The Grimoire of Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft

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£585.00

Author: Frater S.

Extent: 464 pp

Format: 6 x 9"

Printing: Black & white

Binding: Sewn; fully bound in leather; slipcase

Additional: Gold foiling; marbled endpapers; satin bookmark

Price: £585.00 GBP

Shipping: To be determined based on destination

 

The classical grimoire material extracted from Reginald Scot's The Discoverie of Witchcraft and presented in a format worthy of the importance of this text among the practical literature of classical western magic. This fine edition, limited to only 50 copies, is a genuine work of art: printed on heavy, toothy paper; hand bound by master bookbinders in Glasgow, Scotland; sewn on traditional machinery; bound in chieftain goatskin leather; gold foiling on front, back, and spine; hand-marbled endpapers; black satin bookmark ribbon; handmade slipcase, likewise gold foiled on front and back, and lined inside with velvet to protect the leather of the book.

 

NOTE: This item is pre-order only! And please ensure you choose the "Limited Fine Edition" shipping option for your country in the "Estimate shipping costs" section of the shopping cart.

Reginald Scot’s The Discoverie of Witchcraft, originally published in England in 1584, was penned by its author as an attempt to ridicule the Catholic Church for what Scot deemed superstitious persecution of, in his eyes, the simple-minded as well as mere con-artists. While certain parts of his writings indicate that he was in no way a disbeliever of magic, he differentiated between certain more “sacred” forms thereof and that which was referred to as witchcraft. His opinion was clear on the latter: it was either nothing more than tricks designed to deceive the gullible or delusional nonsense only believed in and applied by individuals of a less-than-average mental constitution.

 

Ironic indeed it is that a literary work seeking to debunk so-called magicians, sorcerers and witches by exposing the tricks of prestidigitation as well as “silly superstitious practices”, should end up becoming one of the most influential texts for the practical application of ceremonial magic among English speaking mages of the time. As part of his attempt to discredit their practices, Scot included an entire grimoire in his book, which put in people’s hands a readily accessible source of magical operations and thus went on to guide and motivate magicians up through the centuries. Two well-known names in the area of classical western magic, Ebenezer Sibly and Frederick Hockley, produced various books and MSS that show a clear influence from The Discoverie of Witchcraft.

 

Now, for the first time since its original publication, the entire grimoire said to have been written by two individuals known as “T.R.” and “John Cokars”, along with the various additions to the 3rd edition of 1665 by an unidentified exponent of the Magical Arts, is being presented on its own in a format true to its original intention. Edited and heavily annotated by a long-time practitioner of the grimoire tradition, this incredibly valuable handbook of Elizabethan ceremonial magic has been effectively revived to a form worthy of its importance.

 

This fine edition, limited to only 50 copies, each of them hand-bound by a master bookbinder, has been manufactured according to the highest standards: printed on heavy, "toothy" paper; sewn using traditional machinery; hand shaped to give it that look of classical tomes; bound in "Chieftain Goat" leather; gold foiling on the front, back, and spine; hand-marbled end-papers; satin ribbon bookmark inside the book; and a handmade slipcase lined on the inside with velvet to protect the leather. This is a genuine work of art!

 

NOTE: Limited Fine Edition books must be pre-ordered as the quantity available is greatly limited and it is a "first come, first served" situation. We are expecting production and distribution of the book to commence in the beginning of May 2022 so one will only have until then to secure a copy. So, act fast before it is too late!