Intro to Satanism 

          By: Diane Vera

          As promised in the PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echo, here's my brief
          introductory essay on Satanism (though Corwynt won't be seeing it,
          alas).  I'll confine myself to discussing _serious_occultists_ who
          identify as Satanists. I have no interest in the teen-age glue-
          sniffing "Satin rulz" crowd, who are into "Satanism" as a way to
          shock the grown-ups, and who usually (as far as I know) outgrow it.
          Nor am I interested in criminals who say the Devil made them do it
          (often, I suspect, as a way to get themselves declared insane).
           .
          Since I don't know how much you don't know, perhaps I should start
          with the usual elementary disclaimers:
           .
          (a) Most Satanists do not think of themselves as "worshipping evil".
          Satan is associated with a variety of human traits and magic(k)al
          energies which Christianity traditionally considers "evil", but
          which the Satanists themselves do not consider "evil" -- though some
          Satanists may describe themselves as "evil" in an ironic sense.
           .
          (b) In what there is of a Satanist subculture (for serious
          occultists), nobody advocates sacrificing animals or babies,
          sexually abusing children, or other horrific activities described in
          fundamentalist propaganda.  As Anton LaVey explains in
          _The_Satanic_Bible_, such activities serve no useful magic(k)al
          purpose.
           .
          (c) Although Satan is, obviously, a figure from Christian mythology
          (derived from Judaism and Zoroastrianism), Satanism is not just
          "reverse Christianity".  I have yet to meet even one Satanist who
          believed in Christian theology, or a simple reversal thereof.  (I've
          heard that such Satanists do exist, but they don't seem to be part
          of the organized Satanist scene.)  All Satanists I've ever
          encountered have some alternative explanation of who/what Satan is.
           .
          There are many alternative explanations and, correspondingly, many
          different kinds of Satanism.  Following is a list of _some_ of the
          many different possible interpretations of who/what Satan is:
           .
          (1) Satan is the Christian-era guise of some pre-Christian deity,
          e.g. Set or Pan.
           .
          (2) Satan is not a real entity at all, but just a symbol of human
          individuality, pride, thinking for oneself, sensuality, etc.
           .
          (3) Satan is an actual discarnate intelligence, and is the bringer
          of wisdom in a form of Gnosticism with the Christian "God" cast as
          the Demiurge.  This idea is based on a form of Gnosticism that
          actually existed in the early centuries C.E., which venerated the
          serpent of the Garden of Eden myth.
           .
          (4) Satan is not an actual discarnate, sentient being, but is more
          than just a symbol.  Satan is, at the very least, today's most
          powerful magic(k)al egregore.  "Satan" is present-day society's
          number-one magic(k)al Name of Power.



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          (5) Satan is an impersonal "Dark Force in Nature".
           .
          (6) Satan is one of many gods, all of whom are in some sense real.
          There is no one all-powerful "God" like the Christian idea of "God".
          There are many gods who are powerful, but not all-powerful.
           .
          Of the above possiblities, my own personal beliefs lean toward a
          combination of interpretations #4, 5, and 6.  The Church of Satan,
          founded in 1966 C.E. by Anton LaVey, usually espouses interpretation
          #2 and sometimes #5.  The Temple of Set is into _something_like_
          (but not quite) a combination of #1 and #3.

           La> If you haven't been around other satanists, how do you know
           La> what is being practiced, is what you would do?  I could call
           La> myself a Dianic Wiccan, but what I might practice is not what
           La> is generally practiced...and there is no way for me to really
           La> learn "right way" from "wrong way".
           .
          It doesn't matter.  Satanism isn't really just one religion, but a
          category of religions, some of which are radically different from
          each other.  (See my message to Deborah Kest on "Satanism 101".)
          Since most forms of Satanism do celebrate individuality, the lack of
          standardization is just fine, in my opinion.  The only "right way"
          or "wrong way" has to do with _what_works_, and this will vary from
          one individual to another.
           .
           La> The reason you are being "punished" I think ostracized<SP?> is
           La> a better word, is that most Satanists, and people who follow
           La> left-handed Magick/spirituality (folks I know it is not a fair
           La> term, but it works for this arguement) are considered by many
           La> of us the true enemies of Spiritualism that we would practice.
           .
          The term "Left-Hand Path" is OK.  We use it too.  You and I would
          probably define it very differently, however.  What's your
          definition?
           .
           La> Even more than Christaniaty folks who follow your system of
           La> believes are very differnt than we.  Pagan and Christanity,
           La> have very similar ideas and ethics, and while not at all
           La> tolerant of each other (generally) can live and let live.
           La> Satanists et.all on the other hand, have such a different view
           La> of life, love and the pursuit of the Divine, it is hard for us
           La> to accept you into our midsts.
           .
          Could you please be more specific?  _What_ do you see as the
          similarities between neo-Paganism and Christianity?
           .
          I too see some profound differences between Satanism and neo-
          Paganism.  And I too see enough similarities between neo-Paganism
          and Christianity that one can meaningfully use a term like "Right-
          Hand Path", which includes both Christianity and neo-Paganism but
          not Satanism.



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          But I _also_ see some profound similarities between Satanism and
          neo-Paganism (especially Wicca) as well, which set them both apart
          from Christianity.  For example, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism
          are both much more tolerant toward sexual variety than Christianity
          traditionally is.  (To be more exact, Wicca is _now_ tolerant toward
          sexual variety, though there was a time when it was quite
          homophobic.)  And in general, Satanism and Wicca-based Paganism both
          emphasize individuality in ways that Christianity doesn't.
           .
          Also, as I've discussed at length both here and in the PAGAN and
          PAGAN RELIGIOUS STUDIES echoes, Satanism and most forms of neo-
          Paganism (especially Wicca) are both part of the family of modern
          Western magic(k)al religions, with many common roots and many basic
          magic(k)al concepts in common.  We have natural reasons to be part
          of the same magic(k)al community (e.g. occult bookstores and this
          computer network).  It would be much more pleasant for everyone
          concerned if neo-Pagans could get used to Satanists, because you are
          going to keep running into more and more of us whether you like it
          or not.



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