Llewellyn Publications - History of Llewellyn

In the Beginning

Llewellyn Publications began as the Portland School of Astrology in 1901 under the leadership of Llewellyn George.

An astrologer himself, Llewellyn George self-published a number of small astrological pamphlets before he published his first bestseller, The Llewellyn Moon Sign Book and Gardening Guide, in 1906.

Published continuously since that time, The Moon Sign Book, as it is affectionately known, formed the backbone of Llewellyn for some time.

In 1910 Llewellyn George published his astrology text, The A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator, which became a classic and is constantly revised and updated, firmly establishing Llewellyn Publications in the astrology community.

In 1954 Llewellyn George died, and the company was purchased by a printer who ran it as a mail-order business. For sale again in the late 1950s, Llewellyn was purchased by current owner Carl Llewellyn Weschcke. He moved the small company to his home state of Minnesota and began the hard work of building a major publishing house. For the first eight years, the books which sustained Llewellyn were The Moon Sign Book and The A to Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator. The times did not support metaphysics, and experts predicted that astrology and occult interest would be dead issues before the decade passed.

The experts were mistaken. The surge of interest in metaphysics spawned in the late 1960s provided renewed interest in Llewellyn books. This interest, and subsequent capital, allowed Llewellyn to venture into broader subject areas. Although astrology will always remain a strong suit for Llewellyn, consumer demand dictated the addition of several new lines.

Growth and Diversification

Llewellyn's growth in recent years has manifested itself in both content and format. Along with a strong astrology line, Llewellyn prints books about natural healing, witchcraft, metaphysics and a new Spanish language series. They have also developed a line of annuals which include wall and desk calendars, The Moon Sign Book, The Sun Sign Book and The Magical Almanac.

The purchase of FATE Magazine in December of 1988 marked a period of growth for Llewellyn. The magazine was digest-size up until the June 1994 issue when this monthly publication, dedicated to exploring psychic phenomena and unusual occurrences, went full size. FATE Magazine now enjoys a subscriber base of 140,000.

The advent of a new decade (1990) also marked a new beginning for Llewellyn. The introduction of two new book lines -- The World Magic series and the How To series -- demonstrated the continued interest in self-help and personal transformation. In the same year, Llewellyn changed its corporate tagline to "New Worlds of Mind & Spirit," suggesting the forthcoming diversity of topics to be published.

In 1994 Llewellyn's consumer catalog, New Worlds, began selling on newsstands, increasing its circulation to nearly 200,000. While Llewellyn Publications has long been known as the Americas' oldest publisher of New Age sciences, it is perhaps more important that it be recognized for producing tools for transformation. Self-help and spiritual growth is what Llewellyn is all about.