THE GRIMOIRE ENCYCLOPAEDIA
As soon as I heard that David Rankine was working on a grimoire encyclopedia, I knew that it would be a game changer. We are presently faced with the reality that the documents we have access to is immense and wading through that is an expensive and arduous effort. One that David has been doing his entire magical career and has labored over to produce two enormous volumes that catalogue the spirits of our tradition, the ritual implements involved in working with them and other related information.
I encourage anyone interested to listen to interviews done by Mat Hadfield with Hadean and Alex on GlitchBottle as they allow you to hear David speak about it. Both interviews ask insightful questions and David gives excellent answers. Following the paper trails left by ritual specialists is certainly a tricky process that will now be simplified due to this extensive work.
Moments after reading the email that pre-orders were open, I was rushing to place my order. Anticipating its arrival felt like an eternity but it was worth the wait. Its publication was delayed for the very good reason that misprinted editions will simply not do in house Hadean! Something which I admire and value as a reader. I fiercely opened the box and all the questions I had pending were flooding my mind as I flipped through the pages in search of answers. Some of which I have found and others that led to new questions. A quest which has really only just started and designate them as a staple in my library. One doesn’t simply just sit down one afternoon and read them from cover to cover.
I wonder what the post man thought as he carried the box to my doorstep? Book boxes are known to weigh a lot but wow, these give every book I own a run for their money. Dropping one down on the table makes a very loud thud so I suggest doing it gently. If you like to keep a stack of books near your desk like I do you’ll find yourself being more selective about what those are. I opted to move my entire bookshelf closer since they arrived because at least one shelf is tangentially related.
Editing this must have been a huge task as well and for that we must thank our Fairy Queen Erzebet, Dis and Hadean crew. Going over everything even one time is a task I have yet to complete and I can’t even imagine the number of times it took for all involved to ensure it came out perfect. A book with good footnotes and a bibliography is preferable in my opinion and David has included a generous amount of information by doing both. I actually find them to be equally helpful as the text that connects to them. It’s impossible to be an expert in everything and those help me bridge gaps that are out of my current scope. I hope that David does some more interviews and look forward to the conversations that are starting to arise.
The Grimoire Encyclopaedia speaks for itself but in case you haven’t already bought them – what are you waiting for?! Sell your old and outdated books if you need to in order to put it towards their purchase. You will undoubtedly be as amazed upon seeing it for yourself as I was.
🖤🌹 Aequus
ORIGINALLY POSTED: August 2, 2023
