Dr. Sasha Chaitow, PhD, is a British-Greek cultural historian, author, and artist with a career spanning over two decades.
She holds Master’s degrees in English Literature and Western Esotericism, and a PhD in Western Esotericism. She lectures internationally and is a visiting professor at the University of Patras, Greece. Since 2010 she has taught the only extramural academic online course Introduction to the Academic Study of Western Esotericism, and has offered courses on Greek myth, sacred art, and Rosicrucian self-initiation. In 2025 she is developing courses on Greek folklore for a prototype interdisciplinary academy in Corfu, Greece.
Chaitow’s monograph Atalanta Unveiled: Alchemical Initiation in the Emblems of the Atalanta Fugiens (Univ. Exeter, 2009; Attic Books, 2020), focuses on Michael Maier’s emblem books. Her acclaimed book Son of Prometheus: The Life and Work of Joséphin Péladan (Univ. Essex, 2014; Theion Publishing, 2022) explores the work of a neglected visionary Rosicrucian of the French Occult Revival.
Her upcoming projects include a new translation and commentary on Horapollon’s Hieroglyphica (Black Letter Press, forthcoming 2025), three anthologies of Péladan’s work for Theion Publishing, and two books on Greek folk magic. Her peer reviewed articles and book chapters illuminate the intersections of esotericism, art, and culture.
As an artist, Chaitow has exhibited internationally in 14 solo exhibitions and several group shows. Her paintings, imbued with mythological and esoteric themes, are in private collections worldwide. For 8 years she curated ICON Gallery and The Attic Gallery in Corfu, Greece, to nurture and promote local artistic talent.
Currently, she is focused on Greek folk magicoreligious practices, and the intersections between esoteric thought and Greek Orthodox theology, applying her scholarship to her lifelong immersion in Greek culture.
Website: https://sashachaitow.co.uk
Writing: https://thyrathen.substack.com
From Their Publishing (2022)
The Life and Work of Joséphin Péladan
Sasha Chaitow’s Son of Prometheus, resulting from her doctoral work (2014), marks a scholarly milestone, resurrecting Joséphin Péladan’s overlooked legacy within Western Esotericism. This pioneering study situates the fin-de-siècle French polymath’s prodigious output—over 100 novels, monographs, and thousands of articles—amid cultural upheavals, revealing his audacious aim: societal renewal through mythopoetic art infused with esoteric philosophy. Best known for the 1890s Salons de la Rose et Croix, Péladan briefly ignited Symbolist art with initiatory drama, yet his vast corpus faded into obscurity, reduced to eccentric footnotes. Chaitow’s rigorous 12-year endeavor rectifies this, offering a definitive biography that dismantles misconceptions and a thematic exploration of his multifaceted roles—novelist, philosopher, zelator—enriched by unpublished translations.
Self-proclaimed as a visionary, Péladan foresaw his rediscovery; Chaitow fulfills this prophecy, delivering an interdisciplinary, accessible analysis of his esoteric artistry. Enhanced by her own illustrations and bolstered by forewords from Professors Per Faxneld and Christopher McIntosh, plus endorsement from Christopher Partridge, this work bridges scholars, artists, and practitioners. It unveils Péladan’s radical vision of art as a transformative force, cementing his relevance after a century of neglect.
Forthcoming (Black Letter Press, 2025)
A new translation with commentary and notes
Unlock the mysteries of the Hieroglyphica with this game-changing translation! Aimed at curious readers and scholars alike, it surpasses the limitations of previous outdated translations with a precise, context-rich rendition. It unveils three pioneering insights: evidence of oral transmission, likely recorded by a student of Horapollon; a synthesis of late antique Egyptian religion, Greek Neoplatonism, and Hermeticism; and traces of alchemical hermeneutics. Supported by newly identified manuscripts and meticulous scholarship, these revelations demand a rethink of this ancient gem.
Dive into fifth-century Alexandria, where Pagan schools clashed with rising Christianity, and trace hieratic magic through Egyptian and Greek thought. Explore metaphysics, Hermetic streams, and Renaissance misfires that sparked wild creativity. Debunk claims of Byzantine fakery, fix past errors, and set the stage for future breakthroughs. With the original Greek, a vibrant new translation, and a scholar-friendly Appendix, this is your key to unraveling a timeless enigma.
Preview excerpts, endorsements, & info: https://sashachaitow.co.uk/forthcoming-book-unlocking-the-secrets-of-horapollons-hieroglyphica/
Attic Books (2020)
Alchemical Initiation in the Emblems of the Atalanta Fugiens
Michael Maier, hailed as Germany’s foremost alchemical physician since Paracelsus, served as Royal Physician and Count Palatine to Emperor Rudolf II. A polymath—doctor, diplomat, alchemist—he chased the enigmatic Rosicrucian Brotherhood, whose bold Manifestos, promising a “universal reformation,” electrified a Europe scarred by religious wars. Undeterred by their elusiveness, Maier wove healing, alchemy, and esoteric thought into a dazzling corpus. His masterpiece, Atalanta fugiens (1617), fuses emblems, music, and text to ignite the senses, mind, and soul, guiding readers toward self-initiation through alchemy’s hidden truths.
In her vivid, richly illustrated monograph (originally her Master’s thesis awarded a distinction in 2008), Sasha Chaitow decodes Maier’s alchemical odyssey. She unravels the Atalanta fugiens’ structure, probes its mythic ciphers, and argues persuasively that rearranging its emblems unlocks Maier’s profound intent. Bridging his wider oeuvre, Chaitow illuminates a visionary intellect, offering scholars a fresh lens on an alchemical giant whose quest for transformation still resonates.
Excerpts and info: https://sashachaitow.co.uk/atalantaunveiled/
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