REVIEWS OF BOOKS AND ARTICLES BOOK REVIEWS

_Eugen Lennhoff, Histoire des Sociétés politiques secrètes au XIX^e et au XX^e siècle (Paris: Payot, 1934)._ This work provides an excellent 'illustration' of what we have explained elsewhere regarding the different kinds of secret organizations, for under the heading 'political' it includes examples of the main categories we have described. The 'Decembrists' in Russia, the various Irish societies, and the 'Black-Hand' in Serbia and Bosnia were assuredly nothing more than simple associations of political conspirators, but on the other hand, as we explain in our article, one can see something else in the 'Carbonari,' at least as regards their origin, although in this purely historical account it is hardly possible to realize this from a few quotations taken from the rituals. The 'Houng Society' of China is probably rather too conventional a name, under which are grouped some more or less outward and temporary organizations, which, as we have explained elsewhere, originate in the Taoist tradition, although they sometimes borrowed forms that were partially Buddhist, and even Christian, as in the case of the 'Tai-Ping.' Lastly, the 'Ku-Klux-Klan' is merely one of countless caricatures of initiatic organizations that have originated in America. However, whereas most such organizations are quite innocuous, the latter has become known in a rather sinister way through its long trail of murder and arson, notwithstanding that its founders' primary aim, as is almost always true in such cases, seems only to have been to accumulate profits. The author himself seems not to have been clearly aware of these distinctions, and one could reproach him for placing everything on the same level, but his book nonetheless represents an interesting contribution to what could be called the 'underground history' of our times.

_Ludowic Réhault, L'Instructeur du Monde, Krishnamurti (Nice: Les Tables d'Harmonie, 1934) [Krishnamurti: 'Man is His Own Liberator,' tr. Ina Harper (Boston: The Christopher Publishing House, 1939)]._ This is no doubt the only book in which a Theosophist has dared in all honesty and with no attempt to conceal or 'reconcile' anything, to make known the disagreement that arose between Krishnamurti and the leaders of the Theosophical Society. It is truly a terrible indictment of the latter, whose role appears to have been one of unparalleled duplicity, and in this respect it constitutes a document worthy of the greatest interest. As for the author's admiration for Krishnamurti and his belief that he is truly the 'World Teacher' (without moreover indicating exactly what he means by this), this is naturally quite another matter, about which we must express the most formal reservations. Krishnamurti was certainly right to discard the yoke that was being imposed on him, and we readily acknowledge that his doing so demanded a certain courage and force of character to which one must pay tribute; but this is not enough to prove that he had an extraordinary 'mission', albeit different from that his instructors intended. That he detested 'societies' and 'ceremonies' is also good; but between this and setting himself up as an enemy of all religion and even renouncing all initiation, there is an abyss. He does have an excuse, however, in that of religion he knew only such sorry counterfeits as the Liberal Catholic Church, Co-Masonry, and the Theosophical Esoteric School; but then, if he was really what one says, he would know that what is rightly called religion and initiation is something entirely different. Indeed, he seems to have no notion of what constitutes the essence of all tradition... And what kind of 'instructor' is it who on his own admission, and on that of his followers, teaches nothing and has nothing to teach? He even expressly denies having a doctrine; but why, then, does he speak? In short, everything is confined to a few quite vague formulas, and this very vagueness is dangerous because one can see in it anything one likes; but those not fooled by words will find no satisfaction in it. Let us point out a curious fact in this regard: a search is made through the Buddhist Sutras, the Gospel, and St Paul's epistles, for everything that appears to be in harmony with Krishnamurti's declarations, but, should something be found which obviously contradicts them, one hastens to assert that these are 'interpolations.' Such a method, worthy of modernist exegetes, is really just a little too convenient! Finally, let us put it bluntly: if Krishnamurti was really 'liberated', that is, if he were a _jivan-mukta_ in the true sense of the word (even without having to play the role of _jagad-guru_) as well, he would not identify himself with 'Life' (even with a capital 'L'), but would be beyond it, just as he would be beyond any other condition that limits contingent existence. This kind of 'vital' immanentism which goes so well with the characteristic tendencies of the modern world (would it be possible to explain Krishnamurti's success otherwise?), is here truly the fruit by which one can judge the tree... And when Krishnamurti speaks of 'those who will become the Flame,' who would dare say what this strange expression might evoke?

L. De Païni, _Le Mysticisme intégral_ (Paris: 'Les Argonautes' Editions). This short volume could be regarded as an 'illustration' of what we have said concerning the confusion of the psychic and the spiritual. The following definition alone is sufficient to demonstrate this clearly: 'Mysticism in itself is an experiential science of the unconscious, which is a complete penetration of the mystery of the obscure psychic forces of the organism.' The author shows much respect for current psychology because 'the unconscious again takes up its great primordial role; in the human economy, our fragile consciousness rests upon its fathomless, living, eternally moving darkness...' All this is naturally accompanied by a certain 'evolutionism' particularly explicit in 'cosmogonical' views that are somewhat far-fetched. On the other hand, there is a strange exaggeration of the role of the body. No doubt the latter really does represent a state of our being and thereby stands in a more or less close relation to the other modalities of our being, but this does not mean it is 'a structure made out of pure psyche,' and still less 'a spiritual construction.' Here again, in the absence of any notion of the hierarchy of states, we are in the midst of confusion. And there is another confusion regarding mysticism itself: the author does not find what she calls 'integral mysticism' in Western mysticism (which latter is nevertheless the only one that can strictly be called by this name), but rather finds it in what she believes to be 'Asian mysticism', which in reality is something entirely different. In addition, according to her conception of it, this 'integral mysticism' only exists fully in Tibet. Why in Tibet rather than in the other countries of the East, if not because, rightly or wrongly, Tibet has a reputation for being particularly fertile in unusual 'phenomena'? The Tibetan tradition, which is initiatic and not mystical, is seen here only in its psychic, or even psycho-physiological, aspect, which is to say that the means are taken for the end. All of this would be merely a living dislocation of the being ending in an 'immersion in the great psychic ocean with its unfathomable and fearsome depths.... Fearsome in truth, for it is indeed a matter of the possibilities of the being, but of the inferior possibilities that initiation must on the contrary enable it finally to overcome. A book such as this leaves a truly painful impression. What it proposes for man is in fact a 'step backward', which, far from leading him 'toward the pure spirit, can only lead him to a 'cosmic communion' with 'infra-human powers', because it is the latter, and not 'spiritual' forces, that rule in the 'vast ocean of the deep racial psychism'-deep indeed, but in the 'abysmal' and 'infernal' sense of the word!

Henry de Geymuller, _Swedenborg et les phénomènes psychiques_ (Paris: Ernest Leroux). The content of this thick book could easily have furnished material for several volumes, and the frequent digressions make the account rather difficult to follow; also, some underlying link is missing, or at least, if there is one, it does not appear clearly... As for Swedenborg's ideas themselves, especially on the relationship between mind and body and what he calls 'limbo,' they have in any case a certain historical interest. But the arguments against spiritism which the author claims to draw from them are rather weak, and it could hardly be otherwise if the spiritists are granted their basic postulate, that is, the possibility of a real communication with the dead. That it would be far better to abstain from such practices is but a matter of minor importance next to this. The discussion of reincarnation also focuses merely upon 'side-issues'; besides, as we have often said before, the only decisive factor is the demonstration of its metaphysical impossibility. For the rest, this is not the place to discuss the way in which Swedenborg envisages the 'spiritual world'. Now it may be that his language sometimes fails his thoughts, but it is curious that he agrees with the spiritists in claiming to find in the spiritual world only beings of human origin, including the angels themselves a strange limitation of universal Possibility!

Dr Alexander Cannon, _L'Influence invisible_, tr. from the English by Grace Gassette and Georges Barbarin (Bazainville, Seine-et-Oise: Editions du Prieuré) [_Invisible Influence: A Story of the Mystic Orient_, with Great Truths Which Can Never Die (New York: E.P. Dutton, & Co., 1934)]. This book is presented as a 'revelation of Tibetan secrets.' The author appends to his name several lines of academic and medical titles, followed by 'Yogi Kushog of Southern Tibet and Fifth Master of the Great White Lodge of the Himalayas.' In addition, we learn further from this volume that he has received from the 'Great Lama Nunnery' [sic] the highest of titles, that of Knight Commander of Asia, which is equivalent to Count in the United Kingdom! All this is certainly very impressive, even a little too much so to inspire confidence. In fact, when we examine the contents of the book by this 'Master', alas, we find only hypnotism, telepathy, and more or less ordinary psychic phenomena, the whole expounded in a very Western fashion; in all of this, not the least 'secret'—Tibetan or otherwise—and of course not one word of doctrine... We may add that this poorly composed book is hardly anything more than a mass of anecdotes with no other link than of a series of so-called conversations that took place during the course of a journey—and we are not even always sure which of the interlocutors is speaking. There are also blatant improbabilities: for example, what are we to make of a person who has 'read a work by Pythagoras, or again, of a 'Wise Man' who lets himself be hypnotized by a snake? Some of the stories described as the author's personal recollections give us the unfortunate impression that we have already seen them elsewhere. Even the account of the journey that serves vaguely as a setting for all this contains many details, including that of the crippled messenger, which remind us of an English adventure novel we read in our childhood, and we regret very much that we cannot remember this reference, for it would have been intriguing to push this comparison further than our memory allows. Furthermore, the author sometimes contradicts himself. Thus, no doubt forgetting that he had set the scene in a cave, as his 'experiments' require, he then situates a mantelpiece thereon, adorned with a clock! Lastly, a reference to 'dear old England' found again 'after such long months spent in the wilderness of Tibet' seems to betray the real mentality of this so-called Eastern initiate... For some years now we have seen a whole series of hoaxes whose common feature is that they are all invariably placed under the auspices of the all too famous 'Great White Lodge' devised by Theosophists, and there is no doubt that we must now add yet another. Exactly what intentions are hidden behind all of this? Unfortunately, too many people are duped by such things, which is why we felt it appropriate to dwell on them more than they would otherwise deserve. They may be of little interest, but their danger in times such as ours is only too real.

Rudolf Steiner, _L'Evangile de saint Jean_ (Paris: Association de la Sci-ence Spirituelle) [The Gospel of Saint John (New York: The Anthropo-sophic Press, 1962)]. This volume contains the French translation of a cycle of twelve lectures given in Hamburg in 1908. The author begins by rightly criticizing the methods of modern exegesis and the conse-quent results. However, in order to reconcile the Gospel of Saint John (of which the real author, according to Steiner, is the risen Lazarus) with his 'anthroposophical' conceptions, he himself treats it in a man-ner that is, to say the least, highly fanciful. In fact he even seems to use it above all as a pretext to develop ideas which to a great extent, espe-cially regarding human 'evolution,' recall Mme Blavatsky's _Secret Doc-trine_ much more than they do a Rosicrucian tradition. Moreover, what he calls 'spiritual science' can only be so described as a result of one of the confusions we have noted elsewhere, because for him, 'spiritual' is quite simply a near synonym to 'invisible'; and his con-ception of initiation is naturally strongly influenced by this. In this connection, let us note a rather peculiar point: on the one hand, he claims that since the coming of Christ, who has made accessible to everyone what the ancient mysteries reserved for an elite few, initia-tions have lost their _raison d'être_; but on the other hand he describes what he calls a Christian initiation and a Rosicrucian initiation, between which he seems to make a certain distinction. It is really not so easy to see how all this can be reconciled!

Alice A. Bailey, _Les trois prochaines années_ [No publication data given]. We recall having come across the content of this brochure before, published as articles in various reviews with a more or less Theosophist slant under the signature of an anonymous 'Tibetan.' Would he thus not be one and the same person as Mrs Bailey herself, or—which no doubt comes to the same thing—would he not have a purely 'astral' existence? In truth, we are not quite sure, because in other respects he also shows some resemblance to a character whose various manifestations have been brought to our notice from different quarters... Be that as it may, he is supposed to have been established by a hypothetical 'Hierarchy' in which it is not hard to recognize the too famous 'Great White Lodge'. The latter, described curiously as a 'Company of enlightened Intellects', is supposed to have founded a 'Group of Artisans of the new Era' in order to carry out this 'plan'. The members of this group are said to be connected with one another 'subjectively, intuitively, and sometimes telepathically', and according to what is stated their activity would be exercised in the most profane fields. One would even find politicians and business-men among them! All this is certainly not of much interest in itself, but if we nonetheless consider it, it is to point out once more how such fanciful stories circulate these days, and, as we have often said, there is a certain danger in this. Those who inspire them (we do not say those who spread them) surely have some suspect plan; and from the 'counter-initiation' to the 'pseudo-initiation' there are perhaps more 'infiltrations' than one would be inclined to believe...

Rudolf Steiner, _Mythes et Mystères égyptiens_ (Association de la Science spirituelle, Paris) [Egyptian Myths and Mysteries (New York: The Anthroposophic Press, 1971)]. In this series of twelve lectures given in Leipzig in 1908, the author, with a peculiar insistence, refrains from the desire to explain symbols. He wishes to see in them only the expression of what he calls 'spiritual facts', by which he means events that are supposed to have taken place during such and such period of the history of mankind in the psychic, indeed even simply the 'etheric' domain--for as we have already explained in connection with another book, his conception of 'spiritual' is more than vague... Once again we find some incredible stories such as we know only too well regarding 'races' and 'subraces'. What we always find most astonishing is the fact that one could pass off as 'Rosicrucian teachings' assertions of which most, in spite of a few changes of detail, are obviously taken straight from Mme Blavatsky's _Secret Doctrine_!

Rudolf Steiner, _L'Apparition des Sciences naturelles_ (Paris: Association de la Science Spirituelle, 1936). This volume, like the preceding ones, is a series of lectures given in Dornach in 1922-1923 in which the 'history of ideas' is treated by the author in his own quite special manner. It is certain that the development of modern sciences is closely linked to the formation of a certain mentality very different from that of earlier times, but the real nature of the change that has thus come about during the last centuries is perhaps not exactly what is described here, and the views concerning the method of knowledge of the ancients are a little too reminiscent of the fantasies of the 'clairvoyants' to be taken seriously.

Peter Deunov, _Le Maître parle_ (Sofia: editorial staff of the review _Jitno Zerno_, n.d.). The words of this Bulgarian 'Master' are on the whole distressingly banal. If we mention them, it is because they describe a 'Noble Universal Fraternity' whose constitution is overwhelmingly like that of the famous 'Great White Lodge'. Narrations of this kind are certainly multiplying rather too much for one not to see in them a truly disturbing symptom!

Paul Brunton, _A Search in Secret Egypt_ (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1984 [first ed., 1934]). Having earlier published _A Search in Secret India_, which we reviewed when it appeared, the author has now written a similar book on Egypt, but we must say quite frankly that this new volume is appreciably inferior to the other, and the 'journalistic' tendency we had already noticed in certain parts of the previous book is now unfortunately much more pronounced. Like almost all foreigners, he is obviously more interested in ancient Egypt than in present-day Egypt, and his contacts with the latter have not all been favorable. One wonders why he attaches such importance to 'phenomena' produced by the 'fakir' Tahra Bey, well-known for his displays in the music-halls of Europe and America, for this hardly accords with the title of the book... There is also a chapter dedicated to an unnamed 'magician' (we had no difficulty identifying him), who despite his extraordinary claims (_As-saher min janbi' Llah_...) is basically nothing but a clever charlatan. In another chapter the author speaks of a hypnotist who works with the most common Western methods; but in spite of this, he is in fact an authentic Egyptian Jew, although the author has rather amusingly mistaken him for a Frenchman, even recognizing in him 'the lively manner of speaking characteristic of his race', following the conventional idea held by the English about the French! The part dealing with snake charmers is somewhat more interesting, even if such facts are rather routine, and he truly goes beyond the pale in wanting to derive the possible survival of a so-called 'snake cult' from them.

Moving on to his treatment of ancient Egypt, we cannot refrain from remarking that here his visions and dreams are given rather too much importance; these were unnecessary for the idea of an ante-diluvian and 'Atlantean' origin of the Sphinx and the Pyramids, for example, for it seems to us that such an idea has already been put forward in many books. The author chose to pass a night alone inside the Great Pyramid, and here again he had a vision related to initiation, but it took a form a little too reminiscent of the 'astral replication' so dear to occultists, no doubt as a result of his earlier studies. We will certainly not deny that the Great Pyramid could have been a place of initiation, seeing that this hypothesis is at least more credible than certain others which the author quite sensibly criticizes (including the 'prophetic' theory, which is quite meritorious coming from an Englishman, we shall return to this in connection with another book). However, even if this were proved, we would still not have any further knowledge of the particular methods of Egyptian initiation, and allusions to ancient authors are certainly quite insufficient for us to frame even an imprecise idea of it. - At the end of the book, the author recounts his meeting with an 'Adept'(?) whose discourses on the danger of certain excavations in the ancient tombs are less than 'transcendent'. We certainly do not mean to question his sincerity, but we wonder whether he was not purely and simply duped...

Georges Barbarin, _Le Secret de la Grande Pyramide ou la Fin du Monde adamique_ (Paris: J'ai lu, 1969 [first ed., 1936]). That there is a 'secret' of the Great Pyramid, whether as a place of initiation (as stated earlier), whether by its orientation and proportions (which is like a summary of certain traditional sciences), or even whether both ideas are true at the same time (for in no way are they irreconcilable), is very likely since it seems to refer to certain more or less distorted traditions of ancient origin. But what seems much more unlikely is that moderns could have discovered this 'secret'. Much has been written on this subject, especially on measurements of the Pyramid. Certain geometrical, geodesic, and astronomical recordings seem well established and are not lacking in interest, but on the whole they are rather fragmentary, besides inspiring as much fantasy as fact. Beyond this, can one really know with precision what unit of measure the ancient Egyptians used? The author of this book first gives a brief outline of all the works on this subject, treating even the most bizarre hypotheses, such as that which claims to have discovered that the inner arrangement of the Pyramid is a map of the sources of the Nile, the 'Book of the Dead'

thus being nothing other than a description and an explanation of this same arrangement. Furthermore, we cannot share his opinion when he says that the geometric and other sciences of which one finds evidence 'are only an expression of human knowledge' and nothing more, for this proves only that he is not aware of the true nature of traditional sciences and that he confuses them with secular sciences... But let us move on, for the primary object of the volume is not this, but the even more fanciful 'prophecies' allegedly discovered by measuring-in a way which is not without arbitrariness moreover-the various parts of the corridors and chambers of the Pyramid, in order to establish a correspondence between the numbers thus obtained and historical periods and dates. For quite some time now, especially in England, this theory has been surrounded by the most extraordinary propaganda, of which the intentions seem rather suspect and not entirely disinterested. Various claims regarding the descendants of 'the lost tribes of Israel' and other things of this kind, which the author passes over rather quickly, are probably not completely irrelevant in this regard... Be that as it may, all of this is so obviously absurd that we are surprised no one seems to notice it. Indeed, supposing that those who constructed the Pyramid really embedded 'prophecies' into it, two things would seem plausible: either these 'prophecies' (which were surely based on knowledge of 'cyclic laws') are related to the general history of the world and of mankind, or else they were adapted in such a way as to concern Egypt in particular. But it is neither the one nor the other apparently, since every effort is made to relate the matter exclusively first to the point of view of Judaism and then to that of Christianity, in such a way that one must logically conclude that the Pyramid is not an Egyptian, but a 'Judeo-Christian' monument! It is worth adding also that everything is conceived according to a so-called biblical 'chronology' laid out by the narrowest and let us say it-most Protestant 'literalism. There are many more curiosities to register. Thus, it seems that since the beginning of the Christian era no interesting date was worthy of note before... that of the establishment of the first railways. These ancient builders seem, then, to have had a truly modern perspective in their evaluation of the importance of events-and this is the grotesque element which, as we have said before, is never lacking in such matters and which betrays their true origin... But what is perhaps most disturbing in this whole affair is that the date September 15-16, 1936 is indicated with an astonishing precision as marking the entry of mankind into a new era and the advent of spiritual renewal'. Yet nothing particularly striking seems to have taken place on this date, so just what is it supposed to mean? In this connection, the author recalls several more or less concordant predictions, most of them also quite dubious either in themselves or especially through the use made of them by those who wish to spread them. Too many of these exist to be a simple 'coincidence, but for our part, we draw only one conclusion, that using such means some people are at present trying to create a 'state of mind' favorable to the imminent realization of 'something' that is part of their plans. Needless to say, we are definitely not among those who wish for the success of this 'pseudo-spiritual' enterprise!

Rudolf Steiner, _L'Evangile de saint Luc_ (Paris: Association de la Science Spirituelle, n.d.) [Lectures on the Gospel of St. Luke (London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 1975)]. These lectures were given in 1909 in Basle before the members of the Theosophical Society from which the author had not yet severed ties, but the interpretations presented at these lectures are perhaps more fanciful still, if that is possible, than those 'officially' current among ordinary Theosophists. It appears that when the Evangelist speaks of 'eye witnesses', this should be translated as 'clairvoyants'. From this we move on to the 'Akashic records', and the conclusions drawn from there are certainly far from commonplace! We discover, for example, that it was the 'transfigured Buddha' who appeared to the shepherds in the form of a 'celestial army', and then that there were two Jesus children, one at Nazareth and the other at Bethlehem, in whom, respectively, Adam and Zoroaster were first reincarnated, with other transformations following thereafter... It would serve no purpose to dwell further on this complicated story, for in truth even were one to set out deliberately to churn the origins of Christianity into some kind of incomprehensible mess, it would be hard to do any better than this. But even if there is no such conscious intent behind the elaboration of all these fables, the impression they give is no less tiresome, and the perfunctory way in which they are asserted as 'facts' only bolsters this impression. For the author's sake, we would rather believe that the role he played in all this was merely that of someone 'influenced by suggestion'!

René Lacroix-à-L'Henri, _Théories et procédés radiesthésiques_ (Paris: Henri Dangles). This book marks an obvious effort to confine radiesthesia within 'reasonable' limits. The author, who moreover frankly states that he is a Catholic, seems to have noticed more clearly than most of his colleagues the danger of certain 'exaggerations'. 'Divinatory' applications, in particular, worry him—a point on which we agree. However, when he asserts that 'true radiesthesia need not lead to spiritism', we fear he is deceiving himself, for the boundary is more difficult to draw than he thinks; and are not these suspicious affinities precisely the fundamental reason for the 'launching' of radiesthesia in our times? Besides, he himself cannot do otherwise than have recourse to methods he calls 'mental', which are not necessarily so but are in any case surely 'psychic'. His so-called 'Chinese' and 'Egyptian' methods, based merely on a rather fanciful application of certain symbols, or the construction of his 'rod of Pluto', do not seem to us any more exempt from reproach in this regard. His list of 'noxious waves', where physical and psychical influences mix strangely together, is also quite instructive in this regard. Even if his intention is to turn radiesthesia into a purely physical science, as this term is understood today, it could not be said that he is being any more successful. For our part, we think this is impossible, or if not... it is no longer a question of radiesthesia. And as an incidental matter, we would like to inform the author that, contrary to what he seems to believe, the article on radiesthesia that appeared in this journal last year was not written by us: _suum cuique_ [to each his own]...

Paul Le Cour, _L'Ere du Verseau: L'Avènement de Ganimède_ (Vincennes: Atlantis). We have already had occasion to point out the remarkable obsession of some of our contemporaries for so-called 'prophecies' in general and the announcement of the impending 'age of Aquarius' in particular. This book deals yet again with this kind of concern, although in point of fact it offers hardly anything new, most of its contents having already been expressed by the author in his articles in _Atlantis_. We will only point out that he passes himself off as heir and successor of the Hieron of Paray-le-Monial—something for which there is perhaps no good cause to congratulate him, since even if there were certain interesting ideas given in this rather special kind of 'center of Christian esoterism, there were even more daydreams—De Sarachaga's imagination was almost as fertile as Paul Le Cour's!

Moreover, this is where Le Cour drew his famous theory of Aor-Agni, in which he saw a prodigious revelation, and he now believes he finds traces of this revelation in the most varied names and words. But in the past we have already said enough concerning all these fantasies not to have the need to return to the subject at length here. In trying to reply to our objections against the association of these two terms Aor-Agni, Paul Le Cour first points out that there are 'many terms composed of words from different languages.' This is true for modern languages, although linguistics does not really accept this method of hybrid composition, rightly considering it most incorrect, but as regards sacred languages, such a thing is considered wholly impossible. The author then adds 'that he does not understand on what basis he is not permitted to see Aor (light) and Agni (heat) in fire.' Unfortunately, as we said then and as we still maintain, if Aor is indeed light in Hebrew, in Sanskrit Agni is not only heat but actually fire itself, simultaneously light and heat; so how valuable can such a response be? — And there is also another peculiarity in this book that it would be a pity not to mention: at one point (p67), the beginning of the Jewish era is fixed at 4000 BC (a simple confusion with the Masonic era), and in another (p139), at 4320 BC. The author should at least try to be consistent with himself; but what is most unfortunate is that neither of these dates is correct, for the said Jewish era starts in fact in 3721 BC!_Vladimir Pozner, Le Mors aux dents_ (Paris: Éditions Denoël) [Bloody Baron: The Story of Ungern-Sternberg (New York: Random House, 1938)]. This book presents a 'romanticized' and 'gloomy' picture, written in an obvious spirit of partisan hostility, of the eventful career of Baron von Ungern-Sternberg, who under a very different aspect had earlier been the subject in Ferdinand Ossendowski's work _Beasts, Men and Gods_. What is really quite odd is that at that time some people questioned the very existence of this character, and now the same thing has happened once again. Nonetheless, the Baron did belong to a very well-known Baltic family, related to that of Count Hermann Keyserling, whose letter is reproduced in the book in question. For the benefit of those who have read the book, it may not be without interest to recall and elucidate a story which seems to have been intentionally confused. In order to give what seems to us the most accurate account, we will quote the main passages from letters written in 1924 by Major Antoni Alexandrowicz, a Polish officer who had served as commander of the Mongolian artillery under the direct orders of Baron von Ungern-Sternberg in 1918 and 1919:

Baron Ungern was an extraordinary man, a very complicated character both from a psychological as well as a political point of view. Broadly described, his characteristic traits were as follows: (1) he was a fierce adversary of Bolshevism, which he saw as an enemy to the whole of mankind and to its spiritual values; (2) he despised the Russians, who in his opinion had betrayed the Entente during the war, having broken their oath of allegiance to the czar and then to two revolutionary governments, and having then accepted the Bolshevik government; (3) he scarcely offered his hand to a Russian, and kept company only with foreigners (but also with Poles, whom he held in esteem for their struggle against Russia), preferring, among Russians, simple people to intellectuals, as being less demoralized; (4) he was a Buddhist and a mystic who nourished the idea of founding an order of revenge against war; (5) he envisioned the foundation of a great Asian empire to combat the materialist culture of Europe and Soviet Russia; (6) he was in contact with the Dalai Lama, the 'living Buddha', and representatives of Islam in Asia, and bore the title of priest and Mongol Khan; (7) he was brutal and pitiless as only an ascetic and a sectarian can be, with an unimaginable lack of sensitivity such as could be found only in an incorporeal being with an ice-cold soul, knowing no pain, pity, joy, or sadness; (8) he had a superior intelligence and extensive knowledge such that there was no subject on which he could not give a discerning opinion, and he judged a person's value at a glance.... Early in June 1918, a Lama predicted to Baron Ungern that he would be wounded at the end of the month and that he would meet his death after his army's entry into Mongolia, where after his fame would spread all over the world. Indeed, at dawn on June 28, the Bolsheviks attacked the station of Dauria...and the Baron took a bullet to his left side above the heart. As regards his death, the prophecy proved true: when he died, the glory of his victory filled the whole world.

Judging from the discussions referred to at the outset, the last sentence is probably exaggerated, and it appears certain both that the Baron was not captured by the Bolsheviks, and that although still young, he died a natural death, contrary to the version given by Vladimir Pozner. Given this authentic information, Pozner's readers should also be able to ascertain whether such a person could really have been nothing but a mere agent in the service of Japan, as is insinuated, or whether it is more likely that he was prompted by influences of an entirely different order. In this connection, we may add that he was not exactly what one could call a 'neo-Buddhist', for according to information we have from another source, his family's adherence to Buddhism went back three generations. On the other hand, it was recently pointed out that phenomena of 'haunting' took place at Ungern Castle. Might this not be a manifestation of 'psychic residues' with a more or less direct bearing on all this business?

I _Protocoli dei Savi Anziani di Sion, Versione italiana con appendice e introduzione_ (Rome: La Vita Italiana, 1921). This Italian translation of the famous _Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion_, published in 1921 by Dr Giovanni Preziosi, director of _Vita Italiana_, has just been re-edited with an introduction by J. Evola who tries to put some order into the endless discussions generated by this 'text'. He distinguishes two different and not necessarily connected questions, one concerning 'authenticity' and the other 'veracity', the second being the more important in his opinion. Authenticity is not really tenable for a number of reasons which we will not examine here, but we should draw attention to one point, which, although perhaps the most decisive, seems not to have been sufficiently taken into consideration: an organization that is truly and seriously secret, whatever its nature, never leaves a trail of written documents. Moreover, 'sources' have been found from which many passages of the _Protocols_ are borrowed almost word for word, for example, the _Dialogue aux Enfers entre Machiavel et Montesquieu_, by Maurice Joly, a pamphlet aimed against Napoleon III and published in Brussels in 1865, and the speech attributed to a Prague rabbi in the novel _Biarritz_, published in 1868 by the German writer Hermann Goedsche under the pseudonym Sir John Retcliffe. Another 'source' which to our knowledge has never been pointed out is a novel entitled _Le Baron Jéhova_, by Sidney Vigneaux, published in Paris in 1886 with the curious dedication: 'to the true gentleman A. de Gobineau, author of the _Essai sur l'inégalité des races humaines_, who entered Valhalla on October 13, 1882. It should also be noted that according to information given in Miss Hersilie Rouy's _Mémoires d'une aliénée_ [Memoirs of a Deranged Woman], published by E. Le Normant des Varannes (Paris, 1886, pp 308-309), Sidney Vigneaux, like the latter, was a friend of Dr Henri Favre, whom we mentioned earlier. This strange story mentions the name of Jules Favre, who is also found to be involved in so many matters of the same kind that it is hard to see it as mere coincidence... In _Le Baron Jéhova_ (pp59-87) we find a so-called 'Testament de Ybarzabal', which presents quite striking similarities with the _Protocols_, except for the remarkable fact that in it the Jews only appear to be instrumental in carrying out a plan that was neither conceived nor intended by them. We also note certain similarities with the introduction to Alexander Dumas' _Joseph Bal-samo_, although here it is no longer a question of Jews, but of an imaginary Masonic assembly. We will add that this assembly is not unconnected with the pseudo-Rosicrucian 'Parliament' described at almost the exact same time by the American writer George Lippard in _Paul Ardenheim, the Monk of the Wissahickon_, and this description was reproduced by Dr Swinburne Clymer in _The Rosicrucian Fraternity in America_. There is no doubt that in their more or less 'romanticized' form, all these writings draw their overall inspiration from one and the same 'current' of ideas, that their authors either approve or disapprove of these ideas, and in addition that, according to their sympathies or particular prejudices, they attribute without rhyme or reason the origins to Jews, Masons, or still others. Finally, what is essential in all this, and could be said to constitute the element of 'veracity', is the assertion that the entire orientation of the modern world conforms to a 'plan' established and imposed by some mysterious organization. Our own thoughts on this subject are well-known, for we have spoken so often of the role of the 'counter-initiation' and of its conscious or unconscious agents that we need not emphasize it further. In truth, it did not take a 'prophet' to notice these things at the time when the _Protocols_ were compiled, probably in 1901, nor even at the time when most of the other above-mentioned works were first published, that is to say around the middle of the nineteenth century. At that time, although these matters were less obvious than they are today, even a little perspicacious observation was already sufficient. But here we must make a remark less than flattering to the intelligence of our contemporaries, that if anyone honestly expresses what he sees and what can be logically inferred therefrom, nobody believes him, or even pays attention. If, on the contrary, he presents the same thing as coming from an eccentric organization, it soon figures as a 'document', and as such sets the world in a bustle. How strange is the effect of the superstitions instilled into modern people by the too famous 'historical method', superstitions which themselves are definitely among the suggestions necessary for the accomplishment of the 'plan' in question! It should be further noted that, according to the fabrications of the Protocols themselves, the organization responsible for inventing and spreading modern ideas in order to achieve world domination is perfectly aware of the falsity of these ideas. This must quite obviously be so, for it knows only too well where it stands in this regard, but then such an undertaking of lies could not in itself be its true and unique goal. This leads us to consider another point noted by Evola in his introduction and further developed in the November issue of the _Vita Italiana_ in an article signed 'Arthos', entitled 'Transformazioni del "Regnum". Indeed, the Protocols contain not only an exposition of 'tactics' directed at the destruction of the traditional world, which is only a negative aspect corresponding to the current phase of events, it also contains the notion of the merely transitory nature of this phase itself, as well as the idea of a subsequent establishment of a supra-national _Regnum_. This last can be considered a deformation of the idea of the 'Holy Empire' and other similar traditional conceptions which, as the author of the article recalls, we ourselves have expounded in _The King of the World_. In order to explain this, 'Arthos' has recourse to deviations, or even real 'subversions', undergone by certain elements that at their origin were genuinely traditional but that then survive on their own, as it were, once the 'spirit' has left them, and in support of this view he quotes what we recently wrote regarding 'psychic residues.' The reflection that can be found elsewhere concerning the successive phases of the modern deviation and the possible constitution of a real 'counter-tradition' as its final term—the distorted _Regnum_ being precisely its expression in the social order—will perhaps contribute further to elucidate more completely this aspect of the question which, quite apart from the special case of the Protocols, is certainly not without a certain interest.

Upton Sinclair, _Comment je crois en Dieu_, tr. from the English by Henri Delgove and R.N. Raimbault (Paris: Éditions Adyar, 1937) [What God Means to Me (New York: Farrar & Rinehart, 1936)]. The author's 'religious' conception—which by the way can be called so only on condition of specifying that it has more to do with mere 'religiosity' than with religion itself—is basically a rather typical mixture of American 'idealism' and 'pragmatism.' He feels the need to believe in an 'ideal,' which is rather vague, and at the same time wants this 'ideal,' which he calls 'God' (all the while admitting that he does not know what God really is) to 'serve' him practically in all sorts of circumstances. It would appear that God must be of use, notably to cure him when he is sick, given that stories of 'mental healing' and 'healing religions' have a particularly important place in his book. And in this connection let us note as an aside that Emile Coué's 'training' was perhaps not as different from Mrs Baker Eddy's as he believed, for what he probably does not know is that before founding his own school of 'autosuggestion,' Emile Coué had been a disciple of Victor Segno and the American 'mentalists,' who have much in common with Christian Science). This 'idealist' point of view is obviously connected to what we have called 'psychologism,' for the value or efficacy of an 'ideal' as such can obviously only be psychological (moreover, he pushes this tendency to the point of wanting to explain psychologically facts that belong to the domain of magic or sorcery, assimilating them to simple suggestions. However, as happens only too often in such cases today, there are also many other elements arising from a rather suspect 'psychism,' since basically it is primarily a matter of appealing to the 'subconscious,' in which the author is only following William James, his master in 'pragmatism.' He is quite prepared to attribute a 'spiritual' value to psychic phenomena such as telepathy and clairvoyance, which is a regrettable illusion; and one can even wonder whether what he is 'deifying' is finally not quite simply his own subconscious... The translation contains some truly bizarre errors in language: thus, brain cells are not 'cervical' cells, which means cells of the neck, but 'cerebral' cells; and 'sectateur' is a nice little barbarism, apparently resulting from a confusion between 'sectator' [member of a sect] and 'sectarian'!

C. Kerneïz, _Le Yoga de l'Occident_ (Paris: Éditions Adyar, 1938). This book, which is presented as a sequel to the same author's _Hatha-Yoga_—which we have already reviewed [see Book Reviews in Studies in Hinduism]—is meant as an attempt to adapt methods inspired by, or rather imitated from, those of Yoga, for the use of Westerners. We cannot say that he succeeds, for the attempt is both false and dangerous. What is false, first of all, is the idea that Yoga is something independent of any tradition; in such conditions one can practice nothing but 'pseudo-rites' which, since no spiritual influence attaches to them, have no effective result of a higher order, and have only rather disturbing psychic effects. What is no less false is the author's 'idealistic' and 'subjective' point of view, which affects his entire interpretation, even in principle. This idealism and subjectivism are merely modern philosophical views which, whatever the author may say, have not the least connection with traditional doctrines. Does he not even go so far as to present as 'postulates' of Yoga propositions of which the substance is borrowed from Kant and Schopenhauer? The consequence of this point of view is that what is really in question is nothing but a popular method of 'auto-suggestion'; the author recognizes this, moreover, but nevertheless imagines that results thus obtained are spiritually valid. The truth is that they are perfectly ineffectual, even negative; indeed, what will surely befall those who practice the exercises he indicates is an irremediable psychic breakdown... All of this is accompanied by theories of which the least one can say is that they are very strange. Thus, in particular we find a biological interpretation of 'Adam' that for the Kabbalists would be quite unexpected. There is also the all too familiar 'pseudo-mystical concept of the 'androgyne' realized by the fusion of two different beings, which can only lead to the most sinister consequences. We shall pass over the belief in reincarnation and other ideas pertaining to standard 'occultism', but we cannot refrain from pausing over a paragraph dealing with the 'provisional choice of a religion, for it contains truly incredible confusions. First, in no way is it a matter, as one might suppose, of choosing a traditional form to adhere to in a real way, but only of adopting it 'ideally', without worrying in the least over fulfilling the necessary conditions for admittance. Obviously, this is perfectly empty, and since we read further on that it is not a question of believing, but of acting as though one believed, we can see that this is only a rather odious charade. Moreover, we are advised to 'leave aside the dead formulas [?] in order to adhere to esoterism alone. Now, esoterism is something quite different from religion, and in any case no one has a right to follow his whims in choosing from among the elements that constitute a tradition: one must fully accept the tradition or abstain from it. For example, we would like to see how Judaism might accept a person who declared that he wished to join 'the Jewish religion restored to the Kabbalah'! And finally, the last sentence of this paragraph is worthy of special mention: 'Freemasonry can very well replace a religion, but only by bringing it back to the mystical Martinism from which it issues.' Here, anyone who has even the slightest notion of the history of Masonry and who knows even vaguely what Martinism is will surely not be able to stifle their laughter! In his conclusion, the author boasts of 'bringing forth from the Temple secrets that have always been jealously guarded therein.' If he sincerely believes this, he is only to be pitied, for what he has 'revealed' are in reality alas nothing but his own illusions...

Eliphas Lévi. _Le Clef des Grands Mystères_ (Paris: Éditions Niclaus, 1940) [The Key of the Mysteries, tr. Aleister Crowley (New York: Samuel Weiser, 1972)]. Our readers are aware of our reservations concerning Eliphas Lévi's works; moreover we should consider the contents thereof only as the expression of 'personal views', since the author himself has never claimed any traditional filiation. Indeed, he has always declared that he owes everything to his own investigations, and assertions to the contrary amount to no more than stories that can be attributed to over-enthusiastic admirers. Actually, what is perhaps most interesting in the present book, although only from a contingent point of view, are the truly curious details he gives regarding certain 'hidden aspects' of the period during which it was written, and for this reason alone it certainly deserved to be republished. In another connection, it is also worth noting some of the documents included in the appendix, especially the Hermetic figures of Nicolas Flamel (although one may wonder to what extent they may have been 'arranged') and the translation of the _Asch Mezareph_ of Abraham the Jew. Regarding this last document, it is regrettable that the fragments presented separately as a supplement to the eight chapters, are given no direct provenance, which would have served to guarantee their authenticity. Moreover, the reconstruction of the whole treatise is presented as no more than 'hypothetical', although it is difficult to know to what extent the copyists who are supposed to have 'split it up in order to render it unintelligible' are responsible, and exactly what role Eliphas Lévi himself played in it.