Customer Reviews

The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon: From an Original Talismanic Grimoire in Full Color by Ebenezer Sibley and Frederick Hockley

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Like a phoenix from the ashes of history, Ebenezer Silby's Clavis has been reborn anew, to live again among us all. With the charm of a munificent mage, Joseph Peterson has breathed life into yet another age-old manuscript, allowing another arcane grimoire to speak in new ways. This time Mr. Peterson has delivered to us a facsimile of one of the finest editions of Ebenezer Sibley's "Clavis" with seven other independent treatises all hand colored and hand written.

1. The Clavis or Key to Unlock the Mysteries of Magic of Rabbi Solomon
2. The Mysterious Ring
3. An Experiment of Birto
4. An Experiment of Agares
5. An Experiment of Vassago
6. Of the Spirit of Bealpharos
7. The Wheel of Wisdom
8. The Complete Book of Magical Science

Two particular notes of interest with regard to the previous publication of this material are as follows. The Clavis or Key to Unlock the Mysteries of Magic of Rabbi Solomon was recently published in 2008 by Caduceus Books for The Society of Esoteric Endeavour as "Ebenezer Sibly, Solomon's Clavis, or Key to Unlock the Mysteries of Magic" in a limited edition of 144 copies. It looks to be a facsimile edition with the same eight independent hand colored and hand written treatises. But a quick comparison betrays several differences in the seals, pentacles and other illustrations. Furthermore the handwriting and drawing is a lower quality and seems to be rushed. Leading one to believe the manuscript used for the Caduceus limited edition was perhaps intended as a rough draft or preliminary copy compared to the manuscript used for the Peterson Edition.

The Complete Book of Magical Science has also been previously published in 2008 by Teitan Press as "A Complete Book of Magic Science" in a limited edition of 450 copies. A volume titled "The Secret Grimoire of Turiel" published in the 1960's and 1970's has some affinity to the material in The Complete Book of Magical Science. Both of these titles are currently out of print.

Joseph Peterson has thoughtfully provided a full scholarly apparatus such as an INTRODUCTION detailing the manuscripts provenance as well as other exemplar of this work, PREFACE from the original manuscript, copious end NOTES, the CRITICALLY ESTABLISHED TEXT type set and cross referenced, BIBLOGRAPHY current with the most recent scholarship, APPENDICES and INDEX. The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon by Joseph H. Peterson is a library of the highest quality magical texts, in one volume. Such a work of art and critical scholarship at this low price is truly a magical work indeed.

This is a quality, clothbound edition of magical texts graced with the scholarly commentary and textual analysis of Mr. Peterson. Seven exemplars (extant copies) of Ebenezer Sibley's Clavis were used for comparisons, the one owned by antiquarian/publisher Donald Weiser considered to be the most accurate and complete. It is this edition that is reproduced by facsimile here, inclusive of seven other independent texts as follows: The Mysterious Ring, which provides instructions for preparing magic rings; the Experiments of the Spirits Birto, Vassago, Agares, and Bealpharos, which instruct one how to call upon angels and spirits (Vassago and Agares are listed as goetic spirits in The Lesser Key of Solomon); The Wheel of Wisdom, which provides instruction for using celestial harmonies (and is supplemented with a color fold-out of the wheel with another version from manuscript Sloane 1307 provided in Appendix 2); and the Complete Book of Magic Science, which draws on a variety of sources and is more complete than the related text of The Secret Grimoire of Turiel and more accurate than the Teitan Press edition.

Peterson's knowledge of the grimoire tradition is evidenced by his informative introduction, detailed textual notes, and production of a Critically-Established Text which predominantly follows the Weiser manuscript, "except for substantive deviations that can be critically established from the limited number of available witnesses" (page xxi). The textual analysis includes reference to notable works such as Abano's Heptameron, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Reginald Scot's expanded 1665 edition of his Discoverie of Witchcraft, the Arbatel, and The Magical Calendar, among others. Five related texts to Sibley's Clavis were also used for analysis, including manuscript Wellcome 4670 which was published along with Wellcome 4669 in an English translation through Skinner and Rankine's The Veritable Key of Solomon. In the Acknowledgments section, one also finds credit going to Peterson's daughters Sarah and Lisa who assisted with the artwork in Appendix 2, and his son Karl for providing a wonderful drawing of the wyvern which was missing from the manuscript. What awesome family support! This collectible edition of magical texts is a pleasure to own and reference.

The Book deals with the seven planetary spirits which were mentioned in the greek copy of the key of Solomon.For those already in possesion of the mathers edition this is an excellent addition to the book since it completes the mathers edition by giving you the names of the angels to work with .A must for all followers of King Solomon;s Works .

This book by far is the best book out there on the work of sibley's clavis.Joseph peterson allows the actual manuscript copies of the original without being tampered with by the author to be seen and I luv authors who show the original copies like this.I follow alot on the hockley manuscripts as I believe it is the most accurate versions as hockley was teamed with sibley and spent time researching and actually doing rituals to summon the entities and recording the results.I have studied alot on hockley and I find his spiritual work very interesting but not without experience
because I believe hockley was on the right track.He was a renowned mason and once apart of the Rosicrucian society but his studies into the spiritual was very interesting and his experiences earned him titles were he was known.I give this book five stars because with the original manuscript copy it gives you first glance of the exact writing of the original and it allows the practicing magicians to make corrections were needed.Peterson gives notes in the back but this book is by far the best to have in your library.I have the skinner version of the greater key and have found that this sibley grimoire by far is not complete so cross reference the sibley works with the greater key by skinner until someone puts a better copy out there.The skinner version has some mistakes but those who see them can fix them but the sibley work is lacking some seals and peterson even tells about leaving parts of the work out which I think he shouldn't have but I wish more authors would copy original manuscripts like this because to show the original is worth it.More books like this should come out were the authors should copy the original like this then write their notes on translation.It not only gives people the opportunity to view the original but puts the author more into the light about how he translates the text then leaves viewers to decide for themselves.Personally Someone should start going to the British museum and make books on the exact copies of the original manuscripts and call the project "Manuscript project" volume 1- whatever.But this book is a must have in the library and anybody into hockley will love this book even if your not very knowledgeable on hockley I respect his work because I believe it to be the most accurate on the source he was into.So the book is great and a must have for the library and when looked at it is an interesting grimoire.So even the work is not complete its still a must to have nice book peterson maybe the next book can be sibley's Goetia next that would make a nice pair with this clavis.

As a student of this magic for over ten years I have searched for a book like this since the aeon of my very probationism, coming up with only mathers clavicula salomonis and the goetia of crowley (boy the solomonic magical world mustve been bored for over...50 years until this book came out! think about it over 500 pages of solomons grimoires, imagine what is in here and you will still be inadequate, (if you been seeking solomons wisdom) its' beyond your wildest dreams really. Without this book can you really consider yourself a student of solomon's magic? hell to the nizzo!