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., ND [ copyright 1916 ]. Hardcover. Small octavo. viii + 80pp. Original black cloth 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. This is one of the older, better-quality de Laurence reprints. It has a nice black treated-cloth binding (faux leather) and the first eight pages, with the title-page, Solomonic seals and diagrams, are printed on special coated paper (the same that is typically used for photographs to get a better quality of reproduction), whilst the text is printed on a good-quality standard buff paper stock. It was almost certainly issued no later than the early 1960s, although it may in fact have been issued much earlier. The faintest hint of shelf wear, spine ends lightly bruised, small 1960s New York City Weiser bookshop label on front pastedown - otherwise a tight, unmarked near-Fine copy. No dustjacket - none called for. Item #68583
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