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Gods and Beasts: The Nazis and the Occult

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In this relatively short book, the author traces the link between the mysticism of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the Nazi movement. Showing that many Nazi leaders were grounded in mysticism, which influenced the evolution of the National Socialist (Nazi) movement, the meaning of many Nazi slogans and symbols get exposed. The final chapters include an excellent one entitled, "Making an Obedient Mass", and a conclusion that warns that the cultic movements in modern America have many of the same bases.

This book has an alarming tendency to ramble; chapter follows chapter, with no internal organization being apparent. Also, some of the author's conclusions do seem a bit stretched. However, that said, I must say that this book is well researched, and contains a wealth of details on the subject. In understanding Nazi Germany, it is probably a good idea to understand some of the less intellectual underpinnings of the movement, and this is an excellent book to start with.

So, if you want an entirely different look at Nazi Germany, then this is probably for you.

Ms. Dusty Sklar, the author of this book, was not the first to discover a link between occultism and Nazism. She was, however, the first to take the subject seriously and do an in-depth scholarly study. The result was this work, which first came out back in 1977 and is still an interesting read today.

While it is well-known that Hitler consulted with astrologers, most readers will be astounded at some of the really strange cults that flourished -- and heavily influenced -- the Third Reich. For example, there was Hans Hoerbiger, a pseudo-scientist who believed that the universe was founded on an eternal battle between fire and ice. His influence was the reason that Hilter sent his troops into Russia so ill-equipped for the cold, expecting that his soldiers of fire would cause the winter snow to melt away before their marching feet. (It they didn't, and thousands of Germans froze to death. See p. 80)

Then there were the Hollow Earthers, who thought that Nordic giants lived in the center of our planet. Occult lodges like the Thule society (of which Hitler was an initiate) also flourished, espousing weird forms of social Darwinism and racial theories that seem laughable today, but which led to the extermination of millions of Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and others. Even Karl Jung eventually got into the act, writing a series of antisemitic pronouncements about "Jewish psychology" that, among other things, branded Freud's psychoanalytic theories as a "satanic" doctrine capable of "murdering souls"(see p. 138). Jung's antisemitism is swept under the rug today, but remain a blot on the history of Jungian thought. In short, the Third Reich was based, not on the rational science for which Germany is famous, but on a hodge-podge of neo-pagan superstitions.

This is not to say that all occult teachings lead to Nazism, or that all "New Age" movements are antisemitic. There are genuine forms of spirituality that nourish the mind and soul in positive ways, affirming the oneness of humankind. At the same time, as this book amply demonstrates, the true seeker must be careful not to be seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. This book should be read -- as a warning -- by every serious student of esoteric philosophy.

I initially read this book in high school will researching a paper on the relationship between Wagner and Nietzsche. Surprisingly, our school library had a copy. At the time, it really opened my eyes to the occultic beliefs of the National Socialists.
I recently purchased the book to read again. It was, and is, a difficult book to read. His writing style is unique, to say the least. The book does have a lot to offer, but I am suspect of some of the conclusions drawn. Without a complete, detailed bibliography to analyze, it can only be viewed as an introduction to the topic.

About halfway through Dusty Sklar's "The Nazi's and the Occult," (the title of the Dorset Press version I read) I did some research on just who is or was Dusty Sklar. I pretty much drew a blank. But I did run across a story from back in the late 70s that showed she was sued by the Unification Church (Moonies) over her portrayal of them in the book. This itself was interesting, since this portrayal doesn't occur until the last 10 pages. But the Moon quotes Sklar provides are pretty damning. The case was dismissed.

One of the reasons I went searching for Sklar, was because her book is so well-written. I was expecting some sort of evangelical treatment on the satanic Nazis, and what I got was a carefully written effort that is all the more chilling because of its restraint. One weakness in the book is Sklar's reliance on Ravenscroft's "Spear of Destiny." But to some extent this is understandable, since Sklar points out, the occult and its followers and participants, shrouds itself, by its very nature, in secrecy. Still, if you have problems with Ravenscroft's very odd take, there is still plenty to seize upon in Sklar's presentation to leave you with little doubt as to Nazi involvement with the occult. And this is further buttressed by the Allies wartime monitoring of Nazi occult interests. Even more effective are the numerous quotes from average Germans remembering what it was like to live in Hitler's Germany ("We Germans are so happy. We are free of freedom."). One particular nugget: how the German literacy rate had declined on the eve of war - something Hitler wanted, since he disparaged universal education as an impediment to people being useful cogs in his machine. Do not think - but obey!

What was on Hitler's reading shelf (as was recorded in the Library of Congress)? Or who were the mystic (and racist) nuts he hung out with in the early days before his rise to power (and what did they think - and write)? Or his suicide - on the Feast of Beltrane (an important date on the Satanic calender). The origin of the Swastika. All in all, Sklar's research is impressive - and more, since she is really looking beyond the Nazi phenomenon to our own times. I couldn't help but be reminded of the opening of Don Delillo's "Mao II," with its mass Moonie wedding in Yankee Stadium - and its coda: The Future Belongs to Crowds. It's a shame Ms. Sklar has not followed up this effort with a new edition, but her point/warning still holds: that the Nazi party "arose out of the merger of mystical groups.." In other words, there are dragons among us, even now.

_Gods and Beasts: The Nazis & the Occult_ (1977) by Dusty Sklar is an interesting study of the relationship between the Nazis and their movement and the occult philosophies that surrounded them. The book traces the involvement of the occult behind the early proto-Nazis including Jorg Lanz von Liebenfels, Guido von List, Rudolf von Sebottendorf and other figures associated with H. P. Blavatsky and her Theosophy movement and their influence on the worldview of Adolf Hitler. The book notes the influence of occult ideas on Hitler and Himmler as well as the Romantic notion of the Aryan race. The book explains the importance of the occult behind the Nazi movement and notes how Hitler's rise to power was mirrored in occult circles. The book also notes the eerie similarities between various more recent cult figures such as the followers of L. Ron Hubbard or Reverend Moon and the rise of Hitler.

The book includes the following chapters -

Hidden Roots - considers the commonly understood notion that Germany was culturally and spiritually bankrupt giving rise to Hitler and his Nazis but maintains in fact that Hitler and his Nazis arose out of an occult milieu in pre-war Germany. Explains the mystical rites of the Hitler Youth and notes Hitler's early readings of Lanz's _Ostara_ that influenced him. Explains the role of such occultists as Gurdjieff, H. P. Blavatsky, and Rudolph Steiner. Notes the influence of the occult on groups such as the Germanen Orden and considers the role of various volkish and pan-German groups.

Giants in the Earth - explains the role of the Aryan hero in the writings of List and Lanz noting how these notions arose out of Hindu ideas of racial purity. Explains the role of Islam and its influence on early Europeans in prejudicing them against Hindu ideas, but notes the importance of Hindu ideas for German Romantics such as Herder and Schlegel as well as the influence of the Upanishads on Schopenhauer. Considers the importance of the Aryan race for figures such as Arthur de Gobineau and Houston Stewart Chamberlain and their influence on the thinking of Hitler. Explains the influence of the Theosophy of H. P. Blavatsky and the influence of Darwin's theories as well as noting the role of volkish writers and their praise for the Middle Ages and the Teutonic Knights.

Gods and Beasts - explains the role of Lanz's Order of the New Templars and his occult writings in _Ostara_ calling for an Aryan superman which was read by Adolf Hitler. Notes the importance of various cultists including Theodore Fritsch and the influence of the Germanen Orden explaining their relationship to anti-Semitism and Hitler. Considers the theories of Trevor Ravenscroft concerning the spear of Longinus and the role of race science concerning the Aryan and Indo-European origins.

The Thule Society - explains the origins of the Thule Society and the influence of the occultist Baron Rudolf von Sebottendorf noting the influence of the Theosophical writings of H. P. Blavatsky concerning her ideas of various root races and the influence of Turkish Freemasonry on Sebottendorf. Explains the role of various other secret societies including the Assassins and the Thugs of India as well as the Gnostics and the influence of Satanism.

Riffraff into Supermen - explains how the idea of a Jewish conspiracy arose and its influence on the Thule Society and Sebottendorf. Notes the role of Gottfried Feder and his objections to "Jewish high finance" and "interest slavery". Considers the influence of the Anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner and the German section of the Theosophical Society of Blavatsky. Explains the opposition to communism and how the various "riffraff"and occultists of the anti-Semitic groups became supermen under Adolf Hitler.

The Savage Messiah - explains the Furherprinzip as it was expounded by Sebottendorf and considers the life of Adolf Hitler including the influence of occultists such as List and Lanz on his thinking. Notes the role of various Pan-German anti-Semitic groups and their influence on Hitler as well as the influence of Wagner and the descriptions of Kubizek and Eckhart. Explains how Hitler came to consider himself a messiah according to Hermann Rauschning and adopted the Christ image and provided interest in the Grail legend as it applied to notions of Aryan supremacy. Explains Hitler's opposition to the Jews who were painted as the embodiment of evil and the influence of Satanism.

Tibetan Wisdom Meets German Folly - explains the role of Rudolf Hess and the influence of occultism. Notes the role of Karl Haushofer and the influence of Oriental and Tibetan wisdom on his thinking. Explains the influence of Gurdjieff as well as the Golden Dawn who maintained an interest in the writings of Haushofer. Considers the role of Hess and the theories of Alfred Rosenberg.

Atlantis, The Home of the Master Race - notes the role of the legendary Atlantis as home of the master race and its influence on the thinking of Hoerbiger, a Nazi occultist who was to maintain an esoteric cosmology including the influence of a Great Flood, a world-ice cosmology, and a hollow earth. Notes the German opposition to the theories of Einstein and Freud as well as the prominence given to the cosmological theories of Hoerbiger. Explains the role of the Ahnenerbe ("Ancestral Research") as well as considering the German rocket program and the architecture of Albert Speer.

The Obedient Man - explains the life of Heinrich Himmler and the role of the Black Guard and the SS as well as the influence of occultism on his thinking. Notes the role of various influences on Himmler including Catholicism, Eastern philosophies of the Rig Veda and Bhagavad-Gita, and spiritualism. Explains the role of Chamberlain's racial theories as well as the influence of the Teutonic Knights and the Jesuit order, also explaining how the Japanese came to be considered Aryans. Notes the obedience of Himmler and the influence of the order of the SS.

The Black Knights - explains the influence of the SS and their mystical worship of race and blood under Himmler. The SS were influenced by Aryan beliefs of such writers as List, Lanz, Fritsch, and Chamberlain as well as a perversion of Catholicism and modeled after Lanz's New Templars. The SS betrayed an anti-Christian and neo-pagan philosophy and Himmler used the castle at Wevelsburg for his secret meetings. The author also discusses the influence of the Ahnenerbe and racial science.

The Children's Crusade - explores the influence of the Hitler Youth and the uncanny power the Nazis had over the young. In particular, Hitler was to have an enormous appeal to the young drilling them in Nazi dogma. This chapter also considers the role of the Lebensborn and the goal of attaining a master race through selective breeding and maternity homes.

Prophets of the Third Reich - considers the role of astrology and occultism on the Third Reich in particular considering the role of Franz Mesmer and his influence on German magnetists, the role of Madame Blavatsky, and the influence of Nostradamus on Himmler. Explains the influence of the clairvoyant and stage magician Hanussen on Hitler in the formation of his oratorical skills.

Jung and the Aryan Unconscious - considers the influence of psychoanalyst Carl Jung and his theories maintaining the influence of the archetype of Wotan on the Germans. Considers the opposition between Jung and the Jewish Freud as well as his racial theories and the role of spiritualism as an influence on Jung.

Jehovah as Satan - considers the influence of the Jews and the Nazi propaganda against them. In particular, the author traces opposition to the Jews to the Gnostics and their regard for the Old Testament God Jehovah as evil. In particular, Gnostic influences were to play a large role on the Nazis with Jews coming to take on the embodiment of evil and their influence being Satanic. The author also considers the theories of Wagner regarding the Jews as well as the claim made by Hitler that the Germans were the Chosen People and not the Jews.

Making an Obedient Mass - considers the influence of Hitler in propagandizing and brainwashing the Germans. Notes the role of brainwashing and the nature of the "true believer" as a proponent of totalitarian ideology. Explains Hitler's uncanny ability to hypnotize large masses of the German people and the influence of Nazi propaganda under Josef Goebbels.

The Dangers of Occult Thinking - maintains that occult thinking can be dangerous as is seen with its influence on the Nazis. Considers examples of recent cult groups such as the followers of Charles Manson, the Satanism of Anton LaVey which was directly influence by esoteric Nazism, the Scientology of L. Ron Hubbard, and the followers of Rev. Moon. The author maintains that the hypnotic spell Rev. Moon was to place on so many of America's youth was similar to Hitler's power over the German youth.

This book provides an interesting study of the influence of the occult on the Nazis and the role of occult thinking in general. Occult ideas were present in Germanic racial mysticism and anti-Semitism and Hitler acted as a cult figure upon the German people. This book demonstrates this influence and shows how occult ideas led to the formation of the Nazis.