This book is indeed an extremely important one; a distillation of decades of study of the ancient Hermetic Arts. Mary Ann South Atwood wrote it, and her father, who taught her full-time from girlhood, had it published in London in 1850. He also owned a significant library of ageless wisdom texts,that he later gave to the newly developing Theosophist movement blossoming in London, New York and India.



Far more than a simple description of "hieophants", (hierophant - teacher) this detailed and stunningly erudite tome is packed with information about the transmutation of spirit into matter and vice versa. Its historical and geographical spread are phenomenal. The funny thing is, soon after they'd had it published, she and her father had extreme misgivings about allowing out such precious wisdom. That opinion combined with a "conversion" of sorts to a radical Christianity caused them to gather up all the books they'd printed. They then burned these on their lawn. Only a few remained, enough for a complete copy to be re-released. Mine is published by Julian Press of New York, in 1960.