Shadow Worlds: A History of the Occult and Esoteric in New Zealand

(Paperback)

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A vigorous strand of interest in the occult, the spooky and the mysterious has been part of our history since 1840. Shadow Worlds takes a lively look at communicating with spirits, secret ritualistic societies, the supernatural, the New Age everything from The Golden Dawn and Rosicrucianism to Spiritualism, witchcraft and Radiant Living and introduces the reader to a cast of fascinating characters who were generally true believers and sometimes con artists. Its a fresh and novel take on the history of a small colonial society that was not quite as ploddingly conformist as we may have imagined.

Author Bio

ANDREW PAUL WOOD is an independent art and cultural historian, critic, culture journalist, and translator based in tautahi Christchurch. He writes for prominent publications in Aotearoa New Zealand and elsewhere on art, architecture, design, travel, history and literature, and is involved in cultural initiatives around the country. His expertise ranges from the artist Theo Schoon to the history of the pavlova. He is arts editor for takahe magazine.