RR Patreon Tier 2 Groves of Orpheus Free Content - Dr. Sue Terry: Women's Empowerment Through Occultism - Late 19th-20th Century

*This is the Free Content version of my interview with Dr. Sue Terry. To access the entire episode, please consider becoming a Tier 2 'Groves of Orpheus' member, or you can purchase this episode for a one-time fee. 


My guest for the month of April is Dr. Sue Terry. Sue Terry is a writer, researcher, conference speaker and lecturer. Her PhD research in occult literary modernism focused on women’s empowerment in novels by early twentieth-century women authors, Florence Farr, Mary Butts, Sylvia Townsend Warner and P.L. Travers.  Dr. Sue is ‘The Esoteric Academic’, at www.sueterryacademic.com

Her article, ‘The Myth of Family: Friendship and Sexual Impropriety in the Feminist Occult Grail Narratives of Mary Butts’s Armed With Madness’ was published in leading literary journal English Studies (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0013838X.2023.2291909). Sue’s current research is centered on literary evidence for occult communication with non - human intelligences/spirits and the cultural impact of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 20th century Britain that continues today.  

Sue runs Owl House Seminars (www.sueterryacademic.com/courses-events)

online and in person, from weird fiction to ghosts, occultism, ley hunters, UFOs, urban high strangeness, witchcraft and practical skills in tarot and numerology. Sue welcomes invitations to speak at events and is thrilled to return to ‘Rejected Religion’.

On July 7th 2025 she is co-producing The Third Florence Farr and the Magical Imagination Conference in London, with Caroline Wise, author and esoteric publisher (Starfire Books), at The College of Psychic Studies South Kensington (https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/special-events/esoteric/florence-farr-and-the-magical-imagination/?id=5551)

Meeting people to talk about weird stuff is one of Sue’s most favorite things. 

In this interview, I talked with Sue about her dissertation, “Occult Modernism and the Radical Reform of the Family: Female Empowerment in the Magical Fiction of Four Women Writers, 1890-1940" in which she writes about Florence Farr, Mary Butts, Sylvia Townsend Warner and P.L. Travers. (We didn’t have enough time to cover Travers, sadly, but Sue will be coming back in the future to do so!)

Sue shares some of her research findings surrounding Farr, Butts, and Townsend Warner. In doing so, Sue beautifully emphasizes the important work of each woman, and their significant contributions. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and my apologies for the delay in getting this uploaded!

PROGRAM NOTES

Main titles mentioned in this interview:

Florence Farr, The Dancing Faun The Dancing Faun - Florence Farr - Hermetic Library

Mary Butts, Armed with Madness #15 - Armed with madness, by Mary Butts - Full View | HathiTrust Digital Library

Sylvia Townsend Warner, Lolly Willowes Lolly Willowes : Warner Townsend Sylvia : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive


Music and Editing: Daniel P. Shea
End Production: Stephanie Shea