Los Angeles: The Golden Dawn Press, 1933-1948.
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Softcover. Mostly first editions (five state a later edition, 1947-48). 21 volumes. Small quartos. Averaging 25pp. each, about 525pp. total, 10 monographs with an ad for the other volumes bound in the rear. Occasionally illustrated. Side-stapled printed wrappers, with leaves mimeographed and paginated rectos only. Overall very good and sound with some creasing and edgewear to the wrappers, occasional small light staining; four monographs with the wrappers sunned and three with short splits at the spine base.
A large portion of this author's 28-Monograph guide to success in the spiritual and physical realms, with instructions on how to survive the possibly impending World War III. Despite the name of the press, this series does not appear to be affiliated with the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn proper. Given the similarity of the production styles, we question the specific dates given (especially the ones in the 1930s) but circa 1940s seems to be likely.
Certainly entertaining but a bit hard to follow, the series is loosely based around the five cosmic fires: Yellow (spiritual), Blue (mental), Red (physical), Orange (social), and Green (financial), with scattered occult references to the pyramids, "youthification," etc. No. 12 (p.22) seeks to show that the Great Pyramid of Gizeh is not only a time-table of world events, but also a "chart of the Path that the human soul takes from the Bottomless Pit--mass-mindedness--to the King's Chamber--INDIVIDUALITY." Other quotes to give an idea: "There are such things as Spells. A Spell is usually something very unpleasant in one's Mental World" (No. 12, p.2). "Start at once and consume everything in your life that is mean and negative by the Radiant Blue Fire, and your future will be far brighter than you can at this time imagine" (No. 5, p.19). "The Doctor," a recurring wisdom figure, extols the virtues of drinking rusty water (No. 14, p.24). Chart from the floor of the Great Pyramid of Gizeh to illustrate the fact that World War III may begin on August 20, 1953 (No. 28, p.4). Our favorite line from this section: "'The Cubit of Mystery' continues for 25 Pyramid-Inch Months, which continues to approximately June 7, 1951." An interesting mashup of occult mystery, self-help, and psychology, with a dash of Christian theology in the final volumes. A list of titles follows:
*Supercharged Minds* (No 1.); *The Garden of Allah*, (No. 2); *Supercharged Life* (No. 3); *Special Privileges* (No. 4); *Escape Into Life* (No. 5); *Strange Forces That Heal* (No. 6); *The Secret Science of Life* (No. 7); *Invisible Dictator* (No. 8); *The White Forces Revealed* (No. 9); *This is the Life* (No. 10); *Other Self* (No. 11); *Re-Creation* (No. 12); *The Spell Master* (No. 14); *Fire of Life* (No. 15); *More Fire to You* (No. 16); *The Fast Master* (No. 18); The Secret School of the Masters* (No. 20); *Five-Fold Finance* (No. 23); *All of Creation* (No. 24); *Astral Light and Power* (No. 25); and *This Final War* (No. 28).
Item #466550
