The Western Gate

Vol 1 – The Sworn and Secret Grimoire
Vol 2 – Cyprian’s Office of Spirits

Night School
Jake Stratton Kent
Hadean Press

Hadean press released as a limited (300) set the two grimoires that Jake Stratton-Kent had released under the titles of ‘Night School’. These being ~ The Sworn and Secret Grimoire, and as JSK describes is presented as a guide to ‘Grimoiring’, based primarily on the Grimoire of Turiel. Its approach is easy access, capable and to the point. Acting as a reference there is no need to try and find any bits of information a practitioner needs, all laid out logically and simply. Dealing with planetary logos, that is, not so much worship of the planets as being mysterious objects that dance across the sky, but as attributes assigned to them Though the grimoire draws on the old Turiel methods it is not presented as antiquated or as an object to view with curious bewilderment but as a tool in which one can formulate their work and access ritual. There are invocations, simple and adaptable unlike many modern grimoires filled with hyperbole and lengthy naïve poetry.
The grimoire is from a tradition steeped in the Abrahamic tradition, Old Testament musings and oblations to Christ and also with Renaissance teachings concerning ‘Olympic spirits’ and the Greek Magicial System, aligned of course to the ‘traditional’ seven planetary spheres. In brief, for want of a better word it is an introductory grimoire, however one that could be used throughout a lifetimes work as it sets a template by which in one way or other all subsequent grimoire and rituals are formulated or have drawn upon this template.

Vol 2- The – Cyprian’s Office of Spirits. The work now becomes a tad more complex, timings by virtue of Lunar tides and associations added to the work of the practitioner. The ‘elementals’ and names of kings and queens, star sign processions and correspondence which makes the ritual become more elaborate and perhaps frustrating to be exact. In the path by which I work for instance, things are much simpler, In most ritual create on the waxing and dismantle on the waning of the moon, Create in Spring, dismantle in autumn etc, that which is natural. The writers of the old grimoires would not have it so, instead, names needed to be learnt, specific angels, specific associations and what was blindingly obvious and natural began to become muddied and ego-centred until we reach the mammoth grimoires of the modern age full of bluster and unmemorable sigils and complex patterns to memorise.
Jake Stratton-Kent is one of the luminaires of the modern age, his work is well respected, The True grimoire, Pandemonioum, Geosophia, all classics and must haves on the shelf of any dabbler, student or curious/serious researcher and I would not hesitate to recommend his work and name to anyone embarking on discovering this strange and obscure path. It is a shame his previous works were not presented in the same manner as this slipcase set, I am sure, somewhere, sometime all his work will be presented in glorious bound volumes as they deserve to be. He is an author alike Peterson, Skinner, Rankine et al- one of the go-to authors when it comes to researching the works of grimoires. JSK writes in a way that is not patronising and certainly not in that pompous elitist style so favoured by many in this field, in as much I would probably place his works first in this genre to collect/read.
I include below a memorial video, as discussed by those who knew him including Peter Grey & Alkistis Dimech of the wonderful Scarlet Imprint publishing house;-

And also this wonderful piece of writing as an;- Eulogy

——

The only reason I haven’t gave this full five stars, are because it is a limited release, its a beautiful edition that deserves more access though they are available via Hadean press website as paperbacks viz;- Sworn and secret grimoire and Cyprians Office of Spirits