Limited to to 111 (one hundred and eleven) sets each bound in black leather and black linen, titles and seal of A.’.A.’. in silver, each volume with purple endpapers.
This new edition published on the 111th anniversary of the commencement of the ABULDIZ magickal experiement which culminated in the eventual publication of ‘Book Four’ in 1912/13.
Aleister Crowley was introduced to Mary D’Este Sturges at dinner in the middle of October 1911, their subsequent relationship and travels through Europe led them to the ‘Villa Caldarazzo’ where, in a state of higher consciousness, Frater Perdurabo (aka Aleister Crowley) dictated the contents of Book Four to Soror Virakam (aka Mary D’Este Sturges).
Soror Virakam
During their early relationship and travels, Mary D’Este Sturges began to experience communications from an astral entity identifying himself as the Wizard Abuldiz.
At first Crowley was inclined to disregard these seemingly incoherent transmissions until one day the medium gave him details of a secret nature which convinced him that the Secret Chiefs of his Order were trying to establish contact from higher planes.
Crowley began to record the communications in detail and continued testing the astral being called Abuldiz with various means developed by him since his time in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
At one of the sittings Crowley experienced an inner vision of his own, during a transmission about a ‘villa’ which they were to locate and operate from, Crowley saw a mental vision of such a place with two tall Persian Nut trees at the entrance gate.
It was whilst searching for the correct villa on a journey outside Posilippo near Naples that Mary D’Este Sturges urged the driver to detour down a rough track where, to their amazement, was a villa exactly as Abuldiz had described, complete with the two tall Persian Nut trees Crowley saw in his own vision. They took on the rental of the villa and, using the powerful ‘Preliminary Invocation’ of the Goetia, commenced summoning the being Abuldiz.
During these magickal workings Crowley began dictating the very book Abuldiz had instructed them to ‘find’ at the Villa Caldarazzo, it manifested as the worlds first true scientific textbook of mysticism and ceremonial magick:
The 1912 and 1913 first editions of ‘BOOK FOUR: parts 1 & 2’
Crowley produced these volumes in a specifically square format, the work was intended to act as a talisman for the manifestation of his new magickal current, the current of the A.’.A.’. and the realization of ‘The Method of Science : the Aim of Religion’ credo of his magisterial esoteric publication ‘THE EQUINOX’.
What is truly remarkable about the contents of BOOK FOUR is the union of both mystical and ceremonial magickal concepts and practices in a coherent whole that is expressed in such dynamic and succinct language it has never been surpassed.
