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Theistic Satanism

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The inverted pentagram is a widespread symbol of Satanism.[1]

Theistic Satanism, otherwise referred to as traditional Satanism, spiritual Satanism, or religious Satanism,[2] is an umbrella term for religious groups that consider Satan to objectively exist as a deity, supernatural entity, or spiritual being worthy of worship or reverence, whom individuals may believe in, contact, and convene with, in contrast to the atheistic archetype, metaphor, or symbol found in LaVeyan Satanism.[2][3][4]

Organizations who uphold theistic Satanist beliefs most often have few adherents, are loosely affiliated or constitute themselves as independent groups and cabals, which have largely self-marginalized.[5] Another prominent characteristic of theistic Satanism is the use of various types of magic.[2] Most theistic Satanist groups exist in relatively new models and ideologies, many of which are independent of the Abrahamic religions.[2][4][6]

In addition to the worship of Satan or the Devil in the Abrahamic sense, religious traditions based on the worship of other "adversarial" gods—usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions—are often included within theistic Satanism.[2] Theistic Satanist organizations may incorporate beliefs and practices borrowed from Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Neo-Paganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Crowleyan magick, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery.[2][4][7]

Overview

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Since the first half of the 1990s, the internet has increased the interaction, visibility, communication, and spread of different currents and beliefs among self-identified Satanists and has led to the propagation of more conflicting and diverse groups,[10] but Satanism has always been a heterogeneous, pluralistic, decentralized religious movement and "cultic milieu".[13] Religion academics, scholars of New religious movements, and sociologists of religion focused on Satanism have sought to study it by categorizing its currents according to whether they are esoteric/theistic or rationalist/atheistic,[14][15] and they referred to the practice of working with a literal Satan as theistic or "traditional" Satanism.[3] It is generally a prerequisite to being considered a theistic Satanist that the believer accepts a theological and metaphysical canon which involves one or more gods that are either considered to be Satan in the strictest, Abrahamic sense (the Judeo-Christian-Islamic conception of the Devil), or a conception of Satan that incorporates "adversarial" gods usually borrowed from pre-Christian polytheistic religions,[14] such as Ahriman or Enki.[16][17] Despite the number of self-professed theistic Satanists constantly increasing since the 1990s, they are considered by most scholars of religion to be a minority group within Satanism.[2][9]

Many theistic Satanists believe that their own individualized concepts are based on pieces of all of these diverse conceptions of Satan, according to their inclinations and sources of spiritual guidance, rather than only believing in one suggested interpretation.[2][4] Some may choose to live out the myths and stereotypes, but Christianity is not always the primary frame of reference for theistic Satanists.[2][4][6] Their religion may be based on Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Neo-Paganism, New Age, the left-hand path, black magic, ceremonial magic, Crowleyan magick, Western esotericism, occult traditions, and sorcery.[2][4][7] Theistic Satanists who base their faith on Christian ideas about Satan are referred to as "Diabolists",[18] although they are also referred to as "reverse Christians" by other Satanists, often in a pejorative fashion.[2][4] However, those labelled by some as "reverse Christians" may see their concept of Satan as undiluted or unsanitized. They worship a stricter interpretation of Satan: that of the Satan featured in the Christian Bible.[19] Peter H. Gilmore, current leader of the atheistic Church of Satan, considers "Devil-worship" to be a Christian heresy, that is, a divergent form of Christianity.[20] The diversity of individual beliefs within theistic Satanism, while being a cause for intense debates within the religion, is also often seen as a reflection of Satan, who is believed to encourage individualism.[21]

Recent and contemporary theistic Satanism

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Currents

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The diversity of beliefs amongst Satanists, both theistic and non-theistic, was examined in a demographic survey conducted in 2001 by the American religion scholar and sociologist of religion James R. Lewis and subsequently published in the Marburg Journal of Religion.[4] According to the survey, the statistically-average demographic and ideological profile of a Satanist is an unmarried White male raised as a Christian who began to explore other religions during his teenage years, upholds non-theistic humanism and practices magic.[4] A 2016 survey found that most self-identified Satanists were located in Denmark, Norway, and the United States.[22]

Pre-LaVey

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Ruben van Luijk writes "there are a few well-documented cases of Satanist organizations that antedate or are contemporary with LaVey's",[23] and which may qualify as examples of Theistic Satanism.

Citing research by Per Faxneld,[24][25] van Luijk writes there were "two possible cases" in Europe of "isolated religious Satanism, both dating from the very end of the nineteenth and the threshold of the twentieth century". One example was a small group led by Polish writer Stanisław Przybyszewski (1868–1927), who, "Faxneld argues [...] developed a more or less coherent philosophy or spirituality in which Satan played a major symbolic role, amounting to 'what is likely the first attempt ever to construct a more or less systematic Satanism.'"[26] The other example was the Danish writer Carl William Hansen (1872–1936), also known as Ben Kadosh. In the census of 1906, Hansen "declared himself a Luciferian by religion, making himself without doubt the first officially registered Satanist in history".[27] That same year Hansen published a short booklet titled "Den ny morgens gry: erdensbygmesterens genkomst" (in English: "The Dawn of a New Morning: The Return of the World’s Master Builder"), of which van Luijk writes: "in which he announced the establishment of a cult of Satan/Lucifer and proposed the formation of a Masonic Luciferian organization."[27]

There were, according to van Luijk, several other organizations might be considered examples of Theistic Satanism from the early to mid-20th Century. The Fraternitas Saturni, founded in 1926 and led by Eugen Grosche (1888–1964), referenced both Lucifer and Satan in their rites.[28] Another group was the Order of the Knights of the Golden Arrow, founded in Paris in 1930 by Maria de Naglowska. She declared herself a "Priestess of Satan” and spoke of the “Truth of the Wholesome Satanic Doctrine" and according to van Luijk her group can "arguably be considered the first known organized body of religious Satanism."[29] However, van Luijk also notes "Satanism was only one component of her religious system, which could probably best be described as an intricate semi-Hegelian compound of Christian, occultist, and Satanist elements".[30] Aleister Crowley also explored Satanic themes in his own system and was an influence on many later occultists, but "cannot be called a Satanist himself" given the relatively small place Satan played in Crowley's overall concept.[31]

Apart from these earlier cases the first recognized esoteric, non-LaVeyan Satanist organization was the small group Ophite Cultus Sathanas,[32][33] which claimed to have been founded in 1948 by Herbert Arthur Sloane and therefore to allegedly precede the foundation of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan.[32][33] However, definitive proof the Coven's existence does not exist before 1966; van Luijk allows the group probably existed before that year but likely not before 1953.[34] Their doctrine relied on a Gnostic conception of Satan as the liberating serpent and bestower of knowledge to humankind opposed to the malevolent demiurge or creator god,[32][33] mainly inspired by the Gnostic dualistic cosmology of the Ophites,[33] Hans Jonas' study on the history of Gnosticism,[32] and the writings of Margaret Murray on the witch-cult hypothesis.[32][33] "Our Lady of Endor" seems to have been the only existing coven of this Satanist organization,[33] which was disbanded shortly after the death of its founder during the 1980s.[32]

Additionally, van Luijk argues the Process Church of the Final Judgement (founded in 1965) might classify as Theistic Satanism, but "it is not altogether clear when precisely Satan and Lucifer made their appearance in Process theology" before the concepts were promoted openly in 1967; the concepts might have been influenced by LeVey or developed independently.[35]

First Church of Satan

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The First Church of Satan (FCoS), a splinter group that separated from LaVey's Church of Satan during the 1970s,[36] attempts to rediscover the teachings of Aleister Crowley and believe that Anton LaVey actually was a magus in the early days of the Church of Satan but gradually renounced his powers, became isolated and embittered.[36] Furthermore, the First Church of Satan strongly criticizes the current Church of Satan as a pale shadow of its former self, and they strive to "maintain a Satanic organization that is not hostile or manipulative toward its own members".[36]

Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences

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Main article: Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences

Pekka Siitoin founded the satanist group called the Turku Society for the Spiritual Sciences (Turun Hengentieteen Seura) on September 1, 1971. The society stated its founding principles as "promot[ing] nationalist patriotic activity [and] development of Aryan spirituality". The society also stated opposition to capitalism, communism and "the Jewish religion based on Jehovah's tyranny."[37] Siitoin believed in neo-Gnosticism and Theosophy and combined these with antisemitism and satanism. To him, Lucifer, Satan and Jesus were subordinate to the Monad, and could be worshiped together. According to Siitoin, Moses invented magic, but jealous Demiurge-Jehova seeks to obscure its knowledge from the gentiles. Lucifer was a Promethean figure who created the original humanity and granted them wisdom so that they would evolve to be equal to Gods in time, while Jehova created the Jewish race to usurp Lucifer's power and lord over humanity. Siitoin was also influenced by Christian apocrypha, like Gospel of Judas and to him Jesus was an agent of the Monad and Lucifer against the Demiurge. These are combined with elements of Finnish folk magic.[38][39][40][41] The society allegedly performed satanic orgies which researcher of religion Pekka Iitti opined might not be "far off from the truth".[42] Several of the perpetrators of the Kursiivi printing house arson in November 1977 were members of the society.[43][44]

Order of Nine Angles

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Main articles: Order of Nine Angles and Timeline of crimes involving the Order of Nine Angles
Flag of the O9A

The Order of Nine Angles, claiming to have been established in the 1960s, it rose to public recognition in the early 1980s, with the idea that groups like Church of Satan were "too benevolent and law-abiding" to be true Satanists grew, particularly among musicians and fans in extreme heavy metal music, where being more extreme meant being more authentic.[45] These antinomian and amoral Satanic (or post-Satanic) groups are sometimes called the "sinister tradition" of Satanism.[45]

The Order of Nine Angles has been called "the ur-type that defines the sinister tradition"[45] and is connected to multiple killings, rapes, and cases of child abuse and right-wing terrorism.[46] According to the group's own claims, the Order of Nine Angles (O9A or ONA) was established in Shropshire, England, during the late 1960s, when a Grand Mistress united a number of ancient pagan groups active in the area.[47] This account states that when the Order's Grand Mistress migrated to Australia, a man known as "Anton Long" took over as the new Grand Master.[47] From 1976 onward, he authored an array of texts for the tradition, codifying and extending its teachings, mythos, and structure.[48] Various academics have argued that Long is the pseudonym of British National Socialist Movement activist David Myatt,[49] (Myatt denies it but Religion scholar Jacob Senholt "copies of ONA documents from 1978 with Myatt’s name on them" have been found and "early ONA texts were published" by a press that "Myatt owned").[50][51] The O9A arose to public attention in the early 1980s,[52] spreading its message through magazine articles over the following two decades.[53] In 2000, it established a presence on the internet,[53] later adopting social media to promote its message.[54]

O9A consists largely of secretive,[55] autonomous cells known as "nexions",[56] operating as a network of allied Satanic practitioners, which it terms the "kollective".[56] The majority of these are located in Britain, Ireland, and Germany, although others are located elsewhere in Europe, and in Russia, Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, and the United States. In recent decades up to 2023, O9A has caught the attention of "white supremacist groups and troubled young men" through its material online, and as of 2013 2,000 people "may be associated with the ONA in one form or another", according to one estimate.[57][45]

The O9A describe their occultism as "Traditional Satanism".[58] The O9A's writings not only encourage human sacrifice,[59] but insist it is required in Satanism,[45] referring to their victims as opfers.[60] According to the Order's teachings, such opfers must demonstrate character faults that mark them out as being worthy of death.[61][62] No O9A cell has admitted to carrying out a sacrifice in a ritualized manner, but rather, Order members have joined the police and military to carry out such killings.[63] Faxneld described the Order as "a dangerous and extreme form of Satanism",[64] while religious studies scholar Graham Harvey wrote that the O9A fit the stereotype of the Satanist "better than other groups" by embracing "deeply shocking" and illegal acts.[65] Several British politicians, including the Labour Party's Yvette Cooper, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee,[46] have pushed for the group to be banned as a terror organization, and according to the BBC News, "the authorities are concerned by the number of paedophiles associated with the ONA." Additionally, there are various followers of the O9A paradigm who are (or were) also members of banned militant national-socialist groups, namely the Atomwaffen Division, Combat 18, and Nordic Resistance Movement, the first of which even openly aims to perpetrate terror attacks.[66][67][68]

764
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Main article: 764 (organization)

764 is an offshoot of ONA,[69] and a satanist neo-Nazi cult and a terrorist group.[70][71] 764 members engage in a wide variety of crimes in both real life and the internet; cybercrime, swatting, child exploitation, assaults, murders and rapes.[72] 764 members form "blood pacts" with Satan as a demonstration of their faith.[73] In September 2023, the FBI published a bulletin warning the public of the network.[74]

Temple of Set

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Main article: Temple of Set

The Temple of Set is an occult left-hand path religious organization. It was founded in 1975 when Michael Aquino, the founder of a Church of Satan Grotto in Louisville, Kentucky, and editor of the Church's newsletter, The Cloven Hoof, left the church, taking 28 members with him.[75][76] Aquino's anger that LaVey had devalued his high level grade of "magister" in the church may have initiated his break, but Aquino also disagreed with LaVey's materialist philosophy, arguing that while the church might publicly be materialist, Satan as symbol was "only part of the truth". Aquino held a ritual to ask Satan "where to lead" his CoS defectors and, on the night of 21–22 June 1975, Satan allegedly told him to "Reconsecrate my Temple and my Order in the true name of Set. No longer will I accept the bastard title of a Hebrew fiend." Thus Aquino came to believe that the name Satan was a corruption of the name Set, the Egyptian god of darkness.[77][78] The philosophy of the Temple of Set may be summed up as "enlightened individualism"—enhancement and improvement of oneself by personal education, experiment, and initiation. This process is necessarily different and distinctive for each individual. The members do not agree on whether Set is real or symbolic, and they're not expected to.[79]

The Temple teaches that Set is a real entity,[80] and the only real god in existence, with all other gods being created by the human imagination.[81] Set is described as having given humanity—through the means of non-natural evolution—the "Black Flame" or the "Gift of Set", which is a questioning intellect that sets humans apart from other animals.[82] While Setians are expected to revere Set, they do not worship him.[83] Central to Setian philosophy is the human individual,[84] with self-deification presented as the ultimate goal.[85]

Estimates of the Temple's total are between 300 and 500 as of 2005 (Petersen);[86] and approximately 200 as of 2007 (Granholm).[87] Members must remain active. New members have one year to join a pylon (a Local chapter) and must reach the second degree of adept by showing proficiency in magic within two years, or have their memberships revoked.[77]

Aquino died in September 2019 at the age of 72. High priests after Aquino were Don Webb starting in 1996, Zeena Schreck starting in 2002 (who lasted only six weeks when Aquino took over again), Patricia Hardy starting in 2004.[77]

Satanic Reds

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Main article: Satanic Reds

Differing from other Satanic organizations, the Satanic Reds, founded in 1997 by Tani Jantsang, is a unique organization blending Marxist-communist politics with Lovecraftian occultism and Central Asian folklore. They advocate a social welfare program, using online activism and merging Satanic and communist imagery, while rejecting theistic Satanism, instead viewing 'Satan' as a representation of chaos and change. Their practices include occult rituals and a form of baptism.[88][89]

Temple of Zeus

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Main article: Temple of Zeus (organization)

The Temple of Zeus is a western esoteric occult organization that combines Satanism, the ancient alien astronaut "hypothesis", and antisemitism.[90] It was originally founded as the Joy of Satan Ministries in the early 2000s by Maxine Dietrich (pseudonym of Andrea Maxine Dietrich),[91][92] wife of the National Socialist Movement of the United States' co-founder and former leader Clifford Herrington.[17] With its inception, spiritual Satanism was born—a current that until recently was regarded only as "theist", but then defined into "Spiritual Satanism" by theistic Satanists who concluded that the term spiritual in Satanism represented the best answer to the world,[93] considering it a "moral slap" toward the earlier carnal and materialistic LaVeyan Satanism, and instead focusing its attention upon spiritual evolution.[93] Joy of Satan presents a unique synthesis of theistic Satanism, Nazism, Gnosticism, Paganism, Western esotericism, UFO conspiracy theories, and extraterrestrial hypotheses similar to those popularized by Zecharia Sitchin and David Icke.[92]

Members of Temple of Zeus are generally polytheists, believing that Satan is one of many deities.[94][95] While Satan and demons are considered deities within ToZ, the deities themselves are understood to be highly evolved, un-aging, sentient, and powerful humanoid extraterrestrial beings.[94][17][96][97] Satan and many demons are equated with gods from ancient cultures, some of which include the Sumerian god Enki, and the Yazidi angel Melek Taus being seen as Satan, borrowing their theistic Satanist interpretations of Enki from the writings of Zecharia Sitchin, and Melek Taus partially deriving from the writings of Anton LaVey.[17] Satan is seen not only as an important deity but a powerful and sentient being responsible for the creation of humanity.[94][17] Satan is also revered by ToZ as "the true father and creator God of humanity",[95] the bringer of knowledge, and whose desire is for his creations, humans, to elevate themselves through knowledge and understanding.[94][95]

In their beliefs, Yazidism (a pre-Islamic religion of about one million members found mainly in northern Iraq, that holds that Melek Taûs/Tawûsî Melek, "the Peacock Angel", is the leader of the archangels and functions as the ruler of the world; but who Muslims believe is a fallen angel), is in juxtaposition with Satanism as they consider the two share similar elements, such as Yazidi devotees being defined by Muslims as "devotees to Shaytan" and regarded as Satanists.[93] It is also believed that the figure of Melek Taus, the peacock angel, may derive from much older pagan deities, such as Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of wisdom who rides a peacock, or even the god Indra, who transforms into a peacock.[93] The story of Melek Taus itself is also considered by ToZ to have many satanic elements, such as being described as the angel who rebelled against the Abrahamic God.[93] The sacred text of the Yazidis, the Al-Jilwah, is claimed by the ToZ as the word of Satan.[93]

While maintaining some popularity as a theistic Satanist sect, the group has been widely criticized for its association with the National Socialist Movement and its racial anti-Jewish, anti-Judaic, and anti-Christian sentiment, as well as its anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.[96][98] Much of their beliefs on aliens, meditation, and telepathic contacts with demons have become popular in a larger milieu within the currents of recent non-LaVeyan theistic Satanism.[17]

Temple of the Black Light

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Main article: Temple of the Black Light

The Temple of the Black Light (formerly known as the Misanthropic Luciferian Order prior to 2007) was a satanic occult order founded in Sweden in 1995. The group espouses a philosophy known as "Chaosophy". Chaosophy asserts that the world that mankind lives in, and the universe that it lives in, all exist within the realm known as Cosmos. Cosmos is made of three spatial dimensions and one linear time dimension. Cosmos rarely ever changes and is a materialistic realm. Another realm that exists is known as Chaos. Chaos exists outside of the Cosmos and is made of infinite dimensions and unlike the Cosmos, it is always changing. Members of the TotBL believe that the realm of Chaos is ruled over by 11 dark gods, the highest of them being Satan, and all of said gods are considered manifestations of a higher being. This higher being is known as Azerate, the Dragon Mother, and is all of the 11 gods united as one. The TotBL believes that Azerate will resurrect one day and destroy the Cosmos and let Chaos consume everything. The group has been connected to the Swedish black/death metal band Dissection, particularly its front man Jon Nödtveidt.[99] Nödtveidt was introduced to the group "at an early stage".[100] The lyrics on the band's third album, Reinkaos, are all about beliefs of the Temple of the Black Light.[101] Nödtveidt committed suicide in 2006.[102][103]

Assembly of Light Bearers

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Main article: Assembly of Light Bearers

The Assembly of Light Bearers (ALB),[104] formerly known as the Greater Church of Lucifer (GCoL), is a Luciferian organization founded by Michael W. Ford in 2013.[105]

In 2014, Luciferians founded a worldwide organization for Luciferians from Houston, Texas, known as the Greater Church of Lucifer (GCoL) under the leadership of church founder Jacob McKelvy, co-presidents Michael W. Ford and Jeremy Crow, founder of the Luciferian Research Society. In 2017 McKelvy converted to Christianity.[106] Michael W. Ford and his wife have described their religion as "Luciferian witchcraft".[107]

In 2015, the GCoL opened a brick and mortar church located in Old Town Spring, Texas, with several dozen members. Over a hundred local residents, mainly Catholic, protested the opening of the church.[108][109] The town of Old Town Spring suffered from a boycott in response to the church, The church itself had windows smashed and its roof damaged after someone sawed off the branch of a 200-year-old pecan tree hanging over the church in the middle of the night.[110][111][112][113] Ford stated that The Greater Church of Lucifer was forced to shut down one year later because their landlord refused to renew their lease after receiving death threats.[114]

Other groups and currents

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Some groups are mistaken by scholars for theistic Satanists, such as the First Church of Satan.[3] However, the founder of the FCoS, John Allee, considers what he calls "Devil-worship" to often be a symptom of psychosis. Other groups such as the 600 Club,[115] are accepting of all types of Satanists, as are the Synagogue of Satan, which aims for the ultimate destruction of all religions, paradoxically including itself, and encourages not self-indulgence but self-expression balanced by social responsibility.[116]

Relation to other theologies

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Theistic Luciferian groups are particularly inspired by Lucifer (from the Latin for "bearer of light"), who they may or may not equate with Satan. While some theologians believe the Son of the Dawn, Lucifer, and other names were actually used to refer to contemporary political figures, such as a Babylonian King, rather than a single spiritual entity[117][118] (although on the surface the Bible explicitly refers to the King of Tyrus), those that believe it refers to Satan infer that by implication it also applies to the fall of Satan.[119] Satan is also identified by the Joy of Satan with the Sumerian god Enki and the Yazidi angel Melek Taus;[17] however, Introvigne (2016) himself remarks that their theistic Satanist interpretation of Enki derives from the writings of Zecharia Sitchin while the one about Melek Taus partially derives from the writings of Anton LaVey.[17]

Values in theistic Satanism

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Éliphas Lévi's 19th-century drawing of the Baphomet (also known as the "Sabbatic Goat" or the Goat of Mendes),[120] adopted symbol of some left-hand-path systems, including some theistic Satanist groups.

Seeking knowledge is seen by some theistic Satanists as being important to Satan, due to Satan being equated with the serpent in Genesis, which encouraged humans to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.[121] Some perceive Satan as Éliphas Lévi's conception of Baphomet – a half-human and half-animal hermaphroditic bestower of knowledge (gnosis).[120] Some Satanic groups, such as Luciferians, also seek to gain greater gnosis.[99] Some of such Satanists, such as the former Ophite Cultus Satanas, equate Yahweh with the demiurge of Gnosticism, and Satan with the transcendent being beyond.[99]

Self-development is important to theistic Satanists. This is due to the Satanists' idea of Satan, who is seen to encourage individuality and freedom of thought, and the quest to raise one's self up despite resistance, through means such as magic and initiative. They believe Satan wants a more equal relationship with his followers than the Abrahamic god does with his. From a theistic Satanist perspective, the Abrahamic religions (chiefly Christianity) do not define "good" or "evil" in terms of benefit or harm to humanity, but rather on the submission to or rebellion against God.[122] Some Satanists seek to remove any means by which they are controlled or repressed by others and forced to follow the herd, and reject non-governmental authoritarianism.[123]

As Satan in the Old Testament tests people, theistic Satanists may believe that Satan sends them tests in life to develop them as individuals. They value taking responsibility for oneself. Despite the emphasis on self-development, some theistic Satanists believe that there is a will of Satan for the world and for their own lives. They may promise to help bring about the will of Satan,[124] and seek to gain insight about it through prayer, study, or magic. In the Bible, a being called "the god of this world" is mentioned in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians 4:4, which Christians typically equate with Satan.[125] Some Satanists therefore think that Satan can help them meet their worldly needs and desires if they pray or work magic. They would also have to do what they could in everyday life to achieve their goals, however.

Theistic Satanists may try not to project an image that reflects negatively on their religion as a whole and reinforces stereotypes, such as promoting Nazism, abuse, or crime.[123] However, some groups, such as the Order of Nine Angles, criticize the emphasis on promoting a good image for Satanism; the ONA described LaVeyan Satanism as "weak, deluded and American form of 'sham-Satanic groups, the poseurs'",[126] and ONA member Stephen Brown claimed that "the Temple of Set seems intent only on creating a 'good public impression', with promoting an 'image'".[127] The order emphasises that its way "is and is meant to be dangerous"[128] and "[g]enuine Satanists are dangerous people to know; associating with them is a risk".[129] Similarly, the Temple of the Black Light has criticized the Church of Satan, and has stated that the Temple of Set is "trying to make Setianism and the ruler of darkness, Set, into something accepted and harmless, this way attempting to become a 'big' religion, accepted and acknowledged by the rest of the Judaeo-Christian society".[99] The TotBL rejects Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as "the opposite of everything that strengthens the spirit, and is only good for killing what little that is beautiful, noble, and honorable in this filthy world".[99]

There is argument among Satanists over animal sacrifice, with most groups seeing it as both unnecessary and putting Satanism in a bad light, and distancing themselves from the few groups that practice it,[which?] such as the Temple of the Black Light.[130]

Theistic Satanism often involves a religious commitment, rather than being simply an occult practice based on dabbling or transient enjoyment of the rituals and magic involved.[131] Practitioners may choose to perform a self-dedication rite, although there are arguments over whether it is best to do this at the beginning of their time as a theistic Satanist, or once they have been practicing for some time.[132][102]

Historical mentions of Satanism

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The age of accusations

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Illustration by Martin van Maële of a Witches' Sabbath from the 1911 edition of La Sorcière, written by Jules Michelet.

In the history of Christianity, the worship of Satan was a frequent accusation used since the Middle Ages.[133] The first ones formally accused to be Devil-worshippers were the Albigensians, a Gnostic Christian movement considered to be heretical and persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church; the charge was formulated during the Catholic Inquisition by the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), convoked by Pope Innocent III.[133] The charge of Devil-worship has also been made against groups or individuals regarded with suspicion, such as the Knights Templar or minority religions.[134] In the case of the trials of the Knights Templar (1307), the Templars' writings mentioned the term Baphomet, which was an Old French corruption of the name "Mahomet"[135] (the prophet of the people who the Templars fought against), and that Baphomet was falsely portrayed as a demon by the people who accused the Templars. During the Reformation Era, Counter-Reformation, and European wars of religion, the charge of Devil-worship was used against people charged in the witch trials in early modern Europe and other witch-hunts.[133] The most notorious cases were those of two German Inquisitors and Dominican priests under the patronage of Pope Innocent VIII: Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, authors of the Malleus Maleficarum (1486),[2] in the Holy Roman Empire,[133] along with the Salem witch trials that occurred during the 17th-century Puritan colonization of North America.[133][136]

It is not known to what extent accusations of groups worshiping Satan in the time of the witch trials identified people who did consider themselves Satanists, rather than being the result of religious superstition or mass hysteria, or charges made against individuals suffering from mental illness. Confessions are unreliable, particularly as they were usually obtained under torture.[137] However, scholar Jeffrey Burton Russell, Professor Emeritus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, has made extensive arguments in his book Witchcraft in the Middle Ages that not all witch trial records can be dismissed and that there is in fact evidence linking witchcraft to Gnostic Christian heretical movements, particularly the antinomian sects.[138] Russell comes to this conclusion after having studied the source documents themselves. Individuals involved in the Affair of the Poisons were accused of Satanism and witchcraft.[139]

Historically, Satanist was a pejorative term for those with opinions that differed from predominant religious or moral beliefs.[140] Paul Tuitean believes the idea of acts of "reverse Christianity" was created by the Inquisition,[141] but George Bataille believes that inversions of Christian rituals such as the Mass may have existed prior to the descriptions of them which were obtained through the witchcraft trials.[142]

Grimoire Satanism

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The full sigil of Lucifer, as it originally appeared in the Grimorium Verum

In the 1700s, various kinds of popular "Satanic" literature began to be produced in France, including some well-known grimoires with instructions for making a pact with the Devil. Most notable are the Grimorium Verum and The Grand Grimoire. The Marquis de Sade describes defiling crucifixes and other holy objects, and in his novel Justine he gives a fictional account of the Black Mass,[143] although Ronald Hayman has said Sade's need for blasphemy was an emotional reaction and rebellion from which Sade moved on, seeking to develop a more reasoned atheistic philosophy.[144] Nineteenth century occultist Éliphas Lévi published his well-known drawing of the Baphomet in 1855, which notably continues to influence Satanists today.

Finally, in 1891, Joris-Karl Huysmans published his Satanic novel, Là-bas, which included a detailed description of a Black Mass which he may have known firsthand was being performed in Paris at the time,[145] or the account may have been based on the masses carried out by Étienne Guibourg, rather than by Huysmans attending himself.[146] Quotations from Huysmans' Black Mass are also used in some Satanic rituals to this day, since it is one of the few sources that purports to describe the words used in a Black Mass. The type of Satanism described in Là-bas suggests that prayers are said to the Devil, hosts are stolen from the Catholic Church, and sexual acts are combined with Roman Catholic altar objects and rituals, to produce a variety of Satanism which exalts Satan and degrades the god of Christianity by inverting Roman Catholic rites. George Bataille claims that Huysman's description of the Black Mass is "indisputably authentic".[142] Not all theistic Satanists today routinely perform the Black Mass, possibly because the Mass is not a part of modern evangelical Christianity in Protestant-majority countries,[133] and so not such an unintentional influence on Satanist practices in those countries.

Organized Satanism

[edit]

The earliest verifiable theistic Satanist group was a small group called the Ophite Cultus Satanas, which was created in Ohio in 1948. The Ophite Cultus Satanas was inspired by the ancient Ophite sect of Gnosticism, and the Horned God of Wicca. The group was dependent upon its founder and leader, and therefore dissolved after his death in 1975.

Michael Aquino published a rare 1970 text of a Church of Satan Black Mass, the Missa Solemnis, in his book The Church of Satan,[147] and Anton LaVey included a different Church of Satan Black Mass, the Messe Noire, in his 1972 book The Satanic Rituals. LaVey's books on Satanism, which began in the 1960s, were for a long time the few available which advertised themselves as being Satanic, although others detailed the history of witchcraft and Satanism, such as The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish published in 1967 and the classic French work Satanism and Witchcraft, by Jules Michelet. Anton LaVey specifically denounced "devil-worshippers" and the idea of praying to Satan.

Although non-theistic LaVeyan Satanism had been popular since the publication of The Satanic Bible in 1969, theistic Satanism did not start to gain any popularity until the emergence of the Order of Nine Angles in western England, and its publication of The Black Book of Satan in 1984.[148] The next theistic Satanist group to be created was the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, which was created in Sweden in 1995. The MLO incorporated elements from the Order of Nine Angles, the Illuminates of Thanateros, and qlippothic Qabalah.

The Dakhma of Angra Mainyu (Church of Ahriman), founded in 2012, is a theistic Satanist organization led by Adam Daniels.[149] Its worship includes celebrations of a Black Mass that involve desecration of consecrated hosts that are used in Christian celebrations of Holy Communion.[150][151][152] The Church of Ahriman performs rituals that involve the desecration of Christian statuary of the Virgin Mary using menstrual blood (which they refer to as "The Consumption of Mary"), as well as desecration of religious texts such as the Qur'an.[153][154] The Dakhma of Angra Mainyu performs Satanic exorcisms, an inversion of Christian exorcisms.[150]

Satan

[edit]
Main article: Satan

Satan is a sinful entity depicted as the embodiment of evil in the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination." In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons.

Devil in Christianity

[edit]
Main article: Devil in Christianity
The Fallen Angel (1847) by Alexandre Cabanel

A large percentage of theistic Satanists worship Satan conceived as the Devil in the Christian religion.[2][3][4] In Christianity, the Devil, also known as Satan or Lucifer, is the personification of evil and author of sin, who rebelled against God in an attempt to become equal to God himself.[a] He is depicted as a fallen angel, who was expelled from Heaven at the beginning of time, before God created the material world, and is in constant opposition to God.[156][157]

The Devil is described and depicted as being perfect in beauty. He was so enamored with his own beauty and self, that he became vain, and so prideful[158] that he corrupted himself[159] and began to desire the same honor and glory that belonged to God. Eventually he rebelled and tried to overthrow God, and as a result was cast out of heaven.[160] Satan is also portrayed as a father to his daughter, Sin, by the 17th-century English poet John Milton in Paradise Lost.[161]

Symbolism

[edit]
Witches' Sabbath (1798) by Francisco Goya, depicting Satan in the form of a garlanded goat.

Since the 19th century, various small religious groups have emerged that identify as Satanists or use Satanic iconography. The Satanist groups that appeared after the 1960s are widely diverse, but two major trends are theistic Satanism and atheistic Satanism.[162] Theistic Satanists venerate Satan as worthy of worship, viewing him not as omnipotent but rather as a patriarch. In contrast, atheistic Satanists regard Satan as a symbol of certain human traits.[163]

A goat head and inverted pentagram form the Sigil of Baphomet.

Baphomet, a deity allegedly worshipped by the Knights Templar,[164] frequently appears in Satanic symbolism, with usage based on claims that Freemasonry worshipped both Satan and Baphomet, as well as Lucifer, in their rituals. Both Satan and Baphomet are often depicted or symbolized as a goat, therefore the goat and goat's head are significant symbols throughout Satanism. The inverted pentagram is also a significant symbol used for Satanism, sometimes depicted with the goat's head of Baphomet within it, popularized by the Church of Satan. In most recent and modern times the "inverted cross" is used and seen as an anti-Christian and satanic symbol, used similarly in the way of the inverted pentagram.[165]

Personal theistic Satanism

[edit]
The American serial killer Richard Ramirez self-identified as a (theistic) Satanist.

The American serial killer Richard Ramirez claimed that he was a (theistic) Satanist; during his 1980s killing spree he left an inverted pentagram at the scene of each murder and at his trial called out "Hail Satan!"[166] Ramirez made various references to Satan during his legal proceedings; he notably drew a pentagram on his palm at his trial.[167] Ramirez stated during his death row interview he believed in a "malevolent being" and that Satan's "description eludes" him.[168] Ramirez also enjoyed frequently degrading and humiliating his victims, especially those who survived his attacks or whom he explicitly decided not to kill, by forcing them to profess that they loved Satan, or telling them to "swear on Satan" if there were no more valuables left in their homes he had broken into and burglarized.

Modern-day public image of Satanism and moral panics

[edit]
Main article: Satanic ritual abuse

As a moral panic between the 1980s and the 1990s in the United States and Canada, there were multiple allegations of sexual abuse and/or ritual sacrifice of children or non-consenting adults in the context of Satanic rituals in what has come to be known as the Satanic Panic.[2][133][169][170]

Allegations included the existence of a worldwide Satanic conspiracy formed by large networks of organized Satanists involved in criminal activities such as murder, child pornography, sexual exploitation of children, and human trafficking for prostitution.[2][133][169] In the United States, the Kern County child abuse cases, McMartin preschool trial, and the West Memphis cases were widely reported.[169] One case took place in Jordan, Minnesota, in which children made allegations of the manufacture of child pornography, ritualistic animal sacrifice, coprophagia, urophagia, and infanticide, at which point the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was alerted. Twenty-four adults were arrested and charged with acts of sexual abuse, child pornography, and other crimes claimed to be related to Satanic ritual abuse; three went to trial, two were acquitted, and one was convicted. Supreme Court Justice Scalia noted in a discussion of the case that "[t]here is no doubt that some sexual abuse took place in Jordan; but there is no reason to believe it was as widespread as charged", and cited the repeated, coercive techniques used by the investigators as damaging to the investigation.[171]

These notorious cases were launched after children were repeatedly and coercively interrogated by social workers, resulting in false allegations of child sexual abuse.[2][169] No evidence was ever found to support any of the allegations of an organized Satanist conspiracy or Satanic ritual abuses,[2][169] but in some cases the Satanic Panic resulted in wrongful prosecutions.[169] However, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect conducted a study led by University of California psychologist Gail Goodman did find "convincing evidence of lone perpetrators or couples who say they are involved with Satan or use the claim to intimidate victims."[172] One such case Goodman studied involved "grandparents [who] had black robes, candles, and Christ on an inverted crucifix--and the children had chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease, in their throats", according to the report by a district attorney.[172]

In 2025, members of the Satanist group 764 were arrested for "blackmailing children—mainly girls—into carrying out sexual acts, harming themselves or even attempting suicide."[173] An investigation by the BBC found that members of this Satanic cult "seek out vulnerable young girls on social media, often in communities dedicated to self-harm or mental health."[173] Anti-terror police have stated that the Satanist network 764 poses "an immense threat" that is "not just within the United Kingdom but globally".[173]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "By desiring to be equal to God in his arrogance, Lucifer abolishes the difference between God and the angels created by him and thus calls the entire system of order into question (if he were instead to replace God, the system itself would only be preserved with reversed positions)".[155]

References

[edit]
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Bibliography

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Further reading

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