100 Books in 2012: Book 27 "Moon Magic"

Dion Fortune's books are packed with esoteric wisdom, and she's sometimes a hard author to read. I've been working my way slowly through this novel for months, but last night I was finally able to finish it.

This book is the sequel to "The Sea Priestess", but it could easily be read and understood alone. I preferred this novel, in fact.

Lilith Le Fey is a strange woman by the standards of pre-war British society. She lives alone, practices ancient magic, and is searching for a priest to help her change the world. She finds that priest in Rupert Malcolm, a renowned neurological doctor with a prickly personality. Malcolm is a vital man, but time and again, he chooses to allow his vitality to be sacrificed to the norms of the society. When he meets Lilith, he undergoes a deep spiritual transformation.

This novel is rich with symbolism, and in fact Fortune has been quoted as saying her novels are practical manuals for magical transformation. If you enjoyed "Mists of Avalon" or any of Marion Zimmer-Bradley's other titles, you will like this novel. Remember, it's slow going, so take your time and don't get frustrated if the small font and sometimes spotting punctuation throws you momentarily.

How have you been spending this weekend? I just realized it's Mercury retrograde, so I gave up on trying to be productive. I'm just being lazy and quiet instead.