The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781420973525)

"The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage" is the mysterious and fascinating grimoire which was first translated into English by S. L. MacGregor Mathers in 1897. Originally written in German sometime in the early 17th century and later translated into French and Italian, the book tells of the journeys of Abraham of Worms, Germany to find magic and wisdom. He meets several magicians and sorcerers before he finds Abramelin, a magician of great power, on the banks of the Nile in Egypt. Abraham is taught Abramelin's complete system of magic, which is based mainly on the Kabbalah, an ancient Jewish mystical text. Abraham recounts the complicated purification rituals that must be performed over several months in order to invoke the guardian angel spirits and the demons of hell so that the initiate may acquire the magical power needed to cast spells and uncover hidden riches. Mathers was a notable British occultist and his translation of Abraham's mystical secrets, from a French manuscript of the original German book, was hugely influential on many prominent occultists, such as Aleister Crowley. The book's rituals were an important part of the practices of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, an occult group which continues to exist to this day. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.