I also believe the whole album Hunky Dory pivots on this theme.

Bowie had just had a kid and was wanting a happier simpler life and so was becoming critical and weary of the Nazi philosophy. He is not rejecting these ideas totally however and song for Bob Dylan is quite openly hostile to Dylan’s Judaism and even accusing of Dylan (as a jew) of stealing his unity and (simpler) family (values).

The reason I think people have so much trouble understanding this album is that they tend to be very black and white about things like Nazism and secret societies and so it is hard to see that a person can be a Nazi but also be growing tired and cynical about the whole thing.

The Bewlay brothers seems very plainly about whoever was running the occult society meetings Bowie was part of – including references to where they were held and what went on at them. Again the tone is jaded weary and even somewhat frightened – but still there is the sentimental memory of what these meetings once evoked in him in the past.

I am not certain about the Velvet Underground song Queen Bitch but I think it might be Bowie kind of lamenting that he didn’t join that scene instead – because as he says in the song “Oh lord I could do better than that” so maybe Queen bitch is Andy Warhol – mentioned again but veiled – and Bowie is saying he could have taken over that scene (it could have been me – why didn’t I stay).

So again I would suggest that the whole album is a critique of Nazi / Nietzschean philosophy – but not a total rejection of it. Like him alone in his bed in Queen bitch, in the wasteland of a failed philosophy (I don’t have the power anymore) longing for something a bit more earthy and loving (Kooks, song for Bob Dylan) or glam (the Warhol scene).

I read this as a reference to the invention of religion as a great salvation, and Bowie’s conclusion that religion (especially Christianity)is bullshit, as is the faith.But human logic says there must be something Godlike, and he is tied to that because of his upbringing/culture.
His references to Himmler/Crowley are merely tangents of thought,comparisons, or if you like examples, of people who see things completely differently to the western model. THere is no way either of these men could have subscribed to the concept of God/Heaven v. Hell.

I think Bowie is clearly saying ” There is no God, Religion is a lie, why are we here? what is the point?”

For years and years i thought that the bardo in Quicksand was a reference to Bridget Bardot though the lyric sheet on Hunky Dory does spell ‘B A R D O’. A toatlly fascinating song. BTW I disagree with you about teh music itself. The acoustic guitars, especially at the beginning are excellent. Now can you please decipher the bewlay Brothers! Thanks