Book review: the Shem Grimoire by Nick Farrell
Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 3:11 am
Book Review: The Shem Grimoire by Nick Farrell. (Publication limited to 200 copies). Available from Lulu.com. c£31.00 + postage
I found this to be a well-researched, modern and comprehensive take on Shem Ha Mephoresh evocation magic. Nick Farrell’s magic is unashamedly based on the on the Golden Dawn system of magic (my only criticism) which is hardly surprising seeing that he is initiated into six different GD-derived systems. The experienced magician can work this grimoire without the GD framework.
Nick is a serious researcher and has produced a complete grimoire that also gives some interesting historical facts such as the basis of the words used in the Goetia’s triangle of evocation. I was also interested in the reference to Abdulafiah’s (1240 -1291 CE) form of ecstatic QBL, as his school is not widely discussed amongst western ceremonial magicians. Nick then gives a system of moving prayer that seems in tune with the Hebrew original of these angels but this is not central to the Grimoire itself.
The first 95 pages are given over to five chapters of background to the grimoire with the other 213 pages constituting the Shem grimoire itself. The grimoire is set out like the goetia and discusses the tools, preparation and evocation ritual before discussing the angels. He starts off with the angels of Leo which is something that I have also noted in a Canadian GD document as opposed to starting off with the angels of Aries. I heard somewhere that the GD used Regulus as their fixed star but never heard of any justification for this, especially when Aries has several fixed stars.
Overall this is a well rounded grimoire that I would recommend to anyone that is seriously interested in working with the Shem angels.
I am now interested in his other books.
I found this to be a well-researched, modern and comprehensive take on Shem Ha Mephoresh evocation magic. Nick Farrell’s magic is unashamedly based on the on the Golden Dawn system of magic (my only criticism) which is hardly surprising seeing that he is initiated into six different GD-derived systems. The experienced magician can work this grimoire without the GD framework.
Nick is a serious researcher and has produced a complete grimoire that also gives some interesting historical facts such as the basis of the words used in the Goetia’s triangle of evocation. I was also interested in the reference to Abdulafiah’s (1240 -1291 CE) form of ecstatic QBL, as his school is not widely discussed amongst western ceremonial magicians. Nick then gives a system of moving prayer that seems in tune with the Hebrew original of these angels but this is not central to the Grimoire itself.
The first 95 pages are given over to five chapters of background to the grimoire with the other 213 pages constituting the Shem grimoire itself. The grimoire is set out like the goetia and discusses the tools, preparation and evocation ritual before discussing the angels. He starts off with the angels of Leo which is something that I have also noted in a Canadian GD document as opposed to starting off with the angels of Aries. I heard somewhere that the GD used Regulus as their fixed star but never heard of any justification for this, especially when Aries has several fixed stars.
Overall this is a well rounded grimoire that I would recommend to anyone that is seriously interested in working with the Shem angels.
I am now interested in his other books.