Aperi Circulus Draco
by Peter Hamilton-Giles
(Volume 8 of the Book of the Black Dragon Series)
Aperi Circulus Draco is a vital part of the Black Dragon’s initiatory process. Through the Black Dragon texts much time has been spent discussing and understanding the Proklosis Ring, the circle which is forever open. Aperi Circulus Draco contains essential meditative and procedural tenets that shall help the initiate to engage with the retinue of spirits for each point around the circle. As a familiar, the book acts as a companion for initiates who have begun to traverse the Proklosis Ring, as such the spirit of this text should be entreated as a familiar.
While Vestigia Ater Draconis across various versions was aligned to each totem of the sinistral horn, Aperi Circulus Draco intentionally binds initiates to the Proklosis Ring by heating each point by having them recite, imbibe and then contemplate this enchiridion. Embedding their flesh across cardinal and sub-cardinal points should eventually allow them to flense their impression of presence in such a way that they become absence and therefore open. Indeed, this is the point, to circumnavigate the Proklosis Ring, without and within the confines of what non-exists. As a result, Aperi Circulus Draco should be approached as both the liberator of form and the facilitator for their eventual initiation.
Presented in the style of an illuminated text, Aperi Circuclus Draco is a full colour printed text with magnificent artwork and artistic composition by Carolyn Hamilton-Giles. Undoubtedly, this is the most ambitious and collaborative book that Atramentous Press has produced so far in this series, and it is one that we are incredibly proud to offer.
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Illustrated by Carolyn Hamilton-Giles.
Standard Edition - signed by the author, limited to 300 copies
Black cloth-bound with gold foil embossing to front cover and spine. Printed on Munken rough paper. Black endpapers, red & black head and tail bands.
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About the Black Dragon Series - by the author
The Black Dragon along with its telluric emphasis came about in the early 1990s. Having been a long-term friend of Andrew Chumbley, with a mutual interest in matters of the occult, we had been following our own path. However, we had some common ground for what some might consider as the usual suspects, Crowley, Spare, Grant et.al. while at the same time we both had an interest in African diasporic spiritual beliefs, and with that there came a particular fascination with what would become known as the Ophidian Current.
It came about that one fine summer’s day when sitting by a stream close to Andrew’s grandmother’s house that I proposed the formation of the Dragon’s Column. This would be a small working group exploring in greater detail aspects encapsulated by Ophidian mysteries. And so it was that the Dragon’s Column was formed, and the rest, as they say is history, because most of you will own or know of The Dragon Book of Essex that Andrew wrote, which is a redacted and amended version of those raw more powerful early days in which we worked.
Over the years this intentional redaction continued to bother me. Further pressure was placed upon me to respond when others began to rewrite the history of the Dragon’s Column and Andrew’s involvement in it. Some may conclude the Black Dragon series is consequently borne from wanting to fulfil a vendetta, yet in reply I would say I am reanimating the sorcerous enterprise Andrew and I first conceived by that stream on that lazy summer’s day some 30 years ago.
As time passed, this idea to commence work on a reinvigorated Dragon’s Column, as originally conceived, came to fruition. And it did so by showing time presents a gestative period into which fascinations can be poured. Indeed, it is from this knowing that the Black Dragon books have conspired to build from the roots up a vision of sorcerous practice.
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About the Author
Peter Hamilton-Giles is an author and researcher of the esoteric, academically trained in anthropology and religious studies his primary interest is in occult philosophy. He is co-founder of the Dragons’ Column along with Andrew Chumbley. His first book was The Afflicted Mirror published by Three Hands Press in 2013, this was followed by The Baron Citadel also published by Three Hands Press in 2015, since then he has written many books for Atramentous Press, his first was The Witching-Other published in 2017 which was followed by Standing at the Crossroads in 2018. He is currently working on the long anticipated follow up to the Dragon Book of Essex (A. D. Chumbley, 2014), the Book of the Black Dragon Series. His primary interests are in Phenomenology and Hermeneutics and how these apply to an occult context.
About the Artist
Carolyn Hamilton-Giles is a self-taught artist and has had her work featured in a number of Three Hands Press titles, these include the journal Clavis, The Baron Citadel, Witch-Ikon, The Witching-Other, as well as being included in a THP art exhibition in Los Angeles in 2011. Using techniques such as automatic drawing and trance induced separation, Carolyn has created a unique form of art that has included creating covers for Atramentous Press books.
