The Occult Sylvia Plath: The Hidden Spiritual Life of the Visionary Poet

Sylvia Plath's interest in mysticism and the occult began in childhood and continued until her tragic death in 1963. Plath scholar Julia Gordon-Bramer shares her research, including unpublished calendars, notebooks, scrapbooks, book annotations, and interviews with Plath and her husband, friends, and family. She examines Plath's early years in a transcendentalist Unitarian church, her knowledge of Hermeticism, and her exploration of the supernatural with poet Ted Hughes. Gordon-Bramer reveals how Plath used her husband's hair and fingernails in rituals and how her poems take on new and universal meanings. She also shows how all occult influences have been rigorously excised from the letters approved for publication by the Plath and Hughes Estate.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 416 pages
Publication date: 06 June 2024
Publisher: Inner Traditions Bear and Company

From her childhood until her untimely death in 1963, Sylvia Plath maintained an enduring fascination and active engagement with mysticism and the occult. In her extensive research spanning over 15 years, Julia Gordon-Bramer, a renowned Plath scholar, unveils the intricacies of Plath's spiritual journey. Through the analysis of unpublished calendars, notebooks, scrapbooks, book annotations, and underlinings, as well as published memoirs, biographies, letters, journals, and interviews with Plath and her husband, friends, and family, Gordon-Bramer sheds light on Plath's lifelong pursuit of mysticism and the occult.

Growing up in a transcendentalist Unitarian church under the guidance of a brilliant but stern Freemason father and a mother who authored her master's dissertation on the renowned alchemist Paracelsus, Plath's early years laid the foundation for her spiritual exploration. Gordon-Bramer delves into Plath's early knowledge of Hermeticism, her voracious consumption of occult literature throughout her life, and her frequent writings about premonitory dreams since adolescence.

Examining Plath's tumultuous marriage to poet Ted Hughes, Gordon-Bramer explores their ventures into the supernatural, including Hughes' mentorship of Plath in meditation, crystal-gazing, astrology, Qabalah, Tarot, automatic writing, magical workings, and the use of the Ouija board. She also uncovers how, towards the end of their marriage, Plath resorted to using her husband's hair and fingernails in rituals.

Gordon-Bramer employs a multifaceted approach to analyze Plath's writing and her personal evolution, considering it through the lenses of mysticism, politics, personal experiences, and historical context. By examining her poems in this context, Gordon-Bramer reveals their profound and unexpected meanings, challenging the notion that Plath was solely a confessional poet. She further highlights the contrast between the versions of her letters held in the Plath archives at Indiana University and those published in Letters Home, shedding light on the influence of occult influences on her writing.

Through her meticulous research and insightful analysis, Gordon-Bramer provides a comprehensive exploration of Sylvia Plath's enduring interest in mysticism and the occult, shedding light on the intricate tapestry of her life and work. This book offers a fresh perspective on Plath's legacy, challenging prevailing narratives and revealing the profound depths of her spiritual journey.

Weight: 608g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781644118627