Paralibrum.
An independent home for bibliophile occulture
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‘A Second Nature’ by José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal
A Second Nature is the second book by artist José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal (JGAS) and features a pristine selection of drawings and paintings collected over the relatively short period from 2014 to 2016. Right upon opening the book we realise that it can be read in many different ways. Whichever access route we choose though, once we delve into its manifold visions of the daimonic – some perfected in beauty, some in grotesqueness – we should be prepared to tremble.
‘The Witch’ by Ronald Hutton
Ronald Hutton writes a good book although to my mind, he does like to put the punchline at the end when sometimes it might be more important to have the thesis of each chapter at the beginning. Thus “The Witch”, in the sense discussed in this book, is, in my opinion, essentially a victim of a false accusation of causing supernatural harm.
‘The Book of Gates’ by McCarthy, Sheppard, Littlejohn (ed.)
This book comes highly recommended to anyone interested in ancient Egyptian thought and magical history. It is an open invitation to work in the Duat in magical service. (…) However, the book should come with a warning label to proceed at your own risk and with care, as its journey is called the Path of Hercules for a reason. You will find it to be a rich magical and mystical source if you dare to awaken the Ma'ati within.
'Decad of Intelligence' by Ithell Colquhoun
In 2017 FULGUR published a set of 10 outstanding spirit-doorways, residing on the crossroads of art and magical practice. Their breathtaking book 'Decad of Intelligence' is a beast so rare and precious, it actually is not a book at all. It is the kind of object you will not want to place on a shelf, but to allow it to breathe in your temple.
