Pingree edition of the Picatrix - reprint petition

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While we're on the subject of out-of-print academic texts on astrology, I'd much appreciate some support for another petition to the Warburg Institute, this time regarding David Pingree's out-of-print critical edition of the Latin edition of the Picatrix.

One ebay seller recently listed it, very optimistically, for a 'Buy It Now' price of $1250. Since it is the only copy available worldwide on the used market, one can understand why the seller is testing the market to see how much people are prepared to pay, even though in my opinion this price is totally unrealistic and the seller would count himself or herself fortunate to receive an offer over $300!

The original list price was only about ?45. If you're like me in having been too late to obtain this critical edition of the Latin version of the Picatrix, and would be willing to pay a modest sum for a reprint (the Warburg Institute does not have a history of charging exorbitant prices for its publications, fortunately), please sign below, and I'd be glad to refer the suggestion to the Warburg Institute in due course if there is sufficient proven market demand to justify the proposal.

The Warburg Institute website indicates that as of 2004 a reprint was planned for this, so it may be just a case of reigniting the desire to go through with this, although there might conceivably be obstacles resulting from David Pingree's departure from this world since that time, in which case patience will be required at the very least.

Philip

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Hi Phillip,

I attended a workshop on ancient astrology at the Warburg Institute last weekend, so I used the opportunity to question Charles Burnett about this and some other books you have mentioned recently.

The best news is that J. D. North?s ?Horoscopes and History? is in the final stages of publication, so should be available for purchase very soon ? he suggests that we keep an eye out for it appearing on Amazon within the next few months.

I also asked Charles about his translation of Abu Ma'Shar's 'Great Introduction', and the report is that this is going well, but at a steady pace. It probably won?t be available before the end of 2008 or 2009.

And with regard to Pingree?s Picatrix, a reprint is definitely going to happen, although it is not possible at this stage to know how long the process of republication will take. I mentioned some of the points in your post, and he was duly impressed with the value given to the book on ebay! His advice is ? be patient :) However, I asked if there was anything astrologers could do to get that project treated as a more urgent concern, and his reply was that if the Warburg should, say, receive a letter with a petition by 100 astrologers, they would obviously take that very seriously. I am personally happy to wait but would be willing to add my name and support to such a venture. Perhaps if you are interested in taking this further, you could gather the support by email?

Best wishes
Deb

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Dear Deb,

Thank you so much for taking the time to ask Professor Burnett about these matters at the conference and for reporting back in such detail too!

I hope the conference itself was as interesting as you had hoped too.

All your news was good news. I'm sure that the reprint of 'Horoscopes and History' will sell steadily but well. I have to thank Tom among others for putting his weight behind this particular campaign last year! And I'm sure that a good number of Skyscript members will be among those who seek to reap the fruit through purchasing a truly affordable copy of this classic piece of historical research on the house systems and other related topics, which has after all been completely unobtainable on the used market at any price for all but about 24 hours of the past year and a bit....

With regard to the reprint of the critical edition of the Picatrix, personally I'm happy to accept Professor Burnett's advice to wait in view of the fact that a reprint is definitely in the Warburg Institute's plans. The fact that it is in the pipeline is enough for me. I wouldn't wish to trouble the Warburg people further to push it ahead in the running order of their publications, since I'm sure they have plenty of other worthy projects on the go too. To gather 100 signatures would be theoretically possible, especially if someone who specialises in teaching this kind of text like Christopher Warnock were interested in stepping in on behalf of his students and customers... but for me personally the timing is not the crucial issue so much as the decision to reprint per se and eventual availability of the text.

If there was one suggestion I might want to make to the Warburg Institute regarding the eventual reprint, however, it would be to make the microfiches of apparatus criticus that were provided in the original volume available alternatively as a separately bound second or larger single volume of printed text. This is because for some of us not presently attached to university institutions the process of taking microfiches along to libraries that have readers accessible to the general public for viewing is quite inconvenient, and I believe that, just as the late Richard Lemay's 1995 critical edition of Abu Ma'Shar's 'Great Introduction' in Arabic and Latin provided all the critical apparatus in optional printed volumes, so the late David Pingree's earlier critical edition of the Picatrix could beneficially have its critical apparatus provided in a separate printed volume as an alternative to the microfiche format. But this is ultimately a relatively minor point that could always be emailed as a suggestion to the Institute's Publications division for its consideration.

Finally, I'm glad that Professor Burnett is still putting in time between his presumed lecturing and other research and writing projects for his translation of Abu Ma'Shar's Great Introduction. As I've said to you I think privately before, this publication together with the eventual complete publication of Bonatti by Ben Dykes will open up two of the most influential and classic medieval and early medieval astrological source texts to a whole lot more astrologers than have been able to access them hitherto, and that can only be good for astrology....

Best wishes,

Philip

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another suggestion would be to put it on CD rom as most of us do have computers these days. though, yes I'd prefer the printed copy, it is easier and cheaper to mail books on CD around the world.

I'd also be happy to put my name on a list if you are still considering sending along a letter to these people,

just a thought opr two and thanks for all the hard work, Granny.

PS re the $1250 copy of the Warburg Picatrix edition

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The vendor of the $1250-priced copy of the Warburg Institute edition of the Picatrix was unable to realise a sale at that price and relisted it several times at progressively lower prices on a 'Buy It Now' basis: $750, $599, $499, $399, $299, and finally, after no success at any of the previous prices, $199, at which point I felt it would probably hold its value at that price as a scarce first edition in fine condition and hit the 'Buy' button.... Which will count me out of the market for the eventual reprint, but I'm sure the reprint will still be a success. I look forward to commenting on the Warburg edition's contents in due course, though I'm certainly no expert in this area.