Its a cloudy day in Gotham City. I had made contact with the infamous Ben Nixx some time ago, and i must say that he has become quite an asset in furthering the Necronomicon Current. Although many of our discussions can never be mentioned in public, Brother Nixx has a way of being that helps him communicate with people of all walks of life. He is not only an Initiate in the Necronomicon Tradition, he spends a good deal of time in sharing his discoveries with other people. he is also a founding member of The Necronomicon Tradition’s secret chamber. In any event, The Shroud got a chance to communicate with members of our staff, who conducted the following interview.
Warlock Asylum: For our readers out there who may not be familiar with who you are, how would you describe yourself?
Ben Nixx: Well, my name in the mundane world is Ben McInnis. I’ve been married for 12 years this Halloween & have four children ages 17, 11, 8, & 4. I’ve been a factory worker for the last 10 years & will most likely continue in this faculty for at least the next fourteen years until my youngest turns 18 when I plan to enter the academic world as either a history or comparative theology professor at the collegiate level.
To the occult world, I am Usum ‘Al-Aswad. I’ve been an occultist for the last 27 years specializing in Left Hand Path spirituality, though my studies have led me all around the spectrum on both sides of the fence. Aside from my Necronomicon Work, I’m involved in a number of Satanic & Left Hand Path groups with varying degrees of responsibility including the Order of Sitra Ahra, the Theistic Church of Satan, Cult of the Ancient Ones, & the SSA.
Within the Necronomicon Tradition, I am the founding Initiate of the Sword of MAGAN, a dojo for those participating in the Gate Walking initiation. I am also a member of the Order of the Necronomicon, & in the formative stages of putting together the Order of ARZIR with Warlock Asylum.
Warlock Asylum: What inspired you to get involved with occult studies?
Ben Nixx: Honestly, role-playing games. I’d started playing Dungeons & Dragons when I was 10 & decided that there had to be something more to magic than just gaming. This is what initially began my studies at age 11; which was coincidentally the same year I discovered H.P. Lovecraft & the Necronomicon.
Warlock Asylum: When did you first hear about the Simon Necronomicon, and what was your reason for exploring such a controversial grimoire in your occult practice?
Ben Nixx: I had discovered the writings of H.P. Lovecraft by chance in a Waldenbook’s store back in 1984. I happened to pull a random book called “The Doom that Came to Sarnath” & was completely enthralled by the cover art. When I discovered that Lovecraft was a Rhode Island native as I am, my love affair with his work began in earnest.
When I read about the Necronomicon, I wondered if it was real & then the next week, I happened to be browsing through the same Waldenbooks & there it was, right on the shelf. I couldn’t believe my eyes & bought it immediately.
My reasons were for power over my life. At that time in my life, I was bullied quite a bit & held a lot of anger against my tormentors. Once I found the Necronomicon, I figured my troubles were over & I could give back what they’d given me in spades. I learned that I had absolutely no clue what I had gotten myself into & paid for my carelessness for years after.
Warlock Asylum: How has your life changed since you have become a Gate-Walker and what lessons did you learn during the process of initiation?
Ben Nixx: For the first time in my life, I feel like a whole person. Throughout my life, I always had the feeling that I was missing something & despite my bad experiences in my formative years of occult studies, it was this nagging thought that kept me studying & working against the odds. Through the years I found hints & clues, but never anything solid that I could build on until I came back to the Necronomicon.
Through the process, I learned how seriously broken I really was & that I would remain so unless I faced those things that had caused the damage in the first place; not only face them, but unmask them & accept them as vital & necessary parts of myself. This opened up all of those old wounds I’d been cultivating for most of my life & scoured them clean so true healing & growth could begin. I learned a lot about forgiveness; especially forgiveness of myself & this opened me up to what I needed the most: love.
I learned I had a Family among the stars that had been there waiting for me my entire life; waiting for me to break down the barriers I’d built that separated us. It is this, more than anything else that established the foundation of my spiritual life that I had always lacked despite a quarter century of study & practice. I finally had a dynamic spiritual experience that was nothing like what I expected, but was exactly what I needed.
Warlock Asylum: Knowing you on a more personal level, I can say that you have grown tremendously on this path, even teaching others and aiding them in their process of self-initiation, how would you compare the Necronomicon Tradition to other systems of occult study?
Ben Nixx: The Necronomicon Tradition is a practical & no-nonsense approach to personal evolution. Where many other systems get bogged down in dogma & tradition, ours dispenses with the bullshit, for lack of a better term, & gets down to the business at hand. What we Necronomicon initiates experience in a few months, most initiates of other systems don’t experience for years. By the same token, the risks we take by engaging in such an intense interaction with our chthonic selves puts us in very real danger if we do not approach the process with virtue & purity. Despite how it seems on the surface, the Necronomicon is not a grimoire of the “black arts” concerned with nothing more than cursing your neighbors into the Stone Age. It is a Work of Spiritual Alchemy that brings us to the very brink of the Abyss & beyond until we are reunited with that part of ourselves that has waited, dead but dreaming, to make us whole & able to make real change in this world & beyond.
Many other systems are concerned with the manifestation of preternatural abilities; the Necronomicon system recognizes the irrelevancy of these “parlor tricks” unless they are the products of dynamic experience & wisdom gained from the relentless testing of the self through the crucible of initiation. We do not face our demons from the safety of the magician’s circle & triangle of evocation; we meet them face to face, unmask them, & welcome back home within ourselves. These “demons” that many occultists so fear are the very sources of the supernatural powers they so desire that could be theirs if they only had the courage to see themselves beyond the masks of fear.
Warlock Asylum: I would like to congratulate you on successfully completing the seven gates of initiation, this is truly a blessing. Are there any experiences that you would like to share with our readers that you found transformational?
Ben Nixx: The entire process was transformational on nearly every level. My experience with the ISHTAR Gate was one of the most traumatizing experiences of my life, but it taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve ever learned: that I have to trust others & admit weakness if I am ever to find strength.
Soon after I Walked ISHTAR, I contracted Lyme Disease with Bell’s Palsy. I’ve always felt I could rely on myself no matter what, but at that time, my body rebelled against me. I learned who I could depend on in my life & once I surrendered my pride & learned the true meaning of love, my healing was swift & complete.
Following that, having to face the full scope of my rage in the NERGAL Gate was frightening but ultimately transformative when I was able to break through the wall of fear & accept that this thing I so feared was truly the greatest power I possess & to truly harness it, I had to welcome it with open arms.
Warlock Asylum Where do you see the Necronomicon Tradition going, in let’s say the next five years?
Ben Nixx: I can see the Tradition growing exponentially & gaining a greater degree of legitimacy in the occult world. At this point, we are seen by many as the bastard children of Crowley & Lovecraft, but as more & more of our Family come to the Tradition & their influence is felt in the world, I think our peers in other circles will have no choice but to stand up & take notice. I also think the next five years will see us becoming much more organized. At this point, while there are lodges such as the Order of the Necronomicon & other groups that engage in this Work, for the most part, it is a solitary practice. This is how it is meant to be, however, I feel that individual Gate-Walkers will begin working cooperatively with other initiates on a grander scale & there will be more social interaction between us.
Warlock Asylum: Now that you have become a teacher of this path. What advice would you give to others who are interested in learning more about the Simon Necronomicon and those who are interested in initiation into the Necronomicon Tradition?
Ben Nixx: Study the Book in-depth; it is a treasure that reveals new depths of wisdom every time you open it. Also, seek a mentor who has been initiated into the system themselves. I cannot stress more the importance of this as it makes the experience richer & more dynamic. Always be aware of your motivations for engaging in this process & check yourself often. Keep your motives pure & seek virtue & understanding over self-gratification; selfishness leads to self annihilation!
Warlock Asylum: What is your perspective on all the “negative propaganda” that has been heaped upon the Simon Necronomicon and its Tradition?
Ben Nixx: Whenever anyone feels the need to degrade another’s beliefs or practices, it shows a lack of conviction in one’s own beliefs. I think so many occultists & scholars attack the Necronomicon & its devotees because they are afraid that what they denounce as a fake is actually more real than anything they themselves have experienced. I very rarely feel the need to debate the efficacy of the Tradition because I know it works & I know it is real beyond any doubt because I’ve experienced it in my life. An armchair occult scholar can pontificate to their heart’s content on the ignobility of the Necronomicon; I know what I’ve experienced & all they have to put up against it is monkey babble!
Warlock Asylum: What future goals do you have in terms of the Necronomicon Tradition, and how has this work affected your life overall, including your relationships with those you love?
Ben Nixx: My future goals are to continue teaching & mentoring others in the Tradition. For myself, I intend to see “just how far down the rabbit hole goes…” in my own explorations. I am an explorer by nature & the realm I choose to approach is consciousness. I’m also called to be a teacher; I can’t help but do it & would do it no matter what my life situation.
My wife is a saint & listens to me indulgently as I talk endlessly about this Tradition that has so captured me & become the central focus of my life. I know she is happy that I have found my path after searching for so long & she has been nothing but loving & supportive of me. I hope to one day share the Tradition with my children, but I want them to choose it for themselves as we each have our own path to Walk & we choose it before we incarnate within these machines we call bodies.
Warlock Asylum: Finally, are there any final thoughts that you would like to express to our readers?
Ben Nixx: If nothing else, follow your instincts; they will never lead you wrong. Don’t get caught up in trying to intellectualize; be the experience & immerse yourself in life! We gain nothing by bringing pain to others, it only brings pain to ourselves; be a blessing to the world & seek love over all things. It will always lead you to your true home.
We would like to thank Brother Ben for taking the time to answer a few questions, and share his insights with us. You can find further jewels in rrelation to his work at his blog, entitled The Sword of Magan:
I love it, Brother! Thank you so much for this opportunity!
I enjoyed this. From my own experience, Ben Nixx ‘Al-Aswad is a worthy addition to your interview subjects. I’m sure his contributions to the Necronomicon tradition are worth pursuing.
Hail Cthulhu!
VS
I would like to thank you for your time and sharing a lot of your wisdom
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this
topic to be really something that I think I would never understand.
It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!