Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland written by Children’s author Lewis Carrol (his Pen name). His real given name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Lewis Carrol wrote this imaginative, creative Children’s novel in 1865. Lewis Carrol wrote a sequel called Through the Looking Glass in 1871. This is Children’s fiction not a Fairy Tale but it is a Classic, still loved by all.
The Fourth dimension became popular during this era. Some researchers such as New York Times, Melanie Bayley concludes this novel could be a satiric story based on non-Euclidean geometry.
You can read it here https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/opinion/07bayley.html
Lewis Carroll was intelligent and multi-talented, he was a Mathematician, illustrator, teacher, photographer, inventor as well as an Anglican Deacon and a Rosicrucian which explains many of the esoteric symbolism in his writing. Lewis Carroll worked at the Oxford Library as a Librarian for some time. He enjoyed reading to Alice Liddell and her sisters. He invented the Nyctograph a device to help one write in the dark.
The Modern Spiritualist Movement was very popular in England, Europe and USA during this era. Alice
The character he crafted as Alice in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was from the Dean of Oxford’s daughter at the time, Alice Pleasance Liddell. Once Alice Liddell grows up and weds she names one of her children Carroll after the author Lewis Carroll.
Alice Liddell (1852-1932) dressed in her best outfit. Photo by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1858) Wikipedia, Public Domain.
His Alice character also had an esoteric side which originated from Emma Hardinge Britten. (1823 – 1899) Photo below taken in 1840 Public Domain.
The Esoteric Alice was Emma Hardinge Britten whose real name was Emma Floyd. She was a psychic and a member of the Orphic Circle a chic mystery school of this era.
The White Rabbit symbolises purity, spiritual enlightenment.White Rabbit is a shamanic guide who journeys between worlds such as the Earth, underground and heavens. The Rabbit leads the seeker into Multiple worlds or realities to reveal truths of the universe and the seeker’s true self. It reminds me of that smarmy Cheshire cat that gives Alice a big grin then disappears, leaving Alice staring at the cat’s large grin. We have all met superficial people, we ourselves may have appeared a wee smarmy at one time or another, Oh the horror! A fictional self at best.
Jessie Willcox Smith’s illustration of Alice surrounded by the characters of Wonderland, 1923 in Public Domain
The White rabbit is also about time and out of time racing in and out of seven dimensions. The Book of Enoch mentions seven heavens. Time may not be linear like we have been taught, go ask the rabbit. It may represent our souls passing through different worlds being recycled and experiencing amnesia of past lives. Alice asks “Who am I?”
Hares were known to the Celts as guides to souls. Today some may think of the Grim Reaper as a guide to Heaven or Hell.
Illustration of The White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Public Domain.
The Celtic triskelion that we see in medieval church windows represents life, death and resurrection or reincarnation depending how one interprets it. Also related to the Fibonacci sequence
The Triskelion or floating rabbits is from an ancient German riddle “Three hares sharing three ears, Yet every one of them has two.”
The Caterpillar lounging upon a mushroom smoking opium? or just vaping? Shamans are known to take magic mushrooms to obtain out of body experiences to gain enlightenment. Caterpillars are known to morph into moths or butterflies.
Do humans morph too? According to folklore some do, there are many tales of shapeshifters from Werewolves to Wendigos.
Illustration of the Caterpillar and Alice in Public Domain.
‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I — I hardly know, sir, just at present — at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’
Alice the iniate represented as psychiatrist Carl Jung’s the Child archetype is trying to find/remember spiritual self, as the esoteric Alice the psychic may be channeling several spirits.
Alice Adventures in Wonderland may also be based on Nietzsche’s eternal recurrence theory from his book Thus Spake Zarathustra published in 1883.
That black and white swirly tunnel that leads to Wonderland may represent our subconscious or a portal to other dimensions, or maybe a stargate? There are many references to time in the novel. This story may hint towards a tribute to time, Chronos the greek deity the personification of time.
Time Clipping Cupid’s Wings (1694), by Pierre Mignard
There are so many fabulous characters in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland that I could write a novel on it, so I will not. You can read Lewis Carrolls’s novel in my source and reference section.
Now I will tip my hat and leave you fine folks with this quote from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
“‘Have I gone mad?’ ‘I am afraid so, you are entirely bonkers. but I will tell you a secret… all the best people are.‘” The Cheshire Cat.
Illustration of the Cheshire Cat by Arthur Rackham in Public Domain.
Source & Reference:
- Featured image: Jessie Willcox Smith’s illustration of Alice surrounded by the characters of Wonderland, 1923 in Public Domain.
- Behind the Looking Glass by Sherry Ackerman-https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Looking-Glass-Sherry-Ackerman/dp/1847184863
- Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland read online https://www.gutenberg.org/files/11/11-h/11-h.htm
You must be logged in to post a comment.