Aleister Crowley First Editions

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CONTENTS
1)A collection of books Crowley First Editions etc. that belonged to Israel Regardie 2)Other Crowley First Editions 3)Abbreviations 4)Terms and payment methods

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1)A collection of books Crowley First Editions etc. that belonged to Israel Regardie. they are offered for sale at a price of #5000. Whilst offers for individual items will be considered an agreement to purchase the whole collection will take priority.

Item 1
Equinox Vol. I Nos. 1 – 10, Vol. III No.1 1st Ed.

Vol.I No.1 Standard trade edition with Equinox design.
Has bookplate (featuring a ship) of Joseph Crombie who in 1942 performed a ritual with Louis Culling to bring about a new edition of the Book of the Law and who took his 1st degree OTO at Agape Lodge in 1943 Front cover is separated but attached with old tape.

Vol. I No.2 Standard trade edition with Equinox design.
Has bookplate (featuring a ship} of Joseph Crombie Annotations to Lesser Ritual of Pentagram on page 19 are brief but significant as it Thelemicises the ritual and makes it more sexual pp269 has penciled additions to the image of the caduceus (relating it to the unicursal hexagram) which is signed (or ascribed to) V.I.A.T.O.R. 687 ie Max Schnieder the prominent member of Agape Lodge and correspondent with Crowley Overall G, some chipping to front cover edge and spine

Vol.I No.3 Standard trade edition with Equinox design.
Has bookplate (featuring a ship) of Joseph Crombie Front cover partially separated, with old tape on inside front cover; chipping to front cover and spine

Vol.I No.4 Standard trade edition with Equinox Has bookplate (featuring a ship) of Joseph Crombie condition G but front cover starting to become separated and some chipping to spine and front cover.

Vol.I No.5 Standard trade edition with Equinox design.
Has bookplate (featuring a ship) of Joseph Crombie Page 72 the words “In the beginning Elohim saw that Israel would accept the Law” are underlined Page 73 further penned underling Page 85 Some brief annotations Page 99 + 100 Some brief annotations adding astrological signs and Hebrew Letters Page 113 and 114 Some brief annotations adding attributions and a Hebrew word Front cover becoming detached, secured with old tape inside and out, chipping to front cover and spine

Inserted is:-
1) a loose mimeographed sheet with same typed text printed on both sides. It is the first part of the Cry of the Thirtieth or Inmost Aire or Aethyr which is called TEX. The text is as published in the Equinox aside from 5 additional footnotes giving brief references and attributions
2) Card (5ins x 3ins) inserted at page 85 it has handwriting on both sides (apparently Regardie’s). The notes are obscure, one side is titled “graphic Qabalah” and has a series of 41 numbers and 5 Egyptian God Names, the reverse a list of rituals and Libers with some brief notes.
3) Card (5ins x 3ins) inserted at page 175 it has handwriting on both sides (apparently Regardie’s). The notes are obscure but give some words and numeration of Choronzon on one side and a list of 17 religious teachers from history on reverse

Vol.I No.6 Standard trade edition with Equinox design Has bookplate (featuring a ship) of Joseph Crombie Front cover starting to become detached repaired with some old tape on outside Some dampstaining last half of pages; back cover damaged and heavily dampstained

Vol.I No.7 Standard trade edition with Equinox design front.
Pages 71 – 73 Annotations giving astrological and Hebrew letter attributions Page 74 annotations giving English equivalents of Hebrew letters plus a brief diagram of the arrangement of the Nine Chambers Front cover separated, chipping to spine

Vol.I No.8 Deluxe cloth edition, one of 50 copies VG Has brief annotation making a correction apparently in the hand of Israel Regardie

Vol.I No.9 Trade edition with black horizontal lines.
Some chipping to front cover and spine, but overall iVG

Vol. I No. 10 Deluxe cloth edition, one of 50 copies Has bookplate (featuring a woodland scene) of Joseph Crombie and is signed twice by him Pages 43 – 56 (syllabus of A.’.A.’. numbering the entries, giving location of each text, its grade (ie A, B, C or D) and the normal equivalent of the Latin Liber No.) Some small stains to cover and some pages loose

Vol. III No.1 Blue Equinox 1919
Has elegant bookplate featuring a torch of Max Schnieder and is signed by him plus has the signature of Georgia Crombie Some wear/rubbing to cover; some separation of blue cloth on front edge of spine; 1-inch diameter tear in cloth at top of spine

Further inserts:-
1) Loose insert, a printed diagram of Tree of Life with many annotations in pen and pencil in an unidentified hand

2) Inserted sheets, some double sided some single giving mimeographed reproduction to typed text of 8pp (including title page) of Gospel According to Bernard Shaw

Item 2
Rider Waite Tarot Pack Elderly pack with annotations on each card.
Trumps Penned annotations give the elemental, astrological and Hebrew letter attributions as given in the Book of Thoth. It does give the exchange of attributions between the Emperor and Star cards that Crowley introduced follow the “Tzaddi is not the Star” statement in Liber Al. The Thelemicised titles of the Trumps (Art, Lust, War, Adjustment, Aeon and Universe) have been added the tradition title being crossed off, except in the case of the Tower). Some trumps have penciled annotations which have been erased.
Court Cards penciled annotations give elemental, Hebrew letter and zodiac attributions of each card. The Pages have an additional attribution ascribing continents to them which I am not aware of being published elsewhere Minor Cards Have penned annotations giving astrological attributions and their titles as ascribed by Crowley and published in Book of Thoth. Three of the Disc cards have geomantic figures added in pencil, in two cases with their Latin title, another has a Hebrew word written in

Item 3
Book of Lies 1st Ed.
Inscribed “With Love Under Will to Soror O.P.V. `156 from Fra.’. V.I.A.T.O.R. 687 Winter Solstice An. I X (ie Max Schnieder to Georgia Crombie Has bookplate of Georgia Crombie Some discolouration ot rear free endpaper and rear paste down indicating that Item 5 photographs had been stored inside this book Very Good condition

Item 4
Clouds Without Water 1st Ed.
Inscribed “To Sor. .’. O.P.V. from Fr. .’. V.I.A.T.O.R. 687 (sun) in (Capricorn) An. I. X (ie Max Schneider to Georgia Crombie Winter 1936) Has Georgia Crombie bookplate Paper covers separated otherwise Very Good condition

Item 5
Two Original Photographic Prints of AC at Netherwood, two of the series taken by Frederic Mellinger

Item 6
Louis Marlow, Forth Beast, Faber 1946, Slim, small format volume. It has been suggested that Crowley was a model for one of the characters and this inscription confirms that. Louis Marlow was, of course, Louis Wilkinson, Crowley’s literary executor and Ixth degree member of the O.T.O. Inscribed by author to Crowley thus “Aleister Crowley With many years’ good memories, and apologies for the imperfect sketch of him from Louis Marlow April 1946” and then inscribed by Crowley “To Georgia with love from Aleister So sorry; I am besieged by people of all sorts on every side, so the man who is packing for me messed me up! Anyhow, I hope you’ll like this With lots of love Aleister” Initially Crowley had written “To Roy” but crossed this out. Very Good Condition

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2) Other Crowley First Editions:-

Aleister Crowley, Book of Thoth, O.T.O. 1944 1st Ed., xii + 287pp Coloured plates, top edge gilt. Quarter leather binding with raised bands and gilt blocking on spine with decorated paper (Egyptian design) on boards. Numbered limited Ed of 200, this being No. 49 Signed by Crowley To Mega Therion 90 = 2p A\A\ There is a penciled ownership inscription of Vance Harvey who published a handsome edition of the Barrett’s Magus plus the date 1968. Clearly the book has been carefully stored in the 35 years since that date and was very little used in the preceding 24 years. There is slight wear to the paper covering the boards affecting the edges of the boards towards the corners. The affects, at worst, three quarters of an inch from the corner but mostly is just the last quarter inch. As it only affects the edges of the boards it is very unobtrusive. Two of the corners are slightly turned in but again this is very unobtrusive. It is difficult to imagine the opportunity to acquire a cleaner, brighter copy Order No. 100512 #3750

Aleister Crowley, Book of Thoth, Prospectus, nd (1944) Single sheet folded once to give 4pp 10ins x 7.5ins. Promoting the 1st Ed of 200 copies, the “first and final Classic of the Tarot” which was “Nobly” produced. On the back page are details of study classes being given by Max Schneider so this is the US version. Some discolouration bottom edge front pp VG- Order No. 100509 #65

Aleister Crowley, Collected Works, S.P.O.R.T. 1905-6 1st Ed 3 Volumes ix + 269pp, vii + 282pp, vii + 248pp. Black camel hair wraps, a binding favoured by Crowley but very delicate. It is believed about a 1000 copies were printed, being bound in various forms. This version has words “ESSAY COMPETITION COPY” on reverse of pre-title and is sometimes regarded as the true 1st Ed. This competition for those wishing to criticise and review Crowleys works resulted in the publication of Star in the West, though it is plausibly suggested that Fuller’s was the only entry and he never received the prize! These survive very well aside from a library catalogue number in white top left corner of front of books, which does affect the cover. There is a library stamp on the last pages of Vol.II and II and slight signs of the former presence of label on inside of cover. Some wear to top and tail of spine Vols.I and III, and there are also small splits in the cloth along edges of spine in these two volumes. Very unobtrusive mark to to edges of pages of all three volumes VG- Order No. 100508 #350

Aleister Crowley, Goetia, S.P.O.R.T. 1904 1st Ed Large format 11ins x 9ins ix + 65pp J.F.C. Fuller indicated that only 210 copies were printed, and that Crowley seized the manuscript when he raided the Golden Dawn Temple on behalf of Mathers! The decorated camel hair wraps, Crowley’s preferred limp binding, in very delicate but this copy has survived well. The splits along the spine have been repaired, some chipping to the edges. Very rare first edition of this important magical work VG Order No. 100504 #750

Aleister Crowley, Hail Mary, Equinox nd 1st Ed thus (1912) card covers small format 96pp First published in 1909 by the Catholic publisher Burnes and Oates under the title Amphora. They completely missed the lesbian subtext of the adorations, supposedly from a nun, to the Virgin Mary. Even the first letters of the prologue spell out a profanity! Front cover detached, rear cover missing, good deal of wear Order No. 100515 #125

Aleister Crowley, The High History of Good Sir Palamedes the Saracen Knight, and of his Following of the Questing Beast, Wieland 1912 1st Ed “anno pseudo Christi 1912” top edge gilt viii + 113pp 10ins x 8ins Dedicated to Allan Bennett. An important work dealing with spiritual endeavour in an Arthurian context. The hero pursues the Beast through various vistas. Along the Way he encounters:- a Druid worshipping the sun at Stonehenge; satyrs from who he learns that Gods still dwell with men and not to confuse orgasm with ecstasy; the Cretan labyrinth; a witch in Brittany who teaches him music; a temple in Egypt where he performs the Bloody Sacrifice; a green valley where he obtains the vision of Pan. Finally he returns to Camelot to announce the failure of his quest only to realise that he has succeeded. Very scarce Some spotting to free end papers and pastedowns. As one would expect some discolouration to the white cloth. VG Order No. 100503 #695

Aleister Crowley, In Residence, The Don’s Guide to Canbridge, Elijah Johnson 1904 1st Ed. Card covers x + 94pp + 19pp catalogue of Crowley’s publications and announcement of a prize for best essay on his works. Also some amusing adverts probably penned by Crowley for local Cambridge companies. Card covers are somewhat faded across spine. There are small tears at top and tail of spine, along edges. Some rubbing and very slight chipping along edges of card G Order No. 100507 #145

Aleister Crowley, Konx om Pax, Essays in Light, S.P.O.R.T. 1907 xii + 108pp + 12pp ads. Ltd Ed of 500 copies. A curiosity. It has a green rexine binding, blocked with title and author on spine. It has no plate or tissue guard, nor sign of there being one. However it is not a rebind. All edges are untrimmed whereas those issued had either top edge trimmed or top edge gilt. It has been suggested that Crowley did occasionally utilise this form of binding. Also, it is signed, and the form of the name seems later Crowley rather than 1907. One suggestion is that it was made up from a spare set of sheets, lacking plate, by Crowley to be given to someone in particular. If so it would probably be post 1919, Crowley still had copies of the 1st Ed to advertise for sale in the Blue Equinox. The inscription is intruiging. “To the only man in time & space who could see and portray the essential (Daimon) in every Hodge since the drunken Mr. Prunty taught sister Emily to write as no woman since (SAPPHO) Hommage Aleister Crowley” Words in brackets being in Greek. Hodge is an old name for a yokel, Prunty is the original Irish name of the Brontes, so the drunken one will be Patrick Bramwell Bronte, the ne’er-do-well who died young. There have been suggestions of an incestuous relationship between Emily Bronte and her brother, perhaps Crowley was linking taboo breaking with creativity. Of course one speculates as to who Crowley inscribed this too. No Thelemic salutations, and deeply respectful. Given the use of “portray” presumably an artist or writer of considerable stature, perhaps Irish given the Prunty reference. Someone to whom Crowley clearly felt an affinity. It is great fun to speculate, though the matter may never be proved. One suggestion, just given as an example of the game, is James Joyce. Crowley wrote an article, “the Genius of James Joyce”, following publication of Ulysses and noted his death in 1941 in his diary. Perhaps the publication of Finnegans Wake (which uses the word Hodge) in 1939 took Crowley’s eye, given the title Wake World is used in Konx om Pax. The war may have prevented him sending it. F Order No. 100501 #950

Aleister Crowley, La Gauloise, Song of the Fighting French, Self Published 1942 1st Ed card folded to create 4pp One of the Old Man’s talisman’s for the war effort, which notes his claim to have originated Churchill’s “V” for Victory gesture very clean copy F- Order No. 55007 #30

Aleister Crowley, Magick, In Theory & Practice, Subscrbers Ed 1929 10ins x 75ins xxxiv + 436pp top edge gilt. Endpapers browned but VG clean and sound copy Order No. 70055 #220

Aleister Crowley, Moonchild, A Prologue, Mandrake 1929 1st Ed 335pp Crowley’s best occult fiction dealing with an important formula, also delighfully libellous as real people pop up in deeply uncomplimentry guises! Endpapers somewhat browned but VG copy Order No. 73218 #85

Aleister Crowley, Mortadello, or the Angel of Venice. A Comedy, Wieland 1912 8.5ins x 7ins ix + 122pp printed on Van Geld handmade paper Gilt blocked design of a winged beast with a halo on white buckram. Reviewed as “blood thirsty, lecherous play he calls a comedy” Some tears in cloth along junction of front board and spine, some discolouration to white cloth free end papers browned Scarce G Order No. 100513 #375

Aleister Crowley, Oracles, The Biography of an Art, S.P.O.R.T. 1905 1st Ed. Camel hair binding viii + 175pp + 14pp catalogue of Crowley’s works. This includes the announcement for the competition for an essay on Crowley’s writings which gave rise to the Star in the West. The application form for special purchase of volume I of Collected Works intended for entrants is also present though partly detached along the perforations. The camel hair is worn with fragments missing top and tail spine. Creases along spine. Slight foxing to page edges and first couple of pages. Binding a little loose. Decent copy of scarce book in fragile original binding G Order No. 100502 #375

Aleister Crowley, Star and Garter, S.P.O.R.T. 1904 Large format (11ins x 8ins) 77pp Camel hair binding which is largely missing from spine. One inch tear to page following title page. The work consists of a series of poems, identified by number. The fact that there are 33 suggests that there may be some referenc to the higher degrees of freemasonry. Front and back sections are present, but detached. The are somewhat worn at corners. Order No. 100505 #190

Aleister Crowley, The Stratagem, Mandrake Press nd 1st Ed. Small format. 139pp Mock snakeskin binding. Spine faded, some rubbing to edges. G Order No 100516 #60

Aleister Crowley, Thumbs Up, O.T.O. 1942 Card covers 8pp Very clean and bright F copy. Has the 1746 Winona Avenue address being published by the Agape Lodge in Crowley’s lifetime. Has the sigil of the Beast printed on front cover. Loosely inserted into purpose made hardcover binding F Order No. 100506 #120

Anon (Aleister Crowley), White Stains, The Literary remains of George Archibald Bishop A Neuropath of the Second Empire, Privately published in a limited edition of 100 copies 1898 1st Ed, this copy being unnumbered 131pp. Some of Crowley’s most delightful and mischievous pornography. This copy is from the collection of C. F. Russell and he has improvised a plain paper dustwrapper. C. F. Russell practiced sex magick with Crowley and went on to found the Choronzon Club and enunciate his own magical system which employs mathematics to manifest occult insight. His biography is the scarce and obscure Znuss is Znees. He published a book, Provenance, about his book collection, mentioning this work. Russell’s dustwrapper is chipped at the corners and top and tail of spine with some loss. The removal of paper at the top of the spine may be deliberate – to show the ankh cross blocked in white upon the cloth of the spine. There are also three tears (2ins, 1.5ins and 0.5ins). It also has som marks on the part protecting the spine of the book. The book itself is in near Fine condition. The pre-title page is browned. The rear blank and last page are lightly spotted. There is slight wear to the top corners and some fragments of the dustwrapper have attached themselves to cloth of the book at the top edge. A very clean and very special copy of a very rare book, Crowley suggested that much of the print run was destroyed by Her Majesties Customs and Excise! Photos available on request. Order No. 100511 #3500

Evangelie Adams, Astrology, Your Place in the Sun, Harrap 1928 1st Ed xiii + 343pp Popular astrology title ghost written by Aleister Crowley. Adams had a unique relationship with Crowley – she ripped him off! The dustwrapper is a rather discoloured and has a 1 in tear at edge pof back board. Also its spine is browned and quite badly chipped at top, the exposed cloth has been faded, the pastedowns of the book are browned otherwise VG clean copy Order No. 5822 #45

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5)Abbreviations

ED. = edition; F = Fine (ie almost as new); G = Good (ie clearly secondhand); ins = Inches; Illus. = Illustrated; LF = Large Format; pp = pages; O.T.O. = Ordo Templi Orientis; S.P.O.R.T. = Society for the Promotion of Religious Truth;VG = Very Good (ie some signs of wear); Vol. = Volume

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