An interview with Wulf Grimsson, Australian pagan-traditionalist, Drighton of Loki’s Mannerbund, and author of the Loki’s Way series.
Interviewer: Askr Svarte (http://askrsvarte.org)
A.S.: Heil Wulf!
So, as to the first question, please give us a short biography and something of your evolution of philosophic views.
W.G.: I have studied Traditionalism, Magick and Sorcery all my life. While I am now in my fifties I began in my late teens initiated as a Traditional Witch and working within a Golden Dawn/Thelemic Order of which I was a senior teacher at various times. However I began to debate whether a polytheist should really be using a system overlaid with Judeo Christian symbolism including Kabbalah and rites using Angels and Arch-Angels !Accordingly I went on to study Vedic and Buddhist thought, Greek Theurgy and finally the Northern Traditions. It is from the Northern Traditions as informed by the works of Julius Evola, Georges Dumezil and others that I developed Loki’s Way.
A.S.: How did you come to know of paganism and traditionalism? What can you tell us about the actual condition of the traditionalist philosophy of Rene Guenon, Julius Evola, etc?
W.G.: While I have studied the work of Rene Guenon I found his reactionary conservatism rather disconcerting and I disagreed with his emphasis on the priest class. I also felt that he ignored the role of “metagenetics” (quoting Steve McNallen of the Asatru Folk Assembly) and the importance of “volk”, tradition and cultural values. Too often modern Guenonians end up attending Churches and Mosques simply re-interpretating the distorted values of such bodies in an esoteric way and using it as a form of self justification. My major realization was that all monotheisms were a distortion of the perennial wisdom not an expression of it and hence I moved towards the approach of Julius Evola. I also feel his “warrior-priest” ethos is far more in keeping with the nature of the Kali Yuga, his book The Doctrine of Awakening on Warrior Buddhism was especially significant to me at this time. Later followed by Revolt Against the Modern World, Rider the Tiger and Men Among the Ruins. Recently Evola’s Metaphysics of War, Heathen Imperialism and The Path of Cinnabar have inspired me.
A.S.: Please tell us about your interests in traditionalist, pagan spheres, and please tell us about your books?
W.G.: I am a heathen with a focus on the unique blood brotherhood relation of Odin and Loki. I believe strongly in the organic hierarchy found in Indo European societies as expounded by Georges Dumezil (and in the Vedas and Norse texts). Here there are three functions, the first ruled by Odin and Tyr is of Rune or Seidr Master and Chieftain, the second is military and ruled by Thor, the third is family and community and ruled by Frey and Freya. While Thor rules the “secular” military function made up of members of the community, there is a warrior bund (Mannerbund) made up of men devoted to Odin and Loki who live and fight together. I write in male terms because I work in a male-male bund or cell but there are similar groups devoted to women, historically it can be argued the valkyrie were a female only initiatory cult. Heathenism has both an exoteric (outer) and esoteric (inner) expression. The outer is based on the festivals and celebrations and sustaining the integrity of the family, village and community. The esoteric is based on the achievement of personal immortality through runic sorcery; it is a demanding path since we must use what is at hand in the Kali Yuga and turn poison into nectar. I have written five books Loki’s Way, Loki and Odin:Rites of Initiation and Sorcery, Male Mysteries and the Secret of the Mannerbund, The Mind of a Sorcerer and a book of Essays. They are available from http://lulu.com/spotlight/lokisway
A.S.: I know that you write about the Left-Hand Path, how do you define it? Why LHP?
W.G.: The Right Hand Path is the path of the moon and earth, it is primarily third function and represents the process by which families produce children within their own ancestral tradition and reincarnate as their own descendants. The Left Hand Path is the solar path or that of the sky, it works against the ever flowing cycles of eternal re-occurrence so the individual may become a God in his own right. This path uses “forbidden means” to transform our own experience into divinity. It is a heroic path but not in a clichéd sense, we are not all Vikings with axes! Ernst Junger said ‘Show me your pain and I will show you the man’ and Fredrich Nietzsche ‘If it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger’, so life experience is the crucible for transformation as well as ritual means including the use of pain, sex and other means usually considered unacceptable in mainstream practice.
A.S.: Are you are a member of a pagan community (Asatru Folk Assembly, for example) or others?
W.G.: We are unusual in that we are a same-sex warrior cell or Mannerbund, many Asatru groups seem saturated with Judeo Christian values and seem to have converted Jehovah into Odin and are still hung up on sexuality especially homosexuality. Homosexuality was a sacred function in India, the Norse, the Celts and many other cultures, Plato idolized it as did the Greeks. The Spartans and Theban band were homosexual warriors of great repute. In other cultures we read of the Samurai and Islamic Mamluks. While we respect the work of other Asatru and Vanatru groups we follow our own path, it is much the same with other pagans. That is not to say we do not welcome contact, anyone or group can communicate and network with us.
A.S.: What do you know about the Russian school of traditionalism made by Alexander Dugin ?
W.G.: Dugin’s work is interesting though I find myself more akin to the French New Right (Alain De Denoist, Guillaume Faye, Tomislav Sunic etc) or National Anarchism (Troy Southgate) with some reservations. My major issue with Dugin is his emphasis on Russian Orthodox Christianity and the value of an alliance with Islam. I see all monotheisms as destructive and as distortions of the perennial wisdom. I think the way forward for European culture (in all places including Australia) is to embrace its pagan past and bring that forward into new forms for the future. Monotheism is an aberrant dead end.
A.S.: What problems of modern paganism can you name?
W.G.: Modern Neo paganism has become “counter initiatic” to take a term from Guenon and Evola. It has become a form of consumer indulgence, you do your little fire dance on the weekend and return to the daily grind through the week with no inner transformation whatsoever. It is worst with American “Neo Paganism or Wicca” which is utterly without redeeming qualities. The warrior values of the Androphile (Androphile means a masculine man who prefers men. We use is rather than homosexual or gay to refer to men who prefer men but dislike gay culture. In an occult context it means uniting the male and female within oneself and becoming the Ubermensch or Overman – W.G.) have been turned into effete gay rights, the strong mother and women into feminism and the Old Gods into mass market products. True Paganism and Witchcraft are based on integral cultural traditions not on a multicultural miss mash of gods and practices thrown together for self indulgence. American Wicca is a sorry and be honest quite sickening substitute for the brutal majesty of the wisdom of the cunning folk or Medieval Sabbat.
A.S.: Do you agree with the statement that the Modern world is equal to the Kali-Yuga or Ragnarok – Last Time Before the End?
W.G.: The Traditionalist view is that time is cyclic not linear, while many think man is progressing with all his science and technology, he has lost any sense of meaning. The present age is the Kali Yuga, the Age of the Wolf or Iron. It is fast approach Ragnorak with many catastrophes coming together from overpopulation to climate change, species loss (100 species going extinct everyday) to habitat destruction. There is economic collapse unfolding as we speak. In many ways we must prepare for post apocalyptic living and a return to more simple community/village style communities based on pagan values. Sadly most people have their heads in the sand and so not see the disasters coming straight at them.
A.S.: What are your political views?
W.G.: I tend to classify myself as New Right (Alain De Denoist, Guillaume Faye, Tomislav Sunic etc) or National Anarchist (UK: Troy Southgate) with some reservations. I have a strong meritocracy view of society based on organic hierarchy (Dumezil or the early Vedic castes/or Eddic Triple classes) and believe that inequality must be the honest foundation of any society. We all have our gifts but they are different no individual is the same as the other, the sexes are different as our cultures. I am pro ethnic diversity but within different cultural settings, I believe multiculturalism destroys the essential essence of each culture within the society. I am not sexually conservative believing such values are Judeo Christian in origin but do feel the family is significant for passing on heritage, tradition and culture.
A.S.: What can you say to Russian traditionalists and pagans, for example with regard to maybe advise or a clarion call to fight?
W.G.: I would call on fellow pagans and Traditionalists to consider the true Radical nature of our path. It is not enough to be “weekend pagans” we must transform our whole lives, every minute detail. We need to limit our exposure to the pernicious influence of fundamentalism, monotheism and materialism and reprogram ourselves to be true pagans. As my key phrase is in The Mind of a Sorcerer – to practice sorcery you must think like a sorcerer. The modern world is collapsing much faster than we wish to realize and we must be prepared for a new future, one in which prevailing political, social and religious paradigms have to place. I welcome comments or correspondence.
Wulf Grimsson lokisway@yahoo.com.au
Askr Svarte, Russia, city Novosibirsk, 19.06.13 era vulgaris.
