Introduction:

This book aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the initiation into the Black Star of Nuit. The BSON is not a cult, sect, or organization, but rather, a community of like-minded occultists, magicians, writers, and researchers, who are interested in both the left and right-hand path and the philosophical, psychological, theological, spiritual, metaphysical, and existential intersections between them. My first book, The Black Star of Nuit, published by Aeon Sophia Press, aimed to provide a general framework for conjoining the left and right-hand path, however, I felt that it was not entirely cohesive. It not only relied too heavily on Thelemic philosophy but did not capture the ‘essence’ of our spiritual philosophy. It was too ambiguous, lacking its own essential character. When we were compiling the book, the BSON had just begun and we were still receiving gnostic transmissions. Even now, it is continually developing, evolving, and growing. However, I feel that this book captures the essence of our mystical paradigm much more clearly, providing a systematic framework for attaining inner illumination. When writing the book, the archetypal image of the black sun was a recurring theme. This led me to explore the notion of ‘dark luminosity’ throughout art, literature, poetry, theology, and mysticism. Thus, it plays a far more central role in the symbolic schema of the work. I hope that the reader can see how the current has evolved since the first book and where it is headed. The BSON is about creating a spiritual community that does not dogmatically cling onto notions of left and right, but rather, explores the intersections between them, drawing upon various discourses, such as metaphysics, philosophy, psychology, Gnosticism, Satanism, Sufism, shamanism, post-structuralism, theology, Chaosophy, witchcraft, demonology, occultism, magic, tantra, Buddhism, Taoism, mythology, Theosophy, Thelema, Christianity, and Kabbalah. Looking back on the first publication, I feel that there is much to be gained from reading it since it provides an extensive insight into the work of Kenneth Grant, who made such a tremendous contribution to the occult-world, more specifically, the mysteries of the left-hand path. In this sense, it provides a general overview of certain ideas, concepts, and discourses, which are essential to understanding the intersections between the left and right-hand path. I hope the reader can see how my own initiatory path has developed as I have written. Writing about occultism is like writing a diary insofar that it reflects the nature of your spiritual journey as you gain greater insight, understanding and wisdom. I feel that the BSON has matured and this book reflects that. It links together Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufism, Gnosticism, Medieval Alchemy, Jungian Psychology, Satanism, Kabbalah, Demonology, Egyptian Mythology and Thelemic Philosophy, providing a deeper insight into the connections between the right and left-hand path. It is within these intersections or liminal points, where meaning is deeply enriched, that we can spiritually grow without unnecessary dogma. I also wanted to provide a deeper insight into the Qliphoth and what they personally represent within our order. They were only explored briefly in the previous work and therefore I wanted to provide a more in-depth examination, drawing upon various philosophical, metaphysical, and cultural discourses. I also wanted to incorporate Buddhist philosophy to a greater extent into my reading of the Qliphoth. It always intrigued me that the Temple of Black Light referred to Ain as the ‘fullness of emptiness,’ yet never fully explored the connection between Buddhism and the Qliphoth, despite borrowing a Buddhist phrase. Thus, this work heavily draws on Buddhist notions of sunyata, prajna, Tathata, Dharmakaya, and the ‘clear wisdom/light mind.’ It aims links alchemy, Satanism and Eastern mysticism to provide an initiatory framework for the initiate work through so they can attain absolute godhood.

It considers the Qliphoth as representative of the Negative Way, wherein the initiate continually negates until there is nothing left but the “I AM” before the “I AM” itself disappears and they are catapulted into the THREE NEGATIVE VEILS OF EXISTENCE. However, unlike the anti-cosmic Satanists, we do NOT consider this to be the end of the initiatory path since they are spat out of the void and realize that everything is an expression of nothingness. Nothingness makes time, space, motion and consciousness possible, even though it is beyond them. It is an impossible possibility. It is not being, not non-being, not both being and non-being, and not neither being nor non-being, since it is eternal silence. However, at the same time, it makes all these ontological categories possible since it is the groundless ground of nothingness itself. When the initiate is spat out of the void, reality is affirmed but with a new sense of freedom, spaciousness, lightness, liberation, clarity and wisdom. The demiurge is overthrown insofar that the ego is destroyed and they no longer lose themselves in the dizzying dance of Maya, however, they also become the DEMIURGE themselves insofar that they become a living GOD. They attain that which the Hindus describe as ‘Kaivalya,’ meaning aloneness. This means that nothing can take place without the Witness. You make space, time, motion and consciousness possible, even though you are beyond it. You can create any reality you choose. You are no longer an NPC but running a ‘GOD POV SCRIPT’ that allows you to control your own spiritual destiny. You are entirely ALONE insofar that no-one occupies the same reality tunnel as you – you have created the reality you observe since everything is an expression of your Beingness. We call this magical solipsism.