324 Granholm

Chapter 41 Occultism in Finland

Occultism in Finland
Kennet Granholm

Research on esotericism in Finland is in its infancy, and it is therefore difficult

to find reliable and comprehensive information on early occultism in the
country. What can be said with certainty is that the introduction of Theosophy
into Finland in the 1890s and the founding of the Finnish Section of the
Theosophical Society in 1907 inspired the formation of several other move-
ments in the country (Solhberg 2008: 205–207) (see the chapters on Theosophy
in Finland and Theosophically Inspired Groups in Finland). Interest in spiritu-
alism was on the rise in the early twentieth century, with Helmi Krohn
(1871–1967) commonly being regarded as the mother of Finnish spiritualism.
In 1946 she founded the first spiritualist organization in the country, the still
active Suomen spiritualistinen seura ry (Solhberg 2008: 207). The first issue of
Ufoaika, a magazine primarily dealing with UFO beliefs but also carrying arti-
cles on subjects such as parapsychology and occultism, was published in 1972.
In 1974 the magazine was renamed Ultra, a name under which it is still pub-
lished. Due to the difficulties in gaining information on late nineteenth- and
early twentieth-century occultism in Finland, I will primarily discuss the
Finnish occult milieu from the 1970s onwards, with an emphasis on the situa-
tion in the early 2000s.

The Fourth Way in Finland

Individuals and groups inspired by George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff (1866?-1949)

have been active in Finland since at least the late 1960s. Karatas-kirjat started
publishing translations of Gurdjieff’s and his pupils’ works in 1969 and the
Karatas society was formed in 1979 with the aim of disseminating Gurdjieff’s
and his pupil J.G. Bennett’s (1897–1974) teachings (Heino 1997: 318–319).
According to Gurdjieff, human beings act as “automatons” who are not only
incapable of realizing their inner potential but utterly unaware of the fact that
they lead a mechanistic existence. Gurdjieffian teachings focus on awakening
the human being to “real” consciousness, and in order to do this all three
aspects of the human being – the body, the emotions, and the intellect – must

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 Occultism in Finland 325

be activated. Gurdjieff envisioned his school as “the Fourth Way”, the other
three being the way of the fakir, the monk, and the mystic (Needleman 1993).
Gurdjieff-seura (The Gurdjieff Society) was registered as a society in Finland
on December 19, 2003. The society rarely organises meetings, but it has inde-
pendent workgroups that are more active. The society as such does not
maintain international contacts, but individual workgroups collaborate with
other Gurdjieffian groups in Scandinavia, England, France and USA (Gurdjieff-
seura, e-mail message to author, February 1, 2007).
The Neljäs Tie Suomessa website (neljastiesuomessa.net) was launched in
the spring of 2004 with the aim to collect and present Finnish-language Fourth
Way material and maintain a posting list and discussion forum. Gurdjieffian-
style material that does not strictly adhere to the guidelines of the international
Gurdjieff foundation is also disseminated on the website. In contrast to the
international Gurdjieff foundation, Finnish Gurdjieffians have historically
tended to be strongly oriented towards the work of J.G. Bennett (Ibid).

Thelema in Finland

The so-called Caliphate OTO was introduced into Finland in 1997, when the
first Finnish member, Frater HRN, received his initiation into the order in
Norway. The Finnish branch of the OTO, the Helsinki-based Pohjan Neito
Encampment, was founded on July 12, 1997, and in 1998 Frater HRN was issued
a charter to initiate members in Finland. Before the Finnish branch received a
charter of its own, members had been initiated in Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
and USA, and in Finland by visiting foreign initiators. The members of Pohjan
Neito Encampment are regularly visited by foreign OTO members, and Finnish
members also visit members in Europe and North-America. The closest co-
operation is with the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian branches of the order
(Frater HRN, e-mail message to author, November 11, 2006).
Pakanaverkko ry is an organization that functions as a nodal point for mem-
bers of various neopagan orientations (<http://www.pakanaverkko.fi/pakana
verkko.shtml>, accessed February 18, 2007). On its website the organization
provides information on different neopagan religions and various magic tradi-
tions can be found. Thelema is one of the magical traditions discussed at
length on the site, and is, furthermore, discussed in an information package on
paganism provided by the organization (<http://www.pakanaverkko.fi/pakan-
uus.pdf> (2004), 11–14).
The Finnish online bookseller and small-print publisher Ixaxaar is strongly
focused on “dark” occultism. Works published by Ixaxaar include E.A. Koet-

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 326 Granholm

tingen’s Works of Darkness: A Guide to Advanced Black Magic (2007), Archaelus

Baron’s Kingdom’s of Flame: A Grimoire of Black Magic, Evocation, and Sorcery
(2005), and Jeremy Christner’s Kosmology: Luciferian Philosophy (2005). The
bookshop is also an important disseminator of Kenneth Grant’s (1924–2011)
works in Finland. The website of Ixaxaar has its own category for “Typhonian
Gnosis”, which mostly includes publications by Grant, and can thus be regarded
as a propagator of the Typhonian Order in Finland.

Theosophical Satanism

The interest in the darker spectrum of occultism and so-called Left-Hand Path
philosophies and practices is unusually high in Finland. Thus, the Ixaxaar
online bookseller publishes and exclusively sells material of this sort, the
membership of the Temple of Set in Finland is relatively large (see the chapter
Satanism in Finland), and the Left-Hand Path magic order Dragon Rouge has a
ritual group in the country (see Occultism in Sweden). An interesting develop-
ment in Finland has been the occasional union of Satanism and Theosophy.
The most famous – or perhaps infamous – of the Finnish occultists combin-
ing Theosophical metaphysics with Satanic ideology and symbolism was Pekka
Siitoin (1944–2003). Siitoin was an outspoken neo-Nazi leader and self-pro-
claimed black magician, operating from the cities of Turku, Naantali and
Vehmaa in the south-western coastal region of Finland. Raised by rather ordi-
nary parents, he later came to claim that his father was the German SS officer
Peter von Weltheim and his mother a Russian-Finnish prostitute. He did at
times refer to himself as Baron von Weltheim and published some of his books
under the pseudonym of his imagined father. Siitoin became active in politics
in the 1960s, grew increasingly anti-communist, right-wing and racist from the
1970s onwards and ultimately came to state that he had been a Nazi ever since
the age of four (Vil 2003: 387). He was sentenced for inciting the arson of a
communist printing house and served time in jail from 1978 to 1981 (Kalliala
1999a).
Siitoin’s magical activities were intimately linked to his political views and
his activism, and thus the numerous organizations Siitoin founded combined
these two areas. Siitoin claimed to have come into contact with the occult from
an early age. He is supposed to have met a clairvoyant friend of his father when
very young (Nordling & Koskela 2006: 39), having been foretold by a gypsy
woman that he would grow up to be a famous man (Ibid: 40, 188–189), and
started practicing magic in the 1960s (Vil 2003: 387). In 1971 he contacted the
famous Finnish fortune-teller Aino Kassinen in order to get help with some

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 Occultism in Finland 327

financial troubles. Kassinen, who had read some theosophical and anthropo-
sophical material but did not strictly work within those traditions, came to
regard Siitoin as one of her most promising students (Kassinen 1972: 64–65).
Directly inspired by his contact with Kassinen, Siitoin founded Turun hen-
gentiedon seura (The Turku Occult Society) and began to publish books on
magic in 1971. In the following years Siitoin also founded organisations such as
Föreningen Veronica (the Veronica Organisation) and Pegasos seura (Pegasus
Society, in Swedish versions of his books called Pegasos-Club) in order to
market and sell occult material outside Finland, and political right-wing orga­
nisa­tions such as Isänmaallinen kansanrintama (1970s, The Patriotic Peoples
Front), and Kansallis-mytologinen yhdistys (1981, The National-Mythological
Association). All of Siitoin’s societies combined occultism with neo-Nazi poli-
tics in one way or another.
Works with occult themes written by Siitoin and published by his various
societies are Yhteys ufoihin ja henkimaailmaan (Contact with UFO s and the
Spirit World, 1973; also published in a two-part Swedish-language version titled
Kontakt med UFO s och andevärlden), Musta magia, osa 1 (Black Magic, part 1,
1974; also published in a Swedish-language version as Svart magi, del 1), Uuden
ajan unikirja (Dream book for a New Age, 1974; also published in a Swedish-
language version as Nya tidens drömbok), Ufot, uskonto ja paholainen (UFOs,
Religion and the Devil, 1974), Musta magia, osa 2 (Black Magic, part 2, 1975; also
published in a Swedish-language version as Svart magi, del 2), Paholaisen
katekismus (The Catechism of the Devil, 1977), and Kohti uutta uskoa (Towards
a New Faith, 1989). Many of these books where published under pseudonyms
such as Peter von Weltheim, Jonathan Shedd, and Hesiodos Foinix. The societ-
ies he founded also published books by other writers, such as Mustan magian
salaisuudet by Ray Isaksson (The Secrets of Black Magic, 1985), and a transla-
tion of the grimoire The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (Musta Raamattu,
1986). Siitoin also published a number of books that primarily focused on poli-
tics and racist propaganda (Granholm 2009).
Siitoin’s approach to Satanism and magic is profoundly anti-Semitic, but not
necessarily anti-Christian. In Svart magi, del 1 Siitoin identifies an impersonal
God as the highest being and creator, and Jesus Christ, Satan and Lucifer as
subordinate personified gods. According to Siitoin, one can worship any of
these subordinate beings as long as this is done in the name of God. Jesus
Christ supports humanistic virtues, whereas Satan supports material and
bodily enjoyment. Moses is regarded as the originator of magic, but the jealous
subordinate god Jehova kept the knowledge of it with his chosen people the
Jews. In addition to the above-mentioned beings, Siitoin also discusses a num-
ber of hierarchically organized subordinate entities (Siitoin 1985 [1974/5]:

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 328 Granholm

14–58). Interestingly enough, despite this negative view of Jews and Judaism,
these entities are based on Kabbalah and even called “Zefiroths” (Granholm
2009).
In general, Siitoin’s doctrines are a mix of folk magic and Theosophical
meta­physics. In Svart magi, del 1 and Svart magi, del 2 magical practices, rituals
and incantations for making pacts with the devil, humiliation of and victory
over enemies, calming an angry dog, curing warts, and waking the dead, etc.,
are described (Siitoin 1985 [1974/5]: 70–73, 89–93, 121–129). In terms of cosmog-
ony and anthropogony Siitoin’s teachings are largely based on H. P Blavatsky’s
writings. The material world was created by Lucifer, and both the world and
human beings evolve through a seven-staged process (Shedd 1974: 12–27).
Azazelin tähti (Azazel’s Star), another group that mixes Satanism and
Theosophy, was founded in 2006. The fraternity identifies itself primarily as a
Theosophical organization, and acknowledges the Theosophical Society’s orig-
inal threefold statement of objectives from 1875. These objectives state that the
goal of the society, and thus of Azazelin tähti as well, is to function as a univer-
sal brotherhood independent of superficial differences such as race or gender;
to search for the common and true core of all religions, and to investigate
spiritual powers in man and nature (<http://www.azazel.fi/teksti_veljeskun-
nan_pohja_ja_toiminta.shtml>, accessed March 23, 2009). However, in contrast
to the Theosophical Society, Azazelin Tähti insists on the primacy of Satan as
a revered spiritual being. The philosophical background of the movement is
expressed in seven statements that revolve around the belief in an immanent
godhead, the goal of rational truth, Satan as a revered being, the relativity of
good and evil, embracing death as a natural and beautiful part of life, and a
three-part “key to truth” consisting of understanding, love and the will to do
right. The fraternity is selective in admitting new members, but once a person
is admitted membership is free. There are three main individuals identified as
contact persons and authors on the website of the organization, and presum-
ably membership is rather small at this early stage of the fraternity’s existence
(<http://www.azazel.fi>, accessed February 18, 2007).

The Rune-Gild in Finland

The Rune-Gild, a Radical Traditionalist group founded in Texas in 1980 by

Edred Thorsson (pen name of Stephen Flowers, b. 1953), had a presence in
Finland from 1999 (<http://finland.runegild.org>, accessed February 27, 2007)
until the late 2000s. While no more than a few individuals were involved, the
Gild was part of the Finnish occult milieu through Ensio Kataja’s book Riimujen

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 Occultism in Finland 329

viisaus (The Wisdom of the Runes, 2005). Kataja identifies the Gild as an initia-
tory school focused on the Germanic tradition, and as a reviver of the tradition
of ancient rune masters. He further defines “initiation into the secret of the
runes” as the development of one’s conscious Self through Rune-work (Kataja
2005: 9–10). This implies techniques in which magicians focus on the runes in
a meditative fashion and in this way unlock the potential of the runes within
themselves. The idea is that the runes represent aspects of our consciousness,
and a full understanding of them therefore equals a more conscious Self (Ibid
89–90). The practice of the Gild centres on a series of exercises called “The
Nine Doors of Midgard” (Thorson 2003), a system of initiation where the magi-
cian successively gains increased proficiency in using the runes for magical
purposes. The first two Doors are to be finished in 108 days per door, Doors
three and four in 240 days per door, and Doors five through eight in 72 days per
door. For the last Door initiates are to trust their own judgements as to when
the necessary training is finished. After finishing the fourth Door the adept is
considered proficient enough in rune work to apply to become a Fellow in the
Rune-Gild (Ibid 89), the mid-level initiatory degree. On the website of the Gild,
the rune work is divided into Rune thinking, which involves meditation and
contemplation, divination in the form of Rune casting, galdor, a ritual tech-
nique involving the verbal magical use of the runes, the manufacturing of rune
talismans, and, perhaps most importantly, self-transformational Rune-work.
Ensio Kataja describes Rune-work as the “internalization of the runes” in a way
that lets one “experience and activate the power of the runes in oneself” in
order to “effect change” in the outer and inner worlds (Kataja 2005: 89–90).
As a self-defined Radical Traditionalist group the Rune-Gild emphasises
the importance of preserving the Runic tradition in what is perceived to be
an authentic and pure form, and not to mix it with other traditions. Although
the historical roots of Radical Traditionalism lie in earlier twentieth-century
Guéno­nian Traditionalism, major differences lie the Rune-Gild’s focus on
European pre-Christian religion where earlier Traditionalists commonly sought
the perennial wisdom outside Europe, and the Gild’s emphasis on meticulous
historical research in contrast to earlier Traditionalists’ aversion to historical
research methods in their search for universal and ahistorical spiritual truth
(see the chapter on Traditionalism). However, while claiming to strictly adhere
to Germanic traditions the Gild is still fairly innovative in its interpretations.
For example, the worlds of Old Norse mythology are interpreted as representa-
tions of different aspects of the human psyche (Kataja 2005: 31–35).
As the Gild’s founder is a long-time member of the Left-Hand Path group the
Temple of Set, it is not surprising that there are some major philosophical simi-
larities between the two groups. They both operate with the concepts of

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 330 Granholm

objec­tive and subjective universes, regard their respective deities as exemplary

initiators rather than gods to worship, and pursue ultimate autonomy and self-
deification (Kataja 2005: 20–21, 38).
The Rune-Gild is organized in an outer and inner hall. The outer hall con-
sists of members working with the Nine Doors of Midgard exercises under the
guidance of the Gild, and is subdivided into the initiatory degrees of Learner,
Fellow, and Master. The inner hall consists of members who are particularly
knowledgeable in runes, and is divided into the degrees of Drighten and
Erulian. Edred Thorsson, who has led the Gild since its conception, is called
the Yrmin-Drighten (<http://www.runegild.org>, accessed February 27, 2007).

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