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Typhonian Trilogies #4
Nightside of Eden
Famed occultist Kenneth Grant continues his explorations of the left hand path in the compelling study that begins with the evolution of the Sephiroth of the Quabalistic Tree of Life. He delves into the almost unknown nightside of the tree ,finding evidence of extraterrestrial dimensions that, even now, stir our group unconscious in potentially dangerous ways. We must understand these powers, says Grant, for if they are not controlled, the violent disruptions which are already overtaking civilization will become pandemic.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published May 28, 1995
31 people are currently reading
863 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Grant
68 books197 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Kenneth Grant was the head of several important Thelemic orders and author of the influential “Typhonian Trilogies” series (1972–2002) that includes The Magical Revival, Nightside of Eden and Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God.
In 1939, Kenneth Grant chanced upon Crowley’s Magick in Theory and Practice and a few years later began a correspondence with the author (see Remembering Aleister Crowley, Skoob Books, 1991) that would lead to him joining the Ordo Templi Orientis. In 1946, he was initiated into the Argentum Astrum and was confirmed as an IX° in the O.T.O.
Shortly after Crowley’s death in 1947 Grant met David Curwen. Also member of the O.T.O. Sovereign Sanctuary, a keen alchemist and a student of tantra, Curwen initiated Grant into “a highly recondite formula of the tantric vama marg.” This experience further deepened Grant’s interest in oriental mysticism and he detailed his work with the Advaita Vedanta in a number of essays for Asian journals in the early 1950s (later published as At the Feet of the Guru, Starfire, 2006).
In 1948, Kenneth Grant’s wife Steffi (they were married in 1946) wrote to Austin Osman Spare and the couple began an eight-year friendship with the artist. The bookseller Michael Houghton had already introduced Grant to Spare’s opus, The Book of Pleasure, and Spare elucidated his theories with letters and enclosures of manuscripts, with Kenneth acting as amanuensis. In 1954, Spare and Grant co-founded the Zos Kia Cultus: not a cult in the objective sense, but a designation given to the creative nexus of personal magical experience (see Zos Speaks!, Fulgur, 1999).
In the same year Grant founded the New Isis Lodge, with the intention of providing a conduit for “the influx of cosmic energy from a transplutonic power-zone known to initiates as Nu-Isis.” The group ran until 1962 and various accounts of the experiences of the group may be found throughout the “Typhonian Trilogies”.
Coetaneous with the New Isis Lodge, Kenneth and Steffi Grant began work on the Carfax Monographs. This series of ten essays was issued between 1959 and 1963 with the explicit intention to “elucidate the hidden lore of the West according to canons preserved in various esoteric orders and movements of recent times.” It was the beginning of a unique 50 year contribution to Thelemic literature and art that spans poetry, biographical works, fact and fiction.
Copyright © Robert Ansell, 2007
http://www.fulgur.co.uk/authors/grant/
Kenneth Grant was the head of several important Thelemic orders and author of the influential “Typhonian Trilogies” series (1972–2002) that includes The Magical Revival, Nightside of Eden and Aleister Crowley and the Hidden God.
In 1939, Kenneth Grant chanced upon Crowley’s Magick in Theory and Practice and a few years later began a correspondence with the author (see Remembering Aleister Crowley, Skoob Books, 1991) that would lead to him joining the Ordo Templi Orientis. In 1946, he was initiated into the Argentum Astrum and was confirmed as an IX° in the O.T.O.
Shortly after Crowley’s death in 1947 Grant met David Curwen. Also member of the O.T.O. Sovereign Sanctuary, a keen alchemist and a student of tantra, Curwen initiated Grant into “a highly recondite formula of the tantric vama marg.” This experience further deepened Grant’s interest in oriental mysticism and he detailed his work with the Advaita Vedanta in a number of essays for Asian journals in the early 1950s (later published as At the Feet of the Guru, Starfire, 2006).
In 1948, Kenneth Grant’s wife Steffi (they were married in 1946) wrote to Austin Osman Spare and the couple began an eight-year friendship with the artist. The bookseller Michael Houghton had already introduced Grant to Spare’s opus, The Book of Pleasure, and Spare elucidated his theories with letters and enclosures of manuscripts, with Kenneth acting as amanuensis. In 1954, Spare and Grant co-founded the Zos Kia Cultus: not a cult in the objective sense, but a designation given to the creative nexus of personal magical experience (see Zos Speaks!, Fulgur, 1999).
In the same year Grant founded the New Isis Lodge, with the intention of providing a conduit for “the influx of cosmic energy from a transplutonic power-zone known to initiates as Nu-Isis.” The group ran until 1962 and various accounts of the experiences of the group may be found throughout the “Typhonian Trilogies”.
Coetaneous with the New Isis Lodge, Kenneth and Steffi Grant began work on the Carfax Monographs. This series of ten essays was issued between 1959 and 1963 with the explicit intention to “elucidate the hidden lore of the West according to canons preserved in various esoteric orders and movements of recent times.” It was the beginning of a unique 50 year contribution to Thelemic literature and art that spans poetry, biographical works, fact and fiction.
Copyright © Robert Ansell, 2007
http://www.fulgur.co.uk/authors/grant/
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 4, 2023
While reading Nightside of Eden, I asked myself, “Self, why would you read this, can't you see that Grant's writing is so intimidatingly dense, that your head aches and you are continually referring to the dictionary and thesaurus to look up words, cross-referencing other occult grimoires, and is it not evident this is entirely way too much work for your puny head, that your breadth of knowledge and understanding of the occult is inadequate and your uninitiated ass has not yet built the mental and spiritual capacity to fully absorb and appreciate this Liber arcanum. Self, you. are. in. way. over. your. head.”
To which Self replied, “Do not be so lazy, yes, it’s difficult to read because you don’t know all the information here, and that pain in your head is what the process of learning feels like, caloric energy stores are burning wildly in order to support neuro-reconstruction of your brain, axon terminals and dendrites stretching out their tendrils transmitting synapses connecting to other neurons building and solidifying new neural pathways. In fact, the qabbalistic diagram you are looking at on page 7 displays how you are elevating from one sphere to the next upon the pathways prescribed for traveling in order to ascend the tree, a simplistic representation to help quantify the multi-dimensional series of self-actualization.”
“But Self, why would I read this and subject myself to the troubles of learning this material, when will I ever use it?”
*Lights dim, temperature drops, and the air becomes thick with the reek of sulfur*
“Troglodyte! You need not learn anything, except how to eat and procreate, life is nothing but a never-ending flow of bodily fluids and will never be anything other than this heaping sack of internal plumbing all the way up until the day every drop of moisture dries up from your corporis and return back to the dust from which it came. Your existence is so meaningless that it really never happened.”
To say the least, Me and Myself took a long time to toil through and digest this book. The shadow side of self-improvement is real and for any significant change to occur requires me to be honest while facing and dealing with the darker aspects of my being before I am ever going to be able to reach my fullest potential. The revelation that there is a qabalistic/qliphotic means of achieving that was both interesting and enough to turn this literary challenge into a joy.
Kenneth Grant has one of those beautiful minds. He is one of those people I would choose to have a conversation with if I had a choice of speaking to anyone from any era, dead or alive, only because I just want to know how the world looks through the eyes of someone with all the knowledge he possesses. I imagine he has the potential to see the divine where most of the world can only see the gross and mundane as if with enough cerebrum esoterica one could create an internal Viewmaster that reveals the unseen and unknown levels, layers, and dimensions to all things which those of us uninitiated would miss entirely. In Nightside of Eden, Grant presents information from various sources which he masterfully ties in altogether paragraph after paragraph in rapid machine gun succession in an overwhelming wave of esoteric glossolalia. A large portion of the book is reserved for footnotes which were essential for this read because they help to explain the meanings and origins of the words, concepts, and symbols as well as from where Grant got his information.
To which Self replied, “Do not be so lazy, yes, it’s difficult to read because you don’t know all the information here, and that pain in your head is what the process of learning feels like, caloric energy stores are burning wildly in order to support neuro-reconstruction of your brain, axon terminals and dendrites stretching out their tendrils transmitting synapses connecting to other neurons building and solidifying new neural pathways. In fact, the qabbalistic diagram you are looking at on page 7 displays how you are elevating from one sphere to the next upon the pathways prescribed for traveling in order to ascend the tree, a simplistic representation to help quantify the multi-dimensional series of self-actualization.”
“But Self, why would I read this and subject myself to the troubles of learning this material, when will I ever use it?”
*Lights dim, temperature drops, and the air becomes thick with the reek of sulfur*
“Troglodyte! You need not learn anything, except how to eat and procreate, life is nothing but a never-ending flow of bodily fluids and will never be anything other than this heaping sack of internal plumbing all the way up until the day every drop of moisture dries up from your corporis and return back to the dust from which it came. Your existence is so meaningless that it really never happened.”
To say the least, Me and Myself took a long time to toil through and digest this book. The shadow side of self-improvement is real and for any significant change to occur requires me to be honest while facing and dealing with the darker aspects of my being before I am ever going to be able to reach my fullest potential. The revelation that there is a qabalistic/qliphotic means of achieving that was both interesting and enough to turn this literary challenge into a joy.
Kenneth Grant has one of those beautiful minds. He is one of those people I would choose to have a conversation with if I had a choice of speaking to anyone from any era, dead or alive, only because I just want to know how the world looks through the eyes of someone with all the knowledge he possesses. I imagine he has the potential to see the divine where most of the world can only see the gross and mundane as if with enough cerebrum esoterica one could create an internal Viewmaster that reveals the unseen and unknown levels, layers, and dimensions to all things which those of us uninitiated would miss entirely. In Nightside of Eden, Grant presents information from various sources which he masterfully ties in altogether paragraph after paragraph in rapid machine gun succession in an overwhelming wave of esoteric glossolalia. A large portion of the book is reserved for footnotes which were essential for this read because they help to explain the meanings and origins of the words, concepts, and symbols as well as from where Grant got his information.
September 14, 2015
The often obtuse and much maligned Kenneth Grant is probably one of the least understood occultist and writers of the 20th century. Within the shadowy world of the arcane and esoteric the reactions and opinions concerning Grant and his writings are passionate and varied. Some consider him the rightful successor of the legendary Aleister Crowley and the "Left Hand Path" while others consider him no more that a madman.
'Nightside of Eden' first published in '77 has taken almost as much negative criticism as the man himself. This is a book shunned by many, even feared by some. Words such as delusional and incoherent are among those used to describe this evocative text. I stand on the other side of the ongoing debate and consider it to be the most insightful and influential work on the qlipothic energies and their function and activity on the Tree of Life ever published. The major fault almost always pointed out by the detractors of this abstract work is the fact that almost no previous body of esoteric teaching concerning these qlipothic energies exist to support Grant's claims. It's this lack of quasi-historical validation that turns many away from the contents of this book.
Kenneth Grant's books are never an easy read and this one maybe one of the most difficult of all. Highly original and imaginative in content, Grant displays his impressive knowledge of arcane signs and symbols and an innate ability to blend the very personal aspects of thought and imagination with the more impersonal aspects of theory and practice.
One thing seems certain, there will never be a true consensus of opinion on the value, or lack of value of the 'Nightside of Eden.' Thus the debate rages on. Is it a masterpiece or the ranting and raving of an egomanical manic? Maybe the more important question would be, is it Atavastic Breakthrough or Psychotic Breakdown?
'Nightside of Eden' first published in '77 has taken almost as much negative criticism as the man himself. This is a book shunned by many, even feared by some. Words such as delusional and incoherent are among those used to describe this evocative text. I stand on the other side of the ongoing debate and consider it to be the most insightful and influential work on the qlipothic energies and their function and activity on the Tree of Life ever published. The major fault almost always pointed out by the detractors of this abstract work is the fact that almost no previous body of esoteric teaching concerning these qlipothic energies exist to support Grant's claims. It's this lack of quasi-historical validation that turns many away from the contents of this book.
Kenneth Grant's books are never an easy read and this one maybe one of the most difficult of all. Highly original and imaginative in content, Grant displays his impressive knowledge of arcane signs and symbols and an innate ability to blend the very personal aspects of thought and imagination with the more impersonal aspects of theory and practice.
One thing seems certain, there will never be a true consensus of opinion on the value, or lack of value of the 'Nightside of Eden.' Thus the debate rages on. Is it a masterpiece or the ranting and raving of an egomanical manic? Maybe the more important question would be, is it Atavastic Breakthrough or Psychotic Breakdown?
May 10, 2015
This is quite possibly the most interesting book I have ever read. a great deal of preparatory training in Magical practice is rather routine, memorization of correspondences, the learning of the necessary ancient languages, the development of necessary artistic and craftsman skills, then a great deal of exciting practice ensues. This book will provide the advanced magician with all the necessary knowledge to work with an extraordinary current, to have some very unusual experiences that cannot be had any other way, and to experience some very interesting States of Consciousness. As always with Grant, he is reporting a great deal of channeled, skryed, and received information from another universe, one that exists within the Waters of Chaos, as a result his Qabala and History seem strange, surreal, and bizarre in the context of this universe. The facts are that this is a very workable system which is rapidly transforming the occult landscape. It explains a great deal to practitioners of various stranger aspects of Tantric Buddhism and Tantric Hinduism, though Grants sources are certainly non traditional the philosophy and practice are spot on with the Vamacharya traditions and can only increase the development and understanding of the advanced practitioner. It is fashionable in many occult circles to denigrate Grants writings, largely because of rivalries which should be old news at this point, it is for the best that the T.O.T.O. and traditional O.T.O. remain separate traditions as they are different workings. But those who are watching are actively involved in this tradition and it is rapidly making significant changes in this universe through many avenues, before dismissing the whole process it would be advised that those without recognize how far reaching these effects may become. This working is not for the inexperienced or even intermediary practitioner, however it can be safely and effectively used by anyone with an advanced degree of adept hood and will provided a great deal of understanding and wisdom in that context.
November 16, 2022
So far, Grant is a really mixed bag. I'm reading the trilogies through from beginning to end for the first time, and have really enjoyed some elements this far, so bear with me.
Here, we have a sort of (willful?) misunderstanding of tantra next to Golden Dawn style Qabala (itself a rather loose appropriation of Kabbalah). Points are suggested by association rather than shown by logic or historical exegesis. Chapters often are simply a list of qualities and associations presented as if they are prose. They might mean something to someone sharing Grant's exact initiatic background, but mean little outside of those contexts.
The redeeming factor is that Grant occasionally becomes a poet and rises above the soup of "correspondences" to make declarations that are decidedly alien and strange. If it is true that he understood his work as moreso weird fiction than history or mythography, then his output can be afforded more space. Even AS weird fiction though, this is not a particularly suggestive specimen.
One of Grant's overarching presuppositions is that the "Qabalistic" (ie Golden Dawn & AA) numerology loosed based on the Hebrew tradition actually somehow points to or constitutes an understanding of proto-Indo-European word roots. This is an interesting idea, and I sometimes find his word associations (such as between Sanskrit, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Hebrew words) to be surprising - and this kind of excavation may be worth it, because mainstream linguists don't seem terribly interested in this sort of thing. (But for a more rigorous take I recommend Other sources such as Onians' "The Origins of European Thought")
The language Grant uses also bears the direct imprint of Crowley's misogyny, which for all of its centering of the feminine divine still abounds with phrases like "the magical use of woman" and routine use of derogatory terminology and mechanistic portrayals of intimacy.
The reality is that this book is a slog, and unless you are as turned on as Grant is by ... Erm "effluvia" you probably won't find much to celebrate here.
Here, we have a sort of (willful?) misunderstanding of tantra next to Golden Dawn style Qabala (itself a rather loose appropriation of Kabbalah). Points are suggested by association rather than shown by logic or historical exegesis. Chapters often are simply a list of qualities and associations presented as if they are prose. They might mean something to someone sharing Grant's exact initiatic background, but mean little outside of those contexts.
The redeeming factor is that Grant occasionally becomes a poet and rises above the soup of "correspondences" to make declarations that are decidedly alien and strange. If it is true that he understood his work as moreso weird fiction than history or mythography, then his output can be afforded more space. Even AS weird fiction though, this is not a particularly suggestive specimen.
One of Grant's overarching presuppositions is that the "Qabalistic" (ie Golden Dawn & AA) numerology loosed based on the Hebrew tradition actually somehow points to or constitutes an understanding of proto-Indo-European word roots. This is an interesting idea, and I sometimes find his word associations (such as between Sanskrit, ancient Egyptian, Greek and Hebrew words) to be surprising - and this kind of excavation may be worth it, because mainstream linguists don't seem terribly interested in this sort of thing. (But for a more rigorous take I recommend Other sources such as Onians' "The Origins of European Thought")
The language Grant uses also bears the direct imprint of Crowley's misogyny, which for all of its centering of the feminine divine still abounds with phrases like "the magical use of woman" and routine use of derogatory terminology and mechanistic portrayals of intimacy.
The reality is that this book is a slog, and unless you are as turned on as Grant is by ... Erm "effluvia" you probably won't find much to celebrate here.
November 24, 2009
Working with the Tunnels of Set? this book will help you as you wander through.
April 13, 2025
It is an interesting read of how it formed the starting point for the Western Left-hand path, and I enjoyed reading the back quarter of the book which covered the Tunnels of Set; however, Grant's use of correspondences to make his case is complete nonsense and instantly disintegrates any point he is trying to make.
January 29, 2021
This book is incredibly silly, but quite entertaining if you want to be amused in the most outrageous way possible. Grant takes Gerald Massey, Dion Fortune, and HP Lovecraft far too seriously, and then tops it off perfectly with UFOs and ETIs. However, if someone adapted this into a Netflix horror-comedy, it would probably end up being my next favorite TV show, even with all the blatant homophobia...
June 8, 2012
Fascinating insight into the tunnels of set
November 25, 2021
I'm splitting the difference between 5 and 0/1 stars since this is a technical book in a way, and will mean different things to the typical reader, or even a reader well versed in occult topics, and people specifically interested in Grant's Typhonian system. I personally come down pretty much on the side of Grant having grabbed the occult snake by the tail and lost control of it. I have four books of his in this series and the progression of his style and approach seems to corroborate it.
Still, it's a fascinating read, from many points of view. You might want to start with the Magical Revival and work through them in order.
Note also that some of the Muller/Weiser/SKOOB early editions are terribly edited and full of typos; I haven't had my hands on the post-SKOOB editions but I am given to understand that they have been carefully corrected and re-edited.
Still, it's a fascinating read, from many points of view. You might want to start with the Magical Revival and work through them in order.
Note also that some of the Muller/Weiser/SKOOB early editions are terribly edited and full of typos; I haven't had my hands on the post-SKOOB editions but I am given to understand that they have been carefully corrected and re-edited.
December 4, 2019
Libro de lectura obligada y primordial para magos y hechiceros. Destaca lo indispensable de la exploración del subconsciente para conectar con las divinidades primigenias ocultas en la oscuridad profunda de la mente (los túneles de Set), la importancia del equilibrio y la fuerza de voluntad para no desconectarse de lo racional y el poder que hay en los dioses de la noche
November 8, 2023
Wow, Kenneth Grant write about magic and caballah and retranslate speech of Crowley better then anybody else. Maybe only Regardi is better
December 26, 2024
Loved this book
July 7, 2013
Some interesting ideas about Sex Magick and the Qlippoth.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews