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The Seven Faces of Darkness: Practical Typhonian Magic
Here is a book which penetrates to the core of the Typhonian current active in the world today-- and does so by returning to the very fountainheads of Setian practice and philosophy. Never before has anyone made the true Typhonian current more plain and objective, in practice or in theory.
116 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1996
About the author
Don Webb
187 books73 followersDon Webb teaches High School English in a reform school in rural Texas by day, Creative Writing for UCLA Extension by night. He has a had a mystery series at St. Martin's Press, a series of books on contemporary and Late Antique magical practice from Runa Raven Press, and more than 300 published short stories of SF/F/H. His work has been translated into 11 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 11, 2013
Now more than twenty years old, this was Don Webb’s first occult book, to be followed by the enormously popular “Uncle Setnakt’s Essential Guide to the Left Hand Path.” This book has been less popular. Partly that’s because it is more challenging, demanding a higher level of commitment on the part of the reader, but it seems to me as well that the book is less successful in terms of what it has to offer.
Webb was (and is) first and foremost a writer of fiction. I think trying his hand at long-format nonfiction proved a greater challenge for him than he might have expected. The book is broken into seven chapters that don’t seem to hang together that well (more on this later). It lacks the intimate style that makes “Setnakt’s” so approachable, and even lacks Webb’s familiar numbered lists, one of his favorite tactics to convey information in short, clear points. Given that it is an attempt at a “scholarly” approach to its topic, it’s also noteworthy that it lacks citations or references of any kind, although it includes an extensive bibliography as well as a list of “a few titles for your library” that is essentially an annotated, shortened, version of the bibliography. The lack of footnotes is at times frustrating, because it is hard to know how Webb knows much of what he claims to know here, but in fairness this is pretty typical of occult publishing. On the whole the book is better edited than most of its genre, despite some typos and one particularly bad paragraph on page 75.
The topic of Webb’s inquiry is the “Typhonian” current of magic, practiced more or less underground during the decline of the Roman empire by individuals combining Greek and Egyptian mythology. As then-High-Priest of the Temple of Set, Webb is particularly interested in the central figure of Set-Typhon, a combination of a Greek Titan with the Egyptian god who killed Osiris and became associated with “evil.” He also claims that many of the spells involve the magician transforming himself into the god-figure and thus finds the tradition to be resonant with current Left Hand Path thinking, but this is one of the parts that could use clearer documentation. Webb’s sources are largely published translations of magical papyri which are not generally considered “important” by researchers, but have been used as exemplars or translation exercises for students.
The most interesting chapter, for me, was chapter seven, in which Webb gives a commentary and analysis of a spell from a papyrus. Here, giving a careful word-for-word transcription of his original source (the Bremmer-Rhind papyrus), he offers some reproducible research and unique interpretation, as well as insight into the particular nature of his magical work with the Temple of Set. He offers new insight into the “Aeonic Word” upon which the Temple was founded and suggests new directions it might (and since has) be interpreted. This historical insight will remain of interest to anyone interested in late-20th-century occultism, even though the rest of the book seems less useful, and more quickly dated, to me.
Webb was (and is) first and foremost a writer of fiction. I think trying his hand at long-format nonfiction proved a greater challenge for him than he might have expected. The book is broken into seven chapters that don’t seem to hang together that well (more on this later). It lacks the intimate style that makes “Setnakt’s” so approachable, and even lacks Webb’s familiar numbered lists, one of his favorite tactics to convey information in short, clear points. Given that it is an attempt at a “scholarly” approach to its topic, it’s also noteworthy that it lacks citations or references of any kind, although it includes an extensive bibliography as well as a list of “a few titles for your library” that is essentially an annotated, shortened, version of the bibliography. The lack of footnotes is at times frustrating, because it is hard to know how Webb knows much of what he claims to know here, but in fairness this is pretty typical of occult publishing. On the whole the book is better edited than most of its genre, despite some typos and one particularly bad paragraph on page 75.
The topic of Webb’s inquiry is the “Typhonian” current of magic, practiced more or less underground during the decline of the Roman empire by individuals combining Greek and Egyptian mythology. As then-High-Priest of the Temple of Set, Webb is particularly interested in the central figure of Set-Typhon, a combination of a Greek Titan with the Egyptian god who killed Osiris and became associated with “evil.” He also claims that many of the spells involve the magician transforming himself into the god-figure and thus finds the tradition to be resonant with current Left Hand Path thinking, but this is one of the parts that could use clearer documentation. Webb’s sources are largely published translations of magical papyri which are not generally considered “important” by researchers, but have been used as exemplars or translation exercises for students.
The most interesting chapter, for me, was chapter seven, in which Webb gives a commentary and analysis of a spell from a papyrus. Here, giving a careful word-for-word transcription of his original source (the Bremmer-Rhind papyrus), he offers some reproducible research and unique interpretation, as well as insight into the particular nature of his magical work with the Temple of Set. He offers new insight into the “Aeonic Word” upon which the Temple was founded and suggests new directions it might (and since has) be interpreted. This historical insight will remain of interest to anyone interested in late-20th-century occultism, even though the rest of the book seems less useful, and more quickly dated, to me.
September 7, 2012
A great book for understanding the Typhonian current, and how it relates to the Egyptian Set.
April 16, 2024
Non mi ha fatto impazzire l'impostazione del libro, diviso in 7 capitoli poco connessi tra loro, né la particolare forma mentis dei setiani. Tuttavia, va riconosciuto che è il primo libro dedicato a Set-Tifone che leggo, di stampo puramente pratico e non "storico/archeologico". Di conseguenza guardo con simpatia allo scritto, pur non ritrovandomi in alcune definizioni teoriche. Allo stesso tempo, mi è parso di notare che l'autore deformi un poco la realtà mitologica/storica al fine di avvalorare le sue ipotesi circa il suo culto.
Il motivo per cui le stelle sono 4, però, è dovuto al fatto che contiene delle traduzioni dai PGM, con focus su Set-Tifone. Già questo, di persé, è un punto di valore. Pregevole il fatto che si diano alternative a elementi rituali oggi non più socialmente accettabili (e che personalmente non vorrei accettare comunque). Altro bonus apprezzato: i libri consigliati e una bibliografia nutrita sul fondo.
Il libro è inoltre veramente corto (93pagine) e, in definitiva, il prezzo sul mercato italiano per il testo mi è parso un po' alto. Allo stesso tempo, per chi ricerca su questa determinata figura, è una tappa da fare, forti tuttavia di un background che permetta di scremare e costruirsi la propria personale visione.
Il motivo per cui le stelle sono 4, però, è dovuto al fatto che contiene delle traduzioni dai PGM, con focus su Set-Tifone. Già questo, di persé, è un punto di valore. Pregevole il fatto che si diano alternative a elementi rituali oggi non più socialmente accettabili (e che personalmente non vorrei accettare comunque). Altro bonus apprezzato: i libri consigliati e una bibliografia nutrita sul fondo.
Il libro è inoltre veramente corto (93pagine) e, in definitiva, il prezzo sul mercato italiano per il testo mi è parso un po' alto. Allo stesso tempo, per chi ricerca su questa determinata figura, è una tappa da fare, forti tuttavia di un background che permetta di scremare e costruirsi la propria personale visione.
September 13, 2023
I read this hoping to get concrete evidence regarding the influence of Set on the PGM, but this mostly just seemed like wishful thinking combined with confirmation bias.
When he brings up Crowley, which is often, his history on the subject is always off.
Likewise I read it hoping it would give some practical basics for beginners, but I'd still suspect that it is unreliable, and rather that it is just self-serving to the Setians of the Temple of Set.
When he brings up Crowley, which is often, his history on the subject is always off.
Likewise I read it hoping it would give some practical basics for beginners, but I'd still suspect that it is unreliable, and rather that it is just self-serving to the Setians of the Temple of Set.
August 14, 2020
It gives a framework to understand Sethanic way of working and thinking. I need to verify some information given, but seems to be very academic based. Have many spells and rituals to inspire too.
April 13, 2021
A good starting point for further study.
June 5, 2016
Couldn't put it down.
A real page-turner.
Very Informative, illuminating and revealing.
A real page-turner.
Very Informative, illuminating and revealing.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews