For over 200 years, France was inundated with small cheaply produced books, bound with blue covers, filled with some of the most amazing things. These were the Bibliothèque bleue. Lots of these books would be about food, or fairy-tales, or astrology. Yet the most notorious of the Bibliothèque bleue, were the books on Magic, charms and spells. These are called Blue Grimoires today. Helping us get our fingers inky with why these small chapbooks were so important to magic, is author and magician Aaman Lamba.
Aaman Lamba is a researcher, occultist and student of magic, astrology and philosophy, as well as a computer science professional. He has published the definitive edition of The Complete Illustrated Grand Grimoire as well as the just released translation of Wellcome MS 983 – The Magical Art. Aaman can be found on Twitter and on Facebook. Click below to head to Aaman’s author page!
The Magical Art is a fantastically produced Grimoire. Aaman has done exceptional work and Hadean Press has produced yet another smashing tome. Be sure to grab a copy (Hardcover or Paperback) if Grimoires are your passion; this one cannot be missed!
SHOW NOTES AND BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
- Grimoires: A History of Magic Books by Owen Davies – This is an exceptional book and MUST be read. If this Books of Magic series has a textbook, this is it!
- The ARTFL Project – Bibliothèque bleue – Have a look at some BB. This site is not the easiest to navigate but click around a bit
- Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, and Sacrilege in Louis XIV’s France by Lynn Wood Mollenauer – An awesome book about The Affair of the Poisons
- Esoteric Archives – Joseph H. Peterson’s ESSENTIAL website. Some Blue Grimoires are listed under “Black Magic”
- The Comte De Gabalis
- Huon of Bordeaux
- The Grand Grimoire – Have a look at some scans of this notorious Grimoire
- The Complete Illustrated Grand Grimoire, Or The Red Dragon: Interlinear Edition, French to English by Aaman Lamba
- Le Petit Grimoire ou L’art Sublime du Grand Agrippa
- Grimoire du Pape Honorius – Nope, it’s actually the Grand Grimoire
- The Red Dragon
- Le Véritable Dragon Rouge
- Grimoire du pape Honorius
- The Complete Grimoire of Pope Honorius by David Rankine – Great translation of 3 versions of this Grimoire
- La véritable magie noire or True Black Magic – Scan
- True Black Magic (La véritable magie noire) by Joseph H. Peterson
- The Enchiridion of Pope Leo III – Scan
- The Enchiridion of Pope Leo III – An okay translation
- Crossed Keys – Two Blue Grimoires in one book – The Black Dragon and the Enchiridion of Pope Leo III by Michael Cecchetelli
- La Magie naturelle: Grimoires
- Le Petit Albert – Scan
- Le Veritable Petit – Albert ou Secret pour aquérir un Trésor – Don’t be fooled, this french book printed in Quebec is a diatribe against Blue Grimoires and their influence in the province. Sold a tonne because people thought they were actually buying the Petit Albert
- The Black Pullet – A translation but I believe the figures are all in the wrong places
- Black Letter Press has some beautiful Blue Grimores for sale
- Jake Stratton-Kent’s ENCYCLOPÆDIA GOETICA is a Must-Read Trilogy – The True Grimoire • Geosophia • The Testament of Cyprian the Mage
- American Tract Society
- Poor Richard’s Almanack
- The Pilgrim’s Progress
- Marie Laveau
- The Kybalion and the Importance of Religious Novelty by Mitch Horowitz – A very good read
- Simon’s Necronomicon – Buy a copy here
Hadean Press’ GUIDES TO THE UNDERWORLD are the modern Bibliothèque bleue. I love these little books. Be sure to have a look and grab some for yourself. Most of them can be downloaded as eBooks. GREAT STUFF!
What Magic is This? 