The Path of Cinnabar: An Intellectual Autobiography Paperback – 11 Jun. 2009

Almost every age produces its thinkers - but few produce thinkers who do not 'think to order' - in other words, whose minds do not simply follow the path laid out by society and surroundings. Even among such independent thinkers, few go beyond a specific field of study; even rarer are those whose horizons are not limited to their own culture. Thus an individual who breaks sharply with the prevailing opinions of his time and place, and masters and musters the knowledge of numerous fields and civilizations to develop, consolidate and defend his own Weltanschaaung, is more than a mere thinker; indeed, for such men, nothing less than the title of 'genius' does them justice. Such a man was Baron Julius Cesare Evola.The Path of Cinnabar is Baron Evola's intellectual autobiography - a personal review of his contributions in art, philosophy, spirituality, history and a number of other fields. Cinnabar, in Chinese alchemy, symbolizes yang, but the title may also be a reference to the final phase of the alchemical 'Great Work' - the reddening 'which consists of the reaffirmation of the virile sovereign nature' (page 120). The metaphor is apt, since the radical reactionary's works were, one and all, dedicated to upholding the transcendent, absolute, heroic principles of Tradition against the materialistic, superficial, transient character of the modern world.The tome consists of fifteen chapters, and an appendix that contains a number of post-war interviews of Baron Evola. The former are in approximately chronological order, but are thematic in nature, with separate chapters considering Idealism, paganism, Catholicism, Buddhism, racism, among other themes - all in relation to the perspective of Tradition. Arranging the chapters under different sections related to the main phases of the author's life would have assisted the reader greatly in obtaining some understanding of how the various parts constitute the whole; unfortunately, this was not done. Consequently, this book lacks the over-arching structure that characterizes Baron Evola's finest works, such as Revolt Against the Modern World, and The Doctrine of Awakening.The Path of Cinnabar is the first hand account of the struggle of a traditional man who found himself in the twentieth century. The author himself was acutely aware of his situation, stating 'Like a lost soldier, I have sought to join a departed army by my own means', - and his oeuvre can be understood as a set of instructions for others who seek to rejoin the ranks of Tradition. This intellectual autobiography is a summary and commentary on these instructions, as well as a valuable source of background information related to his works. Hence, the Path of Cinnabar is meant more for readers who are already familiar with the author's other writings rather than those who are encountering Evolian thought for the first time.The style of the book is narrative, albeit interspersed with critical argumentation and judgements; in contrast to the other works of the author, it contains a considerable amount of (often negative) commentary on his contemporaries. This is not altogether bad, since it provides a rare insight into the intense intellectual ferment that characterized inter-war Europe - an insight that is greatly facilitated by the concise, yet informative footnotes provided by the editor John B. Morgan. These notes provide a fascinating panorama of the last efflorescence of Occidental thought before the American occupation emasculated the European mind - a tragedy that continues to this day.A man who is born into an age that is not his own, will generally find himself selecting one of three main options: suicide, solitude, or struggle against the tide. Baron Evola nearly took the first alternative in his youth, but ultimately opted for the third, and never wavered from it. The Path of Cinnabar is his account of this lifetime of opposition to the modern world, and of the principles he championed in its stead: the tale of a kshatriya who chose to fight against hopeless odds, rather than lay down his arms.This is one the few books that can be judged by its cover.