(Self-Love) The Psychology of Ecstasy by Austin Osman Spare

This newly revised 2023 edition marks 110 years since first publication of Spare’s magical book.

Resplendent with full-page symbolist illustrations representing some of the artist’s most beautiful draughtsmanship. It is also festooned with Spare’s automatic drawings and sigils. 
This seminal work has established Spare as a unique and
formidable figure in twentieth century western magic.

This edition includes as yet unpublished drawings and ink works that may well have been part of the artist’s wider conception of the Book.

The original 1913 introduction by Ernest H.R. Collings and the 1975 introduction by Kenneth Grant are also reprinted. This edition reprints all the sigils and half-tone illustrations from a particularly fresh and well printed copy of the first edition. Illustrated endpapers and divider pages are overprinted with designs by Spare in silk varnish. The pages are in silk and uncoated paper-stocks.

Spare’s re-worked version of one of the original illustrations is featured, alongside Mr Staley’s eulogy to Kenneth Grant, which examines his relationship with The Book of Pleasure.

New Afterword

Dr William Wallace offers new research on 
the development of the Sacred Alphabet.
He also analyses the constructive geometry underpinning the many sigils found in The Book of Pleasure.

Contextual Material

Featuring an evocative introduction by Alan Moore and an illustrated magical essay by Michael Staley. This new edition also includes ‘Automatic Drawing’ (1916) co-authored with Frederick Carter, and Carter’s review article of the same name from a little-known art journal (1914).

The Zos and the Kia, collective unconscious, Cosmic Mind – however we formulate it, this gnosis is at the heart of Spare’s work from its articulation in The Book of Pleasure, to its development throughout his subsequent work. – Michael Staley 

Spare’s book is one of pleasure. It speaks of the joy and the accomplishment that are the natural right of any soul unburdened by the world’s imprinted intellectual architectures and emotive double-binds … It is impossible to recommend this work too highly, so read on. Pleasure yourselves. – Alan Moore  

Each format includes a specially-commissioned limited edition numbered ex-libris, produced by ‘Master of the Vectors’ Ben Thompson (he was also featured in our last title Materia Oscura).