Theos-Talk Archives (January 2007 Message tt00401)

Poem by AE
  
THE SPELL
  
Now as I lean to whisper 
To earth the last farewells, 
The sly witch lays upon me
The subtlest of her spells:
  
Beauty that was not for me, 
The love that was denied, 
Their high disdainful sweetness 
Now melted from their pride:
  
They run to me in vision, 
All promise in their gaze, 
All earth's heart-choking magic, 
Madness of nights and days.
  
"These gifts are in my treasure, 
Though fleeting be the breath; 
Here only to wild giving 
Is love made fire by death.
  
"This spell I put upon thee 
Must, in thy being burn, 
Till from the Heavenly City 
To me thou shalt return."
  
     - AE ("House of the Titans")
  
   AE (George William Russell was 
an Irish Theosophist born in the second 
half of the 19th century and died in 
1937(?).  He exchanged some general 
correspondence with Blavatsky in her 
later years.  He first became known 
as a writer in Dunlop's "The Irish 
Theosophist." His "guru" at this time, 
to an extent, was James Pryse, who 
had live in HPB's house and ran the 
Press. (Pryse in his later years in 
California, made violins for part of 
his living.) During his years working 
as a clerk and writing for the "Irish 
Theosophist," he lived at the ashram 
at Dunlop and his wife's house with 
several other young men Theosophists.  
He later got married and had a son. 
There's a couple of biographies on AE.  
He remained a Theosophist and proponent 
of Blavatsky throughout his life.  
During the "Judge split" he sided with 
Judge. AE published at least 10 books, 
of poetry mostly - probably most 
known to modern theosophists from his 
"The Candle of Vision" reprinted by 
Quest in the 1960's.  AE ran a 
Theosophical group throughout his life 
in Dublin, Ireland which was called 
the "Hermetic Society."  When AE passed, 
it was taken over by P.G Bowen (or his 
son?)  AE was close friends with Yeats 
and other writers of the Irish Revival.  
He was primarily active in the Irish 
Agricultural Co-op movement, and 
travelled from town to town on his 
bicycle, and wrote a column for a 
prominent Reformist newspaper for years.  
He survived on a ridiculously low 
income in order to keep doing his work.  
When he made a trip to the U.S. in the 
last few years of his life, he was 
asked to visit the US Sec. of Agriculture 
for advice on and his experience with 
developing Co-ops in Ireland.  He was 
also a well-know artist with a unique style.  
  
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