I love this time of year, the fall feeling in the air, the change of wardrobe, and mostly, my favorite holiday, Halloween! As a Satanist this has always been a special time of year for me. I have memories of getting married on this day to my (departed) husband Bill many years ago. Halloween and the fall season always makes me feel renewed. So, how do Satanists celebrate Halloween? In this post we will explore how Satanists celebrate Halloween, and I present to you a special Satanic Halloween ritual just for you.
Ancient Roots of a Modern Holiday
So where did Halloween originate? It seems as if many cultures throughout the centuries have their own way of celebrating the change of season and remembering the past.
A common theme for Halloween comes from ancient practices of honoring ancestors that have passed. During this time of year the earth enters into a dark phase, a kind of death where the life that we experienced during the spring and summer comes to a close.
The name of Halloween comes from a Christian word, meaning âhallowed eveningâ, referring to the night before the holiday, All Saintâs Day. On the day after all hallowed evening, Christians gathered and celebrated their favorite saints. Christians only gave us a modern word for the holiday though, as it’s roots run much deeper.
In earlier times the Celtic peoples celebrated in a similar way, with their own holiday to honor the dead.
Known as Samhain (pronounced sow-han), their celebration marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was called All Soul’s Day, a night that the veil between the physical and the spiritual was at itâs thinnest.
Some historians also trace these kinds of celebrations back to ancient Roman times. A feast dedicated to the goddess of fruit, Pomona, celebrated the spirits of the ancestors.
This celebration lead into the weeks long observation of Paternalia. While this tradition was celebrated in February, it is believed by some that this festival could have been co-opted by Christians in later times.
After Christianity had taken root in Europe, they celebrated All Hallow’s Eve as a way to honor the saints. During the medieval era, it became tradition to dress up as oneâs favorite saint. The tradition was modernized and commercialized in today’s world, where adults, children and families celebrate it as a fun time to dress up and to decorate their surroundings with witches, skeletons, spirits, and other spooky things.
So, How do Satanists Celebrate Halloween?
The question remains, how do Satanists celebrate Halloween? A quick search on the net will show you, that there isnât much information on how Satanists celebrate Halloween. This is especially true if you disregard the many Christian sites with misinformation and horrifying suggestions on how they think Satanists celebrate Halloween.
So, in my quest for Satanic knowledge, I decided to dig deeper and see what some of the more popular organizations in Satanism think about this special time of year.
The Church of Satan, (Anton LaVey, et al.) proclaimed that Halloween was one of the more important holidays of the year for Satanists. In an essay about Halloween, Magistra Blanche Barton said this of the dark holiday:
âHalloween is traditionally a time when the obscure portal into the realms of darkness, death and the supernatural is thrown open.â
Satanists should celebrate Halloween and appreciate the the magical benefits that this holiday offers. We are moving towards the darkness during this holiday, and this shift is welcome. The veil between the physical and the spiritual is at its thinnest point compared to the rest of the year. It is the perfect time to explore inner darkness.
Further on, they explain that Halloween is the fall climax, and it should be celebrated as a time when oneâs inner self can be explored. Using costumes or dressing up allows you to, for one night, be who you want to be and to take on a different role than you may not be in every day life. It truly is a time of self indulgence!
Other Satanic Organizations And Their Recognition of Halloween
The Satanic Temple also explained in an interview how Satanists should push for Halloween to become a real religious holiday. In an interview at the Polite Conversations podcast, the co-founder of the Satanic Temple, Lucian Greaves, explains his take on Halloween:
âFor decades you’ve had extreme Christian groups declaring Halloween Satanic and therefore, trying to drive it out of the schools, trying to withhold people from having any celebration of Halloween, well, where a religious organization that self identifies as Satanists, I feel, we should have the right to have our holiday as it is and recognized as a religious holiday.â
I agree with Lucienâs sentiment. While he didn’t say how Satanists celebrate Halloween, he did focus on why we should. We should reclaim this holiday for our own. Much of us already appreciate the darkness in our own way and we don’t need a special holiday to remind us of this. But, we have a holiday to enjoy anyway, and Satanists celebrate Halloween in their own way. If the ‘religious right’ calls Halloween Satanic then can we have our holiday then? The treat is on us if they want to play that trick!
It’s also ironic that a holiday that was, for centuries, for the purpose of remembering Christian saints, became a tool of slander for modern religions. It shows how much they know about the history of their religion, I suppose. Once again, as with may things in Satanism, we can reclaim what they have scapegoated us for.
Feel free to take the opportunity to celebrate Halloween and dress up how you wish. In fact, a great way for Satanists to celebrate Halloween is to make it a night of self-indulgence. Make it a new tradition to treat yourself with a gift of something nice.
~A Satanic Halloween Ritual~
Because the veil is lifted during this night, it is a wonderful time to do a special ritual. In this kind of ritual you can honor Satan and embrace what it means to be a Satanist.
I created a special ritual that you can do along with me on Halloween evening. In this ritual we will open the gates, as the veil is lifted and as we move closer towards the time of Satan and Capricorn in December.
It is the moment when the world comes upon darkness and we recognize the darkness that we have within. Without this time of dying and darkness, we could not have the cycle of life and light. A ritual is a great way for Satanists to celebrate Halloween.
Suggested Tools:
A bonfire, if you can safely have one, or a single flame preferably from a black candle.
Imagery:Â imagery of Satan as Saturn, devouring his children, as shown in the picture on the right. Alternatively find a picture of the Mouth of Hell, a painting of Satan or Baphomet, or simply a pentagram. This imagery is important this time of year as the winter and darkness devours life on the planet!
Chosen Gemstone: have an onyx, jet or any type of black stone on your altar or in your sacred space, or worn as jewelry
Items:Â have a pinch of dirt to use for your ritual, better if you have graveyard dirt, giving it an ancestral feel. If not, chose your pinch of earth from a place that is special to you. Have a small dish to put it in
Clothing: dress as you wish in your costume, or wear a mask, or simply in your robes or even naked if itâs appropriate to your environment. As long as you are comfortable!
Scents: patchouli, pine or any earthy scent, or if you prefer, oils in a burner
Drink:Â your ritual chalice, or cup with your choice of wine or even better, black coffee! It is black, bitter and awakening!
Time: Halloween night!
First, the setup of your ritual space, in a specific sequence:
In this ritual, you will
call upon the elemental and demonic quarters from east to south counter clockwise, Lucifer Belial, Lilith and Satan. From there you will do a ritual of thanks and recognition on Halloween night.
With your altar or ritual space facing south, gather and arrange the items on your altar
Face east and light your incense or oils in a burner
Face north and light your fire
Face west and pour your drink into your cup or chalice
Face south again and add the earth to your dish on your altar
Now, the Infernal Invocation!
First, Lucifer, the Air – hold up your incense facing east – Lucifer opens the gates of communication
“Lucifer, I call upon you, be with me tonight on this sacred evening
Hear my call, Demons and Lords of Darkness!”
Face north, holding your candle or facing the flames, and call to Belial, lord of fire and will
“Belial, at the gate of two worlds, open the Mouth of Hell and make ready my appearance before Satan!
Grant me passage into the darkness on this night!”
Face west – holding your chalice and call to Lilith queen of water and the night
“Lilith, Queen of the night, mother of Demons, I call to you!
As your child of the night I come before you in honor!”
Face South, holding your dish of earth – a call to Satan, lord of the Earth and the physical
“Satan I call to you, Lord of the world and all that is manifested!
I stand in your presence and declare myself at one with darkness!”
“I vow to walk the path of darkness and face all that is within –
as my ancestors had lived and died with purpose, so do I upon
this path.
I thank you, Satan, for bringing me the harvest of your knowledge,
wealth and power. I stand beside you in glory as i enjoy the earthly
pleasures of this night!”
“To Lilith! Queen of the Darkness!”
Raise your chalice and then drink
from it
“To Belial! Lord of the Flame”
Point towards the flame!
“To Lucifer! Lord of the East”
Face east!
And finally south to close your ritual!
“To Satan! Lord of the Earth!”
SO IT IS DONE
Enjoy your Holiday!
So, this is how Satanists celebrate Halloween! With enjoyment, costuming, and perhaps a Satanic ritual. In closing, whether or not you do this ritual, make sure to enjoy the rest of your Halloween evening with friends, 
and reflect on what it means for you personally to walk the path of darkness! For more information on Satanic holidays visit The Satanic Holidays page at SpiritualSatanist.com
Happy Satanic Halloween Everyone!
By the way, as of this blog post time is running out to subscribe and enter the contest to win the 925 sterling pentagram. The contest ends on Halloween night eastern time. Contest and subscription are available here -> Subscribe to the Spiritual Satanist Blog
References:
Rogers, Nicholas (2002). “Samhain and the Celtic Origins of Halloween”. Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, pp. 11â21. New York: Oxford Univ. Press.
COS Page on how Satanists celebrate Halloween: http://www.churchofsatan.com/halloween-xxxiv.php
Church of Satan Holiday FAQ page: http://www.churchofsatan.com/faq-holidays.php
Halloween Special on the Polite Conversations Podcast, Lucian Greaves of the Satanic Temple:
https://soundcloud.com/politeconversations/episode-16-halloween-special-with-lucien-greaves-of-the-satanic-temple 35:20 – 35-30
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How will you spend your Halloween evening?
Happy Zombie Day!
Because of the Holidays, Ive been busy, and I thought that it would be appropriate to post this information about the holidays celebrated in Satanism: