The Yoga of Power: Tantra, Shakti, and the Secret Way

by Julius Evola

Drawing from original texts on self-mastery, Evola discusses two Hindu movements--Tantrism and Shaktism--which emphasize a path of action to gain power over energies latent within the body.

Genres: Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Religion, Occult, Hinduism, Mysticism

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Julius Evola, born Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola, was an Italian philosopher and esoteric scholar. Born in Rome to a family of the Sicilian landed gentry, Evola was raised a strict Catholic. Despite this, his life was characterised by 'an anti-bourgeois approach' hostile to both 'the dominant tradition of the West—Christianity and Catholicism—and to contemporary civilization—the 'modern world' of democracy and materialism'.

By turns 'engineering student, artillery officer, Dadaist poet and painter, journalist, alpinist, scholar, linguist, Orientalist, and political commentator', he has been described as a 'rare example of universality in an age of specialization'. Yet behind it all lay a singular emphasis on, and pursuit of, a 'direct relationship to the Absolute'. For Evola, 'the center of all things was not man, but rather the Transcendent.' This metaphysical conviction can be seen to have determined both Evola's stance on socio-political issues, and his antipathetic attitude towards 'all professional, sentimental and family routines'.

The author of many books on esoteric, political and religious topics (including The Hermetic Tradition, The Doctrine of Awakening and Eros and the Mysteries of Love), his best-known work remains Revolt Against the Modern World, a trenchant critique of modern civilisation that has been described as 'the gateway to his thought'. Since his death, also in Rome, his writings have influenced right-wing, reactionary and conservative political thought not only in his native Italy, but throughout continental Europe and, increasingly, the English-speaking world. Nevertheless, he should not be considered primarily as a political thinker, but rather as an exponent of the wider Traditionalist School that encompasses the work of such individuals as René Guénon, Titus Burckhardt and Frithjof Schuon.

Reviews

[TR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evola's take on Yoga and other Hindu disciplines. Precise, clear and probably better than all other readily available books on the subject.

[Jacob Senholt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one took longer to finish than some of Evola's other books. Personally I found the latter chapters on kundalini yoga and various practical instructions on pranayama more instructive and inspiring than the first longer sections on the broader philosofical and 'theological' principles behind the tantric and shaktic traditions.
Overall a fine introduction to the topic at hand, but only as a primer. A more thorough study of the primary sources would be needed, and it is not always easy to connect Evola's many digressions on different topics to the overall picture.
I am personally more interested in the kundalini aspects of yoga as a tool for self-empowerment and immortality, than using tantra as a transgressive antinomian path to self-realization. One also wonders to which degree Evola is talking from personal learnings and experience, and to which degree he is simply rehashing other people's teachings.
All it all still a valid contribution to the topic, and piqued my interest for learning more.

[IAO131 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally good treatment of primarily Hindu but also Buddhist tantrism. Basic information but drawn mostly from the source material of the tantras. Some interesting parallels with Western traditions are noted.

[Allison Stieger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Racist, misogynistic nonsense. Written by a fascist. Read only if you're a neo-nazi.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding exposition on the subject. Takes the best and most practical points of the Shiva Samhita, and of Arthur Avalon's work, and distills it in erudite fashion.

[Eugene Pustoshkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Перевод, увы, с английского и местами несколько странный (например, там, где уместно было бы, возможно, говорить о powers как о «силах» — в смысле, скажем, сверхспособностей, — идёт несколько странный, хотя понятный по намерению подвести всё под единый образец-шаблон, перевод powers как «могущества» во мн. ч.), хотя и читабельный. Сама книга, посвящённая шиваитско-шактистскому и буддийскому тантризму, выходит за пределы любых переводов и несёт в себе ценное содержание. Особенно понравилось сделанное Эволой изложение содержания тибетской книги мёртвых на основе классического перевода в издании Эванса-Вентца. Ещё понравилось приложение, посвящённое шактизму и движению «Верных любви» (к этому движению, по словам автора, принадлежал Данте). Благодаря этому приложению в обновлённом свете можно увидеть идеи Вечной Женственности, которые захватили поэтов и мыслителей Серебряного века. В общем, классический, харизматичный труд по теме тантризма.

[Hande Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely not suitable for beginners. There are many terms that one cannot understand if he/she is not into two Hindu movements, Tantrism and Shaktism.

[no.stache.nietzsche · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent critical overview of Evola's take on Hinduism, wherein he offers both an introduction to Hindu metaphysics, but with the specific purpose of countering Guenon's position were regarding the primacy of Vedanta and the lineage of Shankaracharya, which Evola argues is not so well suited to our particular modern/postmodern position in the manvantara- namely that of the nadir from Principle that is the depth of the Kali yuga, as is the left-hand Tantric path.

Evola believes Tantra is something of a reified version of the Aryan/Vedic mother goddess cult circa 3000BCE, which aims the kaula practitioner towards moksha by continual overcoming and deliberate transgression of social mores fit for the pashu normie. The text starts out theoretical, and becomes increasingly practical, eventually covering all the ~hawt topics like sex and drugs that give Tantra the edgy aura its most widely known for, although Evola remains insistent throughout that the purpose to which these means are employed in Tantra is power in transcendence- the exact opposite of the dissolution such substances typically induce in the average user.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and informative book. Evola is always great, I only gave it three stars because he is primarily passing information to a Western audience that is not as invested in the subject as he is. I enjoyed it but prefer his other work.

[Radu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Left-Hand Path yoga and Tantrism is an esoteric subject to get into and one I probably would have benefited from knowing a lot more about prior to reading this but it did prove to be insightful; the practical aspects of kundalini yoga were a lot more interesting than the philosophical and theological aspects, though it does highlight why quite a lot of degenerates and hippies have used the left-hand path traditions as a means to be transgressive rather than out of any desire for self-realisation or self-improvement.

[Christopher Carrico · Rating 4 out of 5]

In spite of how polar opposite my politics is from Evola's, I find him to be much more careful and true to the sources than 99 out of 100 of the hippie and New Age appropriations of these same traditions.

[Kjǫlsigʀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly excellent, even for the Baron - top shelf LHP reading.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely demolishes the misguided western impression that the history of spirituality in india can be summed up with tired stereotypes about breathing exercises done by smiling vegan gurus and establishes occasional parallels with initiatic mysteries in greece, egypt and medieval european alchemy.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful book.

[Carolina Dockham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't personally believe Western people are meant to practice Eastern spirituality, but this book i insightful regarding tantra.