Christmas paperbacks: EU/UK Priority 16 Nov, US 24 Nov E-books and bundles −20% to 30 Nov.E-books −20% to 30 Nov Browse books 

BlusaBooks
In Latvian

Illustrated editions · Instant PDF or paperback

Forbidden and ancient books, translated and explained.

Copernicus and Galileo, the first papal Index of banned books, Agrippa’s occult philosophy, the Devil’s Bible and many more. Each edition gives the text in modern translation, with plain-English notes and illustrations. Start with a free sample.

Browse the shop See bundles
On the Revolutions of the Heavenly SpheresCopernicus · 1543Codex Gigas: Secrets of the Devil’s BibleCodex Gigas · c. 1230Magic and the Four ElementsAgrippa · 1533
  • Free sampleFirst pages of every book
  • Instant PDFLinks appear right after payment
  • Paperback tooMany titles, printed on demand
  • Secure checkoutStripe · card, Apple Pay

Slide through the whole library

All 107 illustrated books

Find your shelf

Grimoires, dreams, alchemy and forbidden books, by topic

All topics

Grimoires & Spell Books

Old books of conjurations, planetary magic and spirits: the Necromancer’s Handbook, Steganographia, Picatrix and the Key of the Psalms.

Open the shelf
The Necromancer’s Handbook: Conjurations, Circles and SpellsSteganographia: The Book of Spirits and Secret MessagesPicatrix Book I: What Is MagicPicatrix Book II: Planets, Stars and Stones

Dreams, Oracles & Fortune

What dreams foretell and how to ask the oracle: Byzantine dream books, Napoleon’s Book of Fate and the Moon mansions calendar.

Open the shelf
The Power of Stones and the Meaning of DreamsThe Dream Book of the Byzantine Emperors I: Body, Love and DeathThe Dream Book of the Byzantine Emperors II: Heavens, Power and WealthThe Dream Book of the Byzantine Emperors III: Jewels, Beasts and Birds

Alchemy & Secret Recipes

Magic plants, gold, elixirs and beauty secrets from old recipe books.

Open the shelf
The Alchemists' Secret Herbal: Magic Plants, Recipes and the Secrets of GoldThe Secrets of a Venetian Lady: Beauty, Gold and Elixirs

Forbidden & Banned Books

Books the Church feared or banned: the Devil’s Bible, the first Index, Galileo, Copernicus, Bruno and the Prophecies of the Popes.

Open the shelf
The Voynich Manuscript: The World's Most Mysterious BookCodex Gigas: Secrets of the Devil’s BibleThe Index of Forbidden Books: The First Papal IndexDialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican

Agrippa: Occult Philosophy

Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533) in short illustrated notebooks, with plain-English notes.

Open the shelf
Magic and the Four ElementsOccult Virtues, Sympathies and AntipathiesThe World of the PlanetsTalismans, Fumigations and Rings

Audiobooks

Old texts read aloud: one M4B file with chapters, or MP3 files for any player.

Open the shelf
The Secrets of a Venetian Lady: Beauty, Gold and ElixirsPicatrix Book IV: Fumigations, Oils and Chaldean SecretsPicatrix Book III: Planetary Spirits and PrayersPicatrix Book II: Planets, Stars and Stones

The Forbidden Books series

Books once banned or feared.

The Church placed Galileo’s Dialogue and Copernicus’s On the Revolutions on its Index of banned books. The first papal Index, in 1559, forbade the works of many authors and printers. Around the Devil’s Bible grew a legend of a pact with the devil. Read each one with notes and judge for yourself.

Read the forbidden books
The Necromancer’s Handbook: Conjurations, Circles and SpellsThe Necromancer’s Handbook: Conjurations, Circles and Spells€7.99€9.99Prophecies of the Popes: The Vaticinia of Abbot Joachim and the Prophecy of St MalachyProphecies of the Popes: The Vaticinia of Abbot Joachim and the Prophecy of St Malachy€6.79€8.49Steganographia: The Book of Spirits and Secret MessagesSteganographia: The Book of Spirits and Secret Messages€6.79€8.49Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and CopernicanDialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican€10.39€12.99

Bestsellers

Most bought lately

All 107 books

Bundles

Complete sets at a lower price

All bundles

3 e-books · save 19%

Forbidden Magic — Set of 3 Books

The Necromancer’s Handbook · Steganographia · Codex Gigas · spells, spirits and the Devil’s Bible

€18.39€22.99−20%
Sale ends 30 Nov

5 e-books · save 41%

Voyages to the Moon — Set of 5 Books

Lucian 2nd c. · Kepler 1634 · Wilkins 1638 · Godwin 1638 · Cyrano 1659 · the Moon in ancient and early modern imagination

€19.99€24.99−20%
Sale ends 30 Nov

Look inside

See the original pages before you buy

Copernicus, 1543: original pages
Copernicus, 1543The title page, the Sun at the centre and the table of chords, from On the Revolutions.
The first papal Index, 1559: original pages
The first papal Index, 1559The title page, the letter A and the printers on the banned list, in The Index of Forbidden Books.
The Devil’s Bible: original pages
The Devil’s BiblePages of the Codex Gigas, with notes, in Secrets of the Devil’s Bible.

From the books

A few lines to begin with

“The abbot replied with a letter praising the work and giving one piece of advice: "Give milk to calves, and wine only to those who are strong."”

from Foreword in Magic and the Four Elements

1 / 12

Reviews

What readers say

Reviews appear only from verified buyers. The first ones are still to come.

Our Etsy shop

How it works

Three steps. No account needed.

  1. 1Read a free sampleThe first pages of every book, as a PDF.
  2. 2Pay securelyStripe checkout with card, Apple Pay and more.
  3. 3Download at onceLinks appear after payment and arrive by e-mail. Paperback is optional.
Nathaniel Ashford, the publisher behind BlusaBooks, smiling in a library reading room
Nathaniel Ashford, BlusaBooks

The publisher

Who makes these books

I find old manuscripts and books in library digital collections, from the Vatican to Munich and Stockholm, and I check every translation against the original myself.

Read the story

Good to know

Questions about our forbidden and ancient books

What do I get when I buy an e-book?

A PDF that you can download straight after payment. The links also arrive by e-mail. It reads well on a phone, a tablet or a computer.

Can I try a book before I buy it?

Yes. Every book has a free sample of its first pages. You do not need to sign up.

Are these the original texts?

Each edition is built around the historical text in modern translation, with plain-English explanations, terms and notes. The “What’s inside” list on every book page shows exactly what you get.

Can I get the books on paper?

Many titles are also available as paperbacks, printed on demand and shipped from a print partner near you. Choose Paperback on the book page to see the price and delivery.

Is this medical or occult advice?

No. These are historical texts. The health books explain what traditions teach and what science says. They are not medical advice.

Which of these books were actually banned?

Copernicus’s On the Revolutions and Galileo’s Dialogue were placed on the Church’s Index of banned books, and the Index of 1559 is itself a list of forbidden works. The Codex Gigas was not banned. The pact with the devil is only a legend about how it was made.

What is the Codex Gigas, the Devil’s Bible?

A huge medieval manuscript made in Bohemia in the early 1200s. It is called the Devil’s Bible because of a full-page picture of the devil. Our edition gives selections with notes in modern English.

Where should I start with Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy?

Start with Book I, which deals with the natural world, in its short notebooks, and read the free sample first. Each notebook is a separate PDF, and the complete books are also sold as bundles.

New to old texts? Start with Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy in short notebooks, or explore the forbidden books and voyages to the Moon.

May we count your visit (Google Analytics)? No ads. Privacy