The grimoire tradition has a long and colorful history. Sadly, many 'heretical' texts were destroyed by religious zealots and superstitious mobs. However, enough hoary titles survived the flames to give us a glimpse into this fascinating tradition. Today the tradition is currently going though an enthusiastic revival thanks to renewed interest in magick and the occult. New and original grimoires are being written for those who wish to honor and reawaken ancestral practices, while others are creating post-modern magical handbooks for the 21st century sorcerer. Modern reprints and new translations have put long out-of-print texts (centuries in some cases) back into the hands of scholars and practitioners. Credit must also be given to small press publishers. Many of their titles are works of art and a testament to the bookbinder's craft. Their high quality and artful design will assure the survival and circulation of esoteric texts for another few hundred years or more.
In this blog I will put particular emphasis on the exemplars of each title by exploring and celebrating their craftsmanship, magical intent, and stunning beauty. These are topics that are often overlooked in many book reviews. I will also occasionally revisit older occult texts and comment on their contents and bindings.
Thank you for visiting this blog.
B. Balkan
(For an in-depth history of the grimoire tradition I highly recommend Owen Davies', GRIMOIRES: A HISTORY OF MAGIC BOOKS).
