By Ainakhil of the OwlClan
Originally published in the Survivorship Journal, Vol. 10 No. 3, Winter, 2000.
Nazi ideology is a component of many abusive belief systems. It can be difficult to identify at first because many of the trigger symbols and dates are similar to ones used in other groups, including Satanist, Christian, and pagan groups and people involved in practicing different forms of “magic.”
The Nazi party was formed in the early 1900’s, but its roots go back much further. Adolph Hitler, the man who guided Nazism into power, had a deep fascination with the paranormal, ancient beliefs and religions, and any practice that could bring him power. He borrowed symbology from ancient Norse and Germanic cultures, from alchemy, from various mystic ideologies, and from his country’s history. He vilified anyone he believed opposed him or might oppose him and decreed that their symbols be banned. Survivors thus end up triggered both by symbols of the Nazis and by symbols of other peoples or groups that the Nazis opposed.
Nazism has survived today in several forms. In addition to blatantly Nazi and Neo-Nazi groups, most white supremacist groups have Nazi ties and so do some cults claiming to be Christian.
Specific Dates
Most of the trigger dates for survivors of Nazi-based abuse correspond to dates important in World War II history – births and deaths of Nazi leaders, important battles won or lost, political happenings, etc. Other dates were chosen by Hitler himself. Hitler wished to eradicate any public religious observances or holidays and to replace them with a winter and summer holiday and lesser spring and fall holidays corresponding to the equinoxes and solstices.
Individual groups may celebrate certain dates more strongly than other ones and may also add in their own dates, such as the leader’s birthday, the date of the founding of the group, the death of an important member, etc.
The Basic Nazi Calendar
- January 12: Birth of both Rosenburg and Goering, Nazi leaders in World War II.
- January 30: Hitler named Chancellor of Germany.
- February 14 (may be 15 or 16): I am not sure of the reason behind this one, but some Nazi-programmed survivors report being very triggered on this day.
- Late Feb/ early March: Ash Wednesday, beginning of Lent, the pre-Easter season (see Easter).
- Late March/April: Palm Sunday, week before Easter.
- April 20: Hitler’s birthday.
- Late March/April: Maundy Thursday, Good (black) Friday, Easter. The year Hitler was born, his birth fell directly on Easter, so Easter and associated days are associated with Hitler.
- April 30: Anniversary of Hitler’s death, associated with May Day, the next day.
- May 1: May Day/Beltaine, one of the dates Hitler proposed to set up as a holiday. Hitler wished to wipe out various religious holidays and replace them with solar-year based celebrations and dates commemorating Nazi achievements.
- June 6: D-Day. Any Allied victory or Nazi defeat in World War II is used as a day to renew loyalty to the Nazi cause. Nazi youth are given various trials and punishments designed to make them stronger, and people the Nazis perceive as the enemy are punished. The particular dates emphasized vary from group to group.
- June 21 or 22: Summer Solstice, another proposed solar holiday.
- July 29: Hitler proclaimed leader of the Nazi party.
- Early August through October: Various preparations are done in readiness for October, the month with the largest number of celebrated dates.
- September 21/22: autumnal equinox, “Fall Festival.”
- Late September through early October: Six months from Easter. Hitler’s “half birthday” is often commemorated. Ceremonies are similar to those on Easter. This date usually starts the October observances.
- October 16: Death of Rosenburg, a leader in World War II. Many Nazi leaders were captured and scheduled for trial in late September and early October. Most of them killed themselves prior to trial.
- October 19: Death of Hermann Goering, a Nazi leader.
- October 31 and November 1: All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day, thought to be significant in some esoteric traditions.
- November 9: Beer hall Putsch rebellion, the date Hitler declared the Nazi party the leaders of Germany. A few years later, in 1938, Krystalnacht, (the “Night of Broken Glass”) happened on this date.
- Late November through early December: Beginning of Advent. Hitler wished to wipe out all religious holidays and replace them with his own. Christmas and associated days became a target of this attempt and are associated with bizarre, mocking rituals.
- December 21/22: Winter Solstice, the solar winter holiday Hitler wished to implement in place of Christmas.
- December 24/25: Christmas.
Other observed dates vary from group to group. They may commemorate group leaders’ birthdays or death days, for example.
Hitler also devised ceremonies meant to eventually replace Christian rituals in the New Order. For example, Naming Rites were to replace Christian baptism.
Dates with repeating numbers were very important to the Nazis. For example, 06-06 (June 6); 09-09 (September 9); 9-9-99 is even more important because the year follows the pattern.
The number “8” is used as a code or anagram for Hitler, because H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. The date August 8 (8-8) is often a triggering day for Nazi/Neo-Nazi survivors and is used by some groups as the “ kick-off” to the fall series of rituals, building through the anniversaries of important Nazi dates through September and October and finishing with Krystalnacht, November 9.
Groups with Nazi Influences
After World War II, some high ranking Nazis escaped and gained asylum in other countries on the basis of their skills and knowledge. The United States was one of those countries. United States officials and officials in other countries wanted to know if the Nazi doctors and researchers had come up with anything they could use.
Many forms of high-level programming, including Monarch, Military, and Greek Letter programming were strongly influenced by these people. There is also evidence suggesting that the Illuminati, a secret society devoted to gaining material and psychic power, was and is closely working with the Nazis.
Symbols and Imagery
There are many symbols that are commonly used by Nazis, Neo-Nazis, and groups with Nazi influences. Some are more well known than others. There are also uniforms, robes, colors, and imagery that are commonly used. Some of them are:
- The swastika: This is probably the most well known Nazi symbol. Originally, it was a representation of the sun. Adolph Hitler used it on the flag of the Nazi party. The flag was a black swastika centered on a white circle against a bright red background.
- The lightening bolt or runic S: This symbol was used by Nazi soldiers and by the secret police. Originally, it stood for the letter “S” in an old Germanic alphabet. It looks very much like a lightening bolt, and some Nazi groups use this similarity as a mnemonic in programming, associating the symbol with programming techniques such as electroshock.
- The death’s head: The death’s head is a skull, sometimes with bones crossed behind or beneath it. It looks pretty much like the skull and crossbones shown in pirate movies. Many religions and cultures view skulls as the containers of knowledge or life, and Hitler adopted the symbol from them.
- Oak leaves: Oak leaves and acorns are often seen on Nazi military decorations, but they have a much broader history. Many, many different cultures have considered the oak to be a symbol of strength or bravery. The Nazis simply adopted the symbol from older German military wear.
- The eagle: Eagles are also common in Nazi military decorations and have a similar history to oak leaves.
- Distorted religious symbols: The Nazis wished to abolish all religion, and so distorted many religious symbols, especially Jewish and Christian ones.
- Broken glass: On the night of November 9, 1938, Nazi troops broke into the homes and businesses of all the Jews they could find, destroying, killing, looting, and breaking things. The next morning there was so much broken glass on the streets that the people called the night Krystalnacht, or “Night of Broken Glass.” Later Nazi training has used this image as a symbol for destroying anything they consider “bad.” People being trained in Nazi groups are programmed to punish themselves by jumping through windows or running head first into plate glass doors if they do or consider doing something against their programming. The sight of cracked or smashed glass can trigger self-destruct or obedience programs.
- Roses: During World War II, there was a resistance organization in Germany known as the White Rose. The Nazis very much wanted to destroy the organization and anyone in it. In representation of this, roses have developed great meaning in Nazi groups. A white rose is a symbol of a traitor or a problem. Blood falling onto a white rose, a red rose, or blood dripping from the thorns of a rose are symbols for destroying the problem. A purple rose is a symbol of death and mourning. A black rose is a symbol of things being all right.
- Spider webs: The spider web is used in programming as a symbol of a trap. It is sometimes used in conjunction with broken glass programming.
- Uniforms: The dress uniform for most Nazi troops was some variation on a black uniform with a white shirt. Decorations on the sleeves, cuffs, and chest included swastikas, lightening bolts, oak leaves, and eagles. Members of the SS, the Schutz Staffel (German for “protection squad”), Hitler’s personal troops, wore double lightening bolts on their collars. Uniforms included tall boots, several styles of hats, and black trench coats and/or capes.
- Colors: The most common Nazi colors are black, red, white, and purple. Silver is used interchangeably with white.
None of these symbols, images, or colors are “bad” in and of themselves. They can have either positive or negative connotations. The swastika started out as a stylized picture of the sun, a symbol of warmth and life. The lightening bolt S was just S in another alphabet. Leaves, flowers, and birds are just leaves, flowers, and birds. Spider webs are made by spiders, which eat flies. Breaking glass is fine if it doesn’t injure anyone or destroy property.
(As an aside, a good alternative for alters who want to break glass is to spray cookie sheets with non-stick cooking spray and then freeze water in them. When it is frozen, the ice can be removed in large chunks and broken, thrown, etc. in a safe place. It looks and sounds a lot like glass, but is much safer and easier to clean up.)
Recovering from Nazi abuse, like recovering from any other form of abuse, is painful, but it can be done. As with some other forms of ritual abuse, it can be complicated by moral issues with Nazi beliefs. The Nazis hurt a lot of people; they caused the Holocaust. They are still spreading a lot of hurt and damage. But what about Nazi groups that teach loyalty, courage, or strength along with the rest of their beliefs? Are these values bad too?
The solution is to look at what they wrdere really teaching, not just what they said they were teaching, and listen to your heart. Killing a member who “disobeyed” is not really exhibiting loyalty to the group – it is the group hurting someone. Forcing a child to undergo torture does not promote courage or strength; it hurts the child. Real strength comes from knowing and accepting yourself, not from using power to hurt others.
People who have been in Nazi-run groups or Nazi-influenced groups can heal. You can get out. You can recover. If you know of or suspect Nazi abuse in your past, you are not alone.
References
If you want to learn more about Nazi beliefs, history, or symbols; or about related cultic groups, some good references are:
Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement with the Occult by Peter Levanda.
The SS: Hitler’s Instrument of Terror by Gordon Williamson.
Waffen SS: Hitler’s Black Guard at War by Christopher Ailsby.
Hitler’s Fatal Sickness and Other Secrets of the Nazi Leaders by John K. Lattimer.
German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945 by Brian L Davis.
Cover-Up of the Century by Daniel Ryder.
WARNING: Most of these web resources are very triggering. Some have very graphic pictures and descriptions. Use them with care.
http://www.blackcrossmilitaria.com/ A site that sells war memorabilia. It is a good place to find pictures of Nazi items and symbols.
https://web.archive.org/web/20010517023318/http://www.goodnet.com/~beltram/ A good site for pictures.
http://www.worldwar-2.net/ A timeline of events in World War II. A good place to look for dates relating to Nazis.
https://web.archive.org/web/20020227222158/http://www.igc.apc.org/iearn/hgp/aeti/aeti-1997/white-rose.html. About the formation of the WHite Rose.
https://web.archive.org/web/20021202205726/http://members.aol.com/poloboy02/nazi1.htm. Biographies of selected Nazi doctors.
https://web.archive.org/web/20021216230917/http://www.fatherryan.org/holocaust/. A history of the Holocaust
http://www.Survivorship.org. Survivor support site.