Goetia: Indecipherable Diagrams/versions Options

Since ritual magic and grimoires have always interested me most, and on the (inadvertent - I lurk!) recommendation of Imperial Arts, I decided to try to evoke in the manner explained in the Ars Goetia. But I'm having a hell of a time finding a good version to use!

I don't want to use Crowley's version, since it appears to be heavily mutilated; Peterson's version is apparently accurate, but many of the diagrams are impossible to make out. The only other available one I am able to find is by Mitch Henson, supposedly with extremely well-done pictures... but it only seems to be available for $250 and up.

Imperial Arts mentioned Sloane manuscript 2731, but I cannot find it (or any other of Sloane's collection, or Harley's) online or available for sale. I have inquired of the British Museum how much a copy would cost, but I am not hopeful.

Any help is greatly appreciated... thanks.

This post has been edited by Vilhjalmr: Apr 16 2009, 02:09 AM

The British Museum will let you copy any of the texts for free, although you would have to show just cause to just cause to view the documents, like being a student or researching for an article or something, as they are in their reserve section. Also you will probably have to go view the documents in person, I doubt they will send you copies, but you might be able to work something out with a friendly person.

Why not buy the peterson edition for the translation and crowley/mathers edition for the diagrams? As far as I know the diagrams themselves have just been cleaned up, other than the addition of the snake which is in some copies and absent in others. I could be wrong but I don't think there has been any additions or subtractions from the hebrew etc of the diagrams.

I emailed the British Library early last year with a veiw to getting copies of the sloanes and Harley. They were very helpful and pretty much did the work for me. They copied what I wanted and sent them to me, at a price. You can get all of them on microfilm, or faximilies on paper.

I emailed the British Library early last year with a veiw to getting copies of the sloanes and Harley. They were very helpful and pretty much did the work for me. They copied what I wanted and sent them to me, at a price. You can get all of them on microfilm, or faximilies on paper.

I didn't know they would do that. Good information to have.

Thanks to both of you. Extremely helpful information. I think I'll use both suggestions (unless the British Museum turns out to be too expensive). It can't hurt to have as many versions as possible!