William Kiesel - Picatrix Ghayat Al Hakim The Goal Of The Wise Vol I (copyrighted book, review only)
Book I, On "the nature of the heavens and the effects caused by the images [talismans] in them.":The first book of the Picatrix starts with theoretical and philosophical chapters. These contain a fascinating discussion on the nature of magic, and its connection to astrology, which is seen as a kind of bridge through which one must pass to create magical effects in the physical world. Then, we are introduced to the 28 Lunar mansions, and other conditions of the Moon to be learned before electing horoscopes. In Chapter 5, the ... More >>>Book can't be downloaded.
Note that, unfortunately, not all my books can be downloaded due to the restrictions of copyright. However, most of the books on this site do not have copyright restrictions. If you find any copyright violation, please contact me at 
. I am very attentive to the issue of copyright and try to avoid any violations, but on the other hand to help all fans of magic to get access to information.
If you are having difficulty downloading books, or you are looking for a book that is not on the site (but maybe it is in my home library), please write me a email to
and I will try to help, I can send the book by e-mail
✦ A Call to the Kind-Hearted ✦
Since the dark moon of early 2008, darkbooks.org has endured as a sanctuary for those who seek forbidden knowledge and sacred fire. I give freely of my time to keep this library breathing — but time, like flame, is not without its fuel.
The keeping of this archive, the tending of the digital hearth, and the answering of messages from kindred spirits — all these I do between the labors of earthly survival. My days are divided between devotion and the demands of coin, for the mortal world does not pay in candles and dreams.
Should you find it within your heart to make a contribution, know that your gift lightens my burden and lengthens the hours I may spend among the tomes. Even the smallest coin, placed upon the altar of this work, helps keep the servers breathing and the gates open.
Let this work endure.
Let the library grow.
Let knowledge remain free as fire and as ancient as bone.
Book I, On "the nature of the heavens and the effects caused by the images [talismans] in them.":
The first book of the Picatrix starts with theoretical and philosophical chapters. These contain a fascinating discussion on the nature of magic, and its connection to astrology, which is seen as a kind of bridge through which one must pass to create magical effects in the physical world. Then, we are introduced to the 28 Lunar mansions, and other conditions of the Moon to be learned before electing horoscopes. In Chapter 5, the author gives a list of talismans and their electional "recipes," which is the heart of Book I. The final two chapters of Book I continue the explanatory and theoretical theme from the earlier chapters.
About Author:
William J. Kiesel, the publisher and editor of Ouroboros Press. "His long years in the antiquarian and esoteric book trade gave him access to rare books and manuscripts not generally available to the public. William has cultivated a lifelong care of books and has involved himself in every aspect of bookmaking, from bookbinding and typography to handset letterpress." William has also organized the Esoteric Book Conference.
William have interests in books and publishing developed when he began collecting esoteric books at an early age and was inspired by a number of well-known esoteric authors and publishers. He highlights the tremendous amount of research and background work that goes into publishing antiquarian esoteric texts.
William know many aspects of publishing, such as bookbinding, paper selection, typesetting, and familiarity with various translations was crucial to his desire to publish new imprints of ancient esoteric books. He take part in some of the remarkable books that Ouroboros Press has released and in some of upcoming projects. He also interest the Renaissance as a fruitful time for all knowledge, but especially in terms of esoteric books.
William shares his interest in Alchemical symbolism, Hermetics, artwork, and the Western Esoteric Tradition. We touch on the current state and future of books, the tradition of book arts, and the concept of a book as a talisman. We finish off our conversation by discussing the Esoteric Book Conference, scheduled for September 19th and 20th, 2009 in Seattle, Washington, USA. William has organized this wonderful event to bring together publishers and readers of esoteric books.
Credit: http://occultofpersonality.net/william-kiesel-of-ouroboros-press/
