Secret Symbols of the Hell Fire Club: Considered from an Occult Perspective; Being a series of "Chapter Papers" Given informally amongst its Members at different time & Arranged in Themes
United Kingdom: Hell Fire Club, 2010. Limited Leather-bound First (?) Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. (160pp - the publisher's page count rather eccentrically includes the free endpapers). Full royal blue leather with gilt 'Inner Temple Lamp' device on front board. Marbled endpapers. B/w illustrations. The leather bound deluxe edition, limited to 50 "hand sewn and leather bound copies" for private circulation by the author (there was also a cloth edition of 616 copies). This 2010 edition is an earlier (probably first) edition of the work that is now available from the publisher in a (new) "limited edition" of 166 leather and 500 cloth bound copies. A series of short papers on the history and occult symbolism embodied in Loughran's Hell Fire Club. From the publisher: "The book explains the nature of the Club, its membership structure, details the symbolism for the first time and opens a window to scholars wishing to delve deeply into its extraordinary spiritual and occult world. The book examines the use of two 'Keys' which unlock Dashwood's notorious 18th century caves in surprising ways, shows the whereabouts of the legendary 'secret passge' in the caves, relates the symbolism and activities of the club to magickal evolution and indicates the possible existence of Templar cosmology in the Hell Fire Club. Illustrated with over 70 pictures and line drawings many seen here for the first time, we are given a rare glimpse into the most notorious of secret societies from the inside. Contains the first information to be published on the 'Phoenix Nest' group, a 1940's esoteric circle which met at West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. Echoes of their work were picked up by the witchcraft researchers Gerald Gardner, Robert Cochrane and Evan John Jones." Some faint imperfections to leather - almost certainly like this from new - otherwise a tight, clean near Fine copy. Item #62191
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