Friday 13 March 2020

Gareth Knight binge

Regular readers will know that when I re/discover an author to my liking, I tend serially to binge on their work; including any biographical material, and critical evaluations, where available.

A few months ago this happened with Philip K Dick, and currently I am reading Gareth Knight. I began by re-reading his book on the Inklings (which I already owned) then went on to another half dozen or so; including his autobiography and selected letters.

Gareth Knight is the pen-name of Basil Wilby; and he is probably the leading expert on the broad subject of 'magic' - including ritual and symbolic magic, such as the work of Dion Fortune, the Qabalah, Alchemy, the Tarot and the like. He is (or was - he is ninety now) a practising magician; and has been a member of and led several groups; run courses, and published magazines - along with a several dozen books.

Knight is a Christian (Church of England), and comes across as a thoroughly likeable and decent person; so I would add him into my 'lineage' of Romantic Christianity.  

Of his many books; the ones I would recommend to readers of this blog interested in giving him a try, would be: The Magical World of the Inklings (for a gentle introduction) and Experience of the Inner Worlds to get a stronger and deeper impression of Knights special contribution to Romantic Christianity.

1 comment:

John Fitzgerald said...

Yes. I second every word of that. Gareth Knight - a high priest of the magical Imagination in the service of God.