THE ANCIENT ART OF GATEWALKING PART 6: RISKS OF SELF-INITIATION

Now that we have discussed the historical meaning of the GateWalking Process and its authenticity, let us now look at some of the risks involved in undergoing initiation. The Mad Arab makes the following statements that are found in the Simon Necronomicon on pages 48 through 49: 

 “And against the Ancient Ones, there is only defense. Only a madman, indeed, such as I am called!, can hope to have power over Them that dwell in the Outer Spaces, for their power is unknown, and the number of the hordes uncounted, and each day they breed more horrors than a man’s mind can conceive, the sight of which he can hardly bear. There was a time when the Gate to the Outside was open too long and I witnessed the horror that struck, of which words cannot speak, and of which writing can only confuse. The Ancient One that had escaped into the Inner World was forced back through the Gate by a magician of great power, but only at a great loss to the villages and flocks of the Island. Many sheep were slain after an unnatural fashion, and many devoured, an many Bedou rendered senseless; for the mind perceives what it is shown, but the sight of the Ancient Ones is a blasphemy to the ordinary senses of a man, for that come from a world that is not straight, but crooked, and their existence is of forms unnatural and painful to the eye and to the mind, whereby the spirit is threatened and wrenches loose from the body in flight. And for that reason, the fearful utukku xul take possession of the body and dwell therein until the Priest banish them back to whence they came, and the normal spirit may return to its erstwhile neighborhood…And there are all the ALLU, frightening dog-faced demons that are the Messengers of the Gods of Prey, and that chew on the very bones of man. And there are many another, of which this is not the rightful place wherein they may be mentioned, save to warn the Priest against the ambitious striving against the Ancient Ones of the Outside, until mastery is acquired over the powers that reside Within. Only when ADAR has been obtained, may the Priest consider himself a master of the planes of the Spheres, and able to wrestle with the Old Gods. Once Death Herself has been stared in the Eye, can the Priest then summon and control the denizens of Death’s darkly curtained halls. Then can he hope to open the Gate without fear and without that loathing of the spirit that slays the man…Then cane he hope to have power over the demons that plague the mind and the body, pulling at the hair and grasping at the hands, and the screaming vile Names into the airs of the Night…For what comes on the Wind can only be slain by he who knows the Wind; and what comes on the seas can only be slain by he who knows the Waters. This is it written, in the Ancient Covenant.” 

Not only does the Mad Arab so colorfully illustrate many of the pitfalls that may come during the process of initiation, but he also mentions what is required to Master the negative influences that plaque the mind. The Mad Arab mentions that once the Initiate has reached ADAR, he/she, can ward off the negative attacks upon the mind. The mind is often described in the Simon Necronomicon as villages and towns, or neighborhoods. This is evident from what the Mad Arab states, as found in the above quote: 

“There was a time when the Gate to the Outside was open too long and I witnessed the horror that struck, of which words cannot speak, and of which writing can only confuse. The Ancient One that had escaped into the Inner World was forced back through the Gate by a magician of great power, but only at a great loss to the villages and flocks of the Island….And for that reason, the fearful utukku xul take possession of the body and  dwell therein until the Priest banish them back to whence they came, and the normal spirit may return to its erstwhile neighborhood” 

In our previous discussions we defined the term ‘invocation’ as a reference to the powers, which take possession of the Initiate and while these forces are useful to the candidate, they can become negative over time if they are not  ‘forced back’ to their proper place. The Gate to the Outside that the Mad Arab speaks about, are the seven initiatory Gates. We can confirm this on page 11 of the Simon Necronomicon: 

“These are the signs carved upon the grey stone, that was the Gate to the Outside: 

 

 We can see in the above quote that the ‘Gate to the Outside’ is indeed a walk through the Mountains of MASSHU. So when the Mad Arab warns us against leaving the ‘Gate to the Outside’ open too long, this is a reference to staying in one of the seven initiatory gates too long. Until one has walked the Seven Gates, it is best advised that the Initiate remain in a Gate for no longer than sixty days, or two lunar cycles, for it is the number of ANU, and a ‘most perfect’ number, as stated on page 46 of the Simon Necronomicon. This was also the manner, in which I entered the Gates. I would usually remain in a Gate for one lunar cycle, and then proceed to the next. This advice is also given to us on page 46 of the Simon Necronomicon: 

“Second, on the Night of the Walking, which must be the thirteenth night of the moon, having begun on the previous thirteenth night, thou must approach the Gate with awe and respect. Thy Temple is exorcised. Thou must light the Fire and conjure it, by the invocation of the God of Fire, and pour incense thereon. Thou must make offering to the Deities on the altar..” 

There were some Gates that were a little more difficult for me to master, so I remained in them for two lunar cycles.  Mastering the Gates is a lifetime process. However, on our path of initiation, our purpose is to have intercourse with these energies and allow them to transform our consciousness. Each Gate represents a particular aspect of life and when we enter the Gate, we are tried with ordeals pertaining to that aspect. These ordeals cannot really be calculated as to what they will be. The Mad Arab mentions that the power of those that come from the ‘Outside’ is unknown. He later adds that their world is ‘crooked.’ This is an indication that the Initiate will have to face their own fears in a way that is sometimes not logical. The key is to be of sound mind and to express a humble attitude in all our undertakings. Make no mistake about it all the deities mentioned in the Simon Necronomicon are the Ancient Ones. The struggle between the Elder Gods and the Ancient Ones is the war that the mind rages. The text provides a safety-net, by categorizing these energies as positive and negative, which makes it useful for purposes of studying certain areas of the text. When we are able to convert the negative energies that we are tried upon in the Gates into positive useful forces, then we have “mastered” that Gate. The Mad Arab uses the term utukku on several occasions within the text, mostly with a negative connotation. However, notice what definition is given to us by Wikipedia: 

“In Sumerian mythology, the utukku were a type of spirit or demon that could be either benevolent or evil.”  

The rate at which energy is positive or negative, in respects to occult science, is all based upon how it is received by the mind. The Ancient Ones become Elder Gods when we pass through the ordeals that we are confronted with. When we surrender part of our fixed views that are so deeply engrained in us, we can then explore the root of what has made us so callous over the years. This is why we are given the Seals to use in our Gate-Walking workings, as they represent the false ego, which was created in the phenomenal world. 

A seal is a sign of an entity that is used in magickal workings. We are given seven seals for the seven initiatory Gates in the Simon Necronomicon. It speaks about this in the MAGAN Text on page 166: 

“But Man possesses the Sign
And the Number
And the Shape
To summon the Blood of his Parents.” 

The Sign is the Seal of the Gate. The Number is the number of the Gate, and the Shape is the illustration of the Gate itself. Pages 20 to 33 of the Simon Necronomicon, gives us the depiction as to how the Seals are to be drawn. If you can afford to engrave the seal on its metal, then feel free to do so. If you cannot afford to purchase the metals upon which the Seals are to be engraved, you can re-draw them on a clean sheet of white paper, but another correspondence of the planet should be used, such as, incense, a colored candle, and etc. Personally, I could not afford to get many of the Seals engraved upon theie metals, so I would usually look up the corresponding incense, to the Gate given. Here are the SEALS of the Gates 

The God of the Moon is the God NANNA. He is Father of the Zonei, and the Eldest of the Wanderers. He is long of beard, and bears a wand of lapis lazuli in his palm, and possesses the secret of the tides of blood. His colour is Silver. His Essence is to be found in Silver, and in camphor, and in those things bearing the sign of the Moon. He is sometimes called SIN. His Gate is the first you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is also Silver…This is his Seal, which you must engrave on his metal, on the thirteenth day of the Moon in which you are working, having no other person about you who may watch you in its manufacture. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should be removed only after the Sun has gone to its rest. No ray of sunlight should strike the Seal, lest its power be rendered nil and a new Seal must needs be cast…The Number of NANNA is Thirty and this is his Seal 

 

The crescent moon sits within the middle of the seal with the eight-pointed star above, is used to depict NANNA as being ‘Father of the Gods.” It also is a way of illustrating that the Initiate is entering the vagina of the cosmos, as the crescent moon also was symbolic of the two lips of the vulva.  The lower script that appears towards the bottom of the Seal represents that the Kundalini is stimulated. Since his color is silver you may wish to burn a silver candle when working with Walking the NANNA Gate. If you are not able to engrave the Seal upon its metal. You can also use the following incense, Bay leaf, ginseng, jasmine, myrtle, poppy, rosemary, lily. 

 The God of Mercury is NEBO. He is a very old spirit, having a long beard, and is the guardian of the Gods, as well as the keeper of the knowledge of Science. He wears a crown of one hundred horns, and the long robe of the Priest. His colour is blue. His Essence is in that metal known as Quicksilver, and is sometimes also found in sand, and in those things bearing the sign of Mercury. His Gate is the Second you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is blue…This is his Seal, which you must write on perfect parchment, or no the broad leaf of a palm tree, having no other person about you who may watch you in its construction. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should be removed only when its light is in the sky. Such is also the best time for its manufacture…The Number of NEBO is Twelve and this is his Seal:” 

 

The top left emblem is a symbol of scientific endeavors, which is a trait of NEBO.  The coil that appears on the second line is actually a snake, a longtime symbol of the HEALING ARTS. The three small spaces next to that represent NEBO as messenger of the three Great Watchers, ANU, ENLIL, and ENKI. This is further reinforced by the Elder Sign that sits in the middle of the seal. If you are not able to engrave this seal upon its metal, then you can make use of a blue candle, or storax, mace, sandalwood incense. 

The Goddess of Venus is the most excellent Queen INANNA, called of the Babylonians ISHTAR. She is the Goddess of Passion, both of Love and of War, depending upon her sign and the time of her appearance in the heavens. She appears as a most beautiful Lady, in the company of lions, and partakes of a subtle astral nature with the Moon God NANNA. When they are in agreement, that is, when their two plants are auspiciously arranged in the heavens, it is as two offering-cups split freely in the heavens, to rain the sweet wine of the Gods upon the earth. And then there is great happiness and rejoicing. She sometimes appears in armour, and is thereby a most excellent guardian against the machinations of her sister, the dread Queen ERESHKIGAL of KUR. With the Name and Number of INANNA, no Priest need fear to walk into the very depths of the Underworld; for being armed, in Her armour, he is similar to the Goddess. It was thus that I descended into the foul pits that lie gaping beneath the crust of the earth, and commanded demons. 

She is similarly the Goddess of Love, and bestows a favorable bride upon any man who desires it, and who makes the proper sacrifice…BUT KNOW THAT INANNA TAKES HER OWN FOR HER OWN, AND THAT ONCE CHOSEN BY HER NO MAN MAY TAKE ANOTHER BRIDE. 

Her color is the purest White. Her manifestation is in the metal Copper, and also in the most beautiful flowers of a field, and in the saddest death of the battlefield, which is that field’s fairest flower. Her Gate is the Third you will pass in the rites that follow, and in which place you will be of a heart to stay; but turn you face to the road that leads beyond, for that is your genuine goal, unless the Goddess chooses you. Her Step on the Ladder of Lights, built of old in Babylon and at UR, is White. 

This is her Seal, which you must engrave on Copper, Venus being exalted in the Heavens, with no one about watching its construction. Being finished, it is to be wrapped in the purest silk and lain safely away, only to be removed when need arises, at any time…The Number of INANNA is Fifteen, by which Number she is frequently known in the incantations of the Dispensation, her Seal is the following. 

 

If you are not able to engrave the seal upon its metal, than use a white or pink candle. Also benzoin, jasmine, rose, vanilla incense aromas can be used. The eight-pointed star to the right of the Seal represents the phallic powers being guided by either the Sword of the Watcher or the Copper Dagger. The symbol to the very bottom of the seal represents INNANA’S power as a fertility Goddess and the opening up of the Initiate’s consciousness. The glyph to the far right of the seal represents war, lust, vengeance. The glyph at the very top of the Seal represents the inverse of all the attributes described herein. The seal is an “x” within a square representing the crossroads of the journey. 

This God of the Sun is the Lord SHAMMASH, son of NANNA. He is seated upon a throne of gold, wearing a crown of two horns, holding a sceptre aloft in his right hand and a flame disk in his life, sending rays in every direction. He is the God of Light and of life. His colour is Gold. His Essence is to be found in gold, and in all golden objects and plants. He is sometimes called UDUU. His Gate is the Fourth you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the great Ladder of Lights is Gold. 

This is his Seal, which you must engrave in gold, when the Sun is exalted in the heavens, alone on a mountain top or some such place close to the Rays, but alone. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as it is needed…The Number of SHAMMASH is Twenty and this is his Seal: 

  

 

If you are not able to engrave the Seal of SHAMMASH upon his metal, which is gold, then you can use a few other correspondences that relate to the Sun’s energy. You can use a yellow or orange candle.  It is also advised that you burn the following incense during your Walking. cloves, cinnamon, frankincense, laurel, myrrh. I would also like to note that you can make use of crystals as well throughout the Sea of Spheres. The ‘crippled’ eight-pointed star that is in the center of the Seal represents the Sun’s passage through the world of the dead, like a withered flower. The three glyphs above the eight-pointed star, represent the Sun’s aspect when it is in the world of the ‘living’ namely, the Rising Sun, the Sun in Mid-heaven (noon), and the Setting Sun. 

The God of Mars is the mighty NERGAL..He has the head of a man on the body of a lion, and bears a sword and a flail. He is the God of War, and of the fortunes of War. He was sometimes though to be an agent of the Ancient Ones, for he dwelt in CUTHA for a time. His color is dark red. His essence is to be found in Iron, and in all weapons made to spill the blood of men and of animals. His Gate is the Fifth you will see as you pass the Zones in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Light is Red…This is his Seal, which must be engraved on a plate of Iron, or on paper in blood, when Mars is in exaltation in the heavens. It is best done at night, far from the habitations of men and of animals, where you cannot be seen or heard. It must be wrapped first in heavy cloth, then in fine silk, and hid safe away until such times as it is needed. But to take not to use this Seal hastily, for it is a sharp Sword…The Number of NERGAL is Eight and this is his Seal: 

 

 If you are not able to engrave this Seal upon its metal, which is iron, then burn a red candle during the Walking. You can also burn Tobacco Incense, as another correspondence. The glyph to the far left represents the fiery region that NERGAL rules. The glyph that sits in the on top of the Seal represents the will. The glyph to the far right represents the skillful use of weapons. The glyph at the very bottom of the Seal represents the defensive skills of the warrior. 

The God of Jupiter is the Lord of Magicians, MARDUK KURIOS of the Double-headed Axe. MARDUK was born of our Father, ENKI, to do battle against the forces of the Ancient Ones, and he won a powerful fight, subduing the armies of Evil and putting the Queen of the Ancient Ones beneath his foot. That Serpent is dead, but dreams. MARDUK was bestowed Fifty Names and Powers by the Council of the Elder Gods, which Powers he retains to this day. His color is Purple. His Essence is in the material tin, and in brass. His Gate is the Sixth that you will come upon as you follow the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights in Purple…This is his Seal, which you must engrave on a plate of tin or of brass, when Jupiter is strong in the heavens, while making special invocation to ENKI Our Master. This shall be wrought as the others, and wrapped in pure silk and lain away until the time for its use. Know that MARDUK appears as a mighty warrior with a long beard and a flaming disk in his hands. He carries a bow and a quiver of arrows, and treads about the heavens keeping the Watch. Take care to summon his assistance in only the most terrible of circumstances, for his might is powerful and his anger fierce. When thou hast need of the power of the star Jupiter, call instead one of the appropriate Powers listed within these pages, and they will surely come…The Number of Marduk is Ten and this is his Seal: 

 

 If you are not able to engrave the Seal of MARDUK upon his metal, which is brass, then you can burn a purple candle. You can also burn the following incense; Cedar, nutmeg, cloves, myrrh. The glyph in the center of the Seal represents the inverse energies of PAZUZU, or shows that one has gained power in the land of the Zonei, but not in the Abyss. The glyph of the BANDAR, which is located in the box to the right of the inverted PAZUZU sign, represents the maturity of the Watcher. It is at this point that we find that the Watcher ‘appears holding a ‘Sword of Flames.’ The eight-pointed star appears to the left of the Seal showing us that the when the yang current is on high, or to the right, the yin aspect, which is Ishtar, is in the Abyss. PAZUZU is the shadow side of ENKI. 

 The God of Saturn is NINIB called ADAR, the Lord of Hunters and of Strength. He appears with a crown of horns and a long sword, wearing a lion’s skin. he is the final Zonei before the terrible IGIGI. His colour is the darkest black. His Essence is to be found in lead, in the burnt embers of the fire, and in things of death and of antiquity. The horns of a stag are his symbol. His Gate is the Last you will come upon in the rites that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Black….This is his Seal, which you must engrave on a leaden plate or bowl, keeping it well hidden from the eyes of the profane. It should be wrapped and put away as all the others, until its use is desired. It should never be removed when the Sun is in the sky, but only after the night has fallen and the earth grown black, for NINIB knows the best the ways of the demons that prowl among the shadows, looking for sacrifice. he knows best the territories of the Ancient Ones, the practices of their worshippers, and the locations of the Gates. His realm is the realm of the Night of Time…His Number is Four, as the quarters of the Earth, and the following is his Seal: 

 

 

If you are not able to engrave the Seal of NINIB upon his metal, which is lead, then you should use a black candle during the Walking. You can also use as a correspondence one of the following incense flavors: myrrh, civet, ironwood. The two glyphs in the center of the Seal represent FIRIK and PIRIK. The “N” on the bottom left corner of the Seal, is actually a Roman numeral that represents zero, or death. (In general, the number zero did not have its own Roman numeral, but a primitive form (nulla) was known by medieval computists (responsible for calculating the date of Easter). They included zero (via the Latin word nulla meaning “none”) as one of nineteen epacts, or the age of the moon on March 22. The first three epacts were nullae, xi, and xxii (written in minuscule or lower case). The first known computist to use zero was Dionysius Exiguus in 525. Only one instance of a Roman numeral for zero is known. About 725, Bede or one of his colleagues used the letter N, the initial of nullae, in a table of epacts, all written in Roman numerals) The Glyph to the top left represents an “M” that is turned 90 degrees counter-clockwise or to the left, meaning Left-Hand Path. The letter “M” equals 1,000 in the system of Roman numerals. It is placed in the Seal to represent 1,000 spirits of which are useful. These are the majority of the 1,001 spirits that the Mad Arab stats are useful, in the Book of Calling. The inverted “V” at the bottom right of the Seal represents the dual nature of the ARRA. Since the ARRA also represented the planet Venus, it is a sign that ISHTAR has risen, or the yin current within us. 

The ‘Sleep of ISHTAR’ gives us an account on what ISHTAR had to give up at every Gate. We give up the same things upon our descent from the Earth (KI) until we reach ADAR. This allows us to see our machine and to realize the flaws in our own mechanicalness. There are many ordeals that we face when we are along this path. The Mad Arab gives us many warnings throughout the Simon Necronomicon. He mentions on page 49 the following: 

“And for that reason, the fearful utukku xul take possession of the body and dwell therein until the Priest banish them back to whence they came, and the normal spirit may return to its erstwhile neighborhood.” 

The above quote speaks to us about possession, which will occur during the initiatory steps of Gate-Walking. If we remember in our previous articles, we spoke of how the Simon Necronomicon is a work that mostly employs the use of INVOCATION. This is a term that we define as an entity taking possession of the Initiate. It is through this intercourse with Qliphotic forces that we are transformed. However, if we allow these forces to remain within us, they will incur destruction of some useful aspects of our psyche. This is why the prevalent myth that many New Age doctrines purport is actually more dangerous than fulfilling. One doctrine in particular that can put the Initiate at risk, is the assumption that the precautions of the rituals given in the Simon Necronomicon are unnecessary and that we can control our destiny based on the power of the mind. Ideas like these can cause the Initiate a great deal of misfortune when adopted into the practices of the Simon Necronomicon ,or any form of occult arts. 

First of all, many people who promote these ideas lack mental discipline and their lives are filled with problems. Famous Occultist George Ivanovich Gurdjieff said that the power of changing ourselves does not lie in the mind. Although only the mind cares about the future, only the body and feelings can ‘do.’  But even if a person desires with his mind, it will not him: his desires must be in his emotions. Our minds are not our true selves, but a beautiful instrument that the self uses when the true self has matured. Usually, statements like this are made by individuals who are just too lazy to do the work involved, or they cannot comprehend the knowledge that has been given them, so instead of admitting their own ignorance due to their own laziness, their pride comes to the fore and they propagate the idiotic teachings that what is intuitive is all in the mind. 

The second pitfall for the Initiate could be a lack of sincere effort to work on ourselves using the Occult Arts. Many people enter the world of Occult Studies under the premise that some form of magic is going to fix all their problems or they are going to gain some immense power and do all these supernatural tricks. Richard Laurence, translator of the 1821 edition of the Book of Enoch writes in the Apocrypha: 

 “This kind of easy death, or euthanasia, has an esoteric meaning. It symbolizes the death of any adept who has reached the power and degree, as also the purification, which enable him to die only in the physical body and still live and lead a conscious life in his astral body. The variations on this theme are endless, but the meaning is ever the same.” 

 The goal of the Occult Sciences is to complete the incomplete creation- Man. It is though this completion that we are able to live on as an immortal being. The journey of purification awakens our clairvoyant powers, but these powers are not to be adorned within themselves, for they are only part of the path, and many have never reached their goals due to their intoxication with just being able to do on a minor level. Thus, the Initiate can never achieve true enlightenment and awareness, as long as he/she is on the path of power, though they may be able to do many amazing things. They fate is the same as Narcissus and they become a beautiful flower that will only last for a season. 

 Warlock Asylum