Here are the posts I propose to compose regarding Austin Spare. This first one is to introduce a few of what I consider to be his best and most accessible works.
Sections: 01 Some Highlights from Austin Spare’s Works
02 What Was Austin Spare trying to Do with his Art?
03 Austin Spare and Aleister Crowley
03B Book Reviews: Works on Austin Osman Spare
The circa 1909 tarot deck is a recent discovery by Jonathan Allen of ‘Strange Attractor Press.’
I’m posting a few samples from that deck, and including the same cards from fellow surrealist Salvador Dali’s deck done several decades later. In my opinion, Spare’s cards, created when he was at most nineteen years of age, show a vitality, a dynamism and a brilliant exegesis of qualities unmatched in any other Tarot deck I’ve ever seen:
………
…….
……….
……..
………
………
…….
A unique feature of Spare’s deck is the so-called ‘Inquirer’ card:
composed of pictorial elements from Eliphas Levi’s ‘Transcendental Magic;’
Title given by Levi: Figure II. Sacerdotal Esotericism making the sign of Excommunication
Titled: Figure IV. The Four Great Kabbalistic Names
Figure XV. The Key of Thoth
However, he was influenced influenced primarily as an artist by Levi’s TM; I see zero affinity with Levi’s magical ethos or ceremonial magic.
Best Free downloadable copy of ‘Transcendental Magic:’ https://wellcomecollection.org/works/npaxcba4
94 MB file
‘Lost Envoy: The Tarot Deck of Austin Osman Spare’ is a very fine book. As I write this, it is out of print, but the publisher, ‘Strange Attractor’ recently crowd-funded its re-issue as a paperback and a deck of the cards, and hopefully those will be published in 2024. You can re-order the book here:
01.2 ‘Theurgy’ aka ‘Theuray’ (c. 1929)
………
In his essay ‘Zoz – Kia,’ Gavin Semple discusses the words running down the side of ‘Theurgy on pages 35 – 39 : https://archive.org/details/gavin-semple-zos-kia
…and their significance as a process.
William Wallace also discusses the drawing in his article on page 77 of ‘Austin O. Spare: Cockney Visionary’ as well as in his insightful short essay titled ‘The Geometry of Theurgy’ in the ‘Deluxe’ edition of ‘Cockney Visionary.’
Wallace points out in both of his ‘Cockney Visionary’ articles that the work was actually titled ‘Theuray.’ Aside from mentioning the fact, Wallace has not discussed its significance and neither has anyone else that I’m aware of. Semple calls it ‘Theurgy’ and carries on with comments on the meaning of ‘theurgy.’ The assumption appears to be that this was just another instance of Spare’s reputedly eccentric spellings for words. However, in a letter dated April 11, 1955, in a letter to his friend and patron Frank Letchford, Spare asks him not to change spellings in a manuscript Letchford was typing up for Spare:
“P.S. Please don’t alter ‘queer words’ not given in dictionary. “Shiites’ is a correct work [sic] – nothing to do with excreta!” [Source: 12 LETTERS: Austin Spare to Frank Letchford, purchased from JD Holmes https://www.jdholmes.com/ ]
Wallace’s comments regarding the geometry underlying ‘Theurgy’ are fascinating and insightful. However, in both of his essays, he asserts that the collage at the bottom of the picture, which shows the word ‘Refraction,’ ends with a ‘D’ and he goes on to read a great deal into this, interpreting it as a symbol for the earth. However, the collage clearly does not in fact end with a ‘D;’ there is a half of another letter. Moreover, nobody appears to have noticed that there is in fact an actual rune just below the woman’s head, and it is the ‘D’ rune, which, even in his day, Spare could readily have learned stood for ‘Daybreak, the Lord’s messenger,’ in the Anglo-Saxon rune poem. The significance of that rune may be readily extrapolated to mean a spiritual wakening; and it’s not hard to see that quality in ‘Theurgy.’
See also (772) in ‘Logomachy,’ in 01.4
01.3 Selections from Spare’s writing ‘Fragmentum:’
Art could be defined as the coherence and alignment of asymmetrics and differentiations giving form, balanced by an axis, of which the seer becomes part. Art is the great Allegory that conveys our ideas of creation, whether subjective or otherwise – the virtue is in our manner of approach and ability to exploit and portray them.
Preparation for prayer: We can only pray of ourselves to our Self. What self we reach depends on sincerity and ability to pray. Be certain that the revelation disclosed is such as what you are fit to receive. First purge your mind of all worry, the mind must be placid as vaccaries. Solitude is essential. Let the desire be vital, give reality to your sincerity by an act of sacrifice. There is no forgiveness – how can you rectify your weaknesses if you forget them? Make a sigil of your wish so that your consciousness may be free.
Believe, O my soul, in magic, ghosts, miracles, charms, omens, prophecy and revelation so that my convertibility becomes me to enter the house of mystery.
I am my Iconoclast: reproach, curse and lash thy Gods as well as beg from them, but leave thy brother’s God alone, he may be leaving it.
He who puts off mediocrity makes the first step towards his soul.
Sacrifice is the first word of love.
The evil in us is ever intolerant of the good within others.
Not the object but the extent of our effort is of the greater importance.
…….
01.4 Selections from Spare’s writing ‘Logomachy:’
(36) Things more excellent than themselves are expressed through Art when our selves are expressed in them.
(60) Passion has no longevity whatever its object, and has direful awakening.
(118) Look into your past to forecast your future.
(121) The mystery of beauty, the undivulged of things, gives them their enchantment – not their known meanings.
(172) The common stench – self-righteousness.
(189) We cannot guess our purpose, and never surpass it, but it is imperative that we believe in one for it confers ability.
(195) Whoever exploits the less probable as possible is a fine artist.
(388) We do not live eternally yet seek knowledge of eternity.
(404) Memories are the ghosts of experience seeking to revive, to re-birth in us.
(420) We are a great company; none walks alone, but with a formidable host of familiars, however we may clothe, shut out, or prohibit them. There is a veritable funeral procession of dead selves and loves always in attendance.
(652) A genius is not a person who has more or finer ideas than another, but one who is able not only to visualize but to incarnate them.
(772) The shifting meaning of our intertwisted nomenclature, inexact references and ambiguities, have the virtue of spatial span and are evocative by selective expressionism having an emotional quality which gives aesthetic validity, whereas more formal expression would convey far less.
(825) Man ever aberrates – even his normalities! – mainly to compensate for his deficiencies, and often founds a shadow-world that accepts and reflects the assured survival of his weaknesses.
………..
Additionally, this is my personal favorite of Spare’s pre-war paintings (1939); it is untitled:
…….
Fakirs Canada 
Pingback: The ‘Sorcery’ of Austin Osman Spare, with a focus on ‘Theurgy’ | Fakirs Canada
Do you know if there is a copy of ‘The Geometry of Theurgy’ essay anywhere online? Do you have a scan? I’d prefer not to pay Jerusalem Press £160 (plus p&p)
Nope, not that I’m aware of.