The Book Of The Law [Technically Called Liber Al Vel Legis Sub Figura Ccxx As Delivered By XCIII=418 To Dclxvi] [Crowley, Aleister] Occult,Religion And Spirituality

Scarce first U.S. edition of this Crowley text originally printed in the UK in 1938. This American chapter of the O.T.O. was founded in California in 1935 by Wilfred Talbot Smith and was called the Agape Lodge. Smith prepared the edition directly from the 1938 edition, making a few textual changes and correcting typos. This is one of the few Thelemic publications prepared by a follower which Crowley is known to have approved, and is quite a bit more attractive than the UK edition. Various conflicts and infighting lead to Smith being ousted as the head of the Agape Lodge shortly after publication of this volume. To distance themselves from their disgraced leader, members of the lodge removed the "Church of Thelema 1003 S. Orange Grove Avenue, Pasadena Calif." statement from the title page of remaining copies, as Smith was associated with that address. This particular copy retains the statement. This American edition, which has an interesting publishing history steeped in turmoil, is much less common than the UK edition. OCLC cites 3 holdings at the University of Chicago, University of Texas, and University of London, Warburg Institute. 16x12cm, [4], 5-47, [2]pp. Staple bound in publisher's dark blue card covers stamped in gilt on front cover. Few foxing marks to 6 leaves at the beginning, single passage underlined in pencil else clean internally. Cover lightly smudged. Very good