Holy Europe by Aki Cederberg
Posted on August 19, 2025
I have had the pleasure of reading Holy Europe by Aki Cederberg. I will straight away say that it is a great book, and I encourage you to read it. It is one of those books that it felt as well as read. Just as his first book, Journeys in the Kali Yuga (review), it is a travel account with plenty of valuable spiritual and historical insights.
Subversion of Nordic History
In the beginning of the book the author makes it clear where he stands in the great struggle of our time – he is on our side (the pro-European side).
‘Lately, we have been witness to never-ending attempts at subverting the Nordic peoples’ understanding of themselves, their connection with their native soil and ancestors, as well as attempts to dismantle their traditions, history, and spiritual world. Historical research has been falsely presented by the media to further political ends.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 15.
He shares similar sentiments throughout the book, which lends credibility to his views.
Lithuania
As author details his journeys in Lithuania, he introduces Romuva (the native Lithuanian religion) thus:
‘As is the case throughout much of European paganism, in the Lithuanian tradition the pantheon of numerous gods and goddesses forms a multifaceted, polytheistic world. And yes, simultaneously, these gods and goddesses are often seen as emanations of a central godhead. This supreme deity remains unknowable to man – he can approach it only through its various aspects. The manifest world is thus a magical place, populated by the different personalities and aspects of god, forces both creative and destructive.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 27.
I also got plenty of inspiration for places to visit for my next trip to Lithuania (I will go there again soon to plan coming linen and wool garments for Legio Gloria). Pictured below: Fashion Designer & Esotericist in Kaunas, Lithuania.
Lucifer’s Court
I was happy to discover that the author dedicated a chapter to his travels in southern France – following in the footsteps of Otto Rahn. Speaking of which, Lucifer’s Court (review) and Crusade Against the Grail (review) were some of the first esoteric books I read. We will return to Otto Rahn in a coming review.
‘Rahn was a Luciferian. For him, Lucifer was not the devil of the Christians, but the light bearer cast out of heaven, whose enemy was the false Jehovah and the Demiurge, who sought to control and keep mankind locked in ignorance, stupidity, and suffering. Lucifer was Apollo of the Greeks, the Balder of the Germans, the Lugh of the Celts, the Abellio of the Pyrenees – the protector of higher powers and the bringer of light.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 75.
One theory is that the Grail is a stone that fell from Lucifer’s crown when he fell from heaven.
Pictured below: Checking in from another part of southern France (Bayonne). One day, I must travel to Montségur.
Finnish Soul Complex
Sweden and Finland share a long history together, and I have always held the Finnish in high esteem. Thus, it was interesting to become further acquainted with Finnish spirituality. The author dedicates a chapter to this.
‘The conception of the soul in the Finnic spiritual tradition is threefold: it is divided into a bodily soul, called löyly or henki (lit. “breath”); a personal soul, itse (“self”); and an external guardian spirit attached to a person called luonto (“nature”) or haltia.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 293.
He notes that the guardian spirit is very similar to the Germanic Fylgja.
‘The spiritual tradition of a people is not an ideological system, but its native and natural way of approaching the holy and revealing timeless truth. It is the spirit of a people manifesting to itself. Among the Finns, this is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the sauna. The sauna is a Finnish temple, a place between worlds. Löyly, the word that describes the steam rising from the hot stones when one pours water on them, means spirit, breath, and life. It is synonymous with the physical part of the threefold soul-complex. This vital force, the “sweat of old Väinämöinen” and the guardian spirits, is what we invoke in the sauna.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 326.
As a life-long enjoyer of the sauna, this was an interesting insight. I will meditate upon this later in autumn as I sauna.
Gabriele D’Annunzio
The author made a pilgrimage to pay homage to the great Gabriele D’Annunzio. In the chapter detailing this visit he also noted the following (which I found hilarious):
‘In Venice, D’Annunzio threatened to “throw himself in the canal” unless a suitably serene villa was found for him somewhere in northern Italy.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Page 231.
True to style. Good stuff! I will be sure to visit some of these sights one day as well. When in Italy I will, of course, also pay homage to Evola.
European Unity
As I have noted before, European unity is a must. This does not mean that we have to accept the EU as it looks today. Rather, it must be undergo a great transformation. Our shared history and shared destiny must imbue this transformation. The author states it beautifully:
‘Beyond surface-level cultural differences we seem to share a spirit in common, a similar understanding of the primary forces uniting and invigorating us, and a similar vision of what a united Europe should be. Of course, it would be wholly different from the globalist union ruled by market forces and bureaucracy that we have today. Petty regional disputes and even pettier financial would no longer cloud the vision of the greater spirit uniting us. That spirit would be the guiding light of Europe, anchoring it in eternal principles, in an understanding of both the distant past and the farthest future.’
Aki Cederberg – Holy Europe. Pages 269-270.
Well formulated. I am in complete agreement.
Conclusion
Again, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It contains plenty of interesting insights. I now have plenty of places (the ones mentioned above are just a few of the countries discussed in the book) in Europe that I must visit in the coming years. Onwards!
Sacred Gotland
Posted on August 15, 2025
We are checking in from Visby, Gotland – one of the most beautiful places on earth. My thumos and joy are now back as a result, and I am ready for a productive autumn. Pictured below: A Neo-Hanseatic Battle-Merchant and a Wood Elven Prophetess in the botanical garden of Visby.
In addition to the beautiful botanical garden, roses grow throughout the town. The narrow streets and the walls also create an atmosphere of ultimate cosiness.
Wearing the Hanseatic Linen Shirt, Hyperborean Linen Trousers, the Leather Belt, and the Shoulder Bag.
At the ruins of Roma Abbey – a ruined Cistercian abbey in the middle of the island.
At a Bronze Age grave (röse) in the southern part of Gotland. Having the spirits of the ancestors at my back is always a powerful sensation!
Wearing the Nordic Tattoos T-Shirt and the Divine Messenger’s Tracksuit Bottoms.
There are several stone ships in Gotland dating from the Bronze Age (or Iron Age). These are places of power.
Visby Cathedral is 800 years. Truly epic the more you think about it!
Journeys in the Kali Yuga by Aki Cederberg
Posted on August 1, 2025
I have read Journeys in the Kali Yuga – A Pilgrimage from Esoteric India to Pagan Europe by Aki Cederberg. I first heard of the author a while back as he was interviewed by our esteemed friend Thomas Rowsell. The main topic of this interview was Cederberg’s recently published book Holy Europe (which I have begun reading). I deemed it reasonable to read his first book first, and I am glad I did so.
An Honest Travel Account of India
I have never been to India myself, but always thought that I would eventually go there, mainly as an enthusiast of history. This account (among similar ones) made less motivated to do so:
‘Life out of balance in hellish, overcrowded, methane-smelling metropolises, and in shitty, surreally poor villages. The never-ending slums, the shacks and huts in the dirt, the bolted doors of temples. People literally living in public toilets. The constant screams, screeches, and car horns. The everyday explosions of bombs made to either destroy or delight./…/ The endless barking dogs under gray, polluted skies where no stars are visible. The hecklers, beggars, thieves, amputees, the bereaved children with deeply set, dark eyes.’
Journeys in the Kali Yuga – Aki Cederberg. Page 4.
I am sure one can see plenty of beauty in India as well, but I suppose some research should be done beforehand to avoid this type of experience.
Western Hippies
The author does not have much nice to say about the neohippies that are drawn to the spiritual scene in India:
‘Rishikesh was also crowded with a particular brand of foreign travellers – the smug neohippies that sport a strange kind of hip arrogance and a steady stoned gaze, who often wander around scantily clothed and behaving in an inappropriate manner, giving Westerners the reputation they sometimes have and affecting how foreigners are treated (for example, being denied entry to many temples).’
Journeys in the Kali Yuga – Aki Cederberg. Page 70.
I am sure my esteemed readers know the type. I usually associate these types with drug enthusiasts who mask their true passion (drugs) with supposed spirituality. When I post about Vedic traditions, I do so because I like Evola (pictured below: after reading The Doctrine of Awakening).
Yoga and Eastern Spirituality
On a similar note, the author dispels some myths about Eastern spirituality:
‘In the West, people tend to associate “Eastern spirituality” (whatever the f*ck that means) and yogis with peace and love, with starry-eyed pacifism and feel-good harmony, but looking at these yogis of a genuine ancient tradition you could see how deluded that image actually was in reality. These yogis and Babas were not just ascetics – they were warriors. Traditionally and throughout history Naga Babas have been warriors and even today many of them have a background in the military. There was one Baba, for instance, who enjoyed showing a picture of himself using a metal rod to beat a guy who has falsely claimed to be a Naga Baba.’
Journeys in the Kali Yuga – Aki Cederberg. Pages 60-61.
Quite the contrast! Later in the book, the author notes something similar:
‘Often shunning its own inherent pagan traditions, lore, and wisdom, the West freely borrows and adopts foreign traditions from supposedly “more spiritual” (often more primitive) cultures and, ultimately, misappropriates them. The sedate, feminine, and commercial world of modern Western yoga, for instance, seems like the exact inverted mirror image of traditional yoga as I had come to see it in India.’
Journeys in the Kali Yuga – Aki Cederberg. Page 138.
Our Own Heroes
‘We have to become the hero of our own story, both in our personal lives and as a collective. All this might sound like a cliché, but in today’s post-whatever culture, it seems most truths are.’
Journeys in the Kali Yuga – Aki Cederberg. Page 83.
I appreciated this. Perhaps the main message of the book is that we should drink from our own well (as the saying goes). Being interested in (and finding insights from) other spiritual traditions can be good, but ultimately we must turn to our own European traditions to find home. With this in mind, the book serves as a good introduction to the author’s second book Holy Europe.
Conclusion
The book has 165 pages and is both entertaining and insightful. I enjoyed it and can definitely recommend it. Great stuff!
The Call of the Old Gods by Christopher McIntosh
Posted on July 29, 2025
I have read The Call of the Old Gods – My Occult Journey on the Pagan Path by Christopher McIntosh. I was intrigued by the title and thus decided to read it. His spiritual journey is a red thread throughout the book, but for the most part the book is about his eventful social and professional life (with a career at the UN, among other endeavours). As the author was born in 1943 he came of age and was (and still is) active during the prosperous years of the post-war period – those decades were quite different to Europe today. It is always interesting to read accounts of how Europe was in those days. It is only a few decades ago, but our once fair nations have unfortunately transformed greatly.
Sacred Places in Britain
The author notes the following about growing up in Albion:
‘My own pagan journey has been bound up with my attraction toward sacred places. I was lucky to grow up in Britain, which is unusually rich in ancient sites steeped in lore and legend – places like Stonehenge, the Rollright Stones, the Callanish Stones in the Hebrides, and Glastonbury in the West Country, associated with the Grail legends and the Archangel Michael, ostensibly a Christian figure but in fact an ancient solar deity.’
Christopher McIntosh – The Call of the Old Gods. Page 100.
I have been to Merry Old England twice – far too little time to investigate the many sacred places there. Alas, I am reluctant to travel to the United Kingdom at the moment because of the totalitarian nature of its regime. Perhaps one day I will go back and make a pilgrimage to the various sacred sites. As for the author’s statement regarding the Archangel Michael, I present it without comment at this particular moment (we will return to the subject another time). Pictured below: Although not in England but across the sea in Ireland, I still remember being imbued with the spirit of King Arthur at this time.
Pagan Egregore
The author shares the following interesting thought:
‘Yet, despite all the efforts to eliminate them, the old gods have managed to survive. In my story “Master of the Starlit Grove,” in the collection of the same name, I introduce the idea of a pagan egregore, that is to say a thoughtform on the etheric place, created by many people thinking the same thoughts, working with the same symbols, and focusing on some powerful central idea. The story puts forward the idea that, at the time of the forced Christianization of Europe, a group of Pagans came together and created an egregore as a sort of ark to preserve paganism until the influence of Christianity diminished and the old gods could reemerge.
Christopher McIntosh – The Call of the Old Gods. Pages 116-117.
This is of course fiction, but I believe there is something like a pagan egregore, which has helped the gods to live on over the centuries.’
I can confirm that our Gods are awakening!
Prague
The author notes the following about Prague (which he visited both during Communist and post-Communist times):
‘I had the impression the place had gone a bit too far in the opposite direction after throwing off the communist yoke.’
Christopher McIntosh – The Call of the Old Gods. Page 108.
Like any man of culture, the author does not appreciate the homogenising effects of globalism.
Speaking of Prague, he later shares the following:
‘One of the highlights of our visit was a guided tour of the alchemy museum, Speculum Alchemiae, featuring a well-preserved alchemical laboratory that had been created on the initiative of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor from 1576 to 1612. Because alchemy was frowned upon by the church, the laboratory was highly secret. It was hidden in the cellar of a building in the Jewish quarter that was ostensibly an apothecary’s shop. The emperor had gone there by way of a secret tunnel running beneath the river Moldau to the royal palace on the opposite side.’
Christopher McIntosh – The Call of the Old Gods. Page 196.
I will keep this place in mind when I visit Prague (I have nothing planned at the moment, but I am bound to go there sooner or later).
Marija Gimbutas & the Old Europe Theory
In a chapter discussing a visit to the Baltic countries, the author shares the Old Europe theory of the Lithuanian archaeologist and anthropologist Marija Gimbutas. The theory postulates that Europe was inhabited by peaceful and matriarchal Early European Farmers before being conquered by the violent and patriarchal Indo-Europeans. This theory has been proven false. The Early European Farmers were both patriarchal and extremely violent.
Conclusion
The book is 233 pages and I enjoyed reading it! As the title suggests the author takes you along his life journey over many decades.
The Golden One 
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