The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy.
London: Askin Publishers, 1978. First Facsimile Edition. Hardcover. Octavo. xvi + (xvi +) 218pp. Quarter leather with green cloth boards, gold design on upper board, gilt stamped leather title label on spine, marbled endpapers, b&w illustrations & diagrams. Edition limited to 500 numbered copies (this copy un-numbered). A facsimile printing of the First English edition of Agrippa's Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy: translated by Robert Turner and originally published in 1665. One of the most famous Grimoires of Western ritual magic practice. It is actually made up of six separate works, "Of Geomancy" by Agrippa; "Of Occult Philosophy or Of Magical Ceremonies," also by Agrippa (a work renowned as one of the most straight forward guides to evocation published); "The Heptameron or Magical Elements" by Peter de Abano, a set of rituals of conjuration, mapped out by day; "Isagoge: An introductory Discourse" by Villinganus which deals with the nature and attributes of various spirits, and "Of Astronomical Geomancy" by Cremonensis. The final of the six works is the celebrated grimoire, "Of the Magick of the Ancients" by Arbatel. This edition includes a new introduction by Stephen Skinner and was Volume 4 of the "Source Works of Mediaeval And Renaissance Magic" series. A few small marks to boards, head and tail of spine a little bruised and with a small rubbed spot to head of spine, previous owner's bookplate on blank verso of front-free endpaper. Still a tight, clean VG+ copy (no dust jacket issued). Scarce. Item #74378
ISBN: 0950387673
Price: $325.00