Picatrix : Ghayat Al-Hakim : The Goal of the Wise - Volume I & Volume II - Complete Set of The Four Books In Two Volumes

Seattle, Washington: Ouroboros Press, 2002/2008. NEW Two Volume Set Complete. "Full cloth with gilt spine title and printed dust jacket" (see scans). Volume I - Limited to 1000 numbered copies (out of series) / Volume II - Limited to 500 [Hand]numbered copies. From the Publisher : "The Picatrix, or Ghayat Al-Hakim as it is titled in Arabic 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. Brought out of the obscurity of the Middle East it passed through the hands of many prominent figures throughout the history of Hermetic thought..Marsilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola, Peter of Abano, and Henry Cornelius Agrippa were among them. Volume One contains the first two book of Ghayat Al-Hakim, here translated into English for the first time" --- "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 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. The book will be issued in the same format as volume one:". First English Edition. Hard Cover/Full Cloth/Sewn. New/New. 8vo - 8¾" tall.