The Old Sod: The odd life & inner work of William G. Gray

by Alan Richardson, Marcus Claridge

William G. Gray was a real magician, a kind of primeval spirit who worked his magic as an extension of the Life Force, not as a sop to ego. He reeked of psychism like he often reeked of incense, could give you the uncomfortable feeling that he could see right through you and beyond, and had been to places in spirit that we could scarcely imagine. Many of the books on magic and the Qabalah which appear today owe a huge if unrecognised debt to his pioneering writing. If there is anything evolutionary about the current urge to work with harmonic energies within the Earth and ourselves - whether through green eco-movements, the Celtic Revival or the Wiccan arts - then it is due in no small degree to the work that was done by an old bastard who lived near the bus station in a town in Gloucestershire. Bill Gray met and worked with many of the most important figures in the British esoteric scene. His boyhood meetings with Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley are described here in his own words, along with his personal recollections of working magic with Pat Crowther, Doreen Valiente, Ronald Heaver, Robert Cochrane and many others. This lively, entertaining and authoritative biography tells the story of how a difficult, psychic child grew into a powerful adept who challenged established and stagnating traditions within paganism, magic and Qabalah alike, and revitalised them from within - often falling out with those he worked with but maintaining their affection and respect. Generously illustrated with photographs, many never published before, the book also includes contributions by R.J. Stewart, Gareth Knight, Evan John Jones, Marcia Pickands and Jacobus Swart, plus, of course, W.G. Gray himself.

Genres: Biography, Magic, Occult, Esoterica, History, Magick

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

(1951-)

Reviews

[Taylor Ellwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a fan of William Gray's magical work since the late 90s. I've also had the fortune of meeting a few of his students and learning about the actual man as well as the magician. I found this biography to be useful as well in filling in some blanks about the actual person and providing some context around his magical work. Whether you're interested in the magicians of the 20th century or a fan of Gray's work, this is a good book that shares his life, faults and successes.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only met the Old Sod once, but he dispelled absolutely none of my preconceptions. And this overdue biography confirms that what we saw is what we got.

[Jönathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent bio on William Gray, founder of the Sangreal Sodality. Very intrigued by his Grail theories that predate similar ones in popular alt-history books.