Item #60721 The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ]. Aleister CROWLEY, Clifford Bias association copy.
The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ].
The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ].
The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ].
The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ].

The Spirit of Solitude. An Autobiography. Subsequently re-Antichristened The Confessions of Aleister Crowley. [ 2 Volumes ].

London: The Mandrake Press, 1929. First edition. Hardcovers. 2 Volumes. Each Quarto size. viii + 284pp. & viii + 308pp, Original white buckram, gilt titles and sigils on spines, stunning reproduction of a self-portrait sketch by Crowley and his "phallic 'A' signature" stamped in black on top board of each volume. Bevelled edges to boards. Teg. Printed on fine "Jap vellum." Portrait frontispiece in each volume, plus numerous plates & diagrams, and a map. Errata slip at rear of second volume. Vol. II has an inscription: "To Charles Burnham / in friendship and / occult brother hood - / Clifford Bias" (see further below). The first edition of Crowley's famous 'Confessions.' Crowley had originally intended that the work would be published in six volumes, but only two of these had been published before the Great Depression and various internal disputes led to the demise of the publishers. The project languised uncompleted throughout Crowley's lifetime, and it was not until 1969 that the Confessions were issued in a single volume edition, edited by John Symonds and Kenneth Grant. Whilst the single volume edition includes much of the text of the first two volumes (and of course that of the latter four) it is nonetheless an abridgement. These original volumes include a considerable amount of text, and many photographs - particularly pertaining to Crowley's travels and mountaineering exploits - that were not reproduced in the later single volume. Clifford Bias (1910-1987), who inscribed the book was a well known American Spiritualist, founder of the Universal Spiritualist Association, who increasingly embraced magick and in the 1950s founded the Ancient Mystical Order of Seekers (A.M.O.S.) as a serious magical study group. He was the author of numerous books including "Qabalah, Tarot and the Western Mystery: 22 Connecting Paths on the Tree of Life," "The Way Back: A New Age Approach to the Western Mystery Tradition" and the "Ritual Book of Magic" (Samuel Weiser, 1981). We have been unable to identify the particular Charles Burnham mentioned, but judging by the text of the inscription he was likely a fellow member of A.M.O.S. The volumes have a faint incense smell. The white cloth on this set is unusually clean, although there is still some occasional discoloration. Gilt to spines quite faded, Vol. I a little leaned. Corners of boards lightly bumped and cloth fraying at points. Small (barely visible) puncture to upper-section of top joint of Vol. I, page edges slightly darkened, endpapers unevenly browned, a little shadowing to the title page from the portraits (as common). Still overall a tight, better than VG set No dustjackets (none issued). Item #60721

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