Cults of the Shadow examines lesser-known dimensions of occult practice that many people wrongly equate with sensational ideas of “black magic.” At the time it was first published in 1975, it was among the earliest serious studies to treat the techniques and doctrines of the Left Hand Path as a legitimate approach to spiritual achievement, rather than dismissing them outright.
The book argues that the Left Hand Path has a much older pedigree than its counterpart (often called the Right Hand Path), tracing its roots through ancient mystical currents such as African Ophidian Traditions, the Draconian cults of ancient Egypt, and the Tantric systems of India and the Far East, charting how these streams developed over time.
A central theme is how such practices have historically been hidden or condemned because they involve working with sexual energies to activate the “Serpent Power” (also called the Fire Snake) — a key to ascending to higher consciousness. This psycho-sexual aspect, the book explains, led many religious traditions over the past two millennia to reject or vilify these teachings.
With the shift in cultural perspectives in the modern, post-Christian era, these once-secret techniques have become more openly discussed. Grant shows how contemporary figures have revived and adapted these currents of hidden knowledge. He discusses:
Aleister Crowley and his concepts such as the Cult of the Beast and the Scarlet Woman;
Charles Stansfeld Jones and his unique explorations in Qabalah;
Austin Osman Spare, who developed his own form of sexual sorcery rooted in ancient witchcraft of old;
Michael Bertiaux, associated with what Grant refers to as the Cult of the Black Snake.