August Strindberg (1849–1912) was an extraordinarily prolific writer whose col-lected works encompass no fewer than 72 volumes of drama, prose and poetry as well as 22 volumes of letters.1 In this extensive literary production, The Occult Diary occupies a unique and central position. Strindberg kept the diary from February 1896, when he moved into the Hotel Orfila in Paris, until the sum…
In many esoteric traditions, there exists an iconic or linguistic corollary between the concepts of ‘poisoner’ and ‘sorcerer’, suggesting a sinistral magical kinship. Indeed, the use of plant, animal and mineral toxins is a strand of magic originating in remotest antiquity and reaching the present day. Beyond its mundane function as an agent of corporeal harm, poisons have also served a…