The Candle of Vision by A. E.

The Candle of Vision by A. E., published in 1919. This book by Irish author, poet, painter and mystic George William Russell, is a set of transcendent essays on Celtic mysticism. Known by his pen name AE (which is short for Aeon), Russell was friends with many other figures of the Celtic Renaissance of the early 20th century like Golden Dawn members. It describes Russells’ luminous excursions into the otherworld, including clairvoyant and prophetic visions, precognition of Gnostic concepts, past-life and astral journeys, and, always, a heightened awareness of the beauty that pervades mundane reality. Russell attempts to construct a private Kabala based on an intuitive reconstruction of a primal language and alphabet. Lastly, he tries to put a mystical gloss on the ancient Celtic pagan deities. Lovers of Celtic lore and ecstatic mystic literature will both find much to enjoy in this unusual book. Hardcover with shelfwear to corners and end.