Q. B. L. or the Bride's Reception. Being a Short Cabalistic Treatise on the Nature and Use of the Tree of Life, with a Brief Introduction and a Lengthy Appendix.
Chicago, IL: Privately Printed / Collegium Spiritum Sanctum, 1922. First Edition. Hardcover. Large Octavo, xiv + 106pp + 48pp Appendix at rear. Later (?) quarter white buckram over light brown papered boards, gilt stamped leather title- label to spine. Top edge gilt. Color frontispiece and 3 color plates with tissue guards, kabbalistic diagrams, one of which is a fold-out. This copy INSCRIBED BY ACHAD on the second blank: 'Presented to the Library of the / "Collegium Pansophicum" / with fraternal good wishes / from / Frater Achad / An XIX [Sol] in [Virgo]' [September 1923]. The "Collegium Pansophicum" was an occult fraternity founded by occult bookseller and publisher Heinrich Tränker (1880-1956). Tränker knew of Achad through Crowley and Achad's own writings, and to Achad's delight accepted his interpretation of the kabbalah as the key to the tarot. Tränker granted authority to establish a North American branch of the Order. It is not known whether this copy was presented by Achad to the German lodge, or to his own American one, although the fact that the copy first surfaced in the Netherlands some 30 years ago might hint at a European rather than an American connection. The edition was intended to be limited to 250 copies, numbered and signed by Frater Achad on the limitation page but this copy is neither signed nor numbered. As noted this copy is not in its issue binding. The binding is certainly not recent, but when and where it was rebound is not known - the endsheets are watermarked "Conqueror London", a brand that has been manufactured since the late 1800s. We know that Achad only had a portion of the print-run bound in 1922 as he had a substantial number of unbound sheets left which he used as the basis for the "Autograph Edition" in 1925. It is possible that he had a set of the sheets especially bound for presentation to the "Collegium Pansophicum" in 1923, or alternatively some accident might have befallen the original binding causing someone to have the volume rebound more recently. The binding materials could be as early as the 1920s, or as late as the 1970s. The text itself is a "short Cabalistic treatise on the Nature and use of the Tree of Life" by Crowley's one-time 'magickal son.' It was the first of Achad's major Kabbalistic works and his controversial reassignment of some of the attributes of the Tree of Life was first revealed in an appendix to this work. There are a couple of kabbalistic notes in pencil in what appears to be Achad's hand on tissue guard of the frontispiece. Also some largely erased pencil notes in the top margin of the title-page. From the library of Clive Harper with his discreet book-label neatly tipped in at the rear. Harper is well-known as the bibliographer of Austin Osman Spare, for updating the Aleister Crowley bibliography in the 2011 Teitan Press collection of Gerald Yorke's writings, and as someone who has lent his expertise to numerous other publications. The label can easily be removed without affecting the page, although it would be a shame not to preserve this record of the book's provenance. Non-standard binding, as noted. Spine and boards a little darkened, title-page a little darkened and with a few pencil notes, small circular mark on front pastedown from where a bookseller's label (probably that of W.N. Schors of Amsterdam) has been removed, a few spots to endpapers. The volume shows usual signs of modest use, but is overall VG+ condition (no dust jacket issued). Item #65764
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