MATHERS, Samuel Liddell MacGregor, Editor & Translator,.

The Book of Sacred Magic of Abra Melin the Mage as delivered by Abraham The Jew Unto His Son Lamech: A Grimoire of the Fifteenth Century [ Abramelin ].

Chicago, IL: de Laurence Company, Copyright 1948 (ca. 1960s?). Third printing. Hardcover. Quarto. xlviii + 268pp. Original red patterned fabrikoid type cloth gilt-lettered on spine, gilt magic square on upper board. B/w illustrations. A reissue of the third of the de Laurence printings. Although it has the copyright date 1948, this is probably a later issue, perhaps from the 1960s though we cannot be certain. "The Book of the Sacred Magic" is popularly held to be one of the most important and powerful Grimoires of talismanic magic in the western esoteric canon. Translated by MacGregor Mathers, and used by the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley is famously said to have attempted it in a rather offhanded way, unleashing dire consequences on all those around. This edition was published by Lauron William de Laurence (1868 - 1936), a well-known publisher and seller of occult literature, who was also a book pirate and plagiarist who was not averse to taking other people's works and reissuing them under his own name (sometimes re-titling them in the process). Despite his rogueish eccentricities de Laurence played an important part in the occult history of the USA: he was a pioneer in selling occult books and supplies by mail order, and the cheap "Pow Wow" books and other books of simple magic which he published were surprisingly well received, and he is quite revered in some quarters. In this instance he has been quite restrained, and merely credited himself with non-existant editorial duties - in fact the book is pretty much exactly as published by Mathers. Covers a little shelfworn with some shelf wear and a dozen or so small spots of scrapes to front cover. Corners and spine ends bruised, page edges darkened with a little flecking, pages each toned, bookplate on the front pastedown. Overall a tight, clean, solid VG or better copy. Large book may require additional shipping. Item #68599

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