Esoteric Trumpism

by Constantin von Hoffmeister, Raw Egg Nationalist (foreword), James Kirkpatrick (introduction)

Esoteric Trumpism delves into the profound and often unexplored dimensions of Donald Trump’s political journey, presenting it as a pivotal moment in the grand narrative of Western civilization. Through the lens of Oswald Spengler’s cyclical theory of history, the book explores Trump as a Faustian figure, striving against the tide of decline, embodying the spirit of American exceptionalism and the fierce battle for national identity.

Infused with a blend of Lovecraftian mystery and the barbaric glory of Robert E. Howard, Esoteric Trumpism offers a unique, philosophically rich perspective on Trump’s era, blending biblical motifs, apocalyptic imagery, and historical parallels to frame his presidency as a critical turning point in the saga of the West. A scholarly and artistic analysis, styled in a poetic manner, it offers an intriguing exploration of Trump’s unconventional approach to leadership.

Genres: Politics, Occult, United States, Philosophy, Essays

144 pages, Hardcover

Published January 20, 2024

About the author

Constantin von Hoffmeister studied English Literature and Political Science in New Orleans. He has worked as an author, journalist, translator, editor, and business trainer in the United States, India, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

Reviews

[Garrett Edwards · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is nothing "esoteric" about this.

[Fnaught · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good—but a bit soft! You are writing for Arktos! Put it out there a bit more!!

[Станислав · Rating 1 out of 5]

AI garbage
(Automatic translation from Russian, read in Russian edition)
I have only one guess: it was written by a neural network. At first it seemed that Alexander Andreevich Prokhanov was pretending to be a gloomy German genius, "Geist von Hartland" or something like that. But no, even a graphomaniac has flashes of something real, but no, there are two hundred pages of chopped plastic. Prokhanov at least has bouts of old man's erotomania. A person cannot write so badly, I think it is a product of artificial intelligence. I suspect that "Konstantin von Hoffmeister" is a completely made-up person. Completely meaningless phrases are stuffed with pompous and completely banal epithets, metaphors, allegories and other tropes on almost every line. In addition, scattered are individual stubs of various chthonic Germans and Americans like Spengler, Hegel, Haushofer and other Hartland. There is no sense in this: approaches like "the confrontation of land and sea, which the genius Househover sang about, has finally manifested itself in the leadership of Trump, this golden Titan of politics, sweeping away the thousand-headed hydra of the thalassocratic swamp, which can only be compared with the monstrous Cthulhu described in the visionary works of Lovecraft." I have improved the text even more. Here are all sorts of comparisons and analogies with pop music, I don’t know there, quotes from Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck (Trump as a duck, also Donald, Trump as a chipIdale - rushing to help), Scooby Doo, Star Wars and other Spider-Man, whom I don’t know. In the end, Trump is compared in a positive aspect to Mussolini (here: a smiley with a sagging jaw). That is, of course, people who consider "fascist" a compliment, but here it looks like mockery. I was so hoping that here they would really examine the non-obvious and deep processes that manifested themselves in "Trumpism", the topic is not stupid, it really is something new in American politics, and therefore in the world. There is something to think about here.
This is just neural network garbage, in a beautiful cover. Printed in an interesting square format, the paper is white and thick.

[P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had bigger expectations of this book, sorry, my fault! You still may like it because the idea is original.

But I had hoped for more esotericism in the line of this book about Trump:
Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the Age of Trump, Gary Lachman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

Or this book about Bannon, that also has more esotericism:
War for Eternity: Inside Bannon's Far-Right Circle of Global Powerbrokers, Benjamin R. Teitelbaum
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

I'm not pro Trump, but I'm fascinated by rightist esoteric political theory like Nick Land and Mencius Moldbug. Otherwise I'm a bit left of center.

[Elzira Rai · Rating 1 out of 5]

What does the 'esoteric' in the title mean? Esoteric perspectives on Trumpism? A deep dive into the mystical underpinnings of MAGA ideology? Nope, it’s just a marketing ploy—a vague buzzword slapped on to disguise the fact that these essays offer little more than a verbose regurgitation of MAGA tropes readily available on your social media feed. Sure, you'll find your usual Great Replacement theory and Woke Panic here, but they’re so heavily draped in pretentious verbiage that you might feel like you need a napkin around your neck just to read it. You even get half-baked readings of Hegel and Spengler (and Gide and Burroughs epigraphs!) in light of The Don, lest someone think you're a redneck or something.
Educational insecurities and inferiority complexes aside, it is always amusing to see MAGA twats complain that "many Americans now perceive their nation to be under the yoke of a few corporate entities and influential magnates"—but it gets downright hilarious now that the likes of Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos have joined their fight against "the system". What MAGA rhetoric consistently lacks is, of course, a critical analysis of the modes of production and wealth distribution, an omission that places red-hat ideologues much closer to Democrats (and even the "woke" crowd) than either side would care to admit. If nothing else, this book excels at one thing: obscuring the true location of the swamp. I'm sure the magnates will appreciate it.

[eyeshake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an examination of occult secret societies or a research project. This is a poetic and mythic reinterpretation of the MAGA movement. The author frames our current political situation as forces of light banishing eldritch swamp creatures. It's a little cringe, but it's fun and well written.

[Jeremy]

Interesting to enter into this perspective...a totally different way of seeing everything basically. The esoteric angle sees Trump as essentially a Jungian archetype, tapping into a greater spirit that transcends the person. I wonder how much this ethos represents the broader Trump movement.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short and mostly fluff, but some passages are quite enjoyable.

[BLESK · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meditation on the esoteric and ephemeral, a completely different approach to viewing the Trump era and the forces that it drive it and attempt to thwart it.

[Leo Vaulin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why read this collection of essays?

It feels like a folio of images. Some are richly textured; others are minimalist. I found that it’s good to pause between the very short chapters, to ponder the philosophical underpinnings, and to explore the ideas evoked by each picture.

Don’t attack this collection with the intention of absorbing it in one gulp.

You’ll miss the fun.