The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts: A Modern Rendering of the 19th Century Edition

The Original 1898 Edition — Restored in Archival FacsimileBefore The Book of Ceremonial Magic, there was The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts.First published in London in 1898, Arthur Edward Waite’s landmark study catalogued, classified, and critically examined the grimoires, rituals, and infernal manuals that shaped Western ceremonial magic. Long before modern occultism commercialized these traditions, Waite approached them as a scholar: tracing manuscripts, evaluating authenticity, and distinguishing mystical theology from superstition.This volume presents the complete original edition in facsimile form — preserved exactly as printed.Inside you will find:• Historical analysis of the Lesser Key of Solomon• Examination of Goetic ritual traditions• Critical treatment of Agrippa’s Fourth Book• Discussion of talismans, invocations, and ceremonial frameworks• Period advertisements documenting early occult publishing historyIn 1911, Waite revised and retitled this work as The Book of Ceremonial Magic, softening elements and adjusting tone. This edition preserves the earlier, more direct 1898 text — a foundational document of the late Victorian occult revival.No modern commentary. No reinterpretation. No revisions.Issued as part of the Penemue Archive initiative, this facsimile restores a cornerstone of Western esoteric scholarship to durable print form for serious readers, collectors, and researchers.For students of ceremonial magic, occult history, Rosicrucian studies, and nineteenth-century religious thought, this volume offers direct access to the intellectual architecture of its era. Read more