The Finger and the Moon

by Geoffrey Ashe

"Do what you will - but be very sure you will it" is the motto over the entrance to Allhallows, a college of magic and mystery set deep in the English countryside, in the shadow of legendary Glastonbury Tor. Here, under the guidance of former psychologist Martin Ellis, people come from all walks of life to study - what, exactly? - and leave with their lives deeply changed. Freelance journalist Geoffrey is determined to find out what is going on at Allhallows, and what makes Ellis - and his graduates - tick. But from his first moments in the timeless atmosphere of the Georgian mansion, the garden with its strange sculptures, the mysterious temple and the enigmatic maze, he feels sure that the answers to his questions will not come easily. To reach his goal, he will need a great deal more than theories on magic and mysticism: he will need to experience these ancient forces and traditions himself - a process that will lay bare his soul, culminating in a mind-expanding vision from the very heart of the legend of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain. It's an experience not to be missed. Unavailable for a quarter of a century and long sought-after by the author's many enthusiastic readers, 'The Finger and the Moon' was originally conceived as non-fiction, and is the only novel to date written by leading Arthurian scholar and Glastonbury resident Geoffrey Ashe. This new edition includes a specially-written introduction and extensive annotations by the author - unusual in a work of fiction. These new elements answer many questions and bring a new perspective to the book's powerful themes of magic and the nature of humanity, placing them in context with the author's other works.

Genres: Fiction, Arthurian

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1973

About the author

Geoffrey Thomas Leslie Ashe is a British cultural historian, a writer of non-fiction books and novels.

Reviews

[m. soria · Rating 3 out of 5]

like harry potter for hippies.

[Tony Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book in 1974 or so and it's very interesting to see how many of the themes in it have kept on being of interest on and off down the years. I recently re-read it. It's a great evocation of that time with its ideas and communes but like many books that deliberately set out to be based on Jungian archetypes (rather than letting the archetypes arise of their own accord unplanned!) it gets a little confused and in the end I wasn't sure what he was trying to say. However, I enjoyed the period and the setting and the main character.

[Paul Tokarski · Rating 1 out of 5]

really boring

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ought to stick with non fiction.