Skepticism about over‑reaching literary theory

R.B. Russell, author and founder of Tartarus Press, takes us on a deep dive into the life and works of Welsh author and mystic Arthur Machen.  Ray traces the religious life of Machen, his involvement with the occult society the Golden Dawn, and his friendship with famed occultist A.E. Waite. Ray details Machen’s fascination with the esoteric symbolism of the Grail mythology; his role in originating and spreading the supernatural, urban myth of the Bowman; and impact of his notorious horror-fantasy novella ”The Great God Pan”. Ray also shares his reflections on literary theory, the various interpretations of Shakespeare, and the prevalence of psychoanalytic readings of classic genre fiction. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep343-the-mystic-arthur-machen-rb-russell Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:07 - First encounter with the works of Arthur Machen 05:25 - Hill of Dreams and an abiding interest 06:21 - Mysteries of Machen 07:12 - Life of Arthur Machen 09:29 - Involvement with occultism 17:11 - The Great God Pan 22:19 - Machen, Lovecraft, and the mystical 26:17 - Reflections on literary theory 27:26 - Why so many psychoanalytic readings of horror? 29:13 - Historicism vs textualism 31:40 - Shakespeare and classic vs modern productions 34:38 - The Great God Pan needs to be Victorian 35:25 - Machen’s involvement in the Golden Dawn 38:43 - Grail Myth as a spiritual path and an early Welsh church 39:26 - Friendship with occultist A.E. Waite 40:05 - The Great Return and the evolution of awe 43:41 - Why were so many writers fascinated by the Grail Myth and King Arthur? 46:15 - Esoteric symbolism of the Grail 48:52 - Links to Roman Britain 49:58 - Machen’s Oxford disappointment and subsequent work 53:05 - The Bowmen and urban myths 57:28 - Reading vs collecting books 01:02:27 - Ray’s prized item and Machen collection 01:03:34 - Tartarus Press and Machen publishing projects 01:05:28 - Friends of Arthur Machen society 01:07:06 - Faunus journal 01:07:22 - Where to start with Machen for those interested in the occult and mysticism … Previous episode with Ray: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/p319-mystery-of-t-lobsang-rampa-rb-russell Find out more about Ray here: - http://tartaruspress.com/russell-rampa.html - https://www.arthurmachen.org.uk/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James