
Surrealism and Operative Alchemy
The Secret Language at the Origins of the Surrealist Movement
$65.68
- Hardcover
360 pages
- Release Date
26 March 2026
Summary
Discover the links between European surrealism and the alchemical tradition
- Draws on rare primary documents to reveal the connections between surrealism, 20th century alchemy, and 19th century occultism
- Explores Éliphas Lévi, Jewish and Christian Kabbalah, and Hermeticism to show how surrealist symbology contained an initiatory dimension or “secret teaching”
- Details collaborations between surrealists André Breton, Bernard Roger, and Salvador Da…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9798888501672 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Patrick Lepetit |
| Publisher: | Inner Traditions Bear and Company |
| Imprint: | Inner Traditions Bear and Company |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 360 |
| Release Date: | 26 March 2026 |
| Weight: | 719g |
| Dimensions: | 229mm x 152mm x 28mm |
What They're Saying
Critics Review
“Lepetit’s work is an invaluable contribution to understanding the history and practice of 20th-century alchemy in France and later elsewhere. Students of operative alchemy, particularly the writings of Fulcanelli, will find a tremendous amount of literary gold in these pages—and maybe even a few hints of the Stone as well. This is a book that readers will return to often.” * Mark Stavish, founder and director of the Institute for Hermetic Studies and author of The Path of F *“Surrealism, which, according to André Breton, reveals the prima materia of language, whatever its form, occupies a lineage clarified by alchemy. When our interior psychophysical world fuses with the external material world reciprocally, the goals of alchemy and surrealism appear as one: the full expression of what being human signifies. This book tracks that precious rendezvous with exceptional erudition, passion, and relevance to the fraught historical period we are living through. For readers wondering what the ‘gold of time’ is or where to find it, this is a talisman for their quest.” * Allan Graubard, author of Sun Step Black Lake and Language of Birds *
About The Author
Patrick Lepetit
Patrick Lepetit is the author of The Esoteric Secrets of Surrealism and has written several books in French on surrealism and esoteric traditions. He is a member of the Grand Orient de France and of the Mélusine Network of scholars interested in surrealism. He lives in Mons en Baroeul, France.
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