The Golden One

Revival of the Runes by Stephen E. Flowers

Posted on May 24, 2022

I have read Revival of the Runes by Stephen E. Flowers. Just as Icelandic Magic (review here) and Rune Might (review here) by the same author, it is highly insightful and interesting. I thought that the only reasonable course of action was to continue along the same path by reading more about the runes.

Stephen E. Flowers and Edred Thorsson

You may have noticed that Rune Might is authored by Edred Thorsson (Stephen E. Flowers’ pen name). Why does he write about the same topic under two different names? Simply put, it is to distinguish between his role as a scholar and as a magician. Stephen E. Flowers is the academic who presents certain topics in a more scholarly manner; Edred Thorsson presents them in a less restricted manner – allowing him some poetic license as well as some room to elaborate on certain magical practices as he sees them. On a personal note, I view this as a reasonable way to distinguish between the works. It must be noted that the style of the books is quite similar regardless of which name he uses.

Rune Might and Revival of the Runes

As you may have discerned from the information regarding the names above, Revival of the Runes focuses more on the runes from the perspective of a historian – Rune Might is more practically oriented. As I noted in my review of Rune Might, I appreciate practical instructions that I can implement, and experiment with, in my own meditations. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Revival of the Runes as well. The story of the runes is, to a large extent, also a story about the Germanic peoples. Moreover, in reading the book, I was introduced more thoroughly to certain Swedish scholars whose names I had previously only been familiar with in passing – such as Johan Bure (more on him further down).

Pictured below: yours truly in Uppsala, a place of both spiritual and scholarly importance. Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) was an important place for Pagan rituals, and Uppsala University (founded in 1477) has, as you may have surmised, always been an important place for all manner of studies and research.

The Shift From Elder to Younger Futhark

The Younger Futhark (of 16 runes – pictured below) was a shortened version of the Elder Futhark (24 runes) and was in use during the Viking Age (from about 800 to 1100 CE). The author notes that the motives behind the reform of the runic system – i.e. going from the Elder to the Younger Futhark – remain a matter of scholarly controversy. One theory is that the shift was done to shield the runes from the unworthy – on a practical level it was a way for runecarvers to preserve and promote their profession.

‘The newly reformed system also made runic texts more difficult to read, with single runes being made to stand for a variety of sounds. One might logically ask: Why was this obfuscation deemed necessary? Since the phenomenon did occur, and because it runs contrary to the normal and expected development of a writing system, we must assume that it was the result of a conscious plan. Here the simplest answer is probably the right one: The system was made more difficult so that it could not be casually learned by those outside the gild of runecarvers.’

Stephen E. Flowers – Revival of the Runes

The author also notes that the Norse dialects became more phonetically complex at the time, meaning that a reduction of the runes was not a result of a linguistical changes. On a related note, the Germanic languages (Swedish and English for example) were more similar (basically identical) during the Viking Age than they are today.

Gothic Blood

Just as in Rune Might, the concept of Gothicism is presented, and the author notes that the legendary status of the Goths could be harnessed for European nations to increase their prestige. This is reasonable since the Goths left a great legacy.

I will elaborate on this at length in my upcoming book, but what we can note for now is the following: the nations that were infused with Gothic blood (from the Migration Era), primarily Sweden, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, would have a certain drive to pursue greatness in a Faustian manner. However, certain nations that were not touched by the Gothic migration (England and the Netherlands to name two) still had the same Faustian spirit of conquest and exploration. This is, in my humble opinion, due to the fact that it was the Indo-European (i.e. Steppe DNA) blood in the Goths that facilitated this spirit. The same Indo-European blood was, of course, present in the Saxons as well (as well as the ancient Greeks and Romans, as we have noted in previous articles). Moreover, as stated by Survive the Jive, it should be noted that there is no genetic difference between a migration era Lombard, Goth, Angle, or Jute. Thus, one can conclude that the adventure-seeking, glory-driven European spirit comes from a more distant past – i.e. from the Indo-Europeans.

Since we are on the topic, it is good to point out that there are no ‘pure’ Indo-European populations. Generally speaking, Europeans can be said to have three components: Indo-European, Early European Farmer, and Hunter-Gatherer. In conclusion, it can be noted that the Indo-European spirit can manifest itself as long as a touch of the blood remains. Moreover, I must add that this is an esoteric take on the spirit, not a comment on pure biology.

In my meditations on my own being, the following thought presented itself: perhaps the Indo-European spirit within me is particularly potent due to epigenetic factors. In my case, it may be that a great consumption of dairy products throughout my life, in addition to other factors, has facilitated the Indo-European spirit to dominate.

Again, this is a topic I will return to later on.

Paracelsus

Theophratus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelcus) appears in this book as well. He is introduced as one of the greatest intellectual heroes of the Northern Renaissance. We encountered him in relation to the arcane arts (in this case: magic, alchemy, and astrology) in our review of The Hermetic Tradition by Julius Evola (review here). Paracelsus was an inspiration for later Swedish mystics. In said Northern Renaissance, an interest for the runes was reignited. We will, as we continue on our esoteric path, most likely come across Paracelsus again.

The Swedish Mystic Johan Bure

In Rune Might, the author presents a number of German esoteric masters, primarily active during the early 20th century. In Revival of the Runes, the focus is on a number of Swedish men who were important to the survival and revival of the runes. Perhaps the most important one of these esoteric masters was Johan Bure, whose life is the main topic of the chapter titled From the Renaissance to the Baroque. In addition to his research on the runes, Bure was, to our great interest and admiration, a regular companion of Gustav II Adolf, also known as Gustav Adolf the Great. Gustav II Adolf was one of Sweden’s greatest kings and one of the most competent military leaders in history. Johan Bure instructed the king on matters of Swedish prehistory and esotericism up until the latter’s departure for Germany and the Thirty Years’ War. This royal patronage enabled Bure to pursue various esoteric paths:

‘This period was, of course, also rich with esoteric discoveries and explorations. Bure came under increasing attacks for his heretical ideas, but he was solidly supported by the royal house against any and all critics, the majority of whom were members of the Lutheran clergy.’

Stephen E. Flowers – Revival of the Runes

The author notes that Bure’s esoteric works largely remain unpublished today, being stored away in archives in Stockholm, Uppsala, and Lund. On a personal note, I was actually admitted to the archives in Uppsala when I wrote a paper on the Swedish import of colonial wares during the 1700s. I will endeavour to get better acquainted with Bure’s teachings in the coming time. Pictured below: Johan Bure (to the right) and his mighty patron (to the left).

Controversies Surrounding the Runes

In a chapter titled The Rise of Contemporary Scientific Runology and the Re-Emergence of the Rune-Gild: Phase VI: 1975 to Present, the author discusses the view of the runes in later years. He notes that two opposing views came to prominence:

‘It might be said that from the early 1980s forward, there developed two schools of esoteric runology: the Blumian and the Edredian. The motto of the Blumian school would be: “Do your own thing” or “If it feels good, it’s right.” On the other hand, the motto of the Edredian school would be: “Verified tradition activated by experience leads to inner truth.”

Stephen E. Flowers – Revival of the Runes

One could thus say that these disputes follow a similar pattern as today – where various ‘woke’ activists try to misconstrue the teachings of the ancients to suit their own political agenda. Survive the Jive made an interesting video on a similar matter which you can watch on Odysee: Good Walls for Bad Neighbours: The Meaning of Asgard’s Walls. On a personal note, I am more inclined to agree with the assessment of the Edrerian (as in Edred Thorsson) school – i.e. a healthy respect for the doctrines our ancestors.

Conclusion

Revival of the Runes is, just as Rune Might, a well-written and engaging book full of interesting insights. At 209 pages it is also not a big time-investment. For anyone interested in the runes, I can definitely recommend it. In closing, I will also add that I have grown fond of the writing style of Flowers and look forward to reading more books by him.

Rune Might by Edred Thorsson (Stephen E. Flowers)

Posted on May 18, 2022

I have read Rune Might by Edred Thorsson – which is the pen name of Stephen E. Flowers. I first encountered his writings a while back when reading Icelandic Magic (read my review of it here: Icelandic Magic by Stephen E. Flowers), which I found highly interesting. Therefore, I decided to continue along the same path by reading this book. Gaining more insights into the runes also comes at a good point since I am currently meditating upon the Elder Futhark (as discussed in this video: Esoteric Masters – Vital Elements Review).

Just as Icelandic Magic, Rune Might contains plenty of practical instructions, which is great. There is plenty of theory to be had, and I suppose that you, my dear reader, are more interested in the practical applications of magic. This is definitely true for me – I aim to increase my knowledge of esoteric matters in order to set a higher pace in my great quest.

The Elder Futhark

The author presents the traditional runic systems, which are the following: the Elder (Older) Futhark (pictured below), the Anglo-Frisian Futhorc, the Younger Futhark, and the Armanic Futhork. The name Futhark simply comes from the sounds of the first six runes in the rune row (of each system respectively), as presented below:

• Fehu (f)
• Uruz (u)
• Thurisaz (th)
• Ansuz (a)
• Raido (r)
• Kenaz (k)

The Frisian Futhorc (33 runes) and the Armanic Futhork (18 runes), although similar to the Elder Futhark, present some of the runes in a different way, in addition to not containing the same number of runes. The Younger Futhark (16 runes) is simply a shortened version of the Elder Futhark (24 runes) and came into use during the Viking Age (around 800-1100 CE). Much more can be said about this, but on a personal note, I will mention that it is the Elder Futhark that I am meditating upon (I will return to this topic once I have meditated upon all runes therein).

Gothicism

In the introduction, the author introduces the concept of Storgoticism – Megalogothicism (stor = grand in Swedish) which was a popular cultural movement during the zenith of Swedish power (mainly the 17th century). He erroneously states the following, however: ‘the esoteric doctrine that the Goths (wrongly assumed to be the same as Swedes) were the once and future master race.‘ I was surprised to find such an obvious fault in the work of an otherwise excellent scholar. The Goths did, in fact, originate in Sweden, more specifically from the region of Götaland. The sacred island of Gotland shares a similar name. Survive the Jive elaborates more on the origins of the Goths at the end of this video: JIVE TALK: Ancient DNA news: Greece and Italy.

It must be noted though, that during the Gothic migration down through Europe they absorbed the DNA (primarily maternal) from other tribes they encountered – in true Indo-European fashion! We will return to the topic of the Goths in coming reviews and Podcast episodes.

German Esoteric Masters

In the chapter titled The High Tide of Rune Magic, the author presents a cast of characters that were important to the runic renaissance that took place in Germany during the early 20th century. As I have noted before, it is always interesting to read about the lives of the men whose teachings live on. I found an inspiring passage about one them – namely, Rudolf von Sebottendorf, who ‘traveled in various dark corners of the world collecting arcane lore.‘ Just reading that sentence conjures up the life-affirming spirit that European man needs today. Reading that passage certainly increased my own motivation for pursuing my arcane studies!

The author also presents Arnold Krumm-Heller, one of the most unique rune-crafters of the runic resurgence. Krumm-Heller went to Latin America (Chile, Peru, and Mexico) on a secret military mission in 1894. In Mexico he began his studies of the occult. He would go on to have an adventure-filled career too long to cover here. I note this to emphasise the fact that the occult has attracted men of power (in case anyone believed it was reserved for low-thumos men). The book introduces several other interesting esoteric teachers – an important one of those was a man named Guido von List (whom we shall return to in coming reviews).

Rune Yoga

In chapter 7, the author introduces the concept of rune yoga, which I found interesting since I have, as you most likely know, practiced yoga (i.e. mobility exercises) and meditation for quite some time. A number of postures and exercises are presented (some of which I will endeavour to experiment with in the coming time) with accompanying sounds and purposes (esoteric purposes as opposed to the yoga used for mobility).

It is noted that the best results are attained when the practitioner does the postures on bare ground, with bare feet, and in open air. This ties in well with the concept of grounding – i.e. connecting with the earth’s energies by walking barefoot. One can debate the science of grounding, but what I can say for certain is that it does indeed feel great to walk around barefoot in a beautiful environment. It is also worth pointing out that one should not let science interfere with esoteric matters – I will elaborate on this at length at a later time.

In the same chapter, the author describes the orientation and structure of the postures as presented by the German esoteric masters. A northward orientation provides a greater magical will, for example. More instructions are given for each posture, and I thought that the following passage would be interesting to share:

‘These theories are virtually identical to those of Indian tantric cosmology, with which the Germanic cosmology ultimately shares a common Indo-European ancestry.’

Edred Thorsson – Rune Might

Various mantras connected to the rune-postures are also presented. For example: ‘Sing the rune-name KA and the formula KA-KE-KI-KO-KU while visualizing the influx of force from the solar and lunar coursing through the palms to the solar plexus and being grounded in the earth zone.’ I am unsure if I will try the mantra, but the visualisation sounds reasonable at least! I share this example as a way to illustrate roughly what these mantras entail.

Steads of Rune Might

Geomancy (earth magic) was a key component in the teachings of the German rune-magicians of the last century. Just as it is good to do the rune yoga in a certain way (as mentioned above), so does the place of the exercises matter. I am surrounded by these places of power – Steads of Rune Might – and, just as I noted above in terms of grounding, I can say for certain that some places have a special energy about them. This is a highly interesting topic that I will return to.

Conclusion

Rune Might by Edred Thorsson is a well-written and engaging book full of valuable insights. At 191 pages and with plenty of illustrations, it is not a big time-investment. I enjoyed Icelandic Magic greatly, and this book follows a similar style. For anyone interested in the esoteric side of the runes, I can definitely recommend it. My next review will be of Revival of the Runes by the same author (same topic but a different perspective).

Onwards and upwards!

The Mystery of the Grail by Julius Evola

Posted on April 23, 2022

I have read The Mystery of the Grail by Julius Evola. This book was at first just an appendix to Revolt Against the Modern World, but three years after its release Evola published The Mystery of the Grail as a book of its own – which is fortunate for us. On a personal note, I have always had a great affinity for the Grail legend, so perhaps I am biased in this regard, but I would say that this is one of Evola’s most interesting books. Something to be noted is that many of the perspectives presented in the book are elaborated on in other books as well, so being familiar with Evola beforehand may make the insights easier to understand.

Generally speaking, the more of Evola you read, the more sense his other works will make. As I mentioned in this video (Momentum Is King – Bombard Your Mind To Learn – Train Everyday), the more pieces of a puzzle you put down, the better grasp of the full picture you will get. Below are, as always, just a few insights I thought would be particularly interesting to share.

Guelphs and Ghibellines

A reoccurring theme in Evola’s work is the medieval conflict between the Guelphs (supporters of the Pope) and the Ghibellines (supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor). Understanding this conflict and Evola’s views on it is instrumental in understanding many of his other teachings. This is especially true for his disagreement with René Guénon, which we have discussed in many other reviews.

Evola, as we have noted before, viewed the Emperor – whether in the Roman Empire or the Holy Roman Empire – as the (rightful) highest spiritual authority, as opposed to the Pope. Therefore, Evola viewed the Middle Ages from a pro-Ghibelline perspective. Much more can be said about the historical context surrounding the Guelphs and Ghibellines, and we are bound to return to the topic at a later stage.

The Three Elements of Medieval Civilisation

In a very insightful chapter titled The Grail as a Ghibelline Mystery, Evola notes that medieval civilisation was shaped by three elements: Northern-Pagan, Christian, Roman. A certain segment in this chapter is so interesting that I found it reasonable to share most of it here. He states that the Northern-Pagan component played a decisive role in many aspects of social life, and perhaps more importantly for the topic at hand, that:

‘The feudal regime, the knightly morals, the civilisation of the courts, the original substance that engendered the crusading spirit are inconceivable without a reference to Nordic-Pagan blood and spirit.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 121.

And, in regard to the Goths and other Germanic tribes (i.e. Nordic-Pagan blood), he states that:

‘But while the races that descended upon Rome from the North should not be considered “barbarian” from this perspective (since it seems to me that they carried along values that were superior to those of a civilisation that was already decayed in its principles and in its people), we can still talk of a certain barbarism, which does not mean primitivity but rather involution, in specific regard to their spiritual traditions. I have already mentioned the existence of a primordial Nordic-Hyperborean tradition. In the peoples living at the time of the invasions we can find only fragmentary echoes and obscure memories of such a tradition, which leave a wide margin to popular legends and to superstition.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 121.

This is similar to what I have said in regard to the Goths as being the true heirs of the Roman spirit. As I noted in a recent article: The Rome that Alaric sacked in 410 was a far cry from the glorious city it had once been, and the spirit that led the Romans to glory had been long gone by this stage. I will meditate further upon this, but even at this stage one could argue that the spirit of Rome – which was founded by invading Indo-Europeans from the north – would have had more in common with the Goths than the people of the Roman empire during its waning years. I will return to this topic at a later stage, but what we can say now is that Rome during the early 400s was not the same Rome (bio-spiritually) as it was during its Golden Age (for more information on ancient Roman DNA, read this article: Ancient Roman DNA).

‘In any event, these memories were such that forms of a tough, warlike, and rough-hewn life prevailed over everything spiritual. The Nordic-Germanic traditions of the time, which were largely constituted by the Eddas, retained slight residues whose vital possibilities appear to have been exhausted and in which little was left of the wide scope and metaphysical tension that were proper to the great cycles of the primordial tradition. Thus we may speak of a state of involutive latency of the Nordic tradition. But as soon as contact with Christianity and with the symbol of Rome occurred, a different condition ensued; this contact had a galvanising effect. In spite of everything, Christianity revived the generic sense of a supernatural transcendence. The Roman symbol offered the idea of a universal regnum, of an aeternitas carried by an imperial power.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 121.

Thus, one interpretation could be that the spirit of Eternal Rome – Imperial Europa – was inherited by the Goths (and other Germanic tribes – the Franks in France for example) upon their invasion of Western Roman territories. This spirit would then give raise to the Middle Ages (which was a spiritual high-point for Evola, as he discusses elsewhere). One could envision the passing of a flame in terms of this spirit – the Imperial spirit going from Rome to the Holy Roman Empire, with Charlemagne being a particularly bright flame in this regard.

‘All this integrated the Nordic substance and provided superior reference points to its warrior ethos, so much as to gradually usher in one of those cycles of restoration that I have labelled “heroic” in a special sense. And so, from the type of the mere warrior the figure of the knight arose; the ancient Germanic traditions of war waged in function of Valhalla developed into the supranational epic of the “holy war” or crusade’.

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 121.

In inheriting this spirit, the Germanic peoples could elevate themselves – i.e. the lower warrior could transcend into the higher knight. Evola discusses the concept of holy war further in Metaphysics of War. I also elaborate on the ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ crusade and jihad in Dauntless. There is an important lesson to be learned here – namely, that a high-thumos man guided by higher principles can elevate himself above his current state. Therefore, it can be said that adding a spiritual dimension to one’s life is a good decision.

‘A shift occurred from the type of the prince of a particular race to the type of the sacred and ecumenical emperor, who claimed that the principle of his power had a character and an origin no less supernatural and transcendent than that of the Church. This true renaissance, however, this grandiose development and wonderful transformation of forces, required an ultimate reference point, a supreme centre of crystallisation higher than the Christian though Romanised ideal, and higher than the external and merely political idea of the Empire. This supreme point of integration was manifested precisely in the myth of the Grail’s regality, according to the intimate relation it had with the several variations of the “imperial saga.” The silent problem of the Ghibelline Middle Ages was expressed in the fundamental theme of that cycle of legends: the need for a hero of the two swords, who overcomes natural and supernatural tests, to really ask the question: the question that avenges and heals, the question that restores power to its regality.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 121.

The question he refers to is a common theme in the Grail legend (i.e. that the hero must ask an appropriate question at a certain stage). The quote continues:

‘The Middle Ages awaited the hero of the Grail, so that the head of the Holy Roman Empire could become an image or a manifestation of the Universal Ruler; so that all the forces could receive a new power; so that the Dry Tree could blossom again; so that an absolute driving force could arise to overcome any usurpation, antagonism, laceration; so that a real solar order could be formed; so that the invisible emperor could also be the manifest one.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 122.

In conclusion it can be said that (as we have noted before) Evola viewed the Emperor (in this case the Holy Roman Emperor) as the rightful spiritual authority, just as the Pontifex in Rome had been, as opposed to the Papacy. It is worth pointing out that the rivalry between Emperor and Pope during the Middle Ages was not only in regard to spiritual authority, but also in terms of political power. As noted above, this is a deep and interesting topic which we will return to in other contexts.

Ancient Wisdom in Constantinople

Just as the imperial spirit went from Rome to its Germanic inheritors, so did another spirit of the classical world go to Constantinople. This spirit, in the form of classical knowledge and art, returned to Renaissance Italy during the final years of the Byzantine Empire (to save the treasures from the Ottoman conquest). This is not something Evola elaborates on in the book – it is merely a note of my own for the sake of clarity. We will return to this discussion at a later stage.

The Templars and the Crusade Against the Grail

Evola refers to Otto Rahn, whom we have discussed in these reviews: Lucifer’s Court – Book Review and Inspiring Quotes and Crusade Against the Grail by Otto Rahn as well as in Podcast Episode 9. The Pinnacle of Civilisation – France. In his discussion about the Cathars he notes that, in his view, the spirit of Catharism had little to do with the spirit of the Grail’s Templarism. From my understanding of Cathar doctrine, I am inclined to agree with this assessment. If one were to view the Templars, and other similar organisations such as the Teutonic Order and the Hospitallers, as spiritual descendants of the Indo-European Männerbund, then they are indeed quite different from the less militaristic Cathars. The life-denying attitudes of the Cathars are in sharp contrast to the heroic (in the Evolian sense) spirit of the Templars. The quote below ties in well with previous discussions regarding the Magna Mater (for example here: The Yoga of Power by Julius Evola).

‘But while in the Grail cycle the positive and virile aspect of an ancient, pre-Christian Nordic-Celtic legacy was resurrected, in Catharism what apparently reemerged was the negative, feminine, gynecocratic aspect, belonging to a different pre-Christian legacy, which I have characterised elsewhere as “Atlantic-Southern” and which should be considered as an alteration of the primordial tradition in the sense of the “cycle of the Mother.”’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 139.

He goes on to note that the Cathars viewed the Catholic Church as ‘too Roman’ to be the Cathar ‘Church of Love’. To use modern political terms, one could say that the Cathars were ‘to the left’ of the Catholic Church. This is quite similar to how the discourse regarding Christianity looks today – plenty of criticism comes from ‘the left’ (in the form of atheists and anti-Europeans, etc.) as well as from ‘the right’ (i.e. Pagans).

In pointing this out Evola shows that the crusade against the Cathars and the attacks on the Templars (in the fateful year of 1307) were quite different in their nature.

I thought to add something that relates to this. On a personal note, I usually defend the Church and Christianity when attacks come from the ‘Left’ (i.e. from liberals and atheists etc.), but am receptive to criticism from the ‘Right’ (i.e. from Right-Wing Pagans) if voiced in a respectful and mature manner.

Philip the Fair and the Templars

In Metaphysics of Power (I wrote a shorter review of it), Evola elaborates on France’s Philip the Fair. Evola mentions Philip in this book as well. He does not have much good to say about him – he labels him a ‘secularised, profane, and despotic king who hated the aristocracy.’ I am not yet knowledgeable enough about medieval French history to comment upon whether Philip the Fair was a good king or not. His elimination of the Templars and opposition to the aristocracy can simply be seen as a way to solidify state power – which is natural and understandable.

Thunderweapons and the Axis Mundi

The concept of the World Axis – Axis Mundi – will be familiar for those who read my review of The Serpent Symbol in Tradition by Dr. Charles William Dailey. Evola mentions it in chapter 18, which is titled The Mystery of the Lance and of Revenge, in which he notes that the lance (like the scepter) often interferes with the symbolism of the Axis Mundi. He does not elaborate extensively upon the concept, but I thought it would be interesting to point it out since we encountered thunderweapons and the Axis Mundi in the aforementioned book.

René Guénon and the Freemasons

In the epilogue, Evola expresses his lament over the fact that Guénon views Freemasonry in a positive light. Although the discussion on Freemasonry is brief and not central to the book, I deemed it reasonable to share this here since we are bound to return to the topic in later reviews or Podcast episodes.

‘It is surprising to find in a very qualified expert in traditional studies, such as Guénon, the claim that together with Compagnionaggio, Freemasonry is almost the only organization in the West that currently may claim, despite its degeneration, “an authentic traditional origins and a regular initiatory transmission” (Apercus sur l’initiation [Paris, 1946], 40, 103.) Guénon apparently rejects the correct diagnosis of Freemasonry as a pseudoinitiatory syncretism promoted by underground forces of counterinitiation, a diagnosis that could be established even on the basis of his own views. How Guénon’s view of Freemasonry as a traditional organization could possibly be reconciled with his positive assessment of Catholicism, a sworn enemy of modern Freemasonry, still needs to be clarified.’

Julius Evola – The Mystery of the Grail. Page 172.

Evola goes on to say that he has friends who are Freemasons, including Reghini – whose articles are included in Introduction to Magic (reviews here and here). He also mentions that he has some good things to say about the lodges that refrain from socio-political engagement.

Conclusion

As noted above, this is perhaps the most interesting book by Evola I have read thus far. The book is also helpful when it comes to understanding his view of the imperial spirit, and this, in turn, makes many of his other teachings more understandable. If you are interested in Evola’s writings, I can highly recommend the book.