Picatrix: Ghayat al-hakim : The Goal of the Wise (in Sorcery) Hardcover – 18 Oct. 2007

Excellent

This is a reprint of Hellmut Ritter's critical edition of the Arabic original (Ghayat al-Hakim). Some pages are missing from this reprint. Liana Saif is currently preparing an English translation of the Arabic Picatrix.

For those who appreciate possessing ornate and rare magical tracts in their original format, this work is a treat. Rosicrucian scholars, Arabists, purveyors of medieval grimoires will be astonished by the care which has gone into the presentation of this work. At the heart of western magic lies the domain of the classical grammars of magic. Western Masters such as Cornellius Agrippa, Peter de Abano (author of the Heptameron), Francis Barrett ( compiler of the Magus) and many more all owe a huge debt to the appearance of the Picatrix - the original Magical Grimoire and a source of concentrated magical power, whose pages Adepts have feared to turn for fear of possession. Great legends surround the ownership of this work. It has been feared, mythologised, revered and been the object of countless questings through the centuries. To own this work is to hold the power of the ancients in the palm of your hand. Many occultists believe the historical Picatrix is the template for Lovecraft's Necronomicon. Certainly this is a work whose talismanic essence provides a gateway for the Elder Powers - whose every detail can provide a valuable focus for meditation and wonder. The original Arabic format of this work provides serious scholars with the opportunity to acquaint themselves with one of the most valuable proto-grimoires in existence. Not for the faint hearted or the intellectually lazy. A work of Serious Essence.

What isn't clear from the details provided is that this book is the Arabic text. There is not a translation, only a few arabic/english translation notes. So, unless you are fluent in arabic you'll need to look for an alternative.

There is an English translation of this work in preparation by practising magicians so save your money until then.