On the heels of his widely successful trilogy of works honoring H. P. Lovecraft, Donald Tyson now unveils a true grimoire of ritual magic inspired by the Cthulhu Mythos. The Grimoire of the Necronomicon is a practical system of ritual magic based on Lovecraft's mythology of the alien gods known as the Old Ones.Fans of Lovecraft now have the opportunity to reliably and safely get in touch with the Old Ones and draw upon their power for spiritual and material advancement. Tyson expands upon the Old Ones' mythology and reintroduces these "monsters" in a new, magical context?explaining their true purpose for our planet. As a disciple, you choose one of the seven lords as a spiritual mentor, who will guide you toward personal transformation. Grimoire of the Necronomicon features ritual forms and invocations for the daily and yearly rites of the Old Ones, individual rituals devoted to each of the seven major figures of the mythos, and most importantly, a grand ritual for personal attainment. The daily rituals provide an excellent system of esoteric training for individual practitioners. This grimoire also provides structure for an esoteric society?Order of the Old Ones?devoted to the group practice of this unique system of magic.
Customer Reviews:
Put Aside Your PrejuidiceOctober 1, 2008 The first thing you need to do is to set aside your prejudice about the Necronomicon and how it was a literary invention by Lovecraft for his stories. Donald Tyson has taken a story from the pulp fiction era by a littel konwn & highly unappreciated writer of his day and using his extensive knowledge in Ritual Magic, created a working, practical modern grimoire for those who are into the stories of Lovecraft.
If you like the Simon Necronomicon, you will like this Necronomicon WAY better! Now if you enjoyed the George Hay edition that was more true to the Lovecraft Cthulhu Mythos, you'd definitely appreciate this book as more complete and succinct in both it's approach and philosophy.
Tyson has taken a popular story's literatry prop and turned it into a working grimoire based on the seven planets. This is not something that just anyone can create on all their own because there are a number of things that have to be taken into account when creating a working grimoire based on a fictional one. In other words you have to be talented to be able to do this and Don shows his talent.
What Tyson has done is take this grimoire and base it not only on his two previous works, "The Necronomicon" and "Alhazred" but also he has the full Lovecraftian Cthulhu Mythos behind it as well! (And that's something that Lavenda's Necrronomicon could NOT accomplish!)
You'll discover how to approach the working of this grimoire as a solo effort and as a group project. You are taught how to work with Nyarlathotep, Azatoth, Cthulhu, Shu-Biggurath, Yig, Yog Sothoth, and more. You are given information that does not conflict with the Mythos stories and you are shown how to draw the seals & sigils for each of these seven Elder Ones.
This is a fun grimoire. I have yet to do any practical workings with it however rest assured I will. Why? It's fun. So what if it's base don popular culture? The myths of the Greeks was based on their popular culture in their day. And besides, many people in ancient times did not believe their Gods actually existed but were simply stories told around campfires or on temple walls. But many worked with those Gods and got results.
Today the Grimoire of the Necronomicon will give you plenty of solid information on how to work with the Egregores of the various Elder Gods and the 12 Sons of Azathoth in productive and practical ways.
Just remember: "It's time to chuck out the laws of logic and reason and enter the mystical realms and practice Magic!" - Moloch
Solid MagicSeptember 8, 2008 4 out of 5 found this review helpful
The magic here is traditional by any "stretch"of the imagination any will remain in the Cthulian Mythos for many years to come. I really don't see any future Lovecraft magic tome coming close.
Concise Manual for Application to the Old OnesSeptember 7, 2008 3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Tyson's follow up work to his previous three Mythos related arcane documents ties the path of the four volumes together. Moving from the mythology presented with fresh flavor in the Necronomicon, to his expansion of the mythology infused into the Mad Arab's life in Alhazred, this fourth book, The Grimoire of the Necronomicon, focuses the mind of the reader on the possibilities of magic through concentration on the Old Ones. As a devout fan of the Lovecraft Mythology, I found myself both attracted and repulsed by the idea of 'another' Necronomicon. But Tyson's adherance to the specifics of Lovecraft's original work has allowed his own original ideas on the Mythos to enchance and expand the universe of Cthulhu and his kin. This particular tome provides a workable system of magic with which to make a connection with the Old Ones. As stated by the author, the origin of the Old Ones is in myth and fantasy. But what God can claim otherwise? Thus from a standpoint of the strength of belief and faith, the book guides the reader through a substantive and rewarding method of centering the mind on the powers of the Old Ones and reward for indenturing in their service. Keep in mind this particular mythology is not for the faint of heart. Also keep in mind the philosophy of the book itself strays to the far edge of Wiccan belief and the adage 'you sow what you reap'. Yet for the fan this book provides a delectable foundation to the vague suggestions of how the rites of the Old Ones progressed in the original stories. For the practicing magician, this book provides a new chapter in the ongoing expansion of human thought on the astral and the unseen. It suggests a dynamic methodology based on a concrete foundation of magical theory that releases the thought processes from the limitations of current dogma. That gift alone is worth adding this tome to your library. I would consider having both the Necronomicon and the Grimoire added simultaneously to your library. The first again provides the mythology while the second the practical application of magic. And while each stands alone, the pair compliment each other with such a synergy that one would be hard pressed not to find oneself ready to join the Order of the Old Ones...
Interesting take....July 10, 2008 12 out of 13 found this review helpful
I was both excited and a bit cautious about this new text on the Necronomicon. I was intrigued by Mr. Tyson's novel, and subsequent version of the Necronomicon. There are so many out there that any new ones that happen upon the market are always taken with a grain of salt. And Mr. Tyson's is no exception. Now, this new text has me very interested in his attempt to facilitate a new fully workable system based upon Lovecraft's Mythos. Having been a practicing magician for over 30 years, I decided to purchase and read through his tome. I must say that at first glance, it is something that smacks of both horror pulp and legitimate document. I know that Mr. Tyson was attempting to create a system for anyone to "touch" these powers, and I think he may have hit up on something here. I have a bit of trouble with his sigils, as they do not speak to me, but that is one magicians tastes to anothers. I would work through the sigilization on my own to create something that evokes the qualities of the spirit in question. But that aside, I think that his designation of "lords" to the seven spheres is much akin to my own practice over the years and therefore gives me something to latch onto. I would think that anyone that has, or is currently working, with planetary magic will find something to experiment with, if not actually add to their practice. I haven't made it completely through this book, but so far I am seeing a workable attempt to reach and touch the powers of Lovecrafts Mythos. Many have attempted, but many have failed, or created something so outlandish and undoable to be relegated to the realm of fantasy. I know the irony of that statement, but this could possibly turn into a workable system of magical practice. I will revise this review after a complete study. Who knows, maybe this will be the tome that all Lovecraftians have been searching for. Time will tell.
