The Starry Wisdom Library
Edited by Nate Pedersen. Illustrations by Liv Rainey-Smith.
Scholars and book collectors across the country have long pondered the intended fate of the infamous collection of rare occult books left to rot in the Church of Starry Wisdom in Providence, Rhode Island, after the Starry Wisdom cult dispersed to parts unknown in the late 19th century.
The recent, shocking discovery of a previously unknown book auction catalogue issued in 1877 offers insight into the myriad mysteries of the cult. Entitled “Catalogue of the Occult Library of the Recently Disbanded Church of Starry Wisdom of Providence, Rhode Island,” and issued by the notorious Arkham firm Pent & Serenade, the catalogue reveals the long-suspected fact that the Church intended to sell its library to finance its removal from Providence.
The sale, of course, never materialized — as later events make obvious — but the book auction catalogue informs us of the cult’s original intent and leaves for us an enormously valuable and fascinating piece of ephemera detailing the infamous collection of rare occult books in all of its dark and foreboding glory.
Furthermore, the book auction catalogue is unique amongst its contemporaries in that the auction firm Pent & Serenade — recognizing the importance of the exceedingly rare volumes in the cult’s possession — commissioned a wide variety of 19th-century scholars to write essays on the histories of the books offered at auction.
As such, the catalogue is a uniquely — almost absurdly — valuable item for scholars and collectors around the world, and is presented here in exacting facsimile by PS Publishing.
Contents:
- JOSHI, S. T. – Introduction
- ANIOLOWSKI, Scott David – Massa di Requiem per Shuggay
- BARRASS, Glynn – The Book of Azathoth
- BERGLUND, Edward P. – Cultus Maleficarum
- BIRD, Allyson – The Book of Karnak
- BRENTS, Scott – Lewis Carroll / Charles Dodgson Letter
- BULLINGTON, Jesse – Il Tomo della Biocca
- CAMPBELL, Ramsey – The Revelations of Glaaki
- CARDIN, Matt – The Daemonolorum
- CHAMBERS, S. J. – Remnants of Lost Empires
- CISCO, Michael – Liber Ivonis
- CUINN, Carrie – Image du Monde
- FILES, Gemma – The Testament of Carnamagos
- GAVIN, Richard – De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis
- HANSON, Christopher – The Pnakotic Manuscripts
- HARMS, Daniel - The Book of Dzyan
- JONES, Stephen Graham – The Ssathaat Scriptures
- LANGAN, John – Les Mystères du Ver
- LEMAN, Andrew – Practise of Chymicall and Hermetickall Physicke
- LLEWELLYN, Livia – Las Reglas de Ruina
- MAMATAS, Nick – The Black Book of the Skull
- MORENO-GARCIA, Silvia – El Culto de los Muertos
- MORRIS, Edward – The Book of Invaders
- NICOLAY, Scott – The Ponape Scripture
- PRICE, Robert M. – The Book of Iod
- PUGMIRE, W. H. – The Sesqua Valley Grimoire
- PULVER, Joe – The King in Yellow
- RAWLIK, Pete – The Qanoon-e-Islam
- SATYAMURTHY, Jayaprakash – The Chhaya Rituals
- SCHWADER, Ann K – The Black Rites
- SCHWEITZER, Darrell – The Nameless Tome
- SPRIGGS, Robin – The Dhol Chants
- STRANTZAS, Simon – The Black Tome of Alsophocus
- TANZER, Molly – Hieron Aigypton
- TAYLOR, Keith – The Book of Thoth
- TIDBECK, Karin – The Cultes des Goules
- TYSON, Donald – Liber Damnatus
- VALENTINE, Genevieve – The Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan
- WALLACE, Kali - The Tablets of Nhing
- WARREN, Kaaron – The Book of Climbing Lights
- WEBB, Don – The Black Sutra
- WELLS, Jeff – Observations on the Several Parts of Africa
- WILSON, F. Paul – Unaussprechlichen Kulten
Rare book cataloging for the anthology conducted by Jonathan Kearns of Adrian Harrington Rare Books.
