One of the problems with Heathenry is that people are often well-versed in spotting the obvious cues of bad faith (winged othala, Sonnenrad, etc.), but not always aware of common dogwhistles or willing to dig a little deeper to double-check their sources. Especially in an environment where so many people know each other, it’s tempting to write off red flags because you know a guy who knows that guy and they say that guy’s cool.
Arcana Europa is a publishing imprint that aims to explore “interest in European esoteric traditions and how these traditions intersect with various aspects of history and culture, as well as examining often neglected aspects of folklore and mythology.” I’d given their site a cursory glance before and wasn’t terribly impressed. After seeing it shared again recently, I did a little bit more digging and was surprised to see how quickly the red flags started piling up. Part of the reason I’d been wary before was their logo felt uncomfortably close to evoking a swastika to me:
Their name also feels uncomfortably close to evoking Identity Evropa, a white supremacist group that was heavily involved in the 2017 Unite the Right rally (and coined one of the popular chants there, “You will not replace us”). Arcana Europa was founded in October of the same year, well after Identity Evropa had received a lot of negative press for their involvement in the UTR rally and other violent incidents.
Of course, both of these things could be total coincidence, which is why I did a little more digging to try to confirm or refute my suspicions. Based on the results, I feel there is ample evidence as to why someone who doesn’t want to support white supremacists would steer clear of purchasing their products.
For one thing, per their blog post on its origins, their name was inspired by a music festival:
Credit for coining the phrase “Arcana Europa” goes to Pedro Ortega and Alberto Monreal of Madrid, who edited and published the exceptional Spanish music magazine Maldoror during the late 1990s and the early years of the new millennium. In 2000 they collaborated to host a vibrant international festival of music and culture, which they called Arcana Europa, at various locations in Spain.
The same music festival they’re waxing lyrical about here involved enough extremist right-wing figures that it sparked a series of very pointed questions towards the EU commission from a former member of European Parliament:
…how can the Commission account for the decision to fund an event featuring performances by such musicians as the Austrian Gerhard Petrak (who uses the pseudonym Kadmon), belonging to the group Allerseelen, who has for some years been publishing material in extreme right-wing magazines in Germany and produces a pamphlet of his own entitled Aorta, in which he does homage to representatives of National Socialism, such as Karl-Maria Wiligut (SS brigade commander, creator of the SS death’s head, Himmler’s advisor on esoteric issues)?
Unfortunately, information on what other performers were at the festival is pretty thin on the ground, but Petak (who also goes by Gerhard Hallstatt) was still performing as of 2015, referred to National Socialism and democracy as both “systems with numerous dark sides,” and at one point praised the “Iron Guard” Romanian fascist movement in his fanzine Aorta (later Ahnstern).
That’s a pretty big red flag to start with, but there’s a lot more to look at than just that.
Founders / Editors
Michael J. Moynihan
Of the two cofounders/editors of Arcana Europa, Michael Moynihan has a significantly longer paper trail. In the early 90s, he started a publishing house called Storm Books, and in 1992, he edited an essay collection by James Mason, that he promoted for several years after. Mason was a notorious neo-Nazi who idolized Charles Manson, was affiliated with the Atomwaffen Division, and advocated for a white supremacist revolution through terrorism.
Moynihan also wrote the introduction for Siege:
“The SIEGE volume you hold in your hands is intended both as a guide and a tool. For the observer, or the curious, it serves as a guide through the netherworld of extremist political thought…. this book offers a unique and direct access-point to understanding the philosophy, tactics, and propaganda of an increasingly militant and uncompromising brand of National Socialism. … Secondly, and more importantly, this book is meant to serve as a practical tool. A majority of readers will hopefully not be mere sociologists or researchers, but rather that small faction of people who may be already predisposed towards these ideas. This certainly does not only refer to National Socialists, but revolutionaries and fanatics of all stripes.”
His band‘s first album, The Gospel of Inhumanity, was praised by far-right and neo-Nazi publications:
His album The Gospel of Inhumanity (1995) was favorably reviewed by far-right and neo-Nazi publications: the US Nazi skin journal Resistance (no. 6, 38) praised it as a “fascist symphony”. The album also brought Moynihan to the attention of the German neo-Nazi scene, a favorable review appearing in Einheit und Kampf. Das revolutionäre Magazin für Nationalisten (no. 18, p. 29, Aufruhr-Verlag, Bremen). (via Wikipedia)
In a 1994 interview, he discusses the inspiration for the name and logo of Blood Axis (emphasis added):
Of course I was well aware of the fascist connotation of the word “axis”, and accepted this willingly. In choosing the symbol for the project, the kruckenkreuz seemed appropriate for many reasons. I wanted something simple and distinct, visually representing an axis or unity. Additionally, it contains other powerful symbols within its form: sunwheels revolving either direction, four Thor’s hammers, etc.
The krückenkreuz was used by Austria’s Fatherland Front, a pre-WWII authoritarian nationalist organization. It bears a strong resemblance to both the Jerusalem cross and the iron cross, neither of which have positive connotations. And, of course, “sun wheel” is a euphemism for a swastika. In the same interview, he says (emphasis added):
Fascism is less connected to a specific personality, thus more openended. I wouldn’t say it encompasses my worldview, but it’s a step in the right direction. However, I will say that I have no problem whatsoever with accepting the political implications of these ideas, even though I’m not involved in politics per se. One must acknowledge that such ideas have consequences (often unpleasant ones) beyond mere abstract rhetoric and metaphor. As they say, “It comes with the territory.”
He then continues on to affirm his commitment to the ideals of James Mason and Charles Manson. In addition to referencing general pagan themes, Blood Axis also referenced völkisch concepts and figures.
In 1999, the Southern Poverty Law Center published a report about neo-Nazis infiltrating black metal, which referenced Moynihan (emphasis added):
Moynihan makes few bones about his views: “If fascism will restore some sense of order, discipline and responsibility to the world,” he told Compulsion Magazine, “then I am all for it.” Asked about the Holocaust, Moynihan told No Longer A Fanzine that “the number of six million [Jews murdered] is just arbitrary and inaccurate, and probably a gross exaggeration …. It’s not as if I’d be upset to find out the Nazis did commit every atrocity that’s been ascribed to them. I’d prefer it were true.””If I were given the opportunity to start up the next holocaust,” he added, “I would definitely have far more lenient entrance requirements than the Nazis did.”
(Compulsion #3 was published in 1993, No Longer A Fanzine #5 was published in 1994)
His criticism of the article was that it focused “on a few provocative statements” — not denying that he said any of it or apologizing for doing so. Even in a 2001 article largely focused on defending him in the wake of the SPLC report, there’s some…questionable takes (emphasis added):
“These people are worried about some skinhead takeover?” he says. “It’s not like the average black person in America, or someone in Thailand or Tibet, is really threatened by skinheads. What they’re threatened by is a global corporate monoculture that’s really going to divest them of power and destroy their culture. Not to sound like some progressive type or anything, but I actually do support the idea of a diversity of human groups surviving on earth. Different cultural traditions make the world interesting. In the United States, you have homogenous consumerism. Everyone buys the same clothes at the mall no matter what their heritage is. That’s a far more immediate threat to racial justice or identity than anything emanating from neo-Nazis.“
Stating that the average Black person in America isn’t really threatened by skinheads or that consumerism is a more immediate threat to racial justice than neo-Nazis is not the best take in general, and especially given a relatively recent (at the time) high-profile neo-Nazi shooting spree.
In 2016, he conducted an interview with Edred Thorsson, for Renegade Tribune, a white supremacist “news” site, whose other articles from the era include conspiracy theories about Jewish ritual sacrifice. (Their current articles are no better — my point is that at the time there is no way he could have pled ignorance as to what the site’s motives were.) This article was still live in September of 2018, but was taken down sometime between then and November of 2018. Arcana Europa was launched in October of 2018, which seems like a likely impetus for having it taken down.
He appears to be a big fan of Julius Evola, having edited English versions of his books in 2001 and 2002 and narrated audiobooks of Evola’s work as recently as 2023. Evola was considered the leading Italian “racial philosopher” of the time, alluded in his autobiography to having worked for the intelligence agency of the SS, and when on trial for glorifying fascism in 1951, he denied being a fascist, declaring himself a superfascist instead.
In recent years, he seems to have pivoted to a slightly subtler brand of bigotry. That said, he still keeps deeply questionable company (see below) and co-wrote a book about Nazi occultism in 2007 (with Edred Thorsson/Stephen Flowers, who is also questionable, as his co-author). His band has maintained the same name and logo, which seems like an odd choice if he wishes to disconnect himself from fascist movements, and he’s performed in front of that logo as recently as 2016.
Most notably, he has, at least as far as I can tell, never disputed, apologized, or made amends for his many openly horrific earlier statements. The farthest he’s gone is to dismiss them as intentionally provocative. Makes perfect sense — who among us hasn’t edited, published, and promoted a neo-Nazi anthology for a few years just to get a rise out of someone?
Joshua Buckley
Buckley has significantly less of a paper trail than Moynihan does, but he also has the dubious honor of being referenced in an SPLC report — this time, one published in 2006 about a former attorney for the KKK who started a tax lien and title acquisition business preying on Black communities:
The name may have been the idea of Dickson’s main business partner and heir apparent, 31-year-old Joshua Buckley. Like Dickson, Buckley took to extreme-right politics young, joining the violent neo-Nazi organization SS of America in 1991. (He is no longer a member.) … In business as in ideology, Buckley is Dickson’s protégé.
Dickson was still at it in 2017. Buckley appears to have actively been in business with him until he left Atlanta in 2009. As of 2017, he still had business ties to Dickson and owned property in Atlanta.
In 2016 and 2017, Buckley wrote and published blog posts for Operation Werewolf, a fascist fitness cult founded by Paul Waggener. Waggener also founded the white supremacist Heathen group Wolves of Vinland. One of the “wolves” was sentence to 2.5 years in jail in 2013 for setting fire to a historical Black church in Virginia.
It’s a relatively minor note, but in the second of those two posts, he extolls the virtues of passive income:
The second—and perhaps more ambitious—way to buy your own freedom is by creating passive income streams that leave you with plenty of non-working hours. This might involve accumulating rental properties, or buying small businesses like self-service car washes or Laundromats that generate money without requiring full-time maintenance.
This is an especially sinister statement, given the context of co-running a predatory real estate business with a former Klan lawyer.
Authors they publish
There are several questionable authors included in the back issues of Tyr and the Arcana Europa catalog, including:
Stephen McNallen
Stephen McNallen of AFA fame, who publicly expressed agreement with and support for the fourteen words in 2017 and who spoke at a conference sponsored by “America’s foremost white advocacy publication” in 2023. McNallen is a notorious white supremacist who attended the 2017 Unite the Right rally to honor his Confederate ancestors, and, at least as of 2021, was running a whites-only Heathen group in California.
If this section is short, it’s mostly because McNallen is such a well-known bad actor that providing exhaustive sources as such isn’t considered necessary in most peoples’ eyes. He’s in past issues of Tyr and wrote the foreword for Thorsson’s Book of Troth, which is still in the 2022 edition.
Alain de Benoist
Alain de Benoist, a co-founder of Nouvelle Droite (a neofascist movement that openly opposes multiculturalism in all forms) and leader of GRECE (an ethnonationalist think tank). Richard Spencer has listed him as a major influence, and he’s widely recognized as a neofascist (and has been for decades). Arcana Europa has published two books from Benoist and multiple contributions to Tyr.
Collin Cleary
Collin Cleary, whose best/worst claim to fame is a 2012 essay titled “Ásatrú & the Political,” in which he makes the claim that separating Asatru from white nationalism is impossible:
I regard Ásatrú and White Nationalism as so inseparably bound to one another that to espouse Ásatrú while rejecting White Nationalism is to involve oneself in a fatal contradiction (fatal, really, in more than just the logical sense).
He goes on to conflate Asatru and Odinism, complain about the decline of white birthrates (a common white supremacist talking point), and whine about anti-white racism. In 2011, he published a book through Counter Currents, an organization dedicated to “promoting white identity politics.” Moynihan (along with Stephen McNallen and Edred Thorsson) wrote an enthusiastic blurb for the book, in spite of who was publishing it.
Cleary has been in every issue of Tyr, including the most recent one in 2018, and was in fact a founding editor of the journal with Buckley and Moynihan.
Edred Thorsson / Stephen Flowers
Edred Thorsson / Stephen Flowers, who has a host of well-documented issues, including a longstanding friendship and association with Stephen McNallen. In a 2016 interview on a white supremacist propaganda site (conducted by Moynihan, as referenced above), Thorsson referred to McNallen as “the guiding light of American Asatru” and said he considered McNallen a friend and colleague. The AFA (again, a recognized hate group) currently owns the rights to many of his books and has since 2013. Thorsson has never expressed any displeasure about that fact.
He’s also been interviewed on Red Ice TV (“the CNN of the alt-right,” which had previously posted an interview with the editor of the Daily Stormer) in 2016 and has an ongoing obsession with redeeming Nazi occultism. For example:
For him, National Socialist and SS symbolism contain a “great and dark historical significance, whose cause is now intelligible only to those who have the ability to see beyond good and evil to extract the Noble even from that which is base in the eyes of the mob.” He goes on to argue that “its symbolic quality has little […] to do with the political aims of National Socialism, or with its criminal behavior,” and he maintains that the forms it used remain “fascinating and worthwhile,” cf. Edred, History of the Rune-Gild, iii (The Reawakening of the Gild 1980–2005), 9 (source)
Thorsson has been featured in multiple issues of Tyr and has several books published through Arcana Europa. One of those books is a history of the rune gild, published in 2019, in which (according to Cleary, writing a review for Counter Currents, both mentioned previously) he’s “very generous” with his praise of McNallen. The book was published well after McNallen’s white supremacy was undeniably in full public view.
Robert N. Taylor
Robert N. Taylor, who spoke at the 2012 Folkish Summer Hallowing (hosted by Irminfolk, an “Odinist” group that uses white supremacist symbols) and, with his band Changes, performed with Stephen McNallen in 2013. His many interviews give very little room for doubt as to where he lies on the political spectrum and his friendship with Moynihan goes back to the early-mid 90s (when, as you’ll recall, Moynihan was very active in promoting neo-Nazi ideology). He also references that longstanding friendship in a 2012 interview where he spouts racist conspiracy theories (see below).
In a 2006 interview, he referred to a riot of “ethnic whites” in 1957 in Chicago and described it as being “more a case of fear than hate.” After all, “[i]t was no secret that once blacks predominated in an area, the crime rate would soar and the streets would become dangerous to walk.” The only riot I can find mention of during that timeframe was in Calumet Park, when six to seven thousand white people attacked about a hundred Black picnickers because they were in an area of the park “reserved” for whites.
My estimate of the time is based on his claim in that interview that he was 12 at the time of the riot (per the Arcana Europa promo post, he was born in 1945). However, in another interview, he goes into more detail, and is clearly referencing the 1965 incident where an undermanned firetruck killed a 23 year old Black woman. Taylor’s claim is that the entire incident was planned, as he had heard stories that “blacks were making firebombs in their garages, and there were people going around door-to-door, trying to generate participants in riots, and so forth.” Whether he was blatantly lying about his age in the first interview (as he would have been 20 in 1965, not 12) or there was more than one riot that he “accidentally” attended is anyone’s guess.
In Arcana Europa’s 2017 promotion of his book, they reference Taylor’s history with the Minutemen (a violent, militant conservative group) in a hand-waving fashion, as though it’s hardly worth mentioning. Compare that to the way Taylor enthusiastically described that time in an interview (emphasis added):
By the time I was 24 years old I was the editor of the organization’s publication, On Target as well as the national spokesman for the group. My involvement lasted through most of the years of the organization’s existence. What made On Target uniquely different from other anti-communist or right-wing publications was that in addition to articles and commentary on various current issues, it also contained names, addresses and phone numbers of its assumed communist and liberal enemies.
Often literal dossiers on such people were featured. Combine the slogan, cross-hair masthead, and such detailed information on perceived enemies, and the potential threat was implied, without ever being actually stated. … Before you start your next smear campaign, before you murder again, before you railroad another patriot into a mental institution…better think it over. … These patriots are not going to let you take their freedom away from them. They have learned the silent knife, the strangler’s chord, the target rifle that hits sparrows at 200 yards. Only their leaders restrain them. Traitors beware! Even now the cross-hairs are on the back of your necks.
All of these stances were exceptionally well-documented by 2017. I cannot think of any possible justification for working with a man who has made statements like that and never publicly walked them back, despite ample opportunity to do so.
Aki Cederberg (and promoting Survive the Jive)
Aki Cederberg, who previously wrote a book with a title (“Journeys in the Kali Yuga”) referencing the philosophies of Evola, the “superfascist” that Moynihan also has an ongoing fascination with. His book published through Arcana Europa, Holy Europe, is described as an “openly nationalist, pro-European work” on a site dedicated to “promoting white identity politics.” This book takes direct aim at multiculturalism, saying “[c]ountries that aggressively advocate for multiculturalism often stifle the culture of the native population,” and, of course, blames Muslims for much of Europe’s “cultural decline.” Later in the book, he goes on to write:
Whether we like it or not, Europe is under assault in a spiritual war. Against it are positioned external forces, which seek to undermine, weaken, and finally vanquish the spiritual landscapes and traditions of Europe, and to subjugate both Europe’s inner and outer world to serve its own ends. … We let every natural truth be turned upside down. We watch as every tradition is uprooted. We allow it all in the name of progress and multiculturalism.
In promoting Holy Europe, Cederberg was interviewed on Survive the Jive. If you’re not familiar with Survive the Jive, a YouTube show run by Tom Roswell (with a not terribly subtle name), here’s a little bit of background on him (emphasis added):
Rowsell officiates the Hearth of Devon, a group that was, until 2023, affiliated to the Odinist Fellowship, a folkish Heathen group. … In December 2023, Rowsell attended a gathering of the private members club Neo Byzantium, an offshoot of the Human Diversity Foundation, a race science company exposed by HOPE not hate. He was filmed bemoaning “negrophilia” among Americans, calling it “their primary vice”, and further criticised the French for being “especially enamoured with blacks.”
And, although their social media profiles haven’t been terribly active, they have been promoting a lot of interviews with Cederberg…including, in May, linking out to that interview:
It would be a struggle to argue the merits of associating with someone who has said the kinds of things that Roswell has said, which begs the question…why promote this man? Why go on his show to be interviewed at all?
Summary
Arcana Europa publishes white supremacists and is run by two people who have multiple well-documented links to white nationalist groups and figures going back decades and continuing into the present day, one of whom spent many years actively spreading neo-Nazi propaganda. As far as I can tell, neither of them has ever made any effort to promote anti-fascist or pro-equality ideology as loudly as they have white supremacy, or has even fully disowned their previous statements or associations.
By contrast, one of the authors published in Tyr, Jack Donovan, openly disavowed his connections with the alt-right after the Unite the Right rally in August 2017 and said in 2020 that he wished white nationalists would burn his books and stop following him. He also stated that he chose to be associated with the alt-right during a difficult time in his life and was trying to put the association behind him. This is arguably the bare minimum after engaging in the kind of public discourse that Donovan did. And it is still a bar that the editors and many of the authors at Arcana Europa do not meet. Given all of this information, we can only suggest that your money and time is better spent elsewhere.