The Gates Of The Necronomicom, What did you think of this book? Options

Hello All,
I've recently read the newest book book by Simon. I suppose its a good source of information when it talks about Gate walking; even providing Daoist views of that. Its gives a quick crash course in Ancient civilizations and a unique view of the Big Dipper in reference to the Necronomicom. It gives dates and times perfect for Gate Walking so those interested in such will have a good resource.
Now for all the praise I just gave the book here comes the pain. I didn't like it. The reason I didn't like it is because It didn't give me what I was hoping for. I'm a ceremonial magician and I do rever and respect the Elder Gods, But I'm not a priest by any means. So when I picked up this volume, I had hoped that this text would be somewhat like a grimoire and its not. So thats what I think of the Book. What do you think?

Some things I dislike about the book and would like others opinions on.

First I would like to point out some things simon has said in dead names. First on page 224.

“The initiatory structure in its pages is designed to create a different type of initiate: a kind of black bodhisattva, a spiritually enlightened and empowered sage whose task it is to defend the race against these creatures before he or she can make their own escape-an occult general, a master of the mystic arts of offense and defense, a human being set apart from the rest who must monitor the Gates and the influx of evil influences that threatens to destroy the planet and enslave its inhabitants.”

Okay so he is saying the initiates that walk the gates are preparing to attain enlightenment to monitor the gates and defend the planet from being destroyed. Well I can understand how it trains one to be a warrior in the astral since when I walked I never had such a big pack of demons surround me in the astral(sink or swim or something more sinister?). Let’s move on to page 235 in dead names.

“One should always keep in mind that the Necronomicon magician is a unique type of occultist. Whereas most modern magicians see their quest as a deeply personal one, related to individual spiritual goals of enlightenment or individuation, the Necronomicon magician has a broader social purpose, and that is to defend the planet against the hostile forces that lie in wait both in the underworld and in the vast reaches of outer space (if indeed these are two different locales). The spiritual advancement of the Necronomicon magician is only valuable insofar as it serves to aid humanity that is itself grossly unconcerned about its own spiritual advancement.”

So the Necronomicon magician has a social role to also aid the rest of humanity in spiritual advancement. So not only is it important to be spiritually enlightened and monitor the gates it is also the Necronomicon magicians job to advance humanity, if he fails to do so his own enlightenment was in vain.


Now let’s open our copy of Gates and turn to page 164 where Simon concludes his story he told of the elder gods telling mankind about the horrible ancient ones.

“How do we know that the God of today was not the Monster of yesterday? Or, more to the point, who needs either of these races? We are humans! The dispossessed orphans of the universe. A plague on both their planets!”

Wow what the hell is going on here? I thought we agreed to monitor and keep this gate closed mister! Okay Okay maybe he is a little like me and just trying to stir up trouble and get you to question.

But on the next page he "Simon says"

“Our responsibility is to our own survival, both here on Earth and after death. Whoever or whatever helps us in that Quest can be useful to us at that time, no strings attached. Whoever or whatever stands in our way of achieving this simple goal of survival is anathema. It is not the destiny of the human race-the race on Earth- to server as cannon fodder in some real-life version of Star Wars. “

Now not only do we not give a damn about protecting the gate, we don’t give a shit about our own social role to aid humanity anymore. It is all about just survival and using any spirit at our disposal? How chaos magician like of him (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif). So which is simon? You can't have it both ways.

“The Necronomicon has an aura of strangeness, of otherness, of which the occult revivalists are afraid. It doesn’t send the right message.” – dead names 167

Least we agree on something,