The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet is an outstanding example of a seventeenth century London Cunning-man's book of practice. Cunning-folk were practitioners of magic and herbal medicine who dealt with problems in their local communities. Cunning-man Arthur Gauntlet was based in Gray's Inn Lane in London, and his personal working book contains a fascinating diverse mixture of herbal remedies, prayers, magical and biblical charms, with previously unseen angelic conjurations and magic circles, in an eclectic blend of practical magic for health, wealth, love and protection.
This unique manuscript demonstrates both the diverse and spiritual nature of such Cunning-folk's books of practice, as well as their magical emphasis on Biblical scripture, particularly the Psalms, and their opposition to witchcraft, found in charms and conjurations. Arthur Gauntlet worked with a female skryer called Sarah Skelhorn, and drew on numerous preceding sources for his craft, including the Arbatel, the Heptameron, Folger Vb.26, The Discoverie of Witchcraft, the Book of Gold, the writings of the German magus Cornelius Agrippa, the astrologer William Bacon and Queen Elizabeth I's court astrologer Dr. John Dee, as well as other London Cunning-folk.
In his introduction, the author provides fresh insights into the hidden world of seventeenth century magical London, exploring the web of connections between astrologers, cunning-folk and magicians, playwrights, authors and church figures. These connections are also highlighted by the provenance of the manuscript, which is traced from Arthur Gauntlet through the hands of such notable angel magicians as Elias Ashmole (founder of the world's first public museum, the Ashmolean in Oxford), Baron Somers (the Lord Chancellor), Sir Joseph Jekyll (Master of the Rolls) and Sir Hans Sloane (founder of the British Museum), as well as the astrologer John Humphreys and the cunning-woman Ann Savadge.
This is a unique work which draws attention to the often neglected place of women in seventeenth century magic, both as practitioners (such as skryers and Cunning-women), and customers. It also emphasises the vital and influential role played by Cunning-Men and Women in synthesising and transmitting the magical traditions of medieval Britain into the subsequent centuries, as well as their willingness to conjure a wide range of spiritual creatures to achieve results for their clients, including angels, demons, fairies, and the dead.
Rankine, David: - "David Rankine is an author, magician, esoteric researcher and scholar whose work explores the development of the Western magical traditions through the ages. He has been writing and contributing articles to a variety of publications on the subjects close to his heart since the early 1980s. These include Heka (Egyptian magic), the Qabalah, Medieval and Renaissance magic (particularly the grimoires), modern ceremonial magic, mythology and folklore. Since 2003 he has been working with Stephen Skinner, co-writing and producing the highly acclaimed Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic series. These books make available previously unpublished manuscripts and Grimoires of great significance to the development of modern magic, and have opened the field of study regarding the development of magick in the last thousand years. David actively promotes the propagation of rare texts and source documents, and is a member of both Societas Magica and ESSWE (European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism). David has contributed numerous articles to esoteric publications such as The Watkins Review, Skoob Occult Review, Nuit-Isis, Celtic Dawn, Chaos International, Witchcraft & Wicca, Pagan Dawn, Talking Stick. During the period 2002-04 he contributed around 300 articles to the D'Agostini international part-work Enhancing Your Mind Body Spirit. His contributions to this very successful worldwide publication included articles and entire sections on Crystals, Healing, Chakras, Qabalah, Shamanism, Ancient Egyptian Magick, Alchemy and Angels. Since the early 1980s David has facilitated hundreds of workshops, lectures, and presentations throughout the UK and Europe, concentrating on the subjects he is passionate about - including the Grimoire Tradition, Qabalah, Angelic Magic, Egyptian and Celtic Mythology and spirituality. David has appeared on many television and radio programs over the years. His work and interviews with him have featured in numerous publications including The Guardian, The Sunday Times, TIME OUT, Alternative London and many others. More recently he was interviewed for That's Weird on Glastonbury Radio about the Qabalah (1 hour program, syndicated worldwide) and BBC Radio London on the Tarot and Dr Rudd's Goetia. He has also featured on television programs on Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, BBC and Sky. David was raised in Singapore and Wales, two countries steeped in very different mythical and magical traditions."
