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.

Let me take some time to answer your points.

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that your experiences are not valid. I won't say that the Necronomicon is evil and that nothing good can ever come from it. I can say that I've heard many experiences at variance with yours, but that is hardly convincing either way.

Taking on the role of John for a moment - he's not available - I might, however, suggest alternative interpretations. Many of the gods and beings in the Necronomicon, such as Enki, might already be available in the Akashic record, or whatever you might want to call it, where they can be accessed. Perhaps only some parts of the book are flawed in some manner, and the rest can be worked with safely. I'm not the one for such arguments, however.

With regard to the question of efficacy, that in itself doesn't guarantee the accuracy of the material. After all, there have been people who have rebounded from horrible, life-threatening diseases after being put on sugar pills, succeeding in healing themselves through sheer will and belief. Likewise, the history of religion tells us of many ideas of dubious origin that nonetheless helped people to lead meaningful and powerful lives. An idea that has no basis in truth can often bear surprising fruit.

All of this might apply to our situation, and it might not. I only ask that it be considered.

Is the Necronomicon dangerous? I will not comment in a magickal sense. Nonetheless, there are passages in the book, such as the one about the sword of Hubur, that are not part of Necronomicon practice as most magicians perform it. As the book appears to me, for many different reasons, to be a modern creation, I then must ask whether publishing a passage promising power through human sacrifice was the best idea. The last widely-circulated magical manual to do that was the Picatrix. If nothing else, the book is dangerous in the sense that it puts that idea into the minds of those who can use it to justify their actions.

I don't agree with the view that people who commit crimes based on the Necronomicon are "doing it wrong." I'm sorry, but it sounds too much like those people who say that a criminal who uses a belief to justify their deeds isn't a "real" X. It's a matter of the person's interpretation. If the Necronomicon is a recent creation, as I believe it is, then the horrible actions carried out down through the centuries by readers of particular volumes should have been a warning not to include such material in the Necronomicon. Nonetheless, it is there.

As for the Necronomicon as an evil book - I don't know if I'd call it such. I've collected a few such "evil" books in my time, and none of them exert a hideous and malign influence over me, or fly about the room, or any such thing. Nonetheless, an examination of the symbolism of the Necronomicon indicates that the reader is not getting the whole story - the aglaophotis bit is proof enough. And if that is the case, we should be cautious.

As I hinted earlier, I have found another case of this.