Book Review

Black Sun
Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke
New York University Press, 2002.

Review by Jaye C. Beldo
LoneNutter@aol.com

The transfixing qualities of Adolph Hitler's mystique have remained intact, as evidenced by the plethora of hate groups around the world who still pledge total allegiance to the man. The perennial fascination with the failed tyrant covers a rather broad and dubious spectrum, ranging from the lofty, esoteric erudition of the Italian fascist mystic Julius Evola down to the more gutter level echelons of trailer trash white power and survivalist movements concentrated mostly in Idaho. In spite of the presence of such a suspect bandwidth in which hatred and evil can manifest in a bewilderment of forms, the fundamental trappings of Nazi-inspired racism and its violent repercussions remain the same.

In his book Black Sun, Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke meticulously documents how Nazism has promoted itself using unconditionally willing vehicles such as hardcore skinhead punk bands, various 'New Age' and Christian identity groups, the World wide web of Hate.com, holocaust deniers, and various other cretinous conduits of the Quasi-Ubermensch fringe.

Clarke paints a most chilling picture of just how entrenched, networked and proactivated these groups are within the pathological meshes of our social fabric. No longer are these renegade outcasts at odds with the majority of society; rather, they have insinuated themselves into various power structures in unassuming and suavely clandestine ways. (See the documentary Hate.Com or the book Blood in the Face, if you think otherwise.) Their methods deserve the kind of unforgiving scrutiny that Clarke offers in his much welcome book.

According to some would-be fascist hopefuls documented in Black Sun, Hitler is still alive in the Hollow Earth, hobnobbing with other Aryan underworld ¹migr¹s who tan themselves by taking advantage of the earth's inner sun. Others not nearly quite as delusional opt for more street level strategies in which to worship their hero, like having "Most Aryan Woman" contests and Aryan weddings (and hopefully nonstop Aryan funerals to come) to insure the continuance of the endangered master race into a much anticipated, post-mongrel future free of racial inferiors of all persuasions.

Most intriguing in Black Sun is the author's expose of Savitri Devi, the metaphysical Hitler-worshipper who was convinced that the Fuhrer was a divine embodiment of Lord Vishnu. After her visionary experiences of what she assumed was the Aryan avatar, she compelled herself to travel to India to have her convictions verified by a variety of rather suspect gurus more than willing to bolster her hopes of Hitler's inevitable incarnational return. In fact, after the war, she traveled to various sites, such as Hitler's Eagle's Nest retreat, Wewelsburg Castle (which housed Heinrich Himmler's SS) and other places, as if they were holy pilgrimage sites.

As I read the chapter on the erroneous metaphysics of Ms. Devi, I intuited that she is trapped on the lower astral plane, as evidenced by her disturbed presence which seemed to be pleading for help. Many of these disembodied Aryans, from Heinrich Himmler to Dietrich Eckhart, roam the lower astral plane and adhere to spiritually inept people, using them as vehicles to further promote their lost cause. When a person is in a state of suspended animation-fascination, they are more susceptible to being influenced by entities and other third rate ethereal minions such as these.

This certainly is the case with Hitler and his league of worshippers. In fact it was Hitler's role all along, in the esoteric scheme of things, to entrance. A master of entertainment (the word literally means "to hold between two states"), he has not only spellbound a nation, but encouraged a form of mass demonic possession amongst its citizenry as well. Carl Jung recognized this phenomenon in its basic form, but could have elaborated on his intuitive perception much further than he actually did. There were very few who had the ability to break free of the ongoing trance inducements. Only the spiritually, morally and intellectually evolved managed to escape intact.

In spite of the precarious seductions these various groups and their leaders promise, Clarke manages to keep his personal sanity intact via a patented kind of scholarly distance - no doubt a wise strategy considering how easy it is to fall prey to the subject matter he covers. Other notable icons of the Aryan renaissance that Clarke describes include George Lincoln Rockwell, who successfully enraged discontented middle class whites with promises of an inevitable overthrow of the lesser races, races who threatened job security and available housing amongst other things, and Francis Parker Yockey, who was arrested in the early sixties for his attempts to unite the extreme right in a most relentless, international fashion (see Dreamer of the Day by Kevin Coogan, Autonomedia Press).

Black Sun should awaken us all to the real possibility of a fascist dictator coming to the fore under the bland guise of a democratically-elected president, especially considering the level of political ignorance, fear and discontent amongst the American populace in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy. Fortunately, works such as the one offered by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke may very well keep such a development in check.