NEW ARRIVALS
[CROWLEY, Aleister] The Rites of Eleusis (Boxed, hand-bound edition of only 80 copies)
[CROWLEY, Aleister] The Rites of Eleusis (Boxed, hand-bound edition of only 80 copies)
100th Monkey Press, 2015. First Edition Thus. Limited edition of only 80 numbered copies, this being No. 37. A series of booklets, bound by hand and string tied, plus additional ephemeral material, all housed in a cloth box. Each of the individual booklets for the Rites is bound by hand, measures 8 1/2” x 5 1/2”, and is bound in a silk or marbled paper specific to each Rite. Endpapers for the Rites booklets are taken from photographs of the actual rehearsals and performances of the Rites. Decorative borders are featured throughout the booklets. Printed on a 70 pound text weight, acid-free paper specifically chosen for this project. Complete contents of the box: Seven hand-bound booklets (one for each of the Rites), a hand-bound facsimile of Crowley’s “The Rites of Eleusis” used to advertise the Rites, a hand-bound booklet of period newspaper articles concerning the Rites, a facsimile of a handbill also used to advertise the performances, a facsimile of the ticket sold to those attending the Rites, eight 6.5” x 4” photographs from the actual rehearsals and performances, a themed bookmark, and a special limited edition card - all housed in a cloth-covered box. All components of this unique set are in fine condition.
The Rites of Eleusis were a series of seven public invocations or rites written by Crowley, each centered on one of the seven classical planets of antiquity. They were dramatically performed by Crowley, along with Leila Waddell (Laylah), and Victor Neuburg in October and November, 1910, at Caxton Hall in London. This act brought Crowley's occult organization the A.’. A.’. into the public eye. The names of the seven Rites are The Rite of "Saturn", "Jupiter", "Mars", "Sol", "Venus", "Mercury" and "Luna". Crowley claimed that the Rites were designed to inspire the audience with ‘religious ecstasy’, and that merely reading them would help people "cultivate their highest faculties". Some in the popular press thought otherwise, and considered the Rites an immoral display, riddled with blasphemy and erotic suggestion.
This copy is from the collection of Thelemic author Robert C. Stein (1931 – 2024), who wrote "The Mystery of the Letters and The Tree of Life" and other works. Stein was a Professor Emeritus of Biology in the New York State University System, whose involvement in the study and practice of Thelema spanned three decades and travels in five continents.