NECRONOMICON TEXT by Jake Schwartz {The following could be, should be, but perhaps is not, a fable, fantasy or illusion. Any similarity to anything, you had better see a Head Shrinker. Finally, all the names have been changed to protect the guilty and my reputation from legal action and also my psychologist who feels anyone who does Magick deserves to be committed.} I was first introduced to the NECRONOMICON by Sol who was, at that time, guiding me through the Caballa. He loaned me a copy of the book which I copied and placed into a loose leaf binder. I would like to share with you some of mythoughts and experiences. However, I will not guarantee any of this as to accuracy or actuality. I will allow you, the reader, to decide for yourself. A. History The was a knock on the door of Sol's apartment. When opened, a monk stoodat the portal bearing scrolls. These he presented to Sol and departed. The scrolls were a copy of the NECRONOMICON, presumably translated from the Sumarian cuneiform into French. The task of translation from French to English was required, and completed. It was shortly thereafter that I came into possession of the book. Five copies were made. Sol had one, I a second, and the remaining three were given to other occultists. I was told the book, as do most grimoires, was cursed. Anyone using it would die a horrible death. Some time later, I heard that three of the Occultists had died: one in a automobile accident, falling fallen from a building, and the third in some way unknown tome. I accepted the curse but continued to work with the book anyway. More on the curse later. When the book had been translated from the French scrolls into English, the scrolls were no longer needed. Again came the knock on Sol's door. A second time the monk stood at the threshold. He was given the scrolls and departed. The monk was never heard from again. B. Banishings The book was not complete in that it contained no banishings for the workings. The first task both Sol and I undertook was to write the proper banishings for the work. Herein, allow me to indicate it is normally accepted that the older the work, the more powerful the energy associated with it. This book was reputed to be ancient, even older than the Hebrew culture in which I was raised. However, being knowledgeable in Hebrew, I researched this area for a possible key. I began to chant the "Kaddish", a beautiful Hebrew prayer intended as adoration for a person who recently suffered the death of a loved one. However, It contains not a prayer for the dead, but an adoration for God and the living. It was reputed to have a mystical origin. I b egan to use it at the beginning of any work and ended with Psalm 23. This Psalm is also reputed to have mystical origins. I discovered this arrangement intuitively after prayers and meditation for guidance. It was apparent I was destined to use the book in some way. Similarly, Sol began to use the Lord's Prayer. C. Unwanted Entities One day, while we were together, Sol related a story of the time he visited a psychic friend. She asked him what the entities attached to him were. He hadbeen unaware of their presence. This brought about further realization the grimoire was incomplete in its banishing content. He called these entities "Igigi", as mentioned in the book. "Igigi" are energy forms of low order that attach themselves to human beings and eventually drain energy, somewhat similar to psychic vampires. Obviously, it was time to rid himself of these creatures. Which he did. D. A Dog Bit the Hand that Fed Him. Here is a further illustration of the book's power. At the time, I was sharing an apartment with Bea, a close friend, and a small fiery cockapoo (cross between a cocker spaniel and a poodle) dog, "Easy Man". Easy Man and Igot along well. He was hot-tempered but, friendly. His major desire was to eat, sleep and wag his long furry tail almost continuously so close to the floor it produced a thumping sound. One could always tell Easy Man was around. The apartment had four rooms, one of which was set aside for a temple. Whenever, I performed a ritual I closed the temple door. Easy Man would sit outside thumping his tail indicating he wanted t o come in . However, on the day I began to use the Necronomicon, I cautioned Bea to lock Easy Man in her room and not allow him to remain outside the temple door. Easy Man is not an easy dog to lock up. He usually sits just inside the room barking and snarling his displeasure incessantly. I began to work the CONJURATION OF THE FIRE GOD and also open the NANNA gate as illustrated in the section entitled Luna Exorcism.Unknown to me during the ritual, Bea, annoyed by Easy Man's barking, allowed him out of her room. He ran to station himself outside the temple door waiting patiently for me to come out. I finished the ritual and opened the door. Easy Man was waiting. He snarled, jumped up, pounced on me and bit into my arm tearing off a small (fortunately) piece of flesh. I looked at him, snarling and growling in a way I never sa w before, readyin g himself to jump again. His eyes were red with fury. He leaped again. This time I was ready. He leaped toward me. As he was in mid air I chopped him across the muzzle. I chopped and slapped him several times until he settled down and the Easy Man look returned to his eyes. I sat on the floor and cuddled him in my arms. He licking my hands and face. Easy Man was back. Finally, realizing the bloody arm, I called Bea who cleaned and bandaged it. Never again did she let him get close to my circle. Hence , the statement in the book "One of our colleagues was fearfully attacked by his dog directly following a fairly simple and uncomplicated formula from this book." E. PUBLICATION AT LAST Months later, while Sol and I were in my new apartment, we began to discuss the possibility of publishing the book. It was at that time, Schlangekraft Publishing Company, Inc. was born. [Schlangekraft means Serpent Power as translated from German.] Initially, we were going to print it inexpensively in an 8 1/2 by 11 format. However, on the Thursday before we were to print it, I suggested we wait. Sol was going to lecture on the book at the "Magickal Childe", an occult shop in Manhattan, on Sunday comi ng. "Perhaps," I suggested, "someone will come up to you after the lecture and insist on publishing the book." I was not serious at the time. But that Sunday a publisher did appear. The book was subsequently published in three editions far more exquisitely than I could have dreamed. One edition, bound in English leather and silver embossed covers, numbered and limited to 666 copies. A wonderful concept a la Aleister Crowley. A similar, less expensive edition had good cloth binding and finally, several thousand soft cover versions. During this time, Sol and I lost contact with each other. However, one day in January, I heard the door open Sol walked in, came into my kitchen andtossed a small shopping bag toward me on the kitchen table. I opened the bag and extracted my personal copy of the NECRONOMICON in English leather and silver embossing. It was my number also, #123, and bore the inscription "From whom the NECRONOMICON drew blood". I was delighted. We sat, looked at each other and laughed, laughed, laughed. I still cherish the book and have not allowed anyone touch it. It is in a place of reverence. I heard there were many problems in publishing the book. Schedules were missed, material late and finally, the illustrator wanted to quit. It was said he was locked in the room all night until he finished the drawings. The book, it seemed, was resisting being published. Yet, despite the difficulties, the book was printed. F. More Notoriety During the year following publication, its notoriety grew. I would receive a telephone call, the voice on the other end saying, "Would you like a copy ofthe NECRONOMICON?" "Of course," I would answer. The person would come to my house and, at my request, drop the book through the doorway into my temple and leave, most commenting the book was not for them. I accumulated as many as eight or nine books at one time. However, the NECRONOMICON was definitely for me. G. Miracle, Magick or Coincidence? More on the curse. It was said, and I repeat, the first five copies of the book were cursed. I had one copy in my possession. A member of the group, whomI shall call, Mike wanted to borrow the copy for a year. He asked me each time we met. For a year, I said, "NO!" Mike and I would play chess every Wednesday night at my house. One Wednesday, Will, a new member of my magickal group, sat with us. He told Mike and me his sister was ready to deliver a baby, but the child was breech. Meaning the child was positioned feet first with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck. This would require a Cesarean section if unchanged. Mike and I played chess, the child apparently on our minds, below the surface of our consciousness. The game ended when one side had a king and a pawn. On the other side only a king remained. After the game ended and the pieces were off the board, we realized the pawn had been maneuvered around the King several times. Our thoughts were that the child would turn that night. We felt so good, and had especially enjoyed each other's company. When Mike asked to borrow the book, I agreed. The next morning the child did turn and Will's sister delivered normally. Our intuition had been correct. H. A Tragic Loss ... The Curse Strikes again? Thursday night, I received a phone call from a friend of Mike's girlfriend. Mike had not been home since Wednesday night. I assured her I would look for him and return her call tomorrow night. Mike was taken at times to sleep in my basement rather than go home. First thing, I looked in my basement. He had been there as cigarette butts and ashes were on the floor. But no trace of him now. Friday, at work, I began to call the area hospitals describing Mike and asking, whether or not, an emergency patient fitting his description was accepted Wednesday night or Thursday. No one fitting his description was admitted to the hospitals I called. I began to meditate, visualizing Mike. My growing inner feeling was to call the morgue. Concern increasing, I called the morgue, and to my dismay was told they had received an unidentified body early Thursday morning. One of my students, also working Magick with me, knew Mike. As I didn't want to go alone, I explained, " David,Mike has not been at home since Wednesday. I called the morgue and was told an unidentified body fitting his description was brought in. Would you go with me?" David accompanied me to the morgue. There I viewed the body via television monitor. It was Mike. Both David and I had to look twice to be sure. The rear of his head was flattened. The police record described his demise. "Thursday morning at approximately 2:00 A.M. the perpetrator, a swarthy, dark haired man about 5' 10", dressed in a flannel shirt and dungarees, ran into "George's Bar" on Sixth Street and First Avenue, brandishing a 22 caliberpistol. He screamed, "I'm going to kill all Puerto Ricans," and proceeded to fire two shots into the ceiling. He turned, ran out into the street, hailed a taxi and fired two shots killing the driver, a Richard Lane immediately. He then turned and saw the victim crossing the street while walking a dog. Approaching his second victim from behind, he fired one round into the right rear of the victim's head, piercing th e skull and pen etrating deep into the brain where it remains. The dog ran off. The perpetrator is still at large. The body bore no identification and was received [in the morgue] at 3:30 A.M. Thursday, April 16, l979. Officer Paul Montgomery 60947 " It is still conjecture whether or not the curse claimed another victim or, possibly, Mike sacrificed his life to allow Will's sister to have a normal birth. You can be the judge. After, I notified Mike's girlfriend, located his mother in Florida and attended the funeral, I gained permission from Mike's mother to enter his apartment and dispose of his belongings. The book was there. I bore it home. I. A FINAL Note. During my travels over the past ten years, I would mention the NECRONOMICON in conversation to others interested in the Magickal Arts. For the most part the comments I received were of fear. Some expressed a nebulous respect for the book, but refused to use it. Some expressed an interest in its workings, but had been told the book was dangerous. This is the mystique surrounding the book since its publication. I do not know how many copies are in circulation and being used. But I know it had to be published ,if for no other purpose than to provide the universe with another source of knowledge. Only through shedding light on the mysteries of this world can we truly understand its good and its evil.