Elder Gods oil

In August Derleth’s expansion of Lovecraft’s universe, the Elder Gods are the old powers who once imprisoned the Great Old Ones. Occultists have since given that name a working altar.

Origin & Traditional Use

The phrase “Elder Gods” comes into occultism from weird fiction: Derleth developed it in the 1930s and 1940s as a benevolent counterweight to Lovecraft’s cosmic horrors. The Simon Necronomicon of 1977 recast the Elder Gods as Mesopotamian deities set against the Ancient Ones. Others use the phrase loosely for the oldest gods of any pantheon. The oil is a modern blend made for prayer and invocation in that spirit.

Uses by Tradition

Ceremonial & Occult Magick

• Opening rites: anoint the brow and palms before invoking the Elder Gods to stand as guardians at the quarters.
• Simon Necronomicon work: dress the candle at the start of each planetary gate working, and anoint the protective seal worn during the rite.
• Study: anoint the brow before reading and meditating on old texts, asking the old powers for understanding.

Witchcraft & Folk Magick

• Ancestral and old-god altars: dress a candle when making offerings to the oldest gods of your own lineage or pantheon.
• Warding: touch a drop to each corner of a room before dark work, as a seal of protection by older powers.

A Simple Working

• Clean your altar and set four white tealights at the four directions.
• Anoint each tealight with Elder Gods oil.
• Anoint your own brow and both palms.
• Light the candles one by one, asking the Elder Gods to guard each quarter.
• Sit at the centre and pray or meditate on what you seek for at least fifteen minutes.
• Thank them at each quarter and let the tealights burn out.

Pairs Well With

• White tealights: for guarding the quarters.
• Frankincense resin: an old temple incense for invocation.
• Necronomicon oil: for workings drawn directly from the Simon text.
• Cedar incense: a Mesopotamian temple wood, fitting for this current.

Lore & History

Lovecraft himself wrote of “Elder Things” and of an “Elder Sign”, but it was Derleth who organised the Mythos into a war between Elder Gods and Great Old Ones, an idea many Lovecraft scholars consider a departure from Lovecraft’s own bleaker vision. The Simon Necronomicon, first issued in 1977 and in mass-market paperback in 1980, turned that framework into a working ritual system. The blend is modern; so is the current it serves.

What You Receive

Elder Gods oil, available in 2 dram, 1 oz and 16 oz sizes.