The Psalter of Cain by Various

Xoanon Limited.  2011.  112 pages.  Octavo.  Illustrated in three colors (red, gold, & black).

Available in three editions:

Standard edition (crimson linen): limited to 701 copies.
Deluxe edition, three-quarters burgundy goat w/ crimson linen & slipcase: limited to 171 copies.
Private edition, full crimson goat with slipcase: 16 copies privately distributed.

The Psalter of Cain, a.k.a. Psalterium Caini, is the first volume from Xoanon Limited to feature multiple contributions from members of the Cultus Sabbati and its outer order, The Companie of the Serpent-Cross.  As the title implies, the book contains a series of short devotional works written for the adoration of Cain (alternately spelled Qayin).  These come in the form of litanies, instructional rituals, paeans, benedictions, and charms.  Many of the works are highly symbolic, passionate, and poetic, enough to be appreciated by those unfamiliar with the Cultus Sabbati or Cainite mythology.

Many of the book's rites call for specific symbolic items that can be procured without too much trouble: nails, horseshoes, candles, stones, lanterns, wine, etc., making most rituals very practical, feasible, and more importantly, actually doable.  The only exception was 'The Oblation-Rite of Eokharnast' which requires three horse skulls.  A single horse skull might be difficult for most people to obtain, let alone three.  Perhaps a crafty person could construct horse skulls out of plaster or some other material as a suitable substitute.

But this is nothing new; exotic items are part of a long magical tradition.  Material components that are difficult (or near impossible) to acquire, or those that put the seeker at a high level of risk, have been a feature of Western magic for centuries, though less so in modern times.  Materials used in the construction of a The Hand of Glory would be a good example.  There are many theories behind this:  One theory is that it serves as a test to see how serious or devoted a magician is to actually doing the work.  Is the magician willing to follow every laborious step and procedure, often at great personal expense?  Or will they fudge things a bit and simply make do?   The process of actually procuring rare materials and making magical items by hand is often the very point of the whole exercise.

Another theory stems from a simple fact: spells that are impossible to replicate cannot be proven ineffective.  Authors of such books gain a certain mystique or reverence by accomplishing tremendous magical feats (or so they claim) while readers are then set up to fail, as it is highly unlikely they would have the means to complete some rituals exactly as written.  A more savvy reader may recognize a book's underlying intentions and not be distracted by literal interpretations and misdirection.  Some famous works, like "The Kabbala of the Green Butterfly' are simply fool's errands which I suspect were written with tongue firmly planted in cheek and intended to keep idle hands occupied with harmless busywork, a built-in fail-safe to weed out the suckers.  Fortunately The Psalter of Cain does not require anything unreasonable of the reader; a few household items and an open mind will do.

But I digress...   Psalter of Cain's somewhat anonymous authors occasionally shed light on their influences and seemingly diverse magical backgrounds.  'The Cup of First Murder' clearly indicates a Golden Dawn influence with its declaration, "Hekas, Hekas, Este Bebeloi!  Others have a reoccurring symbolic color theme: red/black/white, traditional colors commonly used in folk-magic from Finnish witchcraft to Pennsylvania Dutch Braucherei.  There are many hidden meanings behind these colors.  One of the most obvious and common uses is: red for blood, black for muscle/tissue, white for bone.

One of my personal favorite inclusions was 'The Rite of Five Nails'.  It is a beautiful and extremely clever ritual that is likely to resonate with practitioners of diverse traditions.  Readers are likely to discover their own personal meaning and interpretation in The Psalter of Cain's poetic rites.

Cain has become a fairly popular patron in contemporary occultism with various paths drawing upon his attributes and mysteries: Cain the first murderer; Cain the first tiller and father of lunar sowing; Cain the first tamer of horses; Cain the outsider and pariah.  Even Cain's descendant, Tubal Cain, master of the forge -- a sort of proto-Vulcan, has seen a resurgence of interest (publicly) among Traditional Witchcraft groups (see Shani Oates' Tubelo's Green Fire).  2008 saw the publication of another Cainite (Qayinite) devotional book of necromancy, Liber Falxifer by N.A-A.218, followed by its sequel last year, Liber Falxifer II - The Book of Anamlaqayin .  Liber Falxifer focuses mostly on Qayin's (the author's preferred spelling) darker aspects.   In these works the author depicts Qayin as a figure very similar to Santa Muerte as venerated throughout Central America.

Cain has played a part in witchcraft for a very long time, much like Hecate and Lilith, but I find it interesting that he is experiencing an enthusiastic revival in the public realm.  Even more interesting is why.  What is it about our age that calls out to Cain's mysteries?  Many consider our times to be very Mercurial with rapid communication and technological change.  Perhaps Cain is the flip-side to so-called 'progress', the darker underbelly that generally goes unnoticed amid all the commotion.  Modern society's conveniences all come at a price, a price (environmentally and socially) that is generally ignored or kicked down the road.  Perhaps the 'First tiller' will have the final word, as the old adage says, you reap what you sow.

Table of Contents:

Prefatory Epistle                                                    Frater A.D.K
Canticle of One                                                     Frater A.D.K
A Rite of the First Furrow                                      Frater M.D.
The Execration                                                      Frater A.H.I.
Forging the Flense of God                                     Frater A.H.
The Cup of First Murder                                       Soror S.I.
The Corpse-Knot                                                 Frater A.D.K.
Benediction of the Red Earth                                 Frater A.H.I.
Song of the Mark                                                  Frater A.D.K
The Seven Dedications of Exile                             Soror I.S.
Translation and Epiphany                                      Frater R.I.
Entreaty of the Staff                                              Frater A.H.I.
Assumption of the Witch-Hyde                             Frater A.G.
The Welkin of Cain                                               Frater A.H.
The Perfum'd Skull                                               Frater A.H.I.
A Charm for the Road of the Down-Going Sun     Frater A.D.K.
The Arrow of the Moon                                       Frater A.B.A
The Litany of Thorn-Branches                              Frater A.I.
Charm of the Forge                                              Frater A.D.K.
The Rite of Five Nails                                           Soror T.A. & Frater A.A.
The Hammer's Song                                             Frater R.I.
The Golden Ossuary                                            Frater A.H.I.
The Birth-Rite of Gnosis                                       Frater A.H.
The Nine Waymarks of the Polestar                     Soror T.A. & Frater A.A.
Oblation-Rite of Eokharnast                                 Frater A.H.
The Black Priory                                                  Frater A.Z.
Decree of Abnegation                                          Frater A.D.K.
Consummatum                                                     Frater A.H.I.
Provenance of the Texts

The copy reviewed here is one of the 171 'Deluxe editions'.  The design of the book is an absolute delight.  It is three-quarters bound in burgundy goatskin and crimson linen.  The book offers an interesting interplay of textures by contrasting supple leather with coarse-weave linen.  The leather is edged in gold adding a dramatic effect and welcome decorative break between the two shades of red.  A serpent device containing the Hebrew letters Qoph (ק), Yod (י), and Final Nun (ן) - Qyn, or Cain, is blocked in gold on the left side of the cover.  The spine has four bands and contains the title 'Psalterium Caini', also blocked in gold.  Endpapers are a rich chocolate moire.  Head and tailbands cleverly continue the red/black/white theme.  A black ribbon bookmark will hold one's page when reciting.  A metallic lead-colored slipcase protects the book.

The pages of The Psalter of Cain are a rare treat.  Xoanon spared no expense and printed the book in letterpress by Dependable Letterpress of San Francisco. Letterpress if far more difficult and expensive than standard modern printing, but the results are worth it.  One can actually see where each letter has bitten into the page and created a minute indention.  One can actually feel the letters when one gently passes their fingers over the text.  But it's not just the text, the stunning and powerfully suggestive artwork by Soror T.A and Fraters A.A. and A.H.I. is printed in the same method creating beautiful and crisp designs in black, red, and gold (see photos).  The paper is creamy, smooth, and heavy enough to accept the type without a trace of ghosting on the reverse page.

Overall, The Psalter of Cain is a serious, informative, and spirited book for those looking to work within this particular system or spiritual path.  While the book's scope may be very narrow (as intended), it succeeds in providing a wealth of information on the subject.  This is not a book intended to be read only once. Readers blessed with a bit of intuition and insight will likely return to this book again and again for creative inspiration or devotional reference.  Its handsome and sturdy presentation reflects the sacred nature of the works and ensures that it will hold up well with frequent use.  One of The Psalter of Cain's greatest strengths is the timelessness of its magical workings.  This is essential to a book's longevity and relevance.  All books are somewhat a product of their day.  This is unavoidable.  We have all read magic books published in the 60s and 70s (pick your century) that seem quaint and outmoded.  They were likely treated with all seriousness in their day, but now may seem a bit silly to contemporary eyes.  This is because books that last beyond a generation usually speak to core human needs and desires.  They also know how to ignite a sense of wonder in the reader.  The Psalter of Cain does all these.  It is likely to be carried with reverence into ritual spaces for generations to come.

The Blood of the Earth: An Essay on Magic and Peak Oil by John Michael Greer

Scarlet Imprint.  2011.  178 pages.  Octavo.  No illustrations.

Available in four editions:

Digital epub/mobi
Bibliotheque Rouge edition (paperback)
Finite edition (cloth): limited to 747 copies.
Black Gold fine bound edition, full Nigerian goat: limited to 55 copies.

“According to Daloway, oil had intelligence, it had purpose ... and it also had its agents.  These beings, Daloway speculated, might be parts of itself, able to move independently man-shaped and mansized for purposes of camouflage, composed of a sort of infernal black ectoplasm or something more material than that—a darkly oleaginous humanoid spawn. Or they might be, at least to begin with, living men who had become oil's worshipers and slaves, who had taken the Black Baptism or the Sable Consecration—as he put it with a strange facetiousness.”  

-- Fritz Leiber "The Black Gondolier"

The Blood of the Earth by John Michael Greer is the second magicio-political release from Scarlet Imprint, the first being their remarkably prescient title XVI.  Unfortunately for us, I fear The Blood of the Earth will be equally prophetic.  In essence the book's central theme is the Peak Oil phenomenon, a reference to an era that began around 2005 when world oil extraction peaked before the current and inevitable decline.  Greer, a leading Peak Oil researcher, estimates (along with many scientists) that we only have a few decades remaining before the price of a barrel of crude is no longer economically viable, and that's being charitable.  He points out how vulnerable the developed world is by its total dependence on cheap non-renewable energy.  Without it, Industrialized society as we know it simply cannot exist.  Most readers will instantly point towards other sources of energy: wind, solar, geothermal, biodiesel, etc., but none of these even come close to providing the same energy output as petroleum.  Furthermore, the energy needed to build the infrastructure for the aforementioned 'solutions' would require large amounts of cheap energy; without it, it's a net energy loss.

Greer argues there was a time in the 60s and 70s when we still had enough oil reserves to make the shift to alternative sources.  If we'd invested our oil wealth into the production of alternative energy technologies and rationed it carefully we could have made the transition.  But we didn't.  Instead, we've spent the last 30+ years wasting energy like drunken sailors, all the while telling ourselves, We'll think of something when the time comes.  The time is nigh and we still haven't come up with our energy miracle.  Nuclear power is too dangerous, as Fukushimia Daiichi disaster has proven; cold fusion was a pipe dream; ethanol fell flat.  But the solution/breakthrough/miracle is just around the corner, right?  Do you know what this kind of thinking reminds me of?  It reminds me of the people who believe in The Rapture.  They believe that any day now Jesus is going to show up and whisk the righteous up and away to the gates of Heaven, who are conveniently The Rapture believers.  While they bail on us (doesn't sound very Christian, does it?), the rest of humanity is doomed down on earth.  Greer feels the likelihood of finding a miracle solution is very very low.  I would say it's about the same odds as Jesus showing up with a limited amount of free passes to Heaven.  It's not going to happen.  Sorry.

So what does this mean?  It means that the latter half of the 21st century is going to resemble the 19th century far more than it will the 20th; it means we'll have to get by with a lot less; it means abundance and convenience will be a thing of the past.  Now, a book like this could easily turn into nothing more than a treatise of handwringing or a series of angry accusations at various control structures.  Greer deftly sidesteps all that by basically saying, We lost -- get over it -- and here's how you can make the best of a dire situation.  Furthermore, instead of filling pages with paranoid notions of stockpiling food stuffs and weapons, or praying for an as-yet uninvented technology that will sweep in and save the day -- no pie-in-the-sky solutions here -- he provides three modest and practical recommendations as a place to start that will likely be helpful in the future:

• Learn one thing (how to grow vegetables, how to make soap, how to raise chickens, ham radio, etc.), 
• Give up one thing (one's car, tv, A/C, long showers, etc.), 
• Save one thing (knowledge via books, preserve skills and crafts, memorize things). 

Greer feels that once energy becomes too expensive to be practical all these ebooks, programs, .pdfs, and other ephemeral ware will be as inaccessible as forgotten languages -- incomprehensible Atlantean relics.  He believes that if we can slowly acclimate ourselves to our likely future (sooner rather than later) it won't be quite so jarring.  It's a very sensible approach -- no ammo hoarding involved.  Those who have already adjusted will be the ones most likely to thrive and have marketable skills to teach, barter, or trade.  Who knew I was already on track with my book collection?

This leads to the other major theme within The Blood of the Earth, what Greer calls 'The Myth of Progress'.  Ever since the Industrial Revolution people have been taught to believe that technological advancement is inevitable, that things will continually get 'better' (usually defined by monetary wealth), more abundant, and by and large things generally did, that is, until recently, or unless you're part of the world's majority who has never experienced the riches of Western nations.  This is all predicated on the erroneous belief that a finite energy source (oil) will somehow enable infinite progress.  Greer argues we've been sold a lie.  The last 150 years is nothing but an anomaly in the history of man -- a brief flare-up creating the illusion of infinite growth and infinite potential, only too inevitably settle back into old patterns and modest, sustainable societies.  Greer eloquently states,

"In order to make sense of the future bearing down on us, it's necessary to recognize that the priviliged lifestyles of the recent past were the product of the chain of historical accidents that handed over half a billion years of stored sunlight to be burnt at extravagant rates by a handful of of the world's nations.  Now that the supply is running short, those lifestyles are going away, and since the decline in petroleum production is gradual rather than sudden, some people are losing access to them sooner than others.  The automatic reaction of the part of most people facing this challenge is to cling to their familiar perks and privileges like grim death; the problem with that reaction, of course is that the deathgrip in question very quickly becomes mutual."

 It won't be pretty, but we really don't have much choice in the matter.  We gave up that option 30 years ago when we started eating our own seed corn, so to speak.

So about now you're probably wondering what all this has to do with magic, right?  Besides being a leading voice in Peak Oil, John Michael Greer is also the Grand Arch Druid of the AODA (Ancient Order of Druids in America).  Greer believes that though magic we can transform our social consciousness as a society to better prepare ourselves for the perils that lie ahead.  He suggests we move beyond binary thinking and start using tertiary logic which Greer says, "defuses the binary reaction so that whatever issue is up for discussion can be put back into its actual context, and is no longer seen exclusively through the filter of food/nonfood, predator/nonpredator, and the like."  This is not a political Left/Right issue; it's no use pointing fingers and placing blame.  The damage has been done.  Reenacting tired old political battles is like rearranging chairs on the deck of the Titanic.  New methods and new modes of thinking need to be developed.  This incluses the use of magic to affect change. Greer states, "magical combat is a struggle of narratives or, if you will, of ways of structuring experience."  So by restructuring the context by which we live our lives we can more readily adapt to future changes.  This is within our power.  This isn't just positive thinking, nor does it involve breaking the laws of physics with our minds -- we can't just magically produce more oil from nothing.  To paraphrase Grant Morrison, no matter how much you will yourself to be King of the Moon, it's not going to happen.  Everything has limits.  Instead, we need to willfully shift our lives over to a new mode of existence -- a new narrative, as Greer says --  where oil is relegated from lead protagonist to an insignificant background character.  It won't be easy, but nobody said it would be.

Now the physical book...

The copy I will be reviewing is one of the 55 copies of the 'Black Gold' edition, as in Texas Tea.  It is bound in full, black, Nigerian goat.  It comes in a sturdy slipcase wrapped in black linen. Its simplicity and design is extremely minimalist and austere, a fitting choice for a book dealing with the various crises we'll face in the near future.  No Baroque ornamentation, no Medieval woodcuts -- just sleek black leather with simple deco-style geometric shapes gilt-blocked into the cover representing a weeping sun.  It's a high-impact look that is charged with symbolic meaning.  The title and publisher are stamped in gold along the spine.  The leather is soft and begs to be touched (in fact I'm holding it right now).  I'm continually amazed by the variety of scents various leathers have to offer.  This goatskin has a faint marine scent; kind of nice actually, like salty spindrift on a gloomy day.

  Upon opening the book the reader is dazzled by specially commissioned endpapers marbled in -- you guessed it -- black and gold cleverly designed to mimic the look of an oil slick -- gilded cobwebs floating on tar.  Sadly I suspect this is what the waters of the Gulf of Mexico may have looked like after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  The book sports black head and tail bands, gilded edges, and a crimson silk bookmark.  The paper is cream-colored, heavy, and stiff.  This seems to be the standard of their fine editions.  The text block has very large margins (1.5 " sides and 2" bottom).  This gives the text plenty of room and a very classic look.  That said, with all that room available I wish they had chosen a font that was just a little larger.  The font struck me as a hair too small.  This size may be fine for younger readers, but it's a bit of an eyestrain for those of us with a bit of gray.  Other than the tiny font size the text is sharp and clear.  Greer concludes with a welcome Bibliography and Index.

Some may think that a lavish edition like this flies in the face of ecological responsibility or caters to consumerism.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  These books are bound by hand and designed to last, likely far longer than you or I.  Scarlet Imprint calls it, "a book designed to endure through the long decline of industrial civilisation." adding, "... our hardbacks are the antithesis of mass-production consumerism."  Indeed.  The more durable the container, the more likely its survival.

This may all sound very bleak, like some dystopian Sci-Fi nightmare; however, the author stays remarkably positive.  You see, this is because he puts his faith in humanity, not the artifacts with which we surround ourselves.  We're continually sold artificial meaning, a purpose by proxy through mindless consumerism.  Our plastic Messiahs hold no salvation.  Unlike Al Gore and other false paragons, Greer leads by example.  For Greer the transition will be easy.  For starters, he has never owned a car, does not own a TV, and grows much of his own food.  It's no wonder he's not fearful of the future.  From where he sits, the coming crisis may be nothing more than a small bump in the road, but for the rest of us, unless we learn to live with less (and soon), we're setting ourselves up for a rude awakening.  The Blood of the Earth should serve as a real wake-up call for those unfamiliar with the reality of Peak Oil.  Consider this book your alarm clock: are you going to face today's challenges or just hit 'snooze'?

Finally, I want to state my appreciation to Scarlet Imprint for continually publishing material that is far outside the norms of standard occult publishing.  It's very refreshing.  Their forward-thinking books take risks, break with conventions, and most importantly, challenge readers to take personal action.  Their ever-growing library burns white-hot with Promethean fire.

The Infernal Colopatiron by S. Connolly

Official Melissa Press  2012.  118 pages.  Illustrated.  Octavo.

Black Faux Leather Edition (Standard): limited to 220 copies.

Burgundy Bonded Leather Edition: limited to 30 copies.

The Infernal Colopatiron is Official Melissa Press' debut fine binding.  It's an impressive start.  The book's author,  S. Connolly, comes out with guns blazing.  Connolly eschews poetic riddles and academic-speak in favor of a writing style that is very straight-forward and raw.  Her approach is refreshingly honest, unpretentious, and practical.  But be warned: this is not 'Intro to Magic 101'.  There is no hand-holding in The Infernal Colopatiron.  Rudimentary details are glossed over, or avoided all together, as the author assumes the reader is already well acquainted with basic procedures, formalities, and concepts.  A novice would be lost by the end of Chapter One. The author marches right along; it's up to the reader to keep up.  In fact, S. Connolly almost comes off as an esoteric Drill Sergeant.  Right in the intro she writes:

"You'll also find this book is not written in flowery language or prose that attempts to mimic fifteenth century grimoires, or talk in cyclical metaphor meant to baffle the reader with bullshit.  Too many modern publishers of limited edition hardcovers publish that nonsense.  

...  This is not a book of simple magick for the mildly curious. ...

You either know your way around a Daemonolatry ritual construct or you don't.  So if you're not familiar with Daemonolatry and something isn't clear to you, that is not my failing as an author.  It's your magickal education that is lacking and it is up to you to do the work to rectify any lack of knowledge."

See what I mean?  No coddling here!  Personally, I think her attitude is wonderful.  The occult publishing industry could benefit from a few more writers willing to dish out the 'tough love' approach.  Of course an in-your-face writing style can easily be warped into a big ego trip, but S. Connolly easily side steps this temptation by staying on task and even includes self-depreciating comments, believing there is always something to be learned from one's failures.  She also freely admits her own limitations, a trait I found very refreshing.  For example, she writes:

"Now I'd like to take a moment to discuss the raw sigils printed in this book.  These sigils were hand drawn by a real working magician (me), not artists.  I did not write this book to be pretty and sit on a shelf looking pretty.  I wrote it to be used.  So don't expect professional artwork herein.  Not all magicians are professional artists and it would be silly to expect they should be.  I can scarcely draw a stick figure."

I must say, her unapologetic bluntness really grew on me.

The book is essentially a mixture of personal experiences and practical formulae, all dealing with the art of theophany (spirit summoning) which involves the opening of gates or portals through ritual and using them as a conduit for direct spirit contact.   I realize there is endless debate between occultists who feel spirits, demons, god-forms, etc. are nothing more than Jungian archetypes with no objective 'realness' vs. those who believe entities are sentient beings that can be summoned into physical appearance.  S. Connolly is of the latter camp, or at least mostly.  She feels that given enough practice and skill, visual manifestations are indeed possible.

As aforementioned, a portion of the book is devoted to personal experiences. These include experiences with paranormal phenomena and recorded results of personal workings.  Her personal stories help provide context for the book's information while assisting readers by way of example.  In many ways this section reminded me of Lon Milo DuQuette's highly influential book, My Life With the Spirits, an amusing autobiographical journey filled with cautionary tales of 'goety gone wrong' and other gems of sagely magical advice.  The rest of the book includes a list of "Infernal Gatekeepers".  This includes the book's namesake, Colopatiron, the angel or genii who rules over the 9th hour, as found in The Nuctemeron of Apollonious of Tyana.  Also included are their respective sigils, attributes, and uses.  The book concludes with a number of rituals, magical recipes, and rites.  Connolly also gives a number helpful tips and pointers on technique.

The edition reviewed here is one of the 30 Burgundy Bonded Leather editions.  It's attractive in its pure simplicity -- a very sleek and modern grimoire.  Its 'no frills' presentation perfectly suits the no-nonsense attitude of its author.  The book is fully bound in highly textured burgundy bonded leather.  For more on bonded leather please refer to my review on Sepher Raziel.  The boards feel very solid and have a high sheen.  The cover is blocked in copper with an ouroboros device and the seal of Ocat, the Gatekeeper of the Dead.  The title is also blocked in copper on the spine.  Endpapers are dark gray with a linen texture.  Regrettably, the binding is perfect-bound (glued) rather than sewn-signatures, thus no head/tail bands.  Paper is a crisp white with a smooth satin finish and of moderate weight (80#).  I should note the paper has an assertive synthetic smell like that of new running shoes, which could be attributed to a paper-bleaching agent or perhaps the type of ink.  It's not wholly unpleasant, just strange. Acrid odors emanating from a book about demons is probably a good sign.  Illustrations consist of classic woodcuts and the author's own diagrams (all black and white).  The text is sharp, clean, and remarkably free of typographical errors (unless they eluded me), the latter being a rare feat these days due to over-reliance on SpellCheck.  Cheers to their proof reader.

My only criticism of The Infernal Colopatiron is that it seems a wee bit padded.  I see little reason why a slim book of only 118 pages requires 16 different chapters.  Some 'chapters' are as little as two pages.  Each chapter heading and conclusion generally creates empty space ranging from about 1/2 to 2/3 of a page.  Thus with 16 chapters there are collectively roughly 8 pages of empty space throughout.  This brings the book to barely over 100 pages.  It could have also benefited from including a Table of Contents.  Connolly clearly has a lot of insightful information to impart to her readers, so why such brevity?  The book left me wishing it had a bit more meat on the bone.  Perhaps this is just an appetizer for something greater.  I would normally hope for an expanded edition sometime in the future; however, the press claims that it will never be reprinted.  Hint* Get it while you can.

Each copy is signed, consecrated, and sigilized by the author.  One more thing of note: each copy includes a curse.  Official Melissa Press has come up with a creative way to combat plagiarism.  Anyone who reproduces the work will activate the curse and incur their wrath.  It reads:

"For him who stealeth or illegally copy, scan upload this book, let it change into a serpent in his hand and shall Leviathan judge him.  For each illegal copy he creates, something of value, whether person, life, or money will be taken from him.  Let him languish in pain crying out for mercy, and let there be no surcease to his agony till he sing in dissolution.  Let the gatekeepers gnaw his entrails if he ever attempts the magick within and let the flames of Hell consume him forever.  By Lucifuge and Amducious, it is done."

So don't copy their book!  Or anyone else's for that matter.  Hopefully my quotes are not enough to trigger my doom.  I think the spirits will recognize that I mean no offense.  Leviathan and I are on pretty good terms anyway.  That said, if this is the last book review I post, you all know my fate.

Over all The Infernal Colopatirion is a refreshingly down-to-earth and contemporary grimoire.  S. Connally comes off as confident; and more importantly, competent with nothing to prove.  Her diverse background and years of practical experience are apparent throughout the text.  After this impressive fine bound debut I greatly look forward to future titles from Official Melissa Press.

The Toadman by Nigel Pennick

Society of Esoteric Endeavour  2012.  130 pages.  Illustrated (some full-color).
Duodecimo (Twelvemo) square/landscape (6.5" x 7.5").

Copies No. 1-33: Half-leather, coloured endpapers and a doublure panel of hand marbled paper.

Copies No. 34-150: Quarter-leather, standard marbled paper endpapers.

As of this writing all copies are SOLD OUT.

I've had numerous requests to review this title, so here it is, dear readers -- The Toadman.  Since its release The Toadman has garnered a fair amount of buzz among certain circles, all of it warranted.  The Toadman's author, Nigel Pennick, is no stranger to folk magic traditions.  He has written a impressive number of books with topics ranging from geomancy to runic languages, and from sacred geometry to animal guising.  The subject matter of The Toadman is a controversial one, particularly in modern times.  Pennick is quick to point out in the book's introduction that he is apposed to animal cruelty stating, "The author and publisher totally disapprove of any and all cruelty to animals and respectfully request the reader not perform any of the cruel activities described in this book."  He continues to add that that tile is for historical exploration only.

No, that's not a cigar...

On this point Mr. Pennick and I are in complete agreement.  Poor treatment of animals may have been an accepted norm in earlier times, but it is totally unacceptable now.  While it certainly makes for a fascinating study, it is nonetheless an outmoded practice that has no place in contemporary society.  Considering the wide variety of alternative practices available to folk magic practitioners today (not to mention virtually endless proxy devices) such practices are unjustifiable.  Animal cruelty is the tell-tale sign of dysfunctional children, not magicians.

This brings up the larger subject: sacrifice.  Please allow me a slight digression:  As a meat-eater, I would be a hypocrite were I to state opposition to the slaughter of animals for human use.  However, I believe this must be done in a humane way and one where the entire animal is used (as apposed to killing an animal solely for its dorsal fin or gallbladder).  Recently a conjure man in the American south became the subject of intense controversy after he burned a rooster alive as part of a Palo ceremony (or so he claimed) and cited religious freedom as a defense.  Other  traditions dealing with spirit veneration, like Santeria, Vodou, and Hmong ancestor worship are known to sacrifice chickens too.  However, it is done quickly and humanely (likely better and more respectfully than most chicken slaughterhouses).  After the ceremony the chicken is usually eaten.    This is entirely different than intentionally causing severe pain and suffering, as in the aforementioned conjure man's case.

This kind of thinking, that is, the ritualistic use of intense pain, is similar in many ways to the beliefs of the Kanaima witch-doctors of the Amazon.  For the Kanaima, pain and suffering is inflicted as an offering.  Those unfortunate people who become victims of the Kanaima experience an unimaginably painful death.  Their rites make the Toad Bone rite look like child's play.  My response is this: does the world really need more pain?  For more on this subject I would highly recommend the books Dark Shaman: Kanaima and the Poetics of Violent Death and In Darkness and Sorcery: The Anthropology of Assault Sorcery and Witchcraft in Amazonia, both by Neil L. Whitehead.  Sadly, Professor Whitehead passed away just last month.  He will be missed.

Back to the book...

The Toadman mentions various folkloric and medicinal uses for the toad bone and toad stone in Toadmanry.  The author also explains how Toadmanry had much in common with other rural fraternities, like the Society of the Horseman's Word.  However, the book deals with far more than just physical uses for toads; it also explains in-depth how toads were used symbolically, particularly in alchemy.  The toad was believed to symbolize the First Matter.  Toads were also meant to represent the black phase of purification, also know as Caput Corvi (Crow's Head).

Pennick also touches upon how toads played a part in shape-shifting lore. Witches were sometimes believed to have the ability to turn into toads or have toads that served as their 'familiars'.  The author examines a general belief associating toads with diabolical powers or representing sickness (warts) and impurity.

The book concludes with a number of appendices.  These include a discussion of the potential origin of the Toad Bone rite and the exploration of other toad rites from around the world including Obeah, Gypsy magic, and Hoodoo.  The Toadman is heavily footnoted throughout.  Pennick, ever the scholar, also provides an extensive bibliography.

The sections are as follows:


Introduction
Frog and Toad Symbolism in Alchemy
Shape-Shifting as a Toad, Toad as a Familiar
Traditional Medicine and Toadmanry
The Bone
Secret Uses of the Bone
Rural Fraternities: Toadmen and Horsemen
Horse Stopping
The Word, The Whisper and the Devil
"Have you seen the Devil"
The Travails of Toadmanry
Putting the Toad on Someone

Appendices
1. Bones in the Shoemakers Legendarium
2. The Miller's Word
3. Some Toadmanry in Obeah, Hoodoo and Conjur
4. Other Bone magic and English Horse Skull Performances
5. Speculation upon some Roots of Toadmanry
6. The Examination of John Walsh

Footnotes
Bibliography
Credits

The copy reviewed here is one of the 33 half-leather editions.  The publisher offered an optional slipcase or slipcase and chemise combo.  The latter is exhibited here.  The book is bound in half-toadskin.  Australian Cane toad was used, as it is a destructive and invasive species on that continent.  For those wondering what toad-leather feels like:  It is very pliant, soft, and far thinner and delicate than standard leather.  Its characteristic warty texture begs to be touched and understood, like some kind of witch-Braille.  It is relatively odorless -- just a hint of a leathery scent. Boards are covered in rich hunter green linen.  A burgundy goatskin label with title and author blocked in gold adorns the cover.  The spine has a similar goatskin label.  The goatskin provides a smoother surface for the title, as the toadskin is highly textured with warts.  Each book is blind blocked with a little toad device somewhere on the book (each copy is different).  This copy happens to have two (note one right above cover title in photo).

The book opens to fuchia endpapers and a doublure panel of hand marbled paper made by Anne Muir Marbling Ltd.  Incredible stuff.  The marbled coloring has an appropriately batrachian color scheme consisting of three shades of green, fuschia, and umber beautifully brought together in a pattern resembling pond scum or clusters of frog's eggs.  The paper is an ivory color with evident texture not unlike some watercolor paper.  The texture is nice; however, I feel the paper may be a bit too absorbent to handle heavy full-color images.  The ink tends to give these pages a slight ripple.  There is no bleeding evident, though the image resolution appears somewhat soft.  Still, the use of full-color is appreciated.  Ivory head and tail bands blend seamlessly with the pages and thus do not distract from the man attraction, the toadskin binding.

The slipcase (optional) is wrapped with matching hunter green linen and matching hand marbled paper.  The interior is fully lined with soft burgundy felt to lessen surface abrasion as the book is slid in and out.  The chemise (also optional) is an unusual but very welcome additional feature.  It is shaped somewhat like a clam shell.  Its construction is the inverse of the book.  Instead of sporting a toadskin binding and goatskin label, it has just the opposite, a goatskin binding and toadskin label.  The title is blind blocked upon the toadskin.  It's a bit hard to read due to the warty texture of the leather, but still a nice touch.  The chemise also includes a blind blocked toad device randomly stamped on its surface.  The inside of the chemise is lined with matching marbled paper and burgundy felt along the seam to protect the toadskin binding of the book.  When held inside the protective chemise and slipcase, The Toadman is completely protected from all sides.

The Toadman is an absolute treasure.  It is perhaps one of the most uniquely bound contemporary books I've had the pleasure to hold.  It is no wonder it has been met with such enthusiasm.  It is the most unusual presentation of Toadmanry lore since the extremely limited Grimoire of the Golden Toad by Andrew D. Chumbley.  The Toadman is both a stunning object d'art and the last word on toad magic.  Thanks to Nigel Pennick and Ben Furnee at The Society of Esoteric Endeavour for creating such a delightful oddity, a book fit for a cabinet of curiosities.

Sepher Raziel transcribed by Don Karr & modernized by Stephen Skinner

Golden Hoard Press.  264 pages.  Illustrated.  Octavo. 2010

Standard Edition: Cloth, unlimited.

Leather Edition: Burgundy bonded-leather boards, half bound in black calf, & limited to 250 copies.

Sepher Raziel, also known as Liber Solomonis, is the sixth book in Golden Hoard Press' 'Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic' series.  It is preceded chronologically by The Practical Angel Magic of John Dee's Enochain Tables, The Keys to the Gateway of Magic, The Goetia of Dr. Rudd, The Veritable Key of Solomon, and The Grimoire of St. Cyprian -- Clavis Inferni.  The 'Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic' series is one of the most important series on ceremonial and grimoire magic in print today, rivaled only by the 'Magic in History' series, published by Pennsylvania State University Press, and the 'Palgrave Historical Studies in Witchcraft and Magic' series, published by Palgrave Macmillan.

This particular copy of Sepher Raziel comes from Sloane MS 3826, an English grimoire dating to 1564.  The book is divided into two main parts: the original text transcribed by Don Karr, and a modern English version updated by Stephen Skinner.  It's nice to have both together for an easy side-by-side comparison.  Skinner's modern English version is particularly useful for modern practitioners who may not be fond of Elizabethan grammar and syntax.


Sepher Raziel opens with a Foreword by Stephen Skinner in which he discusses the origins of the text, its multiple variants, the provenance of Sloan MS 3826, and other texts Sepher Raziel has influenced, such as The Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses (all wonderfully footnoted).  According to legend the original Sepher Raziel was inscribed on a sapphire stone, much like the Emerald Tablet of Hermes.  The name 'Raziel' means 'Secrets of God', so clearly this was very important knowledge bestowed unto Man.  However it seems Raziel didn't get permission before revealing this potent knowledge.  As a result, the text changed hands between heaven and earth a number of times and eventually came to be in the possession of none other than King Solomon (who else?).

Following the Foreword is a piece by Don Karr titled, 'The Study of Solomonic Magic in English'.  Karr gives a solid overview of what constitutes 'Solomonic Magic' as well as the books that define the tradition, including Sepher Raziel and many others.  This is followed by a brief introduction to the text.

The sections of Sepher Raziel are as follows:

1. Liber Clavis, the Book of the Key of Astronomy and of the Stars
2. Ala, the Virtues of some Stones, Herbs, Beasts, and Words
3. Tractatus Thymiamatus of Suffumigations 
4. Treatise of Times of the Day and of the Night
5. Treatise of Purity and of Abstinance
6. Samaim which Names all of the Heavens and their Angels
7. Book of Virtues and Miracles and the properties of the Ark of Magic

Sepher Raziel includes two Appendices.  Appendix 1, 'Incense Nomenclature', is laid out as a handy table to assist the reader in identification of botanicals, as certain perfumes and resins can somewhat confusingly go by many different names.  Appendix 2, 'Selected Table of the Angels in Sepher Raziel', makes magical timing easy by mapping out Angelic, Planetary, and Elemental correspondences and associations with clear and time-saving tables.  These tables (and more) can also be found in Skinner's Complete Magician's Tables (highly recommended).  Also included are a lengthy bibliography and index.

The leather edition has boards that appear to be covered in textured burgundy bonded-leather.  The rest is half-bound in black calf.  I suspect the decision to use bonded-leather was to keep the cost reasonable and under $200.  *A note on bonded-leather:  Bonded-leather can be made at a fraction of the cost of 'real' leather.  It may seem like a poor-man's substitute, but it shouldn't be criticized too harshly.  Bonded-leather is made from scraps and trimmings from the leather industry.  I believe when an animal is butchered for human use none of it should be wasted.  Thus, bonded-leather is a relatively environmentally responsible product (at least for those who don't have a problem using leather in the first place).  Furthermore, bonded-leather techniques have come a long way.  The old stuff had a plastic-like look and feel, but more recent improvements have created a far superior product.  In fact, some bonded-leathers are almost indistinguishable from 'real' leather.

The black calf portion of the binding is soft and supple.  The spine has seven raised bands with title, authors, and press stamped in gold.  Unlike other volumes in this series, there is no front tile (usually they are stamped in gold) -- a rather odd and unfortunate decision.  The book opens to printed endpapers marbled in gold, green, and cream.  I must say, I'm not very fond of printed faux-marbling.  It's not fooling anyone, and it reminds me of cheap gift-wrap.  I realize hand-marbled paper can be expensive; however, if cost is an issue I would prefer solid-colored paper with a nice texture over faux-marbling, as it doesn't pretend to be something it is not.  The book is finished with red/gold head and tail bands with a red ribbon bookmark.  The book includes a loosely inserted bookplate signed by Don Karr depicting the familiar horned image of Lucifuge Rofocale as found in Le Dragon Rouge.  The limitation page is signed by Stephen Skinner.  Text is crisp on smooth matte paper of medium weight.  I appreciate the spacious margins given to text-blocks.  The title is printed in red.  Some black & white scans of actual manuscript pages are included to give the reader an idea of how the text appears in its original form.  These can be a little difficult to read, as the words are small and written in a crabbed hand.

Overall it is a very classy presentation that is somewhat uniform with others in the series.  With the exception of Volumes 1-4, each volume in the series has black leather spines and uniquely colored boards.  It seems the series is constructed with both aesthetics and functionality in mind.  It is a very handsome book, yet durable enough to withstand years of practical use.  Whether a scholar or Solomonic magician, look no further than Sepher Raziel and others in Golden Hoard's  'Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic' series, for as the press' name implies, they are a veritable treasure trove.