So Potent Art: The Magic of Shakespeare

Product Description

Omens, Alchemy, and Occult Wisdom in the Works of the Great Bard
Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets are steeped in magic and esoteric lore. So Potent Art explores fascinating examples of astrology, alchemy, and Hermeticism in addition to herbalism, witchcraft, fairies, ghosts, and divine intervention. This book also reveals the deeper archetypal structures of the plays and shows how the sacred architecture of the historical theater space enhances Shakespeare’s magical themes.
Author Emily Carding, a Wiccan initiate and theater professional who specializes in staging Shakespeare, discusses the influence of esoteric writers such as Ovid, Agrippa, and John Dee on The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, Macbeth, and other Shakespearean works. Each chapter is accompanied by practical suggestions, rituals, and exercises for you to try, enhancing your understanding not only of the great bard’s writings but also of yourself.

Review

“Brilliant, practical, witty, and accessible, Carding gifts great insight throughout, sensitively introducing the reader to Shakespeare, Magic(ke), and the creative light that can shine from and through all of us.”―Ben Crystal, author of Shakespeare on Toast
“This is a glorious book – and long overdue. There have been other works that looked into Shakespeare’s magical life but nothing as thorough or enlightening as this. Emily Carding is to be congratulated for her work and for opening the doors to a magical realm.”―John Matthews, author of How to see Faeries.
“‘There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio…’ and Emily Carding explains it all to you in this practical and informed new book. With a lovely wit and Shakespearean expertise, Carding shows how two seemingly unrelated subjects―magic and Shakespeare―are inextricably entwined and extraordinarily powerful.”―Austin Tichenor, artistic director of the Reduced Shakespeare Company

About the Author

Emily Carding holds a BA (hons) in Theatre Arts from Bretton Hall and an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter. They are an initiate of the Alexandrian Wiccan tradition and have been working with Tarot for over twenty-five years. Emily is the creator of several tarot decks, including The Transparent Tarot (Schiffer) and they’re the author of Faery Craft (Llewellyn). Additionally, they are the illustrator of Gods of the Vikings (Avalonia Books). As an actor they are best known for their international tour of the award-winning Richard III (a one-person show) by Brite Theatre. Emily lives in Hastings, East Sussex, England.

Caitlin Matthews is the author of many books, including The Lost Book of the Grail and Celtic Visions. As part of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, dedicated to the unwritten sacred arts, she teaches internationally on a wide variety of esoteric and spiritual subjects. With John Matthews, she has taught at the Open Mystery School for over thirty years.