The Tree of Life. A Study In Magic.
London: Rider & Co., 1932. First edition. Hardcover. Large octavo. 286pp. Black cloth with gilt title, etc. to spine, b&w frontis, illustrated, color plates. The First Edition of Regardie's comprehensive exposition of magic, in its RARE first issue dust jacket (the author's name is misspelled as "Regarde" on both the front panel and the spine). The work draws heavily from the Golden Dawn (and other) material published in Crowley's "Equinox" series. Regardie's references to the Golden Dawn sparked much debate in its survivals - the Alpha et Omega and Stella Matutina, and ultimately led to him being invited to join the latter Order. The first edition is notoriously fragile, it is bound in a very light, fine cloth, that has a tendency to split at the joints. The joints of this copy are solid and without wear, the cloth shows just a little fading, and one or two glue bubbles on the rear board. Owner's name and acquisition date (1937) penciled on front free endpaper, moderate foxing throughout, heaviest at front and rear leaves, and on edges. The rare soft-paper jacket is quite rubbed, and has a number of chips, and some silverfish nibbles, mostly to the edges. The top and bottom corners of the rear flap have been clipped, presumably to remove the original prices. Despite its flaws the jacket is 95 % complete, and genuinely scarce. A better than VG copy in VG dust jacket, and scarce thus. Item #59420
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