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No idea is as absurd as the idea of progress, which together with
its corollary notion of the superiority of modern civilization, has
created its own "positive" alibis by falsifying history, by
insinuating harmful myths in people's minds, and by proclaiming
itself sovereign at the crossroads of the plebeian ideology from
which it originated. In order to understand both the spirit of
Tradition and its antithesis, modern civilization, it is necessary
to begin with the fundamental doctrine of the two natures.
According to this doctrine there is a physical order of things and
a metaphysical one; there is a mortal nature and an immortal one;
there is the superior realm of "being" and the inferior realm of
"becoming." Generally speaking, there is a visible and tangible
dimension and, prior to and beyond it, an invisible and intangible
dimension that is the support, the source, and the true life of the
former.--from chapter one. With unflinching gaze and uncompromising
intensity Julius Evola analyzes the spiritual and cultural malaise
at the heart of Western civilization and all that passes for
progress in the modern world. As a gadfly, Evola spares no one and
nothing in his survey of what we have lost and where we are headed.
At turns prophetic and provocative, Revolt against the Modern
Worldoutlines a profound metaphysics of history and demonstrates
how and why we have lost contact with the transcendent dimension of
being. The revolt advocated by Evola does not resemble the familiar
protests of either liberals or conservatives. His criticisms are
not limited to exposing the mindless nature of consumerism, the
march of progress, the rise of technocracy, or the dominance of
unalloyed individualism, although these and other subjects come
under his scrutiny. Rather, he attempts to trace in space and time
the remote causes and processes that have exercised corrosive
influence on what he considers to be the higher values, ideals,
beliefs, and codes of conduct--the world of Tradition--that are at
the foundation of Western civilization and described in the myths
and sacred literature of the Indo?Europeans. Agreeing with the
Hindu philosophers that history is the movement of huge cycles and
that we are now in the Kali Yuga, the age of dissolution and
decadence, Evola finds revolt to be the only logical response for
those who oppose the materialism and ritualized meaninglessness of
life in the twentieth century. Through a sweeping study of the
structures, myths, beliefs, and spiritual traditions of the major
Western civilizations, the author compares the characteristics of
the modern world with those of traditional societies. The domains
explored include politics, law, the rise and fall of empires, the
history of the Church, the doctrine of the two natures, life and
death, social institutions and the caste system, the limits of
racial theories, capitalism and communism, relations between the
sexes, and the meaning of warriorhood. At every turn Evola
challenges the reader's most cherished assumptions about
fundamental aspects of modern life. A controversial scholar,
philosopher, and social thinker, JULIUS EVOLA (1898-1974) has only
recently become known to more than a handful of English?speaking
readers. An authority on the world's esoteric traditions, Evola
wrote extensively on ancient civilizations and the world of
Tradition in both East and West. Other books by Evola published by
Inner Traditions include Eros and the Mysteries of Love, The Yoga
of Power, The Hermetic Tradition, and The Doctrine of Awakening.
All three volumes of the occult classic available together as a
deluxe boxed set for the first time. In 1927 Julius Evola and other
leading Italian esotericists formed the mysterious UR group. The
purpose of this group was to study and practice ancient rituals
from the mystery traditions of the world, both East and West, in
order to attain a state of superhuman consciousness and power to
allow them to act magically on the world. They produced a monthly
journal containing techniques for spiritual realization, accounts
of personal experiences, translations of ancient texts, and
original essays on the occult. Many years later, in 1971, Evola
gathered these essays into three volumes. Volume I collects rites,
practices, and magical knowledge, including instructions for
creating an etheric double, speaking words of power, using
fragrances, interacting with entities, and creating a “magical
chain.” It also includes translations of rare texts such as the
Tibetan teachings of the Thunderbolt Diamond Path, the Mithraic
mystery cult’s “Grand Papyrus of Paris,” and the
Greco-Egyptian magical text De Mysteriis. Volume II shares
authentic initiatic wisdom and a rigorous selection of initiatory
exercises, including instructions for creating the diaphanous body
of the Opus magicum, and establishing initiatic consciousness after
death. It also offers studies of mystery traditions throughout
history. Volume III, more than the others, bears the personal stamp
of Julius Evola. It explores esoteric practices for individual
development, handed down from a primordial tradition and
discernable in alchemy, Hermetism, religious doctrines, Tantra,
Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and the pagan mysteries of the West.
Available together as a deluxe boxed set for the first time in
English, these volumes present the steps necessary to purify the
soul with the light of knowledge and the fire of dedication, as
well as allowing the reader to be liberated from conventional
dogmas—religious, political, scientific, and psychological—and
see with the clearer eye of realisation.
A bold critique of the spiritual schools, philosophies, and
mystical teachers of the 20th century * Examines newer spiritual
"systems" of the modern era, from spiritism and theosophy, to
parapsychic research and anthroposophism, to psychoanalysis and the
Church of Satan * Compares these newer spiritual "systems" to the
traditional spiritual path of the ancients and exposes the
misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and occult dangers lurking
in their practices * Also examines important modern figures such as
Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, Dostoevsky, Freud,
Jung, Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Anton LaVey Written two years
before his most prominent book Revolt Against the Modern World,
Julius Evola's The Fall of Spirituality was originally published in
Italian as Maschera e volto dello spiritualismo contemporaneo (The
Mask and Face of Contemporary Spiritualism). In it, the Baron
critiques the spiritual schools, cults, philosophies, and mystical
teachers of the 20th century--from spiritism and theosophy, to
parapsychic research and anthroposophism, to psychoanalysis and the
Church of Satan--comparing these newer spiritual "systems" to the
traditional spiritual path of the ancients and exposing the
misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and occult dangers lurking
in their practices. Examining important modern figures such as
Nietzsche, Aleister Crowley, Rudolf Steiner, Dostoevsky, Freud,
Jung, Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti, and Anton LaVey, the author contends
that their aspirations to power are limited to a focus on concerns
of the mundane world. They are thereby blind to the existence of a
supernatural reality that offers individuals transmutation from the
fallen human personality into a semigod-like status--a status
attainable only by those who can master the rigors demanded of
initiates on the traditionalist path. Offering an essential
guidebook for serious spiritual seekers looking for a more profound
metaphysical discipline than those of the spiritual schools of the
modern era, Evola also provides contrasting insights from the
age-old path of initiation and high magic.
The rites, practices, and texts collected by the mysterious UR
group for the use of aspiring mages.
- Rare Hermetic texts published in English for the first
time.
- Includes instructions for developing psychic and magical
powers.
In 1927 Julius Evola and other leading Italian intellectuals
formed the mysterious UR group. Their goal: to bring their
individual egos into a state of superhuman power and awareness in
which they could act "magically" on the world. Their methods: the
practice of ancient Tantric and Buddhist rituals and the study of
rare Hermetic texts. So successful were they that rumors spread
throughout Italy of the group's power, and Mussolini himself became
quite fearful of them. Now for the first time in English
"Introduction to Magic" collects the rites, practices, and
knowledge of the UR group for the use of aspiring mages.
Included in "Introduction to Magic" are instructions for
creating an etheric double, speaking words of power, using
fragrances, interacting with entities, and creating a "magical
chain." Among the arcane texts translated are the Tibetan teachings
of the Thunderbolt Diamond Path, the Mithraic mystery cult's "Grand
Papyrus of Paris," and the Greco-Egyptian magical text "De
Mysteriis," Anyone who has exhausted the possibilities of the
mundane world and is ready to take the steps necessary to purify
the soul in the light of knowledge and the fire of dedication will
find a number of expert mentors here.
Authentic initiatic practices, rituals, and wisdom collected by the
UR Group * Explores esoteric practices for individual development,
handed down from a primordial tradition and discernable in alchemy,
Hermetism, religious doctrines, Tantra, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta,
and the pagan mysteries of the West * Reveals the ultimate magical
goal of the "Absolute Individual," the immortal and divine
potential that requires rare gifts and extraordinary efforts for
its realization This volume, the third in the series, complements
the first two, yet they are not strictly sequential, and their
contents can be read in any order. Volume III, more than the
others, bears the personal stamp of Julius Evola. In its pages
you'll discover that the "magic" of the UR Group has nothing to do
with sorcery or superstition. It was their term for an active and
affirmative attitude toward individual development handed down from
a "primordial tradition" and discernible in alchemy, Hermetism,
esoteric religious doctrines, indigenous practices, Tantra, Taoism,
Buddhism, Vedanta, and the pagan mysteries of the West. Its goal
was the "Absolute Individual," the immortal and divine potential
that requires rare gifts and extraordinary efforts for its
realization. However, there is incalculable value in this volume
even for the less heroic. By studying the practices and
realizations within, the reader will be liberated from conventional
dogmas--religious, political, scientific, and psychological--and
see with the clearer eye of realization.
In this important study of the meaning of the Grail, one of
Europe's greatest esoteric philosophers discloses the pre-Christian
and initiatic sources of this symbolic motif that is so central to
Western mythology and culture. He demonstrates how the main
features of the legend are from an older tradition analogous to the
great heroic sagas and cycles of the North, and that the Grail
itself is a symbol of initiation. Evola uncovers the hidden meaning
in the often surreal adventures of the knights who searched for the
Grail, interpreting them as inner experiences and tests for the
seeker. He also explores the history of the myth in the Middle
Ages, its use by the Knights Templar and the Cathars, its legacy
during the decline of the Holy Roman Empire, and its links with
Rosicrucianism, alchemy, and Masonry.
This excursion into the realm of the Grail throws new light on an
endlessly fascinating subject.
Julius Evola's masterful overview of the political and social
manifestations of our time, the "age of decline" known to the
Hindus as the Kali Yuga.
- Reveals the occult war that underlies the crises that have
become a prevailing feature of modern life.
- Includes H. T. Hansen's definitive essay on Evola's political
life and theory.
Men Among the Ruins is Evola's frontal assault on the
predominant materialism of our time and the mirage of progress. For
Evola and other proponents of Traditionalism, we are now living in
an age of increasing strife and chaos: the Kali Yuga of the Hindus
or the Germanic Ragnarok. In such a time, social decadence is so
widespread that it appears as a natural component of all political
institutions. Evola argues that the crises that dominate the daily
lives of our societies are part of a secret occult war to remove
the support of spiritual and traditional values in order to turn
man into a passive instrument of the powerful.
Evola is often regarded as the godfather of contemporary Italian
fascism and right-wing radical politics, but attentive examination
of the historical record--as provided by H. T. Hanson's definitive
introduction--reveals Evola to be a much more complex figure.
Though he held extreme right-wing views, he was a fearless critic
of the Fascist regime and preferred a caste system based on
spirituality and intellect to the biological racism championed by
the Nazis. Ultimately, he viewed the forces of history as comprised
by two factions: "history's demolition squad" enslaved by blind
faith in the future and those individuals whose watchword is
Tradition. These latter stand in this world of ruins at a higher
level and are capable ofletting go of what needs to be abandoned in
order that what is truly essential not be compromised.
In a probing analysis of the oldest Buddhist texts, Julius Evola
places the doctrine of liberation in its original context. The
early teachings, he suggests, offer the foremost example of an
active spirituality that is opposed to the more passive, modern
forms of theistic religions. This sophisticated, highly readable
analysis of the theory and practice of Buddhist asceticism, first
published in Italian in 1943, elucidates the central truths of the
eightfold path and clears away the later accretions of Buddhist
doctrine. Evola describes the techniques for conscious liberation
from the world of maya and for achieving the state of transcendence
beyond dualistic thinking. Most surprisingly, he argues that the
widespread belief in reincarnation is not an original Buddhist
tenet. Evola presents actual practices of concentration and
visualization, and places them in the larger metaphysical context
of the Buddhist model of mind and universe.
"The Doctrine of the Awakening" is a provocative study of the
teachings of the Buddha by one of Europe's most stimulating
thinkers.
A comprehensive work on the metaphysical aspects of sexuality.
Julius Evola sheds new light on the mystical and spiritual
expression of sexual love. This in-depth study explores the sexual
rites of sacred traditions, and shows how religion, mysticism,
folklore, and mythology all contain erotic forms in which the deep
potentialities of human beings are recognized.
Drawing from original texts on self-mastery, Evola discusses two
Hindu movements--Tantrism and Shaktism--which emphasize a path of
action to gain power over energies latent within the body.
This important survey of alchemical symbols and doctrines sets
forth the mysterious worldview and teachings of the practitioners
of the "royal art." One of the leading exponents of the Hermetic
tradition, Julius Evola demonstrates the singularity of subject
matter that lies behind the words of all adepts in all ages,
showing how alchemy--often misunderstood as primitive chemistry or
a mere template for the Jungian process of "individuation"--is
nothing less than a universal secret science of human and natural
transformation.
First published in 1931 in Italian. This is the first English
translation.
Draws from a host of sources in the Western esoteric
tradition--works on theurgy, magic, and gnosticism from
neoplatonic, Arab, and medieval sources.
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