Dion Fortune: Difference between revisions

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== Early Years ==
== Early Years ==


The magician and prolific author known as Dion Fortune was born Violet Mary Firth on 6 December 1890, in the town of Llandudno, county Caernarvonshire, Wales. The Firth family were well-to-do steel manufacturers whose wealth derived largely from weaponry and the business of war. Dion’s paternal grandfather, John Firth, devised the family motto: ''Deo, non Fortuna'',<ref>Richardson, Alan (1991): The Magical Life of Dion Fortune, Priestess of the 20th Century. Hammersmith, London: Aquarian Press (division of HarperCollins), p. 17</ref> or “God, not Luck,” which apparently summed up his viewpoint on the vagaries of life and which was, obviously, the source of her ''nom de plume''.
The magician, occultist, and prolific author known as Dion Fortune was born Violet Mary Firth on 6 December 1890, in the town of Llandudno, county Caernarvonshire, Wales. The Firth family were well-to-do steel manufacturers whose wealth derived largely from weaponry and the business of war. Dion’s paternal grandfather, John Firth, devised the family motto: ''Deo, non Fortuna'',<ref>Richardson, Alan (1991): The Magical Life of Dion Fortune, Priestess of the 20th Century. Hammersmith, London: Aquarian Press (division of HarperCollins), p. 17</ref> or “God, not Luck,” which apparently summed up his viewpoint on the vagaries of life and which was, obviously, the source of her ''nom de plume''. Her mother was a registered Christian Science healer,<ref>https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/french-literature-biographies/dion-fortune</ref> which would have introduced Violet to ideas about health and wellness that were quite out of the mainstream.


Not much is known about her childhood. Although well known in her day, she valued her privacy and never sought the limelight or encouraged personal questions. We do know she wrote two books of poetry as a teenager, both of which were likely published (in the early 1900s) by her family. The first was titled ''Violets''; the second, ''More Violets''.  
Not much is known about her childhood. Although well known in her day, she valued her privacy and never sought the limelight or encouraged personal questions. We do know she wrote two books of poetry as a teenager, both of which were likely published (in the early 1900s) by her family. The first was titled ''Violets''; the second, ''More Violets''.  


Like many highly sensitive children who spend much of their time outdoors, communing with nature, Violet Firth was aware of much more than the world visible to the adults around her. As an adult herself, she reported having had visions as a four-year-old, which she believed to be past-life memories of Atlantis.<ref>Richardson, pp 31-32</ref>
Like many highly sensitive children, Violet Firth was aware of much more than the world visible to the adults around her. As an adult herself, she reported having had visions as a four-year-old, which she believed to be past-life memories of Atlantis.<ref>Richardson, pp 31-32</ref>


== Theosophical Connections ==
== Theosophical Connections ==

Revision as of 22:41, 1 December 2021

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THIS ARTICLE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Dion Fortune was a prominent British Occultist and author who founded the Society of the Inner Light.


Early Years

The magician, occultist, and prolific author known as Dion Fortune was born Violet Mary Firth on 6 December 1890, in the town of Llandudno, county Caernarvonshire, Wales. The Firth family were well-to-do steel manufacturers whose wealth derived largely from weaponry and the business of war. Dion’s paternal grandfather, John Firth, devised the family motto: Deo, non Fortuna,[1] or “God, not Luck,” which apparently summed up his viewpoint on the vagaries of life and which was, obviously, the source of her nom de plume. Her mother was a registered Christian Science healer,[2] which would have introduced Violet to ideas about health and wellness that were quite out of the mainstream.

Not much is known about her childhood. Although well known in her day, she valued her privacy and never sought the limelight or encouraged personal questions. We do know she wrote two books of poetry as a teenager, both of which were likely published (in the early 1900s) by her family. The first was titled Violets; the second, More Violets.

Like many highly sensitive children, Violet Firth was aware of much more than the world visible to the adults around her. As an adult herself, she reported having had visions as a four-year-old, which she believed to be past-life memories of Atlantis.[3]

Theosophical Connections

Miss Firth became a member-at-large of the Theosophical Society on January 12, 1924 in London.[4]

Occult work in WWII

Writings

Fiction

Non-fiction

The Union Index of Theosophical Periodicals lists over 80 articles by or about Dion Fortune. She wrote dozens of articles for The Occult Review.

Society of the Inner Light

Later years

Notes

  1. Richardson, Alan (1991): The Magical Life of Dion Fortune, Priestess of the 20th Century. Hammersmith, London: Aquarian Press (division of HarperCollins), p. 17
  2. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/french-literature-biographies/dion-fortune
  3. Richardson, pp 31-32
  4. Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at http://tsmembers.org/. See book 10, entry 109399 (website file: 10B/17).