GRAND GRIMOIRE

From the editor: With the Powerful Clavicle of Solomon, and Black Magic; or, The Infernal Devices of the Great Agrippa for the Discovery of all Hidden Treasures and the Subjugation of every Denomination of Spirits; Together with an abridgement of all the Magical Arts - for us to afford the readers of The Unknown World an opportunity to judge for themselves as to the importance and value of the ritual of Black Magic, which was circulated in Europe during the sixteenth and succeeding centuries.

The Grand Grimoire is the most fantastic of the cycle, and is introduced with great pomp by its pretended editor, Antonio Venitiana del Rabina, a personage whose name indicates the Italian origin of the work. By reason of its rarity and the great request in which it is, we are informed that it must be regarded as the veritable Magnum Opus, a view which may appear inconsequential, but for which the authority of Rabbinical writers is cited. It is to these authors that we owe the priceless treasure, which innumerable charlatans have endeavored to counterfeit, but have never succeeded in discovering. The copy made use of by Antonio in preparing his edition was transcribed from the genuine writings of the mighty King Solomon, which were obtained by pure chance.

The Grand Grimoire is divided into two parts, the first containing the evocation of Lucifuge Rofocalez by means of the Blasting Rod, the second what Antonio inscrutably regards as the Sanctum Regnum, namely, the Rite of making Pacts; but one of the most notable characteristics of all the Grimoires is not their diabolical malice, but their unconscious ingenuousness, and the devout, almost laudable, character of all the operations seems to have been quite sincerely held.

It has a process in Necromancy, which is possible, say occult writers, only to a dangerous maniac or an irreclaimable criminal. It must be admitted that the Rite is highly unreasonable, but in dealing with such literature it seems unsafe to advance the objection, for it applies much too widely. As to its criminality, this centers in the creation of a disturbance at midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. There is further an account of a poison entitled "The Composition of Death, or Philosophical Stone," which is supposed to indicate an advanced degree of diabolism. Eliphas Levi says that it pretends to be the Powder of Projection, the great Mystery of the Sages, but it is really the Powder of Consecution and as to the significance of which a vague image can alone be invoked. It may, in any case, be added that it cannot well be either, seeing that the composition is a liquid. For the rest, it is simply a stupid recipe, and as no unlawful application is suggested, it is not diabolical at all, unless toxicology, as such, is Satanic simply because it does not deal in anodynes.

There is, of course, no question that the Grand Grimoire is a book of Black Magic, and it is contrary to the nature of things that a book of Black Magic should be otherwise than diabolical.

Pages: 39
Special Interest: Grimoire, Occult, Magick, Study & Practice, Arcana, Necromancy, Black Arts.

Our Price: $13.95