The Golden One

Julius Evola and the UR Group – Introduction to Magic: Volume 1

Posted on January 21, 2022

I have read Introduction to Magic: Volume 1 – Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus by Julius Evola and his companions of the UR Group – in Italian: Gruppo di UR. The Baron needs no introduction; the UR Group, however, may be unfamiliar to some (see below).
Volume 1 of Introduction to Magic is more practically oriented that Volume 2 and 3 (which will be the subject of a coming book review), and can be read on its own.
Reading all three volumes will be quite time-consuming, especially since the material is rather heavy. Therefore, it might be good to read the first volume for its practical advice and leave the second and third volumes for a later time.
Again, the essays make for some quite heavy reading, so if you are not used to this type of literature, it may be a better idea to start with a book such as Icelandic Magic (read my book review here: Icelandic Magic by Stephen E. Flowers).

Below are some insights from the first volume I thought would be interesting to share.

The UR Group

In Swedish, the word ‘ur‘ is a prefix that basically means primordial or ancient. If I were to translate The Primordial Beast into Swedish, it would be something like Urbesten. Ur + besten (besten = the beast). Except for Evola himself, the group consisted of individuals who wrote under pseudonyms – such as Abraxas*, Luce, and Arvo (among others). The essays were mainly written during the turbulent Interwar period. The material the group presented dealt with magic (religious practices, rituals, meditation, and metaphysics etc.). I will write more about their influence in Italian society in the next book review.

*Abraxas is a Gnostic deity. In the first volume of Introduction to Magic, the pseudonym is spelled as Abraxas (which is the standard spelling of the deity). In the second volume of Introduction to Magic, the name is spelled as Abraxa – which was the synonym chosen by Ercole Quadrelli.

Mithraic Ritual of the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris

One of the most interesting essays in the volume is about the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris. For those who have read Dauntless, the Cult of Mithras will be familiar. For an introduction to the cult, you can watch Survive the Jive’s video: The Military Cult of Mithras – Very Indo-European.
The papyrus describes and gives instructions for a magical ritual. The ritual contains both breathing techniques and bodily postures – the UR Group points out that this confirms that these matters are not limited to Hindu Yoga. The same is true for the use of ‘names of power’, which correspond to mantras of Hindu tradition.
In Dauntless, I introduce my own two favourite Pranayama techniques; Bhastrika (Bellows Breath) and Nadi Shodana (Alternate Nostril Breathing) – these are taken from India.

Come summer, I will experiment with the instructions in the papyrus. It is winter as I write this, and since one of the instructions is to ‘breathe from the solar rays, inhaling three times as deeply as you can,’ it is more reasonable when Sol Invictus returns to the fair lands of Moder Svea.

The text as it appears in the volume is translated into English from Italian (and from the original Greek into Italian). As with many ancient texts, much will inevitable become lost in translation – even so, it contains many epic passages. I am always on the lookout for such epic passages that I can memorise and meditate upon, and thereafter draw strength from.

‘Be favourable to me, O Providence and Fortune, as I write these first mysteries to be transmitted to the only Son, who will be rendered immortal, to the Initiate worthy of this Power of ours. The great Sun God Mithras ordered me to transmit these mysteries through his own Archangel. Be favourable to me, so that I alone, the Eagle, may reach the Heavens and contemplate all things.’

Propitiation Formula

‘Having said this, the solar rays will converge on you. You will become their center. When this is fulfilled in you, you will see a young handsome God, with fiery hair, wearing a white tunic and a scarlet mantle, with a fiery crown on his head. Greet him straightaway with the greeting of Fire’

Fourth Logos

‘The earth will shudder and a God will descend, an immense, radiant presence. He is young, with golden hair, wearing a white tunic, a golden crown, and a long robe.’

Seventh Logos

The passages above are within a context too long to elaborate on here, but I wanted to share them so you can get a feel for the text. Getting a feel is often more useful and powerful than the intellectual insight itself – this is especially true when we are talking about magic and mental techniques. The second and third passages above reminded me of the God that appears in Lucifer’s Court – you can read my review of it here: Lucifer’s Court – Book Review and Inspiring Quotes. A good esoteric book should contain passages about such Gods!

Knowledge of the Waters

In this essay by Abraxas, a primordial force is discussed. It can be introduced in the following manner:

‘The Wise spoke of it as a wonder and as a terror. They called it: Universal and Living Fire, ύλη (matter), Green Dragon, Quintessence, First Substance, Great Magical Agent. The principle of their “GREAT WORK”, since the Magistery of Creation and the Magistery with which man realizes himself according to the Royal Arts are one and the same.
This Matter of ours is neither an abstraction of profane philosophy nor a myth or a fairy tale, but a living and powerful reality, the spirit and the vitality of the Earth and of Life.’

Abraxas – Knowledge of the Waters

Later in the essay Abraxas likens the harnessing of this power to a strong man grasping a bull by the horns to subjugate it, thus enabling him to dominate its cosmic nature in himself. This is similar to what I mention in Dauntless in regard to sexual energy – instead of wasting it on unfruitful endeavours, it can be harnessed and used for your ascent to greater heights of being.
The energy described in the quote above can be found within you – an Esoteric Master who seeks to increase his power and leverage in the world wants to find said energy and use it as fuel for his quest. This will not make much sense to most people, but since you are reading this, you are not most people and will thus have a different appreciation for this insight.

This energy is part of a greater energy, your being is part of something greater – like a branch is just a part of a tree. Abraxas notes that this is similar to the Buddhist conception of ‘sâmsaric consciousness.’

Instructions for the Awareness of Breath

Another passage by Abraxas discusses a meditation technique. I tried this technique during a meditation and found it quite useful. It is actually quite similar to something Wim Hof says: ‘with your mind, follow your breath.’

The technique can be summarised as follows:
1. Lie down horizontally, completely relaxed.
2. Abandon the body.
3. Evoke the image of air: free, without bonds, infinite, fleeting.
4. Slowly reawaken the breath without ‘touching’ the body – using the mind to draw breath as opposed to a movement of the muscles.
5. Envision your consciousness as the air. Instead of feeling the lungs moving the air, feel the air moving the lungs.

When I meditate, I either sit down cross-legged on a meditation pillow, or I lie down on my shaktimat (seen below).

The Problem of Immortality

An interesting essay in the volume is The Problem of Immortality. It is signed as Ea, but it is clear that it is Evola who has written it (one can tell from the style and sentiment). A particularly insightful passage is the following:

‘The idea that everybody possesses an “immortal soul,” conceived moreover as a facsimile of his living consciousness and individual earthly Self, is a true

ideological aberration, although its usefulness as opium for the masses at

times cannot be denied.’

Julius Evola (signed as Ea)

Evola’s anti-egalitarian views are refreshing – and gives credibility to his teachings. This is especially true since many ‘spiritually’ oriented persons subscribe to false ideas such as the equality of humans. Anyone with a modicum of experience and reason can clearly see that humans differ greatly in their quality and value. Treating humans and animals with dignity is always a good idea though.

Conclusion

At 376 pages the volume contains many more valuable insights than shared in this review. As already mentioned, the book is quite heavy to read so I would not necessarily recommend it to anyone who is unused to reading material like this. However, if you are interested in these matters, I would highly recommend it.

Lastly, if you have not already done so, I highly recommend you to listen to Podcast Episode 11. Demigod Mentality (which deals with magic and mentality).

Icelandic Magic by Stephen E. Flowers

Posted on December 22, 2021

I have read Icelandic Magic: Practical Secrets of the Northern Grimoires by Stephen E. Flowers, Ph.D, and I can straight away recommend it for anyone interested in esoteric matters.
At around 100 pages it is a rather quick read. It is also written in an easier language than many other esoteric books, making it a good starting point. I am currently reading Introduction to Magic by Julius Evola and the UR group (which will be the subject of a coming article), and compared to those books, Icelandic Magic is much more accessible. Below are some interesting aspects of the book which I thought to highlight.

Religious Background

Iceland, like all Nordic countries, has had three different religious time-periods; Pagan, Catholic, and Protestant. As in most other countries that experienced these shifts, it was not a matter of an overnight change – rather, the transition happened gradually and many traditions survived into the later eras. Yule (Christmas) is a good example of this, although it changed and adopted Christian elements – just as it has changed even more over the last century.
One would perhaps expect rune magic to be a phenomenon restricted to the Pagan era. However, the practice continued throughout the Catholic era and long into the Protestant era (and is now alive again thanks to the work of the author). Moreover, just as Icelandic society as a whole became influenced by Christianity, so did the rune magic become influenced. Below is a quote from the book showing this:

‘In the world of magicians this meant that Christian figures could sometimes be used right next to pagan deities. And as our wondrous example in spell 46 of the Galdrabók shows, the northern sorcerer was so free magically that he could use the names of Odinn, the Saviour, and Satan in the same litany.’

Stephen E. Flowers

On a similar note, a majority of runestones in Sweden are actually from the Christian era (which is why you often see crosses on them).

Legendary Black Books

The Galdrabók is an Icelandic grimoire (a book of spells) written in the latter part of the 1500s. The book contains references to Germanic Paganism, which is interesting considering the fact that it was written in the Protestant Reformation Era (as mentioned above, much survived from previous eras). The book found its way to Denmark, and eventually came into the possession of a Swedish* philologist named Johan Gabriel Sparfwenfeldt.
*The author refers to him as Danish, but he was a Swedish diplomat (and orientalist, courtier, and, as mentioned above, philologist – a true renaissance man!).
The Galdrabók was translated into English by the Stephen E. Flowers in 1989 – which incidentally is the year of my birth. It is now in the possession of Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien (The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences). I will investigate the possibility of seeing it – if that is possible, I will make a videolog for Odysee and YouTube to show it.
Rauðskinna is another book of magic. According to legend it was compiled by Bishop Gottskálk Niklásson the Cruel (1469–1520). Rauðskinna translates as Red-Skin and is said to be a grimoire of magic dating from the Pagan period.
Gráskinna (Grey-Skin) is another grimoire, which is translated and constitutes the second part of the Icelandic Magic book.

Sator Square

The Sator square (which conceals the Paternoster formula) was found in Nordic practice. Icelandic Magic includes a reproduction of a Sator square that was found on the bottom of a silver bowl dating to the 1300s. The bowl was found on Gotland (the sacred island in the Baltic). The author notes that the Paternoster (Our Father) may actually predate Christianity. This is based on a Sator square found in Pompeii (the Roman city that was buried under volcanic ash in AD 79). This may show that the Our Father prayer was used by another sect, most likely the Mithras cult. The Mithras cult appears in Dauntless: The Wild Hunt Edition and will appear in coming articles and books as well – it is a highly interesting topic!

Practical Rune Magic

As mentioned above, the second part of the book consists of practical instructions for rune magic (taken from the Gráskinna).
The magic itself will be easier to do if you have some experience with meditation – when you draw the runes/staves/signs, you must visualise them in your mind. Some drawing practice may also be in order before doing a ritual to ensure that you can draw the sign in a fast and beautiful manner during the ritual itself.
In addition to plenty of spells (signs to draw and words to read etc.), there is also a practical guide to set up the ritual table. The recommended equipment is also listed: pens, parchment or paper, straightedge, compass, candles (not all are required for all spells).
Moreover, in Icelandic folklore, four guardian land-spirits watch over Iceland: a dragon in the east, a large bird in the north, a bull in the west, and a mountain giant in the south. These can be summoned in your mind (via an incantation and visualisation) to shield the practitioner before a ritual – epic stuff!

Conclusion

Again, I can definitely recommend the book for those interested in topics like this. I would also like to salute Stephen E. Flowers for his tremendous work in bringing these old texts back to life. When reading the book, I got got good vibes – perhaps as a result of ancient spirits blessing my quest for enlightenment!

The Agni and The Ecstasy by Steven J. Rosen

Posted on December 9, 2021

I have read The Agni and The Ecstasy by Steven J. Rosen (Satyaraja Dasa). The book consists of a collection of essays discussing Hinduism – to be more precise topics related to Vaishnava and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – more commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement.

As I mentioned in Podcast Episode 16. Dauntless, I have begun my quest to gain as many esoteric and spiritual insights as possible. I noticed that Arktos, great procurers of this kind of material, had published this work. The book caught my eye and I am happy it did. It contains some valuable insights. If you are interested in Indian spiritual tradition, I can definitely recommend it. Below are some aspects that I thought were interesting.

God, Hinduism, Polytheism

The most interesting and illuminating essays in the book are those discussing God. It is often said that Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, but one could also argue that it is a monist religion, since God is in everything, and the many gods are but reflections of God. In my Podcast Episode 16. Dauntless, I briefly discuss the topic and refer to the Neoplatonist teaching of The One. This is a discussing beyond the scope of this article, but definitely a topic I will return to.

I decided to ask my friend John B. Morgan about the polytheist nature of Hinduism. John is the editor of the book and has edited many interesting books besides this one. I can also add that John has done a tremendous work with the books (many of Evola’s works for example) he has edited – the footnotes greatly helps the reader understand the context of older literature. It is as if John’s spirit guides you through the texts!

John: The first thing is that there really isn’t any religion of “Hinduism,” which is really a misnomer created first by the Muslims and then the British when they in turn ruled the country, since they needed to come up with a label for all these people for bureaucratic convenience.
What “Hinduism” really is, is hundreds if not thousands of different traditions and forms of practice that are only connected by virtue of the fact that they involve the same deities, and in some way trace themselves back to the four Vedas. Apart from that, however, the traditions are more characterized by diversity than similarity.
More traditional Hindus today in India tend to reject the “Hindu” label and use the term “Sanatana Dharma” to describe their religion, which roughly means “eternal duty.”
Alain Danielou is one of the best writers on Hinduism, by the way. He was a friend of Guenon’s, although not quite a Traditionalist.
Now as for your specific question, it depends on the specific sampradaya that is being described, but generally, Hindus tend to see one of the deities as the “main God” whereas the other deities are more like his assistants, and in some way derive from him. So for example Gaudiya Vaishnavas like Steven Rosen see Krishna as God, and the other deities (Shiva, Brahma, Durga, etc.) are demigods who assist him. Shaivites, for their part, see Shiva as God and the others as demigods. And so on and so forth. There is a strand of Sanatana Dharma where the adherents try to worship all the gods equally, but it’s a very small sect.

Idol Worship

The passage below is taken from the essay Of Idols and Deities: Coming to Grips with a Misunderstood Form of Worship, and explains, in my humble opinion, quite well what some people refer to as ‘idol worship‘

‘… the Lord in His archa-murti, or form made of material elements, is not material, for those elements, although separated from the Lord, are also part of the Lord’s energy, as stated in Bhagavad Gita. Because the elements are the Lord’s own energy and because there is no difference between the energy and the energetic, the Lord can appear through any element. Just as the sun can act through the sunshine and thus distribute its heat and light, so Krishna, in His inconceivable power, can appear in His original spiritual form in any material element, including stone, wood, paint, gold, silver, and jewels…’

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Hare Krishna

The main prayer of the Hare Krishna movement – the great mantra – may be familiar: ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.’ This translates as ‘O Lord! O energy of the Lord! Please engage me in your divine service.’

As I have mentioned, I have meditated quite a bit as of late. Chants are a good way to enter a different state of mind. This is a topic I will return to when I have come further upon my path of enlightenment. Moreover, since we are on the topic of chants, I must say that I have always had a penchant for Gregorian Chants. I mention this to emphasise the fact that many Eastern spiritual aspects can be found – albeit in a different form – in the West. In mentioning this, we move closer to a discussion of Philosophia perennis (Perennial philosophy), which will be discussed in coming videos and Podcast episodes. Here is a meditative and harmonious version of the mantra: MAHA MANTRAS :- HARE KRISHNA HARE RAMA.

Vegetarianism

‘The (Bhagavad) Gita specifies exactly what should be offered: “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water, I will accept it.” (9.26) Other references in the Vaishnava literature confirm that fruits, vegetables, grain, nuts, and dairy products are fit for human consumption. Followers of the Gita thus refrain from meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, since these are not sanctioned by either the scriptures or the sages. A vegan diet also fits nicely with Vaishnava dietary prerequisites.’

The author, in accord with Vedic teaching, promotes a vegetarian diet. This is similar to how the Cathar Pure Ones only ate fruit. I wrote about the Cathar Pure Ones in my book review of Otto Rahn’s Crusade Against the Grail. Only eating fruit, Cathar-style, is a bit harder than just being a vegetarian. Vegetarians are still allowed to eat dairy and usually eggs (but not in this case).
In my own physical ascent, I have relied heavily on both dairy (milk, whey, cottage cheese etc.) and eggs. Purely in terms of putting on muscle-mass you can go a long way even as a vegetarian. However, for optimal health it is recommended to eat meat – meat is the true superfood (in addition to animal products such as bone-broth and liver). Moreover, foregoing eggs (another true superfood) is not a sound approach to nutrition.
My perspective on diet is the following: we are currently involved in a titanic struggle to save our very civilisation from destruction. In order for me, as an agent of European restoration, to perform as well as possible, I must optimise everything. One’s diet influences everything else. Thus, in order for me optimise my cognitive performance, I must eat meat.

Dairy, eggs, meat, and fruit = the good stuff!

Aryan Invasion Theory

The author, in the essay Deconstructing Hari: The Creation of the Universe and the Origins of Disciplic Succession, incorrectly states that the Aryan Invasion Theory is ‘seriously questionable’. In fact, the theory has been proven to be correct. For an in-depth video on the subject, I can highly recommend the following video by respected video-maker and historian Thomas Rowsell:

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Portuguese, Mughals

In the essay Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: The Father of Modern Kirtan the author introduces Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was a spiritual teacher active in India during the late 1400s. Kirtan is a style of chant, set to music. Here is a modern example of a Hare Krishna kirtan: Hare Krishna kirtan by Kishori Yatra at Boston Ratha Yatra 2019.

The author notes that the late 1400s was the time when European explorers came to India in search of treasure. He points out that they did indeed find much wealth: silks, spices, artwork, and magnificent jewels, but missed India’s real treasure; its spiritual teachings. To read more about this time period from a non-spiritual perspective, you can read my review of Roger Crowley’s excellent book Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire. Great as the spiritual wealth of India was, it could not compare to the prestige and fame its material wealth brought to the Europeans who came to the subcontinent.

Something else that happened during that time, namely the Mughal invasion. Babur – a descendant of Timur the Great – invaded India and established the Mughal empire in 1526. I have read the truly epic Empire of the Moghul series, which consists of six books and starts with Babur. I can highly recommend the books.

The third book in the series, Ruler of the World, follows the life of the greatest Moghul emperor, Akbar. He is renowned for his religious tolerance. In a letter to his son Humayun, Akbar writes the following:

‘Oh my son! The realm of Hindustan is full of diverse creeds. Praise be to God … that He has granted unto thee the empire of it. It is but proper that you, with heart cleansed of all religious bigotry, should dispense justice according to the tenets of each community. And in particular refrain from the sacrifice of cow, for that way lies the conquest of the hearts of the people of Hindustan; and the subjects of the realm will, through royal favour, be devoted to thee. And the temples and abodes of worship of every community under the imperial sway, you should not damage. Dispense justice so that the sovereign may be happy with the subjects and likewise the subjects with their sovereign. The progress of Islam is better by the sword of kindness, not by the sword of oppression.’

Taj Mahal was commissioned by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan (Akbar’s grandson) to entomb his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.

On a similar note, I recently watched the Indian film Jodhaa Akbar, which is about Akbar and one of his wives, Jodhaa. Related to the aforementioned Aryan Invasion Theory, the actor who plays Akbar, Hrithik Roshan, does indeed look very Indo-European. The following music scene is seen after Akbar announces the abolishment of the pilgrim tax (which Hindus had to pay).
In addition to being a great song, the choreography is spectacular. Moreover, even though this is from a film, it is not unreasonable to believe that a similar love as shown in this scene was felt by the people to their emperor during Akbar’s reign.
Many people in the modern world may have a hard time understanding the love a people can feel for a just ruler – this is hardly strange, considering the fact that the majority of leaders today (especially in the West) are degenerates. A ruler who does well for his people will, most likely, be loved by his people. Akbar is an inspiration in this regard! I talk more about the archetype of the Philosopher Prince and the Enlightened Despot in Podcast Episode 13. Archetypes.

Hip-Hop Hinduism

To end on a light-hearted note, I thought it would be fun to introduce MC Yogi, a hip-hop artist from San Fransisco who incorporates Hindu teachings in his songs. I never thought I would write about such a concept as Hip-Hop Hinduism – but here we are! The reason for mentioning this is because an interview with him is included in the book, where the author interviews MC Yogi. The music style is not my cup of tea, but it is fun to see different expressions of art. Now you too are aware of MC Yogi!

Conclusion

Again, I can recommend the book if you are interested in the spiritual treasures of India. It definitely gave me a some new insights as well as further motivation to continue on the esoteric path!