The Ladder of Lights (or Qabalah Renovata); A Step by Step Guide to the Tree of Life and the Four Worlds of the Qabalists.
Toddington, England: Helios Book Service, 1968. First Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. 230pp. Original gray cloth with silver title, etc. to spine, frontispiece. INSCRIBED by the author on the first blank: "Good wishes / Wm G Gray [SIGNED] / AE '77." The first edition of this innovative study of The Tree of Life and the Qabalah - a book that Israel Regardie called "the most original commentary on basic Kabbalistic knowledge that I have read for God knows how many years." The author, William G. Gray (1913-1992), was a respected writer whose other works included "Ladder of Lights," "A Self Made By Magic," "The Talking Tree" and several other occult studies. Gray was apparently briefly associated with the Fraternity of the Inner Light, although his main magical mentor is said to have been the London-based Austrian occultist Emile Napoleon Hauenstein (1877–?). In November 1980 Gray and his friend Jacobus G. Swart formally founded a new magical order, the Sangreal Sodality, a group devoted to study and practice of the Western magical/inner tradition. From the collection of Clive Harper who is 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. Hint of shelf-wear to boards, small sticker shadow (presumably from the removal of a bookseller's label) on the front pastedown (hidden by the dust jacket flap). Otherwise a tight, clean near-fine copy in near-fine dust jacket (the jacket has one minor crease across the back panel, and a small price-label on the bottom of the front flap. Now protected by removable mylar cover). Item #70697
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