Pekka Siitoin founded the occult group called Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences (Turun Hengentieteen Seura) on September 1, 1971.[1]
Activities
editThe society stated its founding principles as “promot[ing] nationalist patriotic activity [and] development of Aryan spirituality". The society also stated opposition to capitalism, communism amd "the Jewish religion based on Jehovah’s tyranny.” Speakers included Aino Kassinen, personal clairvoyant of Marshal Mannerheim, President Risto Ryti, and Johannes Virolainen.[1] The honorary chairman of the society was Boris Popper, white emigre satanist and ex-gulag inmate.[2] Popper would make incidentiary speeches against Jewish people and communism in the society's premises. Another prominent member was ex-French Foreign Legion soldier Timo Pekkala, who acted as a military trainer for Siitoin's other neo-Nazi group Popular Patriotic Front.[3] The Society allegedly performed satanic orgies which researcher of religion Pekka Iitti opined might not be "far off from the truth".[4]
Although Siitoin bragged the Society had 1000 members, the meetings usually had "about 50" attendees at most.[5]
The communists in Finnish parliament inquired about the society, whether its activities would harm the relations with the Soviet Union.[6] The society was banned in July 1977. However, Siitoin would go on to form several, even more openly neo-Nazi groups.[7] Several of the perpetrators of Kursiivi printing house arson in November 1977 were members of the society.[8]
Press
editThe society operated its own printing house that published books on paranormal, satanism, occultism and holocaust denial, most of which were written by Siitoin. According to Yleisradio, the press was notable during its time for publishing Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, or the Black Bible and making it accessible in Finnish.[9]
Theology
editSiitoin believed in neo-Gnosticism and Theosophy and combined these with antisemitism and satanism. To him, Lucifer, Satan and Jesus were subordinate to the Monad, and could be worshiped together. According to Siitoin Moses invented magic, but jealous Demiurge-Jehova seeks to obscure its knowledge from the gentiles. These are combined with elements of Finnish folk magic.[10][11][12]
Legacy
editIn 2010, a group calling themselves Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences was founded. In 2012 they held a ritual to "consecrate Finland to Satan". About 500 people said on Facebook that they would attend the event, but its unknown how many actually did attend.[13]
See also
edit- Process Church, organization with similar theology
- Order of Nine Angles, a notorious nazi-satanist group
References
edit- ^ a b Häkkinen, Perttu; Iitti, Vesa (2022). Lightbringers of the North: Secrets of the Occult Tradition of Finland. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-64411-464-3. p. 133
- ^ Aleksi Mainio : Terroristien pesä. Suomi ja taistelu Venäjästä 1918–1939. Siltala 2015, luku "Pomminheittäjä saapuu Brysselistä", sivut 255-261
- ^ Häkkinen, Iitti 2022 p.137, 147
- ^ Häkkinen, Iitti 2022 p.142
- ^ Häkkinen, Iitti 2022 p.116
- ^ Häkkinen, Iitti 2022 p.122
- ^ Häkkinen, Iitti 2022 p.147
- ^ "Pekka Siitoin Was the New Face of Neo-Fascism in Finland [in Finnish]". Finnish Broadcasting Company. 4 May 2015. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
- ^ "Rivologiaa ja salatieteitä: Turun metsissä on manattu henkiä ja tuomiokirkostakin löytyy pentagrammi". Yleisradio. 31 October 2024.
- ^ Western Esotericism in Scandinavia, 2016, p. 326-328. Edited by Henrik Bogdan and Olav Hammer.
- ^ Granholm, Kennet. “‘Worshipping the Devil in the Name of God’: Anti-Semitism, Teosophy and Christianity in the Occult Doctrines of Pekka Siitoin.” Journal for the Academic Study of Magic, no. 5 (2009): 256–286.
- ^ Pasanen, T. (2021). Christus verus Luciferus, Demon est Deus Inversus: Pekka Siitoin’s Spiritism Board. Temenos - Nordic Journal for the Study of Religion, 57(2), 181–207. https://doi.org/10.33356/temenos.107763
- ^ ""Suomen vihkiminen Saatanalle" on parodiaa". Kotimaa. 31 October 2024.