Title: The Misunderstanding of Racist Neo-Paganism Tags: #Evola #Traditionalism #NeoPaganism #Racism #ChristianApologetics #AryanCivilization #SpiritualHierarchy #Symbolism #Initiation #Metaphysics

1. Misconstruction of Paganism by Christian Apologetics: The term “paganism” was constructed by early Christian apologetics as a derogatory label to discredit pre-Christian traditions, focusing on their decadent aspects rather than their original, sacred forms.
2. Neo-Paganism’s Paradox: Modern neo-pagan and racist movements often adopt this distorted view of paganism, perpetuating a false narrative that aligns with Christian polemics rather than the true essence of pre-Christian traditions.
3. Naturalism Misinterpreted: Contrary to the Christian portrayal, the Aryan and pre-Christian worldview was not naturalistic but symbolic-sacral, seeing nature as a manifestation of a higher, supra-sensitive reality.
4. Symbolic Understanding of Blood and Race: Ancient traditions understood blood and race not in a biological or superstitious sense but as carriers of supra-biological, spiritual elements, reflecting a deeper metaphysical knowledge.
5. Initiation and Mysteries: Pre-Christian civilizations, particularly Aryan ones, emphasized initiation and mysteries as paths to spiritual liberation and the reconquest of a primordial, Hyperborean state of being.
6. Healthy Dualism: The pagan worldview embraced a dualism that subordinated nature to a higher spiritual order, rejecting the notion of a purely naturalistic or deterministic existence.
7. Aspiration to Supernatural Freedom: The Aryan traditions sought metaphysical fulfillment and the realization of personality, transcending the material world through initiation and spiritual discipline.
8. Imperial Vocation and Sacred Hierarchy: The Aryan concept of empire was not merely political but metaphysical, reflecting a sacred hierarchy where the spiritual authority guided the temporal, as seen in Roman and Indo-Aryan traditions.
9. Critique of Neo-Pagan License: The idea of pagan “innocence” or license is a myth; even in primitive societies, life was governed by strict taboos, and the classical ideal was not the cult of the body but the dominance of spirit over matter.
10. Rectification of Historical Distortions: A proper understanding of pre-Christian traditions requires rejecting the polemical distortions of Christian apologetics and recognizing the sacred, hierarchical, and metaphysical dimensions of Aryan civilizations.

THE MISINTERPRETATION OF RACIST NEO-PAGANISM

The term paganus appears in ancient Latin writers, such as Livy, without any specific intent. However, from the rise of Christianity onward, paganus took on a derogatory meaning, used by early Christian apologists for polemical purposes. Derived from pagus (village or township), it came to signify something rustic, primitive, and uncultured. To elevate the new faith, Christian apologetics systematically distorted and denigrated pre-Christian doctrines, cults, and traditions, labeling them collectively as “paganism.”

Thus, “paganism” as constructed by Christian apologetics lacks true correspondence with historical reality, particularly the “normal” forms of pre-Christian, especially Aryan, civilizations. Ironically, many neo-pagan and anti-Christian nationalist and racist movements today base their ideologies on this distorted construct, effectively bringing it to life for the first time in history.

The predominant Christian portrayal of paganism includes several key features:
1. Naturalism: Paganism is depicted as ignoring transcendence, conflating spirit and nature, and divinizing natural phenomena or racial energies.
2. Particularism and Polytheism: It is characterized by earth- and blood-bound polytheism.
3. Absence of Personality and Freedom: Paganism is seen as a state of “innocence” or natural license, devoid of supernatural aspiration.
4. Superstition and Materialism: It is associated with superstition or a purely materialistic, fatalistic worldview.

Christianity, by contrast, is portrayed as introducing supernatural freedom, grace, and personality, along with a universal ideal that subordinates nature to a higher spiritual order.

However, this portrayal is inaccurate and one-sided. The non-Christian, particularly Aryan, world in its normal forms was not defined by superstitious naturalism but by a symbolic-sacral understanding of reality, where the material world reflected a supra-sensory dimension. Far from promoting license, pre-Christian civilizations embraced a healthy dualism, evident in Aryan-Iranian, Doric-Aryan, and Indo-Aryan traditions, which distinguished between the material and the transcendent.

Moreover, the aspiration to supernatural freedom and metaphysical fulfillment was central to pre-Christian Aryan civilizations, as seen in their mystery traditions and initiations. These often aimed at reclaiming a primordial, Hyperborean spirituality. The so-called “cult of the body” in paganism is a myth; even among so-called primitive societies, life was governed by rigid taboos, often stricter than those of organized religions.

Finally, the “pagan” world, particularly in its Aryan manifestations, exhibited a super-particularistic aspiration toward empire, rooted in a metaphysical vision of the state. This is evident in the Aryan-Iranian concept of the “king of kings,” the Indo-Aryan cakravartin, and the sacred aspects of the Roman Empire. Far from promoting statolatry or totalitarianism, these traditions upheld a hierarchical unity of spiritual and temporal authority, reflecting the sacred order of the “solar race.”

In summary, the neo-paganism embraced by extremist racist movements is based on a distorted construct of paganism, one that fails to reflect the true historical and spiritual richness of pre-Christian Aryan civilizations.

Metaphysical part:

The religious perspective can be succinctly defined as centered on the conception of the deity as a person (theism), characterized by an essential, ontological distance between this personal God and humanity, and thus by a transcendence that allows only relations of dependence, devotion, or mystical ecstasy, while maintaining the boundary between the human “I” and the divine “You.” In contrast, initiation is premised on the removal of this boundary, replacing it with the principle of “supreme identity,” which corresponds to a supra-personal conception of the First Principle. Beyond the personal God lies the Unconditioned, a reality superior to both Being and non-Being, transcending any religious representation. In Hindu metaphysics and original Buddhism, for example, personal gods and celestial realms are acknowledged but are considered part of the conditioned realm, with the absolute lying beyond them. Similar conceptions are found in Neoplatonism, which is linked to the Greek Mysteries. This demonstrates the arbitrariness of indiscriminately using the term “religion” when discussing humanity's relation to the supra-human world.

From a practical standpoint, the metaphysical principle of identity shifts the focus from moral and devotional relations to those based on knowledge. The human condition is defined not by ontological distance but by “ignorance” or “oblivion.” This idea is echoed in high mysticism, such as in Meister Eckhart's assertion that man is God but does not know it, paralleling the Hindu concept of avidya (ignorance). Salvation or redemption is thus replaced by awakening, a metaphysical awareness of transcendence. The initiate's realization is characterized by “centrality,” opposing ecstasy with en-stasy, a reconvergence toward the center rather than an outward movement. Mysticism also recognizes the idea that the divine is found within, not outside, oneself.

The distinction between the religious and initiatory horizons is further clarified by the traditional esoteric doctrines, which differentiate between immortality and mere survival. In religious conceptions, the soul is inherently immortal, with its post-death state determined by moral criteria (heaven or hell). In contrast, esoteric doctrines view immortality as uncertain and problematic, with the alternative being survival or non-survival, particularly at the moment of a “second death.” True immortality, as a deconditioning of being, is an exceptional possibility and the aim of high initiation. This concept is evident in ancient Egyptian texts, the Old Testament, Greek traditions, and operative Taoism, where immortality is tied to initiatory conditions. The Tibetan Book of the Dead further elaborates on these ideas, presenting the phenomenology of post-death experiences and emphasizing the realization of the unconditioned over transient forms of existence.

The initiatory perspective also contrasts with exoteric religious views on the naturally immortal soul, often seen as a democratization and degradation of earlier esoteric teachings. For instance, in ancient Greece, the original conception of the “hero” was diluted over time. The Mystery traditions highlight the ontological distinction between initiation and religion, as seen in the Greek scandal over the idea that even a criminal could achieve a privileged post-death destiny through initiation, regardless of moral standing. This “transcendental realism” is reflected in the objective effectiveness of initiatory rites, which operate impersonally and independently of morality, akin to a craft.

The presence of moral precepts in initiatory traditions, such as yoga, does not negate the distinction between religion and initiation. In religion, moral laws are intrinsically imperative, often seen as divine or absolute. In initiation, moral precepts are instrumental, serving as provisional means to create favorable conditions for transformation. This is illustrated by the Buddhist metaphor of the raft: moral precepts are tools to cross a river but are discarded once the goal is achieved. The relativity of moral precepts is evident in their social and transcendent applications, with their value determined by their effectiveness in achieving the initiatory goal. This instrumental approach allows for diverse paths, including the “Left-Hand Path” of Tantra and the “heroic path,” which may reject conventional moral and religious rules while pursuing the same ultimate end as the “Right-Hand Path.” Antinomianism, the rejection of religious norms, is often linked to esotericism and initiation, further underscoring the distinction between religious and initiatory perspectives.