Spare's detailing of his magical system is obstuse and difficult to slog through, like an unedited grimoire. You may want to refer to some of his interpreters, and there are many excellent books on his methods of sigil casting and other forms of magic. Of course, they don't have his illustrations. At the risk of sounding shallow, I had a digital copy of this work but it was just text. I bought this copy to have the pictures. Each picture that accompanies the text is a spell in and of itself. Worth it for scholars, but maybe not a great choice for beggining students. ( )