Wonderful stuff - as always - in the latest two catalogues from Weiser Antiquarian...

Catalog Thirty Eight: Aleister Crowley

The catalog starts with signed copies of two important recent releases: Richard T. Cole's fascinating and humorous anecdotal history of Crowley's Abbey of Thelema at Cefalu, Thelema Revisited, and Professor Richard B. Spence's authoratative account of Crowley's involvement with the British intelligence services, Secret Agent 666. The second section of the catalog comprises a selection of rare and unusual books by and about Crowley. It include's Grady McMurtry's copy of the single volume edition of The [Collected] Works of Aleister Crowley, a rare American issue of the First Edition of Eight Lectures on Yoga, the First Edition of The Gospel According to St. Bernard Shaw (1953), a First Edition of Mortadello (1912), Crowley's own copy of C. E. M. Joad's, Guide to Philosophy with his ownership inscription and annotations, Crowley's personal copy of his friend J. W. N. Sullivan's The Bases of Modern Science (1929), with numerous annotations by Crowley, and various other rarities including several unusual signed works by Crowley's former student and biographer Israel Regardie

The third section of the catalog comprises a small collection of books published by or associated with Helen Parsons-Smith, ex-wife of Jack Parsons, widow of Wilfred Talbot Smith, and long time member of Agape Lodge of the OTO who published under the Thelema Publications imprint from the 1970s onwards. The following section contains an interesting group of letters from Karl Germer to Perry Martin Tull, a Chicago bookseller who was accepted into the A .'. A .'. by W. T. Smith, and was recognized by Germer as a IX degree member of the O.T.O.. Section five contains more letters from Aleister Crowley to W. Dawson Sadler, a conventional Freemason, with esoteric leanings, with whom Crowley was in regular contact from 1944 though 1946. Sadler initially contacted Crowley about purchasing copies of The Book of Thoth, and an acquaintance developed. Crowley clearly regarded him as a potential candidate for membership in the O.T.O., and although not certain, it seems likely that Crowley initiated him into the Order during one of their meetings. He certainly put considerable effort into answering Sadlier's questions, and the letters are amongst the more interesting of Crowley's to emerge in recent years. The sixth and final section of the catalog lists a small selection of used and out-of-print books by and about Crowley.

Catalog Thirty Nine: Marcelo Ramos Motta: A Miscellany of Used and Rare Books

Devoted to books and ephemera relating to Marcelo Ramos Motta (1931-1987), his Society Ordo Templi Orientis, and related organizations. The collection is particularly unusual in that it is near complete, containing copies of most Motta's works that were published during his lifetime, as well as a number of posthumous editions. It includes a number of rarities such as the supressed Brazilian edition of Chamando Os Filhos Do Sol [Calling the Children of the Sun], and several works signed by Motta. Most of the books in the catalog are from the collection of Thelemic scholar Martin P. Starr, who was, for a time in his youth, an associate of Motta's. Some of the works that are from Martin's collection have his ownership signature, some do not. In either case it is noted in the catalog. If no mention is made, then they were not a part of his collection. Martin has also kindly provided a short Preface, to help put the books in context.

If you wish to view the books in these current catalog simply click on:

http://www.weiserantiquarian.com/catalogthirtyeight for the Aleister Crowley Catalog.

or

http://www.weiserantiquarian.com/catalogthirtynine for the Marcelo Ramos Motta Catalog.