Item #69806 Shih Yi, A Critical and Mnemonic Paraphrase of the Yî King by Ko Yuen. Aleister CROWLEY, Ko Yuen., Helen Parsons Smith.
Shih Yi, A Critical and Mnemonic Paraphrase of the Yî King by Ko Yuen.
Shih Yi, A Critical and Mnemonic Paraphrase of the Yî King by Ko Yuen.
Shih Yi, A Critical and Mnemonic Paraphrase of the Yî King by Ko Yuen.

Shih Yi, A Critical and Mnemonic Paraphrase of the Yî King by Ko Yuen.

Oceanside, CA: H. Parsons Smith / Monthelema, 1971. First Edition. Hardcover. Small oblong octavo. (5 3/8 x 6 5/8 inch) xiv + 66pp. (+ ivpp. - an advertisement for an "educational program" on the Yi King and a one page "Hexagram Selector.") Binding is textured maroon faux leather, title gilt stamped on spine and "salamander" design gilt stamped on upper board. Unusual blue patterned end papers with repeating satyr motif. Crowley's succinct interpretations of the hexagrams of the Yi King (I Ching) written in a way that was intended to help students memorize them. Introduction by Soror Grimaud, that is Helen Parsons Smith (1910 - 2003), ex-wife of Jack Parsons and widow of W. T. Smith, and long time member of Agape Lodge of the O.T.O. This is the first separate publication of the work, and was also the first publication to be issued by Thelema Publications (at that time called "Monthelema"), the company run by Helen Parsons Smith. It is without doubt one of the scarcest of the posthumous first editions of Crowley's works. The small number of copies had a number of different endpaper designs: precedence is not known. Taped onto the verso of the front free endpaper is the printed card that is supposed to accompany the work: "First Edition of important and heretofore strangely overlooked work of Aleister Crowley, one of the finest poets of the 20th Century, ..." which includes a misspelling of the word "religious" (all examples seen include this typographical error).
Originally in the working library of Frater Vibo in Spirito Sancto, an author and occult practitioner who joined Crowley's A.'. A.'. in the late 1960s, with his magical name/motto neatly written across the top of the verso of the front free-endpaper, above the aforementioned card. More recently from the collection of Clive Harper with his initials and acquisition date pencilled under Frater Vibo in Spirito Sancto's name, and his discrete 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. Top corners of boards lightly bumped, boards a little splayed (will probably flatten out if pressed for a while), page edges a little darkened. Overall a bright, clean, VG+ copy (Issued without dust jacket). Item #69806

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