Magical Artist Earthly Delights Suppose you saw a seascape that reminded you wistfully of that summer you spent in Cape Code in your youth … wouldn’t you admire the artist? Now suppose there was a magical artist who, Escher-like, managed to paint you yourself into that seascape … how much … Continue reading →

There is a loose group of spiritual ideas that have a large influence in Western, particularly American, culture, that go by the name of “New Age” spirituality. Furthermore, they derive their validity from the claim that they are updated versions of Traditional wisdom. While there is certainly some basis for … Continue reading →

A Being is a mix of Act and Potency. Act is what has been actualized, or manifests, i.e., it exists. Potency refers to those qualities of the idea that have not been actualized, yet have the possibility to exist. Existing things are subject to external forces that do not emanate from its essence; these are called accidents. Continue reading →

A few years ago we wrote Privation. Now is the time to revisit that idea, by expanding it with some of Hermann Keyserling’s conceptions. As we pointed out then, the world is a projection of the I. This can be made clearer from Keyserling’s claim that “the representation creates reality, … Continue reading →

Cologero has beautifully highlighted the central paradox of “he who wishes to rise” or “the aspirant”: It is clear in fact that if persuasion sharpens itself to a pure, unrelated sufficiencyy—i.e., to a statey—rather than to sufficiency as denial of an insufficiency—i.e. to an act, to a relationy—the antithesis certainly … Continue reading →

The key to Keyserling’s views is the phenomenon of understanding. It is essentially a point of spontaneity, freedom, and interiority. Continue reading →

The keenest sorrow is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities. ~ Sophocles Since one aspect of building a system is to integrate a lesser one into a larger whole, what follows are some possible wholes that will accept what is profitable in magical idealism, while … Continue reading →

Although Keyserling appreciates the wisdom of the East, believing it to be superior to the West, he sees them as unsuitable for practical life. Europeans strive to manifest their ideals in the physical world. Continue reading →

Next: Hermann Keyserling ⇒ This is the third and final installment of Julius Evola‘s commentary on Giovanni Gentile from Essays on Magical Idealism. Although it is highly technical, we can cut to the main point. First, there is the distinction between spontaneity and freedom. In a free act, “I” make … Continue reading →

A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, “You are mad, you are not like us. Continue reading →