Satanism - what is it? Symbolism, commandments and essence

Everyone has probably heard at least once in their life the concept of Satanism. Of course, it largely speaks for itself, but not everyone can give an accurate interpretation or definition. And this word arouses the wrong kind of interest to be interested in it. However, in reality everything is more serious. Satanism is an officially recognized teaching under the auspices of the Church of Satan. Adherents of this type of religion are called Satanists. This movement was formed back in the 19th century, and since then it has been modified and divided several times.

Many do not define Satanism as a religion, since it does not bring anything divine. But they often look at it as a game, a kind of cult, nothing more. Naturally, there are a lot of opinions. Often followers of Satanism are called devil worshipers. The progenitor of modern Satanism is Aleister Crowley, who was a famous magician in the early 20th century.

However, Crowley himself denied his belief in Satan, saying that there is no devil. Despite this, he provoked Christians in every possible way so that they would consider Satan in him. He used the symbolism of 666 in every possible way and called himself a great beast. And it worked, Christians gave him enormous publicity, because they talked about him, they discussed him.

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Who is Satan?

Who do the followers of this dark movement consider their patron? In Abrahamic movements, Satan is, first of all, the main antagonist of the heavenly forces and the Creator in particular. Even his name itself is translated from Hebrew as “one who resists God.” Common synonyms for Satan are:

• Devil.
• Lucifer.
• Sly.
• Beelzebub.

Representatives of the most widespread religions today - Christianity and Islam - consider Satan the main culprit of all human misfortunes, the personification of evil, pushing people onto the path of spiritual death. After seducing Eve in paradise, this once beautiful angel was turned by the Creator into a vile snake, forced to crawl on his belly all his life.

Background

So, Satanism is a movement or religion whose representatives consider the enemy of God, the rebel Satan, as their patron. The origin of this trend, which is quite numerous today, dates back to approximately the beginning of the 20th century. However, Satanism, of course, cannot be considered a completely new teaching. For example, the same humanistic revolution of the Renaissance can be presented not only as an essentially anti-Christian, but even an anti-religious movement. Its adherents opposed the advice of the Apostle Paul on achieving eternal life through spirituality with the active assertion of the interests and rights of the flesh.

All kinds of occult and magical secret societies existed in different centuries in different countries. Actually, Satanism itself did not exist, but some Catholic priests in past centuries performed the Black Mass and other dark rituals. From literature, for example, the French witch-diabolist La Voisine, who lived during the time of Louis XV, is known. This woman is credited with carrying out a huge number of dark rituals, including the sacrifice of babies, as well as many poisonings.

Aleister Crowley

Diabolism has flourished in this way, perhaps, for as long as Christianity has existed. The history of modern Satanism began with Aleister Crowley. It is this man who is considered by many to be the ideological inspirer of the dark movement. A. Crowley became famous primarily for actively promoting this religion at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Modern Satanists do not like to advertise the fact that it was Crowley who “recreated” various supposedly ancient spells and rituals. Therefore, today the name of this occultist is quite thoroughly forgotten. Once upon a time he was considered the “great magician of the twentieth century.” A. Cowley became famous not only for his numerous sexual orgies with the use of drugs and his loyal attitude to National Socialism, but also for some scientific works.

Ferocity of the Beast

Of course, while rejecting the ideas of creationism and the divine origin of man, the Satanic Bible adheres to an explanation of the origin and nature of homo sapiens as a product of animal evolution. Therefore, all his natural aspirations are completely consistent with the natural aspirations of other higher mammals living in groups. However, there are also differences, which Anton LaVey calls “divine, spiritual and intellectual development.” They mean everything that culture is capable of instilling in a person - both religious and mystical elements, as well as the skills of abstract thinking and logic. All these phenomena, according to Anton LaVey, are not in stable balance with natural biological tendencies, which often leads to the fact that they, armed with the fearlessness of a self-denying fanatic, and/or weapons created by technological progress, lead to monstrous consequences. This is his vision of modern society.

Satan's Commandments

People who for some reason are interested in this religion would probably like to know what the commandments of Satanism are. Of course, this religion also has its own philosophy. There are only nine commandments of Satan. They look something like this:

• instead of abstinence, a person should indulge his instincts;
• instead of spiritual dreams, one should choose a full existence in the material world;
• enemies need to take revenge, and not turn the other cheek;
• Instead of hypocritical self-deception, it is worth showing wisdom;
• mercy can be shown not to flatterers, but only to those who deserve it;
• You should behave responsibly only with responsible people, and not with spiritual vampires;
• man is the animal most dangerous to all other animals;
• all sins, which Satan personifies, do not lead to spiritual death, but to physical, emotional and mental satisfaction.

Lex talionis

Another important element of the Satanic worldview is the principle known as the “Law of Retribution” (Latin: Lex talionis) (in the Bible, for example, formulated as “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”), which is to “do unto others in the same way.” how they treat you." LaVey did not agree with the Christian Golden Rule, which required a person to “do unto others as he would have others do unto him,” considering it psychologically harmful. According to LaVey, love, compassion and sympathy should be given only to those who deserve it, and not wasted on the ungrateful, since this is energetically more economical and reasonable; “If you “do unto people as you would have them do unto you,” and they treat you badly, it is against human nature to continue to treat them with respect. You can do to others as you would have them do to you, but if your kindness is not reciprocated, they must be treated with the hatred they deserve.”

"Black Bible"

The main provisions of the dark doctrine, including the commandments of Satan, were set out by Anton LaVey in a book specially written for this purpose. It is called “The Satanic Bible” and includes four main sections:

• "The Book of Satan"
• "The Book of Lucifer".
• "The Book of Belial".
• "The Book of Leviathan."

According to many representatives of the intelligentsia, The Satanic Bible is a completely consistent and rational work that can arouse interest primarily among teenagers and young adults. Judging by this work, generally accepted ideas about this religion are often erroneous. After all, the ideology of Satanism is often presented as condoning irresponsible and cruel actions. However, judging by the work “The Satanic Bible”, such behavior is absolutely at odds with the basic ethics of this teaching. In LaVey's religion, the independence of the individual is placed at the forefront. That is, a person must answer for his actions to himself, and not to God or the devil.

Actually, the Fallen Angel itself, according to LaVey’s teachings, is a symbol of freedom, rebellion against injustice, and self-development. The status of the Church of Satan in our time is official. It is allowed in many countries of the world. In our country, the Russian Satanic Church was officially registered in May 2021.

Satanic organizations

The Church of Satan is the oldest and largest satanic organization, estimated to number several thousand people around the world. The exact number of people in this organization is unknown, since it does not provide information about its composition and does not require public announcement of the fact of its membership. The headquarters of the Church of Satan is currently located in New York, and the post of High Priest is occupied by Master Peter Gilmore.

In the mid-1970s, former Church of Satan member Michael Aquino founded the Temple of Set, an organization with an ideology based on its own interpretation of ancient Egyptian myths, with an emphasis on mysticism. Members of the Temple of Set describe themselves as "Setians", so strictly speaking it should not be called an organization that practices Satanism to any extent.

Anton LaVey's eldest daughter, Carla LaVey, founded a small organization called the First Satanic Church in 1999, whose ideology is based on LaVey's philosophy. There are currently no other significant organizations practicing Satanism registered.

The main symbols of Satanism

Initially, this religion was designated mainly only by inverted crucifixes. After the publication of LaVey's Bible, the main symbol of Satanism became a pentagram with an image of a goat (Baphomet) inside. Of course, this pentacle was not invented by the founder of the Church himself. Most likely, its prototype is the symbol of the Goat of Mendes (the incarnation of Neter Amon). The latter was called by the Egyptian priests “hidden, abiding in things” and was considered a kind of dark force that permeates all nature.

The inverted cross and Baphomet are thus the main symbols of Satanism. But they are, of course, far from the only ones. Includes the symbolism of this religion and other signs. For example, three sixes are very common. They can be displayed either as 666 itself or as FFF (F is the sixth letter of the English alphabet).

Satanism as a religion: gods

In essence, there are, of course, no gods as such in this movement. The main patron of the flock in this case is Satan himself. Also, in their rituals, representatives of such movements can turn to various kinds of demons. In addition to Baphomet, the most popular include:

• Astaroth.
• Hippopotamus.
• Abadonna.
• Leviathan.
• Asmodea.

These are, of course, not exactly the gods of Satanism. Demons in this religion are considered rather different faces of Lucifer himself. Sometimes representatives of this movement also use fictional dark characters in rituals. For example, LaVey’s book “Satanic Rituals” describes a way to refer to Lovecraft’s Cthulhu. Of course, Satanists also believe in Jehovah. After all, Satan must resist someone.

Demonolatry

Demonolatry is basically the worship of demons and demonic entities. Followers view each demon as a separate force or energy. They are usually used in various magical rites and rituals. In his book Modern Demonology, S. Connolly described more than 200 demons, collected from many different religions of ancient and modern times. Proponents of demonolatry worship the demons with which they feel the closest connection, using certain attributes and practices for this.

Rituals

The essence of Satanism lies, therefore, in the freedom of choice of a person and his independence from any Higher powers. Of course, there is more to this religion than just symbols and philosophy. As already mentioned, its representatives also conduct various kinds of rituals.

According to A. LaVey, fantasy plays an important role in any religious activity. It can manifest itself to the maximum only when performing special ritual actions. Therefore, the founder of the Church of Satan developed several rituals, which can be divided into two main categories:

• practical actionable;
• ceremonial.

The magic of Satanism is usually based on appealing to some kind of demons in order to achieve personal goals. Satanists do not consider LaVey's well-known Black Mass to be ceremonial. In their opinion, this is precisely an effective ritual, the main purpose of which is liberation from the dogmas of the Christian church.

It is also believed that both men and women can perform satanic rituals. Of course, when performing rituals, their participants also use all kinds of symbols of Satanism - inverted stars, black candles, crosses, pentagrams.

Luciferians

Supporters of Luciferianism consider it as a separate branch of Satanism, combining elements of materialistic and esoteric movements. However, to a greater extent, Luciferians are an esoteric movement. Luciferians prefer to call the dark god not Satan, but Lucifer, which in Latin means “bringer of light.” For them, Lucifer is not a symbol of power, protest, sin, the occult or sexuality. Lucifer is an enlightening, kind teacher who brings people the light of knowledge and freedom.

Luciferians believe that initially it was Lucifer who was the light god, but he was slandered by monotheists. They emphasize the importance of the balance of light and darkness in the universe and argue that one cannot exist without the other. For example, spirit and body - in their connection this principle of universal harmony is manifested. LaVey's Satanism is a cult of the body, while Christianity is a cult of the spirit. Luciferians try to find harmony between these two principles.

Satan and Lucifer - what's the difference?

For many people, these two characters are identical. However, historically there is still a difference between Satan and Lucifer. The most important difference between these names is age. Lucifer is a much more ancient demon, appearing in mythology back in the pre-Christian era. For example, the Romans identified him with the morning star - Venus. From ancient Greek the name “Lucifer” is translated as “Bearer of Light.” Since ancient times, this demon has been a symbol of the desire for freedom, open rebellion. Satanism itself professes the same principles (photos of rituals and symbols of this religion are presented on the page).

In the Christian understanding, Lucifer is actually the Fallen Angel, who declared himself equal to God (in revenge for the latter’s love for people) and rebelled. As a result, he and the angels who joined him (a third of the entire composition) were overthrown into hell, where they remain to this day.

Satan, compared to Lucifer, appears to be a somewhat more down-to-earth character. No wonder he is considered the Prince of Peace. Satan was first mentioned in the Torah, a Jewish religious book from which Christians and Muslims later drew information. Here Satan is presented for the most part simply as an accuser or witness to man's bad deeds. Actually, he was transformed into the personification of evil, the enemy of God, only in Christianity and Islam.

Baal-Zevub

This ancient pagan god is also often identified with the concept we are considering (Satanism). The Devil and Beelzebub in some sources are identical characters. Historically, the latter is believed to represent a transformation of the ancient Eastern god Baal-Zebub. And this deity, in turn, was once allegedly offered numerous sacrifices, including human ones. And, of course, Christianity put an end to this.

There is no reliable archaeological evidence that people were sacrificed in the temples of Baal, however. Actually, this god was transformed into Beelzebub back in the Middle Ages. In the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, he is called the prince of the underworld, the supreme ruler of the infernal empire. In some cases, in ancient sources, Beelzebub is identified with Satan, in others he is considered his main assistant.

Historical use of the term

The term "Satanism" has been found in literature since the 16th century at the earliest, but with a different meaning, which still contributes to the confusion surrounding its use. This term did not mean any philosophical teaching or movement, for it was used only as a derogatory word to designate completely different heretical, from the point of view of the Catholic Church, teachings, as well as to accuse people of witchcraft and any other non-Christian activity by the Holy Inquisition. (Cf. the use of the term “enemy of the people” in the USSR). There is no evidence that before the Church of Satan founded by A. S. LaVey in 1966, there was any other, more ancient organization (or cult) of Satanists that would have declared its philosophy as Satanism.

Lilith - the first woman

Of course, Satan, like almost any self-respecting god, also has a wife. In fact, he has four of them. However, the main one in this case is Lilith - the first woman who escaped from paradise. According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, three angels were sent after her by the Creator. However, Lilith flatly refused to return to her husband. For such an offense, God punished her by having 100 of her demon children die every night.

In Jewish philosophy, Lilith is a winged monster that harms newborns. Jews believe that at night she abducts babies and drinks their blood or replaces them with demons. She does not touch, by agreement with the angels sent by God, only those children whose name is written above their bed.

In the Kabbalistic tradition, Lilith is a demon who appears to men, seduces and then kills them. It was in the literature of this orientation that she was first mentioned as the wife of Samael (book of the Zohar).

In the modern satanic tradition, Lilith can be identified with many black goddesses - Kali, Hecate, Helyu, etc. We can talk about two Liliths - the elder and the younger. The first is actually the wife of Satan, and the second is the wife of the demon Asmodeus.

Other wives

In addition to Lilith, the consorts of Satan and the mothers of demons are also considered:

• Naama;
• Agrat;
• Ishet Zennunim.

There are other female demons in Satanism - Lamia, Mahkhalat, Elizadra. Lilith is different from the others in that she used to be mortal. Most of the other demonesses were cast out of heaven along with Lucifer. In rituals carried out by representatives of this movement, among other things, such signs of Satanism as the “Black Moon” of Lilith and the lamen of Naama can be used.

The opinion of the pagans

Thus, for the Jews, Satan is a witness to human actions, a slanderer and an accuser before God. For Christians, this character is the personification of evil, leading a person astray from the true path. What do pagans think about Satanism? Christians are known to dislike both of these religions. Indeed, Satanism and paganism have something in common - the rejection of God or gods as a force that needs to be worshiped in any way. Well, or to whom you can shift responsibility for your actions. However, many Satanists consider the Creator to be an enemy whom Lucifer will sooner or later defeat. Pagans, of course, have a slightly different attitude towards the gods. Representatives of this religion do not consider them as some kind of Absolute that controls human life, but rather as more powerful partners than people. Representatives of this religion do not consider any god to be an enemy.

The majority of pagans do not deny the existence of Yahweh. However, many representatives of this religion consider him quite boring, angry and unbalanced. Some pagans equate Yahweh with the dark principle - the devil, explaining this, among other things, by the similarity of the very names of these two characters.

Actually, representatives of this religion sometimes identify Lucifer himself with the god Wotan (Odin) or the Russian Veles. Also, sometimes Satan in this religion can be associated with Chernobog.

Satanism in the Russian Federation today

In our country, Satanism as a religion appeared during the USSR. In Moscow, for example, the first such groups were noted in the 70s. At that time, however, they were very few in number. But gradually this religion gained popularity in the USSR, spreading to other large and small cities. In the 80s, quite large satanic societies had already appeared in the country. In the 90s, being a follower of one of these groups also became very fashionable.

At the moment, Satanism in Russia is represented mainly by the religious society “Russian Church of Satan,” whose members are followers of LaVey. Of course, there are other, mostly closed and secret movements of a similar orientation in the Russian Federation today. Among the most famous are the following: “Black Angel”, “Southern Cross”, “Green Order”.

In general, the entire spectrum of adherents of dark forces in Russia is divided into two main groups:

• actually the Satanists themselves;
• demon worshipers.

With some stretch, all kinds of practicing sorcerers and witches can be classified as followers of Lucifer.

[edit] Gallery of Satanists

Using the example of the main visitors of satanism.ru:

Christians on Satanism

The attitude of members of the Russian Orthodox Church towards representatives of this movement, of course, in most cases is sharply negative. Christians are trying with all their might to bring this movement to naught. Moreover, they direct their religious anger not only at the Satanists themselves, but also at all movements classified by the Russian Orthodox Church as such, and even at representatives of culture. For example, in 2014, problems arose with the pro-Satanic Polish group Behemoth due to insulting the feelings of believers. The latter, on the initiative of Orthodox activists, was even expelled from Russia (officially for violating the visa regime).

Of course, Christian priests also express their opinions about this religion. For example, those who wish can read A. Kuraev’s book “Satanism for the Intelligentsia.” It is dedicated not only to this dark current itself. It also talks about other directions and movements classified by the Russian Orthodox Church as Satanism.

Among such religions in the book “Satanism for the Intelligentsia” Kuraev includes, for example, the “Living Ethics” of the excommunicated Roerichs, paganism, occultism, Blavatsky’s theosophy, etc.

Light Satanism

There is such a movement in the world today. It is believed that light Satanism is primarily a philosophical worldview based on common sense. Representatives of this movement put their own minds and life experience accumulated in past years at the forefront. The main god of light Satanism is Satanail. The light in this flow symbolizes human consciousness, not clouded by any dogmas. After all, one of Satan’s names—Lucifer—literally means “Lightbringer.”

Light Satanists, unlike ordinary ones, do not perform magical rituals. Representatives of this movement believe that they, being, in fact, crutches, are simply not needed. In very bad situations, when it is impossible to do anything on one’s own, a bright Satanist can turn to Satanail for help. The main moral principle of this teaching is the freedom to choose one's own path.

Church of the Final Solution

Religious organization established in London in the 60s. The teaching was founded by two people who were expelled from the Scientology organization. Their names were Mary Anne MacLean and Robert de Grimston. Together they developed their own teaching, which was based on the pantheon of four gods: Jehovah, Lucifer, Satan and Christ. None of the deities are evil, but each of them illustrates a certain model of a human being. Each follower chooses to worship one of the four, whom he considers closest in spirit.