The Esoteric Origins of the American RenaissanceThe term "Western esotericism" refers to a wide range of spiritual currents including alchemy, Hermeticism, Kabbala, Rosicrucianism, and Christian theosophy, as well as several practical forms of esotericism like cartomancy, geomancy, necromancy, alchemy, astrology, herbalism, and magic. The early presence of esotericism in North America has not been much studied, and even less so the indebtedness to esotericism of some major American literary figures. In this book, Arthur Versluis breaks new ground, showing that many writers of the so-called American Renaissance drew extensively on and were inspired by Western esoteric currents. |
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Page 6
... almanac to the New England governor with his alchemical laboratory, and are to be found among virtually all of the major American authors of the nineteenth century, as well as among American Protestant clergy of the eighteenth century ...
... almanac to the New England governor with his alchemical laboratory, and are to be found among virtually all of the major American authors of the nineteenth century, as well as among American Protestant clergy of the eighteenth century ...
Page 21
... almanacs that showed the positions and dispositions of the planets were among the most popular publications in colonial America, and one finds them in profusion from the presses of America's earliest printers. Traditionally, European ...
... almanacs that showed the positions and dispositions of the planets were among the most popular publications in colonial America, and one finds them in profusion from the presses of America's earliest printers. Traditionally, European ...
Page 22
... almanacs was Daniel Leeds (1652—1720), who lived much of his life in Burlington, New Jersey, but whose almanac was printed by William Bradford (1663-1752), in Philadelphia. Leeds was prominent in West Jersey as the surveyor general, and ...
... almanacs was Daniel Leeds (1652—1720), who lived much of his life in Burlington, New Jersey, but whose almanac was printed by William Bradford (1663-1752), in Philadelphia. Leeds was prominent in West Jersey as the surveyor general, and ...
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Contents
3 | |
8 | |
21 | |
4 The Esoteric Ambience of the American Renaissance | 53 |
5 Hitchcock | 64 |
6 Poe | 72 |
7 Hawthorne | 81 |
8 Melville | 91 |
11 Emerson | 124 |
12 Fuller | 147 |
13 Whitman | 157 |
14 Dickinson | 171 |
15 The Esoteric Origins of the American Renaissance | 183 |
Notes | 193 |
Bibliography | 217 |
Index | 231 |
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alchemy Alcott American American Renaissance astrology authors became become beginning Böhme called certainly Christian circle clear colonial complete consider continued corresponds course currents Dickinson discussed divine early emerged Emerson England English Ephrata esoteric traditions Europe European experience fact figures forms Fuller German Gnostic Greaves Harris Hawthorne Hermetic Hitchcock human imagination important individual influence instance interesting John kind knowledge known language later least Letters light literature lived London magic major matter means Melville mesmerism mysticism Nature nineteenth century Novalis numerous origins particular perhaps Poe’s poem poet poetry practices Press published Quaker references religion religious remarks represents reveals Rosicrucian secret seen sense sexual Society spiritual story Swedenborg symbolism theosophic things thought Transcendentalists true turn University various vision Western esotericism Whitman whole writings wrote York
Popular passages
Page 173 - The severe Schools shall never laugh me out of the philosophy of Hermes, that this visible world is but a picture of the invisible, wherein, as in a portrait, things are not truly, but in equivocal shapes and as they counterfeit some more real substance in that invisible fabric.
Page 159 - If I worship one thing more than another it shall be the spread of my own body, or any part of it, Translucent mould of me it shall be you!
Page 137 - It is not so pertinent to man to know all the individuals of the animal kingdom, as it is to know whence and whereto is this tyrannizing unity in his constitution, which evermore separates and classifies things, endeavoring to reduce the most diverse to one form.
Page 141 - The kingdom of man over nature, which cometh not with observation, — a dominion such as now is beyond his dream of God, — he shall enter without more wonder than the blind man feels who is gradually restored to perfect sight.
Page 142 - This insight, which expresses itself by what is called Imagination, is a very high sort of seeing, which does not come by study, but by the intellect being where and what it sees, by sharing the path or circuit of things through forms, and so making them translucid to others.
Page 204 - The aspect of nature is devout. Like the figure of Jesus, she stands with bended head, and hands folded upon the breast. The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship.
Page 77 - Dial,' and throw out of the window to the pigs all his odd numbers of the
Page 78 - MR. RALPH WALDO EMERSON belongs to a class of gentlemen with whom we have no patience whatever — the mystics for mysticism's sake. Quintilian mentions a pedant who taught obscurity, and who once said to a pupil " this is excellent, for I do not understand it myself.