Julius Evola on ‘Modern Occultism’ and Theosophists

Evola explains his early influences, and later preference for traditionalism.

“On the whole, however, I always preserved my independence, frequently even voicing my lack of regard for modern ‘occultism’. Modern occultist currents certainly played a useful, if limited, role in my case, the role they generally play in the contemporary world: that of providing an initial starting point. It is then up to each individual who feels drawn to certain forms of wisdom, as mediated by contemporary ‘occultism’, to act on the basis of his or her personal qualifications: either to stop at the usually promiscuous and dispersive surface of ‘occultism’, or to somehow get in touch with the original sources of traditional wisdom, in the awareness that ‘occultist’, Anthroposophist and Theosophist speculations mostly serve to discredit rather than valorize traditional doctrines. As for me, I chose the second option.” (Julius Evola, The Path of Cinnabar, 2009 ed., pg. 27)

A good deal of it does, and a good deal of Theosophy does not discredit “traditional doctrines.” H.P. Blavatsky stated that the purpose of the Theosophical Society was not the creation of a nursery for the production of psychics and occultists.