Weekly Discussion Thread. 10/16/21-10/22/21.

submitted by send_nasty_stuffNational Socialist from self.debatealtright

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[–]NeoRail 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

I am taking questions about Evola, if anyone is interested. There has been little opportunity to discuss his works on this sub, but I can offer some answers here.

[–]nordmannenLegionnaire 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Could you explain Evola's affection for secret societies and occult orders? I'm not well-read in Evola and have had this question for a while

[–]NeoRail 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

He had none. Evola believed that exclusive, elitist orders were the only way to preserve traditional wisdom in its pure form and protect it from vulgarisation or deliberate malicious and opportunistic distortions. However, already in his time there were no such legitimate organisations left. He was strongly opposed to Masonic, Theosophic, Anthroposophic and Ariosophic currents because of their dubious or explicitly anti-traditional character. He also disliked modern occultism for the same reasons - he thought modern occult writers had a deeply muddled, confused and inverted understanding of spirituality.

[–]MarkimusNational Socialist 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Why was Crowley an exception? I remember reading an article Evola wrote about Crowley that was positive. But when I look at the stuff Crowley was doing it seems extremely cringe and degenerate, not at all what I'd expect Evola to be supportive of.

[–]NeoRail 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I have not looked into Crowley too deeply for the same reason you mentioned, I just can't imagine finding anything useful or constructive in his work. As far as I understand it, Evola somewhat approved of Crowley, with certain reservations, because he judged that Crowley had successfully attained valid spiritual knowledge through his efforts. There can also be a degree of difference and contradiction between form and substance in occultism, so it's possible that even if the form of Crowley's practice was more on the degenerate end, that same practice may have carried a different and deeper meaning for him. You could probably look for some of Evola's explanations of the left hand path, since that might be useful in explaining the situation with Crowley, who I assume was following left hand path principles. Evola goes over the left hand path in his book on Tantric Yoga and also in other texts, although I don't remember any titles off the top of my mind. If I had to give a quick summary, the best way to do it would probably be to say that abnormal left hand path practices are intended to break the continuity of normal human experience and open the person up to new and higher perspectives. Some of those practices can come across as really degenerate, but are approached with entirely different intentions, mindset and aims than an actual degenerate would approach them with.

Again, I can't speak about Crowley, but I suspect that his case probably boils down to something like this.

[–]MarkimusNational Socialist 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Yeah this was my general impression too, I didn't know about the left hand right hand path stuff though. Interesting stuff, kinda reminds me of the distinction Evola talks about for the fully initiated Templars in Mystery of the Grail. He says they would have to insult the cross, deny jesus was a prophet but rather was an ordinary man who died because of his mistakes etc. These seem very 'left hand path' for a Christian Order.

The section I'm referring to is page 127 in that book by the way. I haven't read that whole book too, only that particular chapter because I was curious about Templar-Assassin relations.

[–]NeoRail 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Yeah this was my general impression too, I didn't know about the left hand right hand path stuff though. Interesting stuff, kinda reminds me of the distinction Evola talks about for the fully initiated Templars in Mystery of the Grail. He says they would have to insult the cross, deny jesus was a prophet but rather was an ordinary man who died because of his mistakes etc. These seem very 'left hand path' for a Christian Order.

That's the way I understood that part as well. With the normal way of looking at things shattered, the Templar initiate is forced to radically reinterpret the meaning of his efforts and spiritual growth.