THE MYSTERIES OF MAGIC: A Digest of the Writings of Éliphas Lévi
Book Details + Condition: A very scarce true first edition from 1886 of the seminal occult work, THE MYSTERIES OF MAGIC. George Redway (London). Original blue cloth boards with bevelled edges. Upper cover with a border rule stamped in red and a central design of "The Pentacle of Faust" stamped in gold. Epilogue, supplement and notes. 349 pages followed by 38 pages of other publisher books and index. Measures 6" x 9.25". All edges uncut. Features diagrams and illustrations. One of Arthur Edward Waite's earliest publications, and the first significant publication of Lévi's work in the English language. Levi's first treatise on magic appeared in 1854 under the title "Dogme de la Haute Magie", followed in 1856 by the companion "Ritual de la Haute Magie". The two books were later combined into one book titled "Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie", and was translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite as "Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual" in 1910. This book has been in our possession for years, and we've decided to sell it as-is. Bookbinding tape to spine; heavy general wear. Chipping to page edges. Pages darkened but free of marking. Otherwise, all pages are present and held in a solid text block. Please see below for more information about A.E. Waite and Éliphas Lévi.
Arthur Edward Waite (1857-1942), commonly known as A.E. Waite, was an American-born British poet and scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Éliphas Lévi (1810-1875), Eliphas Lévi Zahed, born Alphonse Louis Constant, was a French occult author, socialist, and ceremonial magician. Lévi exerted a profound influence on those who would follow: the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Helen Blavatsky, and Aleister Crowley to name a few.
