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Originally writtenby Dr. Monett in Mysticism in the 21st Century
Adapted and translated in Romanian for Occult-Study by Florin Baciu from Flacăra Neagră
Translated from Romanian to English by F.v.F. from beginning to “Beliefs and practices of the Ona”
Transribed from “Beliefs and practices of the ONA” to the end from Mysticism in the 21st Century
At a close inspection, the Order of Nine Angles (O.N.A.) is a fascinating mixture of hermetism and antinomian spirituality with pagan elements. Having its roots in a few British covens who disappeared in the meantime, ONA has grown in size in a way that the member cells can be found on all continents and have a considerable presence in the occult area of the internet. And although the beliefs, principles and practices are reminiscent of the dark medieval and even preroman cults, ONA today embraces contemporary technology in spreading its philosophy. Having the fundamental ideas of pathei-mathos (‘searching through adversity’), ONA is unique due to the fact that it offers aggressive and elitist spirituality, which pushes its members to find and surpass their mental, physical and psychical limits in search of spiritual ascension. Simultaneously with the very tough challenges of mental and athletic order, ONA also recognizes a pantheon of ‘dark gods’, together with an esoteric system meant to introduce the initiate to the acausal or the supernatural world of the mystic. Indeed, if the ONA mysticism is transgressive, the same applies to its politics, because the Order challenges its members to exceed not only their personal limitations, but also the social and ethical ones. In fact, in some texts ONA defines itself as a tough path of social, criminal and supernatural conditioning which is necessary to break the chains of the cultural and political conditioning of its members. And although it promotes rebellion against authority, ONA also has a sense of honor and solidarity from the mystics who follow this dark path.
THE ORIGINS OF O.N.A.
The founder, Anton Long, is a mystery to many of the members in the movement, but also to the scholars. While some individuals were identified as possible candidates, the real identity of Anton Long remains a mystery. Long affirms in his biographical notes that he was born as a British citizen, who in his youth had traveled a lot in many places such as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Most probably, as it results from his last writings, he met a large spectrum of mystical and folkloric traditions in all these areas which he visited. At his return to England, the young man followed academic studies (physics but also history of religions) and it seems he became fluent in classical languages (Greek, Latin) but also in Arabic and possibly Persian. However, as a student Long was attracted to the darker elements of society and through his own will he got involved in criminal activities. At the same time, probably because of the experiences from over the ocean, Long began his studies in the occult and paranormal.
ANTON LONG
(Source)
After he discovered some occult societies in Britain, which he considered to be either too pretentious or lacking in substance, he began searching for groups which were more suitable to his personal understanding of what an occult society should be like. Notable among them was a Satanic group from Manchester known as “The Orthodox Temple of the Prince”, as well as the “Temple of the Sun”, in which later he had a leading role. A bit later, his efforts brought him in contact with an underground pagan traditional, both matriarchal and sinister in character, referred to him as the Camlad tradition. Long was initiated in the Camlad tradition and eventually became the head of this tradition. Under his supervision at the beginning of the 1970’s, the Camlad coven united with several other similar societies (Noctulians and Temple of the Sun), reforming under the name Order of the Nine Angles (O.N.A. or O.9.A.). Although there is little known about the three separate groups that became the Order, it is known that they had all had in common a synthesis of various elements: hermetic, pagan and satanic. The order evidently used all these three elements in the first writings with the goal of attracting a large spectrum of potential members. Even so, a critical examination of the basic texts of the ONA suggests that the first satanic nuances were rather cosmetical and the basic mythology and cosmology were truly hermetic, with pagan and antinomian influences. From the 1970’s to the end of the 1990’s, the Order went through a fast growing period, mainly through the promotion in the written mass-media connected to the mystical and the occult. Meanwhile, Long developed and refined the basic principles of the ONA, together with its myths, structure and strategic goals and ways of action.
While ONA does not have, by defition, a clear leader, Anton Long continued to be the moving force behind the Order and the main author of the majority of the Order’s texts. Possessing a exquisite intellect and being and encyclopedic person, his works include not only the public mystical teachings of the Order, but also some thousands of pages about ethics, honor and few novels of “sinister fiction”. Although Long writes only in english, it is clear that he draws his inspiration not only from British sources, but also international sources; his texts also include passages from old Greek, as well as spiritual terms from Sanskrit or Arabic.
In spite of his role in the Order on the course of the last three decades, in March 2012 Anton Long announced his retirement from public life, saying that ONA is well positioned to advance in the 21st century with new hands on the handle. However, recent updates of the official ONA websites suggest that Long remains active, although in a rather retreated manner compared to the previous years.
STRUCTURE AND DEMOGRAPHIC DATA
While ONA’s origins are rooted mostly in British paganism, since then until now it has extended, becoming a global entity, with “nexions” (cells) or associated groups in America, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Spain and South Africa. The majority of traditional nexions are located in the British isles, Ireland and Germany, and the original cell, known as “Nexion Zero” este mostly located in Shropshire, England. ONA’s nature makes the gathering of data difficult because the movement is discreet by definition. Even more, ONA carefully avoided a central administration with concrete information about its members, preferring instead to operate as a network or as a “kollective” of nexions. Also, ONA does not ask its members any payments of taxes or to register locally or centrally. There is no member card, no admittance requirements – it is not a lodge or a structured temple, but rather a movement, a subculture or metaculture that its adherents prefer to embody or to identify with it. But ONA is not completely anonymous, since it has a powerful presence in the virtual world. A simple search on Google shows how far of rural England it has evolved, from a small group of pagans and hidden hermetics to a global community.
Even more, the Order offers multiple examples of what its “members” can be. At the beginning of 2012, Anton Long affirmed that there are:
- People associated with traditional nexions (who follow the initiatory path called The Seven Fold Way)
- Niners / Dreccs
- Balobians and usually musicians or artists
- Members of gangs/clans/tributes inspired by their ethos such as a motorcycle band from Florida or a Hispanic group from New York
- Mystics who follow the Rounwytha tradition, working and living in the wilderness or are part of small groups (usually consisting only of women)
- Associated people with occult groups inspired by ONA
By the Seven Fold Way, Long refers to a sinister hermetic tradition originally from ONA; through Niners he refers to a modern type of ethnic culture or street culture that support ONA through rather practical ways than esoteric; by Balobians ONA refers to artists and musicians who contribute to the movement through the “Belle Arts”; by Rounwytha it is understood a rare group of individuals similar to mystics or those with special physic powers.
The last category (groups inspired by ONA) is rather difficult to describe since the esoteric vocabulary specific to the Order got to be taken on by many other groups which are or are not conscious of their connection to ONA, which through their texts demonstrate clear influences, the most prominent example being “Temple of Blood” from the U.S.A.
Mystic practices with crystal spheres
Having a large spectrum of possibilities, the Order does not use the term “member”, but rather prefers to use the term “associate” since it better represents the affiliation that an individual, nexion or group can have with the Order.
Considering the complexities, trying to determine who is a “member” of the Order, it is possible that in 2013 the number got a little over 2000 associates of the Order, this permitting a larger definition of who “belongs” to ONA. In terms of active members in nexions, the order estimates that at the moment over 300 members have been identified as being part of the primary nexions. Furthermore, the Order’s websites and the reports done by the leaders suggest that the report between the genres is split equally, though it varies from a region to another. In the United Kingdom for example, it is said that the traditional nexions have continued the tradition of matriarchal leadership; some of the original nexions from the 1970’s being formed exclusively by women. These examples shouldn’t be understood as being strict, but the semiofficial position of the Order.
GENERAL VIEW ON THE LEADERS
Ever since its beginnings, ONA has rejected the idea of a central organization (church, lodge or temple) that would have authority over the rest of the members. Partially, this is also a mechanism of survival, because there is no primary authoritary figure through which the movement lives or dies. Thus, although Anton Long is credited with the creation of the Order, it is widely understood that Long himself is a figure of an unknown founder. Even more, it is possible that “Anton Long” to have served as a mask for multiple individuals for the last decades and thus he can continue to appear in the future to offer guidance to the Order if necessary. Anton Long helps with the validation of the currants and ideas of the ONA, offering advice and suggestions to the collective, but he never dictates or gives orders. The diffuse nature of ONA is also an impossible embezzlement, for there is no chair or central position for an individual to occupy. Thus, a schism (as many occult societies suffer) is theoretically impossible, because a person can only lead a single nexion at most, but never the entire Order.
BELIEFS AND PRACTICES OF THE O.N.A.
Order of the Nine Angles has five fundamental principles, being:
- 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 convensions (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.
- The Way of Culling. The most controversial of the ONA’s principles, this tenet has two sides. On 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 refer to blood sacrifice to 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 society.
- 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 these disputes are allowed to be conducted. In simple language, the ONA protects its own.
- The Way of Defiance of and Practical Opposition to Magian Abstractions. This principle refer 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.
- 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 Rounwytha tradition encourages the development of strong female leaders, as well as challenging the patriarchal norms that are often indicative of esoteric or religio-political groups. The term itself is almost certainly derived from Old English riinwita, meaning ‘one who understands’ or perhaps ‘one who knows secrets‘.
THE SEVEN-FOLD WAY
The spiritual paradigm of the Order of Nine Angles is complex, being both syncretic and constantly 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 sinister 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 esoterism. While the Order is very diverse in terms of the type of practitioners it attracts, the core mystical tradition of the ONA is the Seven Fold Way, also known as Hebdomadry. The Seven Fold way is essentially a hermetic system that defines itself as being deeply rooted in Western occultism, and provides a path to ascension that is exceptionally 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
(7) Immortal
Yet unlike other degree-based systems, the ONA does not offer initiation to its student; 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 (Neophyte). 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. Grade 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 5th 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 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.
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 lte 1990s and early 21st century, new insight roles introduced through ONA MS. Hostia 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.
CAUSAL & ACAUSAL 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 understood to be a source of great 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.
“Banais” from the Sinister Tarot
Yet equally important is the ONA’s suggestion of an afterlife in the acausal, for those who can attain it. Anton Long writes, in the manuscript ‘Sinister Abyssal Nexion’ for example, that ‘the individual can, if prepared, enter the realm of acausality and become familiar – sans a self – with acausal entities. Thus, The Abyss is a nexion to the acausal; a nexus of temporal, a-temporal, and spatial and a-spatial, dimensions.’ Thus an important part of the advanced work of the Seven Fold Way is the coming-to-know the acausal realm, in preparation for one’s potential existence there beyond physical death – and thus likely the naming of the final stage of the Seven Fold Way: ‘Immortal’.
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. 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’ (2011) 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…’
DARK GODS
(Sigil of Atazoth)
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”.’
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. 31 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 srivatsa, a special mark with nine angles that indicates supernatural or heroic characteristics.
ESOTERIC TEXTS OF THE O.N.A.
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 Fold 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 texts, 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 its own 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 Ghajat l-Hakim (later known as the Latin Picatrix), as well as Shams f-Maanf. The reliance on plane tary 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.
(Star Game)
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 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 antinomian 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.
One other publication which deserves mention is Fenrir, the official journal of the ON A. Traditionally, Fenrir has served as a vehicle through which Anton Long and the Old Guard have been able to share certain insights and objectives in writing. As the ONA has become increasingly present in cyberspace, consequently in recent years only a handful of issues have been printed. Yet in 2013, two issues were published within the same six months, indicating perhaps a movement away from online forums and a return to the printed word as a preferred means of textual communication.
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 can be considered one of the most prominent Left Hand Path groups by virtue of its public presence, evidenced (e.g.) by its inclusion as a signature antagonist in the Nightingale novel series by bestselling British author Stephen Leather.
Given the non-hierarchical structure of the ONA, it is difficult to directly 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 ONA must take into consideration the views of the public 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. 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 Drectian urban tribes who put the sinister mythos into concrete action.
THE FUTURE VISION OF THE O.N.A.
Past, Present, Future: On the one hand, the ONA very much looks to the future and makes use of modern communications technologies – but simultaneously it prizes the concept of hereditary and ancient tradition transmitted on a personal basis. The ONA states: ‘ONA as a kind of ancestral pathei-mathos handed on person to person in the real world (not in cyberspace), and the individual quest for lapis philosophicus, of what is found in ‘the abyss’ after having followed what is ‘the ONA way’. 46 Even as Anton Long has retired and many of the earlier ONA internet sites and blogs have been deleted, the Order has established new sites that continue to promote the authentic tradition of the Inner ONA, especially those traditions relating to the Rounwytha and ancestral tradition. Yet the writings of the Order in cyber-space are in some sense a fail-safe, and not a replacement for person-to-person learning, let alone direct experience.
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 Eurocentric roots, but the overall tone of the Orders’ latest publications sound a somewhat different tone (culturally and linguistically) than those of the 1980s and 1990s. Indeed, the ONA of today appears to include spiritual vocabulary of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, perhaps in an effort to expand its potential market beyond the ‘regular’ dark or gothic subcultures of the Americans and Europe. Further, while the Order’s members do continue to employ the term ‘satanic’ as a self-reference, it is an image that the ONA appears to have outgrown during the early 21st century. A renewed focus on hermeticism and the hermetic corpus is articulated in the recent 2014 essays of the Order, and it is likely that this particular aspect of the ONA’s heritage will be the dominant feature for which it is known in the coming decade. Thus while the ONA is likely continue to grow and diversify, it will do so with a serious sense of its traditions rooted in blood and soil. These are interesting times for the ONA, and its senior membership acknowledges that from their unique point of view, the future of the Order looks bright indeed.
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