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Uncle Setnakt's Essential Guide to the Left Hand Path
The Essential Guide opens the door to the darkly resplendent worlds of the Left Hand Path. Part philosophical treatise, part ontological stand-up comedy, and part magical practicum, this book makes clear what many other books have only hinted at. For people with wit and perseverance, this book is a training manual for super-men and women. Don Webb has been a practitioner of the Left hand path since the 1970s. He is the former High Priest of the Temple of Set, the world's largest Left Hand Path organization, and the author of the best-selling Seven Faces of Darkness.
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 22, 2014
No this is not a guide on summoning demons, the devil or some other nefarious entities, rather the book is a guide with pointer on how to be sovereign , independent and more perfect . It is a path that requires hard work and discipline.
The left hand path wants the practitioner to preserve and reinforce their individuality not merge with some puffy fluffy version of god head.
This quest for attainment of sovereignty has four basic goals. Rulership of the inner world, outer world, royal power in the outer world and then inner world .
Humans are like robots with the potential to become gods. We are creatures of habit reacting automatically to symbols. To achieve inner sivereignty we must break the program and force ourselves to do the opposite . We must mock those outer symbols that control us
For Rulership of the outer we must know what we truly like and what we are ready to give up to attain our goals . Not easy when it has been prepackaged and mentally installed on your brain.
royal power in the outer world comes with identifying our fears and over coming them. Within this realm we realize that we are microcosms of a vast universe that has several levels. The surface is where we interact with the universe, medial level is our level
Of programming , core level is our personality and our daemonic level interacts with magical currents of the universe. There are correspondences in the universe . To start the intimate on this path there is a very long intimation ritual that comes complete with diary writing , purification and journaling. It is intense.
At the end of the book are resources for further growth along the path. If you are looking to perfect yourself and become as a god then this is a path you definitely want to research.
The left hand path wants the practitioner to preserve and reinforce their individuality not merge with some puffy fluffy version of god head.
This quest for attainment of sovereignty has four basic goals. Rulership of the inner world, outer world, royal power in the outer world and then inner world .
Humans are like robots with the potential to become gods. We are creatures of habit reacting automatically to symbols. To achieve inner sivereignty we must break the program and force ourselves to do the opposite . We must mock those outer symbols that control us
For Rulership of the outer we must know what we truly like and what we are ready to give up to attain our goals . Not easy when it has been prepackaged and mentally installed on your brain.
royal power in the outer world comes with identifying our fears and over coming them. Within this realm we realize that we are microcosms of a vast universe that has several levels. The surface is where we interact with the universe, medial level is our level
Of programming , core level is our personality and our daemonic level interacts with magical currents of the universe. There are correspondences in the universe . To start the intimate on this path there is a very long intimation ritual that comes complete with diary writing , purification and journaling. It is intense.
At the end of the book are resources for further growth along the path. If you are looking to perfect yourself and become as a god then this is a path you definitely want to research.
April 13, 2009
This is Don Webb's most distilled expression of his approach to the Left Hand Path: a basic primer for those interested in a spiritual approach of Self-glorification rather than abasement. At the time of writing, Webb was the High Priest of the Temple of Set, and this book heavily emphasizes the Temple's "transcendent" approach to the LHP, as opposed to the more "immanent" take common to the Church of Satan. This should not put off atheists and doubters, however, as the purpose of the book is a practical methodology for figuring things out for yourself (what could be more LHP?), not an attempt to shove pre-packaged ideas down your throat.
Webb's down-home folsky style may be off-putting to those accustomed to more rigorous philosophical study or academic writing standards, but this is not as "simple" a book as it first appears. Others will enjoy the levity he introduces to an at-times over-serious subject matter. It does contain many of his trademark "lists." The real gems are the suggested exercises, which Webb excels at creating such that they seem easy, but actually involve a great deal of profound self-reflection and Work.
Perhaps the most important message one can take from this book is that books don't change your life. Only you can do that.
Webb's down-home folsky style may be off-putting to those accustomed to more rigorous philosophical study or academic writing standards, but this is not as "simple" a book as it first appears. Others will enjoy the levity he introduces to an at-times over-serious subject matter. It does contain many of his trademark "lists." The real gems are the suggested exercises, which Webb excels at creating such that they seem easy, but actually involve a great deal of profound self-reflection and Work.
Perhaps the most important message one can take from this book is that books don't change your life. Only you can do that.
October 4, 2022
I'm seeing a lot of positive reviews of this book here, so I guess it's up to me to Rebel.
Aunty Fomorian shakes her head with disappointment and winces in disgust. And cringes while talking about myself in third person.
It may as well be called “Left Hand Path For Dummies” written by your creepy boomer uncle who thinks he's funny, cool and a down-to-earth kinda guy. The book has endless lists, typos, woeful lack of references in-text and an inconsistent narrative style. The parts that are meant to be funny come across as cringeworthy & try-hard, and the parts that are meant to be serious and reverential are, well, impossible to take seriously. Many times it reads like a parody of Satanism (or Setianism), minus animal sacrifices and masturbation.
The author possesses none of the passion - the defiant fire of LHP. He writes with the same enthusiasm as an insurance salesman from The Truman Show, or a Jehovah's (or Set's) Witness: “Have you thought about the afterlife? Allow me to introduce the Prince of Darkness, the God of Isolate Intelligence!” (not an actual quote)
““It takes no training to be a jerk, there is no pride of accomplishment in one's jerk-hood. Let the ways of the brutes belong to the brutes, and those of philosopher kings belong to philosopher kings.” This passage in particular stinks of Fedora M'Lady Beta Male vibes. How can a grown man, at the highest rank in the Temple of Set, use the word "jerk-hood" in any context. I wouldn't even use it ironically.
The book is full of weird chanting, hissing, being naked in your room, sticking pieces of paper on your forehead, destroying property, spending money on random items, and self-identification with dozens of gods from different cultures and religions around the world. You are Kali, you are Odin, you are Uriel.
Here's a taste: “Say the words, "Ta Ta Te Te To Tie Te Te Tu" very pompously as though announcing the arrival of the Emperor.”
“Knock on the side of your head, as though knocking on a door. Knock seven times.”
(There are so many jokes that could be extracted from this sentence alone... The book is a joke that writes itself, though.)
If you have writing issues, sight issues, any kind of physical or speech disability – this book is a fuck you from the author. You can't do 99% of the rituals described. Imagine trying to say those passages and words if you have Tourette's. Or having to take off clothes for a ritual while you're bound to a wheelchair, and the effort it would take to explain to your aid/helper what you're doing. What if you have dyslexia and writing pages and pages into a diary every day is painful. The author doesn't provide alternatives, not even a suggestion like “hey, if you don't want to handwrite this, feel free to type it up on your computer or record audio”. Nothing like that. Not once. You might come up with your own ways, of course, but how could you be sure they'll work? How could you know whether or not the rituals provided can be altered?
The Temple of Set stinks of artificiality and historical revisionism.
Thing is, I am already familiar with this “type” of “literature”.
I actually have a real uncle who is in a cult. A Japanese New Age cult that is very RHP but I've read the books his “organization” publishes and there's very little difference between how they're presented, how they're explained – with this book. It's the patronizing tone that irks me the most. A patronizing tone that's also a sales pitch.
I would advise everyone before reading this: please, research Michael Aquino, the founder of the Temple of Set. I mean REALLY study Aquino, as well as the people he's been closely associated with. Most importantly, read the police reports, the investigations that were done on him from the 80s to the 90s. The actual transcripts and interviews. I don't want to say too much, but simply put, Michael Aquino is a really shady individual and using "mass hysteria about Satanism" excuse is just a weak shield to discourage Satanists and occultists themselves from looking closer at the facts presented. And he's got a clown for a spokesperson, clearly aimed at recruiting naïve 20-year olds.
There is no reason you should trust Don Webb, or this “Uncle Setnakt” he pretends to be. He's a high school teacher from rural Texas who writes fiction for a living. I don't trust Michael Aquino around children, and I wouldn't trust this guy, and the fact that Don sees himself as an "uncle" in itself is weird. Look - the Left Hand Path can be so quirky!
If you've actually done the rituals he told you to do, congrats, you've been played.
You're better off reading The Satanic Bible.
Or if you want a real book about LHP, “The Lords of the Left-Hand Path” by Stephen E. Flowers is perfect. It's (mostly) objective, well-researched, articulate, mature, and consistent. You'll actually feel like you're reading something written by a real occult scholar, not a creepy Uncle.
Aunty Fomorian shakes her head with disappointment and winces in disgust. And cringes while talking about myself in third person.
It may as well be called “Left Hand Path For Dummies” written by your creepy boomer uncle who thinks he's funny, cool and a down-to-earth kinda guy. The book has endless lists, typos, woeful lack of references in-text and an inconsistent narrative style. The parts that are meant to be funny come across as cringeworthy & try-hard, and the parts that are meant to be serious and reverential are, well, impossible to take seriously. Many times it reads like a parody of Satanism (or Setianism), minus animal sacrifices and masturbation.
The author possesses none of the passion - the defiant fire of LHP. He writes with the same enthusiasm as an insurance salesman from The Truman Show, or a Jehovah's (or Set's) Witness: “Have you thought about the afterlife? Allow me to introduce the Prince of Darkness, the God of Isolate Intelligence!” (not an actual quote)
““It takes no training to be a jerk, there is no pride of accomplishment in one's jerk-hood. Let the ways of the brutes belong to the brutes, and those of philosopher kings belong to philosopher kings.” This passage in particular stinks of Fedora M'Lady Beta Male vibes. How can a grown man, at the highest rank in the Temple of Set, use the word "jerk-hood" in any context. I wouldn't even use it ironically.
The book is full of weird chanting, hissing, being naked in your room, sticking pieces of paper on your forehead, destroying property, spending money on random items, and self-identification with dozens of gods from different cultures and religions around the world. You are Kali, you are Odin, you are Uriel.
Here's a taste: “Say the words, "Ta Ta Te Te To Tie Te Te Tu" very pompously as though announcing the arrival of the Emperor.”
“Knock on the side of your head, as though knocking on a door. Knock seven times.”
(There are so many jokes that could be extracted from this sentence alone... The book is a joke that writes itself, though.)
If you have writing issues, sight issues, any kind of physical or speech disability – this book is a fuck you from the author. You can't do 99% of the rituals described. Imagine trying to say those passages and words if you have Tourette's. Or having to take off clothes for a ritual while you're bound to a wheelchair, and the effort it would take to explain to your aid/helper what you're doing. What if you have dyslexia and writing pages and pages into a diary every day is painful. The author doesn't provide alternatives, not even a suggestion like “hey, if you don't want to handwrite this, feel free to type it up on your computer or record audio”. Nothing like that. Not once. You might come up with your own ways, of course, but how could you be sure they'll work? How could you know whether or not the rituals provided can be altered?
The Temple of Set stinks of artificiality and historical revisionism.
Thing is, I am already familiar with this “type” of “literature”.
I actually have a real uncle who is in a cult. A Japanese New Age cult that is very RHP but I've read the books his “organization” publishes and there's very little difference between how they're presented, how they're explained – with this book. It's the patronizing tone that irks me the most. A patronizing tone that's also a sales pitch.
I would advise everyone before reading this: please, research Michael Aquino, the founder of the Temple of Set. I mean REALLY study Aquino, as well as the people he's been closely associated with. Most importantly, read the police reports, the investigations that were done on him from the 80s to the 90s. The actual transcripts and interviews. I don't want to say too much, but simply put, Michael Aquino is a really shady individual and using "mass hysteria about Satanism" excuse is just a weak shield to discourage Satanists and occultists themselves from looking closer at the facts presented. And he's got a clown for a spokesperson, clearly aimed at recruiting naïve 20-year olds.
There is no reason you should trust Don Webb, or this “Uncle Setnakt” he pretends to be. He's a high school teacher from rural Texas who writes fiction for a living. I don't trust Michael Aquino around children, and I wouldn't trust this guy, and the fact that Don sees himself as an "uncle" in itself is weird. Look - the Left Hand Path can be so quirky!
If you've actually done the rituals he told you to do, congrats, you've been played.
You're better off reading The Satanic Bible.
Or if you want a real book about LHP, “The Lords of the Left-Hand Path” by Stephen E. Flowers is perfect. It's (mostly) objective, well-researched, articulate, mature, and consistent. You'll actually feel like you're reading something written by a real occult scholar, not a creepy Uncle.
March 29, 2021
I learned a lot about how Don Webb (and the Temple of Set) view the left-hand path. I was most interested in his explanation of synchronicity. I was also fascinated by his suggestion to purposely pick out the tarot cards you want in a reading, rather than drawing them randomly. The overall lesson here would be that you are in charge of your own fate - to a point.
I appreciated the humor in the introduction, and at the end of the book. I do not fit perfectly into any of these categories that he mentioned, but I did appreciate that he spoke directly to the readers of this book.
My one criticism is that I do not like the format of this book. The words are crammed together. Also, there are so many lists. Lists upon lists upon lists. It's great to be organized, but there is such a thing as too many lists - especially for a book that ought to be a pleasant reading experience. I would rather read a constant stream of thought, divided up by paragraphs rather than a list of explanations, terms, ideas, suggestions.
That being said, the material itself is worth a read. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the left-hand path or anyone who wants to put the ideas of this book into practice.
I appreciated the humor in the introduction, and at the end of the book. I do not fit perfectly into any of these categories that he mentioned, but I did appreciate that he spoke directly to the readers of this book.
My one criticism is that I do not like the format of this book. The words are crammed together. Also, there are so many lists. Lists upon lists upon lists. It's great to be organized, but there is such a thing as too many lists - especially for a book that ought to be a pleasant reading experience. I would rather read a constant stream of thought, divided up by paragraphs rather than a list of explanations, terms, ideas, suggestions.
That being said, the material itself is worth a read. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the left-hand path or anyone who wants to put the ideas of this book into practice.
March 1, 2010
A how-to-manual for Gods to Be. This tome not only belongs in the library of every serious practitioner of the LHP but the Work given within its pages enacted by them.
It is currently in print & can be purchased at Runa Raven Press.
It is currently in print & can be purchased at Runa Raven Press.
December 16, 2012
This book is for real. A truly legitimate Left-Hand Path study that doubles as an antidote to the ailments caused by the pseudoMagikal ramblings of the plethora of New Age Books out there.
April 13, 2018
Uncle Setnakt is simultaneously fascinating and intimidating, humorous and serious, I also find that it both answers my questions as well as raise a million more, and I both agree and disagree with it.
It is fascinating because it explores many esoteric concepts of the Left Hand Path that constantly challenges me to think and question deeper, and it is intimidating because of the hard work necessary to progress on the LHP (believe me, it is hard, difficult, long work). But of course, nothing worth it in life is usually achieved without hard work, and let's face it, success gained from hard work is always sweeter.
It is humorous and serious because Uncle Setnakt has a way of phrasing his educational material in a manner that lightens some of the more intellectual, content-heavy portions of his teachings without sounding frivolous.
It answers my questions regarding the LHP but also raises many more questions in the process and it provokes critical thinking that invariably leads to a deeper quest for knowledge (source of where questions come from) as this facilitates the growth needed on this Path.
I agree with lots of Uncle Setnakt's teachings, with a few exceptions, as is common among independent, intellectual individuals, as we form our own perceptions that will sometimes clash with others.
In summary, this book is definitely worth reading, and there are many things to learn from it if one keeps an open mind. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in studying about the LHP. I'd also like to thank and congratulate Don Webb for a beautifully written, informative book.
It is fascinating because it explores many esoteric concepts of the Left Hand Path that constantly challenges me to think and question deeper, and it is intimidating because of the hard work necessary to progress on the LHP (believe me, it is hard, difficult, long work). But of course, nothing worth it in life is usually achieved without hard work, and let's face it, success gained from hard work is always sweeter.
It is humorous and serious because Uncle Setnakt has a way of phrasing his educational material in a manner that lightens some of the more intellectual, content-heavy portions of his teachings without sounding frivolous.
It answers my questions regarding the LHP but also raises many more questions in the process and it provokes critical thinking that invariably leads to a deeper quest for knowledge (source of where questions come from) as this facilitates the growth needed on this Path.
I agree with lots of Uncle Setnakt's teachings, with a few exceptions, as is common among independent, intellectual individuals, as we form our own perceptions that will sometimes clash with others.
In summary, this book is definitely worth reading, and there are many things to learn from it if one keeps an open mind. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in studying about the LHP. I'd also like to thank and congratulate Don Webb for a beautifully written, informative book.
January 4, 2020
This book should be called Left Hand Manifesto. It has useful tips for any occult student, regardless of his path. More important than this, explain everything without the "evil aura", very common on luciferianists or satanists. Don Webb seems a very mature person with a good sense of humor. In the end book he focus more on Setian beliefs, but this was expected. What I liked the most was the his Ethical System , that is like "it's not because you can curse everybody that you should do it, you're not a angry teenager anymore "
April 9, 2020
Don't judge this book by its cover. It's one of the best books about magic. It wasn't perfect for me as it makes some claims about the afterlife that fails to explain and the author plugs the book's name in the middle of rituals. But it does give you the tools to create your own magic system which I think is essential in the Left Hand Path.
March 4, 2022
Essential reading for anyone who is curious or currently initiating themselves into the secrets of the universe. This is a go-to book, must read which you will flip back to for various purposes a plenty. A lot of mind-blowing realizations are contained within for anyone eager enough to learn rightly. Not easy, but if you are disciplined, a worthwhile endeavour certainly.
April 8, 2021
It's a must for those who walk the Left-Hand Path. If you just begin with your trip, this book will help to understand the basics and goes beyond, if you have some time on the path, this book could give new ideas and a fresh understanding.
Love it and recommended it.
Love it and recommended it.
June 5, 2016
Insightful look, at how to become Lord/Sovereign.
Uncle Setnakt's challenges the reader.
Fantastic book.
Uncle Setnakt's challenges the reader.
Fantastic book.
September 30, 2016
A good primer for those interested or beginning their journey upon the path. For the more advanced, then I would recommend Flowers 'Lords of the Left-hand Path' over this.
Currently reading
March 7, 2009I look forward to reading this one.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews