Giordano Bruno ~ Incantations of Circe

There can be no doubt as to the importance Giordano Bruno's life and writings had on the western esoteric tradition and the history of scientific thought. With this in mind, Ouroboros Press is pleased to be issuing the first English translation of Giordano Bruno's Cantus Circaeus, rendered from the original Latin by Darius Klein. Originally printed in Paris 1582, the eloquence of Klein's English translation is fitting for the words of the Nolan.

"To one who is about to behold the Daughter of the Sun, she who is learned in magical lore, and who comes forth from the hidden places; you shall go as a free man into the House of Circe, not bound by the fetters of Night."

From Giordano Bruno; Cantus Circaeus.

In the beginning of his Cantus Circaeus, Bruno portrays the doctrine of correspondence as used with the seven planetary invocations, which are themselves tokens of praxis in the Hermetic tradition. The incantatory litanies include the names, attributes, plants, stones, animals and other qualities associated with the astral bodies, and are thus memory palaces of planetary arcana. Through dialogue, Circe and her assistant Moeris, explicate the use of images in the imagination in order to facilitate use of the Art of Memory which constitutes the latter half of the text. Francis A Yates, author of Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition comments;

"Bruno's magic memory system thus represents the memory of the Magus, one who both knows the reality beyond the multiplicity of appearances through having conformed his imagination to the archetypal images, and also has powers through this insight. It is the direct descendant of Ficino's Neoplatonic interpretation of the celestial images, but carried to a much more daring extreme."

Francis A. Yates; Giordano and the Hermetic Tradition.

[Bust of Giordano Bruno by Maurizio Tazzuti]

Cantus Circaeus: The Incantations of Circe
First English Translation.

Now Available

Heretic Vellum Edition: Small octavo, handbound in full vellum over boards with raised cords and leather spine label. Gilt stamped title and device. Marbled endsheets and silk ribbon bookmark. 144 pages, illustrated with woodcuts. Limited to 300 copies only.

Heretic Vellum Edition: $225.00

Standard Edition: Small octavo, full black cloth over boards with gilt title and device. In a printed dust jacket. 144 pages. Illustrated with woodcuts.

Standard Edition: $40.00

Please include shipping with your order.
$6.00 in the US or $12.00 abroad for up to 2 books.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery [handbound editions, allow 4-6 weeks].

Fine Esoteric Book Arts

Emerald Tablet of Hermes

Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis, perhaps better known as the the Emerald Tablet of Hermes, is the shortest and yet most refered to text in the whole of the alchemical corpus. Supposed to have been found engraved upon an Emerald, this hermetic document has been beautifully typeset in Centaur [a font designed by Bruce Rogers] and printed letterpress on fine Arches paperstock in two colors.

An alchemical emblem crowns the top of the broadside and features the enigmatic acrostic V.I.T.R.I.O.L., which was a substance used to pull metals out of hard stone by early metallurgists. The Latin translates as Visit the interior of the earth and through rectification you will find the hidden stone meant to point the way to the Philosopher's Stone.

Limited to 250 copies only this broadside is 13 x 18 inches and is suitable for framing. Let the words of Hermes Trismegistus adorn your library or laboratory. $25.00 postpaid, Ordering Instructions.

Picatrix Release Party

Picatrix Volume Two Ordering Information

The release party for Picatrix Volume Two was held at the Rodriguez Guerra Art Studio in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square district and was an enjoyable and successful affair.

Ouroboros Press publisher, William J. Kiesel gave a brief talk about the importance of the text in the Western Esoteric Tradition and provided anecdotes about historic figures who were influenced thereby.

The event was well attended by a wide variety of locals and many out-of-state guests.







William J. Kiesel and astrologer Austin Coppock a.k.a., Baron Samadhi Coppockalypse


Speacial thanks to Carlos Melgoza of Anima Nocturna for the photography.

The Goal of the Wise Complete!

Ouroboros Press is very pleased to announce that Volume Two of the Picatrix is now complete. We have received many words of encouragement and praise from our readers during this project and we thank you all for your kindness and interest.

Picatrix Volume Two contains the 3rd and 4th books of Ghayat Al-Hakim and will complete 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.

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 of forming contemporary manifestations of the esoteric tradition today.

The book will be issued in the same format as volume one:

Deluxe Black Leather edition:
Full black goat leather, Hand-bound with raised spine-bands and gilt titles, silk ribbon bookmark and marbled endsheets, from the fine binders at Ars Obscura Bookbinding.
[500 copies only]: $150.00

Trade Cloth edition:
Full cloth with gilt spine title and printed dust jacket.
[1,000 copies only]: $60.00


A very limited number of copies of volume one were issued in burgundy leather and slipcases. If you own one of these copies you may contact us if you would like a copy of volume two to match. We are only issuing these to owners of the original bindings. This is also the case for Vellum copies. Contact us for details.


Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery [handbound editions, allow 4-6 weeks].


Ordering Information



Paypal payment may be sent via their website [http://www.paypal.com]: [send funds to: ouroboros@bookarts.org]


Shipping

We wrap our packages securely for safe shipping.

Domestic Shipping within the US is $6.00 for up to two books.

International Shipping is $12.00 for up to two books.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for delivery [handbound editions, allow 4-6 weeks].

Bookshops: We offer standard trade discounts on the Trade Cloth editions only. Contact us for details on shipping.

Back from Europe

Pictured above are the smiling visages of Robert Ansell of
Fulgur Limited and William Kiesel of Ouroboros Press - London 2008.


Robert was kind enough to meet with us and talk about the esoteric publishing industry [small world that it is]. The latest title about to emerge from Fulgur is The Valley of Fear and there will be a book release party at Treadwells Bookshop in Convent Garden, London July 15. Treadwells is truly a wonderful shop and the proprietress Christina is a jewel of a person who not only wields ample knowledge about esoteric books but also is an excellent hostess. Despite the effects of jetlag and a technical snafu the night of the talk on Magic Circles, it went off well and was well attended by London's occult literati. Treadwells is certainly a destination in London, drop in and patronize them while there. Oh, I'd also like to mention that I found it intriguing that Nick Pelling, a Voynich Manuscript researcher, attended my talk in London. You can see his comments about the talk at Voynich News.

Meanwhile stops were made in Glastonbury [Labyrinth Books and Courthouse Books were quite friendly to us] as well as Amsterdam where the Conference Emblems, Magic and Hidden Knowledge was held at the University of Amsterdam. This was a full day of talks followed by a fascinating social night out on the city of canals. No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, where we consulted several alchemical works. Ouroboros Press will be publishing a book as a result of the conference sometime in 2009. We will update you when details are solidified.



The Deluxe Leather edition of Turba Philosophorum, hand-bound by Ars Obscura Bookbinding. Full burgundy leather with gilt title and Ouroboros device to front and rear boards. French marbled endsheets and silk ribbon bookmark. The Crowd of Philosophers in style. $135.00 + shipping.

The Circle of Arte - two European Talks

William Kiesel, the publisher and editor of Ouroboros Press, will be giving two talks in the coming weeks. The first will be at Treadwells Bookshop in London [Covent Garden] March 19th and the second will be at the University of Amsterdam on March 25 as part of the Conference "Emblems, Magic, and Hidden Knowledge" along with several other scholars of Western Esotericism. The same talk will be given at both events [see description below].


LONDON March 19th

19 March 2008 (Wednesday)
“The Circle of Arte”: Magic Circles in the Western Grimoire Tradition
William Kiesel (Ouroboros Press)
7.15 for 7.30pm start £5
34 Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London WC2E 7PB

http://www.treadwells-london.com/default.asp

For almost a thousand years, magic circles have been depicted in popular books of magic and witchcraft, as well as in high magic grimoires such as the Clavicula Salomonis Regis or Liber Juratus. Tonight’s talk will explore the varieties, forms and functions of “the circle of arte” in this long tradition. Our speaker will draw upon the evidence from historical texts and manuscripts: illustrations, sketches, descriptions, instructions, and ritual rubrics from grimoires. He will also consider the circle’s role in providing authority and protection to the operator, and tell us about its uses in such activities as divination and treasure finding. See what some of the oddest and rarest magical grimoires say about “the Circle of Arte”, and you will never see it quite the same way again.

William Kiesel is the publisher and editor of Ouroboros Press. He works with translators of Arabic, Latin, German and Romanian to provide fine and deluxe editions of rare magical texts to the English-speaking world, most notably grimoires and alchemical works. Of grimoires, he is currently working on a second volume of the Picatrix, and has already published the Heptameron and the first volume of the Picatrix. He lives in the United States and is speaking at Treadwell’s during a brief visit to London.


AMSTERDAM March 25th

Workshop on "Emblems, Magic, and Hidden Knowledge"
25 March 2008
On March 25, a conference on "Emblems, Magic, and Hidden Knowledge" will be held for students as well as independent and established scholars, in collaboration with the department History of Hermetic Philosophy (GHF, Religious Studies) of the University of Amsterdam. Particular emphasis will lie on the role of imagery and emblems in magic and alchemy, and in pursuits and conceptions of (hidden) knowledge; however, questions related more generally to the study of Western esotericism and its methodology will also be addressed.

The full program may be seen at the website for the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism:

http://www.esswe.org/agenda_detail.php?agenda_id=49

Picatrix Volume Two

Dear Friends,

I receive frequent inquiries regarding the status of volume two of the Picatrix and I am happy to report that the translation has finally been completed. This means that the book is now in the editorial stage of development and will move into production very soon.

Volume two contains the 3rd and 4th books of Ghayat Al-Hakim and will complete 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.

In addition to this are many anecdotes relating to Arabic and pre-Islamic magical lore, including the writings of Ibn Wahshija, the Nabateans, Sabians, Chaldeans and Assyrians. Of particular note is the magical plant and mineral lore from the Nabatean 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 of forming contemporary manifestations of the esoteric tradition today.

The contents of volume two follow:


Picatrix: Ghayat Al-Hakim
The Goal of the Wise
Ouroboros Press (c) 2007

Volume Two Contents

Book III

1. The Fortunes of Planets from Three Generating Origins

2. The Fortunes of Constellations

3. The Life of Planets, Their Shapes, their Incense, and their Garments. The Views of Constellations Which Influence Magic Work, the Characteristics of the Regions Tangential to the Planets, and the Characteristics of the Countries

4. The Secrets Known to Those Who Are Profoundly Versed in Science

5. Certain Excerpts of Animals’ Characteristics and How to Call Spirits with the Aid of Planetary Configurations

6. The Art of Calling Spirits Known as the Perfect Nature, According to Aristotle and Hermes, and the Meaning of Talismans and Its Appearance

7. Calling Planetary Forces by Rising Up and Exchanging Secret Conversations with Them and Sharing with Them the Effects of Actions by Using Words, Offering Sacrifices, Making Supplications, and Producing Incense, as well as by Using Astrological Ratios as Explained in the Sabian School of Thought

8. Glorifying the Astrological Potential of the Sun and Saturn and How to Secretly Converse with Them

9. Calling Planetary Forces Individually, the Spiritual Names of the Forces Placed Beside the Six Directions and Using Them in Accordance with Aristotle’s Instructions

10. Weaving Spiritual Magic and a Vehicle to Repel the Harmful Effects of Actions as Presented in Aristotle’s and Hermes’ works in Magical Talisman operations, by Using Foods, Incense, Perfume, and Ointment, and Decoding Their Effects from the One to Which They Were Attached

11. Different Magical Talismans Work for Different Purposes as Taken from Former Scientist Works in Imagination, Reversing Perception and Conjuring Various Images According to the Desired Purpose. Magical Talismans to Put One to Sleep, to Make Him Motionless, to Kill Him, and to Neutralize Poisons

12. Scientific Recommendations and Enigmas

Book IV

1. Extending Illumination from the First Cause to Effects Below It. Talking About the True Essence of the Physical and Metaphysical Realities, the True Essence of the Mind, Its Sections and Reality, as well as the Truth of the Inner Life and Its Reality

2. Calling the Spirits and Forces of the Moon When it is New and as it Enters the Constellation as it Spreads its Forces on Earth, According to Some Kurdish and Abyssinian Schools. The Seven Day Fasts in Accordance with an Indian School of Thought

3. Some of the Copts’ Concealed Secrets and Some of their Symbols in This Regard

4. Exploring Some of the Most Important Works and Enigmas by Prominent Adepts in this Craft to be Used in Preventing its Outcome

5. Specifying the Ten Sciences Which Produced These Two Conclusions

6. Making Planetary Incense and the Vehicles Needed for This Principle is One of the Most Practical Secrets of India

7. Abu Bakr Ibn Wahshija’s Translation of Nabatean Magical Works and Talismans

8. Effects of Things are a Function of Their Characteristics

9. Special Components of Charms Taken from Various Books, Followed by Recommendations

______________________________________________

More information regarding volume one may be had by clicking on its cover on the right side of the navigation bar.

Alchemical Presentation at the Stone

The Alchemical Bestiary
Alchemical Animal Symbolism in Renaissance Hermeticism.
Book Release: Turba Philosophorum
Ouroboros Press editor William J. Kiesel will give a talk on the enigmatic symbolism associated with the Animal Kingdom as employed in Alchemical texts during the Renaissance. Hermetic philosophers drew from mythological and biblical sources while depicting their alchemical emblems to explain the process of making the Philosopher’s Stone. Key symbols for interpretation will be discussed and accompanied by a slide show of alchemical imagery from rare books and manuscripts.
This presentation is given on the occasion of a new edition of the Turba Philosophorum, just released by Ouroboros Press. Copies of the book will be available for signing after the presentation.

8pm sharp Sunday 8 July 2007
The Stone [New York]
Located at the corner of Avenue C and 2nd Street.

[The Stone Website]
http://www.thestonenyc.com/index.html

Turba Philosophorum received from the printers

The image above shows the stacks of books ready to be handbound at the bindery of Ars Obscura in Seattle. Cloth copies showing the gilt device on the front cover can be seen below along with a copy wrapped in a dust jacket.



The Turba Philosophorum or Assembly of the Sages:
Called also the Book of Truth in the Art and the Third Pythagorical Synod
An Ancient Alchemical Treatise Translated from the Latin by Arthur Edward Waite.

Known unto the Wise as the Crowd of Philosophers, this twelfth century treatise records the meeting of the "Hermetic Association for the Advancement of Alchemy" and gives voice to the alchemical wisdom of several centuries. From Pythagoras to the Thrice-Greatest Hermes, the Adepts converse on the keys of the Royal Art and the nature of the Magnum Opus in their pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone.

Arthur Edward Waite's translation of The Turba Philosophorum remains the most complete to date due to the fact that he examined the many variant Latin manuscripts. There were two versions of the Turba; a short version and a long version, and in cases where textual differences occurred, Waite was sure to note them. This new edition has retained those important words of wisdom.

This Limited Edition produced by Ouroboros Press continues the tradition of fine bookmaking by resetting the type and offering three distinctive binding styles.



Royal Arte Vellum Turba
Handbound in full vellum with gilt titles and device, false-raised cords, marbled endsheets and silk ribbon bookmark. A crowning achievement from the studios of Ars Obscura Bookbinding. Octavo. 168 pages. Limited Edition. $225.00



Deluxe Leather Turba
Handbound in full burgundy leather with gilt titles and device, false-raised cords, marbled endsheets and a silk ribbon bookmark, also from the venerable studios of Ars Obscura Bookbinding. Octavo. 168 pages. Limited to 275 copies only. $150.00

Trade Edition Turba
Full burgundy cloth with gilt spine title and device on front board in a printed dust jacket. Octavo. 168 pages. Limited to 700 copies only. $45.00



Orders are now being accepted.

Shipping: Please add $6.00 for US orders or $12.00 for overseas orders.


When making payment via PayPal use [ouroboros@bookarts.org]

Please include full shipping details with your order. Thank you!

The God of Socrates
by Lucius Apuleius


Originally published in 1993 as the final release from Heptangle Books [whose work we hold in very high regard].
These are among the last copies which have been handsewn and bound at the studios of ARS OBSCURA Bookbinding and are real jewels given the inexpensive asking price.

The Classical author of The Golden Asse, Lucius Apuleius, here delivers a tract of serious philosophy. This work puts forth the view of the nature of the Daemon prior the Judaeo-Christian corruption of that character to Demon. Herein is analysis of genius, Socrates representing the model.

“You may call this daemon in our tongue, according to interpretation, a Genius, I know not whether rightly, but certainly at my peril; because this God (or daemon), who in the mind of everyone, though it is immortal, nevertheless, it is after a certain manner generated with man; so that those prayers by which implore the Genius, and which we employ when we embrace the knees genua of those whom we supplicate, appear to me to testify our connexion and union …”


Handset letterpress printed and bound with antique bookpresses.
Small octavo, cloth bound with printed dust jacket.
Limited edition of 1000 copies only: $40.00

Ordering Information

Tabula Smaragdina Hermetis

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes is the shortest and the most famous of all the Alchemical texts throughout the history of the Royal Art. Its influence on the practitioners of alchemy is evident in their writtings, art and laboratory processes as well. Ouroboros Press has employed the black art of letterpress by commissioning Heavenly Monkey to print this classic text on handmade paper utilising an antique printing press.

The paper, which was made specifically for this broadside, was wrought by the hands of Vancouver B.C. papermaker Reg Lissel. Our pressman, Rollin Milroy selected; Centaur, a significant and beautiful typeface designed by the American typedesigner Bruce Rogers. Printed in Red and Black, each letter handset, the broadside is also crowed by an Alchemical Emblem depicting aspects of the Magnum Opus. With ample 3 inch borders and quality workmanship this broadside is ready to frame and will be an asset to any library or laboratory.

Letterpress printed Emerald Tablet: $40.00 + postage [$8.00 in the US / $12.00 overseas].

Produced in the very limited quantity of 100 copies only [many were pre-sold]. We still have a few available, contact us if you would like to order one. ouroboros @ bookarts .org