The Square of Sevens: An Authoritative System of Cartomancy, with a Prefatory Note
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1897.
First edition. xxv, [1], 72pp. Original black cloth decorated in gilt, red, green, and white, gilt topstain. Very Good+ with rubbing to gilt on front cover, evidence of removed bookplate on paste down with former owner's stamps on front free endpaper and both paste downs; she was Lenore Cosseboom, a founding member of the Church of Satan (alongside Anton LaVey) and priestess, who was apparently often used as a human altar in early COS services. A scarce occult/ literary hoax by Edward Irenaeus Prime-Stevenson, who is most-often remembered for his 1906 pioneering gay-themed novel Imre, published under the pseudonym Xavier Mayne. On top of the interesting provenance of this volume and its rarity, the cover art of this volume-- portraying a mysterious fortune-telling figure beside a black cat-- is truly excellent.
Price: $1,500.00