The Lesser Key of Solomon Goetia The Book of Evil Spirits; Contains 200 diagrams and seals for invocation and convocation of spirits. Necromancy, witchcraft and black art
Chicago, IL: De Laurence, Scott & Co., [1916]. Hardcover. Small octavo. viii + 80pp. Very dark blue cloth with, gilt title, etc. to spine and front cover, illustrated. Although Crowley's name does not appear in the book, this is actually a pirated version of his edition of the famous grimoire of talismanic magic, the Lemegeton of Solomon. Crowley first published the book at Boleskine in 1904, under the title 'The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King' in an edition of only 200 copies using translations which had been prepared by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, his former mentor in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. De Laurence appropriated it and republished it under his own name in 1916, but was (perhaps deliberately) lax in specifying reprints, so all the de Laurence published copies have the copyright date 1916, irrespective of their actual publication date. We have handled many copies of this work over the years and are reasonably sure from the paper and binding type (a quite finely-grained cloth) that this is either a first or very early printing of the de Laurence edition, although we cannot say with absolute certainty. Head and tail of spine bruised and a bit chafed, and spine somewhat darkened. Endpapers toned as usual for this volume. Otherwise a tight, clean, unmarked VG+ copy. No dustjacket - none called for. Item #36587
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