The True Way of the ONA

Let us be quite clear what the Way of the Order of Nine Angles involves - it involves both magickal and practical experience: practical experience as manifest, for example, in undertaking the Grade Rituals [see the Order MS A Complete Guide to the Seven-Fold Way], and their associated tasks, and manifest in undertaking Aeonic Insight Rôles; practical tasks which through direct, challenging, dangerous, experience breed personal character, self-insight, and the beginnings of Aeonic understanding. "Theoretical study" is only ever a beginning; a prelude; a mere means to inspire action in-the-world, for it is action which breeds experience, tests and creates real individual character. The Way of the ONA involves real heresy - it involves defying the norms, the laws, of the society the individual finds themselves in: it involves a quest to transcend beyond the labels, the isms, the categories, the restrictions, imposed upon us by governments, by laws, by organizations, by "ideas". The Way of the ONA involves striving to change, to disrupt, society, other individuals, governments - any and all forms - so that by such practical presencing of the sinister, genuine sinister change and thus evolution will occur.

The Way of the ONA involves the individual working mostly unaided - with perhaps some guidance from someone who has followed the Way. That is, it is a true Left Hand Path Way, unlike nearly all other "ways", groups, organizations, which claim to be sinister and which lyingly claim to be breeding individual enlightenment. As written elsewhere:
 

"The LHP in its methods is non-structured. In the genuine LHP there is nothing that is not permitted - nothing that is forbidden or restricted. That is, the LHP means the individual takes sole responsibility for their actions and their quest. This makes the LHP both difficult and dangerous - its methods can be used as an excuse for anti-social behaviour as they can be used to aid the fetishes and weaknesses of some individuals as well as lead some into forbidden and illegal acts. However, the genuine Initiate of the LHP is undertaking a quest, and as such is seeking something: that is, there is a dynamic, an imperative about their actions as well as the conscious understanding and appreciation that all such actions are only a part of that quest; they are not the quest itself. This arises because the LHP Initiate is seeking mastery and self-knowledge these being implicit in such an Initiation. Accordingly, the LHP Initiate sees methods as merely methods; experience as merely experience. Both are used, learned from and then discarded.

Because of this, the LHP is by its nature ruthless - the strong of character win through, the weak go under. There are no `safety nets' of any kind on the LHP - there is no dogma or ideology to rely on, no one to provide comfort and soften the blows, no organization, individual or `Being' to run to when things get difficult and which will provide support and sympathy and understanding. Or which, just as importantly, takes away the responsibility of the Initiate for their deeds."      (The LHP - An Analysis)

The follower of the Way of the ONA must find their own contacts; must form their own ceremonial group; must find their own "magickal partner". That is, they must put into practice the philosophy, the ethos, of the sinister Way itself: the Way of the elite, of those strong defiant individuals who desire to exult in life and who desire to change, to evolve, to achieve more than ordinary mortals.

The Way of the ONA also involves successfully undertaking some interesting physical challenges, with the aim of achieving something difficult, the acceptance and undertaking of which challenge strengthens the individual physically and mentally (and often imbues them with a physical exultation), and success in which challenges breeds a stronger, more satanic, personality. Thus, ONA Initiates are expected to set themselves minimum standards such as, for men, walking thirty-two miles in less than seven hours in hilly terrain; running twenty miles in hilly terrain in less than two and a half hours; and cycling one hundred miles in under five and a half hours. For women, the acceptable minimum standards are: walking twenty-seven miles in hilly terrain in less than seven hours; running twenty miles in hilly terrain in less than three hours; cycling one hundred miles in under six and one quarter hours. Furthermore, External Adepts - having achieved all the former goals - are expected to set themselves more challenges, such as, for men: (a) walking thirty-two miles, in hilly terrain, in under seven hours while carrying a pack weighing at least 30 pounds; (b) running twenty-six miles in four hours; (c) cycling two hundred or more miles in twelve hours. For women, the minimum acceptable standards are: (a) walking twenty-seven miles in under seven hours while carrying a pack weighing at least 15 pounds; (b) running twenty-six miles in four and a half hours; (c) cycling one hundred and seventy miles in twelve hours. In addition, those who have already achieved such goals in such activities are expected to set themselves even more demanding goals.

The Way of the ONA also and most importantly involves striving to change others, society - striving to provoke change; striving to disrupt; to Presence the Dark, the sinister itself. That is, it is not a reclusive Way - it is and is meant to be dangerous; it is and is meant to encourage genuine and open defiance of norms, of laws, of governments, of all those things that keep individuals in thrall and which prevent them from exulting in life and taking themselves to higher levels of existence.


As has been said and written many times, all these, and other, things make the Way of the ONA difficult. Many become interested; some may even begin to follow the Way. But few continue once difficulties arise. Individuals begin to make excuses for their failure to throw themselves, Satanically, into life, for their failure to exult - for their failure to challenge themselves in all the ways they can and should and must be challenged to exult, to learn, to evolve, to inspire others.

Some of these failures indulge themselves with fantasy - too afraid for instance to do an Insight Rôle or take themselves to their limits in physical and moral terms. Some of these failures indulge themselves with trying to make-up their own easy "way", cobbled together from all the theories, ideas, forms, or whatever, that they have imbibed - cobbling such a "way" together because they simply do not have the guts to be sinister in real life. Some of these failures - who have never done anything Satanic, let alone tried to follow our Way with sincerity - even begin to criticize the Way of the ONA, perhaps hoping thereby to detract attention from their failure to live in a sinister way, shouting in their childish way that "you don't need to do such things anymore..." - especially in reference to the culling of opfers; Insight Rôles, such things as the Grade Ritual of Internal Adept, and disrupting society in a practical, revolutionary, way. Some of these failures like the Satanic, the sinister, ethos - but do not have the inner strength, the sinister intent, to defy the norms, the laws, the forms, of "society", of governments, by doing real heretical deeds - by being a genuine revolutionary, for instance.

Whatever - there are as many excuses for failing to act Satanically as there are failures. Such people, such failures, will be around for a long time yet - but the Way of the ONA, with all of the techniques and teachings and methods now fairly openly available, gives those who dare the chance to excel, to defy, to strive, to take themselves, and others, to the Dark Realms Beyond from where Chaos, Change and evolution arise.

Anton Long

Order of Nine Angles 

First issued 115 yf
(Revised 116 yf)