{"product_id":"an-excellent-booke-of-the-arte-of-magicke","title":"An Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Magical Works of Humphrey Gilbert and John Davis\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTranscribed from British Library Additional Manuscript 36674\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEdited and Introduced by Phil Legard\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSupplementary essays by Alexander Cummins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eForeword by Dan Harms\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e2020\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eScarlet Imprint Publications\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e343 pp\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSoftcover\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eFrom the Publisher\u003c\/h4\u003e\r\u003cbr\u003eAn Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke: The Magical Works of Humphrey Gilbert and John Davis, transcribed from British Library Additional manuscript 36674, edited and introduced by Phil Legard, with supplementary essays by Alexander Cummins, and a foreword by Dan Harms.\n\u003cp\u003eThe first part of the book, Texts, opens with a colour facsimile of ff.47r–62v from Add. ms. 36674, known as the Excellent Booke and Visions, followed by modernised and diplomatic transcriptions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe magical experiments conducted by Elizabethan explorer, soldier and courtier Humphrey Gilbert, along with his scryer John Davis, during the spring of 1567 are notable for their forceful methods and stripped down Protestant ritual. The spirits are called into a ‘crystal stone’ by way of a large number of conjurations, charges, constraints, curses and bonds. The work includes the practical conjuration of Bleth, Aosal, Assassel (Azazel) and the four demon kings of the winds, namely Oriens, Amaimon, Paimon and Aegyn. It is evidently based on an older text or texts, adapted to the Protestant outlook of the period, and has also been supplemented with revelations and guidance received first-hand by Gilbert and Davis over the course of its composition. As such, the texts are a rare example of the poiesis, or coming-together, of a ritual magic book. The texts attest to the continuity of medieval ritual magic into the early modern period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVisions is a record of visions in the crystal, detailing events which took place before, during and after the composition of the Excellent Booke. In the course of this work, the master – Humphrey Gilbert – and scryer – John Davis – converse with a wide-range of spirits as well as religious and occult personalities, including Assasel, Solomon, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roger_Bacon\"\u003eRoger Bacon\u003c\/a\u003e, Cornelius Agrippa and four angelic evangelists. The pair experience a series of remarkable sights concealed behind the seven-keyholed door of the house of Solomon. On occasion the visions bled into the waking world in encounters with great demonic dogs and the physical manifestation of the prophet Job.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Excellent Booke and Visions are, as Legard writes in his Preface, ‘unique documents of sixteenth century magical practice: ones that deserve to be widely read and studied by scholars and practitioners alike since they preserve a detailed account of both the making and the use of a grimoire.’ A book of particular note to those interested in Azazel, the fallen angel and necromantic traditions, students of the grimoires and the practical workings of dirty medieval magic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAppended to the Excellent Booke are three further, related manuscript transcriptions, the necromantic graveyard ritual in Experiments of Azasel, Ancor, Anycor and Analos, from Illinois Pre-1650 ms. 0102, the scrying procedure of An Experiment of Bleth, from Sloane 3824, and the necromantic and treasure hunting rites of Related Experiments, from Case ms. 5017.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the second part of the book, Contexts, Dr Alexander Cummins provides a trilogy of essays. He first surveys early modern necromancy, its tools and techniques in their historical setting. He then discusses scrying techniques in depth, with reference to Artephius, Dee and Kelley, Aubrey, Lilly, Forman et al. He concludes with a discussion of tutelary shades, and the learning of magic from dead magicians, whether Solomon, Adam, Cornelius Agrippa or Roger Bacon. Thus armed, the appropriately black-clad reader can engage with the Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke as a practical grimoire of the necromantic art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhil Legard draws the book to a close with an essay on the phenomenology of the necromantic workings of Gilbert and Davis which provides an open door for both practitioners and academics through which to pursue the performative and affective practice of magic.\r\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFree Media Mail Shipping within the U.S.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe ship all International orders via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.usps.com\/\"\u003ePriority Post\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eShipping discounts available on combined orders!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eNeedless to say, prices are subject to change without notice.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe strive to ensure quality and satisfaction with every book sold.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eYour privacy is very important to us!\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe ship our items discreetly with no occult references on the package.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo view our Return Policy, Privacy Policy and\/or Terms and Conditions, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/darkstarmagick.com\/the-legal-stuff\/\"\u003eclick here\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Scarlet Imprint","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67709560226037,"sku":"19693","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0826\/9201\/4325\/files\/IMG_1849.jpg?v=1792099059","url":"https:\/\/darkstarmagick.com\/products\/an-excellent-booke-of-the-arte-of-magicke","provider":"Dark Star Magick","version":"1.0","type":"link"}