Seeking Recommendation Best author and edition of Greater Key Of Solomon, Testament of Solomon and Picatrix

[LouiseVuitton]

Same as above

 

[Decabeh]

For Key of Solomon there is no single version that I would call complete, but if I had to pick one:
Key of Solomon the King by Samuel Mathers with foreword by Joseph Peterson - redrawn graphics and explanation of the pentacles
Testament of Solomon - I use translation by D. C. Duling from Old Testament Pseudographia vol 1
Picatrix Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic by Dan Attrell and David Porreca

 

[stellarjourneyman]

There is no definitive Picatrix. Greer/Warnock is a little better than Attrell, imo but it's good to consult both. A translation of the Arabic Picatrix is on the horizon too.

 

[Adelina]

I will also add on topic of Picatrix. There are quite different versions of that, even Greer/Warnock published two different versions of it: Black and Red. Be sure to compare between them. Also, if you don't know Arabic, there is Deutsch version availble, edited by G. Bing. That edition might have more faithful transliteration of various Words of Power, so keep that in mind and compare between the 3 (2 Greer's versions and 1 Bing's edition).

There are too many versions of Key of Solomon around. I'd advice to look into "True Black Magic" (it is actually the Key of Solomon, also edited and translated by Peterson) as it seems to be less corrupted than others. Mathers altered a lot of things in the Key, and omitted a lot of things. He changed all the letterings on the Pentacles to the Hebrew and I don't doubt that he made a lot of mistakes with that along the way.

 

[Decabeh]

I'd advice to look into "True Black Magic"

True Black Magic is interesting but it's very corrupted and completly missing spirit conjurations. Veritable Key of Solomon by Skinner and Rankine is a good replacement for Mathers, it has three texts - Rabbi Solomon (about pentacles, different set), Key of Solomon (Colorno) and Universal Treaty (incomplete copy of Secrets of Solomon). It retains Mathers's additions to KoS but is missing the pentacles.

For other interesting versions of KoS see Esoteric Archives:

• Key of Knowledge 16c english version (no pentacles, christian conjurations)
• Zecorbeni 17c latin (reorganised into four books)

 

[neilwilkes]

The Mathers version really isn't all that good - I have 2 cersions of this, and neither is even on a par with the excellent Joseph Peterson edition 'The Lesser Key Of Solomon (aka Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis) coupled with Dr Skinner's 'The Veritable Key Of Solomon', both volumes superior to the poor Mathers/Crowley edition in oh, so many ways.
Forget Waite too. Dr Skinner's work is truly outstanding

 

[St. Stephen]

The Clavis or Key to the Magic of Solomon - taken from the estate of Ebezener Sibley and transcribed by Peterson. He does an excellent photo copy of the whole grimoire which includes beautiful renditions of the pentacles/talismans. Not sure if it's in the library here, but in my opinion the hardcover version is fantastic and a great physical book for your library at home.

 

[neilwilkes]

Is that the same as this one:

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I ask as the Peterson one is 50% more expensive.....

 

[St. Stephen]

Is that the same as this one:

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I ask as the Peterson one is 50% more expensive.....

From what I can tell they are very similar but two different manuscripts.

 

[neilwilkes]

but still both from Sibley's collection?

 

[St. Stephen]

but still both from Sibley's collection?

Correct

 

[neilwilkes]

Correct

Appreciated.

 

[Sabbatius]

As for the Keys, Peterson is sound.
As for the Testament, Peterson's Notation on Conybeare's work is decent.
As already stated, there is still some issues on a complete Picatrix in the works. I have Warnock's personally.
Miskatonic University Press released the last translation I know of last year but have yet to check it out. Hermetic and Astrological tomes I have stepped away from for a few years now. However, the Talismanic works within the Picatrix were profoundly interesting.