The Sacred Conspiracy is a book that scratched many of my intellectual itches. From the interbellum years in general, to the French reception of Friedrich Nietzsche, then secret societies and occultism, and finally anti-authoritarianism. I was not disappointed at all with the contents of this book.

The book examines the Secret Society of Acéphale and it's exoteric arm of recruitment The College of Sociology. The secret society is focused on making a sacred institution in a post-Nietzschean world where "God is dead" and taking up the call to become more than human (Übermenschen). This sacred killing of God is symbolized by the headless, or decapitated, figure of Acéphale. Being French, there also existed a guillotine-happy anti-authoritarian meaning to this figure as well. The Society and the College both acknowledge Durkheim, Sade, and other thinkers as influences. In a political move, Bataille distances himself and the society from the Socialist and Surrealist movements while also making a case for an anti-Fascism and anti-Christian ethos. Thus positing Acéphale against damn near everyone in the larger interbellum world. (This is why you don't have any friends monsieur Bataille.)

The latter half of the book publishes papers from various members, both intended for the society and the college. These include rituals and initiatory information. Usually I'm not a fan of revealing such information as one of the things that makes something sacred is to set it apart. However, even though many members survived the Second World War, the society and college did not. Thus making the information "open" as many of the members have now passed on as well.

This is a great examination of an intellectual secret society, the zeitgeist of the interbellum years, and the evolution of the sacred in a post-God world. While the writings may seem dated to a contemporary reader, they are extremely world shaking for their respective time. While interviewed by the translators of this volume, many of the authors expressed that they had grown quite a bit through the society but all had also moved past it.

Unfortunately, the rest of humanity seems to be stuck repeating the errors of the early 20th century like a broken record. Perhaps it is time that we take it upon ourselves to decapitate our Kings and Gods, and endeavor to fill those shoes with our own creation of the sacred. After all, "There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt". ( )

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