New edition of the Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon

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September seems to be the big month for releasing new fiction, but occult publishers seem to be putting out nifty stuff each week these days. The latest being The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon: From an Original Talismanic Grimoire in Full Colour by Ebenezer Sibley and Frederick Hockley, edited with extensive commentary by Joseph Peterson.

The Clavis contains a full-colour facsimile of a hand-painted, handwritten magical notebook and eight separate magickal texts.

The book is published by Ibis Press and distributed by Weiser Antiquarian. The descriptions differs on each site, offering different details about the book and its history, so I’ve reproduced them both here below.

The description found on Ibis Press:

The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon is one of several notebooks from the estate of Ebenezer Sibley, transcribed under the direction of Frederic Hockley (1808–1885). Both Sibley and Hockley were major inspirations in the occult revival of the past two centuries, influencing A.E. Waite, S.L. Mathers, Aleister Crowley, as well as the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucian, and Masonic movements.

The Clavis reflects Sibley’s teachings on the practical use of celestial influences and harmonies. The Clavis contains clear and systematic instructions for constructing magical tools and pentacles. The Mysterious Ring gives directions for preparing magic rings. Experiments of the Spirits Birto, Vassago, Agares, and Bealpharos, show how to call upon angels and spirits, and perform crystal scrying. The Wheel of Wisdom gives concise directions for using celestial harmonies. The final text, The Complete Book of Magic Science, is closely akin to The Secret Grimoire of Turiel, but more complete.

The manuscript reproduced here is the most accurate and complete known, very beautifully and carefully written. With extraordinary hand-colored seals and colored handwritten text. (Blank pages have been eliminated throughout so that the 384 page original has been reproduced here as 288 pages.)

The description found on Weiser Antiquarian:

The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon is a fifteenth or sixteenth century Grimoire that gives instruction on the creation of magic tools and talismans, the performance of rituals etc. It exists in a variety of different manuscript and published editions. The text in this edition is taken from a French manuscript translated by the eighteenth century polymath Ebenezer Sibley. After Sibley’s death, a number of manuscript copies of his translation were made by different copyists.

The manuscript reproduced in this book is a complete copy of the Sibley translation, and includes the supplementary magical texts that are usually found with it: The Mysterious Ring, Experiments of the Spirits, Birto, Vassago, Agares, Bealpharos, and The Wheel of Wisdom. It also includes a separate work by Frederick Hockley, ‘The Complete Book of Magic Science.’

The editor suggests that the unknown copyist who prepared the manuscript was a student of Hockley’s. Whoever he was, he made a fine job of it, and manuscript is carefully prepared, and is complete with extraordinary hand-colored seals and illuminated text. It is complimented by Joseph Peterson’s authoritative text.

Sounds enticing.

Weiser Antiquarian also has a special offer on at the moment: “while supplies last, copies sold will come with a book-plate signed by Joseph Peterson tipped onto the front endpaper”, with the book regularly retailing at $95 US, they will be selling it at $78.50 US.

At present you can buy it a little cheaper from Amazon, but you won’t get the nifty book plate.

Related posts:

1. Two new books from Teitan Press by Jack Parsons and Frederick Hockley
2. Golden Hoard releases new version of the Key of Solomon
3. New book edited by David Rankine
4. Latest Weiser Antiquarian catalogue available
5. New book about John Dee from Teitan Press