Order of Nine Angles
Introduction
The Order of Nine Angels is a group of Satanists who believe that Satanism is a dark quest to create a new, higher, type of human being, and, ultimately, a new type of human society.
According to the ONA:
"Satanism is understood by its genuine adherents as a particular Occult way or method. That is, it is a specific path or way toward a specific goal, the following of which involves a particular way of living. The specific path, or 'Left Hand Path', is a dark, sinister one, and the specific goal is the creation of a new type of individual. On a more general level, Satanism is concerned with changing our evolution and the societies we live in - creating, in fact, a new human species and a civilization appropriate to the new type of human being." (Anton Long: Satanism: A Basic Introduction for Prospective Adherents, Thormynd Press, England, 1992)
This dark quest involves self-overcoming, and is based upon practical experience by undertaking such things as culling (human sacrifice), violence, Insight Roles, and the performance of Grade Rituals, one of which involves the individual in surviving alone in the wilderness for three months.
The ONA eschews the religious type of approach evident in groups such as the Temple of Set and regards other Satanic groups, such as the Church of Satan, with contempt. [1]
The Temple of Set proscribed the ONA in the early 1980s for its avowal of human sacrifice. [2]
Originally based in England, the ONA now has associates, and groups, in the United States, Europe, Australasia, Canada and Russia.
What Satanism Is and Is Not (According to the ONA)
The following is a direct quotation from the ONA MS (Manuscript) "The Hard Reality of Satanism" [3] by Anton Long
What Satanism is:
Satanism is a quest for self-excellence, involving real danger, real challenges and requiring real courage. It involves taking your body to and beyond its physical limits of endurance. It involves real action, alone: without the support of friends, comrades, lovers, relations or anyone. It involves accepting challenges - physical, psychic, intellectual and triumphing solely by one's own efforts. It involves the triumph of pure, individual will and desire.
Satanism is, in part, an Inner quest, an exploration of the `hidden' (and overt) aspects of consciousness: a discovery of the darkness within and beyond the individual psyche. This involves 'magickal acts' - such as rituals. This magick, however, is a means, not an end.
Satanism involves ordeals, both physical and magickal. Those who are suitable triumph; the others fail. [One such ordeal is the Grade Ritual of Internal Adept - where the candidate lives alone and isolated, bereft of everything except the bare necessities for physical survival, for a period of three months.]
Satanism requires the practical experiencing of all moral limits, and then a mastery of the feelings, desires, pleasures, terrors, pains and so on that these imply.
Satanism involves the individual defiance of all subservience: a Satanist accepts guidance only, and refuses to be dominated or intimidated by anyone. This guidance is toward practical experience, and it by this experience that the novice learns and develops a genuine Satanic character.
Satanism involves sacrifice - this is a necessary test of character [qv. the MSS, "Satanism, Sacrifice and Crime - The Satanic Truth", and "Satanism - The Sinister Shadow, Revealed" for more details.].
Satanism is a means - a method, or way, and the purpose of this means, method or way is to produce a specific type of individual: the next stage of our evolution as a species. Satanism is thus an expression of evolutionary change - on both the individual level and in respect of `societies' and 'history'. The individuals so created often inspire in the supine majority a certain terror/awe/admiration/fear/jealousy.
Satanism is elitist. It does not compromise - its tests, ordeals, methods and character-building experiences are severe and will never be made easier to make them acceptable to more people or easier to undertake.
Satanism is esoteric by nature and intent: it is both a 'secret' way, by virtue of its methods etc., and it is not nor probably will be suitable for the majority for many, many centuries.
What Satanism is not:
Satanism is not, nor can ever be, a religion, nor just a 'philosophy'. A religion means acceptance of authority, the rigid structure of a 'Church' or a 'Temple', and a unified dogma (with the consequent schisms and claims to 'authenticity'). The religious attitude is the antithesis of what Satanism really is - for Satanism is a way of living, a way of experiencing, in the raw, whereas religion abstracts, limits endeavour, behaviour and moralizes. In short, a Satanist plunges into reality, without any supports (moral, psychic or human) whereas a religious person has that reality prescribed by dogma, authority and such like, and is supported by a `Church', its members and their attitudes. Satanism is an ecstatic affirmation of existence - a taking of existence into new and higher realms, as well as a plunge into existing darkness and the creation of new darkness.
Satanism cannot have anyone impose upon it any structure, authority, or institution of any kind by claiming a 'dark mandate' or some kind of 'revelation'. There can be no such thing as an, infernal mandate' of whatever kind because the only thing that really matters to Satanism is experience, its accumulation and the highly individualized learning that results from such experience. A genuine Satanist, for example, confronted by an entity which exhibited all the powers attributed to Satan would not even accept what that 'entity' said and would most certainly not show any submission - instead, they would a defiance, a reasoned assessment of what was said, and then a judgement made from experience. A Satanist never surrenders to anything - and would rather die, proud and defiant, than submit. This applies even to 'Satan'. If and when a Satanist accepts guidance, it is from someone of experience who has explicated Satanism by their life and thus who can offer advice based on that experience. The aim of Satanism is to create wilful, characterful, defiant, unique individuals who have or can fulfil their potential as gods - it is not to create followers or sycophants. An `infernal mandate' implies sycophancy.
Satanism does not involve discussions, meetings, talks. Rather, it involves action, deeds. Words - written or spoken - sometimes follow, but not necessarily. The ideal candidate for Satanism is the individual of action rather than the 'intellectual'.
Satanism does not apply moral absolutes to real-life situations and forms. This may best be explicated by two examples. First, politics. Satanism does not affirm or deny any political forms or type of politics - it does not, for example, announce that 'fascism and Satanism are incompatible'. Such announcements/pronouncements arise from a moral bias and a lack of insight into both Satanism and `society' and thus Aeonics.
Satanism does not seek any form of official recognition as it does not seek to become respectable or the prerogative of a majority. Rather' Satanism operates' and must operate' for the most part in a clandestine or 'underground' manner. 'Official' recognition mean someone or some organization is granted some sort of "status" and thus assumes both in theory and in fact an 'authority' and an organizational structure to support it. This authority and this structure mean followers, sycophants - and contradict the essence of Satanism.
Who and What Satan Is (According to the ONA)
The Order of Nine Angles believes Satan to be an acausal entity as well as a symbol of defiance, heresy, and that of an adversary (against the accepted norm). Satanists of this tradition seek to become as Satan. To identify with Satan and to become one with him.
From the ONA MS "Satanism - A Basic Introduction for Prospective Adherents" [4] by Anton Long:
...Q: But what of the Devil? Or Satan? Does He really exist? And, if so, do you respect Him?
A: He exists, but not in the way most believe: e.g. a horned figure with cloven feet. Rather, He is not bound by our everyday spatial and temporal dimensions, but exists instead in what esoteric tradition calls 'the acausal'. We apprehend the acausal mostly in an archetypal way - i.e. we impose an image upon its acausal and non-spatial structure.
The 'conventional' descriptions of the Devil or Satan are basically childish Nazarene images. The reality is far more terrifying and evil - when viewed conventionally, of course!
Further, terms like 'respect' depend on the opposites inherent in an un-initiated view. In reality, there is only a working with the acausal energies or forces or 'entities' as those things are: a becoming-like the Devil; an identity-with Him, if you wish. And this is an extension of one's own being or existence, rather than a negation, a submergence.
Expressed simply, one becomes one with Satan, and in the early stages strives to be like Him.'
Grade/Degree System
The Order of Nine Angles has a system of grades and/or degrees [5]. These grades/degrees are not awarded on members for a certain sum of money, but are gained by the individual by completing certain tasks (as well as "secret" tasks) and grade rituals.
The grades are:
1. Neophyte
2. Initiate (also called Novice)
3. External Adept
4. Internal Adept
5. Master/Mistress (also called Master of Temple/Mistress of Earth or Lady Master)
6. Grand Master/Grand Mistress (also called Magus/Mousa or Grand Lady Master)
7. Immortal
Connection with David Myatt
David Myatt, a Neo-Nazi, has been accused of being the Grand Master of the Order of Nine Angles - that is, of being Anton Long.
References
- Anthropoetics (The Journal of Generative Anthropology) Volume IX, number 2 (Fall 2003/Winter 2004)
- Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, (New York University Press, 2002 AD)
- Nox: The Black Book Volume 1 - Infernal Texts. Edited by Stephen Sennitt, Logos Press, 1998
- Encyclopedia of White Power: A Sourcebook on the Radical Racist Right, Edited by Jeffrey Kaplan (Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc., 2000), pp.235ff
- Satanism Today : An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore, and Popular Culture ISBN 1-57607-292-4
- Satanism
- Long, Anton: Satanism: Introduction for Occultists (Thormynd Press, 1992) ISBN 0-946646-29-5
- Order of Nine Angles: The Black Book of Satan (Thormynd Press, 1984) ISBN 0-946646-04-X
- Order of Nine Angles: Naos (Coxland Press, 1990) ISBN 1-872543-00-6
- Gardell, Mattias: Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism (Duke University Press, 2003) p.292f ISBN 0-822330-71-7