The Book of Sacred Magic Abra-Melin the Mage by Macgregor Mathers
Publication: 1948 L.W. DeLaurence Third Printing
"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 published Lauron William de Laurence (1868 - 1936), was 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. "
Condition: Publishers red pebbled faux leather boards, small previous owners inscription to flyleaf with a 1" book plate, all pages remain clean with no markings, binding tight, overall Very Good condition