Inspired by a fascination with the mysticism of Germany, Dr. Christopher McIntosh immerses himself in the history and myths of Germans as he discusses Parsifal and the Holy Grail and other sacred Germanic relics, considers Abraxas and the alchemical union of opposites, searches for the Roman roots of Germanophobia, and finds synchronicity with Saxon beliefs.
In Occult Germany, McIntosh describes Germany as the fountainhead of the western esoteric tradition and explores topics like the dance of the wild man, the Holy Grail, Rosicrucianism, and the spiritual importance of gardens.
A British born writer and historian who has lived in Germany for more than 30 years, McIntosh he has a doctorate in history from Oxford University, a degree in German from London University, and a diploma in Russian from the United Nations language school. He is the author of many books, including Occult Russia.
“Until relatively recently, Germany was not a nation state but a cultural and linguistic entity, extending far beyond the borders of present-day Germany,” McIntosh points out. Consequently, the book includes sorties into Austria, German speaking Switzerland and places such as Prague, where in former times there were sizable German communities.
“Some Germans have simply no sense of their own historical/mythical heritage. Others are intent on disparaging and belittling it. But there are many who feel a profound need to rediscover that heritage or find substitutes for it. This need manifests itself in a thousand different ways — in the devoted Wagnerites who flock to Bayreuth every year to immerse themselves in his mythical world, in the proliferation of New Age cults and gurus, and in the growth of neo-paganism and in the crowds that gather at various ancient sites to celebrate the solar festivals.
“In short, the Germans are on a centuries-old quest. In exploring the history of that quest I came to the realization that the German mind has one particularly outstanding strength — namely, the ability to straddle the realms of the spiritual and the material.”
