$950.00
The Picatrix has long been regarded as source material in the Hermetic tradition. The text of this Medieval work consists of four books covering the art and practice of Astrological, Talismanic and Astral Magic. The author has compiled information derived from 224 books by “ancient sages” (Hermes, Plato & Aristotle and others, known and unknown) with the intention of uniting all these diverse arts into a practical system.
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Books are deluxe leather bound limited edition hardcovers. Books are both in fine condition
Kiesel, William (edited by). Translated from the Arabic by Hashem Atallah. The Picatrix (Ghayat Al-Hakim), The Goal of the Wise. Volume One . Seattle, Ouroboros Press. 2002. One of 1,000 hand numbered copies
The Picatrix has long been regarded as source material in the Hermetic tradition. The text of this Medieval work consists of four books covering the art and practice of Astrological, Talismanic and Astral Magic. The author has compiled information derived from 224 books by “ancient sages” (Hermes, Plato & Aristotle and others, known and unknown) with the intention of uniting all these diverse arts into a practical system.
This Ouroboros Press edition is a translation based on the medieval [circa 10th century] Classical Arabic as opposed to the later Renaissance Latin translation. The Warburg Institute originally published the Arabic, German, and Latin editions which are often referred to by scholars and remain the only academic editions extant. Volume one of the Picatrix contains the first two books and are here translated into English for the first time.
Picatrix Volume Two contains the 3rd and 4th books of Ghayat Al-Hakim and completes the English translation. It is a larger book than volume one and contains much in the way of the practical working of astral and talismanic magic. Planetary and Zodiacal magic and full instructions for invoking the related spirits are provided along with all the requisite materials needed: stones, plants, inks, colors, incenses, talismans, and the invocations. Limited to 500 hand numbered copies.
In addition to this are many anecdotes relating to Arabic and pre-Islamic magical lore, including the writings of Ibn Wahshija, the Nabataeans, Sabians, Chaldeans and Assyrians. Of particular note is the magical plant and mineral lore from the Nabataean Agriculture, which portray ancient practices of pagan Iraq.
The influence of the Picatrix can be seen in several texts of well-known authors of the western esoteric tradition, including Ficino, Mirandola, Abano and Agrippa, whose works have played a major role in forming contemporary manifestations of the esoteric tradition today.
The Ouroboros Press edition, intended for English readers, is a translation based on the medieval [circa 10th century] Classical Arabic as opposed to the later Renaissance Latin translation. The Warburg Institute originally published the Arabic, German, and Latin editions which are often referred to by scholars and remain the only academic editions extant.
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