I have very fond memories of Kenneth Grant – very fond memories indeed. Unlike quite a few of my friends, I never got expelled from his Typhonian OTO, I resigned and he was gracious enough to allow me to exit, gracefully. I was a member of his Sovereign Sanctuary.
It all came about because of this. I wasn’t interested in Indian traditions at all, until 1974 or so, when a vivid dream woke me up to stuff. Kenneth, actually, was very knowledgeable about tha tantrik traditions. Apart from spending a great deal of time in India in the 1950s, he also contributed many articles about Hinduism to Man, Myth and Magic.
He was very sympathetic to me when in 1978 threw up a good job to visit Mahendranath (Dadaji) in Old Mehmadabad. I had corresponded with Dadaji for well over a year – I sought tantrik initiation.
In a very sympathetic conversation I had with Aossic Aiwass, the then OHO of the Typhonian OTO, I had spelled out my vivid dream to him, and I asked him for tantrik initiation. He said he had never had tantrik initiation. Shortly after this, I got a letter from Dadaji – he had had articles published in John Spiers’ magazine Values, and John Spiers and I had exchanged adverts with each other – me in my first magazine Azoth. Dadaji asked me to send him copies of Azoth and latterly SOTHiS magazine – Jan Bailey, David Hall and myself had just started this organ.
I felt I had to go to India and seek initiation into a tradition that suddenly appeared to be in my mind and in my heart and in my body. Kenneth conferred a VII degree honorary initiation on Mahendranath, never to my knowledge rescinded.
I continue to have the utmost regard for Kenneth Grant – his knowledge was deep, practical and full of wisdom. He knew Dylan Thomas in the early 1950s – his books of poetry show that Sarasvati sat on his tongue. He told me, when he was writing his first Typhonian Trilogy, that these books were also informed by poetry. He said that it was important, after you had digested wisdom, that you published it and made it available. He said that when you died, and began to get back to the Light, you would read stuff in books and it would remind you who you were before.
Digestion, he said, involved excretion too, and these were books. If you failed to write what you had learned, or felt, it was the equivalent of mental constipation.
He was devoted to the goddess in all of her guises.
This picture is of Kenneth and me in 1978 in our flat in Golders Green, just round the corner from where he lived. I am missing him. He was a master of wisdom. I venerate his memory.♣
Ordo Templi Orientis , Craawley Was Banker,WHOM Claimed BELIEF IN GHOSTS & SPACE
aliens:Grant, whom used Deciet to Destroy people.Also Used Imagineary: Space aliens with enlarged forheads are pictural & use of Anal Probe or tool used by execution of animal, are common Instrument. When Started in 1902, Oriental Clubs where common feature in US, Mystical & Bogus. People Fascinated by Opulent Wealth of Furnishing & clothes.
Grant started Up in 1945 as Plutonic worship. In Heart of peoples involved is Homicide of victim forced to listen to Rave. Enlarged forhead is result of Wheat germ Useage, perhaps better form of food in India , until slaughter.
Mystic words are primarily made up to confuse & enforce subjugation as well as elevated self retortic. ULTEE’ Now Being Commanding Head Master of ALL. Rape Is Also Common, Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh,Huh, Shudup.Iron Bar slappa. Brutilization Once Victim Is Secured.
Use of Drugs & forced lack of sleep are common predursor of Psuedo revelations & lead to final Victims’ commitment in locked space, then kilt. Meaningless Dislogic as Humor Are First Step in Breaking Victim.
Something on Fancified: Murder Incorporated, Thieft of Victims Wealth being goal. Same Result, More Enforced Politeness & Self Degradating tone forced thru hate monger network, typical Mortuary Arts, Plied upon wealthy & Naivee’ whom wander in, seeing dancing & reverly as entertainment. Large sums of Money are Demanded in Advance, to sort worthy from commoner. Commoner needing NO such elaborate huck. Practiced World Over by Orphans of Poor, Form ofFalse Promise, Personal invasion & Murder, once method can be found. From Condemning Innocent people to Public execution as Lustful revenge.Mostly Dissappeared.Vicous ?Ciolent Mob, Demanding non Violence from compliant, whom die as direct result of Methodology of leadership. Similar to ALL Religions, Except More Unsavory, to keep Rational, Statutory Law Out.
Signed:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART von DRASHEK M.D.
Wow what a beautiful man. Thanks for sharing the story. That last bit about excretion and constipation gives pause. Is it an OBLIGATION then, to write and share one’s experiences? Had never thought of that.
thank you for sharing your memories. I think it is true that one should try to make something out of what one has ingested/read whether it is writing or art or whatever.
Although I never had the honour of meeting him face to face, based on his Work I can say he was a great man.
We all look forward to more memories of Grant and if you choose to post your correspondence with him as well. Thanks again.
parma en gladio clavis et sagittis arcus
cognitus sum facere ita
sum Item notum silice
aquat incendito aeris aetheris et
ubi silvam est floridulo ornatum gemmis
ut mi spatum stemma
ut mi temporis
est rithimorum expandum
causua cantio cantu
indu libatem ad ut.
felici solis sunt huc
et etiam lunae ludo cum
Qua Lactat sidereum caelos planetam
et praeterea dimensionu alia
Hi Mike,
Kenneth told you that he had never had tantrik initiation but in his ‘Remembering Aleister Crowley’ he writes that he received ‘full initiation into a highly recondite formula of the Tantric vama marg’ from David Curwen (to whom the book is dedicated.) ? And btw, did you ever meet David Curwen? He died in 1984. Thank you for all these posts. Seeing Mr Grant with a suntan and a brilliant Colgate smile was an utter delight.
No, I never met David Curwen. And yes, he said he couldn’t give me initiation, which I guess isn’t the same as he never had initiation…
“He said that when you died, and began to get back to the Light, you would read stuff in books and it would remind you who you were before.” – this rings very true. He referred to it as a way of reawakening if I recall so you can quickly take up the threads of your previous work.
I never knew this about what led you to leave for India. I do know that he loved and respected you and physical death is no end to such a deep bond.