Adonism

Adonism (from Greek Ἄδωνις (Adonis) and Hebrew אֲדֹנָי (Adonai) meaning lord or god) is an esoteric secret doctrine, which was spread by the orientalist and occultist Franz Sättler (pseudonym: Dr. Musallam) (* 1884; † 1942). Friedrich Wilhelm Quintscher (* 1893; † 1945) (pseudonym: Rah Omir-Quintscher) and Franz Bardon (* 1909; † 1958) in the 1920s and gathered followers in the "Adonistic Society" founded by Sättler.
== Legend of tradition ==
According to the Adonistic tradition, Sättler was accepted into the "secret Adonistic lodge" by oriental adepts he called "Chakimîm" while on a trip to the Middle East after the first world war. With "Chakimîm," he supposedly visited the temple city "Bit Nur" (house of light) in "Nuristan" (land of light), which according to him housed the world's largest library of secret sciences. There, he claims to have studied the "primordial religion of mankind". In addition to the oriental adepts, Sättler also based his claims on Zarathustra.
== Adonistic Society ==
Sättler spread his descriptions of Adonism in books and journals in the late 1920th, gathering a following in the Adonistic Society in Vienna and published the journal "Dido". Friedrich Wilhelm Quintscher, Franz Bardon, Silias and later Frater Devachan spread and altered his teachings. In 1936 the "Orion-Union" Adonistic Society was outlawed by the National Socialists, who murdered Sättler in 1942.
== Teachings ==
Adonism, which was viewed as the restoration of the primordial religion by its followers, is based fundamentally on the principle of duality, male and female. The Adonistic god is dual, consisting of a male and a female half called "Adonis" and "Dido", respectively. This god was overthrown by Adonis' elder brother nearly 7000 years ago, who seized control over the mortal world, nearly killing Adonis, and since then has been torturing all living things.Sättler, Franz: Adonismus Teil I, page 18-43. MagWis, 2004. This other god was identified with the god of all major world religions, specifically Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. According to Adonistic lore, Adonis was destined to defeat his brother in the year 2000 CE, at which point the Golden Age would return.
The Adonistic philosophy of living was in part similar to Hedonism, in that it held pleasure and health to be the highest goals of life and put no emphasis on morals.
== References ==
== Literature ==
=== Primary Literature ===
* Franz Sättler:
** Adonismus oder die uralte Geheimlehre, wie sie uns von d. Chaldaern, Phöniziern, Persern, Ägyptern u. Griechen überliefert, noch heutigentags im Orient bei d. Nasairiern oder „Lichtauslöschern“, d. Jezîdi-Kurden od. „Teufelsanbetern“ u. a. erhalten ist u. durch e. eigenen Orden, den „Nizâm el-Khâf“ neuerdings wieder verbreitet wird. Ohne Ortsangabe, 1926
** Macht und Erfolg. Berlin: Adonistischer Verlag, 1927
** Jugend und Schönheit. Berlin: Adonistischer Verlag, 1927
** Hes oder: Die Flamme des Lebens. Berlin-Weissensee, 1927
** Der Adept. Die zwölf Stufen des magischen Einweihungsweges. Archiv für Altes Gedankengut und Wissen, Sinzheim 2004, ISBN ISBN 3-937592-11-3. Mit einer Einleitung von Hans Thomas Hakl und Bibliographie.
=== Secondary Literature ===
* Marco Frenschkowski: Die Adonistische Gesellschaft. In: Die Geheimbünde. Marix Verlag, Wiesbaden 2007, ISBN 978-3-86539-926-7. S. 172-176
* Hans-Jürgen Glowka: Deutsche Okkultgruppen 1875-1937. Hiram-Edition, München 1981, ISBN 3-9215-1354-5, S. 81-91
* Adolf Hemberger: Der Adonismus als Baalskult. In: Organisationsformen, Rituale, Lehren und magische Thematik der freimaurerischen- und freimaurerartigen Bünde im Deutschen Sprachraum Mitteleuropas. Bd. 2: Pansophie und Rosenkreuz. Gießen 1974.
* Horst E. Miers: Lexikon des Geheimwissens. Freiburg 1979. S. 86.
* Helmut Möller: Licht aus dem Osten. Franz Sättlers wundersame Reise nach Nuristân. In: Albrecht Götz von Olenhusen (Hrsg.): Wege und Abwege. Beiträge zur europäischen Geistesgeschichte der Neuzeit. Festschrift für Ellic Howe zum 20. September 1990. Freiburg 1993, ISBN 3-8107-5051-4. S. 199-230
Category:Esotericism
Category:Metaphysical cosmology
de:Adonismus