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To: Multiple recipients of 
From: cthulhu@tfs.necronomi.com (Clifford Low)
Subject: Re: Book by Simon
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 23:41:30 -0500

I am unsure if this message got sent to everyone... feel free to quote my
sections, or those of the succubus thread on darkpaths-l.

bradbick@bluefin.net said:

>        But about the necronomicon. If you are talking about the
>necronomicon published by  Avon Books, edited and intruduced by Simon and
>dedicated to Aleister Crowley, then you had better do some research.
>The book was published in 1977 with no authority other than that of the
>novelist. He obviously worshiped Crowley, stole stuff from him, who stole
>stuff from the seven keys of solomon. The factual history of ancient Sumeria
>is far different than what is printed in this book. And the language
>structure is not Sumerian (bits and pieces are, but thats only a small
>fragment) and the language does not even follow any  hard sciences of
>language structure, it's jibberish. Do the research!

You are superficially correct, but integrally wrong. I'll go into the details,
for the moment, but I do so under protest. Like the succubus thread, it doesn't
belong here, no way, no how. Take it to Darkpaths-L.

The novelist is actually two people; Herman Slater, and "Simon" who though
rumored to be Peter Carrol, is in fact another Chaos Magician of some
prominence. I know very little about Simon, aside from the fact that he is
supposedly well respected.

Slater, however, was a very erudite and significant figure in occultism as I
see it, and was during his lifetime the nexus of occultism altogether in New
York. Slater was a gay pagan heavily into Crowley, alchemy and herbalism, and
authored many significant books on the latter topic. He also started the
Magickal Childe bookstore, and it's publishing house. From reading his books,
one can not ignore the fact that he did meticulous research.

The book in question was supposedly created to make a quick buck. Though some
aspects of it are humorous and thrown together haphazardly, most of it clearly
required substantial effort, research, and writing skill. It was not the work
of a lifetime; it was probably the work of an inspired month.

The authors did not intend on creating a historical forgery; they instead were
trying to infuse the Cthulhu Mythos with a bit of background history so that
aspiring magicians could have a fuller body of imagery for ritual working. In
the ritual chamber, one can conjure the goddess of Betamax almost as easily as
Frigga or Morrigan; the difference being that a belief in the antiquity of the
latter has a strong psychological effect on the magician. Fabricated material
works as well as "authentic" material; provided the belief is intense, and
there is a sense of ancient wonder (and some say, not even that.)

Rather than parasitizing Crowley; Therion was a personal influence on both of
them, and the duo felt that thelemic material was essential as the glue to bind
the Lovecraftian and Mesopatamian elements together; as well as allow them to
save time generating basic techniques that they'd long since mastered and
considered very reliable.

>        All I have to say about this is "Klatu Verata Nickt...(cough,
>cough)" It's a work of fiction.

So is the Lesser Key of Solomon. So is the Grimoire of Honorius. So is
forgeries; Necronomicon de Simon is only exceptional in that it is one of the
most recent of that type, nothing more. Many occultists swear by these books,
and if you got rid of them because of their historical baloney, you'd be left
with few resources.

However, I do not consider it to be authentic Lovecraft mythos, even. They
managed to get a few things wrong, but I'll consider that artistic license.

>        Now many "Necronomiconists" will passionatly defend this book with
>the fire of Nergal (which shows an unhealthy obsession) but I am not trying
>to flame anyone. I am honest and sincere, and if anyone wants to respond in
>defence of this book I am open for discussion. Discussion NOT argument. The
>power of this book is only the individuals power.

As is everything else, as many will claim.

ANY FURTHER RESPONSES TO THIS GO ON DARKPATHS-L. No further warnings. Thank you.


-CHL

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