Khing Kang King: The Classic of Purity. Liber XXI.
King's Beach, CA: Thelema Publications, 1973. First Thelema Publications Edition. Hardcover. Small Octavo (6 7/8 x 5 7/8 inches). (x) 6 (numbered on rectos only), (ii)pp. With the exception of p. (vi) the pages are printed on the rectos only). Blue-gray cloth with gilt title lettered down spine and front cover. Printed in blue with deckled page edges. Light blue tint to fore-edge. "Liber XXI" was originally published by Crowley in 1939 in an edition of 100 copies, of which arguably less than a quarter were actually distributed. This, the first ever republication of the book, was issued by Helen Parsons Smith (1910 - 2003), ex-wife of Jack Parsons, widow of W. T. Smith, and long time member of Agape Lodge of the O.T.O., under her Thelema publications imprint in 1973. This is the standard edition of the true first Thelema publication, Helen also produced a tiny number of deluxe editions in a different binding, and brought out a new, reset edition of the work in 1974, of which there are a number of variants. Some - but by no means all - copies of this edition had a small reprint of a diagram that was originally published as the final page "The Equinox of the Gods" loosely inserted. This copy does not. The gilt on the cloth is dulled as always (it was dull from new), merest hint of shelf-wear, and there is a 3" x 2" lightly shadowed rectangular area on both rear endpapers (blanks) - somone probably had kept a now-long-gone newsclipping there which offset slightly onto them. Otherwise about Fine condition. Item #73882
ISBN: 0913576077
Price: $250.00