On Neo-Paganism

Letters from O'Brien #58

Dear Mr Smith,

I have never doubted a man’s capacity and willingness to fight and die (metaphorically) on a hill of lies to justify his own internal desires (having buried what he once knew, and possibly still does, to be the truth, in a place where it no longer rouses his conscience). It is self-evident there are those who yield to absolute truth, and then there are those who choose to pick a subjective form of ‘truth’ to justify their internal dispositions. Conditions I’m sure all have experienced to some extent, but there are some who have more fully given themselves over to a deception – or at least a philosophical negation of what they once held true.

As I look across what is often presented as the ‘dissident right’, I am constantly inundated with neo-pagan rhetoric. Whether it be essays about Germanys need to return to pre-Christianised paganism, or a video highlighting the ‘esoteric truths’ about Hermeticism and Gnosticism, it seems to me to be all the same noise; a distraction. Having departed from Godly foundations, and without any unifying beliefs, the re-emergence of neo-paganism in right wing circles clearly seems to be on the rise and bringing many people into a disoriented worldview – void of clear solutions and actions. So, what of it? Mr Smith, I feel I must write this letter - hopefully keeping it brief - to address a lot of what I see as the neo-paganism emerging on the right.

I can appreciate the historical value of understanding these old belief systems but have no desire to see them return to our Western lives. They certainly failed to elevate Europe, and for the most part they changed constantly with the ebb and flow of wars, invasions, changes of people groups, etc. People love to talk about the greatness of Rome, but what allowed Rome to expand with such incredibly efficiency? It was a change in political strategy - direct leadership rather than dissipated governance - not their religion. In fact, if anything, I would say their religious practices may have been counterproductive during their Imperial period, but I digress.

CHRISTIANITY AS DECEPTION

So where to begin? Well, one of the oldest criticisms I have heard pagans make is that Christianity is merely a ‘Jewish psyop’, hundreds of years in the making. The claims vary on specifics, but many of these pagans on the ‘neoreactionary right’ are united about this myth. They will say that Christians act for the benefit of the Jews, and that it is a religion of Jew-worship. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, faith in Christ and the worship of Jesus is decidedly abhorred by religious Jews. The animosity between religious Jews and the Christian church started when Jesus stepped out to proclaim and demonstrate the good news – the Messiah had arrived – and has continued in one form or another ever since. But the religious Jews rejected their own Messiah, and Jesus declared that they were sons of Satan, a brood of vipers, and other such things that would suggest they were not on the same team! The ‘sons of Abraham’ that God wanted to gather together as His people were people of faith, not ethnic Jews who obeyed the Law.

And this whole idea that Christians are under some form of ‘Jewish Talmudic control’ can only be made through a contemporary lens. The Evangelical pro-Israel worldview emerged no more than 120 years ago, thanks in large part to the Scofield Reference Bible. Likewise, the ‘positive’ view on religious Talmudic Judaism only dates to the Reformation. Yet for 1500 years before this, the only real opposition to these Talmudic ideas was the Church. The Catholic Church, having called out Talmudic heresy, has been characterised by some Talmudic religious scholars and intellectuals as ‘Edom’ or ‘Amalek’ (that is to say, an arch enemy).

Esoteric belief systems never posed a threat to Talmudic doctrine. Indeed, many neo-pagan, gnostic, and hermetic religions - including the ancient mystery religions from Greece and Egypt - are literally ‘understood’ today through a Kabbalistic lens. Many of the top Israeli-associated ‘right wingers’ today (who some are beginning to believe may be foreign agents) literally promote paganism and gnosticism, yet obfuscate from Christianity and it’s tenants at any cost. Look no further than Bronze Age Pervert (‘Costin Alamariu’), Curtis Yarvin, Nick Land, and many of the other acts associated with the rather-suspicious Passage Publishing. But sure, tell us about how paganism is a rebellious countercultural force that will save the west.

This is all very ironic, because these same people claiming that Christianity emerged because of Jewish subterfuge will also stick by the antiquity philosophers, claiming that the real heroes of the west are Plato, Aristotle, and their contemporaries with their so called ‘universal principles’. This obsession with the Ancient Greeks was - ironically - largely a Jewish concept, popularised in the Middle Ages by Kabbalists and Hermeticists, and propagated into the 20^th century by Leo Strauss and company. Their goal? Leo Strauss wanted to de-emphasise the role of Christianity in building the Western world.

This whole ‘Jewish subterfuge’ argument is purely ridiculous and evidently false. Christianity remains the most demonised religion by many Talmudists. It is the object of scorn and always the main target of subterfuge, suggesting that it was never controlled to begin with, but truly an independent belief system on its own path. A terribly dangerous thing if you’re an antichrist globalist. No wonder so much time and money has been invested in subverting Christianity.

WHO IS WHO

For believers, and especially those who have experienced persecution, Christianity is a tangible reality. For the 21^st century neo-pagan intellectual, his ‘reality’ seems purely abstract. Is it a fermentation of the neo-pagan’s own displeasure at the state of the world, and his own sense of repressed historicism? None of these people are actively partaking in human sacrifices, war rituals, and whatever else would be the outward expression of paganism. Most of them merely claim the status of ‘pagan’ because they view it as a ‘based and blackpilled’ blood-and-soil ideology. This is ridiculous. Where were your pagan heroes when they were needed? Even Hitler - whom many of these neo-pagans more or less have an affinity for - said that pagans, who “rave about old Germanic heroism, about dim prehistory” are “in reality the greatest cowards that can be imagined”.

I would go so far as to say that these neo-pagans do not actually believe their own claims.  Who amongst them is honestly willing to suffer, struggle, and die - in reality, not metaphorically - for their ‘faith’? Yes, they will claim their willingness, as they sit on their computers, but when struggle comes their way they flee, renounce their beliefs, and disappear. It is true that long ago, Europeans did legitimately believe in their respective pagan doctrines, but after the arrival of Christianity this faith faded away.  This is why paganism essentially disappeared for hundreds of years, seeing only occasional re-emergences. The most recent re-emergence - I would say - took place in the mid 19^th century. Helena Blavatsky and later Alison Bailey popularised these esoteric doctrines, which combined Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, and Hermetic ideas into a new form of paganism. All the so-called ‘based and blackpilled truths’ - like Hyperborea, root races, Lemuria, the ‘secret cube storm on the pole of Saturn’, and so forth - come from this modernised interpretation of classical paganism. Go back to pre-Christianised Germania and ask a farmer about Agartha in the centre of the earth and they wouldn’t have a clue what you are talking about. Their primary concern - if they believed - was appeasing the gods so as stay alive, have kids, get a good crop, etc. On a side note, of course there are hidden truths associated with these esoteric ideas, but that is beyond the point; constructing belief systems out of these largely vague mystical ideas will not work, nor are they strongly connected historically.

Now on the point of Blavatsky; a consistent criticism I have heard over the years from neo-pagans is that Christianity is a ‘feminine religion’, yet visit a pagan festival (as I have done) and you will find an overwhelming majority of the attendees are female. This is true with most esoteric religions which place emphasis on the self and inner healing, since it plays into a female’s fallen nature. Ever been into a crystal shop? It is practically all women. For this reason, some of the men in these pagan systems ironically hold feminist-adjacent views. Up until the 20^th century, Christianity stood against these destructive feminine concepts.

To take things a step further, many of those I have seen over the years promoting these rather radical pagan worldviews are evidently sheltered intellectuals. They are not warriors. They are not survivors. They are intellectuals in ivory towers (or bedrooms), without the blood and soil experiences they rave about (sorry buddy but computer games don’t count). Many of these people, including some I have talked to, are nihilistic in outlook, some of whom view the world as nothing more than a soul-prison. Many also rage against Christianity, not out of a fervent defence of truth, but out of some disturbed manifestation of inward anger and self-justification. It’s both disturbing and fascinating to be on the receiving end of their rage. Again, many metaphorically die on a hill of lies.

Much of neo-paganism is therefor - without true faith or practice - a religion of man. (When there is true faith and practice, I’d say it’s a religion of Satan). It could be a projection of personal discontent manifested in a self-proclaimed religion, albeit dressed up as highly intellectual philosophy. In the long run, due to its lack of consistency, discipline, and long-suffering, it will fail and disappear, as it has time and time again, only to be perhaps resurrected and ‘reinterpreted’ in the future for another ignorant generation.

Christianity - when interpreted from the scriptures (not some Jewish propaganda) - is an eternal truth. That’s why it has survived, even in the harshest of circumstances. Paganism died off when put to the test, yet despite being persecuted far more harshly, and for far longer, Christianity never died off. Even today, Christianity sees the most rapid growth in regions of persecution. There is something spiritual and ‘esoteric’ about this.

Now perhaps this letter has come across as harsh, but I am convinced that the neo-pagan obsession leads nowhere. Christianity built the west. Greece fell, Rome fell, and eventually both - despite their impressive records - yielded before Christ. Only under the banner of the Church was Europe united for the first and only time (the early crusades) and only under the authority of Christianity did it use this unity to develop concepts which eventually led to the development of the west.

I would have liked to go into more detail, but for the sake of time I will keep this letter short. On a final note, it’s amazing how people will ‘rage against God’ across the political spectrum and ideological allegiances. And equally amazing how many will subscribe to a belief system that they themselves would not fully embrace as a fundamentalist. Sadly, these people will highlight the ills of the world, but deny the truth, rather adopting a stance that turns them away from the light. More rage will come – from the sophisticated prose of the so-called philosopher to the stabbings on the streets – all blind leading the blind.

Sincerely yours,

O’Brien