Yeats’s Theories on Spirituality in “Magic,” “Swedenborg, Mediums, and the Desolate Places,” Per Amica Silentia Lunae, and A Vision

Abstract

This essay aims to look into Yeats’s theories on spirituality in his four essays: “Magic,” “Swedenborg, Mediums, and the Desolate Places,” Per Amica Silentia Lunae, and A Vision. Before moving on to the main discussion, this article briefly examines the several factors that helped shaped Yeats’s thoughts on spirituality, not least of which was his exposure to folklore and his father’s repudiation of established religions. Such childhood influences led Yeats to join first the Theosophical Society and then the Golden Dawn in search of alternative forms of spirituality. It also contributes to Yeats’s unique theories on spirituality that is based on Irish traditions such as Irish folklore and legends. Then, this essay discusses Yeats’s prose writings, starting from his 1901 essay, “Magic” to A Vision, which can be considered as the culmination of his lifelong search for spirituality in order to talk about how Yeats tried to formulate his thoughts on spirituality over time.