Mata the Magician: a Romance of the New Era

New York: Occult Book Concern, 1901. Third Edition. Cloth. Very Good. Tight, bright, and unmarred. Some wear to extremities and covers, small split on rear spine. Slightly foxed endpapers, and a few pages due to newsprint insert, few rough pages, untrimmed edges, otherwise a very good copy. Bound in green publisher's cloth with gilt lettering and decorative elements. 23 cm. 183 pp. + advertisements.

Occult novel set in upstate New York in the 1830s "of a woman, Mata Bennet, with healing and other supernatural powers." - Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 121. Isabella and Richard Ingalese (born 1862 and 1854) lived originally in New York City before 1910. Isabella was occupied full time as a psychic, healer and teacher, and her husband was a lawyer. In addition, they were also avid students of the "New Thought." Their alchemical work producing the Red and White Philosopher's Stones is even more fascinating. Scarce in any edition. (Inventory #: 9582)