The Magical Calendar, Facsimile of the 1895 edition by Manuel Orazi and Austin de Croze, published by Metazstasis

The Calendrier Magique, translated as the "Magical Calendar" in English, is a French publication from the late XIXth century. This calendar, of great rarity, as it was printed in only 777 copies 130 years ago, primarily deals with occultism and black magic through the lens of astrology.

For the first time since its release, it has been reissued identically, in 777 copies by French artist and designer Valnoir. Its size, the use of gilding, the paper used—everything has been done to ensure that the experience of consulting this document closely resembles the original. This new edition consists of 36 pages, printed in 5 tones, and is accompanied by an exclusive and independent booklet containing the transcription and translation into English of all the texts contained in the calendar.

The original Calendrier was commissioned to the poet Austin de Croze and the poster illustrator Manuel Orazi and published in 1895 by the Maison de l'Art Nouveau in Paris, at a time when esoteric spiritualities and dark romanticism were popular trends in the capital.

For each double-page of the calendar illustrating a month, there is a set of diagrams highlighting information related to astrology, as well as incantatory poems and full-page illustrations, all drawn and calligraphed by Manuel Orazi.

Numerous references to the worlds of black magic, occultism, but also to artists like Odilon Redon or Francisco Goya adorn the pages of the booklet.

Jean "Valnoir" Simoulin was born in 1979. He founded his Parisian studio, Metastazis, in 2004, after graduating there with degrees in graphic design and art direction. Following a short stint in the corporate world, he began developing his activities in the fields of extreme heavy metal and industrial music—scenes for which he has, ultimately, authored cover art, visual identities, and all manner of artistic support for close to 300 bands, spanning from Led Zeppelin to Laibach. In 2006 he publishes a manifesto that, with regards to a designer's artistic vision, demands total trust from the client, from beginning to end; a project should be accepted or rejected in its entirety, without compromise. His various experimentations have at times led to unorthodox practices—he is responsible, among other things, for creating inks pigmented with human blood and bones. In 2013 he starts to collaborate with the Norwegian director Morten Traavik, and engages in a number of cultural exchanges with North Korea. These culminate, in 2015, with the organization of the first rock concert in the history of the hermit state (Laibach – Liberation Day). Next to this, Valnoir is active as an author and editor in the book publishing industry, and is represented by seven publishers on three continents. He has also directed music videos for Laibach, Pertubator, Drudkh, Coil and others. In 2024, he continues to live and work in Paris, France.