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Towards Another Myth – Askr Svarte (2024)

Another 340 page book with essays by Askr Svarte / Evgeny Nechkasov. The full title goes: Towards Another Myth: A Tale of Heidegger and Traditionalism. Thematically this book continues with the last book of Svarte that I reviewed.

In 25 longer and shorter texts, Svarte investigates the relationship between Heidegger and Traditionalism. To do that he makes side steps into Northern mythology, poetry and of course philosophy and language and all that to come to “another myth”.

In recent years, more and more Traditionalists and right-wing thinkers have been trying to incorporate the thought of Martin Heidegger into theirs. Critical notes have already been made in Passages. Svarte takes this a step further. He dissects Evola’s erroneous critique on Heidegger, investigates the common and diverting points between the philosophy of Heidegger and that of Guénon and in order to do so, dives into Northern mythology, Advaita Vedanta.

As all of Svarte’s work, the present title is not an easy read, but he does once again come with interesting observations and explanations.

Amidst his general empathy and sympathy for mythos as an ontological principle of extreme importance in culture and thinking, Heidegger’s program nevertheless does not propose returning to one or another mythology, even the Greek, as a form of identity, state religion, or system of values. Instead, he speaks of the non-metaphysical, groundless (Ab-Grund) and poetic refounding of the whole of mythos and the holy on the horizon of Another Beginning. For Traditionalism, this means being compelled to seek out and tell forth Another Myth.

2024 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671825

Pagan Imperialism – Julius Evola (1928/2024)

I never really intended to read Evola’s early and what I expected to be his most political work. Then I noticed that a new English translation has been published and decided to read it after all. At least I would know what it is (all) about.

Evola (1898-1974) published this book as Imperialismo Pagano when he was 30, so not that young. In the few years before he had published a few other books.

It appears that the English translation that has been available so far, was a translation of the 1933 German edition Heidnischer Imperialismus. Here we have a brand new translation with an introduction plus at the end, responses of Evola to reactions he got to his book.

There are two points that bring this book a hurdle. For starters, the writing style is pretty polemical. Second is that Evola wrote it when he still had hopes that he could turn the new Italian fascist movement into a direction he preferred: away from ties with the Catholic church, more “imperial”.

As an example of the polemics, especially Christianity is frequently burned by Evola, with remarks such as: “In conclusion, we must absolutely end Christianity today.”

As the title of the book suggests, Evola posed a ‘pagan alternative’: “the pre-Christian, living, and creative Roman tradition”. Or even stronger: “we, who without dilution and without compromise, reclaim the imperial and initiatic conceptions of the ancient Roman and Mediterranean traditions.”
But what exactly is this Roman tradition when Evola speaks of the “Roman gods, Mithras, Shiva and so forth” or “Mithras, Shiva, Plotinus, and Pythagoras”? Apparently mostly pre-Christian Indo-European religion and philosophy.

Pagan Imperialism is less (or perhaps just differently) ‘against the modern world’ than Evola’s later work. He does aim his arrows on the degradation of the West and especially the role that Christianity plays therein. As mentioned, at the time of writing this book, Evola still had hopes that he could turn the fascist movement in his preferred direction. The book is full claims about fascism, but also critical notes because of the Catholic link that was being established in his days.

I find this not the most interesting book of Evola, but more than a few things he says are still valid (and current). You do have to be able to wade through breast pounding politics and lengthy discussions about Christianity, but as the introduction says: Evola frequently is misquoted or quoted without context. Now you can read what he actually wrote in his younger days in a new English translation. It seems that the publishers did not tidy up the book for sensitive souls either.

We advocate a new classicism, a solar era of active and magical realism, an absolute integration of the physical and metaphysical, human and non-human.

2024 Arktos, isbn 1915755778

Passages: Studies in Traditionalism and Traditions – Volume I (journal)

Looking for contemporary Traditionalistic writings, I ran into a recently published (December 2023) first volume of a new journal. The editors have seen the coming and going of journals such as Luvah, Sophia, Sacred Web, Tyr and The Initiate. None of them is currently active, so it was high time for a new journal.

The foreword seems to promise a contemporary, spiritual approach to Traditionalism. The content is actually more political, Evola-like in approach with a lot of philosophy, mostly that of Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), some psychology even.

The contributors are mostly from the Slavic and Italian ‘spheres’. Even though the chief editor is American and we run into Collin Cleary and Troy Southgate, most essays had to be translated to English. There are familiar and unfamiliar names (to me). Alexander Dugin is probably the most famous name, but we also find a text by Askr Svarte / Evgeny Nechkasov (not unexpectedly).

There is a lot ‘against the modern world’, Heidegger (philosophy), the social/political side of the ideas of Guénon and Evola and similar subjects. Not uninteresting, but I would not have minded to read more from and about Traditionalism today and/or the more religious side of it.

The journal has almost 400 pages. It makes an interesting read, it does indeed fill a gap, but I would like a wider (other?) approach to Traditionalism in a future volume.

2023 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671159

Polemos II: Pagan Perspectives – Askr Svarte (2021)

So, Polemos was initially a 1000-page book written in Russian by an author born in 1991. First published in 2016, at the age of 25! Also the translator, Jafe Arnold, is a young author and the man behind the Prav publishing house. I also ran into his name in an academic Traditionalistic work.

Part II is another massive work, over 500 pages. The ‘pagan perspectives’ are sometimes not that obvious. There are lengthy chapters are subjects such as the “creationism” of Abrahamic religions, the left hand path, dualism, more or less obscure currents within Eastern religions or within Islam. Sometimes interesting, sometimes a bit too ‘off path’ with only here and there references to “pagan traditionalism”. Often quoted is Evola, but Svarte also refers to less known authors such as Troy Southgate. Obviously, politically Svarte is not in the corner of the masses, but he is critical to both ‘left’ and ‘right’. He is also critical towards Traditionalists such as René Guénon.

The red thread of this volume is:

Paganism is opposed by the creationism in the face of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as their offspring – Modernity and Postmodernity.

and:

For a full-blooded revival of the true pagan worldview in modern conditions, the philosophy of Traditionalism is a categorical necessity.

To make that point, Svarte goes at great lengths displaying his extraordinary well-readness. Also he frequently manages to shortly explain some difficult writings or authors, so he not only read it all, he understands it as well.

Interesting, thought-provoking, but not very much to-the-point. You can read both Polemos volumes for an introduction into modern Traditionalism, the Russian and foreign pagan ‘scenes’, the woes of modernity and the Abrahamic religions. The second volume is even more theoretic than the first one.

2021 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671167

Polemos: The Dawn of Pagan Traditionalism – Askr Svarte (2020)

I found this book when I was browsing the Kindle store to see what Traditionalist books are available. So there are more writers writing about Traditionalistic paganism. Svarte does it a lot better than I did, though, and way more lengthy. The book is over 400 pages! Moreover, Svarte refers to other Traditionalistic pagan authors.

Oddly enough, the author (whose name is an pseudonym of Evgeny Nechkasov (1991-)) is a Russian. For some reason Russia and Russian thinkers gravitate towards me recently.

It seems that Svarte has published extensively in Russian and now English versions of both Polemos books have appeared (as there is a second part). The present title was first published in 2016.

The book goes from Guénon, Evola, Dumézil and Eliade to different kinds of paganism. Svarte proves to be very well acquainted with paganism in his own country, but also abroad. The book sets off wonderfully with Traditionalism, comparative mythology, initiation, etc. Things get a bit less interesting when he continues with endless descriptions of the woes of modernity, currents that Svarte calls “pseudo paganism”, “counter initiations”, etc. Quite like some books of Guénon actually. In these parts Svarte can display his wide knowledge of groups and thinkers all over the globe. Of course there are many references to groups and thinkers in Russia, so you can learn a thing or two about the Russian heathen and Traditionalistic scene(s) too and he even sheds some light on the events in the Serebrov books that I am reading.

We have defined polemos as the nerve of being, as that which according to the myths and teachings of traditions creates and orders the world.

Especially the first part of the book is good. I may not agree with each and every statement of the author makes, but is not necessary. Even though Svarte is about as strict a Traditionalist as Guénon, he (like myself) has to bend things a little in order to (for example) disapprove of Northern European paganism in Northern America while he is a Northern European heathen in Russia. The overly intellectual second half is a bit tiring at times, but overal this first part makes a descent read. The second volume is even larger, but I will give it a try too.

2020 Prav Publishing, isbn 1952671000

Traditionalism: The Radical Project For Restoring Sacred Order – Mark Sedgwick (2023)

Almost 20 years after Against The Modern World, Sedgwick thought it was time for an updated history of Traditionalism. Both books are histories of Traditionalism. Both books deal with ‘Traditionalism in practice’. Still, the books differ.

The reader gets a history of Traditionalism, of course starting with René Guénon. Well, first Sedgwick is going to tell you in what tradition Guénon can be placed, thus describing Neoplatonism, Renaissance Perennialism, etc. Then the author moves to the most eye catching element of Traditionalism: the critique on modernity.

In part II Sedgwick starts to describe what he calls “core projects” of Traditionalism. Personally I never had the idea that there ever was such a thing as “projects”. Of course some of the Traditionalist authors (or perhaps all of them) had their centres of gravity, but Sedgwick also describes projects which he had to distill from various writings.

Guénon’s “project” was “self-realization”. Schuon’s “project”, “religion” and Evola’s “project”, “politics”. Roughly spoken, perhaps indeed. Then we get other “projects” such as “art” (Coomaraswamy, still agreed), “gender” (here things become fuzzy), “nature” (mostly Nasr) and “dialogue” (Schuon, Smith). There is also a “post-Traditionalism” “project” “the radical right”.

Guénon certainly was the intellectual, critical of religion. Evola was more interested in political action. Schuon “rehabilitated religion”. In Seyyed Hosein Nasr, Schuon’s “project” was stretched and extended. Nasr was the first Traditionalist indicating environmental awareness. Schuon also had ‘followers’ in authors, scholars and religious leaders who took his “transcendent unity of religions’ to heart and who investigated different religions, comparing them, not on the abstract level of Guénon, and who brought religions together in dialogue. This is a logical outcome of Traditionalist thought, but a “project” of Traditionalism or rather the projects of individuals and groups, some of whom had an interest in Traditionalist thinking?

Like in the other book, I have the idea that Sedgwick stretches the subject to describe the influence of Traditionalism on elements of our own time and age, however indirect. Then again, Traditionalism isn’t a philosophy of the past and Traditionalist thinkers did and do influence (academic) thinking, so I guess we are just talking about a “project” of Sedgwick himself.

Shortly the ‘traditional’ Traditionalists, their lives and thought (but not as much about their lives as in the previous book) and then rapidly on to more contemporary thinkers. There is a bit too much stress on the political side of the story, but I guess also there we see a preference of the author. So you can read about Alain de Benoist, Alexandr Dugin, “alt-right”, etc. Also, more interesting to me personally, yet shorter, Nader Ardalan, a Traditionalist architect; Keith Critchlow who wrote about geometry and John Tavener, a composer; and even a little about “music scene Traditionalism“.

The book is not a crash course in Traditionalist thought, but -as mentioned- a history of that thought. It is a readable book, fairly interesting and it does touch open some new related subjects.

2023 Oxford University Press, isbn 0197683762

The Multiple States Of The Being – René Guénon (2004)

It had been a while since I read something of Guénon and then I found a title in the Kindle store that I had not read yet.

The original title is Les États Multiplus de l’Être and was first published in 1932. It has been published by Sophia Perennis in English in 2001 (translation by Henry Fohr). The edition that I got was published in 2022 by Antiqua Sapientia and was translated by Daniel Bernardo. I was somewhat unimpressed by this book…

The book is too ‘philosophical’ to me. Of course Guénon would abhor such a description and say that he writes from a metaphysical perspective, but the book reads like a philosophical work for me. It is about subjects such as ‘being and non-being’, consciousness, hierarchies, but also ‘the realization of being through knowledge’ which sounds interesting enough, especially when it comes from Guénon, but the book remained only mildly interesting to me.

Can it be the translation or simply the fact that the subject is not much within the scope of my interests? I am not sure. Perhaps I should reread some works of Guénon that I already know and see if I enjoy them as much as I did before. Or should I get the Sophia Perennis version as well?

2004 Sophia Perennis, isbn 0900588594
2022 Antiqua Sapientia

Knowledge Of The Symbol – Arturo Reghini (2022)

In the Amazon Kindle store I found two Reghini (1878-1946) titles in English. I first read Life Of Arturo Reghini by Giulio Parise. This text proved to be an appendix to the present title as well.

Parise has worked with Reghini for many years and after Reghini’s passing, he wrote his ‘memoirs’ which are some sort of Reghini biography in 1946. The text was originally in Italian and has now been translated to English.

The main body of the publication is a translation of a text of Reghini. After Giudice‘s translation of Pagan Imperialism, this is the second text of Reghini that you can read in English. Both are short and that when Reghini wrote works up to seven volumes. Some of these works apparently were never even published in Italian yet!

Knowledge Of The Symbol is a nice text which show Reghini’s ‘esoteric/academic’ approach which reminds of Traditionalists such as René Guénon.

In his biography Parise gives a peek into the life of Reghini who was involved in Theosophy, was later initiated into Freemasonry in the rite of Memphis-Misraim and later (also) went to a lodge of the Grand Orient of Italy. Both were “irregular” in these days (and still are), but contrary to Giudice, Parise makes no mention of that. Reghini wanted to reform Freemasonry, also during the fascist period, help different organisations to merge and ended up starting his own organisation the ‘Philosophical Rite’.

The publication is only 69 pages (if you can speak of pages on a Kindle), but it is good to see that after many publications in the original language, the attention for Reghini seems to be growing, so people make an effort to bring him to the attention of people who cannot read Italian. Let us hope some publisher will pick up the trail and start to translate and publish Reghini’s work.

Unfortunately this title is only available for owners of Amazon Kindle ereaders. It is fairly easy to make the book available as a paperback as well, so I hope the publishers will realise that too.

The Essential Frithjof Schuon – Seyyed Hossein Nasr (editor) 2005)

For some reason I always have the idea that I read more about Schuon that of him. Yet I previously reviewed two of his books and I have referred to his writings for decades. Be that as it may, I got “The Essential”. At the same time I bought the recently reviewed “Ye Shall Know The Truth” which also contains texts of Schuon. Both books combined was a bit ‘Schuon overkill’.

Some authors, including the editor of the present title, are of the opinion that Schuon coming after René Guénon, not only follows the latter, but even completes him. Guénon was more of a rationalist, Schuon more of a ‘mystic’ which is the more ‘logical’ approach to Traditionalism.

Actually I find Schuon harder to read than Guénon. I suppose I am more ‘rationalist’ then. “The Essential” is -after a lengthy introduction’ divided in nine parts each contains a few texts. Some have been made available in English for the first time, others can be found at other places. You can read Schuon on subjects such as religion, certain religions, mysticism, metaphysics, spirituality and of course the modern world. I often find him hard to follow. Personally I do not find this compendium an invitation to dive deeper into things with Schuon.

Some of the texts are interesting, but overall, I think I prefer the writings of other Traditionalists.

2005 World Wisdom, isbn 0941532925

Ye Shall Know the Truth: Christianity and the Perennial Philosophy – Mateus Soares de Azevedo (editor) (2005)

A Traditionalist book about Christianity is not too common. I am also reading a book with texts of Frithjof Schuon and Schuon is also featured quite a bit in this book, so that was perhaps a bit Schuon overkill. An amusing text in both books -though- is a text about how some forms of Protestantism -in the eyes of Schuon- are still a valid Tradition.

There are texts of authors that I know, such as James Cutsinger, Titus Burckhardt, Martin Lings Ananda Coomarasway, Rama Coomaraswamy and René Guénon, but also authors unknown to me.

The book is divided in the sections “foundations”, “spirituality”, “sacred art”, “comparative religion”, “the universality of Christian mystics” and “the modern deviation”.

With such a big variety of authors and subjects it is not that strange that not all essays equally appealed to me. A nice surprise was the text of the Hesychast “Bisschop Kallistos Ware” which brings a lot of nuance to the relatively Jesus Prayer (mantra) of the Hesychasm. I also enjoyed “The Christians in Moorish Spain” by Duncan Townson.

A compendium with a wide approach. An enjoyable read.

2005 World Wisdom, isbn 0941532690