The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon: A Workbook of Magic [Paperback]

Donald Tyson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 8, 2010

Thirteen points of entry.

Locked gateways to magical realms of immense power—and danger, for the uninitiated. 

Within these pages are thirteen keys.

Enter the Necronomicon and be forever changed.

In this authentic sourcebook for magicians, occult scholar Donald Tyson uses H. P. Lovecraft’s story elements and characters—alien races, ancient sorceries, the Dreamlands, deities, witches, and ghouls—as the foundation for a workable and coherent system of modern ritual magic based on the thirteen true zodical constellations. This authoritative guide presents the essential elements of the Necronomicon mythos for use in esoteric practices such as dream scrying, astral projection, magical rites, and invocations. 

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Donald Tyson is a Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Early in life he was drawn to science by an intense fascination with astronomy, building a telescope by hand when he was eight.  He began university seeking a science degree, but became disillusioned with the aridity and futility of a mechanistic view of the universe and shifted his major to English.  After graduating with honors he has pursued a writing career.

Now he devotes his life to the attainment of a complete gnosis of the art of magic in theory and practice.  His purpose is to formulate an accessible system of personal training composed of East and West, past and present, that will help the individual discover the reason for one's existence and a way to fulfill it.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications (July 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738721212
• ISBN-13: 978-0738721217
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #139,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Donald Tyson is a Canadian from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Early in life he was drawn to science by an intense fascination with astronomy, building a telescope by hand when he was eight. He began university seeking a science degree, but became disillusioned with the aridity and futility of a mechanistic view of the universe and shifted his major to English. After graduating with honors he has pursued a writing career. Now he devotes his life to the attainment of a complete gnosis of the art of magic in theory and practice. His purpose is to formulate an accessible system of personal training composed of East and West, past and present, that will help the individual discover the reason for one's existence and a way to fulfill it.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real good book that is misunderstood...., August 14, 2011

By 

Fastjack "There is nothing in the Universe mo... (None of your Business, Sorry) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon: A Workbook of Magic (Paperback)

I believe that the people who reviewed this work misunderstood what Tyson was trying to do.

First this book is not a Grimoire he actually tells you to go to his version of the Necronomicon if you want to get a series of rites and magical formula. In this work he brings forth a ritual that he made, then he brings up the material that he used to create the ritual. This is a work book not a book of spells. He wanted the people to actually do research and develop there own work by taking Lovecraft's work of fiction. I really liked this book while I do not see my self working the rite that he created I did see the pattern to which he made, Keys, gates, etc made since after I got done reading this tome.

second, Yes this is a catalog of Lovecraft's work but it has also been put there that the practicing magician can put together his own work. This has been lost at this modern time. People nowadays just find rites on the Net or by books and just blindly go through those rituals. The lost art of magic creation is a lost art form. Most originality is gone and this book brings back this.

third, There is a few books out there that tells the practicing magician to create interesting magic that resonates your personal paradigm,by using works of fiction. This holds true for example in chaos magic. Here Tyson does that same I started working of several small rites that I made from this book

Last, I believe he wanted the user of the book to also read these stories for him/herself and see what he did.

Some of you guys may not agree with me but I really like this book. It was good as a source for lovecrafts work but also a inspiration for your own magic that he wanted the user to develop his/her own spells and rituals.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very useful., December 3, 2010

By 

David Grant Mackenzie "Mac" (Colorado) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon: A Workbook of Magic (Paperback)

I have all of Tyson's Necronomicon works and this one is the most useless of all.. It is pretty much just an encyclopedia of Lovecraftian characters and creatures. There is some stuff in here, but you would do better to just take the first books and add your own creativity. I do agree with many that have said these works are far too sanitized. Definitely far away from the LHP. My hope is that Mr. Tyson writes a work like Liber Lillith in the Necronomicon vein. Perhaps a Necronomicon Bible as it was intended? Just a suggestion.........

12 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor attempt to gather Lovecraft facts, July 24, 2010

By 

Elikal "Elikal" (Berlin, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 13 Gates of the Necronomicon: A Workbook of Magic (Paperback)

This book should likely be called "Lexicon of Lovecraft terms". Because that is all this book is. It covers it with a few symbols of obscure origin. Any occult practitioner experimenting with the VERY few symbols will realize they are just intellectual constructs with no deeper connecting. It is not that they are made up, which I critizise. A person attuned with deeper sources can make up things, but if they are authentic, connected with real currents, people will resonate with it. You will feel the living current behind it.

This book and everything in it is entirely devoid of it. The author gathers all terms of Lovecraftian mythology and sorts it in some odd fashion. It has neither the entertaining drama of a Lovercraft story, nor the occult function to make any connection or gain any useful understanding. Everything shows the author has merely picked things together as a sort of intellectual plaything.

It breahtes zero atmosphere.