Occult Paris: The Lost Magic of the Belle Époque

by Tobias Churton

How fin-de-siècle Paris became the locus for the most intense revival of magical practices and doctrines since the Renaissance

• Examines the remarkable lives of occult practitioners Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Jules Doinel, and others

• Reveals how occult activity deeply influenced many well-known cultural movements, such as Symbolism, the Decadents, modern music, and the “psychedelic 60s”

During Paris’s Belle Époque (1871-1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished--Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents--all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time.

Exploring the magical, artistic, and intellectual world of the Belle Époque, Tobias Churton shows how a wide variety of Theosophists, Rosicrucians, Martinists, Freemasons, Gnostics, and neo-Cathars called fin-de-siècle Paris home. He examines the precise interplay of occultists Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, and founder of the modern Gnostic Church Jules Doinel, along with lesser known figures such as Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Paul Sédir, Charles Barlet, Edmond Bailly, Albert Jounet, Abbé Lacuria, and Lady Caithness. He reveals how the work of many masters of modern culture such as composers Claude Debussy and Erik Satie, writers Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire, and painters Georges Seurat and Alphonse Osbert bear signs of immersion in the esoteric circles that were thriving in Paris at the time. The author demonstrates how the creative hermetic ferment that animated the City of Light in the decades leading up to World War I remains an enduring presence and powerful influence today. Where, he asks, would Aleister Crowley and all the magicians of today be without the Parisian source of so much creativity in this field?

Conveying the living energy of Paris in this richly artistic period of history, Churton brings into full perspective the characters, personalities, and forces that made Paris a global magnet and which allowed later cultural movements, such as the “psychedelic 60s,” to rise from the ashes of post-war Europe.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Occult, France, Art, Biography, Music

493 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Tobias Churton is a filmmaker and the founding editor of the magazine "Freemasonry Today". He studied theology at Oxford University and created the award-winning documentary series and accompanying book The Gnostics, as well as several other films on Christian doctrine, mysticism, and magical folklore, such as "A Mighty Good Man" (2002), a documentary on Elias Ashmole, his religious ideas and Masonic initiation in 1646. He is currently a lecturer on Freemasonry at the Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism, Exeter University. He lives in England.

Reviews

[Mich Must Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This took some time to get through. The writing is overly floral, which takes away from the work. It is frustrating, because there are some really great tidbits of history in here that are fascinating and not readily known (At least not to me). Needless to say, I found myself, bored out of my mind and entranced in an almost constant rhythm throughout this book. I do not subscribe to escoteric or any other occultish beliefs, however, I don’t think you need to regardless of the fact that this is shelved in religion and occultism.
It was very intriguing to see how many artists, musicians and writers were involved with each other here and how they were inspired. This book actually introduced me to a few artists and writers that I plan on looking into. Odilon Redon, with his dream like pieces, was just one. In the end, I’m glad I read this. Its always good to try something different.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this much more than I actually did, in part I feel this was due to the colossal amount of detail and info dumps throughout which detracted from the actual 'story' being told.

The sections pertaining to Symbolist art and the decadence movement were the most interesting to me and I would recommend having a flick through to those interested in those literary and artistic movements. As a whole this book is hard going to a casual reader. I don't have a huge knowledge of occult history, practices and orders and the veritable minefield of information this book contains often lost/bored me completely.

I felt at times that the book was rather disordered and meandered around without a clear direction. There are fascinating parts, and a lot of incredibly dull parts which are cluttered with dates and jargon. Obviously the subject matter leads to rather dense and abstract interpretations of various individual's esoteric beliefs and practices, and I don't doubt that the author is incredibly well learned in the subject area, but it felt rather bogged down with information which at times became impenetrable, at least to me as a casual reader.

This is a hardback book and is nicely presented inside with a lot of imagery and colour plates in the centerfold. However it is incredibly cheaply printed, and I feel that a book on this subject (particularly as it deals primarily with aestheticism merits a much grander and more opulent edition). The cheapness marred the reading experience, and I felt that the rich and evocative imagery of the Symbolists deserved to be better presented.

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on JustALilLost.com

Paris’ Belle Époque era from 1871 to 1914 gave birth to a number of cultural and artistic movements such as Impressionism, for one. During this same time was the emergence of occult activity throughout the city and this is what Charlton dives deep into in his book Occult Paris. He explores the influence that occultism had on many prominent people of that time including composers like Debussy and painters like Seurat.

This is an incredibly dense book full of information. In all honesty, I was expecting something a bit more reader-friendly where this book feels more like a reference text book. It seems incredibly well researched and jam packed with information so I’m not diminishing the author’s efforts but I felt it tough to glean the parts I would find interesting among all the excess prose.

Admittedly, I ended up skimming a great amount of this book hoping something of interest would jump out at me but unfortunately everything blended together. It felt all too wordy for something that was enjoyable to read on a regular day. This would be a great book for those who enjoy the in-depth thesis style of non fiction books but as it turned out to not be what I thought, I felt it challenging to read from cover to cover all the way through.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In common with some of the other reviewers, I found this book in turns fascinating and tedious.

Some sections of the book were extremely interesting and readable; I learned a lot about such compelling characters as Peladan, de Guaita, Huysmans, Papus, etc, but other parts left me feeling overwhelmed and overloaded by unnecessary detail.

On the plus side, the author's knowledge of the period and personalities of Belle Epoque Paris was impressive but in my opinion the book would have been much better if it had been more focussed, structured, and shorter.

In summary, an erudite treatment of a fascinating milieu but could have done with a firmer hand with the editing.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. Those French are crazy.

[?0?0?0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick thoughts through tiredness: I've read a good number of books that cover this time period, the characters involved, the art, and the ideas that clashed and, for me, , "Occult Paris", is the strongest. It's the right book to read if what one is searching for is a well-researched and heavily-detailed accounting of this subject and all its various components. For instance, one recent example to compare: this is not as memorable or competent as Julian Barnes recent work, but it covers a lot more. And as is the case with most history books focused on a particular time and place, there will be moments that are more interesting than others, but I, unlike some reviewers, never found myself bored. More on this later.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was extremely detailed and reading about even the minor actors active during that time period was interesting. Unless you know how to read French, further research into most of them is fruitless.

Earlier this year I read Eliphas Lévi and the French Occult Revival by Christopher McIntosh which covers similar material. Though Churton's work is chock-full of details and covers a wider scope, I think I prefer McIntosh's book in readability.

It's remarkable how many esoteric groups were active during that period.

[Olesya Gilmore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seemed amateurish to me, unfortunately. Ended up mostly skimming.

[Majanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...

I’m not convinced I entirely believe what Occult Paris is trying to sell, but I did learn a lot of new elements about this era, Paris’s Belle Epoque from 1871-1914, and I do believe there might be some connection. The book tries to establish how occult activity influenced cultural movements, like Symbolism, the Decadents, Impressionism, Art Nouveau. While I don’t entirely buy it, I think there might be some truth in that.

The author does a good job describing the era, the feel of it, the way the characters are described and brought to life. It’s a special kind of book, and hard to rate – it does make one wonder about things, but it’s not exactly an entertaining read. It makes one question, makes one think and connect dots, and it’s not exactly relaxing reading materials either. It’s definitely not for everyone but it does have a certain mysterious, almost magical feel to it, and I quite enjoyed reading it.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

VERDICT: Sometimes overly detailed and possibly offering inaccurate or partial information, Occult Paris remains a note-worthy exploration of the multiplicity of occult movements in Paris during the Belle Époque, with a focus on their relationship with the artistic world.

My thorough and very detailed review is here:
https://wordsandpeace.com/2016/12/16/...

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject matter seemed very interesting, but the writing style was so boring it made it hard to get through the book. I would be interested in reading more written by someone else. Ultimately I am glad I read it, but it took more time than it should have.

[Amberwench · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fascinating subject, overly verbose script. Did not finish.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tobias Churton makes a decent case for the cultural importance of occult thinking in the France of the Belle Epoque (1871-1914), the equivalent to the late Victorian and Edwardian period in Britain. 'Occult Paris' (though it has its narrative faults) is an excellent guide in this respect.

We should stand back and ask what was going on here at a more fundamental level. Something similar was going on in both the UK and Britain. There was some important 'occult' cultural interaction between the two cultures - another book perhaps. Why was this?

In both cases, an educated upper middle class and an increasingly declasse minor upper class were responding to radical modernisation and 'embourgeoisement'. In both cases, deracinated individuals clung together and sought out the 'spiritual' in response to a materially-centred culture.

The differences owe a great deal to national tradition and education. In Britain, the core drivers were the English public school, Oxbridge, a powerful literary tradition and the study of the classics. In France, it tended to be the Catholic educational tradition and the draw of Paris itself.

The British revolt against materialism amongst the petty intelligentsia was drawn to paganism and (with some continental influence) what would become Magick. The French revolt tended more to heterodox spirituality and artistic creativity - musical, painterly, poetic, symbolic and ritualistic.

Churton puts effort into exploring all these creativities but most notably the emergence of a romantic symbolism in art, music and literature. He explores the brief period of this efflorescence of resistance to the material world in the music of Debussy and Satie as much as in the painters of the period.

What he elucidates is just how interconnected individuals were. Although there were important precursors, they should be regarded as a 'generation' which would be transformed negatively by the First World War and be succeeded by the materialist anti-system world of Surrealism (via Dada).

Underpinning the art and the cultural innovation was an admittedly chaotic but still identifiable 'spiritual' world view that can reasonably be termed 'occult'. The fundamental belief here was that behind material reality lay another reality. You might think of this as a demotic Platonism.

Part of this derived from a crisis in Catholic belief much as the British equivalent could be positioned as a delayed response to the mid-century crisis created by Darwinian scientific materialist thought. In Britain the weakening of Anglicanism was less terrifying than the challenge to Rome in France.

In Britain, the political aspects of the religious crisis were mostly a matter of circulation of elites with the new materialists of the middle class ousting Tory squire and parson but in France the context was a cycle of revolutions in which traditional attitudes were being defeated more coldly and starkly.

Theosophy (which was globally influential), Rosicrucianism, Martinism, Freemasonry, Neo-Gnosticism and Neo-Catharism emerged against the Church but for 'spirituality'. The games that people play meant societies, clubs, committees and petty power struggles.

Churton is good on the nonsense of spiritual activism as organisations and 'churches' came and went, sometimes as no more than fantasies in the minds of their founders or leaders. Personal tensions were as normal here as they are in any form of cultural or indeed political activism.

Are these people important? Well, yes and no. Yes, insofar as we hold to the platitude that everyone is important in their own way and because the ferment of nonsense and sincere searching for meaning had important and profound artistic outcomes for an admittedly brief period.

On the other hand, a lot of the beliefs were nonsense. Most of the participants seemed to have lived in fantasy world of their own completely detached from reality with little serious or intelligent philosophical investigation of their own condition. They were 'passing time before death'.

Having said this, it is a story that needs to be told. Men like Peladan, Papus, De Guaita and a host of other figures are part of French and European (more indirectly Anglo-Saxon) cultural history. Symbolist art and music is better comprehended for this book.

There is one point of criticism and that is the narrative approach. Churton is strongly 'simpatico' towards these figures. Nothing wrong with that (someone needs to be) but his engagement sometimes means the narrative is disconnected so that chronology is hard to establish.

Of course, a lot of this is inevitable with so many disparate characters criss-crossing, sometimes tangentially, often squabbling, in a rather chaotic 'movement' with no central Breton to enforce discipline (much as Peladan may have tried and failed).

The book is well and sensitively illustrated and is recommended to anyone interested in European cultural history, the history of modern art, Symbolism, French literature and the history of 'Western esotericism' or perhaps even of religion itself.

[Wyldrabbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blurb from Amazon:

ow fin-de-siècle Paris became the locus for the most intense revival of magical practices and doctrines since the Renaissance

• Examines the remarkable lives of occult practitioners Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Jules Doinel, and others

• Reveals how occult activity deeply influenced many well-known cultural movements, such as Symbolism, the Decadents, modern music, and the “psychedelic 60s”

During Paris’s Belle Époque (1871-1914), many cultural movements and artistic styles flourished–Symbolism, Impressionism, Art Nouveau, the Decadents–all of which profoundly shaped modern culture. Inseparable from this cultural advancement was the explosion of occult activity taking place in the City of Light at the same time.

Exploring the magical, artistic, and intellectual world of the Belle Époque, Tobias Churton shows how a wide variety of Theosophists, Rosicrucians, Martinists, Freemasons, Gnostics, and neo-Cathars called fin-de-siècle Paris home. He examines the precise interplay of occultists Joséphin Peladan, Papus, Stanislas de Guaïta, and founder of the modern Gnostic Church Jules Doinel, along with lesser known figures such as Saint-Yves d’Alveydre, Paul Sédir, Charles Barlet, Edmond Bailly, Albert Jounet, Abbé Lacuria, and Lady Caithness. He reveals how the work of many masters of modern culture such as composers Claude Debussy and Erik Satie, writers Arthur Rimbaud and Charles Baudelaire, and painters Georges Seurat and Alphonse Osbert bear signs of immersion in the esoteric circles that were thriving in Paris at the time. The author demonstrates how the creative hermetic ferment that animated the City of Light in the decades leading up to World War I remains an enduring presence and powerful influence today. Where, he asks, would Aleister Crowley and all the magicians of today be without the Parisian source of so much creativity in this field?

Conveying the living energy of Paris in this richly artistic period of history, Churton brings into full perspective the characters, personalities, and forces that made Paris a global magnet and which allowed later cultural movements, such as the “psychedelic 60s,” to rise from the ashes of post-war Europe.



Review:

Less than 100 years after the Renaissance movement in Paris France there was an
intellectual boom that had endured an otherwise time of discretion by secretively
moving “underground”. The evolution of things considered Artistic, revolutionary,
noteworthy, philosophical; Blaspheme and in more ways than one. Easily defined by the eclectic fringe of France’s delicate symbolic balance between “the powers of good and evil”. However, what the establishment considered “evil” was merely what I did not understand.

At the center of this misunderstood world, would be congregations where shops with high shelves laden with tomes of prose, pamphlets, papers, and periodical documentation of all things “creative” , being generated on a nightly basis by composers who composed not only music core , but methods of score, lyric verse, poetry, and along side of Poetic philosophers whom reveled in a sense that prose must not be separated from the music , and painters and sculptors who contemplated works un-matched by any modern means. These are the places like the “Chat Noir” where the manuscripts of genius exchanged hands. And no bookstore mind you, but exclusivity in the shape of a library. Where young seekers of the occult matters may find comfort in pontificate of concepts they would later exploit in his works. Even “Salons” like conventions , gathering to expose both art and the “Magnus” to the general public in attendance.

Each character’s special gifts explored and exposed on the pages of this great chronicle of history. The intertwining evolution of Paris’ underbelly society explained by the relationships, and personalities that shared tables at seances and with painstaking attention to notation in which the reader and find the reader scrounging (in my case Web Surfing) for more.

Shining illustrative light into backgrounds of the events which painted the narrow alleys of Paris’ nightlife, while at the same time setting the stage for the reader to better understand the cryptic and sometimes overwhelming imagery that, to some would otherwise be considered no more than fanciful artwork .

Tobias Churton seems to have set the table for a proper understanding of the relationships between each individual in a garden that genius bloomed. Another reason I am drawn to read this book is that it is few and far between that as westerners we are able to factually connect the dots in the many shapes of belief in historic Europe. From Kabbalists , to Israelite, Masons, and even Catholic Clergy from Gypsies to Symbolism, and on to the post war French/Asia exchange, this is the unheard , rarely spoke of European history not in text book , to the impact and shroud cast upon Paris in the wake of the power of the Catholic Church, and all the while in constant political turmoil, experiencing an environment of ever-changing roles completely dependent on whom is the audience. The “Fears” that are perpetuated by a lack of understanding is more often than not misconstrued as “a darker side” . And so be it, the Author agrees that “This fish isn’t for everybody…” as it is inscribed in Latin before a Sphinx-like image of an ancient Chimera being. This is quite a deluge of historic material and in some ways can alter the readers perception of the past. I personally ate it up like a bag of chips. Characters Such as Erik Satie , Josephin Peladan, De Guaita , and many more terrific persons of the era that really come alive with the interpretations of their works and relationships, even the addresses of their homes at points in time to define the surroundings. May I suggest to the reader wishing to explore this book to take advantage of the seemingly tedious work that the author has done providing you names of artwork and music , prose etc. as I found myself constantly referring to google to decide my own opinions, and I took so much more away from this with that being done. The bottom line is that by way of Facts, and refernce you may find that the book shares some secrets to “gnosis” much like most history , has been somewhat skewed by fear of the unknown.

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well written.

The author loves this history and its characters so much, however, that the reading can become dense. It's not quite academic but requires almost that level of concentration to appreciate.

An true joy to read that brought the times alive for me.

Thank you, Mr. Churton, for your intrigue and fascination with this history and the immense effort of sharing it with us in English.

[Phinehas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very happy to see this book published, as I have been interested in the fin-de-siecle occult revival for many years. It's great to have all this information in one place, especially because I don't read French. My biggest complaint is a stylistic one; Churton is extremely profligate with the use of exclamation points, which is one of my pet peeves.

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it and it relates more than is obvious to Master and Margarita, if you're asking.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really had no idea what to expect with this book, but what I didn't expect was to be overwhelmed with names and places and events, basically being plunged headfirst into Symbolism, Decadence, Impressionism, and Hermetic philosophers... among others. I'll be honest and say that this book took me a long time to read, and I still do not feel entirely certain of my knowledge of its contents. I rather feel like I should have read a Wikipedia (or other) primer of the cultural movements referenced, and especially of the men mentioned.

There were a great many mentioned, but I still do not have any real idea as to why/how the various persons noted became Symbolists, or Martinists, or Theosophists (etc). What was the underlying motivation? There is a great deal of information in this book, and for someone better versed, I have no doubt that it would be a gold mine and inspiration, compelling and intense. I'm afraid I'm not that person, or at least not yet, not without learning an awful lot more first.

I am somewhat intrigued, however, and I am wondering about the role of women in these movements, aside from being 'feminine' inspirations, or symbols of wisdom, like Sophia. The art in the book often shows women, but they appear to be objects or symbols rather than real people. I suppose it would be a question to put to Churton himself, whether or not any women participated in these movements, and if there were any known more generally.

A note on the book itself: the hardback is a handsome edition, high quality, and has very good colour photographs in an insert. Definitely one for display on the shelf, if that's your thing.

[Eileen Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful account of Paris in the time of La Belle Epoch.
Practitioners of magic and occultism were rife in the City of Light and many diverse movements abounded.
The author takes us through this magical - in every sense of the word - city, exploring the characters that peopled it.
It is appropriate that it is published on 31st. October - just in time for Halloween!
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Inner Traditions via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.

[Joshua Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating work of an incredible age!

[Bill Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A convergence of cultures in fin de siecle Paris, religious mysticism, Gnostic rebels, a new view of art, and music seeking innovation, all the threads woven together well by the author. The first half of the book is occasionally slow-going, with the introductions of many persons, philosophies, and influences, but the second half is terrific as the personages interact, feud, and give birth to the new century, albeit in a manner that would scarcely survive the Great War. The best thing about a book like may be all the other directions it points, all the wonders it hardly hints at for lack of pages, more topics to explore. Excellent research amusingly related and perhaps essential to understanding the foundations the weird corners of 20th Century culture stand upon.