Walter_whoThe Order of Nine Angles (O9A) is a secretive religious movement that combines elements of occultism, Satanism, and mysticism. It has garnered attention due to its connections with far-right and neo-Nazi violence. Understanding this group requires careful examination, as its ideology, structure, and methods are complex and often contradictory.
Origins and Key Figures
Established in Britain in the 1970s, the O9A’s origins are shrouded in mystery. “Anton Long” is credited as the founder, though his true identity remains debated. Some scholars suspect “Anton Long” is David Myatt, the founder of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Movement, but Myatt denies this connection. The O9A is known for playing with identities; people claiming to be Anton Long may have changed over time. From the late 1970s, “Anton Long” authored books and articles that propagated the Order’s ideas.
Core Beliefs and Practices
The O9A’s ideology is a blend of traditional Satanism, paganism, and esoteric interpretations of Nazism. Their texts play a role similar to texts that mobilize and comprise jihadist literature. O9A texts encourage individuals to partake in extreme political activities and push themselves beyond societal norms and laws. This manifests as infiltrations of pre-existing extremist groups and government agencies.
Aeonic Cosmology and Nazism: The O9A believes that current Western civilization has a Faustian ethos and is undergoing its Time of Troubles. They anticipate a militaristic “Imperium” followed by a period of chaos, leading to the rise of a sixth Aeon, the Aeon of Fire. This new Aeon will be represented by a Galactic civilization where an Aryan society colonizes the Milky Way galaxy.
However, they view Western civilization as infected by a “Magian/Nazarene” distortion, which they associate with Judeo-Christian religion. They believe this force threatens the emergence of the Western Imperium and must be overcome.
The Seven Fold Way: The O9A advocates a system of initiation known as the “Seven Fold Way,” a series of increasingly difficult challenges designed to transform the individual. This process involves self-initiation and rigorous trials, often pushing individuals to their physical and psychological limits. The O9A does not initiate members into the group itself, but rather expects individuals to initiate themselves.
The Acausal Realm and the Dark Gods: A central concept in O9A philosophy is the existence of an “acausal realm” inhabited by “Dark Gods”. They believe these entities can be accessed through specific rituals and practices, granting power and insight. The sinister nature of the Dark Gods provides a template for the O9A’s stated methods to achieve change—criminality, chaos and violence.
Human Sacrifice and “Culling”: A particularly disturbing aspect of O9A ideology is the concept of “culling,” which involves the removal of human “dross” or “scum” through human sacrifice or murder. The ONA encourages “culling” to remove human “dross” or “scum”: this amounts to human sacrifice, achieved either through magic or direct murder. While the ONA claims direct killings are no longer undertaken and are described “for historical interest only,” the idea remains a recurring theme in their literature. According to Hope Not Hate, “In The Dreccian Way, leading O9A figure Richard Moult (AKA Christos Beest) writes: ‘To cull humans is to be the ONA”.
Pathei Mathos: The ONA also teaches that individuals can become channels of the acausal realm through pathei mathos (Greek for learning through adversity, or suffering). Pathei mathos is part of the ONA’s philosophy of initiation, which includes the adoption of “insight roles”, in which adepts (skilled apprentices) are pushed out of their comfort zones for an extended period, perhaps by joining violent criminal or underground organizations, including neo-Nazi or militant Islamist groups or, as recommended in some ONA writings, by adopting Buddhist monasticism.
Structure and Membership
The O9A’s structure is decentralized, with “nexions” (cells) or associated groups operating in various countries. These nexions often have a high degree of autonomy, leading to variations in beliefs and practices. The concept of membership within the O9A is fluid and ambiguous. While the O9A sees itself as “elitist” with highly demanding requirements, its writings are easily available online. This has created a following that is not connected to the core or founding members of the group.
The O9A has a position called an “Outer Representative”, who serves as an official spokesperson for the group to the outer world.
Online Presence and Propaganda
The O9A has established a significant online presence since 2008, utilizing social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and online discussion forums to disseminate its ideology and symbolism. Explicit O9A social media content often portrays items used in occult rituals (e.g., crystal tetrahedrons, animal skulls, and bones) alongside specific books (e.g., Libre 333) and weapons. These are called “shrines” or “altars” in O9A rhetoric. Often accompanying altars or shrines is content of gore, such as images of headless corpses or severe self-mutilation (typically flogging or cutting).
These grisly images are spread not only to desensitize users as a preconditioning or preparation for violence, but as an action of self-enlightenment for adherents. Self-harm specifically is considered an action of liberation, detaching the individual from their care for self and thus unburdening themself of care for others.
The Internet has become a key tool for the O9A to propagate its writings.
Connections to Extremism and Violence
The O9A has been linked to several cases of far-right and neo-Nazi-inspired violence. Hope Not Hate began a campaign in March 2020 to have the Order of Nine Angles banned, proscribed, as a terrorist group.
Terrorgram and Accelerationism: The O9A’s influence extends to the “Terrorgram” network, which promotes accelerationism, the idea that societal collapse is necessary for radical change.
The February 2023 arrest of Atomwaffen Division founder Brandon Russell and his accomplice Sarah Beth Clendaniel illustrates the effect of Terrorgram publications on radicalized individuals. Russell and Clendaniel were arrested for their involvement in a plot to destroy electrical substations—a preferred tactic of accelerationist destruction discussed in Terrorgram’s Do It For The Gram , Make It Count , and The Hard Reset — in Maryland.
Infiltration of Extremist Groups: The O9A encourages its members to infiltrate existing extremist groups, including neo-Nazi and militant Islamist organizations.
Influence on Neo-Nazi Groups: The O9A’s ideology has influenced various neo-Nazi groups, sometimes leading to internal conflicts and splintering. For example, the Atomwaffen Division (AWD) became increasingly influenced by O9A beliefs, leading to members leaving in protest.
Case Studies and Examples
Several individuals connected to the O9A have been involved in violent crimes and terrorism-related offenses. Here are some examples:
David Copeland: The 1999 London nail bomber, who targeted minority communities, was allegedly inspired by David Myatt’s writings.
Jarrett William Smith: A U.S. Army specialist was associated with Current 218 and pleaded guilty in 2020 to distributing instructions for making explosive devices over social media.
Danyal Hussein: He murdered Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in 2020, allegedly influenced by O9A teachings on human culling.
Guilherme “William” Von Neutegem: He killed Mohamed-Aslim Zafis in 2020 and had social media accounts promoting the O9A.
Angel Almeida: He was arrested in 2021 for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography, with occult texts and memorabilia linking him to the O9A.
Andrew Dymock: An O9A member convicted of terror offenses was questioned regarding the sexual assault of a teenage girl who had Nazi and occult symbols carved on her body.
Ryan Fleming: Involved with both National Action and the O9A, he has been jailed for sexually abusing a young girl.
Responding to the Threat
Understanding the O9A’s ideology, structure, and online activities is crucial for countering its influence.
Awareness and Education: Raising awareness about the O9A’s extremist beliefs and its potential for violence is essential.
Online Monitoring and Disruption: Monitoring online spaces where O9A ideology is disseminated and disrupting their activities can help limit their reach.
Support for Vulnerable Individuals: Providing support and resources to individuals vulnerable to extremist ideologies, including those at risk of O9A recruitment, is critical.
Collaboration and Information Sharing: Collaboration between law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and community organizations is necessary to effectively address the threat posed by the O9A.
