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Ordo Astri is the publishing imprint for books designed to assist in the path of initiation. Our books cover such topics as metaphysics, yoga, Hermeticism, Qabalah, operative theurgy, magick, Tarot and astrology.

The term ‘initiation’ is frequently used without qualification. It is used to describe various things, some of which are mutually contradictory. There is thus no common agreement on what initiation even means, so it is not then surprising that confusion exists around the subject. The etymology of the word simply means ‘to start something off’, and yet there is no consensus on even that, the broadest definition possible. In fact it is so broad a definition that it necessarily narrows and limits the meaning to an ordinary material action. A trumpet can be blown to announce the commencement of some game, act or play, none of which concerns us here.

A common error to be made concerning initiatic organisations is that initiation, or a rite of initiation, is no more than a means of induction into a particular group or body. That may be the case with some organisations, but those are not in any way initiatic, which is to say, their purpose is in no way to transmit a spiritual influence and consists only of social, political or other profane concerns. From this mistaken idea of induction into a social or other group comes forth even worse confusion, for example that initiation is no more than ‘psychological process’.

According to René Guénon:

“Initiation must have a non-human origin, for without this it can never attain its final end, which extends beyond the domain of individual possibilities. That is why truly initiatic rites cannot be attributed to human authors; in fact, we can no more know the authors than we can know the inventors of traditional symbols, and for the same reason, for these symbols are equally non-human in their origin and essence.”

Guénon, pp. 52–53, Perspectives on Initiation [1947—republished in 2001 by Sophia Perennis].

Magick Here and Now

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Magick Here and Now is the title of a new book by Oliver St. John, scheduled for publication by early spring of 2026. The Preface of the book, which we present here, sets out some of the core principles of the work, designed to lift the subject—and its practitioners—out of the morass to which modern magick has sunk over the last century and more, owing to its disconnection from all metaphysical and spiritual principles.

Magick Here and Now cover artAs we are going to talk about magick and the magician, it needs to be made clear that we are concerned here with reality on the individual, cosmic and absolute level. That means restoring the metaphysical principle to what has been lost, forgotten or deliberately obscured over time.[1] We are not interested in exploring imaginary worlds. René Guénon, founder of what has become known as the ‘traditionalist’ school of metaphysics, has concisely set forth our task in writing a book such as this, and the formidable difficulties involved:

“In our age the word ‘magic’ exercises a strange fascination over some people, and, as we have already noted, the weight given to such a point of view, even if in intention only, is still linked to the distortion of the traditional sciences when separated from their metaphysical principle. This is undoubtedly the major stumbling block that every attempt to reconstitute or restore such sciences is likely to face, unless one begins with what is truly the beginning in every respect, that is, the principle itself, which is at the same time the goal toward which all the rest must normally be directed.”[2]

Aim of Magick

To accomplish that aim we must first dispel the modern notion of ‘ordinary life’, which rigidly excludes the sacred and the supernatural, and which is a great obstacle to any such reconstitution. Modern man has become quite impermeable to any influences other than such as impinge on his senses; not only have his faculties of comprehension become increasingly limited but also the field of his perception has become correspondingly restricted. From this limited view rises the notion of a life in which nothing beyond the human can intervene in any way. This leads to the elimination of anything of a ritual or symbolical character. Everything that surpasses conceptions of the humanistic order is either expressly denied or otherwise relegated to the domain of the extraordinary. This is a complete reversal of the normal order as represented by integrally traditional civilisations where the possibility of spiritual influence goes without question.[3]

As ordinary life involves a more or less total reversal of the normal or traditional order of things—an order we have not seen for many centuries in the West—it is, as should be completely obvious to those who have observed modern civilisation without prejudice, a completely abnormal state of affairs. We must make it very clear we are not in any way concerned with changing the social order let alone changing the world or ‘saving the planet’. Our world always changes, as its nature is impermanence. Humanity is likewise defined by the fact that it is subject to birth, growth, decay and death, as are all other creatures on earth. Our subject here is magick as a traditional science inseparable from metaphysical principles, which means we are going to discuss various ways of escaping such limitations—that means being ‘more than human’. It is admitted that we must firstly pull ourselves up and away from the abyss of demonic and anti-spiritual influences to realise what being human can really mean. We will take a beating from life until we learn to overcome the demonic nature in us. Only then does the real journey of initiation begin. We are speaking here of demonic forces. Do we refer to supernatural entities? These are not ruled out but everyone experiences the direful afflictions of fear, greed, anger and lust when these take human form. That is how we experience them. Such afflictions easily become addictions for all the hell we suffer as a consequence. These feelings link us to sub-infra forces, by which is meant the powers that lurk on the lower threshold of the subtle world of non-physical forms perceptible to the mind. By sinking to their level we enter the realms they control and are then controlled by them. They are not in any way kind, though charm, flattery and seduction are their primary weapons; on the contrary, they are very cruel and unforgiving. Hell is not a place it is a state of mind.

Magick and Hermeticism

Access to the world of magick and traditional sciences depends on the application of the Hermetic axiom As above, so below. That is to say, the microcosm, of which man is a symbol, is known through such applications as a reflection of the macrocosm, the greater universe. A traditional cosmology can take us a long way but if we desire to transcend all limitation then we cannot separate magick from metaphysics. Metaphysics, in the way we mean to use this term, embraces all that is beyond even traditional sciences to realise in any full sense. Metaphysics is ‘beyond the physical’ and so nothing to do with the chemical state of the body or brain, or the psychological domain. It refers to the infinite, unlimited universal doctrine that can only be known metaphysically.

As metaphysics or real knowledge depends from a supra-human source—that is to say, it is transcendent of human reason—it can never be a branch of philosophy or some other science. Philosophy and the other modern theoretical sciences were originally derived from metaphysics and not vice versa, as is perfectly clear to initiates, if not to scholars whose field is exclusively academic.[4]

Symbolism is the only way to convey metaphysical reality without direct knowledge; language itself comprises a set of symbols. Ancient languages, with all their subtlety of etymology, roots of words and phonetics, are nonetheless well equipped to symbolise metaphysics, which is concerned with principles that amount to pure knowledge. Such knowledge is not in any way derived from an individual author, as is the case with all Western philosophical theories. This knowledge is not then in any way apprehended by reason or argument alone. All dialectics of the ancient sciences, including Hermeticism—something that in itself has been confused with profane science—form only an outward veil of that which is truly esoteric. There are hundreds if not thousands of books that seek to present magick as a means by which any person can obtain very ordinary goals. In this morass of darkness (or ignorance) there is no certain ground. We will provide the means by which those who are qualified to become practitioners may build a citadel and a tower of defence against this malevolent tide, so that a Great Work is even possible.

Notes

1. The metaphysical principle or absolute Real has no other words in modern languages to describe it whereas Sanskrit, for example, has very many such as Atma, Paramashiva, Brahma and so forth.

2. Guénon, Perspectives on Initiation, p. 259 [Sophia Perennis].

3. Cf. Guénon, The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times Chapter Fifteen [Sophia Perennis].

4. The impossibility of explaining metaphysics to those who are bound by material-rationalist adherence becomes clear when we consider that the very notion of ‘doctrine’ has become degraded in its conventional meaning. The dictionary will tell us it has something to do with ‘belief’, or even governmental policy, whereas the original meaning is ‘teaching’, ‘learning’.

© Oliver St. John 2026

Books by Oliver St John

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Subversion of Perennialism

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The works of the only master metaphysician of the Western world René Guénon (1886–1951) were not understood even at the time he wrote them. As he accurately predicted, the ongoing degeneration of human intelligence means that even fewer persons have a chance of understanding what he wrote about now. There are signs that a wilful subversion of ‘traditionalism’ is taking place to an even more degraded level than that which was taking place when Guénon inspired the Perennialist movement of a century ago now. The whole matter of what perrenialism even is has by now become deeply confused, owing to completely contradictory schools of thought claiming to be perrenialist. In this article we are interested in the Perrenialism founded by René Guénon, which now has to be disambiguated by linking it with Traditionalism—which is also very unsatisfactory.[1]

René Guénon (1925)Left: René Guénon (1925)

René Guénon himself said that there is a difference between tradition and ‘traditionalist’, and he would not describe himself as that. He never even described himself as a Perennialist as such, though his works inspired the movement. His purpose was to be on the side of tradition, that is, to defend it with all the (considerable) intellectual means at his disposal as all tradition—which is a word cognate with initiation—was being vigorously eroded at the time, erosion that has only continued today, and that has even accelerated. Confusion is always the favourite means of the counter-initiatic movement, so today we have a form of ‘perennialism’ that has links (in education and arts) to the neosocialist political movement, something that could not be further from the intentions of either Guénon or ourselves to propagate. Those opposed to tradition and real spirituality will not hesitate to make use of such confusions.[2]

René Guénon and Schuon

Of these strange hybrid tendencies within the obfuscating, anti-spiritual movement, which include the popularisation of such unlikely bedfellows as Frithjof Schuon and Carl Jung, we can clearly see a trait that usually only afflicts those who have made a very superficial study of René Guénon’s works. And this is to assume that Guénon, or even us, or anyone else coming from a metaphysical point of view, is actually interested in some kind of social (or even political) reform. Guénon, when very young, thought there might be some very small chance of an intellectual élite averting the coming catastrophe by influencing the West in some subtle way and bringing about a return to a traditional, regular order. This is made clear in the first book he ever wrote, An Introduction to the Study of the Hindu Doctrines, and then later in The Crisis of the Modern World. He was aware however, even then, of the near impossibility of this. He soon realised that such a return would never take place, and by the time he wrote The Reign of Quantity and the Signs of the Times in 1946 he was only writing for a very few people in a future time (our time now) that might be helped by knowing the truth.

At this advanced stage of the Kali Yuga, any thoughts of social change or reform are deluded fantasy.[3] What is worse is that the person who has such thoughts clearly has no idea of what has taken place in our world even since 2020. They cannot see what is right in front of their eyes, let alone any metaphysical principle. Let us state clearly that it is never the concern of (real) esotericism to change anything in the exoteric domain.

René Guénon always said that his reasons for writing social criticism at all were because we always have to start from the physical and individual realm, and so we need to understand the conditions that we must work under when esotericism is nowhere in any way supported.

While Frithjof Schuon is described as a metaphysician, it is clear from some of his remarks about René Guénon that he did not understand metaphysics in the way that Guénon meant the word and, as with the Carl Jung, whom Guénon described as a direct agent of the Antichrist, his mind was strictly limited to reason.[4] This is nothing compared to the degradation that has subsequently taken place, for we have seen professional psychics lately describing what they do as ‘metaphysics’! In fact, in today’s world whenever the limits of vulgarity seem to have been reached, someone always comes along to exceed those limits.

Finally, the confusion about metaphysics is so persistent that we will briefly repeat here what we mean by the term:

Metaphysics is meant here in the etymological sense of the word, which is to say, ‘beyond the physical’, and so nothing to do with the chemical state of the body or brain, or the psychological domain. Metaphysics refers to the infinite, unlimited universal doctrine that can only be known metaphysically. As it depends from a supra-human source, it can never be a branch of philosophy or some other science. Indeed, philosophy and the other modern theoretical sciences were originally derived from metaphysics and not vice versa.[5]

Notes

1. For further information on the Guénonian Perrenialism read here (PDF).

2. See our article, ‘Pervasive Influence of Buddhism on Occultism and Neo-Hinduism’ here.

3. We are in the final phase of the last Dark Age on earth in an entire Cosmic Cycle, although those who speak and write within the Neo-Hinduism movement either never mention it or even lie about it.

4. Schuon made the—very personal—remarks in his book René Guénon: Some Observations [Sophia Perennis], proving his total misunderstanding of Guénon’s metaphysical point of view.

5. ‘Concerning Metaphysics’, Metamorphosis—Hermetic Science and Yoga Power [Ordo Astri]. See the book here.

© Oliver St. John 2026

Books by Oliver St John

Podcasts

  • Metaphysics of the Real: RSS.com
    On RSS you can listen on all major platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon, etc.
  • Metaphysics of the Real on YouTube Channel