William Sharp (1855-1905) was a prolific writer; friend and confidant to the literati of the day; an active member of the occult world of the late Victorian period; and a man who spent his life cloaked in layers of secrets – the most important being that he was the pen behind the writings of the mysterious Fiona Macleod. He kept her true identity a closely guarded secret. Many famous people – W.B. Yeats, “AE”, MacGregor Mathers, Dante Gabriel Rossetti – were involved in Sharp’s short life; he was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Yeats’ secret Celtic Mystical Order; and he and Fiona Macleod were involved with the mysterious Dr. Goodchild whose ancient bowl was proclaimed by many to be the Holy Grail. But the enduring legacy of these two fascinating writers is the wealth of Faery magical lore contained in the writings of Fiona Macleod.
For the first time this book reveals previously unknown secrets from the life of William Sharp and shows clearly how to recover the Faery lore contained in Fiona Macleod’s literary output. These writings are not only about the Realm of Faery, they are the first authentic first-hand accounts from the Realm of Faery, revealing previously unknown Faery gods and goddesses, Faery belief, lore and magic.
The Little Book of the Great Enchantment adds significantly to the corpus of serious writings on this greatly misunderstood subject.
Born in Ayr, Scotland, Steve Blamires is an authority on the writings of Fiona Macleod and William Sharp, and has written several books on Celtic and Faery magical lore. He founded the Celtic Research and Folklore Society in Scotland and was editor of its Seanchas journal. After moving to the Hudson Valley area in New York State he continued to advance the cause of Celtic peoples and their culture, and has led many tours to sacred sites in Europe and served as both presenter and tour-guide on National Geographic expedition ships. After studying some twelve years with Gareth Knight, Blamires has also become a distinguished writer and teacher in the Western Mystery Traditions, continuing the work of Dion Fortune, Bligh Bond and other ‘Avalonians.’
- ISBN: 978-1-908011-83-1
- 338 pages
- cover image by Rebsie Fairholm
- perfect-bound paperback: 229mm x 152mm
- black and white text, with photographs
- published 21st June 2013