New Book By Simon Options

I just wanted everyone to know there is a new book coming out by our old friend Simon. Yes the same author of the Necronomicon.

The title of the new book which is Dead Names : The Dark History of the Necronomicon has been out for awhile and it is still not released as of yet BUT they have finally released a picture of the book and a quick overview.

Here is the picture of the new book:

(IMG:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/Frater_Nero/newbook.jpg)

and here is the Book Description:


The most feared, fascinating, and dangerous book in the history of humankind . . . Necronomicon

An ancient Arabic text -- a powerful book of spells that could, in the wrong hands, create unimaginable and irreversible devastation -- the Necronomicon featured prominently in the stories of legendary horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. For many generations, few believed it to be anything other than pure fiction.

But in 1972, a young man who, for his own protection, must be known simply as "Simon," stumbled upon an old, handwritten manuscript that ultimately proved to be an authentic edition of the unholy work.

Dead Names is the startling true account of the dark and violent history of this most fearsome of books: from its Middle Eastern origins to its reemergence centuries later; its role in pivotal events of the twentieth century, from the JFK assassination to the Son of Sam murders; and the terrible fates that befell those who helped bring the Necronomicon out of the shadows and into the light of day.

From the Necronomicon, page xv:

The Golden Dawn, a famous British and American Occult lodge of the turn of the Century, was said to have possessed a manuscript called "the Veils of Negative Existence" by another Arab.

In Dead Names, page 209:

We raised the possibility that Lovecraft's information might have been related to a book on Arab mysticism in the possession of the Golden Dawn as early as 1915, an eighth century AD (or earlier) manuscript called The Veils of Negative Existence, mentioned by occult historian, Francis King.

And on pp. 305-6, we find the following:

For instance, on page 191 <John Gonce> claims that “no study of the history and literature of the Golden Dawn has ever yielded any hints of a ‘secret Arab manuscript.” I imagine that his considerable library does not have a copy of Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, where such a manuscript - the “Veils of Negative Existence”- is mentioned on page 136 of the 1989 edition and which “purports to be an English translation of an Arabic work of the sixth, seventh or eighth centuries” that was cited by Golden Dawn initiate and Mathers protégé R.W. Felkin in a lecture he gave before the occult society Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia in 1915. (An eighth century Arab occult work is certainly suggestive, though by no means a confirmation that the Golden Dawn knew of the existence of the Necronornicon in 1915, long before Lovecraft published any stories with that name and placed in that era.)

I can't speak for John's library, which is indeed considerable, but my own does contain a copy of King's book.

So, did a Necronomicon-like work exist in the library of the Golden Dawn? It depends upon how you define the order. There is, of course, the original lodge chartered by Mathers, Westcott, and Woodman in 1888 that broke apart just after the turn of the century in schism and scandal. Then we have the various orders that came thereafter, some founded by the various members of the parent order. They often have (and still do) deny the validity of the others, but for our purposes, even those appearing under a different name might meet these criteria if they stress the same principles.

Then, there is the Cromlech Temple, the group to which the "Veils of Negative Existence" supposedly belonged. This is what Simon refers to above as "the Golden Dawn." How well does it fit the usual conception of that organization?

This group, the founding of which King dates to between 1890-1910 (though I have seen 1913 on the disreputable Internet), was affiliated with at least one Golden Dawn offshoot, and the membership of both overlapped to some extent. Yet saying it was "the Golden Dawn", in the sense in which most understand it, is not entirely accurate. First, as King describes it, the Temple was primarily mystical in orientation. Those who sought to learn magic were recommended to another order to do so. Second, despite being open to ecumenical beliefs and what might have been shocking concepts regarding sexual taboos, even in post-Victorian times, the Temple required all past the first degree to be Christian in orientation. The Order attracted many liberal Anglican clergymen who sought mysticism but did not wish to violate Church doctrine. We can debate as to how close they truly adhered to orthodoxy, but its members seem to have been sincere in believing that it did. In the end, King describes it as "an interesting side-Order of the Golden Dawn," instead of a direct branch thereof.

My points here are threefold. First, the Cromlech Temple, insofar as King's data presents it, can be connected with the Golden Dawn only by association. Second, even if the Necronomicon Simon presents were the "Veils of Negative Existence," it hardly seems possible that it could have lasted long as part of the library of a group that sought to maintain a liberal, yet nonetheless orthodox, Christian position. Third, Lovecraft seems to have been an unlikely candidate for knowledge of such an order's secrets, being an atheist with no mentioned transatlantic contacts.

From the Necronomicon, page xv:

The Golden Dawn, a famous British and American Occult lodge of the turn of the Century, was said to have possessed a manuscript called "the Veils of Negative Existence" by another Arab.

In Dead Names, page 209:

We raised the possibility that Lovecraft's information might have been related to a book on Arab mysticism in the possession of the Golden Dawn as early as 1915, an eighth century AD (or earlier) manuscript called The Veils of Negative Existence, mentioned by occult historian, Francis King.

And on pp. 305-6, we find the following:

For instance, on page 191 <John Gonce> claims that “no study of the history and literature of the Golden Dawn has ever yielded any hints of a ‘secret Arab manuscript.” I imagine that his considerable library does not have a copy of Francis King’s Modern Ritual Magic, where such a manuscript - the “Veils of Negative Existence”- is mentioned on page 136 of the 1989 edition and which “purports to be an English translation of an Arabic work of the sixth, seventh or eighth centuries” that was cited by Golden Dawn initiate and Mathers protégé R.W. Felkin in a lecture he gave before the occult society Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia in 1915. (An eighth century Arab occult work is certainly suggestive, though by no means a confirmation that the Golden Dawn knew of the existence of the Necronornicon in 1915, long before Lovecraft published any stories with that name and placed in that era.)

I can't speak for John's library, which is indeed considerable, but my own does contain a copy of King's book.

So, did a Necronomicon-like work exist in the library of the Golden Dawn? It depends upon how you define the order. There is, of course, the original lodge chartered by Mathers, Westcott, and Woodman in 1888 that broke apart just after the turn of the century in schism and scandal. Then we have the various orders that came thereafter, some founded by the various members of the parent order. They often have (and still do) deny the validity of the others, but for our purposes, even those appearing under a different name might meet these criteria if they stress the same principles.

Then, there is the Cromlech Temple, the group to which the "Veils of Negative Existence" supposedly belonged. This is what Simon refers to above as "the Golden Dawn." How well does it fit the usual conception of that organization?

This group, the founding of which King dates to between 1890-1910 (though I have seen 1913 on the disreputable Internet), was affiliated with at least one Golden Dawn offshoot, and the membership of both overlapped to some extent. Yet saying it was "the Golden Dawn", in the sense in which most understand it, is not entirely accurate. First, as King describes it, the Temple was primarily mystical in orientation. Those who sought to learn magic were recommended to another order to do so. Second, despite being open to ecumenical beliefs and what might have been shocking concepts regarding sexual taboos, even in post-Victorian times, the Temple required all past the first degree to be Christian in orientation. The Order attracted many liberal Anglican clergymen who sought mysticism but did not wish to violate Church doctrine. We can debate as to how close they truly adhered to orthodoxy, but its members seem to have been sincere in believing that it did. In the end, King describes it as "an interesting side-Order of the Golden Dawn," instead of a direct branch thereof.

My points here are threefold. First, the Cromlech Temple, insofar as King's data presents it, can be connected with the Golden Dawn only by association. Second, even if the Necronomicon Simon presents were the "Veils of Negative Existence," it hardly seems possible that it could have lasted long as part of the library of a group that sought to maintain a liberal, yet nonetheless orthodox, Christian position. Third, Lovecraft seems to have been an unlikely candidate for knowledge of such an order's secrets, being an atheist with no mentioned transatlantic contacts.

Well, again this depends on how deeply you research the subject and how much weight you want to give to one side of an argument or another. I know, Dan, that you and John proceeded from the assumption that the Necronomicon was a hoax and made no bones about it. At least you were honest and upfront about that, which is good. The problem is that one proceeds from such an agenda with an eye to selecting information that will fit. That seems to be the case here.

In the chapter that we both cite -- from Francis King's "Modern Ritual Magic" -- the opening lines read:

quote
As far as I know, there is not a single printed reference to the Cromlech Temple, an esoteric group, having a close fraternal relationship and many members in common with the Golden Dawn, which produced some extremely interesting papers on the significance of the higher Rosicrucian grades in general and that of Exempt Adept in particular."

unquote

If we reference Ellic Howe's book -- "The Magicians of the Golden Dawn" -- as well as Ithell Colquhoun's "Sword of Wisdom" -- we begin to get a clearer picture of this group, and to R.W Felkin who was certainly a high-ranking member of the original Golden Dawn until the famous schisms. That Felkin -- a high G..D.. initiate -- is referencing the text in a lecture to the SRIA is further evidence of the pedigree of both the "Veils of Negative Existence" as well as of the Cromlech Temple which was one of several offshoots of the G..D.. (such as the Stella Matutina, to which Israel Regardie belonged). As for the library of the Cromlech Temple not having a copy of this book in their possession because of their "liberal, yet nonetheless orthodox, Christian position" ... you have to know that dog don't hunt. The Vatican Library is a good example of a library maintained by orthodox Catholics that has a large selection of occult works in its possession; heck, even you and John have copies of the Necronomicon! So ... sorry, no. That argument doesn't work; it's contradicted by King's statement that Felkin was giving lectures on it; so, obviously, it was in someone's library at Cromlech Temple and being lectured on by an Adept of the Golden Dawn. Whether or not it lasted long at the Cromlech Temple library is moot. It's not the point, anyway. The point is that "The Veils of Negative Existence" ... well, existed. And that the Golden Dawn -- and the Cromlech Temple and the SRIA -- were all aware of it. In 1915.

The source you should be attacking is Francis King, if you have documentation to prove that he is wrong. Otherwise, my statement in Dead Names must stand.

Apologies - life gets in the way sometimes.

Well, again this depends on how deeply you research the subject and how much weight you want to give to one side of an argument or another. I know, Dan, that you and John proceeded from the assumption that the Necronomicon was a hoax and made no bones about it. At least you were honest and upfront about that, which is good. The problem is that one proceeds from such an agenda with an eye to selecting information that will fit. That seems to be the case here.

In the chapter that we both cite -- from Francis King's "Modern Ritual Magic" -- the opening lines read:

quote
As far as I know, there is not a single printed reference to the Cromlech Temple, an esoteric group, having a close fraternal relationship and many members in common with the Golden Dawn, which produced some extremely interesting papers on the significance of the higher Rosicrucian grades in general and that of Exempt Adept in particular."

unquote

If we reference Ellic Howe's book -- "The Magicians of the Golden Dawn" -- as well as Ithell Colquhoun's "Sword of Wisdom" -- we begin to get a clearer picture of this group, and to R.W Felkin who was certainly a high-ranking member of the original Golden Dawn until the famous schisms. That Felkin -- a high G..D.. initiate -- is referencing the text in a lecture to the SRIA is further evidence of the pedigree of both the "Veils of Negative Existence" as well as of the Cromlech Temple which was one of several offshoots of the G..D.. (such as the Stella Matutina, to which Israel Regardie belonged).

I am afraid my personal library is lacking in that department. Still, Dead Names is very clear: it was the Golden Dawn itself that owned this manuscript. I have yet to see any proof, other than association, that the Cromlech Temple was chartered as, or considered a branch of, the Golden Dawn by its members. Association alone is worth little - by the same logic, the Golden Dawn library is the SRIA library is the Theosophical Society library is the library of a London Masonic lodge.

As for the library of the Cromlech Temple not having a copy of this book in their possession because of their "liberal, yet nonetheless orthodox, Christian position" ... you have to know that dog don't hunt. The Vatican Library is a good example of a library maintained by orthodox Catholics that has a large selection of occult works in its possession; heck, even you and John have copies of the Necronomicon! So ... sorry, no.

My argument does not rule it out completely, of course. I merely observed that a Necronomicon was unlikely to be there, based on its custodians, and their beliefs and interests. For a reader to make an informed decision, it is important that they know that this possible Necronomicon manuscript was in the hands of an order striving for Christian orthodoxy instead of the original founders of the Golden Dawn. It may not convince them, but it is a significant shift in the evidence.