Rosa Alchemica - Some Ghost Stories from W. B. Yeats (Fantasy and Horror Classics), (Paperback)

This essential collection of short fiction by William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) offers a rare glimpse into the poet's profound, lifelong fascination with the supernatural, Celtic myth, and occult philosophy. These are not typical campfire tales, but atmospheric, deeply symbolic narratives that explore the war between the spiritual and the material world.

The stories in this volume feature recurring figures like the mystic Michael Robartes and the visionary Owen Aherne, drawing from Yeats's real-life involvement with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Irish folklore.

• Rosa Alchemica: Yeats's most famous piece of fiction, follows a narrator who is drawn into the secret Order of the Alchemical Rose. The Order seeks ultimate spiritual transcendence through an ecstatic, terrifying ritual that leads to an apocalyptic collision between ancient pagan power and the local community.

• The Wisdom of the King and The Crucifixion and the Outcast: These stories are steeped in Irish mythology and explore the nature of wisdom, art, and exile, often depicting the price paid by those who possess a vision too intense or sacred for the common world.

• The Curse of the Fires and of the Shadows and The Sorcerers: These tales delve into the more explicitly haunting aspects of Irish folklore, exploring curses, strange encounters, and the malignant forces that lurk in the hidden corners of the Irish countryside.

This volume is a foundational text of literary modernism and a chilling peek into the occult heart of the Irish Revival, perfect for readers who enjoy horror that is philosophical, lyrical, and profoundly unsettling.