Details + Condition: Original hand-colored occult engraving from the 1825 first edition (thus), of THE ASTROLOGER OF THE 19th CENTURY by Raphael (pseudonym for Robert Cross Smith). Scarce. This in-text illustration is titled "The Circle For Raising the Spirit Egin", whose illustrated image we also have available for sale. The accompanying chapter is titled "Method for Raising the Mighty and Powerful Spirit Egin, King of the North, Extracted from an Ancient Manuscript". It depicts a detailed sigil to assist in the conjuration of Egyn, also known as Egin or Ariton, the demonic sub-prince with dominion over water, and who can also discover hidden treasure; bestow visions of the past, present, and future; make spirits appear; revive the dead; gift people with the power of flight; and provide warriors to protect his charges. (This demonic hierarchy includes such familiar faces as Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Astaroth.) Directions for the conjuration are to the bottom of the page, with text from the previous section to the reverse.
Total page measures: 5.25" x 8.75"; engraving measures a bit over 3" x 4". Please see our other listings for additional occult engravings from the same book. Age toning / darkening present, and page edges are torn.
Robert Cross Smith (1795-1832) was an astrologer, magician, and geomancer. Smith founded the periodical, The Straggling Astrologer in 1824, but failed to receive enough subscribers and the periodical had to be discontinued after a few issues. He collected the issues of the failed periodical in a volume entitled The Astrologer Of The Nineteenth Century in the same year. These writings dealt with topics as varied as alchemy, charms, the virtues of herbs and stones, invoking spirits into crystals, evoking demons, evoking spirits into circles, necromancy, geomancy, palmistry, physiognomy, and more.
