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Satanism - An Examination of Satanic Black Magic

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Satanism - An Examination of Satanic Black

Magic

Introduction

The aim of this dissertation is to focus upon some of the ritual magical aspects of modern Satanism

without recourse to the sensationalism that is only too evident when Satanism is misunderstood. It is

only when one steps aside from one's preconceptions and morality that Satanism can be understood

in a clear and balanced light.

There has been in the past a tendency to approach Satanism with a deliberately ignorant

misunderstanding, where Satanism is only, and definitively understood as being a cult phenomenon

for the paedophile, sadist or teenage rebel. Yet throughout the history of Satanism, which has its

roots in pre-christian cults, there has been a number of individuals who have sought, through a

magical process of alchemy to change themselves through both ritualistic and non-ritualistic

processes. These individuals have continually questioned that which is commonly accepted, as

Magdalene Graham says in an article entitled 'Re-Defining Satanism.' (Dark Lily. 1989). 'We want to

know. Those four words summarise the Satanic quest.'(1)

Yet again and again there arises the sensationalist articles in the press and the literary spheres

promoting Satanism as a mindless cult of sex, drugs, murder and torture all practiced hedonistically

for the sole pleasure or ego-gratification of the Satanists. In an attempt to redress the imbalance I

have therefore focused upon five different areas that are particularly relevant within the context of

Satanism as a whole. These areas are also mostrelevant when attempting to counter the false claims

made by both the media and the church concerning the activity of Satanists and it is the media and

the church that, according to Satanic adherents, hold the masses in a strangle-hold of repressive and

unnatural morality and slave-like consciousness.

Satanism is therefore suggested to offer freedom, true freedom of thought, rather than artificial

freedoms that are offered by political or religious systems. Satanism deals with the here and now,

with reality as it is. Satanism accepts the inequality of people, of sexes and of races. It accepts the

necessity of disease, famine and death. Take away such things and mankind creates a dangerous

imbalance in nature and it is in nature that Satanism is firmly grounded.

However, in order to return to a natural way of living, certain practices are deemed useful in order to

free the individuals contaminated psyche from the education of a society and civilization racked with

guilt, repression and taboo. One may ask whether society in the latter half of the twentieth century is

really as oppressive as the Satanist makes out. In answer to this the Satanist may cite many examples

of political policy that encroach upon individual liberty. The predominance in equal rights - for sex

and race - practically forced upon the inhabitants of western society. The continual repression and

taboo concerning minority sexual groups, be they for example sado-masochistic, transvestite or

homosexual. The forbidding of an individuals right to kill in self defence and the maintenance of the

laws against euthanasia are all examples of the (generally unconscious) influence of society upon the

individual. It is for these reasons and many more besides that the Satanist seeks to find liberation by

utilising ritual procedures which also, if effective enough, release large amounts of psychical energy

which can then be directed towards specific goals be they external or internal of the practitioner.

Magic in this context is defined in two ways, largely dependant upon the way the word is spelt.

Traditionally magic has been spelt 'magic', the definition of which is generally understood to mean

causing changes in the world or the individual's consciousness in accordance with the individuals

will using psychical or occult forces. The second spelling of magic adds a 'k' to the end of the word,

thus 'magick.' This spelling dates back to the writings of Aleister Crowley's system of magick - itself

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based upon older qabalistic and eastern magical traditions. Crowley added the letter 'k' in order to

differentiate between his own brand of sex magick and other non-sexual forms of magic. In this

essay I have however used both forms of the word, in relation to how the relevant Satanic group

spells the word.

Initiation

During the 13th century a secret religious society known as the Luciferans was discovered operating

in Germany. The Luciferans believed that Lucifer had been wrongly cast out of heaven but that one

day he and his worshippers would resume their rightful place in heaven. During the investigation that

ensued, the Roman church also discovered an initiation ritual which some of the Luciferians

confessed to under the threat of death. According to their confessions the new initiate was required

to kiss the behind of a toad, after which he was approached by 'a man with black eyes who was pale,

emaciated and icy cold.'(2) The man, most likely representing the devil himself, was kissed by the

initiate who then instantaneously lost his Catholic faith. After this a feast was held and 'a large black

cat appeared, emerging from a statue which was always present.'(3) Again the members present

would kiss the cats behind and then the ritual was concluded with an orgy.

Some of the more sensationalist accounts of Satanic Initiations have added to the early Satanic

tradition mentioned above as also including the ritua lslaughter of a virgin, usually female, or of a

baby or young child and the drinking of a concoction of urine, sperm and/or vaginal fluid and blood

whilst the participants blasphemed against God and Jesus Christ. From a moral perspective there is

little, or often, no attempt to apologise for such cases from any Satanic quarter. Here one comes

across the Satanic morality, or amorality where what is traditionally accepted by society is not by

Satanism. It is by going against the accepted norm that the Satanist finds the freedom within, by

going to extremes of emotion, thought and action the Satanist can find a balance between them,one

that is based, not on rhetoric, but on both personal experience and premeditated action. So whilst

society has attempted to imbue its members with moral constraints which are often portrayed as

being permanent and absolute, Satanists see themselves as tending towards a more honest approach,

developed from conscious experience, where morality is considered as being both temporal and

relative. It is obvious from this perspective that Satanic morality is both offensive and dangerous and

here then lies another barrier for the Satanic Initiate, for he or she must face and question his or her

own morality.

The concept of initiation originates in a non-Satanic religious source where initiation is held to be a

symbolic transition from one stage to another. The differences occur in the use of symbolism and of

dieties. Thus in some examples of a Satanic initiation the neophyte may undergo a ritual coupling

with a Temple Priest or Priestess. This coupling is a symbolic union of Satan and his bride

Baphomet. Thus if the neophyte is female, then a Priest, representing Satan will couple with her, or

if the neophyte is male a Priestess, representing Baphomet, will couple with him. The obvious

exception is if the neophyte is gay and then he or she must seek out a relevant Sapphic or Uranian

Temple. The individual to be initiated may also undergo tests - both during and previous to the

initiation ritual - and may be subjected to both humiliation and pain. Humiliation may take the form

of being stripped naked and bound before the Temple into which the neophyte is seeking initiation.

The symbology here is of a stripping of personality, wherein the individual is no longer protected by

his or her personality as symbolised by his or her clothing and is instead bared to all devoid of any

societal position or power that he or she may have. Adding to this feeling of nakedness, which is

enhanced by the unfamiliarity of the Temple and its members, the neophyte may also be subjected to

a ritual scourging representative of the neophytes worthlessness, uncleanliness and weakness.

The necessary prequisite to undergo such a Satanic initiation begins simply with the feeling 'that

there is more to life than the normal round of work and pleasure.'(4) It is from this perspective that

the individual may seek and join a Satanic Temple or Tradition, yet this will usually only occur if the

individual is to some extent free from the manipulations of society and its adherent morality as

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mentioned earlier. Once the ritual initiation has been completed there then begins a process of

psychological change. To a large extent this change is simply a development of conscious awareness

of one's actions, thoughts and feelings. The individual, having successfully passed through the first

stage of initiation, as symbolised by the initiation ritual, must then undergo such further development

and it is this development that is reflective of a true initiation, not simply Satanic but of any

religious, occult or mystical path. It is therefore unfortunate that great emphasis is placed upon the

external form of initiation together with the exaggerated interpretations of blasphemy, sacrifice and

sexual depravity whilst little emphasis is placed upon an understanding of the internal form of

initiation.

This internal initiation has also been likened to the process of rebirth. Yet this rebirth is an internal

one, which is not simply reduceable to a change of mind but also involves the development of the

astral body and, dependant upon which tradition the initiate belongs to, later on of the mental and

divine bodies. With some ritual initiations, if they are powerful enough, the astral body of the

neophyte may become so strong that the individual will have a spontaneous out of body experience.

Yet in order for the astral body(5) to be fully developed a long process of inner work must begin and

this may take the form of self study. Here the premise Know Thyself is of the utmost importance

where the initiate studies his or her reactions to all his or her experiences. Thus he/she will slowly

become aware of patterns of thought or emotion that he/she follows during a specific event, or

events. This conscious awareness establishes that the individual usually reacts in a set way to set

occurrences. By being aware of this the individual is then advised to cease reacting and thereby

begin to control his or her psychological processes.

Whilst this method is most notably advanced by the Society of Dark Lily, there are a number of

Satanic groups that also promote the idea of conscious awareness, which is eventually followed by

conscious control of one's actions. Another interesting concept that is connected to the role of the

initiate is that the individual, once initiation is complete has become a part of a larger timeless

tradition. This concept is mainly found in Traditional Satanic groups such as the Order of Nine

Angles. Initiation, whilst essentially being individual, that is, focusing upon the individuality of the

new initiate which will therefore determine specific events that he or she may undergo, means that

the individual will, by virtue of his or her initiation, add to the larger Sinister Tradition of which

he/she is now a member. Examples of this role are found in the development of new ways to

manifest the sinister energy of the Tradition. Art, music, philosophy, politics and literature are all

examples of this creative expression that the new initiate is eventually expected to develop further, a

development that should essentially imbue within the creation the energy of the Dark Gods

themselves.

The Black Mass

The most infamous Satanic ritual is the rite known as the Black Mass. The development of the Black

Mass is not, as some authors have understood it, a recent development, but one that has occurred

over a period of 1200 years and its origin, far from lying in an established Satanic tradition, lies

within the rituals and ceremonies of the early Christian church.

The Mass of the Dead is considered by some(6) to be the originator of the Black Mass and, although

considerably different from the modern versions of the Black Mass, it's sole function was to procure

the death of a person. This variation of the early Christian Mass was performed by a Christian priest

accompanied by a female server, with whom he had copulated prior to the ritual. The Mass took

place in a disused church, water from a well in which an unbaptized child had drowned replaced

wine and a black triangular host was duly consecrated.

The progression from the Mass of the Dead into the modern Black Mass took a new turn when it was

linked to the medieval witches sabbath. Accordingly the inclusion of a horned figure who presided

over the ceremony and who came to be associated with the Hebraic scape-goat came to be one of the

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central aspects of the Black Mass. The orgy was also then included, something that was most likely

derived from the rites of the Bacchanalia or Dionysiac cults of ancient Rome and Greece, of which

shall be spoken presently.

In his book The Black Arts (Pan Books Ltd. 1967.), Richard Cavendish outlines the proceedings of

the witches sabbath. Commencing with the witches paying homage to the Devil. The witches would

light a fire whilst the Devil was seated upon a throne in the form of either a goat, representing Satan

himself, or a dog, which may have been connected with the dark Goddess - the dog being one of the

sacred animals of Hekate - rather than with Satan himself. The witches would then approach and

adore the Devil, though their approach would be in a manner foreign to normal men, such as walking

crab-like or with their backs turned to him. After this 'came the offering of the candles to the Devil

and the obscene kiss.'(7) where the witch kisses the Devils behind. Following the obscene kiss,

initiation, baptism or marriage would occur followed by the feast and the orgy which concluded the

witches sabbath.

The inclusion of a feast and an orgy at the end of the witches sabbath is very much reminiscent of the

Bacchanalia that existed during the times of the Roman empire. The Bacchanalia was originally a

secret sorority that eventually initiated men into its cult. Its members, who were said to indulge

licentiously in their passions, were also alleged to have been responsible for a number of deaths,

performed in secret caves, and defilements of its male members who refused to take the oath of the

cult or to commit specific vices. When the cult was finally repressed by the authorities there was

estimated to be some 7000 men and women who were members, many of whom were arrested and

imprisoned whilst their meeting places were destroyed and the Bacchanalia were prohibited

throughout Rome. The similarity between the Bacchanalia, the witches sabbath and the Black Mass

are therefore fairly evident.

In modern times there are numerous versions of this ritual used by different Satanic groups. The

Black Mass contained within the Church of Satan's 'The Satanic Rituals' (Avon Books. 1972) is

based upon a combination of the rite used by the Societe de Luciferiens, a French Satanic society

that operated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and the fictional work of J.K. Huysmans entitled

La Bas. Explained as a psychodrama that elevates the 'concepts of Satanism to a noble and rational

degree,'(8) the Black Mass is considered to free the individual from the constraints that have been

acquired - both consciously and unconsciously - from past indoctrination and stigma. The actual

ritual as laid out in the Satanic Rituals consists of a priest, who acts as the main celebrant,

accompanied by two assistants, being referred to as the deacon and the subdeacon respectively, a nun

adorned in habit and wimple and a naked female who serves as the altar and a congregation. The

ritual begins with an invocation to the Prince of Darkness and his host of demons, followed by a

renunciation of past allegiances and a dedication to Satan-Lucifer. The ritual progresses through the

Satanic Offertory, Canon and consecration of the host. The Mass is completed with the recital of the

fifth Enochian Key and the Repudiation and Denunciation, whereby the power and divinity of Christ

is denied and the power of Satan is invoked to cause vengeance to Christ and his host of angels.

After this has been said the rite is concluded with the wafer which, having been consecrated by

insertion into the vagina of the female altar, is then cast to the floor and trodden upon. The

participants drink from the chalice and the ritual is then officially declared completed.

The Order of Nine Angles offer a similar though different tradition concerning the Black Mass.

Whilst in the Church of Satan's Black Mass, the naked female takes the place of the altar, the Black

Mass of the Order of Nine Angles stipulates that it is a naked male who serves as the altar. Three

further participants and a congregation complete the number of celebrants. As opposed to the

accepted understanding of a Black Mass where the participants are all adorned in black robes, the

three leading participants wear white (Priestess), scarlet (Mistress of the Earth) and Purple (Master

of the Temple) and whilst the Church of Satan exclude the sexual element that seems to have been

prevalent in many of the previous versions of the Black Mass, the Order of Nine Angles have

included two specifically sexual elements, the first being the masturbation of the Priest by the

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Priestess, who then ejaculates over the host, which is duly trampled upon by the congregation and

the inclusion of an orgy at the end of the ritual.

The usefulness of the Black Mass has a number of different features. Its first and most universal

function within Satanic orders is that it is a powerful ritual of psychic release, a catharsis that enables

its participants to free themselves from the conscious and unconscious influences of the prevailing

authority of the Christian church. By inverting or altering the texts and ritualistic procedure of the

Christian Mass, the participants of the Black Mass effectively tap into and alter their own, often

unconscious, feelings and thoughts that pertain to the Christian world-view. From such a perspective

the theory that Satanists who perform the Black Mass hold the Christian world-view as their own

becomes a fallacy. For the Satanist is trying to free him or herself from the Christian world-view in

virtue of his or her performance of the Black Mass. For example, in the Order of Nine Angles

version of the Black Mass the Christian 'Our Father' is replaced by the 'Satanic Our Father' thus:

'Our Father which wert in heaven hallowed be thy name In heaven as it is on Earth. Give us this day

our ecstasy And deliver us to evil as well as well as temptation For we are your kingdom for aeons

and aeons.'(9) Whilst this seems to be the central function of the Black Mass, the Order of Nine

Angles also state that if the ritual is performed correctly the energy so raised may be directed by the

chief celebrants according to their wills. From this perspective the Black Mass can effectively live up

to its seventh century predecessor The Mass of the Dead and cause the death of an opponent or

adversary.

The importance of the Black Mass in modern Satanism therefore has a number of purposes and even

though some groups - such as the Society of Dark Lily - regard its cathartic use as something of the

past, such catharsis being performed intellectually - it still remains one of the most potent and

blasphemous rites of Black Magic.

One form of modern blasphemy is the Mass of Heresy of the Order of Nine Angles. The theory

behind this Mass is based upon the assumption that Christianity has produced an effect not only on

the magical or psychic level of human life but also on the sociological level. This social aspect of

Christianity is considered to be manifest mainly in the political forms of Communism and liberalism.

The concept of equality of races and sexes, the goal of eternal peace and the upholding of Jewish

state from which Christianity is assured a firm foundation in its Holy birthplace, all amount to a Holy

Crusade according to Satanists. The need for a new form of the Black Mass, one that frees the

psyche of the protagonists from the unconscious influences of liberalism and equality is one that has

been answered in the form of the Mass of Heresy. Whilst this Mass negates equality it upholds and

positively identifies with the positive aspects of National Socialism. Thus the individual pronounces

that he/she believes in the inequality of races and the divine status of Adolf Hitler, who is perceived

as being god-like, a saviour of the Aryan race. The Holocaust is denied and the Swastika and Mein

Kampf are focal points for the ritual, Mein Kampf replacing the Black Book of Satan which is used

in the Black Mass and other traditional forms of Satanic Ritual.

To many individuals such a ritual appears to be pointless and unnecessary. The holocaust is proven

and therefore such a ritual seeks to deny the truth. Yet such reasoning only strengthens the Satanists'

case. Nazi Germany has become a scapegoat for the projection of the Jungian Shadow(10) according

to some Satanists'. In the case of the defence even Simon Wiesenthal has openly defended the view

that not all camp guards were brutal and cruel sadists, rather only 10%, a fraction of what many

would have one believe. The key then to the use of rites such as the Mass of Heresy is to free the

psyche from prejudice, in relation to this a member of the Order of Nine Angles says 'individuals

who participate in genuine Satanic Masses sometimes experience a kind of 'satori' - or sudden

enlightenment - and are thus led to an increase in their consciousness as well as an enhanced vitality

because they have broken free of constraining opposites.'(11) Yet probably the best example to show

the blasphemous nature of the Mass of Heresy is that in some countries individuals who perform it

may be liable to prosecution and imprisonment.

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