The Book of Ceremonial Magic, written by the distinguished occult scholar Arthur Edward Waite, offers readers an analytical and critical account of the major magical rituals known in the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries. With chapters on the preparation of rituals, the hierarchy of spirits and demons, and the art of conjuration, this book is a necessary component of any occultist's bookshelf.
This book was originally called The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts. It is an attempt to document various famous grimoires, explain the history behind them (refuting many of the legends surrounding them), discuss the theology contained therein (e.g. raising the question why good angels would be summoned to kill an enemy), and to synthesize many famous grimoires into one system.
