Elphame; A Journey into Elvin Light

Elphame; A Journey into Elvin Light
Alan Richardson
ISBN 979-8-86179-420-6
$5.57

Elphame; A Journey into Elvin Light reads like Jack Kerouac wrote an account of his travels to Fairyland—in the best possible sense. Richardson writes in a stream of consciousness approach that suits the topic far better than a more linear style ever could. Indeed, the road to Faerie is not a straight path for the left brain to categorize, organize and sanitize, but a journey—both inner and outer—into the queer and curious, in which following an errant thought down the rabbit hole is far more likely to result in progress than sticking to the plan.

The genius in the book is Richardson’s documenting his personal exploration. He decided that he would find a way to enter Elphame for himself, from within his ordinary local landscape and without the benefit of natural psychic gifts, which he says he does not possess. In other words, he’s very much like most Pagans. For the reader, this means riding along on the shoulder of an elder and learning by his doing—the best way to learn and a rare opportunity in the current day, in which even the greatest magics are so frequently broken down into little sets of instructions. Far better to follow in the footsteps of someone who’s actually doing the work you want to do.

Richardson compares his interest at the outset to the Chariot card in the Tarot, in which the figure is stuck inside a solid block of materiality and yet is able to travel wherever he likes because of the great powers he controls, in the form of the sphinxes pulling the chariot along. This figure goes everywhere without moving anywhere—the perfect symbol for an excursion to Elphame, especially for an ordinary person. After painting this picture, Richardson launches into the uninterrupted narrative of his travels, bringing the reader along on all the ups and downs, making for a compelling read and a truly enlightening journey.