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songofsano

@songofsano

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Antique book collector specializing in esoteric, occult, and folklore/mythology.
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Comus (1921, First Edition) by John Milton #esotericism #esoteric #bookgram #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #masque #comus #milton #arthurrackham #rackham #literature Another Rackham illustrated number regarding a sinister necromancer named “Comus” who deceives a fair maiden separated from her brothers after the group gets lost in the woods. Comus takes her captive in his lair until he is finally defeated by the reunited siblings. There’s like water nymphs invoked or something, too. I honestly get Comus and Undine confused as they’re such similar books to me. Both fairy tales that hit differently in that ancient, “grimdark” way brought to life by a legendary master illustrator. Simply beauties! by @songofsano
Undine (1909, First Edition) by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué #esotericism #esoteric #bookgram #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiquefairytale #arthurrackham #rackham #literature #novella It’s a tale as old as time: a water nymph seduces a knight in order to gain an immortal soul; just another day in the primeval forests of yore. Written in Germany in 1811, this novella has been adapted for operas, ballets, films, art, and of course this beautiful book. My copy has nicely preserved bindings (cover and spine), but the covers are slightly splayed out from moisture damage at some point. It’s another notch in my Arthur Rackham (illustrator) belt, and like all antique fairytale books I run across, still has some of that magic left that makes it so charming. by @songofsano
Faust 1908, Limited Edition 31/100) (Signed by artist Willy Pogany) by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultlibrary #bookgram #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #faust #poetictragedy #goethe #literature I don’t think I personally studied Faust in school, but I’m willing to bet some of you did. What I know about the original isn’t much. I know it more through all the derivative stories and films throughout the years that is the same basic tale: guy sells his soul to the devil. This pickup falls into the mythology and illustrator categories of my collection, less occult. And again I like to collect “two-in-ones”: we have a major author/work paired with a major illustrator, in this case Willy Pogany. I believe this is my first posting of Pogany, and I can’t remember how I discovered him, but he’s become a fast favorite for me. The Hungarian artist is along the lines of Arthur Rackham IMO, who is even a bigger and more renowned artist. Bonus: Pogany’s signature! The book itself is beautiful, mysterious, and mystical in its appearance, and it’s a large folio size making it all the more impressive. by @songofsano
The History of Freemasonry (1883-1886, First Edition) by Robert Freke Gould/Various #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #occultlibrary #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #freemasonry #masonic #masons #secretsociety Super proud of this acquisition I made back in July. It was one of my first European auction wins, and there’s nothing cooler than getting some rare artifacts delivered to your little corner of the world all the way from Italy! This 6-volume set is in “very good” condition by collector standards which means they’re virtually pristine to me. The bindings alone are priceless in their design and gilt detailing… the look and vibe is everything you would want from a secret society tome. Not to mention they’re oversized books at roughly 9x12 making them all the more impressive. The Freemasons had money, folks. They published soooo many beautiful books with all the bells and whistles, not unlike religious literature such as bibles. These are chock full of prominent Mason member portraits in that beautiful etching style; foldout charts and tables documenting their different members and lodges from around the globe; and more. (Before I started this collection I thought the Freemasons to be an American invention, so little I knew). In the end, these guys are gorgeous, and talk about shelf presence… they really tie a library room together. Ordo Ab Chao, y’all! by @songofsano
Isis Unveiled (1893, early edition) By H.P. Blavatsky #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #blavatsky #theosophy 🏆 GRAIL ALERT 🏆 Super proud to share what is debatably the most important entry in my collection. (It’s this or my Eliphas Levi.) Isis Unveiled is a major work from a major author and figure in the occult, Helena Petrova Blavatsky. Born into Russian aristocracy, Blavatsky became a mystic and writer who emigrated to America and basically founded her own religion, Theosophy. Theosophy was an attempt to synthesize science, religion, and philosophy, and Blavatsky claimed to have traveled the world and studied these subjects with spiritual adepts such as Tibetan mystics. Isis Unveiled was her first masterpiece followed by The Secret Doctrine, an equally influential master work. And while she was a controversial figure due to alleged plagiarism and falsehoods, there is no debate on the influence and cultural significance of her life and work. This two-volume set is in excellent condition and exceedingly rare. It’s akin to me landing a couple of bottles of Pappy Van Winkle for all you bourbon drinkers. There are only a handful of rare occult book dealers I consider the best of the best with mind-warping catalogs of unattainable treasures. @roseobscurities is one such place. I don’t know how they always manage to have the most revered books imaginable, but hats off to you! 🎩 So if you don’t mind, I’m going to bask in the glow of this flex post for a while… 💪🏼 by @songofsano
The Vision of Hell (1903, Original Large Edition) by Dante Alighieri #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #dante #dantealighieri #dantesinferno #thedivinecomedy #poetry #bookfair #fortworthantiquarianbookfair It seems only fitting to walk away from the Fort Worth Antiquarian Book Fair, held at the Masonic Temple mind you, with a treasured and religious work of art. It was a tough decision as all the dealers had exceptional books very much on my wishlist, but ultimately these somber, slightly cryptic, muscular and massive tomes drew my eye. Not to mention at a fair price for the folio sized engravings of the one and only M. Gustavo Doré, one of the most popular and collectible illustrators of the 1800’s. Many people frame his engravings pulled from old books like these and resell them as wall art. Im proud to say these are my first Doré books, and they are very impressive way to start collecting him. The engravings are insane, provocative, and masterful. The bindings brooding. The end pages bloody red and marbled. Every fiber of its being seems to embody the subject matter, and I love it. You should already be familiar with Dante’s Inferno, so I don’t feel the need for further explanation or insight. It’s a visceral and imaginative journey that I will always enjoy perusing. A special shoutout to Elizabeth @goldberryathome who has an insane collection of antique volumes that fit under my “illustrators to collect” such as Thompson, Armstrong, Morris, Rackham, and Pogany among others. Can’t wait for the next book fair, just need my wallet to recover 😬 by @songofsano
No way I was missing this one! #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #bookcollector #bookgram #bookfair #fortworthbookfair #masonictemple by @songofsano
Maid Marian and Crochet Castle (1895, First Edition) by Thomas Love Peacock #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #thomaslove #peacock #aaturbayne I finally got my hands on one! The first design I ever saw of A.A. Turbayne, my favorite bookbinding artist from the late 19th century, is now in my hands. His peacock cover design is probably his most iconic work, which takes its inspiration from the author Thomas Love Peacock. There is set of 5 books from Peacock which feature this same cover design, and as a collector, of course my mission would be to get all 5. And like my Reynard the Fox book, I’m less concerned about the book content and more interested in the book design itself. Like collecting a painting from a favorite artist, and this one is a real feather in my cap 🪶 by @songofsano
La Clef Des Grands Mysteres (The Key to the Great Mysteries) (1861, unknown edition) by Eliphas Levi #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #eliphaslevi The beginning of school, travel, and seasonal illness have all conspired to slow down my posting recently, but not my collecting! And boy do I have one today: the most important occult book in my collection, and my first foreign language book. I’ve purposefully avoided other languages because 1) they’re typically very early or first editions (therefore more expensive), and more importantly 2) if I do feel urge to read them… that would be nice. But sometimes a book comes along that is so important you want to get the earliest edition you can swing, and I swung big time on this one. Listed on a European auction house, I thought, “there’s no way…” Just a few weeks later hailing from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 I present to you Eliphas Levi’s “The Key to the Great Mysteries.” No one else calls him this, but to me Levi is an occult Godfather. Born in 1810, Levi was a French esotericist, poet, and writer. But before that he was a catholic priest. He abandoned the priesthood early on and began his studies into the occult. Some say he wanted additional knowledge to get closer to the divine. He was fairly prolific, but there are three considered major works laying the foundation for the occult sciences. This book is his third such foundational text. The Key to the Great Mysteries reveals the secrets of religion and the Qabalah and provides insight on the prophetic knowledge of numbers. The study of a divine science, “the mathematics of God.” Suffice to say I was stoked to win the auction and obtain this legendary treasure for my collection. It’s the closest thing I have to an incunable which is a term for ancient books printed prior to the year 1500. That is a whole other category of collecting I don’t expect to explore much, but they are super cool. For now I’m basking in the glow of this glorious relic! Au revoir, until next time 🇫🇷 by @songofsano
The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (1960, unknown edition) by Moses (allegedly) #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #kabbala #moses #magic #grimoire Need some spice in your life? Some flavor? I got you. TBH I can’t get my arms around this one… it’s so all over the map, quite literally. See if you can follow along: Allegedly written by Moses, yeah THAT Moses, first early editions began to appear in Germany in the 18th century. Huh? The printing press helped spread it from Northern Europe to somehow find an audience among African Americans, Caribbean peoples, and West African English-speakers. It became a popular folk magic book for rural folks. Hoodoo even. Why? Because it’s mainly a grimoire or book of spells with incantations and seals to help the user control the weather, speak with the dead, and more. So to some it’s a biblical or divine text. To others hoodoo or black magic… heresy. Tools of the devil or evil spirits. Want even more spice? Google this book. People have thoughts. Or fears i should say. Whatever the case, it has all the elements that make this hobby exciting. Especially the seals, talismans and mystical runes contained within. You know, what you’d think a sorcerer’s spell book would look like in real life? Feel the burn 🌶️🌶️🌶️ by @songofsano
Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft (1887, Third Edition) by Sir Walter Scott #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #demonology #witchcraft #sirwalterscott One of my first legitimate “occult canon” acquisitions from back in May by the prominent novelist and poet, Sir Walter Scott. He was a lifelong student of folklore, and this book touches on subjects of demonology and witchcraft citing individual cases. But also discussed are topics of ghosts, fairies, brownies, elves, second sight, and various Germanic mythologies. The entire book is structured and divided into ten parts whereby each part is a letter from Scott to his son-in-law. It is now recognized as a pioneering work and major influence on a host of prominent writers, specifically promoting gothic and ghostly fiction. For me, the value or cultural significance of this work is pretty simple… you have a famous literary author, collectible if you will, with a book title and subject that’s already extremely rare in the grand scheme. This book should be on every shelf of anyone claiming to be an occult collector. by @songofsano
The Great Red Dragon, Or The Master-Key to Popery (1854, Unknown Edition) by Antonio Gavin #esotericism #esoteric #occult #occultlibrary #occultism #bookgram #bookcollector #antiquebooks #antiquarianbooks #antiqueoccult #catholicism It’s been a minute since I’ve posted something truly occultist, but I have a fascinating specimen to share this time. First we have to acknowledge the ticking of the boxes: a mythical dragon, creepy pope figure, cryptic title… check, check, check. Ok, cool. Gavin was a Roman Catholic priest from Spain who published this little ditty in 1724. It promises an inside look at the inner workings of the Catholic Church exposing secret practices and alleged wrongdoings. In other words, this is a spicy, scandalous expose that gained popularity enough for Gavin to 1) write more books, and 2) fear for his wellbeing. All truth? All lies? Or somewhere in between? We’ll never know. There’s no shortage of fraudsters and opportunists along the occultist publishing trail, but the provenance of this book has deemed it culturally important, and the story is too juicy to ignore. My copy isn’t in the best condition, I’d call it fair. I hope to get it professionally repaired someday, but for now love the ancient quality of it. 🐲 Vaya con dios, y’all ✌🏼 by @songofsano

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