A Small Library of Moon, Myth & Magic¶

Despite the origin of the material Godfrey used in this book being questionable, the concept of a "witch informant" being frankly silly and the accuracy widely disputed, this book has strong importance to the early development of Wicca. The story of Diana's daughter, sent to teach witchcraft to the world. With the historical influence in shaping modern syncretic pagan religions alongside the antiestablishmentarian, free-thinking way the author describes witches, I thought this would be a nice one to have.

Written by the Reverend Timothy Harley, who was a member of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a Victorian compendium of lunar mythology, worship, superstition and whimsy from cultures around the world.

Harley himself described it as "a contribution to light literature, and to the literature of light." It was written under 90 years before Armstrong walked on the moon, and I think there is something charming about reading an intelligent Victorian earnestly cataloguing that same moon.

This one is a bit different.

A strange, playful, and deeply odd little novel by the Abbé Nicolas-Pierre-Henri de Montfaucon de Villars (woah, what a name), a French preacher who was eventually refused/forbidden the pulpit by the Church and is liekly to have been assassinated in 1673, thought to be as a result of this book.

The book takes the form of conversations between a mysterious, all knowing Count and a naive narrator, where the Count lays out a doctrine of elemental spirits (Gnomes of the earth, Sylphs of the air, Nymphs of the water, Salamanders of fire) and their secret involvements with humanity.

It's been heavily debated whether this novel was meant as satire of fashionable occult belief, or whether the humour was a veil for genuine esoteric teaching. Regardless, it was wildly influential. It has inspired and has been borrowed from for many poems and stories.

This specific copy is a limited edition of only 333 numbered copies, edited by Joscelyn Godwin. It's based on the 1714 English translation with some additions and improvements to the translation.