LA CLEF DES GRANDS MYSTERES (The Key of the Great Mysteries), SUIVANT HENOCH, ABRAHAM, HERMES, TRISMEGISTE, ET SALOMON — PAR ELIPHAS LEVI — TRUE 1st Edition / 1st Printing, 1861 — Occult, Witchcraft, Tarot, Ceremonial Magic, Hermetic, Alchemy, Astrology, Grimoire Publisher: Germer Bailliere, Libraire - Editeur, Paris (1861)
An exceedingly rare true first edition, first printing in the original French language of "Le Clef Des Grands Mysteres," or "The Key of the Great Mysteries," by Eliphas Levi, from 1861. The boards and binding are solid and tight save for some rubbing and overall light shelfwear. The pages are crisp and clean save for a few spots of light foxing on some of the pages. A beautiful and very scarce copy of a classic work, brilliantly illustrated. 498 pages, with Index. There is an original editor's errata / error at the end, with the page numbering — the last 2 pages of the book jump to 597 and 598. "The Key of the Mysteries represents the culmination of Levi's thoughts and is written with subtle and delicate irony. It reveals the mysteries of religion and the secrets of the Qabalah, providing a sketch of the prophetic theology of numbers. The mysteries of nature, such as spiritualism and fluidic phantoms, are explored. Magical mysteries, the Theory of the Will with its 22 axioms are divulged. And finally it offers the great practical secrets. The true greatness of this work, however, lies in its ability to place occult thought firmly in Western religious traditions. For Levi, the study of the occult was the study of a divine science, the mathematics of God." [Goodreads] Please see below for more information on the author, Eliphas Levi.
Eliphas Levi
(1810-1875), born Alphonse Louis Constant, was a sage, poet and author of over
twenty esoteric books. He began writing at 22 years of age and was imprisoned
twice for the critical nature of his work. He married at age 36 and began
writing under the name of Eliphas Levi eight years later. His first publication
under his new pen name was titled Dogma of High Magic, and was first translated
into English 42 years after its initial publication. His main activities in
public involved the spreading of information, by publishing various magazines,
poems, books and so on. In one of his posthumous works, he writes,
"Ignorance is the cause of all mistakes, of all crimes and of all the
evils tormenting humanity." His literary work was dedicated to doing justice
by spreading truth, for he loved humanity and always cherished the hope of a
better world for future generations.
