The Sea Priestess by Dion Fortune

Reviewed by Magi

Dion Fortune was a British occultist and author whose books still influence modern Witchcraft and neo-Paganism.  She was an adept in ceremonial magic, and was perhaps one of the first occult authors to approach magic and hermetic concepts from the psychology of Jung and Freud.  For some Witches and Neo-pagan her fictional works are considered more important than her non-fiction, because they are filled with Pagan themes and rituals.  It has also been said that Dion and Crowley worked with, or at least contributed, to Gerald Gander's neo-Wiccan path. 

The Sea Priestess tells the story of William Maxwell, a chronic asthma sufferer.  His asthma triggers a number of out of body experiences, transporting him to an earlier time.  He meets Vivien Le Fay Morgan - a practising initiate of the Hermetic Path.  Vivien has the ability to transform herself into magical images, and here she becomes Morgan Le Fay, sea priestess of Atlantis.  Inextricably drawn to an ancient cult, she learns the esoteric significance of the magnetic ebb and flow of the moon-tides.  William becomes a player in the ancient mystery drama and is initiated as a Priest of the Moon having willingly dedicated himself to the service of the Goddess. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and had trouble putting it down; and it is very few books that have that effect on me.  If you have a little knowledge of the esoteric, then that will help reveal things that Dion does not say right out.  But even if you haven't, the book is a good read.  Bear in mind though that it was first published in 1935 and the style may not be to everyone's taste having more of a classical than contemporary flavour.  That being said, it is far from the stilted style of books written earlier in the century.  The true purpose of the book was said to have been to reveal how the drawing down of the moon and Great Invocation rituals should be performed.  But don't forget, this book was written before the repeal of The Witchcraft Act in England so don't expect to find a step by step account.  It is by reading between the lines that the true information can be found.