After a long, long gestation, I’m delighted to announce that my research study of Péladan, drawn from my PhD thesis, will be published in July 2022 by Theion Publishing!
This is the first of four books I will be publishing with Theion. Entitled Son of Prometheus: The Life and Work of Joséphin Péladan this is the first scholarly study of Péladan that places him in the context of the history of Western Esotericism while also providing a clear roadmap to the entirety of Péladan’s initiatory teachings and philosophy of the esoteric power of art.
The other three books contracted by Theion and due for release over the next few years, will be 3 curated and annotated anthologies of Péladan’s work, each one dedicated to a different aspect of his output. The first focuses on his esoteric curriculum, the second on his prescribed methods for creating ensouled art to subvert society, the third anthologises his ritual theatre and literary works designed to lead the unsuspecting reader or spectator to spiritual awakening. Work is well under way for these and more announcements will be forthcoming in due course.
About Son of Prometheus
Responding to multiple cultural shifts in fin-de-siècle French society, Péladan authored over a hundred novels and monographs in an attempt to bring about the spiritual regeneration of society through mythopoetic art underpinned by esoteric thought. Best remembered for organising the short-lived, though influential Salons de la Rose et Croix in the 1890s, that provided a focal point for Symbolist art and sought to unite the arts into a revival of initiatory drama, Péladan’s enormous oeuvre of over a hundred books and several thousand articles, slipped into oblivion and has been overlooked ever since. Previous accounts highlight his eccentricity, or isolated elements of his work, but until now, none have explored the breadth of his work in its cultural context. The aim of this study was to fill that gap. It offers a solid biographical introduction which corrects long-standing misperceptions, followed by accessible but robust thematic presentations of the many facets of Péladan’s work, including many unpublished translated excerpts of his work. He called himself a novelist, a playwright, a philosopher, an art critic, a savant and a zelator; he was all these and more, predicting in an unpublished autobiography that one day he would be the object of detailed study. After a century of oblivion, that day has come. His work is of undoubted interest to scholars, artists, and esoteric practitioners alike. Chaitow’s approach is both interdisciplinary and reader-friendly, ensuring that Péladan’s vision for changing society through art and authentic living is accessible to all.
Features
The book features forewords by Professors Per Faxneld and Christopher McIntosh, and is endorsed by Professor Christopher Partridge and Professor Joscelyn Godwin (see excerpts below).
Sasha is illustrating the book herself, reworking images inspired by Péladan over the course of her research. These will be produced as a set of limited prints and made available along with the books (details TBA).
Scholarly praise for the book
Previous studies of Péladan have failed to deliver a complete picture of the man and his achievements. Most art historians have little understanding of the esoteric and are even apt to be hostile towards esoteric interpretations of an artist. Scholars of esotericism, on the other hand, are often ignorant of art history. Sasha Chaitow is uniquely qualified to write this study, having a knowledge of art history as well as the esoteric context of Péladan’s work. She also has the insight that comes from being an artist herself. One of the great merits of the book is her very clear and detailed exposition of Péladan`s initiation system.
Not long ago the subject of Péladan would have been regarded as belonging to a minor side road in the history of art, esotericism or the Belle Epoque. Now, in an age when the arts are largely cut off from tradition and bereft of beauty or spiritual meaning, his message is perhaps more relevant than ever. In Sasha Chaitow he has at last found a biographer able to do him justice.
formerly Professor of History of Western Esotericism
at Exeter University (EXESESO)
Professor of Religious Studies
Lancaster University
Interview
In this interview (released 1st May 2022) with Rudolf Berger of the Thoth-Hermes podcast, Sasha talks about the book, the process of researching Péladan, and answers several frequently asked questions she has received over the years.