THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
	a cache of usenet and other text files pertaining to occult, mystical, and spiritual subjects.

To: zazas-l@hollyfeld.org (ZAZAS-L Satanist Elist)
Subject: (Z) Satanism FAQ Review (FCoS)
From: "tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com" 
Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 21:42:43 -0800 (PST)

References: <78i9gt$1hd$1@winter.news.rcn.net> 

49990127 IIIom Hail Satan!

"the Daemon Egan" :
# Satanists argue over the existence/non-existence of Satan as an 
# entity. 

only the stupid ones.  the smart ones know that Satan takes forms
as are necessary for each and every individual. the 'One Way is
Right' mentality is of the Old Aeon.


# Our position is that the fight should not be about whether or 
# not you have a relationship with a real or imagined entity. 
# The argument/discussion should be about whether your belief 
# system is dogmatic or non-dogmatic.

why bother arguing about it?  discussion is often a wasted effort 
with people whose belief system is dogmatic. the rest will be 
amiable and open to considering alternatives.  those who foam 
and froth in response to questions are usually not worth my time.


# ...all spiritual paths are valid - mythic road maps which can 
# lead a seeker down a similar road to the same eternal truths. 

the problem with this is in determining which of these behavioral
suites are "spiritual paths" and which are "evil selections".  if
my 'spiritual path' inhibits or violates you, then what?


# When you strip the Halloween mask from the face of Satanism, 
# you are left with is "just another spiritual path" no different 
# from any other.

are you sure?  what is a "spiritual path"?  why isn't Satanism
based in the PHYSICAL WORLD, rather than something metaphysical?


# THE SATANIC TRINITY
#
# There are three schools of thought in Satanism. Each one has 
# been adopted, corrupted and euphemised by Christians to 
# symbolize Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let the mask be 
# stripped and the veil torn asunder that all may see;

this sounds like an attempt to co-opt Christianity and near-
Christian religious to the benefit of Satanist ideologies.


# 1.) Gnostic Satanism (The Father)

# There are a race of beings far more advanced than our own who 
# live beyond our limited linear perception of time and space. 
# They have, down through history, been called by various names; 
# gods, angels, seraphim, "Heavenly Father," etc. These beings 
# possess infinite cosmic power and wisdom compared to ourselves, 
# but they are not really supernatural per se, just more advanced 
# - nothing more, nothing less. This includes "Satan" or "Set." 

to here I agree, and would note that Crowley's 'Gnostic Catholic
Church' and the variety of 'Enochians' prefer this perspective.
LaVey played up to the latter with his inclusion of 'the Enochian
Keys' in his _The Satanic Bible_. Paul Huson (_Mastering the Art
of Witchcraft_) and others have utilized the concepts to be found
in the apocryphal "Book of Enoch" and "Book of Noah" in order to
derive explanations for the origin of magical power (ultimately
these should be considered outgrowths of Judeochristian literature).


# This tendency to worship them is a natural reaction of our 
# primitive minds.  Hereafter, we will refer to these beings as 
# Daemons.

worshipping them is a "natural reaction of primitive minds"?
I'm not convinced of this.


# ...Direct intrusion into our lives and affairs would thwart our
# potential growth and evolution - we must continue to struggle 
# and be allowed to make our own mistakes, otherwise evolution is 
# halted, as there are no lessons being learned. There is, 
# however, a natural way in which these Daemons (or Watchers) 
# inspire us and communicate ideas; through an impersonal device 
# known as the Archetypal Form which exists in the realm of
# the collective unconscious.

this is an outgrowth of Neopaganism, which in turn obtained it
from Protestantism. my best guesses.  of course the latter is
Jungian psychology without attribution, and not always following
in Carl Jung's footsteps, conceptually.


# The archetypes are also our portals to infinite wisdom, because 
# they provide the natural way in which Daemons can communicate 
# with humankind, behaving not unlike computer modems.

# This conversation occurs when the consciousness is an altered 
# state. The particular state of mind required has a name: samadhi 
# or Gnosis (pronounced "noe-sis"). It is the No-mind, the ain or 
# nothing, stopping the internal dialogue. It is also 
# one-pointedness, passing through the eye of a needle.

a confluence of global religious ideas, from Zen ("no-mind") to
Biblical theology ("passing through the eye of a needle").  I
typically class this as 'New Age'.


# 2.) Traditional Satanism (The Son)

[snipped a load of crap]

# life, death and reincarnation continues unabated for millions of 
# years and slowly, these lifelines begin to merge until they become 
# fully integrated and... when they do... a daemon is born!

# Daemons possess great cosmic power, multi-dimensional awareness, 
# a magnified Will and a superior intellect - as a result, their 
# lives are infinitely more complex than our own. Unlike mortals, 
# they choose a time and place to express themselves physically.

note that these aren't 'summoned and controlled by magicians'.


# It must be stressed that, as a race, these advanced souls come
# infrequently - they are not at war with one another as our primitive
# mythologies suggest.

note the belief in a 'soul', 'incarnation' and 'advancement'.
these are spiritualist concepts which can be seen dominating
the ideologies of such writers and their followers as HPB and
her Theosophists and the variety of Rosicrucians and Goldawnians
who enjoy this dualistic conception of the universe
(spirit/matter) which they appear to have inherited from the
Orphics.


# 3.) Generational Satanism (The Holy Spirit)

# There is a more important aspect of Satan, above/beyond any 
# archetypal form or evolved existence....
# It is the Dark Force or animating principle which permeates 
# and balances the Universe, the One Ruler of the All-That-Is, 
# the Cosmocrator! This force is also called entropy for it 
# consumes time/space, but in doing so, new life is created. 

note the focus on creationism.  this is the infiltration of
the luxocentrics into Satanism.


# Wiccans refer to this force as The Goddess or Pan. Some 
# Satanists fancy it as the Dark Mother, Kali/Shiva....

is She really Dark if She is procreationist?  why is Kali
always shown drinking blood and killing people, wearing
body parts and dancing on corpses?  c'mon.


# Physicists call it dark matter....

note the attempt to justify theology through support from
barely-understood scientism.


# Where We Differ

# ...We are the only Satanic organization which actually 
# agrees with all the positions taken in Anton LaVey's (Howard
# Levey's) book, The Satanic Bible....

what about the Church of Satan?  doesn't it support this book?


# ...Today's so-called "LaVeyans".... completely ignore the 
# principles and tenets of their own bible. 

isn't this the case with all religious, by the assessments
of their competitors?


# the recent crop of mental midgets joined the California 
# CoS as members of a personality cult. These self-styled 
# "materialistic atheists" (or goth nihilists) are using 
# the religion as a rationale to exhibit anti-social
# behavior. They do not believe or practice what we'd call 
# "magic" and have every intention of destroying the 
# opposition by any means possible, utilizing propaganda, 
# deception and smear campaigns. Proof can be found at
# their offical websites where they publish "Satanic Bunco 
# Sheets!"

but LaVey started that, didn't he?  why shouldn't they
follow in his footsteps?  I don't get it.  could you
explain the exact details of how you'd like the CoS cult
to begin acting differently so as to conform to their
bible?


# ...The new LaVeyans have one raison d'etre; to be the sole
# interpreters of contemporary Satanism.

well independent Satanists have been representing exceptions
to this for decades. have you missed us?  do we need another
herd in order to believe that orgSatanism is a bust?  


# ...the FCoS is.... particularly geared to those individuals 
# whose foundations and stature are firm enough to interact 
# with all sorts of other abstract thinking and logic and yet 
# not lose their own balance or identity. 

wait, why do we need the FCoS again?  WHO GAINS?


# The question is never whether the FCoS is big enough for 
# an individual.  The question is more likely: "Is the 
# individual big enough for the FCoS?"  

sounds like more propaganda.  organizations are notoriously
destructive of individual power. why should any self-
respecting Satanist want to belong to a cult, let alone
yours?  what does it net them?


# The history of the FCoS is being written at this very 
# moment.  

no doubt, just like the rest of the religious propaganda
which emerges from Satanist prophets. you can bet your
sweet bippy that people want to write the history of the
organizations and individuals and have it count as 'true'.
consider what this says about the malleability of what we
call 'hlstory'.  mostly, consider the source.


# Watch it change the face of Satanism.

how?


# How do you compare with the Temple of Set (ToS)?
# Temple of Set - (Prometheun Gnosticism)

		s/bPromethean

# ...Like the Christians, Setians are dualists - their diety 
# has an "opposite face," a physical manifestation
# known as HarWer (The Devil), defined as "fitful" 
# (spasmodic, chaotic, irregular).

very interesting, I've never heard this from a Setian
before.


# How does one practice Black Magic?....
# Magic spells can be thrown any number of ways and it is 
# delineated in the updated version of Satan's Bible. 

updated?  I'm always the last to know. :(


# ...you can throw spells to force people to fall in love with
# you, but if you do it to the wrong person, you will be very 
# very sorry!

how do we pick the right person?


# First you must do a spell to attract "the perfect soul-mate" 
# someone who is hand-picked by Lucifer himself (I'm not kidding). 

this is very true. I made a blood pact with Satan and not too
long afterward SHe sent me a hand-picked soulmate. the partner
is still with me and our match appears to be working.


# Who Or What Is Satan?
# Satan is reality. Satan is the here and now, and the there 
# and then. Satan is Lucifer, the Devil, and much more. He 
# answers to a multitude of names that men have bestowed upon 
# that grand, elemental presence in the dark of their hearts 
# when all else has failed. Satan is the last hope of mankind.
# Satan is whom men and women turn to when the God of the 
# Bible has failed them. 

so Satan appears to be heavily Biblical, based on your ideas.


# All men know this profound presence, for Satan lives deep 
# within them and fills their heart and soul with His eternal 
# fire of wisdom, knowledge and desire. He is in their genes. 
# Satan is that longing to accomplish, to do, to create and 
# to become. Lucifer is that Force of Creation that long ago 
# conjured up the All and everything in it, including you, me, 
# and all that is. The answer then is that Satan is. Because 
# Satan is, we are.

you do like your creationism, don't you?


# ...when Satan interacts with humankind, He appears in our
# mind's eye in human form or near human form, depending upon 
# the expectations of the beholder. The essence of Satan is 
# neither Male or female, light or dark, good nor evil but 
# appears to believers as they expect.

very lovely. this also conforms to my research.


# Satan is a spiritual force. ...  These spiritual forces are 
# inter dimensional and can move about at will from one plane 
# to another....

Satanist spiritualists, kewl.


# That is what makes magic possible and why Satan is
# looked upon as a magical being, the creator of All. 

oh no, ANOTHER "Creator of All"?  you are going down the
road of 'Explanation for How Creation Came to Be', aren't
you?  check out Gnosticism and the Archons or Brahma in
Buddhism.  more kewlness.



# What is a Satanist?

# ...a Satanist is someone who has had just about enough silliness
# from people and is no longer ready to turn the other cheek.

reactionaries against Christianity. I'd agree within a Christian
context, but even LaVey mentioned that Satanism extends outside
this context.


# A Satanist is also someone who is fed up with the lying compost 
# that is fobbed off on them by the media, the government, the 
# church, their family and the bartender who watered down their 
# drinks last Saturday night. 

identifying with the past condemnation scheme in an attempt to
appear misunderstood and oppressed. demonstrate that there were
descriptions of "satanists" per se which weren't Christian in
origin and that had their source in those who identified
themselves as such.  I haven't found evidence for anything but
de facto Satanists prior to 1967. 


# Too, a Satanist is someone who, perhaps, used to trust God and 
# the "Heavenly Family," but consequently has been screwed over 
# enough to want revenge for malpractice. Either that or they 
# were always smart enough to see through the rather thin facade of
# society in general and therefore always took measures to keep 
# its fools and fabrications at bay.

angry victims or transcultural masters of antinomianism.


# ...a Satanist is a free thinker, a realist and somewhat of
# a philosopher who has at last come to their senses and 
# realizes the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness can 
# only be available to those who can and do cast off the 
# limitations of the emotionally challenged. 

now one must pursue life and liberty too? and only this is
available, not its achievement? this text is very alike what
may be found in LaVey's _The Satanic Bible_, btw, in its
vagueries and obvious attempts to play the virtuous rebel.


# a Satanist is one who has quickly turned around and mashed 
# the fingers of the bogeyman as he tried to crawl out from 
# under their bed.

the daring child warrior, opposing the phantoms of an over-
active imagination.


# Am I a Satanist?
#
# You most certainly are a Satanist whether you want to believe 
# it or not. 

no longer a station of the elite, conscripted based on role and
position with respect to unwarranted authority, now EVERYONE is
a Satanist. the dilution of the terminology in the religion of
anti-religion.


# If you have ever disobeyed authority or even been slow in 
# jumping through the hoop when authority spoke, you are a 
# Satanist and an adversary of those in power.

Satanist = rebel; now even a PARTIAL rebel.


# If you want to take revenge for something someone else has done 
# to you, then you are a Satanist. (Vengeance is mine, sayeth the 
# Lord.) It's only a matter of time...

notice the citation of Christian scripture, transcontextualized
to either fool the fundies at their own game or due to a complete
misunderstanding of the text in question (the original has to do
with vengeance being the activity of JEHOVAH rather than that of
the worshipper).


# ...God says, "Honor your Father and Mother." A Satanist says, 
# "Kiss off!" and makes no excuses for his/her decision. Tell
# them to get a life!

note that this conversation is between "God" (which one?
quite apparently the Christian creator god Jehovah) and a
Satanist (why not "Satan"?).


# Do Satanists make living sacrifices at their rituals?

#
# No. The sacrificing of various individuals, including 
# children and animals is looked upon with great disdain by 
# Satanists who rightly believe that only weak, ineffectual 
# individuals who lack the ability to generate enough energy
# on their own would stoop to steal it from another individual.

they do not deny that it CAN be so stolen. now the emphasis is
on 'generating energy' (i.e. Neopaganism).


# I want to be a Satanist, what should I do?
#
# You don't have to do anything. You are already a Satanist. 
# Just come out of the closet and start enjoying life. Live 
# each day to the fullest, take responsibility for your own 
# actions, and grow in stature.

no difference between the herd and the Satanist.


# If I don't suck up to Jesus, will I go to Hell?
#
# Of course you will, my dear, but then you are going to Hell 
# anyway-- so what? Remember, Hell is only a "bad place" to 
# those who drop in uninvited, unannounced or for those who 
# are foisted upon the management like a puppy who has shit 
# upon the carpet!

revisionism of the metaphysic behind the language, leaving the
latter for the fear of the original accusers.


# If I become a Satanist will I still go to Heaven?
#
# NO, the "Heaven" to which you are no doubt referring , is 
# a more or less a work camp, presided over by the 
# establishment for their benefit not yours.  They figure that 
# you have arrived there by a lifetime of servitude, and they
# are not going to let up on a good thing. They have all kinds 
# of chores for the population to do such as meddle with the 
# people of Earth. Of course in that Heaven, they have to 
# maintain various levels for each religious persuasion such as 
# Catholic, Mormon, Christian, Buddhist, Taoists, and so on
# and so forth. The biggest problem they have is keeping all 
# the different sects separated and on the correct level as 
# none believes that the others are there... You don't think 
# that we'd let them in Hell do you?

therefore not a complete Christian-inversion, but more of a
reversal: *they're* going to the bad place, *we're* going to
the good place, they say we're going to Hell, they're right
and it isn't what they say that it is. for more on this type
of thinking, see:

    http://www.luckymojo.com/text/satanism/theory/tnlostpds.txt

which is a poem in hatred of Milton explaining such a paradigm.


# Actually, Satanists create their own hereafter and become their 
# own Savior.  It's all a part of the process of becoming, and 
# each Satanist in time will create his/her own "Safe Harbor" 
# somewhere out on the Astral Planes for their own purposes. 

I can't help that this is both ironic and intentionally contrary
to LaVeyan notions of "mysticism" (i.e. superstitious nonsense).


# It seems that Satanists are more tolerant. Is it true?
#

# Of course we are. Satanists are not expected to be perfect, and 
# it's no sin to enjoy life, have money and enjoy fulfilling 
# relationships. We don't hide from our God, instead, we bring 
# Him along for the ride.

hedonism, middle class status quo.


# Do Satanists have regular meetings?
#
# Not unless they want to get together for their own reasons. Satan 
# isn't broke. Satanism is a solitary religion where most practitioners 
# prefer private rituals to gaudy, public affairs. More success can 
# be achieved with two or three people of like mind and heart than 
# 500 who are all heading different ways at once.

then what makes it a religion?


# Do Satanists do drugs?
#
# NO. Most practicing Satanists are also Black Magicians or Wizards of 
# one level or another. 

absorption in the faux mantle of power.


# Satanists need total control of every thought and action when at risk
# and cannot condone the limiting effects of drugs, or for that matter, 
# even alcohol....

control freaks too! why can't you be SO powerful that you are able to
dose on acid and summon and banish spirits for wealth-acquisition?
what does a "Wizard" or "Black Magician" do, anyway?


# Focus, Intent and Will are adversely affected by substance abuse
# and are therefore avoided.

abuse and use are two different things.


# How can I find out if Satanism is for me?
# 
# If it really matters to you, and you really want to know, then you 
# have but to ask. In the dark of night, and with a open mind, say 
# out-loud and really mean it, "Satan, I want the truth." ...over a 
# period of time, events will transpire and chance meetings will 
# occur so that one day, you will realize that the truth has
# been there all along. 

what, no blood pacts?  how wimpy.

blessed beast!
________________________________________________________________________
nocTifer: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com  ---  http://www.abyss.com/tokus
TOKUS-COE Office: 408/2-666-SLUG --- Emergency Contraception:18005849911
if you read this on Usenet, notice that this is an elist posting and
it's more likely I'll see your response if you cc me.
____________...oooOOO---zazas-l@hollyfeld.org---OOOooo..._____________
To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe" to zazas-l-request@hollyfeld.org
To unsubscribe your@email.com send "unsubscribe your@email.com"
To subscribe send "subscribe" to zazas-l-request@hollyfeld.org
http://www.hollyfeld.org/heaven