The Necronomicon
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Alot of people discredit Simon's Necronomicon as being a fabrication of fiction. Now I don't believe in the "ancient" Necronomicon that is described in Lovecraft's stories, but I have heard alot of convincing testimonials from people who have actually tried using the Simon Necronomicon in magick and said that it worked very powerfully. So a while back I decided to order the Necronomicon Spellbook and see what all the fuss was about.
Not too long after I got it one of my superiors was abusing his power and treating me and the rest of my squadmates very unfairly. After exhausting every mundane effort to solve the problem, I found it a good opportunity to put the Necronomicon's magick to the test. Just a couple days after I did the simple ritual, my superior, who is usually more stubborn than a mule, suddenly out of the blue decided to turn around the way he was treating us. This was the most effective magick I've done in terms of result. I summoned a couple other spirits in the books after that, though these were aimed at my personal spiritual development so it's harder to gauge the results but they seemed successful also.
To me, just because the Necronomicon is a modern creation doesn't mean it's magick rituals can't be effective. The stories, names, images, and symbols from all the world's mythologies or more or less tools to help align the conscious mind to the spiritual forces it wishes to connect with. The mythos of the Necronomicon and Lovecraft is very powerful to the minds of some people, and thus would be an effective tool for connecting with certain spiritual and psychic powers.
That being said, the Necronomicon is based quite a bit off of ancient Sumerian religion and magick. It's also interesting to note that Peter Lavenda (Simon) was a big fan of Aleister Crowley and quite a few Thelemic elements can be found in his writings.
Anyone else have any thoughts or experiences with the Necronomicon?
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Just my opinion, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I met the publisher of Simon's book years ago and let's just say he was a 'character' who would sell you anything. I am not a fan of Lovecraft either, too creepy for me.
From what I have heard there are several versions of this book floating around, each claiming to be the real one. I'll probably get flack for this but I'd say all those books are worthless. Just my opinion. -
93,
I'm pretty sure I could (for a sufficient allowance of high-quality ethyl alcohol, I stress) come up with the Aleisternomicon. It would be a summation of the Thelemic and Qabalistic writings I have studied, some of the Therevada Buddhist stuff I used to read and ... oh, no-one reads Alan Watts any more, so we can safely steal from some of his Zen-related material. Add a few veiled references to Sufi texts and (since Lovecraft has been a bit overdone), let's say a few subtly altered quotes from Robert Anton Wilson, and voila - a new revealed text! Six weeks (plus the aforementioned hooch) should do it.
My question would be, given the proven validity of so many other texts, wouldn't they be of more use than the Necronomicon, even if it worked for you in this instance? The intention of the magician is as much (or more) of a factor than the text used.
93 93/93,
Edward
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@Edward Mason said
"My question would be, given the proven validity of so many other texts, wouldn't they be of more use than the Necronomicon, even if it worked for you in this instance? The intention of the magician is as much (or more) of a factor than the text used.
93 93/93,
Edward"
I'm not saying the Necronomicon is the only or even the most powerful text. I'm just saying that in my own life it worked really well. In fact I haven't even used it in a long time because I'm currently busy exploring other avenues of magick.
Understand that I'm stationed in a foreign country right now and have to share a room with a roommate. As much as I'd like to, I simply don't have the time and resources to do something big like a Goetia operation. I just got to make do with what I got.
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93,
Acknowledged. You asked for thoughts or experiences. I shared my thoughts, as did others. I've not experienced Necronomicon magick, because I found Qabalistic texts and practices gave me a much clearer idea of how, and why, to approach magick. The thing looked bogus, so I avoided it. If it works for you at the moment, may I suggest you also keep your mind open to move on from it to more multi-layered texts later?
Many of the basic exercises of practical magick - Liber Resh, a Middle Pillar and even the LBRP - can be performed simply while sitting with your eyes closed, calming yourself and visualizing them. It's not ideal, obviously, but I do know people who worked through grades or degrees this way, and it builds up visualization abilities. So if you don't have a whole private room available to you, that's one alternative.
93 93/93,
Edward
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I find that The necronomicon is not a Thelemic, not a Hermetic text. But it uses elements of each, and the structure of the rituals conform to traditional ceremonial magick. It is a very fine example of Chaos magick, and experements with this text are no more or less authentic than any other. So long as you conform to the experimental methods of scientific illuminism. Also seeing as the text is a new creation and not been refined or well flushed out, I would not advise working through it unless one is has well established in various practices, such as meditation, posture, breathing, visualization, and maybe some more traditional symbol systems such as the Kabbalah.
For best results i would suggest the Necronomicon be left as a part of personal experiments by those of adeptus grade or the equivolent in the A.'.A.'. and taking it as a form of Grimoire evokation. Such as The keys of Solomon, (another constructed text) only one that is themed on Sumarian and lovecraftian symbols, rather than islamic/mideavil christian demonology
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Currently without any surprise to me, I again find myself in agreement with Froclown.
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If a Magician is working in righteousness, in accordance with his Will, it matters little whether the ritual be performed extempore, or if it originates in some sub-standard, bastardized text. "Make no difference between one thing and any other."
Again, "success is your proof." An unschooled, extempore ritual performed with purity of heart is far more effective than the most elaborate of workings undertaken in falsity. When I first began practicing Magick, I would often (and still do) devise my own rituals. They weren't as eloquent or intricate as other rituals--but for some reason still powerful and effective. Why? Because they were sincere.
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Simon's Necronomicon was very much based on traditional Kabbalah as well. One could invoke Diana for the lunar aspects (Yesod) and the Necronomicon equivalent is Innana (Ishtar) the Lunar Goddess who waxes and wanes as she looses her 7 jewels in her descent into the underworld, losing one aspect of self after another untill she is killed by her sister and restored to life. This being mirrors the passing of the Tuat ritual for the Zelator, as well as the lunar phases and links the Goddess image with the number 7, with associates an aspect of Ishtar with Babalon.
The solar (tiphereth) deity in the Necronomicon is Shemshamash, which relates to YHVH and a deity of that name was worshiped by early pre-jewish pagans, and became source material for the solar(tiphereth) aspect of Jewish worship.
Then The main Deity spoken so highly of with his 50 names and many powers is Marduk, the Gevurah type warrior, that with his flaming disc (How perfect a symbol for HADIT the inner self) divides the primal Tiamat in twain to create the world of duality.
Is it a far stretch to get from Marduk to RA-HOOR-KHUIT? -
Got to love the synchronicity on this board...I was thinking of this topic a few weeks back and now theres a thread..anyway so I'll share some of the thoughts.
While I have not read the grimoire, I am long familiar with it's existence and some of the contents, and always regarded it as 'fiction'. In that context I would no more use it for magick then I would summon a poltergeist from a Steven King novel.
Then I came across some orders which use the system it provides and the archetypes as the underpinning of their magickal system. This was very interesting, as these were very serious Magicians. If there was nothing to it, surely they would go with a purer Qabalistic system, tried, true, and tested.
I pondered what could really be going on with this 'fictional grimoire' the Necromonicon. First, I assume all accounts of its origins are bogus and unverifiable, so assume it is a 'fake' regarding the back story. However, if even parts of the story that is was received in dreams is true, that is interesting. I guess the story is the author found it already written in the Akashic records. Either way I have found books in dreams and it is always a notable experience...though I've yet to fully read one and remember what was written in it.
Second, I began to think about the self-referential web of the Qabalistic correspondence systems and archetypes. These are surely based on the most fundamental aspects of the universe, and is the reason the systems are effective. What if another system emerged which was also based on those same fundamental aspects (chaos), but the structure and archetypes were different, or at least a variation of Qabala. It is unlikely, but not impossible, such a system could emerge as an evolutionary progression, or information transferred via inter-dimensional communication from powerful entities, or from the bottom of the abyss of the unconscious. None of these origins invalidate it as a workable system of magick.
Third, any system is about bringing a change of consciousness which the Operator can use to establish and energize the magickal link. If it is in fact a valid system of symbolism and correspondences which invoke the required consciousness, then from a magickal perspective it is likely valid.
Finally, regarding entities, as I understand, even if these are 'fictional' entities from the author, by the workings and energy of practitioners, they have in fact become egregores accessible via the system, and quite 'real'. Whether the dark gods have existed throughout eternity, I don't know.
From a magickal research perspective, I suppose it is worth the effort to learn more about it.
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Vortex, When you say the author, do you mean Lovecraft or Simon?
In the past I've heard about groups that were trying to work with the novel 'Harvest Home' by Thomas Tryon. And there are groups trying to use The Lord of the Rings. Tolkein must be spinning, since he was a strict Catholic.
And isn't there a LOTR tarot now?
I just feel that to try to use something that someone writes as fiction seems either useless or worse. -
@Persephone said
"Vortex, When you say the author, do you mean Lovecraft or Simon?
In the past I've heard about groups that were trying to work with the novel 'Harvest Home' by Thomas Tryon. And there are groups trying to use The Lord of the Rings. Tolkein must be spinning, since he was a strict Catholic. And isn't there a LOTR tarot now?
I just feel that to try to use something that someone writes as fiction seems either useless or worse."From what I understand the one that is used for Magick is mostly the Simon...but honestly I'm not sure what the differences are between Simon and Lovecraft versions.
I guess the difference from those creating systems from LOTR and such would be, does it provide the framework to alter the consciousness to fulfill the magickal work...but that requires the ability to swap in the belief system. These efforts, and the Necronomicon, as Froclown points out, are examples of Chaos Magick. If a Magician is able to convince themself that they are in Middle Earth and assume the godform of Gandalph, and achieve the 'enflamed enthusiasm' required to direct their Will, who knows maybe it works
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93
"but honestly I'm not sure what the differences are between Simon and Lovecraft versions.
"Simple. There is no 'Lovecraft version.' He refers to it in his stories as the work of the (made-up) mad Arab Abdul Alhazred, but he never wrote out a text. Anything purporting to be by Lovecraft ... isn't.
93 93/93,
Edward
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Good to know, thanks Edward...I always had a murky understanding of the relation.
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I fail to see what it matters if the Gods in the Necronomican are fictional or not. EVERY last God, spirit, elemental, angel, mystical power, force, spiritual light, vibrations, animal magnetism, and any other such faux explanations not suitable to rational materialism are fictional as well.
In Fact I would go so far as to say electricity is a fictional explanation for a known phenomena. As well as all of newton's forces and mathematical equations, etc. These all are examples of "entities which may or may not exist, but are part of rituals where by doing certain thing certain results follow" See the Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum mechanics. That we don't know and can't know what actually happens, between what we do and what results follow. But the math helps predict results.
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Matter, then, is also a fictional explanation for a known phenomena.
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Precisely.
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True.
All knowledge is a fictional explanation for phenomenal experiences, or at least the content of knowledge at best refers to something Real which may or may not exist.
Even if it does exist, it may or may not actually exist in a way that is expressed via the content of knowledge.
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i am reminded why i don't go to this board much anymore... the general public view is to come up with all the reasons something that doesn't fit Crowley's definition of occultism isn't actually valid. If you read the literature available on where the Necronomicon that was published by Simon came from, it wouldn't be to far a stretch to believe his words. Is believing that it was text written in Greek, supposedly by an arab who followed a pre-Islam brand of magic/occultism that comes from Sumerian and Babylonian rituals so hard?
Personally it's just as feasible and has as much evidence as some British guy who liked to pretend he was a Scottish lord found a manuscript at the market that he decoded and then was put into contact with some "secret chiefs". Actually wait, the Necronomicon sounds more feasible to me.
Ultimately according to the principles of Chaos Magick it doesn't really matter, its the work that important.
Oh and btw, try doing the rituals. Just one. One of the gate walking rituals - exactly as it tells you to do it. Then tell me it isn't valid. I've done them. Exactly as written. More magick and more results than I ever experienced in any Thelemic Mystery School or Order. Ever.
may the spirits of the earth Remember
may the spirits of the air Remember~jonathan
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Are these the only two kind of Spirit's that may Remember?