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Philosophy Archives - Spiritual Satanist Blog

Spiritual Satanist Blog

Category: Philosophy

3 Mistakes New Satanists Make

I’ve been a Satanist going on 25 years. I’ve seen trends in Satanism come and go. But there are some common mistakes that new Satanists make that I have noticed in talking with new Satanists around the world, over the years.

The fact is, many new Satanists just don’t know where to go once they decide to become a Satanist. If you are new to Satanism, hopefully this will help you to not make the same mistakes that I’ve seen new Satanists make in the past.

Mistake #1 Not Taking The Time To Read The Satanic Bible

Many people over the years have asked me, “I want to become a Satanist, where should I start?”. I usually let them know that the Satanic Bible is a good place to start, for several important reasons.

The Satanic Bible was written by Anton LaVey and it serves as the doctrine for the Church of Satan. I am not LaVeyan – by any means. The Satanic Bible is not a perfect document. It is pieced together from various sources. But the overall philosophy is something that Satanists should become familiar with when they first start out in the path of Satanism.

The Satanic Bible enables you to understand the idea behind the basic philosophy of Satanism. The spirituality of Satanism, however, is something that you create and experience on your own. The basics behind the the philosophy is what helps you understand how to live as a Satanist.

Without this knowledge, you are left wondering what Satanists are talking about on forums, or why they reference certain things. You want to be in the know, right? Learn how to speak the Left Hand language.

The Satanic Bible is not a large book, you can read it in a few days. You don’t have to study it, and you don’t have to agree with everything that’s written in it, just become familiar with it. This book will give you a basic understanding of the philosophy of Satanism and the ideas behind Satanism as a social movement.

You can pick up a copy here at my Left Hand Path Books Blog -> The Satanic Bible

Mistake #2 Rushing Into a Pact Without Understanding the Consequences

I’ve known a few Satanists that came to me over the years saying that they rushed into their Satanic pact before they were sure what they were doing. They eventually quit Satanism but wanted to return.

Maybe they didn’t take the time to understand what is required to make a pact, or they didn’t have the confidence to live a Satanic life. Maybe they read somewhere that making a pact is easy and it’s all you have to do to become a Satanist. Well, its a little more complicated than that.

Yes, pacts are an important part of Satanism. A pact enables you to create a bond between you and Satan. It is useful for self-initiation into the Satanic path. But, just performing the pact ritual itself doesn’t make you a Satanist. It’s that moment when you know the time is right, when you have everything in order, that making a pact makes sense.

I suggest to my readers that a pact is serious business and it should be approached with caution and respect. A pact should be made after a period of time, when you have studied about Satanism and you have performed your own rituals. I usually suggest to wait a year before you decide.

Make Satanism a part of your life, but work towards the goal of having a pact. It’s so much more meaningful than just diving in without a direction or meaning, leaving you feeling empty. If you are going to swear your allegiance, know what you are swearing for. Don’t make a pact until you study, pray, ritualize and work with Satan in your own personal way for at least one year.

Read my page at the Spiritual Satanist Site, on Pacts and Satanic Dedication

Mistake #3 Not Doing Your Research

This last point ties in with points #1 and #2. Research is an important and often overlooked facet of learning how to walk the Satanic path. Nobody out there really teaches you how to research. You just do it on your own hoping that you are going in the right direction. Some people never research at all and they feel that once the answer is handed to them, they might be satisfied and feel that there is no need to ask any questions.

For those of us with a sense of curiosity, the search for knowledge is never ending. You should take the time to research the things you read about. Don’t just take someone’s word for it without investigating. The nature of the occult makes it easy for authors to obscure their sources. With a little bit of work, you can uncover their sources and understand more than just what is on the surface. The lesson here is not to take things at face value. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. That way, you will have not only knowledge, but also wisdom. This will carry you farther than just simple belief.

Don’t Make These Mistakes!

So to recap, the three biggest issues that new Satanists face are the facts that many skip the essential part of at least reading the Satanic Bible. Many new Satanists rush into pact making without considering the long term consequences. And many aspiring Satanists who come from a Christian background, are too willing to accept other’s stories about Satan, without taking the time to do their own research. If you are new to Satanism, considering these three important suggestions may help you to walk the Satanic path with more confidence.

In Other News..

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September 15, 2017
“Love” is Not a Four-Letter Word – Venus Satanas

Thoughts on Satanic Love…
In Satanism, I have found that some Satanists treat the word ‘Love” as if it were a four-letter word. They say the word with contempt, with disgust. They treat it as if it were not part of the Satanist’s vocabulary. Almost as if it were something to be hated. As if it was a word not to be spoken.

Is it because some Satanists hold on to their past beliefs of Christianity, and in their struggle to let go of it, they treat all the concepts of Christianity with contempt? Words and concepts like ‘compassion’, ‘forgiveness’, and ‘love’ are seen as a condition of weakness and ignorance.

Perhaps LaVey had something to do with this contempt for love. Wasn’t it LaVey who suggested that forgiveness was only to be given in a conditional way, to those who deserved it? Didn’t he suggest that hatred for the hypocrisy of Christianity was righteous for Satanists? Do some Satanists, even though they are not LaVeyan, accept beliefs that LaVey introduced into Satanism through his own (hypocritical) philosophy?

Love is not a Christian concept. It is not owned by Christians. No religion has enough righteousness to own that word. That is because love is a human emotion, not a tool of the religious. Indeed, it has been used in that way – to change people’s attitudes about each other and about life, through a spiritual perspective. But in the end, love is a human condition, and there is nothing more Human than the Satanist who is closest to the realities of life. Isn’t that the ‘Satanic Ideal’?

The Broken Past Lives On..
Treating the word ‘love’ with contempt is a social problem in Satanism. Some of us aren’t prepared to live a life outside of Christianity, or to leave that zone of inverse-christian beliefs. So it is only natural for them to only see that word from a certain perspective. To them, it becomes a tool of the weak and the lowly, the end-product of manipulation and mind games.

It is a social problem because the word is treated with prejudice. If Satanists seek freedom and the ability to live life as they see fit, then why is love avoided or shunned? Wouldn’t it make more sense to explore -why- love is important and how it can be used outside of a Christian perspective? I certainly think so. It’s important to me.

I wrote this post today because I had asked a question on Facebook, and this question was about how Satanism has changed lives in a positive way. One person replied that he appreciated and enjoyed the love of Satan, and his comment erupted a firestorm of replies that ‘love’ didn’t exist in Satanism.

I disagree with the idea that love does not exist in Satanism, because in a world filled with possibilities and a life that is truly free, there is room for love. A true kind of love that is not false or contrived, a love that is outside of moral ideals that belong to the religious. If Satanists are willing to deny that love is worthless or has no use in Satanism, then what kind of life would that be?

If Satanists refuse to change the ideas of the past that only serve to hold them back from enjoying life, then what kind of future will they have as Satanists? Aren’t they just repeating the same mistakes of the past without creating a change that will improve their future? Satanists could be denying the opportunity to enjoy life and give up the worthless ideas and attitudes that don’t work.

A Love for Satan
Many of us got into Satanism because we had a desire to experience Satan and Satanism in whatever form that it appeared to us.. and many of us do have a love for Satan who, (for some) has guided us along our path every day since we first began our journey.

I admit that I also love Satan, and this love is a deep spiritual love that comes from the heart. Satan has always been there for me, but I have always had the freedom to choose how I will live my life. A love for Satan is not a requirement to be a Satanist, but this love for Satan, and love from Satan has been experienced by many of us in a spiritual way. This love only came through time and experience.

Where Do you Stand?
What about Self-Love? This is not the same as being selfish – I think that Self-Love is the ability to be honest and true with ourselves, to take responsibility for our actions and to have a genuine interest in making one’s life better each day. Selfish love destroys, but real and true spiritual Self-Love builds something so great that nothing can destroy it. Real and true love, from the heart, from the Will.

Maybe some Satanists lack that certain kind of confidence, and they do not love themselves. As long as they cling to the shards of their broken Christian past, and they proclaim that love is a four- letter-word, they may never get to experience one of the greatest joys in life that makes life complete.

The destructive nature of Satanism leaves many in the dark when it comes to love and the expression of emotions in a healthy and balanced way – and I can understand this. Satanism is not an easy path to be on. I think that it is one of the most difficult paths there is. It can build you up but it can also tear you down. When it all comes down to it where do you stand?

I do not think that Love is a Four-Letter word.

Satan Be With You,
Venus Satanas

May 24, 2010
Satanism as a Philosophy or Religion? Both?

Fellow Blogger Zandria Zatara had commented on an earlier post of mine, about the History of the Pentagram. To bring you up to discussion, it was suggested by me that Satanism is generally a philosophy, and not a religion. my contention is that Satanism did not exist in public form until the last century when it developed from the many other new religious movements of that age.

“Wow. Again, I am just stunned to see this coming from a self-proclaimed Theistic Satanist. Now, granted, I have only recently started reading your blog so maybe we are mincing words. I would expect this from a LaVeyan Satanist because that was what LaVey was about but by definition Theistic (meaning: belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically: belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world – in short the worship of deity) Satanism is a religion.” Zandria Zatara

My Reply:

Theism in its broadest sense, is simply the belief in deity. This belief may or may not include the belief in the existence of other deities and it may include spirituality, worship, or religion. Theism may also include the belief that there is a singular god, or gods that are the creators of our world.

In my view, all gods that have ever existed, were created by humans. This means that no, i do not believe that Satan or any other god created this universe. nor do i believe that Satan is the only god in existence, there are many others as well, perhaps thousands can be found throughout history.

Of course some would ask, how can a person believe in the existence of gods, while admitting that they were all created by humans? the answer is really quite simple: I am not invested in their religious beliefs of gods. The Satanic Bible also teaches that ‘all gods were created by man’. This is a more rational ontological explanation, and one that is much more convenient and realistic than simple religious belief.

Instead, I am a spiritual Satanist, and through representations like Satan, and other deities, I am able to come to an understanding of the natural world, and also reach an understanding from within. This is not a religion, it is a philosophy. The word, ‘philosophy’ essentially means, “a love of knowledge”, and I have a love of knowledge of the gods of satanism, and an appreciation of Satanism as a life philosophy. whereas my spirituality has been a practice in my life it has been for my own purposes of self development, unrelated to my association with Satan.

I do not need gods as an object of faith, or religion, because I worship no gods. The only god that I am allied with is Satan, but I may choose to interact with other gods whenever I have a desire to [usually for the purpose of magic]. My alliance with Satan is for our mutual benefit. Our alliance does not include worship, simply because there is no need to worship an ally.

LaVey had similar beliefs and experiences when he allied with the Prince of Darkness on a symbolic level. However, some have said that LaVey was a Deist. Deism, which is a form of Theism, is described as :”.. a philosophical belief in the existence of a God on the basis of reason, and observation of the natural world alone.” [wiki] LaVey proclaimed that Satan represented our natural desires, and the natural world.

However, what would appear to be worship and ritual for the LaVeyan Satanist is generally symbolic and psychological, and is also not considered to be esoteric or based on the concepts of metaphysics or spirituality. It is instead based on materialism, and philosophy. I diverge from this philosophy as a theist who recognizes Satan as an entity, and who also uses metaphysical and spiritual practices.

So while LaVey at some points proclaimed that Satan [is] god of this earth as represented by our natural desires, he denied the formality of worship and religion and in its place he offered philosophy, ethics and a method of Rationality, over the uncertainty of religious faith.

Satanism is a philosophy that can be used as a religion, and it has been done by many groups. I simply choose not to participate in that way.

More to come…

April 9, 2009
Book Review: The Al-Jilwah For Satanists

THE AL-JILWAH FOR SATANISTS
The Al-Jilwah is a book of mystery and enlightenment, belonging to the Kurdish tribe of people known as the Yezidi. It is also known as a sacred book for Satanists. This book is for all satanists who want to learn about the origin of the Al-Jilwah, and why it is so popular in Satanism.

WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN:
This book was written to expose the false history of the Al-Jilwah as a book of the Devil. For many years, the Yazidi have been wandering desert nomads and their sacred book has been labeled as evil by the religious right. Unfortunately this caused many Satanists including LaVey to label the Yazidi as the devil’s own, and their sacred Al-Jilwah book became a representation of the Devil’s revealed words.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR:
This book is for all Satanists who want to explore the historical origins of the Al-Jilwah, a mysterious religious book that has been labeled as ‘evil’ both by Christians and by Satanists. Don’t just accept these stories without knowing the real origins of the religious material that you accept as sacred. This book reveals the truth about the origins of the Al-Jiwah, and it exposes the historical errors in its writing and representation as a Satanic holy book.

PURCHASE THIS BOOK:
The Al-Jilwah for Satanists is available for instant PDF download at lulu.com. Also available as a 26pg. softcover book. Contains complete references and a bibliography.
[–>Get the Al-Jilwah for Satanists at LuLu.com]

April 2, 2009