Dr Robin Douglas

This is the latest in my series of republications of the writings of the important 20th century Irish esotericist Colonel Charles Seymour. October 1937 When Moses the Egyptian initiate on the barren, sun-smitten wastes of Horeb, the Holy Mountain of God, asked the Spirit of the Burning Bush for his name, he got the curious…

This piece was originally posted on 21 April 2025. It was also posted on my Substack. There is an old story that the death of a pope is verified by striking him on the head three times with a gold or silver hammer while calling him by his baptismal name, the name that his mother…

Competitive egg rolling is a traditional Easter Monday custom in Britain, particularly in northern England and Scotland. The rolling of the eggs was undertaken by children and teenagers. It seems that they would try to smash the eggs of other participants – presumably the eggs were hard-boiled. In at least some cases, the eggs were…

From the Evening Standard, 14 April 1865: The English people do not observe many anniversaries, but they are faithful to the few. They never forget Christmas, or Eastertide, or Good Friday. This morning, of solemn memory, is one which recalls the marvellous vicissitudes of Christian history and a thousand strange traditions, all symbolising some quaintly…

Here are some old newspaper reports – from 1735, 1790 and 1833 – of the customs observed by the British monarch on Maundy Thursday. The day was traditionally an occasion for the king or queen to give gifts and money to the poor. —– Newcastle Courant, 12 April 1735 This Day being Maunday Thursday, the…

This is the latest in my series of posts republishing the writings of Colonel Charles Seymour, one of the most important esotericists of the twentieth century. Summary: In this brief piece, Seymour contrasts (his vision of) the joyous nature-worship of antiquity with the ascetic traditions of Judaism and Christianity. Regrettably, he expresses contemporary racial ideas…

This is the pastoral address that was sent by John MacHale, the Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, to his clergy in Lent 1835. DEAR AND BELOVED BRETHREN. — We are about to enter into that holy season which has been set apart, from the time of the Apostles, for the salutary exercises of penance. This is…

Originally posted on 4 April 2025. This is a slightly edited version of the paper that I delivered last Sunday at the Contemporary Antisemitism 2025 conference in London. The last outbreak of mass anti-Jewish violence in Britain took place in August 1947. It is almost entirely forgotten today. It is virtually never mentioned in public…

I’ve just uploaded the text of a Deist Evensong rite from 1776. It was composed by the Welsh clergyman David Williams, in collaboration with Benjamin Franklin. It is essentially a rite for worshipping the rationalist God of the Enlightenment. I’m calling it a “ghost liturgy” because it reflects a kind of religiosity that came and…

This is the latest in my series of posts reproducing the writings of Colonel Charles Seymour, one of the least known but most important esotericists of the twentieth century. October 1936 to September 1937 Part 1 Who or what were the Old Gods? Pause for a moment and reflect on this, then note what pictures…