New Age Publisher Inner Traditions Thinks Fascists Are "Must Read"
As occultists, pagans, witches, magicians, and those adjacent, we need to always remember that people are actively promoting fascist literature, ideologies, and agendas in our communities.
Last year for Halloween, new age publisher Inner Traditions offered a special boxed set of the writings of "suprafascist" Julius Evola, whose explicitly racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic writings have seen an increased popularity with the rise of the far right -- especially far right occultists.
Evola seems to appeal to incel and traditionalist types who are upset that Neitzche isn't racist enough and Crowley is too effective of a magician, as well as fascists who want to obscure their racism in something that sounds esoteric and inspired. He's also frequently recommended in online occult forms by fascist recruiters who insist his magical teachings are vital and necessary to any aspiring magician.
Inner Traditions posted an ad for their fascist books on their FB page, and it became noticed by pagans, witches, and magicians that are not fascists, and who questioned the decision to publish and advertise the books, especially without the context of the fascism and racism of the author. Inner Traditions responded with a promise to have the translator of the books, Joscelyn Godwin, explain their position in a blog post, inviting critics to engage with that post.
The blog post was promised in a week's time. It did not appear for over a month. It was not written by Godwin, who writes articles praising Evola for the far-right conspiracy magazine New Dawn, but couldn't be bothered to articulate to value of Evola to people who aren't already fascists. It did not actually address any of the criticism brought up in the FB thread, instead complaining that commenters were mean. And, most tellingly, the blog does not allow for comments, and the post was not shared to the publisher's FB page where critics could comment and "engage with [the] material."
I suppose that this response, though cowardly and intellectually dishonest, was really the best option for Inner Traditions: ignore the problem and hope it fades away, while continuing to profit from spreading fascist material that is becoming more influential in an increasingly reactionary world.
