{"product_id":"initiations-9781908011992","title":"Initiations","description":"Paul S dir was one of the most important figures of the late 19th century occult renaissance in France, and yet he remains very little known in the English-speaking world. Born Yvon Le Loup in 1871, the young Breton moved to Paris and took up occultism as a teenager under the patronage of Papus (G rard Encausse). Blessed with an exceptional memory and intuition, he embraced a diversity of paths and quickly rose through the ranks of a wide range of esoteric fraternities, authoring a number of books. From his home in Montmartre he held weekly open discussions on occultism and was well known for his exceptional knowledge and powerful presence. In later life, a significant mystical encounter led him to resign from his occult activities and focus solely on a Christian mystical path. Adopting the name S dir (an anagram of 'd sir'), he began writing his important work Initiations around 1901, and expanded it gradually over the following twenty-five years until his death in 1926. It follows the 'initiations', both occult and mystical, of a Paris doctor and his strange friend Andreas, nuanced by the enigmatic background presence of Theophane, the true healer. Presented in a deceptively simple narrative form, it distils and encodes a lifetime's esoteric and mystical knowledge in a way which serves as a very real initiation for the perceptive reader. Gareth Knight brings the benefit of 60 years' experience in practical occultism to this new translation of S dir's work. He has translated a number of French esoteric texts, as well as being a renowned author in his own right.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Skylight Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50476024987922,"sku":"9781908011992","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_b7f68256-02bf-4ac0-ac79-97f2cce4ccc9.jpg?v=1730243073","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/initiations-9781908011992","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}