High quality translation and research as usual.

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	• Grimorium Verum Joseph H. Peterson CreateSpace, 2007 - 256 pages average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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High quality translation and research as usual.

As we have gotten used to from Peterson his grimoire translations are of first class and the Grimorium Verum is no exception. It is presented in both English and in the original languages French and Italian so you can check the translation if you want to. It also contains variations of the text and pictures so you can chose your own way to go after your own theory. Also the notes made by Peterson are usefull and valid.

This is by far the best translation of this text so far and I definatly recomend it to all grimoire lovers.

Another feather in Peterson's cap

Many collectors of occult lore may think they want to pass on this title, especially if they have a copy of A.E. Waite's "Ceremonial Magic". While I will not attempt to counter the argument of redundancy, I would say that for anyone looking for a definitive account of this work, it is Peterson and not Waite that delivers the goods.

Anyone who has read Peterson's working of the Lesser Key of Solomon will feel at home in his treatment of the Grimorium Verum. There is a herculean front-matter outlining the French and Italian sources for the current edition, as well as a lineage of the work as it relates to other pieces belonging to the "Solomon Cycle". Among other things covered, the preface is broken down into the following logical categories:

* Disclaimer: Please don't really use a human skull to perform these rituals, etc.
* Outline of the method: Tools of the trade, preparatory considerations, etc.
* Demonology: An outline of the "demonic theology" subscribed to in the work.
* Notes specific to this edition
* Explanation of the figures: Why the author resisted the temptation to re-execute the drawings and clean up the figures.
* Relation of textual sources: Contrasts between the French and Italian works. Peterson does a great job of laying out his theory of how the present work came to be, pointing out French elements still extant in Italian versions.
* A general curse: Peterson is probably best known for his hard work on his CD compilation of old magical texts. Here he pits the host of hell against IP trolls and those that have stolen his work for their own web-sites. Nicely played Mr. Peterson.

What follows is a compiled translation from the various editions listed in the front-matter. The page-by-page footnotes are rarely less than a sixth of the page as every editorial choice is justified, and alternate readings are given for the benefit of the reader. The author also mentions previous published editions, pointing out where missing seals have now been replaced, miss-identified seals set in their proper places, and of course the obligatory listing of alternate spellings of spirit names from the various sources.

One thing that makes this version indispensible to the collector is the insight into the culture of the time period in which the book was written. Here is a footnote to illustrate: "The word "proven" (Lat. probatum) occurs frequently in collections of cures, recipes, and charms to note that the editor has actually tested and verified its effectiveness three times."

This edition is the most complete you will find including the "Rare and Surprising Secrets of magic" and "Conjurations for the Other Days of the Week" from the Italian editions, "The Great Kabbalah of the Green Butterfly" as well as "Other Secrets" in their entirety. I am particularly charmed by the various methods used to win a lottery, and dice games, so complete versions of these sections was very welcomed in my library.

I will not tire you with a complete roll call of appendices, however there are roughly 150 pages of them, including an index of demonic names, alternate drawings and figures, as well as complete French and Italian versions of the work for your comparison. Barring scholars uncovering a new manuscript, this will stand as the definitive version of the Grimorium Verum.

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Book Review

It started out to be very interesting but it was hard to follow the rituals and spells that followed so I order the Grimoire Verum Ritual Book so I can practice what I learned!

Impeccable work as always

This book maintains the extremely high standards we have come to expect from Joseph Peterson, both in scholarship and clarity. Peterson provides a translation of this notorous grimoire, together with the original French and Italian texts for completion. In his Preface Peterson discusses the outline of the method given, emphasising the derivative nature of the Grimorium Verum from the Clavicula Salomonis. As I am currently finishing off our edition of The Veritable Key of Solomon with Stephen Skinner, it was nice to see verification of the information connecting the two which we had already uncovered. Peterson also discusses the demonology of the Grimorium Verum, including a useful index of angels and demons mentioned at the back of the book.

In the style we have come to expect, Peterson has taken the trouble to fill in any gaps where he could, such as by including copies of drawings which were missing or poorly executed, by using the originals from the manuscripts they were drawn from, such as Clavicula Salomonis, the Grimoire of Honorius and Le Grand Grimoire. The study of the textual sources and demonstration of the provenance of the respective texts is as thorough as you would expect.

The material in the Grimorium Verum speaks for itself, being a curious blend which reflects the late nature of this grimoire in the line of the grimoire tradition. If you have not encountered Peterson's work before, then this is as good an introduction as any. He is one of the premier magickal scholars today, and his books should all grace the shelves of any serious student. That his edition of The Lesser Key of Solomonis out of print is a crime which should be rectified immediately. Peterson's website [...] demonstrates the level of work he has put into the grimoire tradition, which many have chosen to pilfer. This has inevitably irritated him, as demonstrated by the malediction to such thieves he has included in the book. When you can buy the CD of his website, which contains much extra material, so cheaply, one can hardly blame him for his annoyance. Joseph Peterson deserves our thanks and appreciation for his contribution to the magickal revival, not to be treated like a candy store to steal from. Buy this book and you will enjoy and appreciate his work, which is at the top of the field.

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Grimorium Verum is one of the most notorious handbooks of black magic -- one of the few that deals openly with spirits of darkness. People have long sought the aid of non-physical beings; the biblical king Solomon in particular had a reputation since ancient times for commanding demons. There are many texts purporting to reveal Solomon's methods, but most are extremely complicated and difficult. Grimorium Verum is one of the easier texts, but also one of the most sinister. It includes a catalog of specific demons and how to draw on their powers. This new critical edition includes a fresh translation based on all the major sources, complete French and Italian texts, and 5 other appendices.

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Classic Occult Grimoires
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