought nothing of walking across the bridge in support of a cause or to protest an unjust cause, but those days are over. Physically, it would be impossible for me to do it today ...although I did walk the Brooklyn Bridge when we had the last blackout, but could I do it now? But see? See how my mind wanders!!! This is not about me; this is supposed to be about Dion.
What strikes me the most was that she was very much her own woman. In a forward to the book, "The Sea Priestess" Gareth Knight writes, "The most striking was her mode of dress. Dion Fortune had a penchant for large, very wide-brimmed hats that partly concealed her face, together with a long cloak that descended almost to her ankles, while underneath she might sport a scarlet dress. She was also very fond of furs and chunky jewelry, including rings with enormous stones." I've been considered a bit of an eccentric, at times...and although I don't like furs, I do love my chunky jewelry and have tons of the stuff home.
To me, she was a woman far ahead of her time, and she fit in very well today... new age and occult books are coming out on the market everyday. But, remember, in Dion's time, things were very, very different, but she still managed to get her point across. In her time, esoteric matters were not something you discussed in public, so, after she was accused of revealing too much about her beliefs in her book, "The Mystical Qabalah", Dion decided that she would begin writing fiction . She found that with fiction she she was able to expound on her teachings without raising an eyebrow. Her fiction works also contained examples of practical magick safely hidden in the guise of a novel. "The Sea Priestess" was written as a teaching novel; some of the information in the book has made it into some of the traditional teachings Wiccan students receive today. Her message was not designed for everyone, but only those few who understood.
If you have a chance, I highly recommend your picking up the book. I can't put it down.
I've just recently heard of Dion Fortune and she greatly intrigues me. Glad to hear you're a fan of hers! When my time is a bit freer than it is right now, I intend to read the two books you've mentioned in your post today.
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