The Western Gate

Gateways Through Light and Shadow: A True Relation of What Transpired Between Frater Ashen Chassan, His Scryer Benn mac Stiofán and the Spirits 
Bryan Garner aka Frater Ashen Chassan
Azoth Press

I bought this book when it first came out, and haven’t read it till now because I was waiting to get his otehr book~ Gateway through Stone and Circle… which I have just purchased, so before the postman brings it to me thought I’d have a quick overview of this tome.
I recently reviewed Claves Intelligentiarum and spoke that not many of these grimoires et al give actual first hand experience, what happened to them etc. Of course the watcher of the wayward must have seen my moaning and brushed away the leave-strewn track and guided me to this book as it IS, not just a tome describing the methods of Angelic working, but, “what transpired thereof”. Both manual and diary.


The methods outlined in this book, go one step further to the first book of Crystal weaning, or let’s say sidestep equal. The methods of conjuration upon angelic spirits are called, and the visions relayed to that conjurer by the conduit/Seer.

Digression:
This book review should have been about John Dee and Edward Kelly as I’m studying, again, the Enochian calls and between the Klein volumes and Leitch’s two volume of angelical language (Which were supposed to be Book review #92) and some other works, I still arrive at the same conclusion. And despondency. I have no doubt what transpired between Dee and Kelly occurred, but do I doubt the Angels? Well, pardon my French, Latin, Hebrew etc, yes I do doubt them. Humble ol’ what do I know upstart.
The Enochian language has no similar and bridged relationships to other languages like Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Sanskrit and indeed Egyptian/Sumerian. In itself, the superior arrogant would declare this proves that it is not manmade, i.e. of or from man, and therefore extra-terrestrial, or, angelic and celestial. So I root out what exactly Dee and Kelly were told, what illuminating oracles of wisdom and portents of fate were given them, and by judging that, I can assay~ to may yay or nay.
And there I found as I closer inspected the evidence, it was literally a maze of ‘cosmology’ and ever confusing means of calling Angels in more and more muddled and puzzled ways. And more importantly, the ‘wisdom‘ given to Dee and Kelly wasn’t much at all. Neither were forewarned about their decline, both materially and physically. Poverty came knocking on the door. The angels/Kelly declared they should share everything, including their wives, and ….of course they/Kelly did. Ah yes, the ol’ chestnut, a bit of lust and feigning the illicit, Always pops its head up when boredom sets in.
End of digression…
The point is, and lets get back to this book, at the outset, for what purpose would I want to conduct a ritual, and all that entails and effort to’ conjure’ an angelic force to answer my bidding. Do I really want to manifest wealth and power and influence? Me, personally no. Do I want knowledge beyond knowledge -that great Occult luminesce in the Nox (Arcana lux in tenebris lucet), where does that path lead? it’s a never ending path, never straight forward, and if your sanity can handle that eternal concept, madness will not be that far behind. I can attest to that.
So at the outset, my will and desire is half hearted, I would much rather engage in creative works of projecting art onto a canvas, pen upon paper and music to a battered old four track .
All that said, Bryan Garner’s book is great (at last ! a review !! ) it is concise in its method, and yes he hints at the deviation from those old dusty manuscripts that disturbed the priests of yore. More importantly, we have the diary, what occurred, and for me this is what I would want in any grimoire. Yes it can be subjective, none of us will produce the same results just as being told to draw a picture of our mother will yield difference between everybody elses, even if we all have been taught the same method of construction of anatomy and drawing techniques. Having results applied should be mandatory, perhaps my time spent at Imperial College this last decade is rubbing off, everything being ordered and laid out as a thesis;- Framework, Methodology and Results. Some books are just the scaffolding, some -as most grimoires- the Methods.
Admittedly, Garner doesn’t give much background, but we can Garner what he says. (! ffs)
Its a bit of hunk of book, but reads well, no language tangle, no thickets of prose, and no dull smattering of verbal fog that sends you to sleep, so as wieldy as it is, the trek and pursuit is firm footed.
Of course, many of these texts are firmly rooted in the Abrahamic tradition, God this God that, Jesus this and Lord have mercy, it offers little help in that respect for us heathens who still cast wonder at they who would bow before the spirit of the desert winds in this lush and green environment. I suppose one could rename the ingredients of the broth. Viz;- as we would call each supplement in our secret brews by names familiar to ‘ us and trusted’ alone. Would it work? does it work?
Garner shows us methods of consecrating elemental ‘weapons’ then sending the seer to the astral world and elemental in question. There are methods familiar to my lucid dream working. Using certain symbols as means of recognition, or tokens of will. Garner uses the Tattwa elements, those classical elements of Water, Earth, Fire and Air. There is a sprinkling of the Solomonic gestures and a pinch of our Victorian busybody occultists Pentagram/hexagram rituals and a bit of Dee/Kelly (ahem) . would it matter if my mind is divergent from these systems, would the principle still work? And the answer is , yes.
With this book and Gateway’s through Stone and Circle, and the Clavis Spirituum and Clavis Intelligentiarum of David Rankine, and perhaps add his two Grimoire Encyclopedias, the concise and complete framework for practical and ceremonial magic is in your hands. Of course, 777 by Crowley is always handy.
A great read, a great addition.

Header Image: The Conjuror   Nathaniel Hone the Elder. 1775