ABOUT THE BOOK This book attempts to synthesize the procedures of all of the famous Grimoires, Drawing on the Key of Solomon, the Grimorium Verum, the apocryphal Fourth Book of Cornelius Agrippa, and many others, including the famous Black Pullet, or Paulet Noir, it explains the history behind them and discusses the theology contained therein. Containing an analytical and critical account of the chief magical rituals, it describes in detail the importance of ceremonial magic, the distinction between white and black magic, the rituals of transcendental magic, composite rituals and the rituals of black magic. Finally it presents complete Grimoire of black magic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arthur Edward Waite, popularly 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. His important publications include The Book of Black Magic, The Holy Kabbalah, A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual, Prince Starbeam, The Quest of the Golden Stairs, and Elfin Music.
PREFACE I N the year 1889 a learned expositor of Kabbalistic doc trines edited in English a work on Ceremonial Magic, entitled Clavicula Salomonis, or, the "Key of Solomon the King." In an introduction prefixed to the work he stated that he saw no reason to doubt, and therefore presumably accepted the tradition of its authorship. Mr. Mathers, it should be added, undertook his translation more especially for the use of occult students, that is to say, for those persons who believe in the efficacy of magical rites, and may desire to put them in practice. With this exception, the large body of literature which treats of "Theurgic Ceremonial" in its various branches has remained inaccessible to the generality of readers, in rare printed books and rarer manuscripts, in both cases mostly in foreign languages. There is probably a considerable class outside occult students to whom a systematic account of magical practices would be not unwelcome, perhaps mainly as a curiosity of old-world credulity, but also as a contribution of some value to certain side issues of historical research; these, however, an edition for occult students would deter rather than attract. In the present work both interests have been as far as possible considered. The subject is approached from the bibliographical and critical stand points, and all the sources of information which many years of inquiry have made known to the writer have been consulted to render it complete. At the same time, the requirements of the professed occultist have been studied in two important respects, which will not, it is believed, be a source. of offence to merely historical readers. They have been studied, firstly, by the observance of strict technical exactitude; the ceremonial produced in this book is absolutely faithful to the originals, and removes all necessity of having recourse to the originals before determining any doubtful point of magical procedure in the past. For convenience of reference it is indeed superior to the originals, because it has been put systematically, whereas they often exceed understanding owing to the errors of transcribers, the miss readings of printers, the loose methods of early translators, and seemingly, it must be added, the confused minds of the first compilers, "Solomon" himself not excepted. The in numerable offices of vain observance which constitute Ceremonial Magic, as it is presented in books, will therefore be found substantially intact by those who concern themselves with such observance.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
