The Sinister Order Of Nine Angles"part 2

41 an interest in space travel and other dimensions (Goodrick-Clarke, 2003, p. 217). Myatt learned martial arts, and began studying Taoism. Later he lived a few years in the Far East, continuing his studies in martial arts. He started his political life as a bodyguard in the British Movement, which he joined in 1968. This movement was led by Colin Jordan who was behind the international 'World Union of National Socialists' (WUNS) and who managed to become one of the leading figures on the international scene of National Socialism. From the 1970's up to the 1990's Myatt was involved in various National Socialist groups. More recently he was a member of the London-based radical right- wing group Combat 18 (18 designating the letters AH, Adolf Hitler). After internal strife the group split up, and Myatt founded the National Socialist Movements, to continue the work initiated in Combat 18 (Myatt, 2003, p. 8). In this period of political activism Myatt also founded the group Reichsvolk which had active members in both Britain and in the US, and which promoted the idea of establishing rural communities based on 'Folk Culture' as it was presented in Myatt's many writings. Both Combat 18 and Myatt's newly formed National Socialist Movement traced their own linage back to earlier National Socialist leaders such as Colin Jordan. It was after having founded the National Socialist Movement that he wrote his most notorious pamphlet, the Practical Guide to Aryan Revolution, that contained both a theoretical section, as well as a practical one, with instructions on how to bring down 'the System', including bomb-making recipes and other tricks to erase traces of terrorist activities. The guide is no longer obtainable anywhere, and is supposedly banned by the English MI5. When this tract was published in 1997 it did not gain much notoriety, and it was only after the nail-bomber David Copeland, a member of Myatt's organization, successfully conducted several attacks two years later killing 3 and injuring 129, that the pamphlet became renowned for allegedly influencing Copeland to carry out his attacks (BBC, 2000). In February 1998 David Myatt's house was raided, and he was charged with publishing hate material, a charge that was later dropped. Two years later, after the Copeland bombings, Myatt and several other members of the National Socialist Movement and Combat 18 were arrested in an operation involving MI5, FBI and Scotland Yard. Myatt was acquitted of the charges against him of section I am relying primarily on a combination of Myatt's own autobiography combined with the information Goodrick-Clarke (Goodrick-Clarke, 2003; Myatt, 2008). More specific references are given in the appropriate paragraphs. 57 I.e. the British movement, which is not to be confused with the contemporary group in the United States bearing the same name. 42 conspiracy to murder and incitement of racial hatred. Several media campaigns focused on Myatt's activities, including an 'exposure' by BBC's panorama programme that linked Myatt to the nail- bombings of Copeland (BBC, 2000). Even before the media-storm Myatt had already resigned as a leader of National Socialist Movement, although he continued writing and publishing The National Socialist and other publications. His resignation also happened before David Copeland became a member and carried out his bombings, but given that Myatt continued writing for the organization, and given the widespread availability of Myatt's written productions within the organization, it is very likely that Copeland came across the writings of Myatts 8 . It is difficult to say exactly when Myatt began his studies into the occult. According to Goodrick-Clarke, Myatt learned his ways in the occult through contact with a coven in Fenland in 1968 as already mentioned (Goodrick-Clarke, 2003, p. 216). Myatt recounts Myatt when confronted by the how he used his esoteric studies in a more political fight against the system: Remembering my Occult studies of years ago, I conceived a plan to use or if necessary create secret Occult-type groups with several aims. These groups would be allied to and aid a real covert organization dedicated to the overthrow of the System. One of the aims of these Occult-style groups was to infiltrate people into various positions in society where they could aid our Cause; another was to subvert people in influential positions by drawing them into these secret groups and then gradually converting them to the Cause. Another was to try and establish international links and spread the idea of a world-wide revolution and world-wide National-Socialist renaissance. The final aim was to attract people to these groups and gain information from them, using one obvious means which various other intelligence groups had used over the centuries to gain useful information. (...)In pursuit of these covert aims I infiltrated several already existing Occult-type groups and created a new one. (Myatt, 2003, p. 7) The above quote is probably the closest one can get of an admission to starting the ONA. Although Myatt does not mention ONA by name it appears to be the only group with ideas of covert action through insight roles, and given that the ONA recommends members to be active in National Socialist 58 For more information on the nailbombings by David Copeland, and his relationship to the National Socialist Movement and David Myatt see Lowles, 2000 (in particular p. 62-75), which is the only book dealing specifically with the nail-bombings. Caution is advised as the book is quite sensationalist and subjective and is written by a journalist who, albeit working for the BBC, is also a co-editor of Searchlight, a magazine by the extreme left which monitors the right. 43 organizations and in Radical Islamist groups, Myatt appears to be a prime example of an ONA initiate. As we shall see in a later section, it is not only the above reference that ties Myatt to the ONA. Although denying being a member of the ONA, Myatt however does admit that esoteric groups could be 'useful instruments in fermenting revolution' and that covert action was one of the methods to be employed (Myatt, 2003, p. 5). After years of attempting to get National Socialist groups to initiate a full-fledged fight at against the system, Myatt realized that a change of tactics was needed. In Service of Allah Myatt drifted towards the study of Islam and took several courses in Arabic, went to the mosque on Fridays, and met and discussed with other Muslims. Myatt admits that he 'existed in-between two worlds' as he was still under investigation from the police for his former activities, and still in regular contact with several of his former 'comrades' of his National Socialist period. It was in this period of being caught between two worlds that Myatt started to ponder the idea of seeking cooperation between right-wing extremists and Muslims, 'against what I considered were our common enemies' as Myatt states (Myatt, 2006, p. if), and according to professor in political science, George Michael, David Myatt "has arguably done more than any other theorist to develop a synthesis of the extreme right and Islam" (Michael, 2006, p. 142). Myatt was inspired by historical examples of cooperation and mutual respect between Islam and National Socialism, as expressed by Waffen SS general Leon Degrelle and Mohammed Amin al- Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who lived several years in National Socialist Germany, and who helped recruit Muslim SS soldiers (Degrelle, 1982). Apparently Myatt's conversion to Islam did not mark a 'change of heart' as to who the enemy was and to his basic Weltanschauung: "I understood both Islam and National-Socialism as striving to create a better world based upon noble ideas and encouraging individuals to change themselves through a triumph of the will. Bold upheld the noble ideals of honour, loyalty and duty." 59 (Myatt, 2003, p. 5). Myatt still resented the influence of the United States and its penchant for Zionism and as such his fascination with modern-day so-called Mujahideens such as Osama Bin Laden and 59 This quote appears to be part of the 'game' that Myatt is playing with the media, in his attempt to convince everyone of the genuineness of his conversion, and the supposed consistency in his worldview. As will be exposed later, his conversion to Islam is nothing more than a game of make-belief. 44 Mullah Omar 60 can be seen as a continuation of his anti-Zionist ideas from his National Socialist period (Myatt, 2006, p. 2). The attempts at creating cooperation between National Socialists did not work as planned. Myatt got accused of being a 'traitor' by his old National Socialist comrades, and Muslims and others doubted the veracity of his conversion, seeing him more as an 'undercover nazi' than a genuine Muslim (Myatt, 2006b). As a Muslim, he no longer saw it as his duty to promote such an alliance with 'unbelievers'. One could not call Myatt's attempt a total failure however. The US-based group Aryan Nations, that was originally part of the so-called Christian Identity movement attempted to reach out for alliances with the Muslim world with their 'Ministry of Islamic Liason', and their website also feature a section dedicated to Myatt's Reichsfolk organization, with several of Myatt's writings (Michael, 2006, p. i4off). Also among Muslims Myatt was eventually accepted, and his name featured on a website for the group The Saved Sect, led by Omar Bakri 61 . Similarly he is being defended by other Muslims when he writes on the forum Islam Online and Islamic Awakening 62 , and he has also been invited to talk at certain mosques in England, and to be interviewed by an Arabic TV station (DarkLogos, 2008). While a Muslim, Myatt wrote the text Are Martyrdom Operations Lawful (According to Quran and Sunnah)? which 'is considered by some to be one of the most eloquent and detailed defenses, in the English language, of "suicide attacks'", and for a period it featured on the website of the Islamist organization Hamas (Wright 2007, 4). In this period of being a Muslim, there seems to be no question of Myatt's loyalty towards Islam, at least not publicly. According to an article in The Times published on April 24, 2006, Myatt stated that: The pure authentic Islam of the revival, which recognizes practical jihad as a duty, is the only force that is capable of fighting and destroying the dishonour, the arrogance, the materialism of the West ... For the West, nothing is sacred, except perhaps Zionists, Zionism, the hoax of the so-called Holocaust, and the idols which the West and its lackeys worship, or pretend to worship, such as democracy... Jihad is our duty. If nationalists, or some of them, desire to aid us, to help us, they can do the right thing, the honourable thing, and convert, revert, to Islam — accepting the superiority of Islam over and above each and every way of the West. (Kennedy, 2006) 60 Mullah Mohammed Omar is the current leader of Taliban in Afghanistan. 61 Omar Bakri was behind the Al-Muhajiroun that was banned under the British Terrorism Act in 2006, and was later behind the Saved Sect and various other Islamist groups promoting militant action against the west. 62 See IslamicAwakening.com and IslamOnline.net 45 Despite statements such as the one quote above, it appears that after around eight years of dedicating his life and writings to Islam, Myatt's affiliation with Islam has come to an end. This can be gathered from the most recent versions of his autobiographical notes, as well as the recent substantial updates on the website of Julie Wright, an associate of Myatt, where all links have been removed to his Islamic sites to be replaced by a link to the non-Islamic www.cosmicbeing.com (Wright, 2007). Likewise one can note a substantial increase in new texts released by Anton Long of the ONA on nineangles.wordpress.com/ combined with a sudden dwindling of new Islamic texts on www.davidmyatt.info/ which now features the following quote: "Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik: When the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) intended to go on an expedition, he always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he would say: War is deception. (Abu Dawud, 14, 2629)". This could be a sign of the possible deception going on 6 3. When looking back at Myatt's period as a Muslim, it is interesting to observe how his 'conversion' was received by the mainstream media, and his political enemies, which one would assume would be thrilled to learn that Myatt no longer posed a threat as a right-wing theorist. Did everyone buy his newfound faith, did they consider it a scam, the act of a nutcase, or did anyone suggest that a much more sinister and calculated act of a trickster could be behind it all? His conversion did not escape the mainstream media, and most English newspapers and media-outlets wrote about the incident, including the BBC, and in general no one questioned his new faith. His conversion was not accepted by all however, and especially his political enemies did not let down their guard when the news of Myatt's conversion hit the press, as can be seen in this quote from Gerry Gable, from the left-wing organization Searchlight in the Sunday Mercury: "Myatt is an ethereal character. He is a dangerous man who has twice been jailed for his violent right-wing activities and who openly asked for blood to be spilled in the quest for white Aryan domination. We believe that despite his claims to be a devout Muslim he remains a deeply subversive intellectual and is still one of the most hard-line Nazi intellectuals in Britain today. Myatt believes in the disruption of existing societies as a prelude to the creation of a new more warrior-like Aryan society which he calls the Galactic Empire." (Mercury, 2000) 63 As of November 2009 http://www.davidmyatt.info/ no longer features any Islamist texts, but has reverted to present a selection of recent texts on The Numinous Way', presumably thus marking the transition back to the Numinous Way from Islam. 46 As documented above not everyone accepted Myatt's conversion as genuine, and one is led to wonder if there is some other strategy behind his many moves from one ideological extreme to the other. As we will see in the following section, and as will posited in this thesis, his move to Islam is part of a 'sinister strategy' that has its roots in the 'insight roles' and idea of 'sinister dialectics' within the ONA, and it is Myatt's relation to the ONA to which we will now turn our attention. David Myatt and the Order of the Nine Angles Before we look at the evidence for Myatt's involvement with the ONA, we should note that Myatt always has, and still does deny any connections to the ONA: "For over twenty years, journalists, and [others] have been circulating rumours and making allegations about my personal involvement with Occultism and Satanism. This is despite the fact that I have denied and do deny ever having been a 'Satanist'... These rumours and allegations were started by, and are still circulated by, my enemies for one simple reason — to try and discredit me personally." (Myatt, 1998) At one point Myatt even challenged the two journalists Nick Ryan and Nick Lowles to a duel with deadly weapons, in order to dispute the assumptions and accusations that they put forth in their writings (Lowles, 2000; Searchlight, 1998). Given that Myatt so vehemently denies being behind the ONA and behind the pseudonym Anton Long, it is problematic that Professor Goodrick-Clarke in his book Black Sun, that contains a chapter on the ONA, assumes that Anton Long and Myatt are one and the same, using an article from Searchlight which Myatt denounces, without providing his own evidence that Myatt is in fact connected to the ONA. If Goodrick-Clarke has been shown evidence that Myatt is Anton Long, he still fails to present that proof to the public (Goodrick-Clarke, 2003, p. 217). This paper will not dispute the claims made by Goodrick-Clarke, but instead of asserting undocumented claims, it will attempt to document that Myatt is in fact connected to the ONA. If we first look at the textual evidence, there are several texts linking Myatt and the ONA. The ONA manuscript Aeonic Insight Roles (ONA, 2004) refers to the text The Strategy and Tactics of Revolution. This text, written by Myatt, was formerly called 'The Practical Guide to Aryan Revolution' and supposedly influenced David Copeland, as explained elsewhere, and thus we have a direct link which has not been covered up. Another example is a printed version of the manuscript Copula cum 47 Daemone which is dated 1978, written by D.W. Myatt, which appears in a collection of ONA manuscripts. Later (digital) editions of the text have ONA and R. Venn as the author, and we thus have a clear example of a text originally issued by Myatt, and later 'disguised' with a pseudonym (Venn, 1978) Other texts have also been used to link Myatt and the ONA, such as Diablerie - The Secret Life of a Satanist, which is the autobiography of Anton Long, and which reveals details of Long's life that appear remarkably similar to Myatt's own life, to the extent that Goodrick-Clarke uses the text unquestionably to cover certain biographical events of Myatt's life (Goodrick-Clarke, 2003, p. 217). The Long biography has now been removed from the Internet 64 . Thirdly we have a convergence of presses/publishers used by the ONA and Myatt respectively. Both writings by Myatt and the ONA have been published by Thormynd Press, which is Myatt's own press, so again we have a direct connection 1 ^. Another link between ONA and Myatt concerns the use of alternate dating-systems. As has already been explained, Myatt during the period in which he wrote his National Socialist writings, dated his texts 'Yf , designating the 'Year of the Fuhrer'. The same dating system is used by the ONA, although in recent years the ONA have begun calling it Year of Fayen', but the connection remains nonetheless. The final evidence which I will look at is linguistic, and although it is both circumstantial, and only indirectly gives credence to what I have tried to demonstrate, it is nonetheless quite convincing, and difficult to explain away. When one has a closer look at many of the basic ideas and the terminology used in the ONA, it appears as if there are many glaring similarities to Myatt's own ideas. Ideas of the awakening and evolution of man into a Homo Galactica, a new superman, permeate the writings of the ONA: "We are gods when we awake" as it is said in one text (ONA, 1989). This idea of a new man, a Homo Galactica, as well as a new 'Reich', the Galactic Empire, is something that is also very present in Myatt's own writings: "The ultimate Destiny of the Aryan race lies in the conquest of Outer Space - in the creation of a Galactic Empire." (Myatt, Aryan Homeland, 1995) In addition to this evolutionary aspect that is very present both in ONA material and in Myatt's writings, and often with identical terminology, we also have the idea of 'aeonics'. In the ONA we find it presented in texts 64 The article is available in the British Library collection, and the most recent speculations about Myatt as Anton Long, as well as a tentative chronology are available at http://www.cosmicbeing.info/rumours/. 65 See Amazon.co.uk, search for Thormynd Press, and both writings by Myatt and Anton Long will appear. 48 such as Aeonic Magick - A Basic Introduction, whereas Myatt presents an identical idea in his writings, and even almost identical tables of the different civilizations in Vindex- Destiny of the West. Likewise the idea of causal and acausal science is something that is present both as part of the magickal workings of the ONA (Long, 1994b, p. 1), as well as in the writings of Myatt (Myatt, 1996). Although none of the above circumstances alone would be enough to justify connecting Myatt to the ONA, the combination of the many hints and references should be enough to warrant such a connection. After having shown how Myatt relates to the ONA, I will now have to move on to look at the use of so-called 'insight roles' within the ONA, in order to finally show how Myatt's lifelong devotion to various extreme ideologies has been part of a sinister game that is at the heart of the ONA. Political Esotericism of the Sinister Tradition InsightRoles Within the initiatory system of the ONA, so-called insight roles play an important part, along with tough physical and mental training. As already mentioned the ONA initiatory system is comprised of seven stages, sometimes also referred to as 'The Seven-Fold Way', and already from the second stage, Initiate, undertaking an insight role is part of the curriculum (ONA, 1994, p. 2). Undertaking an insight role means gaining real-life experience by working 'undercover' for a period of 6-18 months, both to 'aid the Sinister dialectic' and to 'enhance the experience of the Initiate' (ONA, 2004). These roles are meant to challenge the initiate to experience something completely different from their normal life, pulling them out of their comfort zone. If you are a law-abiding citizen, you are encouraged to become a burglar or run a criminal street-gang, and if you are a criminal you are recommended to join the police. Later texts on insight roles have changed the challenge a bit, focusing more on direct 'action' against 'The System' and the 'defenders of the old Aeon'. According to the text Aeonic Insight Roles, "any group or individual which [sic] is engaged in practical action against The System with the purpose of destroying it and challenging its ideas, is interesting from the point of view of the Sinister Dialectic and those undertaking an Aeonic Insight Role". The following is a list of suggested insight roles from the most recent text published on this subject: (1) Join or form a covert insurrectionary organization, dedicated to National Socialism, whose aim is to undermine by practical means the status quo and which uses the strategy and tactics 49 outlined in The Strategy and Tactics of Revolution (Parts I and II) (2) Undertake the role of assassin, selecting as your opfers [i.e. victims] those who publicly support or aid, ZOG, the NWO, The System. (3) Convert to Islam and aid, through words, or deeds, or both, those undertaking Jihad against Zionism and the NWO. (4) Join or form an active anarchist organization or group dedicated to fighting the capitalist System. (5) Join or form a National Socialist group or organization, and aid that organization and especially aid and propagate "historical revisionism". (ONA, 2004) It is interesting to note that out of the above five different examples of insight roles, Myatt has undertaken at least number 1, 3 and 5, while it is impossible to either confirm or rule out number 2 (assassin), although with the surveillance that Myatt is under, as seen from previous actions involving Scotland Yard and MI5, it is very unlikely that Myatt would be able to carry out such criminal acts without getting caught. It is also interesting to note that this text was written in 2004, and updated in 2006, while Myatt was still officially a Muslim. In addition none of the earlier texts on insight roles, some of them dating back to the mid 8o's, mentions being a Muslim as a possible insight role, so this is a new addition that has been added after Myatt's own conversion, and realization that this was a viable way forward in the fight against the system. It is clear that insight roles are the primary factor in the 'political' aspect of the ONA and its practice, and it is several times stressed how important it is for new initiates to be able to 'know the form', that is to see beyond any tactics or political statements, and see the 'inner essence' of the teachings of the ONA: As has been mentioned above, and elsewhere, many times: many non-Adepts, and even some Adepts, sometimes confuse a tactic, a form, for the essence. That is, they fail to appreciate what is being done, and why it is being done. Sometimes, non-Adepts even mistake an Insight Role - undertaken by an Initiate or even an Adept - for the "views", or whatever, of that Initiate or Adept, and thus castigate that individual! (...) a failure to go beyond appearance, and forms, to the sinister essence. A failure to understand that a tactic is just a tactic, which may or may not be useful, and which may be abandoned if it proves to be unsuccessful, or used again if it proves of some value. A failure to understand that such things may be some form of sinister manipulation, or some effect of Aeonic Magick, or even some form of Aeonic Magick itself. One mark of a genuine Adept is their ability to see beyond such forms, such tactics, to the essence - to the sinister magick often at work in such things. Another mark of a true Adept (and those beyond) - as has been written many times - is the ability to appear as different things: to be a shapeshifter, a chameleon. (Long, 2005b, p. 2) This text might refer to Myatt himself, and his insight role as an Islamist. When the news of Myatt's 'conversion' reached people either affiliated with, or interested in the ONA, such as people on the 50 yahoogroups mentioned earlier, some people did not see through the veil that Myatt attempted to cast around his personality. Supporters of National Socialism and Satanism accused him for 'betraying the cause' (be it Satanism or National Socialism or both) and acting dishonourable by adapting a Semitic 'slave-religion' instead of continuing his work within the ONA 66 . That Myatt for decades has been able to lure people to believe him and his many forms and ideologies, shows that Myatt has at least partially succeeded in playing his own game of a 'shape-shifting chameleon' as outlined in the quote above. This fact is important to keep in mind when researchers in the future are facing possible new 'facades' and identities put up by Myatt. After this presentation of the idea of insight roles, let us now conclude with a look at Myatt's role as a Muslim, and how we are to understand this apparent shift of religion from the perspective of the ONA and its insight roles. Islamism of David Myatt as Sinister Dialectics? Looking at the life of Myatt, it is clear that the overriding principles guiding his life, has been various ideologies, first National Socialism, and later Islam, and for shorter periods Buddhism and Christianity. After looking at the idea of insight roles within the ONA we have now come to a conclusion where we are able to see these events for what they really are: All part of a 'satanic' game of 'sinister dialectics'. I have shown that the insight roles of the ONA fit well with Myatt's own life, and that they have even been adjusted to fit his latest ideological shift to Islam, and as such they appear to be central in order to understand, what appears to be very abrupt and radical shifts of worldviews. It is quite surprising to see that 'Anton Long' has contributed with a text on Islam as a possible insight role, during the same time Myatt acted as a Muslim, and it establishes a clear connection between the ONA and Radical Islam. The ONA makes a clear distinction between faith and knowledge. Knowledge based on personal experience is considered as being most important. The only way to reconcile the opposition in the ONA to conventional religions and their submission to a deity and certain dogma, with Myatt's own submission to Islam, is to understand Islam to be something conducted based on sinister motives (Long, 1994, p. 2). Myatt as a Muslim, successfully established connections to leading Radical Muslims in Britain, such as Omar Bakri and his Al-Muhajiroun, a group which promotes jihad and is banned for its pro-Al Qaeda views. It appears as if Myatt is a perfect example of an initiate of the ONA, living out insight roles, both with his initial attempt in National Socialist groups, and later with 66 See the Yahoo-groups http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ona/ and group/TheOrderOfNineAngles that have several examples of this in their text-archives. 51 his realization that more could be achieved within Islam. Thus the instructions of the ONA appear to lay out a blueprint what has later become the life of Myatt. That an occult group based in the tradition of the Left Hand Path and Satanism, has connections to radical Muslims, is quite sensational and unique, creating new constellations never seen before in either politics or esotericism. This being said the more general concept of western esotericism has in the 21 st century, often via Traditionalist beliefs, revealed connections to Islam, something which will be explained in greater detail below. It appears as if Myatt's life is inherently connected to the Order of the Nine Angles, despite Myatt's own denial of this being the case. Most of his life he has been living and experiencing ideas that are all based on deliberations of the ONA, that he already began formulating in the late 1970's. Thus there appears to be no other way to understand Myatt's life, than as an attempt at living out the 'sinister dialectics' in the attempt to revolutionize the world through practical as well as 'magickal' means. Only the future will tell to which degree Myatt has been successful in instigating Islamic Jihad towards 'the West', and if Myatt will discover yet another method in his struggle to take down 'The System'. His ideas, however disturbing they might be, appear to contain a blueprint for fusing disparate ideologies such as National Socialism, Satanism and Radical Islam. The ideas presented by Myatt can rightly be seen as the work of a single fanatic, with little appeal beyond a small fringe and limited group of people. However his ideas resonate with similar ideas in the larger context of esotericism and politics. More specifically they are related to a broader critique of modernity and the West, as it has been presented both by the European radical Right and by fundamentalist Muslims. It is in this broader framework that I will now attempt to place the ONA and Myatt. Perspectives on Political Esotericism Although this is the first time an in-depth examination is conducted of the Sinister Tradition, ONA and David Myatt, the phenomenon of groups fusing right-wing politics with esotericism is not new. Likewise it is possible to place the essentially anti-democratic and anti-western ideas of Myatt in a broader frame of civilizational critique and conflict. In recent years a tendency has emerged to view globalization either in terms of a 'clash of civilizations' between 'the Islamic world' and 'the West' (Samuel P. Huntington), or (less fashionably) as the 'end of history' with the global victory of liberal democracy (Francis Fukuyama). However, it can be held that the West instead of facing a clash of 52 civilizations is actually approaching a potential 'intracivilizational' struggle between various cultural and religious groups and an impending disintegration of the multi-cultural nation-state. Several observers claim that the West is currently experiencing a 'return of history', viz. a return to politics, culture, religion and ideology (Zakaria, 2001), and that what we are experiencing is not a clash between the West and the rest, but between 'the West and the Post-West within the West itself (Kurth, 2000, p. 5). It is within such a scenario of intracivilzational struggle, that Myatt and the ONA attempt to act as destabilizing factors in order to bring the current system to a breakdown, and it is clear that Myatt in the last three to four decades has tried almost every existing option, as well as invented new ones, in order to bring about a new 'Galactic Imperium'. The idea of an Imperium as well as the conscious struggle against modern western societies is not new. As shown in the book Occidentalism: The West in the Eye of Its Enemies, written after September 11, it is possible to trace the anti-western ideas back at least two centuries. More remarkably it is demonstrated how these sentiments are ultimately rooted in the west itself: "No Occidentalist, even the most fervent holy warrior, can ever be entirely free of the Occident" (Burma & Margalit, 2004, p. 144). Historically the first and most obvious example of anti-modern thought that has directly influenced Myatt and the ONA, are the historians and philosophers Oswald Spengler and Arnold Toynbee, whom we have already mentioned. Spengler is mostly famous for his tome Der Untergang des Abendlandes: Umrisse einer Morphologie der Weltgeschichte, where he presents his meta-historical theory of the cyclical properties of civilizations, that rise, fall and perish in a continuum throughout history, like the seasons of the year (Spengler, 2000, p. 7off). Less known, but not less important when it comes to polemically criticizing the modern world, is Spengler's book Der Mensch und die Technik, where Man and his relation to technique and culture is presented. When Myatt reveals his own dreams of a new man conquering space, admitting to be heavily indebted to Spengler's, one cannot help but to compare his ideas with Spengler's of a 'Faustian culture of Machines' that conquers the world through the will to power (Spengler, 1992, p. 711). Spengler's ideas were developed further by the American post-war philosopher, polemicist and post-war 'fascist', Francis Parker Yockey, who in his opus magnum, Imperium took Spengler's ideas into the 20 th century, expanding them even further in the follow-up volume The Enemy of Europe (Yockey, 2000; 2003). Yockey's concept of the Imperium is clearly adapted in Myatt's writings both on National Socialism and within the ONA 6 ?. Another track of thoughts, that has obviously influenced Myatt throughout his life, both as National Socialist and 5 7 A good overview of the post-war fascist movements, including details on Yockey and notable associates such as Oswald Mosley and Julius Evola, is given by Kevin Coogan (Coogan, 1999). 53 Islamist, is anti-Semitism. A scholarly presentation, that traces the anti-Semitic connections between the extreme right and Islamists is given by M. Kiintzel (Kiintzel, 2007). Looking at Myatt's own ideas of Jews and Zionists, and their supposed control of the world order, it is probable that he, besides being heavily indebted to classical National Socialist works such as Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler and Der Mythos des 20. Jahrhunderts by Alfred Rosenberg (Rosenberg, 2004), has been influenced by more recent 'apologetic' (i.e. towards anti-Semitism) works against Jewish influence on modern society. The most well-known example are the books by David Duke. Duke has a murky history as a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, but has gained an immense popularity among right-wing extremists after his success as a political representative for the Republicans in 1996, combined with the widespread circulation of his two books My Awakening and Jewish Supremacism (Duke, 2003). Another prominent critic of Jewish involvement in intellectual and political movements in the 20 th century is Kevin MacDonald, who is known primarily for his book The Culture of Critique, which presents Judaism as a form of evolutionary strategy (MacDonald, 2002). MacDonald's position as professor in Psychology at California State University has helped legitimize anti-Semitism, and the book is widely read among 'Nazi-intellectuals' 68 , and Myatt having been a leading 'ideologue' of post- war National Socialism for several decades, is most likely aware of and influenced by such works. Continuing to look at Myatt's ideological inspirations, we encounter two of the main catalysts for intracivilizational struggle in recent times, namely fundamentalist Islam and the radical European Right, both phenomena that have been on the rise in Europe in recent years, and both phenomena that deliver a severe critique of modernity, a critique that contains surprisingly similar rhetoric and discourse. The radical European Right 6 ? is normally thought to hold some of the most severe critics of Islam, and the most avid defenders of 'the West' and thus a recent increase in the collaboration between radical Islamists and the radical European Right can appear both contradictory and paradoxical. That not all European radicals scorn Islam for being a threat to the West, can possibly be explained by looking at historical antecedents to the modern right-wing movements. A prominent 68 The book is sold in most National Socialist and Right Wing online bookstores, and has also been translated into Swedish by the extreme right-wing publisher Nordiska Forlaget that has also published translations of David Duke (http://nordiskaforlaget.se/). A scholarly presentation of Duke and MacDonald as part of the 'revolutionary racialist right' is given by G. Michael (Michael, 2006, p. 14ff). 69 With the 'radical European Right' I am referring both to the New Right [Nouvelle Droite), traditionalists, such as the converts to Islam, Martin Schwartz and Claudio Mutti, and political extremists such as neo-Nazis. 54 source of inspiration comes from the so-called Traditionalist School 70 , consisting primarily of western intellectuals that converted to oriental religions. Two of the main characters in the traditionalist school are Rene Guenon and Frithjof Schuon, both of whom are western converts to Sufi-Islam (Sedgwick, 2004, pp. 21-93). Although Traditionalism originates in the early 20 th century the ideas have continued to live on, resulting in new converts to Radical Islam based on traditionalist principles 71 . A more political version of Traditionalism has been espoused by the Italian Julius Evola (Sedgwick, 2004, p. 98ff) 72 - Building on Traditionalism among other things, a new political movement in Europe arose in the 1960's, the so-called New Right. It was initiated by Alain de Benoist in 1968 where he founded Groupement de recherche et d'etudes pour la civilisation europeenne (Research and Study Group for European Civilization), also known as GRECE 7 3. This movement later spread to other countries, gaining a strong foothold in continental Europe, especially in Germany, where Pierre Krebs leads the organization Thule-Seminar, promoting right-wing identity-politics based on the supposed cultural and historical roots of the Indo-Europeans (O'Meara, 2004, p. 18; Krebs, 1988). Although it is impossible to trace any direct influences between the new right and David Myatt, the mere existence of these groups bear witness to the broader category of right-wing politics as well as esotericism into which most of Myatt's political ideas resonates. Having now explored the currents related to the radical European Right, we will now move on to have a brief look at the other phenomenon and potential catalyst for conflict, namely radical Islam. The current and historical relations between Islam and National Socialism have already been explored by G. Michael, who also has a few pages dealing specifically with Myatt's attempts at forging alliances between National Socialism and Islam, thus leaving out the material related to the ONA (Michael, 2006, pp. 142-148). The anti-modern ideas present in contemporary Islamic fundamentalism has its roots in an older and more general Islamic critique of modernity. Two possible Islamic authors might 70 Traditionalism, sometimes also referred to as Perennialism, constitutes a specific school of anti-modern thought see Hanegraaff 2005, p. 1132, and Sedgwick 2004 for further information. 71 Prominent examples, of more contemporary converts to Islam include the Italian Claudio Mutti, the German Martin Schwartz and the Frenchman Roger Garaudy, all of whom have a past in either traditionalism or the New-Right or both (www.claudiomutti.com, eisernekrone.blogspot.com and www.kshatriya.tk) 72 It is beyond the scope of this thesis to go into details with the Traditionalist current, and although there are evidently a lot of similarities between the political esotericism of Myatt and that of e.g. Evola, none of the sources I have encountered have suggested that Myatt is aware of and has used the ideas of the Traditionalists. 73 See O'Meara, 2004 and Sunic, 2004 which are some of the few good studies on the New Right available in English. Caution is advised however, as both books, despite being scholarly, are written from a sympathetic perspective. 55 have been influential on Myatt's own interpretation of Islam. The first and most likely influence, is Sayyid Qutb, who founded the Muslim Brotherhood, and is seen as one of the fathers of contemporary Islamism, which Myart, while active as Muslim, both adhered to and promoted (Michael, 2006, pp. 36- 44). The other is Jalal Al Ahmad, who was a prominent Iranian critic of modernity. He is mostly known for coining the term gharbzadegi which translates into 'west-struck-ness' or occidentosis from his book Occidentosis: A Plague from the West. Ahmad saw the ideas behind modern western societies, with their materialism and lack of spirituality, as a virus that can potentially infect and destroy Islamic nations (Ahmad, 1984). As documented above, there exist many parallels and historical precedents, which can be used to piece together the various trends and traditions that have influenced the ideology of ONA, both the esoteric and the political one. Although others have previously looked at politically extreme Left-Hand Path Satanism, none of these have successfully identified a specific Sinister Tradition within the Left Hand Path, and although scholars such as Goodrick-Clarke deal with groups such as the Black Order, the White Order of Thule, Fraternitas Loki and the Order of the Jarls of Baelder, these groups have only been described as disparate groups, and the direct links between the ONA and these groups are not identified 74 . As such this thesis goes beyond the surface with a more in-depth analysis of for example language transmission and adaptation, required in order to establish these connections. Another novelty in this thesis, compared to other similar studies, is the proof of connections between Radical Islam and Satanism not hitherto seen, such as connections to leading radical Muslims in Britain, and even in the Islamic World (Hamas). See the general assessment given of the scholarly literature on the ONA in the initial section of this thesis. 56 Conclusion Throughout this thesis I have taken a detailed look at the Order of the Nine Angles - a group that has hitherto only received little to no attention by academia, even by people specializing in the Left Hand Path. This examination of the ONA led to the identification of a 'Sinister Tradition', a new current within the established 'Left-Hand Path' phenomenon. In the process of defining the Sinister Tradition seven characteristics were identified: l) Anti-ethics 2) Right-Wing 3) Emphasis on physical training 4) Direct action 5) Distinct 'sinister' vocabulary 6) Advocacy of 'Traditional' and theistic Satanism 7) Focus on non-Semitic traditions. Later in the thesis several groups belonging to this Sinister Tradition, and fitting the characteristics given above, were briefly described, and for the first time these groups were identified as being directly affiliated with the ONA. I also looked at the history of the ONA, showing how it possibly developed from a small satanic Wicca coven in the late 1960's, to a full-fledged order with followers from most of the globe, and with a unique and comprehensive system of teachings, rituals and initiatic practices. I likewise identified several important influences on the order such as the philosophers Toynbee, Spengler and Nietzsche, as well as H. P. Lovecraft, Aleister Crowley and Chaos Magick. After placing the ONA in the context of the Left Hand Path, and demarcating the group in relation to the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, I moved on to look at the main character behind the ONA, David Myatt, which no other scholar has so far been able to document is the character behind Anton Long, the creator of the ONA. Myatt's life has for the last decades revolved around extreme groups, both political (i.e. National Socialist) and religious (Radical Islamists), and after looking at the concept of insight roles within the ONA, we could firmly conclude that Myatt's many ideologies ultimately served a 'sinister purpose', namely the subversive work of insight roles as part of the ONA training. The final part of this thesis attempted to place Myatt and the ONA in the larger context of critiques of modernity, looking at how Myatt's attempt to ally Islam and western critics of modernity in a unified fight, is not a one-man battle, but actually something that has taken place throughout most of the 20 th century, and that the critique of the West put forth by Myatt is not isolated, but appears to mirror the critique found among traditionalists, the European right and radical Islamists alike. This critique might, as explained below, result in unforeseen intracivilizational struggle, if these parties are successful in their attempt to spread discontent and unrest. 57 As we are dealing with a quite recent phenomenon it is still too early to tell what lasting influence this new current of Left Hand Path Satanism might have had on esotericism and the world in general. 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Retrieved November 2009, from http://www.davidmyatt.ws/mad-mage-myatt.html Yockey, F. P. (2000). Imperium. Newport Beach: Noontide Press. Yockey, F. P. (2003]. The Enemy of Europe. York: Liberty Bell Publications. Zakaria, F. (2001]. The Return of History. In H. &. Rose, How Did This Happen? Terrorism and the New War (pp. 307-317]. New York: Public Affairs. 65 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain Mysticism in the 21st Century C. R. Monette Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain © Copyright by Connell Monette (2012) Sirius Ink Publications First edition: forthcoming 2013. This document contains a draft Introduction and Chapter Five (The Order of Nine Angles) in advance of the publication of the complete textbook. This text may be freely copied and distributed, provided the author is credited. Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain FOREWORD This special advance copy of Chapter Five is available with the assistance of my collaborators in the project, to whom I am always grateful. As the ONA does not per se support copyright, the simplest and best solution in terms of professional obligation is to permit the free copying of this Chapter, in advance of the textbook. The complete textbook will be available in English and Arabic in Summer 2013. Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain TABLE OF CONTENTS Copyright 2 Foreword 3 Introduction 5 Chapter 5. The Order of Nine Angles 101 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain INTRODUCTION Religion and Religious Studies are active markets, perhaps more active in the past ten years than in the previous fifty. While Christianity and Islam, for example, continue to attract respectable numbers of converts, a sizeable number of people in North America and Europe seek guidance and spiritual growth from non- conventional sources, or from mystical traditions that are on the fringe of larger religious systems. While some have chosen Buddhism or Zen, we have equally seen Sufism for non-Muslims, Yoga and Tantra for non-Hindus, and Kabbalah for non-Jews; all four examples are relatively common, yet held to be theologically problematic or even heretical by the orthodox leaders of those faiths. Further, others still have sought enlightenment from neo-gnostic movements and initiatory societies like the Freemasons or OTO, or even returned to pagan traditions, painstakingly reconstructed by both academics and amateurs. Morocco itself has always held an allure for spiritually-minded outsiders, with its rich (mainstream) Sufi heritage, as evidenced by the "Sacred Music Festival". Consequently, many universities today with a religious studies program have faculty who specialize in mysticism (e.g. Harvard, Brown), or offer courses in Mysticism (e.g. Ottawa, Toronto, UCLA), or even entire degrees in mysticism (e.g. University of Kent, University of Amsterdam). There are many textbooks that address mysticism as a medieval phenomenon (Oxford Press has 30 such books), or books that address a single contemporary tradition. However, there are very few textbooks or anthologies that address multiple mystical traditions in the 21st century. As an undergraduate in the Department of Classical and Religious Studies at University of Ottawa, the author of this work took such courses as "Contemporary Religious Movements", "Mysticism and the Occult", "Death and Dying" — all of which strongly featured mysticism and were excellent courses, but which had no fixed textbook, and had to be taught by course pack. As mysticism is very much a contemporary phenomenon, a new textbook is much needed. Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain The other important rationale behind the project is the developing the new graduate program in religious studies at Al Akhawayn University. Among the short list of possible courses for the later semesters of the program are 'Mysticism' and 'New Religious Movements'. It is the author's hope that this book could be used in one or both courses. Thus this project aims to produce a contemporary textbook of 'mystic' or 'initiatory' religious traditions. The book is being written in English, then translated into Arabic. The traditions featured have been chosen either due to acknowledged international presence and long established tradition (i.e. Yoga, Sufism, Theravada Buddhism, Kabala) or because other recent studies have acknowledged them as up-and-coming traditions (i.e. The Rune Gild, ON A, Wicca). Sufism has been accorded two chapters, as the first chapter will address the Bouchichi tariqa of Morocco, while the later chapter will address the Naqshbandiya, which are a more international order of Central Asian origin. Finally, a word about the overall tone of the book. Over the years, one of the more pained frustrations voiced by some of my own students (with a religious background) is that they could not locate or recognize themselves in 'academic' discussions of their own tradition. As an example: evangelical Christians often cannot identify with supposedly 'objective' descriptions of their own particular brand of Christianity, after it has been wrenched and contorted into place by seemingly unaware scholars. As a rule, we must agree that if members of a given tradition do not recognize their own tradition in the words of the academic, then we have failed seriously at some level. With this in mind, this textbook is written with the participation of members of the traditions covered herein — not with the intent to write a sympathetic account, but to ensure that the reader encounters a description of the tradition that is recognisable both by its members and students of religion alike. Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain CHAPTER FIVE: THE ORDER OF NINE ANGLES On inspection, the Order of Nine Angles is a fascinating blend of both pagan and sinister hermetic currents. With its roots in several British covens which have since vanished, the ONA has grown in size such that its member cells can now be found on all continents, and boasts a sizeable presence in occult cyberspace. Though its tenets and practices are reminiscent of tales of dark medieval or even pre -Roman cults, the ONA today embraces contemporary technology in sharing its philosophy, and its texts are available on a multitude of websites and through such online media as video and music. With the watchwords pathei-mathos (learning through adversity'), the ONA is unique in that it offers an aggressive and elitist spirituality, which pushes its members to find and overcome their mental, physical, and psychic limits in the quest for spiritual ascension. In parallel with grueling athletic and mental challenges, the ONA acknowledges a pantheon of 'dark gods', along with an occult system designed to introduce the initiate to the acausal or supernatural world of the mystic. Indeed, if the mysticism of the ONA is transgressive, its politics are equally so, as the Order challenges its members to overcome not only personal, but social and ethical limitations. Yet while it suggests rebellion against authority, the ONA likewise demands a sense of honor and solidarity for those mystics who travel this dark road together. 101 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain BACKGROUND OF THE ONA The founder of the group, Anton Long, has remained a mystery to members of the movement, as well as to academics. While several individuals have been at times identified as possible candidates, the true identity of the figure remains a mystery. Long states in his own biographical notes that he was born a British citizen, who in his youth travelled extensively to such destinations as Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is likely, given his later writings, that he was exposed to a considerable range of folkloric and mystic traditions of those regions which he visited. On his return to England, the young man busied himself in academic pursuits, and appears to have reached fluency in the classical languages (Greek and Latin), as well as Arabic and possibly Persian. Yet as a student, Long appears to have been drawn to the darker elements of society, and by his own admission was involved in criminal activities. At the same time, and perhaps due to his experiences overseas, Long also began studies into the occult and paranormal. After investigating several English occult societies and finding them either to be pretentious or lackluster, he began to search for groups that were more suited to his particular understanding of what an actual occult society should resemble, notable among them the Manchester based satanic group known as the 'Orthodox Temple of the Prince' as well as the 'Temple of the Sun', with which he was more involved in a leadership role. Sometime later, his efforts brought him into contact an underground pagan tradition, both matriarchal and sinister in character, referred to by him as the 'Camlad' tradition. Long was initiated into the Camlad tradition, and eventually became its head. Under his leadership, sometime in the early 1970s the Camlad coven merged with two other similar societies (the Noctulians and his own Temple of the Sun), and reformed as the Order of Nine Angles (ONA). While little is known about the three separate groups that became the Order, it is understood that they shared a synthesis of several elements: hermetic, pagan, and satanic. The Order clearly made use of all three elements in its early texts, in order to appeal to a broad range of potential members. 3 Yet a critical examination of the ONA's key texts demonstrates that the satanic overtones were largely Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain cosmetic, and that its core mythos (or theology) is actually syncretic and pagan, though not revisionist or neopagan as other movements such as Wicca or Asatru. 6 During the 1970s through the 1990s, the Order experienced rapid growth, mainly through promotion in print media related to mysticism and the occult. Over this time, Long developed and refined the core tents of the Order of Nine Angles, along with its mythos, structure, strategic aims, and particular strains of expression. While the ONA by definition has no actual "leader", Anton Long has continued as the driving force behind the ONA, and the principal author of most of the Order's texts. Possessed of a gifted intellect and apparently a polymath, his works include not only the public mystical teachings of the Order, but also several thousand pages of text on ethics, honor, and several novellas of 'sinister' fiction. While Long writes primarily in English, it is clear that he draws inspiration from not only British but also international sources; not infrequently, his texts include passages of Classical Greek, as well as Sanskrit and Arabic spiritual terms. Yet despite his driving role in the Order over the last three decades, in March 2012 Anton Long announced his retirement from public life, saying that the ONA is well positioned to move into the 21 st century with new hands at the wheel. At the same time, the official websites of the ONA announced that the inner circle of the ONA had elected Chloe Ortega (aka Chloe 352) to succeed Long as the official spokesperson of the Order. 9 STRUCTURE AND DEMOGRAPHICS While the origins of the Order of Nine Angles are rooted predominantly in British paganism, it has since spread to become a global entity, with 'nexions' (cells) or associated groups in America, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Spain, and South Africa. The majority of the traditional nexions are located in the British Isles, Ireland, and Germany, and the original cell, known as 'Nexion Zero', has long been located in Shropshire, England. However with the coming of the new century, two of the most senior or 'flagship' nexions are 103 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain located in the USA (WSA352 headed by Chloe Ortega) and Australia (Temple of THEM, headed by Ryan Anschauung). The very nature of the ON A makes data gathering difficult, as the movement is secretive by definition. Further, the ONA has carefully avoided a central administration with hard data on its membership, preferring to operate as a network or 'kollective' (sic) of nexions instead. Further, the ONA does not require its members to pay dues or register themselves either locally or centrally. There is no 'membership' charter, no admission requirements — it is not a structured lodge or temple, but rather a movement, a subculture or perhaps metaculture that its adherents choose to embody or identify with. Yet conversely, neither is the ONA entirely anonymous, as it boasts a powerful online presence in the virtual world. A simple Google search, for example, shows how far beyond rural England the ONA has evolved, from a small group of covert pagans to a global community. Further, the Order itself provides multiple examples of what 'members' of the ONA could be. In early 2012, Anton Long stated that 'there are (a) people associated with traditional nexions (who follow the initiatory Seven Fold Way); (b) Niners; (c) Balobians (often musicians and artists; (d) members of gang/ tribes inspired by our ethos (Satanic or otherwise) such as a biker gang in Florida, and a Hispanic group in New York; (e) Empaths who follow the Rounwytha tradition and who work and live reclusively or are part of small (often Sapphic) groups; (f) people associated with ONA inspired Occult groups.' By Seven Fold Way, Long refers to the sinister hermetic tradition of the original ONA; by Niner, he refers to a more modern type of folk-based or gang-based culture who support the ONA by practical (sometimes criminal) rather than esoteric means; by Balobians, the ONA refers to artists and musicians who contribute to the movement through the fine arts; by Kounwytha is implied a rare group of gifted individuals similar to folk-mystics or psychics. The final category (ONA inspired groups) is likewise a difficult one to approach, as the specific esoteric vocabulary of the Order has indeed been appropriated by several groups which may or may not directly acknowledge their connection to the ONA, though their texts demonstrate clear influences — examples include the US- 104 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain based 'Tempel ov Blood' and European 'Temple of Black Light'. Given the very broad range of possibilities, the Order does not use the term 'member', but prefers instead to use 'associate', as it represents better the affiliation that an individual, nexion, or group may share with the Order proper. Given the complexities, then, of determining who is a 'member' of the Order, as of early 2012 it is likely that the global total is over two thousand associates of the Order, allowing for the broadest possible definition of who 'belongs' to the ONA. In terms of active nexion members, the Order's leadership reports that at present approximately three hundred members have identified themselves to the flagship nexions. Further, the Order's websites and leadership report that the gender balance is roughly even split, though this varies by region. In the UK, for example, the traditional nexions are said to have continued the matriarchal leadership and gender bias, with some of the original 1970's nexions being reportedly entirely female; in the US, the flagship nexion (WSA352) reports a 2:1 male/female ratio: and in Australia, the flagship nexion (Temple of THEM) reports that the balance of male/female is even. These examples are not meant to be necessarily understood as exemplary, but rather as the Order's semi-official stance on demographics and gender. CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP From its inception, the ONA has rejected the idea of any central church, lodge, or temple which has authority over the rest of the membership. This is likely (in part) a survival mechanism, as there is no central authority figure with whom the movement lives or dies. Thus while Anton Long is credited with the inception of the Order, it is widely understood that Long himself is a persona of the unknown founder. Further, it is equally possible that "Anton Long" has served as a mask for several individuals in the last decade, and thus may continue to appear in future to offer guidance to the Order as needed. Thus Long serves to validate currents and ideas within the ONA, offering guidance and suggestions to the collective, but never orders or dictates. The diffused nature of the ONA also makes a 105 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain take-over impossible, as there is no central seat or office for an individual to covet or seize. Thus a coup or schism (such as that suffered in other occult societies) is theoretically impossible, since at most a single person may lead a nexion, and never the entire Order. Yet while there is no central authority within the ONA, that is not to say that there is no leadership or structure. The founding members of the Order, known commonly as the 'Old Guard', have served as a sort of inner council since the inception of the ONA. Directly or indirectly, the Old Guard has guided and shaped many of the younger nexions, and their word carries considerable weight. Many younger associates of the Order work to make contact with the Old Guard - a difficult feat, as they maintain considerable secrecy — in hopes of tutoring or gaining access to the original oral tradition of the ONA. While the actual identities of the Old Guard have been kept secret, they have been known through such pen-names as Christos Beest, Sinister Moon, DarkLogos, and PointyHat. In day to day terms, the Old Guard has worked together with Anton Long to decide what aspects of the pagan tradition to transmit to the younger generations of the Order, and those decisions are best seen through the lens of the many ONA documents released to the public. However, at the end of 2011, the Old Guard stated that they would be withdrawing from the public sphere, similar to Long's withdrawal several months afterwards. Whether their withdrawal is permanent, or whether they will maintain in contact with the flagship nexions remains to be seen. Whatever the long term impact of the retirement of Long and the Old Guard, it is certain that the greatest potential loss to the ONA is that of the oral tradition. However, even as the Old Guard had begun its gradual withdrawal from public duty in the last decade, new voices have risen to prominent positions. Though no nexion is technically above the others, there is a system of peer recognition amongst the Order's cells. Several nexions are public and well recognized, forming a sort of 'New Guard': among them are (British) Daughters of Baphomet, (Italian) Secuntra, and (Canadian) Aerhaosh, and Alien Nation (Iceland). ' Most prominent and vocal, however are the flagship nexions: (Australian) Temple of THEM and (American) White Star Acception (aka. WSA352). 106 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain TEMPLE OF THEM If any one nexion serves as a bridge between the traditional ONA of the 20' century, and the ONA of the future, it is the Temple of THEM. 17 The name of the nexion (Temple of THEM) appears to be a reference to the name 'THEM' used for the dark spirits or deities of the Order, referenced in some of the ONA's fiction, e.g. 'Falcifer'. Further, if any of the Old Guard remain accessible to the public, it is Ryan Anschauung. Writer, historian, artist and visionary: Anschauung appears to serve not only as counselor to those intrepid souls searching for answers in the ONA's esoteric traditions, but also as archivist of the Sinister, including the semi-official archivist of the ONA. As editor of the Black Glyph Press, Anschauung has published the collected public works of the ONA (De Requisite Exquisite) and its nexions, as well as his own haunted insights into the Order's past and present. From available information written by the Temple themselves in their e-zine Oto Anorha, THEM originally consisted of six key members. Asked in 2011 about its membership numbers, one of its founders admitted over the course of 2009-2011 the increase of two more key members bringing the total to eight. Asked in 2012 about its membership numbers, the Temple of THEM replied that those details were no longer being released. From the evidence available online it is apparent from literally hundreds of posts and dozens of articles released by THEM that there is constant and long term contact between the Temple and the public with hundreds of instances of consultation by would-be-initiates on various esoteric matters being fielded by THEM representatives or perhaps just one. It is reasonable to assume there is an equal or larger share of such questions fielded privately. Thus while the core of the nexion remains likely small, the Temple's true strength is in its influence over those ONA associates or would-be affiliates who correspond with Anschauung and his nexion. WHITE STAR ACCEPTION (WSA352) Articulate, urbane, and assertive: WSA352 is one of the most outspoken and compelling voices of the 21 st century ONA. The 107 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain mission statement of WSA352 is: 'To Presence the Dark, Progression, & the Sinister Feminine. The White Star Acception is a Sinister Tribe of the Order of Nine Angles. The Acception was established to provide a social structure and social order supportive of the practice and application of the Sinister Sevenfold Way, and to preserve the teachings and traditions of the ONA for Sinister Posterity.' WSA is a unique nexion in that it has multiple 'colonies' in 4 locations: California, Arizona, Texas, and New York. Progressive by nature, as opposed to being rooted in the traditional paganism of the ONA, the social structure of WSA is likened in their own writings to urban tribalism or gang culture. The California colony reports approximately 35 members, Arizona has 57 active members, while New York and Texas have much smaller numbers of active associates. The average age of the associates of the WSA nexion is 15-30, which is in keeping with the gang culture theme. One unique trait of White Star Acception is the Boudoir, a council of female members. The Boudoir is the 'supreme authority' of the whole WSA, and it internally appoints something called the triumvirate which has a term of 10 years. The triumvirate is made up of the Chief Executive Office (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Chief Propaganda Officer (CPO), who works with the ideology, indoctrination, Propaganda, memetic, internal Human Relations, and outer Public Relations. WSA maintains a powerful web presence, and appears to be the driving force in promoting the ONA online through blogs, official (or semi-official) websites, and social media sites. White Star Acception is also progressive in terms of cultural and ethnic diversity, and has been one of the principle agents in promoting the ONA amongst the Asian and Buddhist communities both nationally and globally. THE OUTER REPRESENTATIVE As stated above, the Order of Nine Angles has no centralized office or authority, beyond whatever respect is commanded in the persona of its founder. Nevertheless, there exists a position within the Order known as the Outer Representative, who serves as a both the official spokesperson for the ONA to the exterior, and also as the de-facto 108 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain voice of the Old Guard within the Order itself. Over the last 30 years, a number of figures have held this office. Most memorable is Christos Beest, the pen name of British artist and composer Richard Moult, who served as Outer Representative during the 1990's. Contemporary occultist Michael Ford became the ONA's outer representative in 1996, under the pen name 'Vilnius Thornian', though he later relinquished the role in 2002. Recently in 2011, Chloe Ortega of WSA352 was nominated Outer Representative by the Old Guard just before their withdrawal, making her the current spokesperson for the Order of Nine Angles. A young woman of mixed Latino and Thai descent, Chloe Ortega is the first female Outer Representative to hold the office in public ONA history. An avid thinker and gifted writer, she is best known to the Order as a progressivist and force for change, and frequently works to hybridize the initially Europeanized ONA philosophy with her own Buddhist philosophy. Under Ortega's influence, the ONA is likely to be increasingly less associated with satanism (as in the past), and more with Tantric, Islamic, and eastern ideals. BELIEFS & PRACTICES OF THE ONA The Order of Nine Angles has five core principles, which are: 24 1. The Way of Practical Deeds. This refers to the conviction that the ONA is a collective of action, not merely reflection. Initiates are expected to live an 'exeatic' life, meaning a life that defies social conventions (and indeed laws). A initiate of the ONA may, for example, decide to become (e.g.) a vigilante, soldier, or criminal in their quest to understand life through action. 2. The Way of Culling. The most controversial of the ONA's principles, this tenet has two sides. One the one hand, it refers to the ONA's conviction that some human 'scum' have no place in society, and that they deserve to be removed. Thus a member of the ONA may decide to join a police force to obtain combat training, and then use their position of authority to kill criminals, rather than arrest them. On the other hand, this tenet also refers to blood sacrifice to 109 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain the dark gods, in a manner similar to that described in pre-Christian Europe among the Celts and Germanic tribes, or among some rare Shaivite sects in classical India, or as the early modern Thuggee • ^ 25 society. 3. The Way of Kindred Honour. This principle emphasizes the need for solidarity and mutual trust, honor, and respect between the various nexions and members of the ONA. The Order sees its members as an extended family, and in the rare cases of dispute, has very clear guidelines as to how those disputes are allowed to be conducted. In simple language, the ONA protects its own. 4. The Way of Defiance of and Practical Opposition to Magian Abstractions. This principle refers to the ONA's opposition to what it perceives as illegitimate Magian (western Judaeo-Christian) control of global culture and economics. The Order insists that its members fight against forces like globalism and rampant capitalism, in an effort to return to an earlier, less exploitative form of society. 5. The Way of the Rounwytha Tradition. The ONA teaches that the Magian culture has greatly reduced the role of women in society and spirituality. Thus it encourages the return to the Rounwytha tradition, which is the mystic, empathic, folk tradition that embraces and reveres the divine feminine archetype. The term itself is almost certainly derived from Old English riinwita, meaning 'one who understands' or perhaps 'one who knows secrets'. THE SEVEN FOLD WA Y The spiritual paradigm of the Order of Nine Angles is complex, being both syncretic and constandy evolving. As mentioned above, the ONA's beginnings were from the fusion of three separate traditions (Camlad, Noctulians, Temple of the Sun), and can perhaps best be described as dark Anglo-Celtic paganism, with strong satanic overtones. Yet over the last three decades, the ONA has incorporated increasing amounts of hermetic lore, alchemical texts and terminology that is clearly from medieval Indian and Islamic 110 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain esoteric. While the Order is very diverse in terms of the type of associates / affiliates it attracts, the core mystical tradition of the ONA is the Seven Fold Way, also known as the Hebdomadry. 21 The Seven Fold Way is essential a hermetic system that defines itself as being deeply rooted in Western occultism, and provides a path to ascension that is exceptional difficult in physical and psychic terms. The Seven refers to both the seven grades of the path, as well as the seven planets which are understood to have esoteric significance. The seven stages of the Way are (1) Neophyte, (2) Initiate, (3) External Adept, (4) Internal Adept, (5) Master/Mistress, (6) Grand Master/Mousa and (7) Immortal. Yet unlike other degree-based systems, the ONA does not offer initiation to its students; rather, the students must initiate themselves through personal grade rituals and challenges. For example, a person who desires to begin the Way must obtain and study the key texts, and perform a private hermetic ritual under the full moon. Having done this, they have obtained the first grade (Initiate). To reach the second grade, one is required to learn the core texts and begin to master certain basic practices, as well as undertake a regimen of physical fitness. Important practices also include learning a variant of monastic chant, path-working with a special 'sinister' tarot that the magician must construct or commission, and developing skill at a special game known as the 'Star Game', which is detailed in the Order's key texts (see image on next page. Grades rituals (meaning the rituals of passage) for the fourth stage (Internal Adept) involve living in complete isolation for at least one season, as well as being able to cycle, run, and hike considerable distances. Each grade thereafter requires increasingly difficult challenges, culminating in the 5 ( grade (Master) with the mystic having to undertake physical challenges comparable to a triathlon, as well as having developed/learned several esoteric skills along the way. INSIGHT ROLES One of the most challenging aspects of the Seven Fold Way is the insistence on learning through adversity, known in Greek as pathei- mathos. In broad terms, once an initiate of the Seven Fold Way reaches a certain stage in their spiritual journey (External Adept), they 111 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain are obliged to undertake a role not unlike a professional internship, where for a period of several months the initiate must practice a new way of life. Interestingly, the ONA's suggested Insight Roles during the 1980s and early 1990s were largely criminal or military. For example, the essay 'Insight Roles: A Guide' from 1989 on the subject reads that an initiate should: '2) Become a professional burglar, targeting only victims who have revealed themselves to be suitable (e.g. by testing them - qv. the Order MSS dealing with victims etc.). The aim is to specialize in a particular area - e.g. fine art, jewelry - and become an "expert" in that area and in the techniques needed to gain items. 3) Undertake the role of extreme political activist and so champion heretical views (by e.g. becoming involved in extreme Right-Wing activism). The aim is to express fanaticism in action and be seen by all "right-thinking people" as an extremist, and a dangerous one. 4) Join the Police Force (assuming you meet the requirements) and so experience life at the "sharp end" and being a servant to a higher authority.' Clearly, these early roles were potentially very dangerous, and likely to introduce the initiate to danger and indeed violence (either active or passively). Yet in the late 1990s and early 21 st century, new insight roles introduced through ONA essays include a period of monastic life as a Buddhist monk. This drastic shift in possible roles could be read perhaps not as a softening of the ONA's pro-violence convictions, but rather as a step towards the internationalizing of the Order. 112 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain Photo of Stat Game 3 Photos ofONA member during Insight Role .32 113 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain CA USAL &ACA USAL REALMS The Order of Nine Angles holds that the world of normalcy which we inhabit is the causal world. Herein the laws of cause and effect, of time, space, and gravity all apply. The causal world is a place where the laws of physics are absolute, and where science is sufficient to explain and understand all things. Yet the ONA also posits the existence of the acausal, a term referring to the supernatural realm where the laws of physics are meaningless, and where time and space are perceived or exist in ways that most humans cannot possibly understand. The acausal plays a central role in the mystic tradition of the Order. Indeed, the very concept of the Adept is tied into one's apprehension of the acausal, and ability to 'presence' it - that is to drawn on the numinous energies of that other place - and draw them into this world, in order to cause change in accordance with the sorcerer's designs. This is effectively what constitutes magic or sorcery, according to the mystical paradigm of the ONA. According to the main texts of the Order, real sorcery is complex, and should be divided into three categories. The simplest type of magic is external (or hermetic), and resembles what most people envision when they imagine magic: love spells, curses, luck spells, and spells to bring good crops and harvest. The second category of magic is internal, focusing on the transformation of the sorcerer from something human to something alien. The final category is aeonic magic, which is focused not on the sorcerer or her/his particular aims, but rather on the creating widespread (perhaps memetic) change on a social scale. In terms of the theory behind magic or sorcery, humans are thought to be capable of creating supernatural change in the causal world, as they are living nexions (or doorways) to the supernatural acausal realm. Yet while the acausal is a source of tremendous power, it is not considered to be a safe or friendly realm, any more than the ocean itself - and like the ocean, it is believed to be inhabited by beings that are both ancient and powerful. 114 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain DARK GODS One of the defining features of the Order of Nine Angles is its unique pantheon of sinister entities with which the mystic is expected to work. The Dark Gods are unique to the ONA, in that their names and sigils are not found in other contemporary or historical systems of hermetic or pagan tradition. Yet the Order is not dogmatic about their existence - in fact, it is expected that the mystic may decide to perceive such entities as part of the subconscious. The texts of the ONA provide names and sigils of some of the dark gods, along with instructions for how to contact them, with the caveat that such an undertaking may cause insanity or even death if poorly done. In the essay 'The Dark Gods: A Basic Introduction for non-Adepts', the ONA states that: According to sinister tradition, the Dark Gods are actual entities which exist in the acausal universe. According to our spatial, causal, perception, these beings may be regarded as "timeless" and "chaotic" (and also terrifying not mention "immoral"). Since our consciousness is by its nature partly acausal, these entities may become manifest for us — or rather may be partly perceived by us ... The ordeal of the Abyss involves confronting these entities, and accepting them for what they are: that is, unbound by our illusion of opposites and the alleged conflict between "good and evil".' Some of the dark gods in Naos include primitive archetypes with familiar names such as 'Baphomet', albeit recast in a different role than that of medieval imagining. For example: Baphomet: the archetypal dark goddess, described as a mature woman bearing a severed head, and covered in gore. This figure has strong parallels to the (Irish) Morrigan and (Indian) Kali. The severed head is also a parallel to medieval dpictions of the Algol constellation, with reversal of gender roles. 115 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain However other of the dark gods' names are clearly drawn from Classical sources and astronomy, as for example: The sigil for this dark god is clearly astrological, resembling the Ursae (dipper) constellations. Kthunae is likely from xOova (underworldly) in Greek. Said to be a 'bringer of wisdom '; its sigil appears to be Semitic or ProtoArabian in origin, especially given moon and star symbol. The body of the sigil appears to be adapted from the Carthaginian 'Tanit' glyph. 4 A complex figure, not a deity but rather a sort of dark messiah (or perhaps antichrist) who is expected to fully embody the virtues of the Order and usher in a new age. Vindex will be a human mystic who presences the Acausal energies in a way yet unseen or unheard of, except in myth. Still other of the dark gods appear to be genuinely alien, or perhaps inspired by horror/ science fiction. Take, for example: ;>■•■ ATAZOTH Interpreted to mean 'an increasing of a^oth', and yet is called 'the most poweful of the dark gods'. This dark god is figures in one of the ONA's fictional texts by the same name. Yet it is difficult not to notice the passing familiarity with the alien being A^athoth', and thus the Order may in part being giving a nod of the head to the sinister fiction of New England author HP Tovecraft. 116 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain THE TREE OF WYRD The ONA promotes a model of the Cosmos that is based on a model which incorporates the seven planets into a structure known as the Tree of Wyrd. Wyrd, in this particular case, is an Anglo-Saxon word which can be translated as 'fate' or 'destiny'. These planets are the Moon, Venus, Mercury, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The ONA text Naos includes an image of the Tree, showing not only the seven spheres (themselves nexions), but also the pathways between them, which are used in the hermetic 'path-working' rites of those who pursue esoteric initiation via the Seven Fold Way. This implies that the sorcerer-initiate of the Seven Fold Way would undertake hermetic rituals that involve the sorcerer attempting to draw on the energies of one or more of the planets, in a particular sequence suggested by the Tree of Wyrd (see illustration below). Thus the magic of the Order and its mystic cosmology in some ways mirrors that of the medieval astrological texts of European and North Africa. The ONA's 'Glossary of Terms' (201 1) describes the Tree of Wyrd as follows: 'The Tree of Wyrd, as conventionally described ("drawn") and with its correspondences and associations and symbols [-] represents certain acausal energies, and the individual who becomes familiar with such correspondences and associations and symbols can access [-] the energies associated with the Tree of Wyrd. The Tree of Wyrd itself is one symbol, one representation, of that meeting (or "intersection") of the causal and acausal which is a human being, and can be used to represent the journey, the quest, of the individual toward the acausal - that is, toward the goal of magick, which is the creation of a new, more evolved, individual.' An illustration of the Tree of Wyrd taken from the ONA text Naos is represented below. 117 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain THE MEANING OF THE NINE ANGLES One of the mysteries of the Order has been its very name. Frequently aspiring associates ask: to what does the 'Nine Angles' refer? The ONA offers several answers to this question through various texts and essays. On the one hand, the Nine Angles are said to refer to the seven planets individually (as seven angles), in addition to the entire system as a whole (as the eight angle), and with the mystic as the ninth angle. Clearly, the term 'angle' can be understood figuratively. Another possibility is that the term refers to seven 'normal' alchemical stages, plus two additional processes that involve esoteric time. A further possibility suggested by ONA texts is that it refers to nine emanations of the divine, as recorded in medieval sufi texts. It is equally likely that the Order has borrowed from classical Indian tradition that arranges the solar system into nine planets, and the world itself 'has nine corners'; or perhaps from the Sanskrit 118 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain srivatsa, a special mark with nine angles that indicates supernatural or heroic. ESOTERIC TEXTS OF THE ONA The Order of Nine Angles has produced literally thousands of pages of fiction, theory, and practical guides for its initiates - and surprisingly, has made the great majority of its texts available for free to the public via web distribution. In terms of fiction, the ONA boasts the Deofel Quintet as its principle work: a collection of five esoteric tales numbering well over 500 pages, which deals with frightening supernatural forces and sinister societies. These tales are prefaced by an introduction which suggests various critical readings possible for the initiate to get the most understanding from the stories in the collection. There are two primary sources which merit special attention: these are Naos and Codex Saerus. Naos is the main esoteric text of the Order, which outlines the stages of the Seven Void Way. An interesting manuscript by contemporary standards, it is freely available on the internet as a PDF document. The document itself has sections that were initially typed, with several pages that are handwritten. Naos contains three major sections: (a) an overview on the theory and practice of the Seven Fold Way; (b) an overview of sorcery (e.g. ecstatic, hermetic, empathic, planetary); (c) a collection of esoteric, covering such topics as mystic chant, the Star Game, alchemy, and the runes. While Naos positions itself as a complete esoteric system, it nevertheless has clear influences. Much of the terminology is drawn from classical Latin or Greek, while the system or paradigm of hermetic magic that draws on the seven planets is evidenced in such medieval Arabic texts as the Ghayat l-Hakim (later known as the Latin Picatrix), as well as Shams l-Maarif. The reliance on planetary spirits is a feature common to North African and Middle Eastern esoteric texts from the medieval period, as opposed to European magical texts, which rely on (Judaeo-Christian) liturgical goetia. Codex Saerus is the other principal ONA grimoire. Where Naos is very much a text for the solitary practitioner, the Codex assumes that one has founded a nexion (coven) with which to perform group 119 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain ceremonies. While the majority of these have satanic themes (not unlike that of Huysman's La Bas), a close reading suggests that the framework is genuinely more pagan than actually 'satanic' in the traditional sense. Interestingly, while both texts originate from the same decade, there are few instances of contemporary nexions making use of the Codex except as a symbol or reference to archaic (even fictitious) practices, whereas Naos is still described as a tool for the modern initiate. It has been noted that the Codex is an example of a localized (British) understanding of the sinister tradition, and therefore the ONA nexions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia would develop their own 'Codex' which is culturally relevant to the region in which they are situated. CONTEMPORARY GOALS Since its inception, the Order of Nine Angles has described its own progress as having moved through various iterations or phases. Initially in the 1970s and 1980s, the main mission of the ONA was to raise awareness of its existence within the occult community, and to increase its numbers. As a direct result, many of its core texts were produced and published during this critical period. In the 1990s and early 21 st century the ONA entered the second phase of its existence, which emphasized less on recruiting and more on the refining of the Order's teachings - this was a relatively quiet period, and many of the Order's senior members withdraw from public scrutiny, leading many to the assume that like many other occult groups, the ONA was defunct. However in 2008, the ONA entered a new phase (recognized as ONA 3.0 in late 2011), which featured much more aggressive promotion of the Order through virtual media such as blogs, online discussion forums, Facebook and Youtube. Today the ONA is widely considered one of the leading Left Hand Path groups by virtue of its online presence. Given the non-hierarchical structure of the ONA, it is difficult to direcdy identify the Order's goals for the immediate or long distance future. As the Old Guard has withdrawn, Anton Long has stated that the future of the Order belongs in the hands of its younger members, so any guesses as to the direction of the future 120 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain ONA must take into consideration the currents of the flagship nexions, in addition to the stated goals of Long and the other senior members of the ONA. Yet there are some goals that do appear to be common to the Order in general, which are summarized below. The New Aeon: the ONA believes that the current aeon (spiritual age) has failed, and that global culture is sickened by the weight of its own stagnation. Corporate greed, political instability, religious extremism, and environmental disruption are all symptoms of the Magian (Judaeo-Christian) political failure to lead. The Order's solution is to usher in a new age, a sort of golden age where society returns to nobler ideals and cultural norms, and where the social structure itself is based on tribalism rather than the city-state of today. This will be accomplished through the returning of the dark gods, which may be understood in either a literal or figurative sense. Vindex: the ONA believes that the change in the current age will be heralded by the coming of Vindex (mentioned above under 'Dark Gods'), a heroic revolutionary who will lead the movement that restores justice. Vindex (literally 'avenger' in Latin) is considered to be the successful 'presencing' of acausal energies in the causal world, perhaps in a manner to the demigods Achilles or Arjuna. In fact, it may be best to consider Vindex a hero in the Homeric Greek sense of the word, meaning a semi-divine warrior. It is held that Vindex will lead the ONA to prominence (if not dominion) in the new aeon, with the likely support of the Order itself. The ONA states that Vindex may be male or female, and of any ethnicity. Vindex is also upheld as an archetype to which any mystic of the Seven Fold Way can aspire to embody. Expand or Die: the ONA is aware that it does not exist in a vacuum, and that rival sects or traditions compete for the same group of potential initiates. The Order admits that it is one of three western esoteric groups that are openly aligned with the Left Hand Path. The withdrawal of the 'Old Guard' and recent appointment of Chloe Ortega, herself a young American, is perhaps a sign that the Order is aware that the future of the ONA is safest in the hands of fresh 121 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain blood, rather than to risk stagnation. likewise, the ONA of today is considerably more diverse than the Order in the previous century, in that its very concept of affiliation has broadened to include not only the mystics of the Seven Fold Way who are the spiritual core of the order, but also Balobian artists who use video and media to promote the ONA's sinister spirituality, and Dreccian urban tribes who put the sinister mythos into concrete action. THE FUTURE VISION OF THE ONA Growth and Evolution: the ONA recognizes that while its past is rooted in the pagan and satanic traditions of western Europe, these were a starting point, rather than an anchor. The ONA nexions of the early 21 st century may admit their spiritual heritage has very dark roots, but the overall tone of the Orders' new leadership rings in sharp contrast with that of the 1980s and 1990s. While the Order's members may still occasionally enjoy the term 'satanic' as a moniker, it is an image that the ONA appears to be ready to discard as out- moded and out-dated, an outer form that has ceased to be culturally relevant or useful. ' The ONA of today appears to include spiritual vocabulary of Buddhism and Islam, perhaps in an effort to expand its potential market beyond the 'regular' dark or gothic subcultures of the Americans and Europe. Further, the Outer Representative of the ONA has stated that in this new century, the ONA looks to recruit from better educated and more socially mobile levels of society, and to focus on higher learning of its associates. This is not to imply that the Order in any way will become more mainstream or less extreme in its convictions, but rather that one may expect to see a marked increase in its ability to articulate its message of social change and personal transformation through assimilation or sublimation of sinister forces/archetypes. If the current new generation of leadership is any indication, the Order stands a strong chance of achieving its current and future goals of growth and development. To what extent the traditional mythos of the ONA will remain intact in the 21 st century, or will evolve along with the Order, remains yet to be seen. 122 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain I am indebted to Anton Long, Ryan Anschauung, and Chloe Ortega, as well as other senior members of the ONA who asked not to be named, for their assistance, data, suggestions, and personal testimony in the research and production of this chapter. The majority of this data was obtained via interviews in late 2011 and early 2012. To the best of his knowledge, the author is the final academic to interview Anton Long before his retirement from public life. This is not to say that there are no hypotheses about the identity of Anton Long, but rather that the principle suspect (David Myatt) has refused to acknowledge any connection with this nom-de-guerre. It is also quite possible that the name has been used by multiple individuals over the last 30 years, and may continue to be used in a similar vein. See, for example, ONA (2011) 'Questions for Anton Long II', Ortega (2012) 'ONA: A Brief Overview'; Senholt, J. C. 'The Sinister Tradition: Political Esotericism & the convergence of Radical Islam, Satanism and National Socialism in the Order of the Nine Angles', Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Conference: Satanism in the Modern World (November 2009) :7. Contra, see Myatt, D. (2011) 'David Myatt: ONA Grandmaster, Nazi, Satanist, Muslim, or Mystic?' Personal correspondence with Anton Long, 27 October 2011. Cf. Ortega (Sept. 2011). 4 Long, October 2011. 5 ibid. ' As evidence, Long states that the Camlad tradition was: 'indigenous paganistic [emphasis mine] . . . from that area of England known as the Welsh Marches. They had certain traditions, nearly all of which were aural - traditions such as spending three or more months alone in forests or mountains in order to develop certain Occult abilities, and a rural ceremony (infrequendy held) involving a human sacrifice in order to ensure good crops and healthy livestock' (October 2011). Examples of the major texts include The Deof el Quintet (1974-85), Naos (1 st ed. 1979, revised ed. 1989), Codex Saems (1 st ed. 1983, revised ed. 2008). 123 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain Personal correspondence from Sinister Moon, 20 March 2011; cf. ONA (2012) 'The ONA Lineage'. See, for example, the official ONA website, which reads: As of December of 2011 (122 year of fayen) the Old Guard quietly elected Christos Beest's successor to the post of Outer ONA Representative. The new Outer Rep has been privately informed. Julie Wright - a friend and "historiographer" of David Myatt - as a third party has confirmed this over at her site at the following link: http://www.davidmyatt.ws/dwm-about.html in the ONA section' (http://www.o9a.org/news/). Personal correspondence with Anton Long, 27 October 2011. Long also writes (18 November 2011) that the distribution of ONA affiliates can be partially estimated as: 'United States 34.1%, Canada 8.2%, United Kingdom 7.1%, Italy 6.5%, Egypt 5.9%'. "Long, October 2011. The Tempel ov Blood (sic) has been previously discussed by Sieg (2009): 6-9. It maintains a very low profile, but has a website at <http://tempelovblood.tripod.com/>. Attempts to contact the group for interview purposes did not receive replies. The website identifies the Tempel's purpose as follows: 'The Tempel ov Blood exists as a Nexion to the Dark Gods as well as a guidance and filtration system for aspiring Noctulians. For those seeking a harsh alchemical change into the Transcendental Predator based on a synthesis of Sinister Hebdomantry and Vampirism.. .Our Calcination, Seperation, and final Coagulation will create a New Being capable of bringing about the "Day of Wrath" spoken of in the Diabolus Chant' While not directly acknowledging the ONA, the use of the Order's signature vocabulary (e.g. nexion, dark gods, hebdomantry) is evident. The Temple of Black Light is a very different organization, in that its focus appears to be gnostic and 'necrosophic' (or necromantic), in that it is dedicated to a re-casting of the Biblical Cain as its chief patron. In late 2011 the Temple of Black Light dissolved its website, but its core texts Uber Falxifer and Uber Falxifer II both make use of the terms causal and acausal, which appear to be drawn from the ONA. 13 Personal correspondence with Anton Long, 27 October 2011. 124 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain 14 Personal correspondence with Chloe Ortega, 11 October 2011 & Ryan Anschauung 5 April 2012. 15 Cf. Senholt 7. 1 A lengthier list of known nexions is available on the official website of the ONA under the heading 'Nexions' at <http://www.o9a.org/>. 17 The public website of the Temple of THEM is available at <http://www.wix.com/mvimaedivm/ryananschauung>. 18 The Black Glyph Society site is at <http://www.lulu.com/spodight/theblackglyphsociety>. 19 Personal correspondence with Ryan Anschauung 5 April 2012. 20 The official blog of WSA352 is available at <http://onanxs.wordpress.com/>. 21 Personal correspondence with Chloe Ortega, 11 October 2011. 22 ibid. 23 ONA (2012) 'The ONA Lineage'. 24 See, for example, Long (2011) 'The Core ONA Traditions'. 21 Cf. Senholt 5-6, Sieg G. Angular Momentum: From Traditional to Progressive Satanism in the Order of Nine Angles', Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Conference: Satanism in the Modern World, November 2009): 5 & 7. It is noteworthy that while this principle has (understandably) attracted considerable attention for its overt criminality, none of the nexions interviewed admit to every having carried out this practice in ritual terms, though some evidence suggests that members of the ONA have joined police or military groups in order to gain the opportunity for legitimate (or legal) violence through combat in war. By personal communication in April 2012, Ryan Anschauung comments that the television series 'Dexter' portrays an individual who frequently performs (ritual) culling, yet through effective narrative he is able to appeal to a public audience as a type of antihero. In correspondence of 27 October 2011, Long, writes: 'Yes, some traditional nexions known to me do practice ritualized culling (some only every seventeen years or so), as some Niners and Dreccs cull in their own individual non-ritualized manner.' He also gives the example of a fictionalized account in the short story Wolves' available at www.o9a.org/wp- content/uploads/texts/living-the-dark-side.pdf 125 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain About this tradition, ONA (2012) writes: 'Given the nature of these abilities, qualities, and skills, the overwhelming majority of individuals who follow the Way of the Rounwytha are women - who thus embody our sinister feminine archetype — although a minority are men who, following The Seven Fold Way into and beyond the Abyss, have successfully melded the sinister with the numinous and who thus embody and are that rare archetype, The Mage, with such archetypes, by the nature of such entities, being in constant fluxion. Or, expressed exoterically, being an expression of the uniqueness of such esoteric individuals. Among these [female Rounwytha] abilities, qualities, and skills are: (1) Empathy; (2) Intuition, as a foreseeing - prae signification/intimation — and as interior self-reflexion; (3) Personal Charm; (4) Subtlety/Cunning/Shapeshifting; (5) Veiled Strength. Rounwytha skills and abilities were evident, for example and in varying degrees, in the Oracle at Delphi, in the Vestales of Rome; in the wise, the cunning, women of British folklore and legend; in myths about Morgan Le Fey, Mistress Mab, and Ajxa^ovst;; and in historical figures such as Cleopatra, Lucrezia Borgia, and Boudicca.' See http://rounwytha.wordpress.com/. 27 See Naos 9-44. 28 ibid. 11-12. ibid. 47-58. Examples of 'sinister chant' are available at: <http://www.o9a.org/sounds/> The manuscript Hostia III reads: 'Several physical (and mental) goals of which the minimum standards are (a) walking 32 miles carrying a pack weighing not less than 30 lbs in under 7 hours over difficult hilly terrain; (b) running 20 miles in less than 2~hours over fell-like / mountainous terrain; (c) cycling not less than 200 miles in 12 hours.' See Long, A. Hostia III (Thormynd Press: Shropshire, 1992). Image courtesy of Ryan Anschauung. Source: <http://www.wix.com/mvimaedivm/ryananschauung#!star-game- gallery> ' Sources: http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/02441932.jpg and http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/92847272.jpg. 126 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain See, for example, Naos 7-8, 'Causal/ Acausal' in Naos 105, or 'Acausal Existence - The Secret Revealed' in Hostia I (1992). 34 See, for example, ONA, 'Guide to Black Magick' (22 Sept. 2009) at <http://vndx.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/guide-to-black- magick/> 35 ibid. This glyph is very similar to the Phoenician 'Tank' symbol used in Carthage and its setdements. / I (Tank) from <http://math.arizona.edu/~dido/tanit2.jpg> 37 Cf. 'Vindex' writings of the Numinous Way founder, David Myatt. The symbol is similar to that used for the star Algol, the demon star, as depicted in medieval texts. Credit for pointing this out to me is due to Chloe 352, and to Alektryon Christophorus of Brazil whose comments were instrumental in this link, and whose full article was published in Oto Anorha 29. See, for example, the symbol for Algol in the work of Agrippa in his De Occulta Philosophia. The Algol symbol is below: M ° «ii Ji (Algol) See, for example, Long, A. 'Concerning The Meaning of The Nine Angles: A Collection of Texts (Part One)' (2009) at <http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/texts/nine-angles-texts- partl.pdf>; also Long, A. 'Concerning The Meaning of The Nine Angles - Part Two' (2010) at <http://www.o9a.org/wp- content/uploads/texts/nine-angles-texts-part2.pdf>. On the nine angled srivatsa, Gonda states that: 'This [mystical] figure . . . has nine angles: the number nine often occurs in connection with auspicious objects, powers and ceremonies related to material welfare [emphasis mine]' (45). See Gonda, J. Ancient Indian Kingship from the Religious Point of View (Continued)', Numen, Vol. 4, Fasc. 1 (Jan., 1957): 24-58. The Indian belief that the world has nine corners is attested even in medieval European sources, e.g. Father Emanual de Veiga (1549-1605), writing from Chandagiri in 1599 who states i Alu dicebant terram novem 127 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain constare angulis, quibus celo innititur? (Others said that the Earth had nine angles [emphasis mine], by which it was lifted up to Heaven), see Charpentier, J. 'A Treatise on Hindu Cosmography from the Seventeenth Century', Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1924): 317-342. It is clear despite claims that the term 'nine angles' was introduced in the twentieth century, the term is centuries older, especially in esoteric or cosmological discourse. See Pingree, D. The Latin Version of the Ghajat al-Hakim, Studies of the Warburg Institute, University of London (1986); Ritter, H. ed. Ghayat Al-Haktm Wa-Ahaqq Al-Natyatajn Bi-Altaqdim (Leipzig : B.G. Teubner, 1933); al Buni, Shams al-Ma'arif (Birmingham: Antioch Gate, 2007). Indeed, the founder of the ONA has stated in several documents (and interviews) that Naos was influenced by a private collection of unpublished Arabic manuscript folios, which may share a common ancestry with which the Picatrix and Shams; from personal correspondence with Anton Long, 28 October 2011. As an example, the Black Mass is a culturally relevant ceremony for nexions in (Christianized) Europe, but would be nonsensical in a Hindu or Buddhist region. Personal correspondence with Anton Long, 12 November 2011. 43 The other two groups are commonly identified as the Church of Satan and Temple of Set. This does not imply that either group admits to rivalry of any sort officially, though anecdotal evidence from the online discussion forums suggests that the discourse between the three groups has historically been (and continues to be) heated. See, for example, the correspondence between ToS founder Dr Michael Aquino and 'Stephen Brown' in "The Satanic Letters of Stephen Brown" in Hostia I. Sieg astutely notes (2009): 'I suggest here that the Order of Nine Angles is also post-Satanic, having outgrown its identification with its original Satanic paradigm to evolve its system into novel forms. I also suggest that although it still retains the concept of the "Sinister" as a familiar, familial moniker, the ONA is poised to outgrow its exclusive identification with the Left-Hand Path - a trend already indicated by 128 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain the ease with which it assimilates, uses, and subverts Right-Hand Path esoteric and exoteric forms to its particular aeonic purposes; such that the ONA system includes but transcends even the Left- Hand Path / Right-Hand Path dualism which would otherwise appear endemic to the concepts of the sinister.' See Sieg, 2-3. 129 ONA - BIBLIOGRAPHY Charpentier, Jarl. 'A Treatise on Hindu Cosmography from the Seventeenth Century', Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of "London, Vol. 3, No. 2 (1924): 317-342. Gonda, J. Ancient Indian Kingship from the Religious Point of View (Continued)', Numen, Vol. 4, Fasc. 1 (Jan., 1957): 24-58. Long, Anton. Hostia I (Thormynd Press: Shropshire, 1992.) Long, Anton. Hostia III (Thormynd Press: Shropshire, 1992). Long, Anton. 'Concerning The Meaning of The Nine Angles: A Collection of Texts (Part One)' 2009. Order of Nine Angles. January 2012. <http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/texts/nine-angles- texts-partl.pdf>. Long, Anton. 'Concerning the Meaning of The Nine Angles - Part Two.' 2010. Order of Nine Angles. January 2012. <http://www.o9a.org/ wp-content/uploads/texts/nine-angles-texts- part2.pdf >. Long, Anton. 'The Core ONA Traditions.' July 2011, revised August 2011. Order of Nine Angles. January 2012. <http://ona.soup.io/ post/ 1 6 1 32706 1 /The-Core-ONA-Traditions > Order of Nine Angles 'The ONA Lineage' 2012. ONA. April 2012. >http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/The-ONA- Lineage.pdf>. Order of Nine Angles, 'The ONA Lneage.' 13 March 2012. ONA. 13 March 2012. <http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/The- ONA-Lineage.pdf >. Order of Nine Angles, The Deof el Quintet (1974-85). Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain Order of Nine Angles, Naos (1 st ed. 1979, revised ed. 1989). Order of Nine Angles, Codex Saerus (Thormynd Press 1 st ed. 1983, revised ed. 2008). Order of Nine Angles. Naos (1989). Order of Nine Angles, 'Guide to Black Magick.' 22 Sept. 2009. ONA. December 2011. <http://vndx.wordpress.com/ 2009/09/22/guide-to-black-magick>. Order of Nine Angles. 'Questions for Anton Long Pt. 2.' 25 Sept. 2011. WSA3252. March 2012. <http://onanxs.wordpress.com/ 201 1 / 09/25/ questions-for-anton-long-pt-ii/>. Ortega, Chloe. 'ONA: A Brief Overview.' 2012. WSA3252. March 2012. <http://www.o9a.org/wp-content/uploads/ONA- history.pdf> Pingree, David The Latin Version of the Ghayat al-hakim, Studies of the Warburg Institute, University of London (1986) Ritter, Hellmut ed. Ghayat al-hakim wa-ahaqq al-nattjatajn bi-altaqdim (Leipzig : B.G. Teubner, 1933). Senholt, Jacob. C. 'The Sinister Tradition: Political Esotericism & the convergence of Radical Islam, Satanism and National Socialism in the Order of the Nine Angles', Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Conference: Satanism in the Modern World (November 2009.), p.7. Sieg, George. Angular Momentum: From Traditional to Progressive Satanism in the Order of Nine Angles', Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Conference: Satanism in the Modern World, November 2009): 2-3. 131 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain Temple of THEM, De Requisite Exquisite vols 1-4 (Black Glyph Society, 2011) 132 Blood, Wine, and the Golden Chain ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Connell Monette is the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, and teaches Literature and Religious Studies there in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds a PhD in Medieval Studies from University of Toronto, and his major areas of research are medieval literature and religion. He is the author of The Medieval Hero, 2 st edition (2011), and a contributor to the Preternature, The Journal of Indo-European Studies, The International Journal of Euro-Mediterranean Studies, Comparative Islamic Studies, and Islamic Horizons. He currently lives in Ifrane with his wife and daughter. 133 Angular Momentum From Traditional to Progressive Satanism in the Order of Nine Angles George Sieg Exeter Centre for the Study of Esotericism (EXESESO) Introduction As previous research has documented, x the Order of Nine Angles has consistently promoted its particular "Sinister Way" both in the context of esoteric Satanism and in the context of exoteric political radicalism and extremism. It is also the case, however, that its own self-definition as an esoteric system, and its aspiration to act as a nexus of "Sinister Tradition" is broader than both the Satanic identification and the particular forms of extremism and radicalism which it originally promoted. While various spinoffs adhering to the same political and esoteric progamme were previously derived to a greater or lesser degree from the system of the ONA using different, non-Satanic imagery, such as the Order of the Jarls of Baelder, the Fraternitas Loki, and the White Order of Thule, to name a few, these retained the underlying pattern and structure, and even fitted within the context of the Satanic initiation system of the ONA, which requires initiates of a certain grade to form their own independent organizations. However, as early as 2003, with the affiliation of the Temple of THEM in Australia and the establishment of the "Tempel ov Blood" as the work of the "Hinterlands Nexion" of the Order of Nine Angles in the United States, it began to develop its original system of initiation, and its form of Satanism, in Jacob C. Senholt, The Sinister Tradition : Political Esotericism & the Convergence of Radical Islam, Satanism, and National Socialism in the Order of Nine Angles novel directions. Within the last two years, the ONA has successfully retained its identification with another even more variant spin-off, the White Star Acception, also in the United States. The Acception defines itself as representing Progressive , rather than Traditional Satanism, and also rejects the dualism suggested by identification with the Left-Hand rather than Right-Hand Path. That the ONA identification is retained despite these and other critical differences with the Satanic, Sinister initiation system of the ONA can only indicate that the ONA aims to outgrow some of the key features of its original paradigm and thereby further its real "aeonic" (meta- historical) aims and agendas. In exploring this subject, I will examine in succession the the Temple of THEM, the Tempel ov Blood, and the White Star Acception, referring to some key points in Senholt's thesis on the Order of Nine Angles. I will also summarize their systems, and highlight significant differences from the original system of the ONA. Finally, I will consider the role of dualism in each system considered here, and its influence on their interpretation and practice of the key sinister concept of aeonic magic, concerned with the manipulation of socio-cultural development through phases of historical time. These references will be abbreviations of my conclusions presented in a recently submitted doctoral thesis concerning occult warfare. The Left-Hand Path as a whole has already been demonstrated to be a category frequently inclusive of, but certainly more extensive than, Satanism - thereby making frequently noted Left- Hand Path orders originating in, but transcending Satanism, such as the Temple of Set, appropriately categorized as post-Satanic . 2 I suggest here that the Order of Nine Angles is also post- Satanic, having outgrown its identification with its original Satanic paradigm to evolve its system into novel forms. I also suggest that although it still retains the concept of the "Sinister" as a familiar, familial moniker, the ONA is poised to outgrow its exclusive identification with the Left-Hand Path - a Kennet Granholm, "Embracing Others than Satan: The Multiple Princes of Darkness in the Left-Hand Path Milieu" in Contemporary Religious Satanism: A Critical Anthology, ed. by Jesper Aagaard Petersen (Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate, 2009) , pp. 85-101 (85) . trend already indicated by the ease with which it assimilates, uses, and subverts Right-Hand Path esoteric and exoteric forms to its particular aeonic purposes; such that the ONA system includes but transcends even the Left-Hand Path / Right-Hand Path dualism which would otherwise appear endemic to the concepts of the sinister . Finally, while sharing much with concepts of "Traditionalism, " including the moniker "Traditional," the ONA system also embraces strategies which appear to be opposite in valence, such as the White Star Acception' s "Progressive" Satanism. Introducing THEM According to the account of its founder, pseudonymously known as Kris, ThoTh, Ryan Anschauung, Tnepres Ra, Friend Ley and various other aliases, the Temple of THEM was established by six Satanists inspired by the ONA system as early as 2003. An interview by S. Maher with "One of THEM" appearing in a periodical organ of the Temple "OTO-Anorha" (18 December 2007) indicates the Temple "operated" since 11 June, 2006, indicating the adoption of the name "Temple of THEM" for the already- existing group at that date. Forum advertisements for the Temple posted in the first months of this year 3 identified it as a "Nexion, " the ONA term for a centre of acausal power, and claimed extensive influence into the advancement of Australian Satanism. Its stated goal was to "Presence the Dark Gods." According to recent personal correspondence, however, the Temple of THEM now functions independently of the Order of Nine Angles, instead advancing its own "wyrd, " or destiny, distinct from the ONA' s particular formulation of the sinister. At its peak of public openness, the Temple of THEM shared its work in an online list with over a hundred members. Numerous of its texts have since been made available online through "The Black Glyph Society, " and I have also been given access to some other related work and documents in my correspondence with the founder . http://www.the600club.com/topic22734-l.html and http://www.occultcorpus.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6145 The Temple's Manifesto is a twenty-page document primarily focusing upon the re-union of the personal ego with the greater self, and the separation of this complex of consciousness from the socially, linguistically, and perceptually constructed "Matrix, " by means of apprehension of the Abyss as a gateway to acausal reality wherein causal forms break down and are abandoned. This quest is taken to be a "Sinister," Left-Hand Path process, befitting the criteria for the Left-Hand Path proposed by both Flowers and Granholm, focusing on personal experience within the here-and-now resulting in an esoteric self-initiation of an individualistic and antinomian provenance. THEM's Liber 1313 also explores issues of language and control in the context of opposition between Left- and Right-Hand Paths, and occult conflict of the Sinister against "Magian" forces — esoteric, aeonic, occult influences dependent on fear of unmediated acausal reality, and thereby proliferating structures ultimately encouraging weakness, decadence, and ego-dependency. From this earlier stage in the promotion of the Temple of THEM to March of this year, its founder identified it with the ONA methodology sufficiently that all but one of the seven of Senholt's Seven Sinister Characteristics were present in its work. The Temple of THEM definitely rejects universalist moral and ethical constructs as impositions of the Magian "Matrix, " and also rejects the Right-Hand Path esotericism of its ostensibly Judaic rulers: "Although the Sinister Tradition condemns the practice of the Q-blah - knowing what the Q-blah teaches greatly helps one to contrast and appreciate the sometimes overt, sometimes subtle differences between the Sephiroth/Tree of Wyrd -Aryan/Semitic ethos and attitude- Magian and Sinister ideologies." 4 It should be noted, however, that like the Order of Nine Angles it suggests in replacement for universalized social ethics, a rigorous ethics of personal honour, 5 at least toward peers. In the sense that this is socially antinomian, it can be taken as an "anti-ethics" in the manner that Nietzschean immoralism functions not as an amorality but rather as an "anti-morality." THEM emphasizes the reality of the Dark Gods, the need for direct, physical action and experience, and utilizes the vocabulary of the "Sinister Tradition." However, its concentration on not only aeonic but personal antinomianism, and particular focus on confrontation against all conditions of control rendered alignment with right- wing political extremism limited in comparison to the ONA, even in its stage of ONA identification. No references to political radicalism appear in its Manifesto, for instance. Liber 1313 http://www.occultcorpus.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6145 Emphasized in a manuscript on Self-Initiation Rites. uses the example of the appropriation of National Socialist propaganda techniques by Magian moral dualists, but does not explicitly advocate any alignment with National Socialism itself. Generally, the works of the Temple of THEM suggest scenarios of dualistic ideological fixture and groupthink as particularly unsuitable to the sinister Adept. In the second volume of the personal diary of the founder, 6 he elaborates on his own rejection of National Socialism, racism, and human culling as part of his own sinister quest, the result of a dialectical process of confrontation with group-think he suggests is deliberately engineered by the ONA. This interpretation is significantly in contrast with the apparent assertion of the ONA and its exponents that the former is an optional causal form which nevertheless has significant esoteric and aeonic purposes, and that the latter is a necessity of the sinister way. In general, the Temple of THEM seems to interpret the politics apparently dominant in the ONA' s system as predominantly a ruse designed to trick the practitioner into achieving a condition of liberated individuation free from dependence on such forms, once they are rejected and abandoned (perhaps after being fervently believed) rather than as an expression of a particular series of causal forms objectively useful for anti-Magian occult opposition. The aforementioned 2007 interview of S. Maher with "one of THEM" contains direct references to the heritage of THEM in the ONA, but also progress beyond its septenary system, indicating that although the six founders of THEM passed through that system, their further work expands on it. "there are many things we 'disagree' with in regard to the ONA, and to that end, each of us found we either shrugged off the physical seven-fold tools and passed through the Abyss to where we no longer required the guidance of the Order, or founded an understanding of its essential current as a method of perpetual alchemy; a triangle squared. After such a realization, the simplicity of things gets tangled in words and ways. The ONA current has passed through us, and from us it will pass to others, just as it was passed to them. Hence we believe we 'get' the message and the reason for ONA and live and act accordingly to that understanding. We don't 6 Diary of a Devil-Worshipper, Volume II, pp. 90-99, consider ourselves a second generation ONA temple, we just don't see the sense in cutting the ties of those who have helped us build our pyramids of skulls." Ultimately as 2009 has proceeded, the Temple of THEM has disassociated itself from the ONA; internal documents summarize the view that the ONA itself is a causal form ultimately limited by its own imagery, and oriented toward a particular purpose of generating persons capable of rational opposition to Magian forms, in pursuit of the ultimate aim of space travel. This theme of transition beyond dependence on this planet seems to remain a common aim amongst the other ONA-derived groups I will consider here. The conclusion of THEM seems to be that the causal form of the ONA, at least as regards its own context, has served its purpose in generating liberated individuals such as are its own members, but rendering its forms obsolete in the process. This is in direct contrast to assertions of the White Star Acception, to be considered as the final example in this paper, which seems to hold that the Order of Nine Angles has itself transformed in order to expand beyond the original limitations of its system - the better to pursue this goal of interstellar travel. With these conclusions, the Temple of THEM continues its disassociation of the "Sinister" as a methodology of ego- transgression and antinomianism directed against the Magian social constructs, from dualistic "Left-Hand Path" concepts, and "Satanism" as a distinct paradigm. This is mirrored by the similar evolutionary trajectory of the WSA to be later addressed, with the difference that the WSA continued overt identification with the Order of Nine Angles despite the strong variance of its system from that of the ONA. By contrast, the methodology of the Temple of THEM remains recognizably within the "Sinister tradition, " expanding on the ideas of the ONA in a particularly non-dualist and even anti-dualist direction. The Undead Rise While the material available from the Temple of THEM is extensive, running to hundreds of pages in numerous detailed documents chronicling ideas of members, personal correspondence, and so forth, texts relevant to the Tempel ov Blood are much more limited. Their main texts are compiled in Liber 333, 7 which 333, Lord Karnac et al. (Tampere, Finland: Ixaxaar, 2004) was made available from the publisher in Ixaxaar in 2004. The address of the "Hinterlands Nexion" in that text is in Lexington, South Carolina; I am unaware of the number of members or the extent of the Tempel ov Blood' s influence and have not corresponded with it, or it members, to my knowledge. The writings of the Tempel continue all the themes of the Order of Nine Angles but elaborate several new directions. They fit Senholt's criteria almost as well as the ONA itself, being blatantly amoral and advocating deliberate enactment of immoralism in the form of deliberate predation and "evil." The political aeonics of the Tempel are thoroughly Right-wing as will shortly be explored. Not only is physical training emphasized, but the physical transmutation of the practitioner into a condition of daemonically endowed, vampiric undeath is promised as a result of practicing the system. It continues the "direct action" traditions of human culling in the ONA by making predation upon, and the killing of, human beings the basis of its methods, continuing and expanding upon the ONA' s vocabulary of sinister terms and concepts. It presents Satan as a very real diabolical power, the "Master of Awe and Derision, whose word is CHAOS." However, while retaining an aeonic dualism of rejection of Magian weakness in favor of predatory, vampiric power, the Temple also introduces an outright apocalyptic imagery, preparing the "Final Harvevst" for the return of the hungry and thirsty Dark Gods. This millennialism would not alone necessarily suggest a Judaeo-Christian or, as in Senholt's Characteristics, "Semitic" slant, but in the same fashion the Order of Nine Angles has recommended infiltration of National Socialist and radical Islamic communities,! so the Tempel ov Blood advocates the subversion of Christian Identity belief 8 into increasingly violent, radical directions in order to undermine the American state and increase anti-Judaism. Focusing on the form of the belief which identifies Jewish people as the direct descendents of the devil through Caine, the Tempel suggests the increasing radicalization of this sect with the aim of provoking anti-Judaic and anti-government violence, also providing detailed instructions for terrorism and assassination in its text. Considering that most of these Identity Christians are strong believers in the relevance of the Old Testmant laws and descriptions of the deity as applied to Indo-Europeans despite the apparent linguistic and historical disparities, the Tempel ov Blood's willingness to utilize Christian Identity in pursuit of its aeonic aims suggests a step beyond the confines of the For an examination of Christian Identity, see Michael Barkun, Religion and the Racist Riqht seventh characteristic - a step which the WSA will take further in actually promoting the use of Magian concepts in Sinister workings . In addition to projecting an eschatological dualism onto the purported "Final Harvest," the Tempel personifies and dualises the conflict between Sinisterions and Magians to a greater degree than the ONA, which often approached the Magian influence through the lens of cultural distortion or the clash of civilizations. For the Tempel ov Blood, this is a cosmic battle between the Satanic powers and their enemies, identified as a "Jihad, " a term taking its cue from the anti-American, anti-Zionist fundamentalist Islam. It understands itself to be pursuing the goal of the ONA, that is, stellar imperium and the creation of an overman "Homo Galacticus", but does so in the context of feeding the vampyric, alien gods with the blood of all unworthy beings. The self-identification of the members is "Noctulian, " a designation referring to a power of the night relevant to the ONA system; in Goodrick-Clarke' s account in Black Sun, the "Noctulians" were one of the groups originally contributing to the formation of the Order of Nine Angles. Thus the name would suggest, if not heritage of comparable age, at least a conscious desire for its on the part of the "Noctulian Vampires." They understand themselves as elitist, extremist, anti-human conspirators, and advocate the constant and consistent subversion and consequent breakdown of social patterns. Their work glorifies the Third Reich and includes an ordeal of devotion to Hitler. While the Temple of THEM represents an evolution of the system of the ONA beyond the Left-Hand Path, Satanic categories, the Tempel ov Blood, represents further, specialized development within these categories, adding to the ONA paradigm a mythos of infernal vampirism and blatant transhumanism. As I have recounted, it also alters some underlying patterns in that system by promoting a simpler dualism between Magian and Noctulian, and also suggesting a climactic "Final Harvest," an apocalyptic conclusion to the present diseased aeon. While it continues to promote "Homo Galacticus" through right-wing politics, violent extremism, terror, and the conjuration of acausal forces, it does so in conjunction with a more literally theistic paradigm relying upon the Dark Gods themselves to exalt the elite whilst the rest are destroyed. Despite the apparent dualism, the Tempel makes the title of its text the number of the ambiguous, ambivalent Enochian demon Coronzon. While some ONA texts allude to the significance of John Dee, none refer to this Enochian equivalent of Satan. In one cartoon/comic-strip manuscript, Hitler is presented as a mouthpiece for Coronzon, and the abyss is presented as a gateway to horrific acausal forces, evil more in a "Lovecraftian" than demonic way. Ultimately it seems that the Sinister/Magian duality presented in the Tempel remain an absolute one, but is more related to order and chaos (Satan's word in this system is "CHAOS") , or even "inside" and "outside" (in the sense of the ^evil' of the abyss being outside human society and beyond moral and natural norms) . The Noctulian is not only encouraged but required by the system to deliberately dehumanize the self in order to become the ultimate vampiric predator - but this transmutation is in the service of a still greater aeonic ideal, and ultimately a greater transmutation into a living "dark god." A comparison with the lack of dualism in the Temple of THEM is also instructive; the Temple of THEM presents non-dual liberation between and beyond the "Matrix" of ego-bound reality, which nevertheless enters back into it and controls the ego with the will of the self. The Tempel ov Blood, instead dehumanizes and "kills" the apparent ego and self in order to manifest an alternative identity as an undead vampire, which is then dualistically set against what THEM call "the Matrix." Another elaboration on the system and imagery of the ONA appears in the Tales of Sinister Influence, a collection of short stories illustrating the aeonic methodology of the Tempel. One set of stories concerns the infiltration of an ISKCON-style Gaudiya Vaishnava sect by Satanic vampires in order to effect the incarnation of the leader the ONA calls Vindex, who becomes a living nexion of acausal power who will challenge and destroy the Magian society. Vindex, in this story, is identified with Kalki, the last avatar of Vishnu, who in Indian cosmology is supposed to appear at the end of the degraded Iron Age and restore dharma by destroying its decadent, casteless rulers. Neo-Nazi ideologue Savitri Devi Mukherji 9 similarly identified Kalki with a possible successor to Hitler who would combine the latter' s devotion to Aryandom with the ruthlessness of a Himmler or a Genghis Khan, a new Alexander who would restore civilization. Yet Vindex also figures into the Tempel' s sinister subversion of Christian Identity, with the racialist g Aside from her own writings, the best source for Devi is Nicholas Goodrick- Clarke, Hitler' s Priestess . "Aryan Christ" being treated as a warrior-god and an instance of the Vindex archetype. Further reinterpretation is recently endorsed by the founder of the ONA, David Myatt/Anton Long, in his work The Mythos of Vindex, in which he presents a new interpretation of his original promotion of "Vindex" as an aeonic, National Socialist leader, suggesting that the primary aim of Vindex will be the destruction of the Magian system, which according to Myatt/Long is now so thoroughly entrenched in the West that Vindex may arise among a non-white, non-Western people. Vindex will ostensibly replace the decadent Magian society with a warrior-culture based on personal honor and an apprehension of the numinous. He also characterizes the white race, particularly in the West, as having been for thousands of years disposed toward "hubris," destructive pride, compounded with restlessness, aggression, brutality, hypocrisy, impatience, and insolence, and the cunning to cloak these instincts in a veneer of civilization. In denouncing the Magian human, "Homo Hubris," Myatt indicts the "White Hordes" of the West as mainly comprised of this defiled species. Myatt now promotes that the decadent Western society should be replaced by a network of organic "sinister tribes" governed by warrior-codes of honor. Essays concerning all this can be found on Myatt' s wordpress blog. All these ideas are also in line with his endorsement of the aforementioned "White Star Acception, " as documented in his online interview with its two primary online publicists, Chloe Ortega and Kayla DiGiovanni, of Orange County, California. As the vast majority of the WSA texts are at onanxs.wordpress.com or at http://whitestaracception.wordpress.com/ , I will not detail the numerous individual blogs or archives linked from these sites, and repeating some (but not all) of this material, usually in conjunction with original ONA documents. The two sites I mention contain scores of articles and essays concerning the Acception' s form of occultism, which could easily occupy a brief research paper in itself. I will concentrate on highlighting and continuing the themes I have emphasized throughout these brief notes. In his interview with the WSA, Anton Long summarizes the current state of the ONA as relates to such novel interpretations : What the ONA is becoming is a natural and necessary evolution of what I presenced decades ago, and what I, and a few others, have nurtured since then. Thus, the ONA is now a three-fold being, although of course each of these individual aspects represent just one aspect of the triad itself - or rather, are perceived as being somehow different and distinct, when they are just different "angles" of a certain causal presencing. One of these three aspects is manifest, now, in WSA352 - in the emerging and often urban sinister tribes that are beginning to live the essence of the sinister ethos itself, without the restrictions of older causal forms. That is, the esoteric work - the magick - of such sinister tribes is their own unique being; their own way of living; the deeds, the work, that they do, inspired by the still emerging culture of their own tribe, their own "group". Hence, traditional magick is mostly irrelevant for them; for their own individual and shared tribal life is itself a new type of magick, a genuine and powerful presencing of sinister, acausal, energies. The second of these aspects is manifest, now, in traditional nexions such as The Temple of Them, in Australia, and in those reclusive individuals who work either alone, or with a magickal and sinister partner. In these nexions, traditional Internal and Aeonic sinister magick - as manifest in the various esoteric MSS of the ONA - is often still undertaken as a means of presencing acausal energies. Sometimes, these more traditional nexions are the esoteric (hidden) foundation of an exoteric causal form, as, for example, Falcifer is to Vindex. The third of these aspects is still esoteric and thus currently rather unknown, but is manifest in a new way of living by an emerging new type of human being: the sinister empath who sometimes esoterically works, and who sometimes lives, alone, but who more often than not lives in a symbiotic relationship with either other empathic humans, or with some acausal- entity that has emerged into, or been manufactured in, our own causal Space and our own causal Time. By their very nature, these still changing, still evolving, human beings, these symbiotic sinister empaths - and thus their work - are intentionally hidden, for the mundanes, and especially the Magian and their allies, would consider them extremely dangerous, given their still developing and still emerging abilities. It could be taken that although the Tempel ov Blood appears to be structured as a "traditional nexion, " in its focus on developing trans-human characteristics, it approaches Long's third example. The White Star Acception, by contrast, clearly fits the context of the Sinister Tribe as he defines it. Its variances from the original patterns of the ONA are extensive. Returning to Senholt's Charactistics, the WSA provides yet another take on "anti-ethics," replacing the ethos of personal honor with an ethos of total in-group loyalty. As the three founders (of unknown age and provenance, but probably one generation older than Kayla and Chloe) were involved in Freemasonry prior to the fusion of their system with the Sinister Way, much of the imagery used in WSA, including the name itself, presents a "sinister" adaption of Freemasonic concepts. The aesthetic is reminiscent of the Judaeo-Illuminati fantasies and projections of conservative Christians in such texts as the infamous Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. The WSA refers to the outgroup as goyim; one rite involves the equivalent of the Talmuidic "Kol Nidre" oath in which all other past and future oaths are foresworn, and several use imagery relevant to the two Masonic pillars, the Temple of Solomon, Zion, and so forth. Clearly, this completely abandons Senholt's seventh characteristic. Even the interpretation of the numbers 352 provided by Kayla and Chloe relies on Hebrew Qabalistic analysis of the traditional magic square of Saturn. Similarly, the second characteristic is only doubtfully present, in that although both authors sometimes express statements that might be taken as conservative or nationalist in their writings (such as a criticism of lax immigration boundaries in USA) , their general approach to modern society is a more left-anarchist one, with condemnations of the 10% who hold most of the wealth. Similarly, while Zionism is not promoted, neither is it condemned with the same ideological fervor and consistency as in Myatt/Long's NS writings. Likewise, Aryan racialism is repudiated in favour of the reappropriation of the term Aryan to refer to nobility, in a manner closer to non-racist fascism, or even individualist aristocracy. Much inspiration is drawn from the South-Asian Buddhism of Chloe' s heritage, along with Tantric ideas concerning the middle way. As such, the implied dualism of the "Left-Hand Path" is eschewed, although the concept of the "Sinister" is retained. Similarly, although the term "Progressive Satanism" is used to distinguish the new doctrines from "Traditional Satanism, " and the origin of this Satanic tribe in gang subculture makes their designation "Hardcore Satanism" seemingly appropriate, the prevalence of Satanic imagery in the writings of the group is fairly low. Rather, Tantric imagery predominates and is favoured by the leadership. Physical training and direct action are, however, definitely present; particularly in that the initiatory process involves violent criminal activity, beyond the ritual violence promoted by the original ONA. The assault or rape of civilians, robbery, and so forth, are a part of the habitual practice of the group. The "direct action, " however, is oriented entirely toward the fortunes of the group; infiltration of other groups is to advance the power of the tribe, and ultimately promote the creation of elite offspring. The continuity and quality of the family is taken to be its own justification. However, the ultimate goal of the ONA - the achievement of space travel and evolution of the species into a more advanced form - remains. The WSA holds that it can best contribute to this aim by attempting to achieve it for its own offspring, through its own efforts. While it retains much of the terminology of the ONA, such as causal and acausal, and references to the "Sinister way, " the WSA has an elaborated vocabulary of its own, occupying its own glossary. Likewise, it has generated its own symbolism and series of ritual events and practices. While Chloe and Kayla do not claim to be Adepts of the ONA' s "sinister way, " and the WSA clearly varies at many points with the Satanic system of the ONA, it is also just as clearly accepted as a nexion - even by the progenitor and leader of the ONA system itself. This provides irrefutable indication that the ONA cannot be considered merely a form of Satanism, nor even specifically an exemplar of the Left-Hand Path by its own definition (although it, and all of its spinoffs, all fit both definitions of Left-Hand Path current provided in English by scholars - Flowers and Granholm) . Indeed, by utilizing non- Left-Hand Path forms of occultism, including Islam, Buddhism and Freemasonry, as well as Christian Identity and, in the case of Chloe and Kayla, Mormonism as an Insight Role, the ONA demonstrates a willingness and ability to utilize Right-Hand Path and "Middle Way" paradigms in a fashion reminiscent of chaos magic, but with a distinct aeonic agenda remaining its only constant. The examples I've provided here, and the example of the ONA as a whole - as distinct from specifically Left-Hand Path groups such as the Temple of Set and Dragon Rouge - suggest that four criteria may be applied to evaluate the "Sinister family" of systems. These are: a persistent rejection of moral dualism; a persistent adherence to an aeonic orientation including occult warfare beliefs concerned with opposition to contemporary Western civilization (rather than "Magians" since WSA rejects conspiracism) and the aim of achieving space travel; rejection of humanism; and fitting the academic criteria for etic membership in the "Left-Hand Path" despite emic rejection of the accompanying dualism. That is, all the ONA spinoffs here present systems of initiation involving antinomianism purportedly actualizing a contingent potential for self- divinization and personal immortality, relying on opportunities offered in the "here and now" as Granholm puts it. The significance of these criteria can be well appreciated by contrast with other Left-Hand Path groups. For example, while Edred Thorsson/Stephen Flowers does not emphasize moral dualism to the extent that the Temple of Set does at large, and certainly promotes the model of contingent immortality as well as the preservation of Indo-European cultural forms against what the ONA would consider a Semitic cultural distortion, and is willing to use Right-Hand Path Heathen forms as part of his magical agenda, his work lacks the persistent application of Spenglerian and Toynbean aeonics characteristic of the ONA "family." I also detect that this sinister family shares an ethical consistency in all its forms, ranging from National Socialist forms to the effectively non-racist, tribal "Talmudic" style of the WSA - which is that ultra-individualism is actually rejected in favour of a balance between the individual and the collective; hubris is eschewed. I take this to be a function of the ONA rejection of humanism as a hubristic, "Magian" doctrine. These observations would still leave the explanation for such extensive variance in originally Left-Hand Path, "Sinister" Traditions unaccounted for, except that in each case the variations in doctrine seem to correspond to variations in the presentation of post-mortem possibilities of immortalization. In the "Sinister" systems, the "Immortal" is taken to be an "acausal being" which may or may not incarnate. This distinguishes it from what Flowers defines as Transcendentalist systems, which promote an abstracted "subjective" consciousness (and sometimes still a "human" one) , and immanentist systems, which cannot really conceive immortality apart from the flesh. Similarly, these Sinister traditions are distinguished from "Middle-Way" humanisms of a religious, mystical, or even tribal nature, in which immortalization is viewed as a continuity of the human identity. This conclusion, in summary, establishes the core trait allowing these systems to define themselves as "Sinister" while yet remaining non-dualistic with regard to "Left" and "Right" designations . An alternative model might be that, in as much as Flowers defines the core trait of the Left-Hand Path as dualistically opposed to the Right-Hand Path as being non-union instead of union, these traditions may be defining Left-Hand as separation instead of union, leaving the possibility for non-union to be interpreted as a "Middle Way." If this is the case, it would have to be determined through more detailed analysis of these and related systems, whether or not the "union" opposed to "Sinister non-union" signified something different in contrast to that "sinister non-union" than to "Left-Hand Path separation . " My conclusions is that since we can undoubtedly establish "non- Sinister" traditions which advocate non-union and a Middle-Way, the designation of the Sinister implies not just rejection of Right-Hand Path union, but also rejection of non-sinister Middle-Way non-union - and that it is this distinction which manifests as the rejection of humanism. As such, it is this criteria of "sinistrality" which grants an occult consistency to the disparate aeonic application of apparently conflicting social, religious, and political forms, and allows for the appropriation and subversion of right-hand path forms which would be eschewed by such humanistic individualists as Dr. Flowers .