The Book of Formation or Sepher Yetzirah

Publication: London, William Rider & Son, Limited, 1923 Formatting: 8vo, pp. N/A. Condition Report: Very Good. The original maroon cloth boards remain wonderfully bright and vibrant, completely avoiding the heavy sun-fading often found on esoterica from this era. The gilt tooling and lettering to the front board are sharp, unoxidised, and highly legible. The binding is square, tight, and sound, showing only the lightest bumping to the extreme corners and minor rubbing at the head and tail of the spine. Internally, the pages present nicely; there is some characteristic light toning and minor foxing confined predominantly to the preliminary leaves and endpapers, but the primary text block remains clean and supple. Overall, a robust, handsome copy of an increasingly fragile production. Catalogue Note: This 1923 First Edition represents a significant milestone in modern Western occultism and Kabbalistic study. Translated from the Hebrew by Knut Stenring, this edition is significantly bolstered by an extensive introduction from Arthur Edward Waite, a prominent figure in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the co-creator of the iconic Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Waite's involvement makes this specific William Rider & Son imprint particularly sought after by collectors of Golden Dawn-adjacent literature and early 20th-century esoteric history. True first printings of Stenring's translation in the original publisher's cloth are scarce on the open market, particularly those that have retained the vibrancy of the maroon boards without suffering heavy shelf-wear or sun-bleaching. Considered one of the foundational texts of Kabbalistic philosophy, the Sepher Yetzirah (The Book of Formation) is an ancient, mystical treatise detailing the origins of the universe and the foundational power of the Hebrew alphabet. Long attributed to the patriarch Abraham or Rabbi Akiba, its dense, cryptic verses lay the groundwork for the esoteric correspondences between letters, numbers, and the cosmos. Knut Stenring's translation remains celebrated for its scholarly rigour and is further illuminated by A. E. Waite’s profound contextual insights, offering a vital gateway into the esoteric traditions of the West.…