David Roberts, “Portico of the Temple of Horus at Edfou,” 1846
1,519 words
Translations: Estonian, French, Polish
Part 2 of 4
Guénon and Evola believe that the occult war is carried on by secret initiatic societies. Just as Tradition is propagated through initiatic societies, the Counter-Tradition is propagated through counter-initiatic societies, which are profane images of genuine initiatic orders teaching inverted doctrines that promote decadence and decline.
The secret initiatic society is the ideal vehicle for both Tradition and Counter-Tradition, for three basic reasons.
First, both Tradition and subversion are based upon bodies of eternal principles that must be propagated over time through a process of initiation, i.e., the communication of doctrines from teacher to student in a hierarchical course of study, in which lower degrees lay the foundations for higher ones.
This, of course, describes any educational process, even the most trivial. But only an organization whose teachings evoke the utmost piety, and whose process of initiation evokes the utmost solemnity, can hope to persist through the ages. Thus the foundation of its doctrine must be eternal truths—persistence in time being the consequence of pursuing eternal truths and living in accordance with them.
Second, both Tradition and subversion are not merely matters of theory. They also involve action: actions that embrace the globe, span the ages, and determine the destinies of nations, civilizations, and races; plans of action that unfold over generations, centuries, even millennia. No organization can hope to motivate people to toil in the pursuit of aims that will never come to fruition in their lifetimes unless it can mobilize the highest form of impersonal idealism. But the highest form of idealism is only evoked by the highest good, which again requires a foundation in eternal truths.
Third, an organization that perpetuates itself over millennia and acts on a global scale, for good or evil, is bound to make enemies. Thus to persist, it must be secret. Secrecy also serves another purpose, allowing initiates to penetrate and influence, for good or evil, other organizations that would resist them if their competing loyalties were known. A third purpose of secrecy is that it allows an organization to survive changes of regimes, even the fall of whole civilizations. For a secret society may penetrate all of the institutions of a given society, but it should also depend on none of them. Its substance should lie within itself, ultimately grounded in its orientation to the eternal, the most substantial thing of all.
Archimedes claimed that he needed only two things to move the world: a lever and a place to stand. The place to stand cannot move, but it allows one to move other things. To move the world, one must have a place to stand outside the world. To move all of history, one needs a place to stand outside history: a secret society that does not move with history, because its foundations are above history and above politics, in a doctrine that does not change because it is based on the eternal.
If one is to move history, rather than be moved by it, one must be an unmoving axis around which all other things revolve. One must be like Aristotle’s god, the Unmoved Mover, who does not move because he is complete and self-contained (substance itself), but who sets the rest of the world in motion, because all things seek to imitate his aloof self-sufficiency. One must be like the Taoist Sage-Emperor, who acts without acting, simply by incarnating the unchanging principle of order around which all other beings arrange themselves.
One can hypothesize the presence of an initiatic Traditional body at work wherever one finds a hierarchical social order that is oriented toward the transcendent and that persists over a long period of time: Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, India, China, Japan, the Hellenic world, the Hellenistic world, Rome, Byzantium, the Catholic Church, and the Old Regimes of Europe.
One can hypothesize the presence of an initiatic Counter-Traditional body at work wherever a steady trend toward disorder persists. In the case of the rise of modernity, many different groups and interests were united in working to overthrow the old order: Protestants, Neo-Pagans, natural scientists, rationalist and empiricist philosophers, capitalists, and political liberals were among the first wave. Subsequent waves included Jews, socialists, anarchists, and Communists. But since the Second World War, the Jewish element of subversion and hegemony has become dominant.
* * *
If an initiatic secret society grounded in the eternal is the place where one stands, what is the lever? What are the means by which one moves history? The short answer is: by any means necessary. If the metaphysical foundations and practical aims of a secret order are as fixed and unchanging as Being itself, the means by which it seeks to influence and direct history should be as manifold and shifting as the historical flux. Absolute dogmatism about foundations and aims can be wedded to absolute pragmatism about means. Truth and order—as they define them—may employ lies and chaos. Good—as they define it—may be pursued by any means, including evil ones, provided that they really are means. If the ends do not justify the means, nothing will. All of these techniques, however, fall under two basic headings: the spreading of ideas and the infiltration and subversion of institutions.
In Men Among the Ruins, Evola develops a number of Guénon’s ideas on the tools of occult warfare (see pp. 244–51).
First, the promulgation of materialistic and positivistic prejudices about historical causation blinds the intelligent to the occult dimension of history.
Second, to prevent those who reject materialism from finding the truth, false spiritual or idealist conceptions of history (e.g., Hegel, Bergson) are promulgated.
Third, when the effects of subversion begin to show up on the material plane and provoke a reaction in the name of ideals drawn from the traditional past, the agents of subversion promulgate counterfeit or distorted versions of these ideas, so that “reaction is contained, deviated, or even led in the opposite direction” (Men, p. 245).
Fourth, since “the basis of the order to be destroyed consist[s] in the supernatural element—that is, in the spirit—conceived not as a philosophical abstraction or as an element of faith, but as a superior reality, as a reference point for the integration of everything that is human” (Men, p. 245), all genuine spiritual longings must be channeled into inverted forms of spirituality directed toward the aims of the Counter-Tradition.
Fifth, to weaken, derail, and destroy any genuine opposition that might remain, the enemy encourages them to attack those who share the same principles and to adopt the principles of their enemies. An example of the first tactic is to promote infighting among the resistance: “thus, they attempt in every possible way to cause any higher idea to give in to the tyranny of individual interest or proselytizing, prideful, and power-hungry tendencies” (Men, p. 247). An example of second tactic is to encourage the opposition to embrace the principles of the enemy in order to gain momentary rhetorical or political advantages. A good contemporary example is the tendency of White Nationalists to appeal to forms of moral universalism that undermine all nationalism simply to score cheap points against Zionism. (See my essay “White Nationalism and Jewish Nationalism.”) Evola stresses that “unconditioned loyalty to an idea”—as opposed to the egotism that leads to infighting or the pragmatism that leads one to adopt the enemy’s ideas—“is the only possible protection from occult war” (Men, p. 247).
Sixth, if the forces of subversion are in danger of being unmasked and punished, they will deflect public anger onto scapegoats. Evola actually suggests that the Protocols might be an attempt to make Freemasons and Jews into scapegoats for a much deeper conspiracy (Men, p. 248). Evola would probably not entertain such thoughts today, but the specifically Jewish nature of the ruling powers was not so apparent in 1953 when Men Among the Ruins was first published.
Seventh, when subversion progresses far enough to provoke a reaction, this reaction can be diverted from the pursuit of a healthy new society based on eternal truths toward a return to an older form of society in which the sickness is merely not so advanced. In America today, this is manifested in reactionary nostalgia for the 1980s or the 1950s or the 19th-century or the Founding era. Of course, if we could return to the 1950s, our descendants would be coping with the same problems 60 years later.
Eighth, all principles or institutions may be undermined if people confuse them with their representatives. All representatives are inevitably imperfect, but when these imperfections come to light, the agents of subversion argue that it is the institution or principle that must be replaced, not their fallible representatives.
Ninth, Evola claims that one of the principal tools of subversion is to infiltrate Traditional organizations and replace their leadership, in order to destroy the organization outright or to use it to further the ends of subversion. Evola claims that Freemasonry was originally a vehicle of genuine Tradition, but it was infiltrated and taken over by partisans of the Counter-Tradition (Men, pp. 250–51).
18 comments
The Enemy always claims that the Protocols are a fabrication produced by our side. Perhaps we should take that as a compliment and accept it since they have proved uncannily accurate. No mention of race though. Evidently, that ultimate strategy was yet unborn in that day – and the Czar’s Secret Service failed to imagine it either.
The case against the Protocols is not all that cut and dried. “Experts” such as Norman Cohn (Warrant for Genocide) in claiming that the document was plagiarised from a political satire by Maurice Joly, do not even mention that Adolph Cremieux, head of the Universal Israelite Alliance and Grand Master of the Grand Orient and Memphis and Mizraim Masonry, was Joly’s mentor. The old fiction that the Protocols were written in Paris by the Okhrana under the direction of Golovinski is still being trotted out, even a few weeks ago by a veteran Rightist. Golovinski was not in Paris at the supposed time.
Other oddities: why isn’t the Dreyfus Affair even mentioned; the cause celebre of philosemites and semitophobes alike, that almost drove France to civil war? Was it because the Protocols were in existence as early as the 1880s?
Why did supposedly Czarist agents, hence adherents of Orthodoxy, if they are the plagiarists and forgers, have the ‘learned elders’ stating that the Pope and the Jesuits along with the Czar, are the prime obstacles to their universal state, when Catholicism was anathema to the Orthodox Church?
Why NO mention of Zionism and Palestine. Again, is it because the document long precedes Herzl?
The Protocols were originally ascribed to Masonry, rather Zionism. The doctrine is nearer Illuminism than Orthodox Judaism, and it could just as well be argued that the Protocols were based on Illuminati papers rather than Joly’s satire. A connection exists between Mizraim Masonry and the Illuminati via de Pasquales, a high initiate of both.
There is an extended discussion on the debt finance system, which does not seem attributable to Joly or to Czarist forgers.
Are the similarities betwen Joly and the Protocols due to both deriving from the same influences centered around Cremieux?
The questions could at least still be asked. Solzhenitsyn found the document to be credible. If nothing else, it rates with Brave New World and 1984 as a prophetic document.
Is Solzhenitsyn’s book on Russia and the Jews available yet? If so, where? If not, any idea when?
Dear Dr. Johnson,
I can hardly wait for the third part. THIS is why I support Counter-Currents by any means: both financially and in other ways. Very well-written basic overviews of the extremely important concept for us to understand: occult war. Now, if only the translation of Poncin’s book which Evola quotes constantly throughout his entire corpus could somehow get released soon, I’d be a happy (well, wiser, at least) man. Thank you for this!
There’s an English translation of Julius Evola’s conclusion to his translation of Emmanuel Malynski and Léon de Poncins’ La guerre occulte at:
http://thompkins_cariou.tripod.com/id48.html
Stepping over the “Holocaust,” Evola remarked:
“Now, a point must be emphasised: even if what has been put forward regarding the Gestapo, the S.S., the concentration camps, the extermination of Jews, and the so-called ‘war crimes’ (naturally, this meant exclusively those committed by the vanquished, despite Hiroshima and so on) were true — and what truth there is in all these allegations exists only in proportions which are utterly different to those claimed by the propaganda), no price would have been too high to accept if it had led to victory in this war and the following achievements: the breaking of the back of the Soviet Union; its exclusion from the group of the world’s Great Powers; the freeing and decommunising of an immense territory and its opening to the expansion of Central-Western Europe; in consequence, the prevention, in all probability, of the communisation of China, which in turn would have prevented it from becoming what it is now, to wit, a new, more and more dangerous, great power, not only for the East; the humiliation of the ‘great democracy’, the United States, removing it from the sphere of European interests; and the survival of a part of the colonial heritage, whose area, in the atmosphere of the new European order, with men faithful to the idea of the different dignity of races and of the hierarchy of races, would not have at all easily become what it is becoming under the effect of the inconceivable stupidity of the exponents of the democratic gospel: the place of a massive revolt of coloured people which is rapidly putting an end to the last remains of the hegemony and prestige of Europe, in the first place to the detriment of the victorious nations themselves.”
And further:
“Among the most grievous consequences of defeat was the following one : … the Jew has acquired a sort of sacrosanct and untouchable character, so that to venture to say one word against him causes a chorus of indignant protestations and even exposes the speaker to legal sanctions.”
Mr. Hipster, I have heard that a translation of “The Occult War'” into English is going to be made available very soon.
Jean Raspail 2011 interview – English subbed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW7s9Qi72dk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5pdk7OiqgM
Camp of The Saints was published in 1973.
Another brilliant piece from CC. It seems that the ‘eternal truth’ the enemy stands on is that man is evil/inferior and by corrupting/tempting us, ‘they’ prove their superiority. ie. Satan the Prosecutor in Book of Job.
Now Europeans, having held traditional metaphysical/religious beliefs in some higher objective reality/judgement/accounting, were able to resist the spiritual adversaries and aspire to higher ideals. Sadly, it’s difficult to reclaim this perspective.
Definitely looking forward to the last article in this series. There is no real alternative to “those who know” seeking each other out and coming together so that new seeds may be planted.
I must put a question to you about comments made in the sixth point which allude to the attitude of this site on the Jewish Question. The stance taken as I understand it appears to be that Jews, acting as Jews (as opposed to capitalists or communists, counter-initiates or some other role) are the group fundamentally responsible for undermining the European world. This seems to manifest (and correct me if this is inaccurate) in the stance that this subversion stems from the nature of the Jew, and that the “righteous among the Jews” (Finkelstein, among others CC has written about) are abberations from a norm, a Jewish people who are by nature subversive.
For my part, I have taken the attitude that, like any other group, it is a number of Jewish elites, of varying stripes, who have influenced the attitudes and actions of the greater Jewish community in line with certain principles taken from Rabbinic Judaism and its philosophical descendants. They have met with conflict within their own community (the anti-Likud/neocon Jews, Finkelstein, the German liberal nationalist Jew Rathenau, and others). As such, the average Jew, if he indeed has an animosity toward European peoples and civilization, has been indoctrinated into it in much the same way that whites have been indoctrinated into ethnomasochism. Insofar as European and North American New Rightists do have principles which can be applied universally, “righteous Jews” should certainly be lauded for their work, as it leads to the subversion and destruction of the current elite among the Jewish people.
Moreover, what stance does CC take, if any, toward such things as Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah (the real thing, not Hollywood) and texts such as the Zohar, and movements such as Hasidism, all of which are of interest to Traditionalist thinkers and which are held by some to uphold elements of Tradition within them. Given that these do in fact make up the beliefs of many Jews today, it seems that these schools of thought and the communities around them are both a store of knowledge and a possible path to further subvert the current Jewish elite.
Your moral and intellectual probity about such fine distinctions among Jews does you credit as an Aryan.
There are basically three kinds of Jews: malicious Jews, righteous Jews, and Jews who are just along for the ride. The evil Jews pretty much set the agenda of the Jewish community, and the vast majority of Jews passively go along with them, although they will pull together and actively defend their evil leaders if they are criticized by non-Jews.
There are also decent, righteous Jews. We have dealt with a number of them on this site. Here is a link to the tag: https://counter-currents.com/tag/righteous-jews/ Unfortunately, there are just not enough of them. Furthermore, although such individuals as Norman Finkelstein are genuinely courageous and admirable for pointing out many of their people’s crimes and follies, they generally embrace forms of liberal universalism that we reject. The most righteous Jew from our point of view, would be a Zionist who believes in universal nationalism, not a liberal who criticizes Zionism because it is too nationalistic.
As far as practical politics go, however, I don’t think we need to make such fine distinctions among Jews, since we really need to separate ourselves from them entirely, and we need to do this alone, since Jews have a long record of infiltration and subversion of their opposition, and since there is no way to tell a sincere Jewish well-wisher from an infiltrator, we just have to go it alone, but wish righteous Jews the best.
I talk about the Kabbala in the discussion thread for part 4.
Traditionalist Catholics are willing to fight against the Masons, but they are terrified of the Jews and being called Nazis. Only a few like Poncins, Fr Fahey, Fr Coughlin, and Bishop Williamson were willing to speak out about the Jewish war against Chrisitianity. After Vactican Two, the Church closed down Shrines in Europe that were dedicated to children martyred the Jews. They fully accepted that the Blood Libel as Libel upon themselves. Extraordinary – especially since Dr Toaf uncovered the Liturgy which the Cult used – something the Catholic prosecutors never had access to. Unfortunately Dr Toaf’s book was never published after he backed down due to repeated death threats. He is considered one of the leading experts in Medevial Jewish Literature and is a Jew himself.
You might add E. Michael Jones to your list of Catholics who have examined the Jewish war against Christianity; Jones’ colossal tome, The Jewish Revolutionary Spirit and Its Impact on World History, has apparently been rated quite highly by Kevin MacDonald and Edmund Connelly. (Jones’ forthcoming book, Barren Metal, should be interesting concerning capitalism.) Of course, the Protestant churches have been subject to similar subversion and co-optation, which takes its most egregious form in Christian Zionism.
The convention for “Jewish-Christian dialogue” seems to be this: the Jews tell the Christians to jump, and the Christians ask “how high?”
Toaff’s book was the subject of an article by Andrew Hamilton at:
https://counter-currents.com/2012/04/diabolical-passion-ariel-toaffs-blood-passovers/
The officials in the Vatican and the Jesuits are no fools. There has been a cold war between Jewish rip off organizations and the Church since at least 2000 that I’m aware off.
The first shot was when they tried to pry lose and apology for complicity in the Holocaust and a possible financial atonement. The Jews got stiffed.
That’s about the time the “American” press began to blabber adnauseam about pedophile priest.
The Church countered with a nod to the Palestinians problems. Then there was hyper Catholic Mel Gibson’s “Passion” movie and “drunken” anti-Semitic rant. Perhaps Gibson was being an “enforcer” for Rome?
And who can over look the background of the New Pope. Not just any German, but an X Hitler youth.
I think the Church won that round. Hollywood and “American” media had to take that one finger salute from Rome, or at least they had to ignore it.
Gosh darn I’d like to have a drink at Paddy’s pub with some of these College of Cardinals guys, if they’d just come clean and tell all the juicy details, and it I weren’t a teetotaling Baptist.
There were however the usual anti-Rome movies like that one with Tom Hanks.
The Church is well aware that rank and file loyal parishioners have been taken in by the media pedophile priest propaganda, and it’s likely hurt attendance at mass and contributions.
The Jesuits I understand have historically been the Vatican’s diplomatic corps. Nations diplomats have always provided their intelligence arm.
For all I know Bishop Williamson was instructed by the RCIA (Roman Catholic Intelligence Agency, for you non-faithful who aren’t in on the joke) to slam the Jews, and get officially denounced for purposes of Vatican plausible deniability. I wouldn’t be surprised.
According to KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov black propaganda is THE major activity of intelligence agencies.
The Vatican has been rumored to indulge in intrigue and, Heaven forbid, covert ops over the millennia, almost as long as the Jews.
This is a world heavy weight title match. I’m lovin’ it.
@jaego, I almost forgot, staunch Catholic anti-Jew-war’s since 1991 Pat Buchanan. I guess the Vatican-Hollywood covert cold war has been on longer that I recalled.
And for those of us itchin fur action, enjoy this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FNG1DGTUoQ
Catholic, a compassionate, empathetic, humble love and concern for the poor, the working and underprivileged, fused with love of abundance, fertility, of greatness, intellect, wonder and wealth, and truth,… that very unique Catholic sprit, that is synonymous with European. It does not have to be born Catholic.
I attribute these to real feelings of real people, inherited, not duped or politically organised by secret societies, but those blessed God.. I could be wrong.
It is a dead Aristocracy that I esteem, or ideal. It consists of passionate personal relationships, spendthrift generosity, hatred of debt, a desire for privacy, a longing for Heaven, a conscious self humiliation – reading and meditation , gardening, curing, learning and above all loving: an aesthetic, aristocratic life is not for peasants, who are today’s technocrats…. But that is the past.
Evola was right, a demon from hell must preside over this whole vast diabolical system of consecrated wickedness. This sadistic force must have possession of it’s visible heads who seem to evoke its power that it so superficially pleases-and they are willing to not only live in, but contribute to the brave new world , this technological wonderland, and take an oath to never criticise, no matter who it oppresses, even for the sake of art and beauty.
Camille Paglia will be pleased to learn that there is a “Jedi” religion, perhaps she can be its High Priestess, and she can restore religion based loosely on the force. Oh, the art! Jedi Art! It is sooooooo Empire friendly!
“When Demons,” so says St. Augustine, “insinuate themselves in the creatures they begin by conforming themselves to the will of everyone.”
How can any thinking person not come to the irresistible paranoid conclusion that this post modern world is directed by a vast demonic occult ? It seems to be guided by such diabolical subtlety and energized by super human power…
And observe well, there are demons which will sometimes speak the truth.
Little Saint Hugh is why the dances, folklore of the poor had to be swept away. Folklore, tales, dances, tradition, is magic. Songs , poems and tales of a child murdered by Jews is ritual magic, we are not allowed it. It is this counter magic that had to first be corrupted, de-nuded so the common people have no power.
Ange in blockquote:
No. The issues are intent, and control. Malachi Martin said it best: “The duty of the Priest is to perform the Mass. Everything else is unncessary, at best, and a distraction, at worst.”
The Jesuits have a remarkable organization, with remarkable effectiveness. I’ve been trying to incorporate thee best of it into the Restatement of Christianity model for the Northwest Republic.
It is as far in the past as you allow it to be for your self. Do not cast pearls before swine, but ask yourself how, say, Baron Evola would form such an aristocracy in this place and time. Use that as an outline for further thought. You can onl lead by example. We have never changed anyone – not really – so much as we have inspired them by the congruency between what we say, and what we mean, as seen in our actions.
There ARE such intelligent – VERY intelligent – Consciousnesses that work directly to thwart the Divine Plan. Our Duty is to turn these attacking demons into servant angels. Remember, they are allowed by God to attack us, and in THAT we have the deep opportunities for the Soul’s Learning.
A rapidly growing Jedi religion, as well. Amazon has Jedi manuals, as well as Sith Lord training manuals. What do they have to offer that what Christianity has become doesn’t?
Masculine Achievement, for one. Ironically, it seems the logo for the Jedi Academy has much in common with the logo of the (warror faith! Masculine!) Sikh religion. Am I alone in seeing that “Jedi” bears a remarkable resemblance to “Jeddhu,” the nickname of Khrishnamurti?
See a rejection of the West there? See how their Priesthood is a priesthood of fighters? Wonder why our young men – and women, there are Lady Jedi – pursue a series of religious “beliefs” – apparently, Enlightened Pantheism – that allow each to become his own God?
This is a part of the Kali Yuga. the tremendous opportunities presented to us for spiritual development in the titanic Conflicts that are just beginning I repeat just beginning, offer us the chance to culminate the learning of millenia of lifetimes in laying the foundation for our future Roles as the founding meritocratic Aristocracy for the next Age.
In all too many cases, the living will envy the dead. Let’s make sure we are on the right side of that ordering, for the right reasons.
This is a singularly important observation. The Arts are how the Soul communicates without words. Counter-Currents deals with the Arts on a very intentional level, recognizing their importance in the transformation of Culture, as part of the process of Civilization. Schiller saw further with his foundational work on the importance of Aesthetics. We can learn from his efforts.
Removed, or, worse, corrupted, negates their value, and that is not by accident.
The best counterpoint for now is to Do Better. The best Tool to facilitate this is Counter-Currents, and the useful tool to continue this is money.
Sending some today would be an excellent idea.
Sending some tomorrow would do just fine, as well.
“Second, to prevent those who reject materialism from finding the truth, false spiritual or idealist conceptions of history (e.g., Hegel, Bergson) are promulgated.”
I love Evola, but I’m also a big fan of Bergson. Creative Evolution is a classic in my opinion.
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