The Secrets of Dr. John Taverner

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

The Secrets of Dr. John Taverner

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

In this collection of linked short stories, occultist Dr. John Taverner treats patients suffering from psychic and supernatural afflictions using Western esotericism. Blending fiction with real-life case studies, the tales explore etheric vampires, obsessing entities, and black magic, offering a thrilling yet psychological look into the unseen world.

Summary up to 500 words

In *The Secrets of Dr. John Taverner*, Dion Fortune presents a collection of stories grounded in the psychology of the ultraconscious, blending fiction with accounts of 'super-normal pathology.' The narrative follows Dr. John Taverner, a physician and occultist who operates a nursing home where he treats conditions beyond orthodox medicine. While his methods are unscrupulous and he ignores the law, Taverner is driven by selfless ideals to save souls from dark influences. The collection opens with the tale of 'Blood Lust,' where Taverner intervenes to break a fiancé's connection to a vampire-like entity. Another story features Diana, a girl with animalistic traits who is revealed to be a spirit of the wild. On the night of the Vernal Equinox, Taverner conducts a dangerous experiment, releasing Diana to her 'people' in the woods. She returns the next night, having gained the ability to communicate and draw visions of nature spirits, eventually finding a balance between her human and wild natures. Taverner also deals with the Earl of Cullan, a man who has placed himself on the wrong side of lunacy laws. Taverner cleverly turns the situation around, making the narrator, Rhodes, the patient to be treated by Cullan, highlighting Taverner's unique psychological tactics. Throughout the book, Taverner contrasts with Marius, an artist who lost his soul by exposing his true self, whereas Taverner masks his true nature to protect it. The narrator, Rhodes, undergoes a profound transformation, moving from a conventional medical mindset to accepting the reality of the unseen world. He eventually steps through an invisible barrier into the astral plane, realizing that while he must remain in the world of men, he is no longer alone, accompanied by infinite presences. The book concludes with the narrator having fully integrated his dual existence, finding companionship in the unseen life.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.globalgreyebooks.com/ebooks-2/dion-fortune_secrets-of-dr-john-taverner.epub

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Categories

• Occult Fiction
• Supernatural Fiction
• Short Stories