OCCULT SPELLS: A Nineteenth Century Grimoire by Frederick Hockley with Introduction by Silens Manus – “OMEGA” Limited Edition Hardcover

York Beach, Maine, USA: Teitan Press, 2009 / 2012. The Omega Edition. Hardcover. Small Quarto. 208pp. Bound in high quality black cloth, with a gilt sigil stamped on the front cover, blind rules, and gilt title etc. on the spine. Black cloth slip case. Sewn. Printed on acid free paper. Black and white illustrations and color frontispiece. “Omega Edition” – limited to 40 copies – signed by the editor, and with a cloth slip-case, printed “Addenda et Corrigenda,” and original talisman in an envelope at the rear of the volume. When “Occult Spells” was released in 2009 in an edition of 500 numbered copies it generated considerable interest, and went out-of-print within a year. Although unknown to the publishers at the time the printers had done an over-run of 40 copies, which remained stored in a warehouse until “discovered” in June 2012. These being the last copies of the first edition of the book to be made available, they were designated the”Omega Edition,” Omega being the last letter of the Greek alphabet, and sometimes used with the meaning of “the final development” or “the last of a series.” In the years that had passed since Silens Manus edited “Occult Spells” research by Alan Thorogood has revealed significant new material concerning Hockley’s sources, as well as some corrections. This material has been compiled into a four-page printed “Addenda et Corrigenda” which is loosely inserted in the “Omega Edition.” (the “Addenda et Corrigenda” is also available as a free download on the Teitan Press website ). The Omega edition is housed in a custom-made cloth slip-case, is signed by Silens Manus on the title-page, and is designated as part of this issue by a hand-lettered Omega symbol on the limitation page. In addition each copy contains an original talisman, crafted on finely-tanned goatskin parchment, and housed in an envelope tipped onto the rear pastedown. One side of the talisman reproduces a design referenced by Hockley in the book for good fortune “at gaming and commerce,” whilst the other bears a hand-drawn sigil especially created for the work. The book itself is a sort of esoteric commonplace book or grimoire in which Frederick Hockley (1809-1885) recorded material on different spells, talismans, charms and such-like that he came across in rare books and manuscripts in the course of his researches. It is prefaced by a 9 page Introduction by Silens Manus, which is followed by a 72 page typeset transcription of the text of the grimoire, along with explanatory footnotes, translations of the passages in Latin, etc. There follows a 120 page facsimile of the original manuscript of the grimoire, printed on special coated paper that gives a photograph like quality to the reproduction. The standard edition has long been out of print, and predictably the Omega edition sold out immediately on release in 2012. This copy as issued: Fine condition in Fine slipcase. Item #72411