Z3: The Enterer of the Threshold, a Facsimile of a Golden Dawn Inner Order Manuscript by Cogito Ergo Sum [Ritual Z Part Three: Containing Symbolism of Admission to Neophyte Grade, Closing, Oration and Equinox; HERMETIC ORDER OF THE GOLDEN DAWN]

United Kingdom: The Hellfire Club, 2008. Limited Edition, Facsimile. Leather_bound. Very good. Limited Edition, Facsimile. Leather_bound. A handsomely-produced, half-leatherbound facsimile edition of this "important historical record and a significant Inner Order document for all involved in studying the tradition of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and all those systems derived from it" (Hellfire Club).

8" X 6 7/8". This copy has no statement of limitation, but according to the publisher's promotional material this half-leatherbound edition was limited to 56 copies, with a further 22 copies bound in full leather. This copy is bound in half burgundy grained calfskin leather, with marbled paper over boards and matching marbled endpapers traditionally handmade by Ann Muir "in a typical nineteenth century style whose coloration is chosen to harmonise with the colour scales relevant to the forces of the Grade Ritual of Neophyte under the activity of Thoth between the Pillars of Mercy and Severity," according to the Hellfire Club. Spine is ruled and titled in gilt. Very mild wear to extremities of binding, with gentle bumping to top corners and faint scattered rubbing to boards. Each copy of this edition has a replica of the original bookseller-stationer's ticket pasted to the top corner of the front pastedown. Binding is firm and sound. Pages are clean and unmarked.

ABOUT THIS BOOK:
The document we present is an important historical record and a significant Inner order document for all involved in studying the tradition of the hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and all those systems derived from it. The original copy, in the possession of an English Cancellarius of the Order derives from the very early years of the Order and the first unfoldments of the Adeptus Minor curriculum as envisaged by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers from 1893 onwards. The copyist's motto ‘Cogito Ergo Sum' was that of a Mrs Jean Gillison, transcribed from the orders copy ‘Issued by DDCF and NOM' the inner order mottoes of Mathers and Westcott respectively. Gillison was active in the Order before the historic division of the Order in 1900. Raised to the Second Order of the Rosae Rubae et Aurae Crucis probably around 1895 she most probably joined sometime after 1893 when most of the material she copied was being released for study for the first time.

The ‘Z' series of documents are perhaps the most important and magically illuminating of all the Golden Dawn descriptive papers, revealing layer upon layer of insight into the operations of the formulae of the magic of light. In all, we have here a fascinating piece of evidence from the early years of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the thought of the esoteric school still manifestly developing and distilling into rich pools of insight.

All copies are reproduced in facsimile to read the exact size of the original script, full colour throughout by offset lithography onto 115gsm paper with a 100% cotton content produced by the prestigious mills of ‘Crane & Company' who have been making paper since the 1850's by time honoured methods and to the highest standards. (Publisher).