I am Satan, the adversary of man's stupidity and ignorance. You are Satan. Satan is not a disembodied entity. Satan is an idea, a myth, a metaphor, an archetype, that personifies something within you and without you. Experiences with Satan hold merit according to each individual's subjective interpretation. If you learned something from your experience with Satan, then it helped you. If it helped you, then your inner experience became an outer reality.

A dangerous and stupid lie promoted by so-called "monotheist" religions is the belief that God and Satan are forces opposed to one another. In truth, they are flip sides of the same coin. The reason for this is because the Singularity is the basis of all reality.

When humans came along billions of years after the universe was created, we decided to create gods, so we could relate to a world that is beyond our human level of comprehension. So, we created mythological figures: Jehovah, Allah, Vishnu, Kali, Satan, Lucifer, Pan, Aphrodite, etc. Many reflect different personality types. We then circulated legends based on our collective experience as humans.

The word "Satan" means "adversary" or "accuser," but not the adversary of God. Originally, he was an adversary to man's stupidity and ignorance. The god images of mankind, which now include Satan or Set or Shaitan, began as thought forms, perhaps inspired by someone living at the time, but over the centuries, these thought forms become much more. They become powerful archetypes that move and shape world events and influence human behavior. And whether you call them good or evil, they are all important to us because they are all a necessary part of us. These forms are also subject to change and reformulation within our collective psyche!

The metaphor, the archetype, the myth, the legend, Satan truly exists because our common heritage animates and sustains him. The shocking part is, if you are determined enough, you can consciously experience a thought form directly. You can create a doorway from sheer force of will and the desire to manifest something. This will cause a temporary "blurring of realities" between thought and form. A psychiatrist would call it a psychotic episode and a mystic would call it a visionary journey, but what is it really? Lovely Lianna tells me that Satan has come to her in the flesh and made love to her. I believe every word she speaks because I've witnessed first hand how the inner experience can become manifest as the outer reality. People use labels like "mad" and "insane" because they fear stepping across that dimensional divide into another world. In the future, many more people will be taking that step and we will no longer consider them crazy.

I believe religious people when they say they "felt" Jesus or "saw" Mary or "experienced" the Devil, but they are also the ones who allow the experience to manifest or take place. We are all co-creators and we each possess a spirit or god molecule. The source of all life flows through us as well as throughout the universe. Once we realize this, we will stop behaving like stupid children and take control of our lives once more. Positive change is possible, but we must all work together in unity for the common good.

As was mentioned in Madame Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, the origin of the word, "Satan," was probably derived from Vedic Sanskrit, the oldest language of mankind, as far as we know. Sat means "Being" or "Eternal Truth" and the word Tan means "Becoming" or "stretching forth, unfolding." So, Sat-Tan or Satan represents the idea that the Cosmos is unfolding, or stretching out from an eternal causeless cause, in cyclical activity: appearing, disappearing and reappearing again. This is seemingly similar to current quantum theory. Compare this idea with the monotheist belief that the universe was created from nothing.

Satan as an archetype represents an extreme statement in support of individualism. People who admire strong, independent, straightforward, critical thinkers and skeptics are going to be drawn to this persona.

You can not even define evil without discussing what is good. Therefore, the two are inseparable. One can not understand darkness without experiencing light. One cannot appreciate day, without having night. Opposites compliment, define and complete one another. To destroy all evil in the world means there would be no good left to appreciate, therefore the Satanist does not worship or disrespect either quality! We value ourselves and nature instead and venerate opposition in balance!

The definition of good and evil is subject to change because it exists only as a perception. "Evil" is a label we assign according to our mood swings to those who are politically incorrect. The ascended masters of Eastern Philosophy become the fallen angels of Western Philosophy. One man's "demons" are another man's "saints." Theologians create gods and devils in man's image, then conflict between them to divide the heart and conquer the soul! They pit spirit against matter, then appoint themselves position of supreme arbiter, divine interpreter of right and wrong, good and evil.

"Good" are the things we like. "Evil" are the things we dislike. It often depends on who or what you are. As Diane Vera says, if you're a mouse, cats are hideous monsters, but to the pet owner, cats are heavenly. Therefore, evil is not an essence - it is a value judgment. From a Christian point of view, Satan is "evil" because he represents the savage instincts they are attempting to hide or suppress. Satanists are truth seekers who desire to peek behind such labels.

Of course, there are certain ethical wrongs, but they are set by a society or culture so that all can live harmoniously. Examples of these would be thieving, disrespectful behavior and killing or abusing an innocent.

A chief attribute of the trickster god is the role of Devil's Advocate. The Satanist illustrates "opposition in balance," wielding contradiction like a scalpel in the hand of a skilled surgeon. Our objective? Closure to this unnatural dichotomy, this madness you call "good and evil." Bringing flesh and spirit together. The establishment of a New World Order, free of guilt, self-loathing and shame, where every man and woman is the god of his or her own life. We look upon religion as the starter of wars and the breeder of hate and intolerance. We believe that people are intelligent enough to instill moral and ethical codes into a societal structure without a threat of an imaginary supernatural being wreaking havoc on an offender.

In the Old Testament, there was an angel called "The Satan" who was a servant in God's court. Satan literally means "adversary" in hebrew. His function was to do God's dirty work and test the faith of God's chosen. Like a prosecuting attorney, The Satan was an adversary of Man, not God. By the time the New Testament was written, the role of Satan became twisted. Many believe this was due to the influence of Zoroastrianism or Persian dualism which began before 600 B.C. In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda (asha), and good trying to sustain it.

This is where Christianity became blinded by hypocrisy. The introduction of Satan as the enemy of God goes completely against the idea of a monotheistic system. Christians blind to reason should refer to Isaiah 45:7, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things." Islamic fundamentalists and Christians describe themselves as monotheists, but practice dualism; they imagine a devil opposed to the creator, but creation cannot be divided against itself.

Here is another concern. If God created Satan, then God is Satan. You cannot create something unless it is a manifestation of your own will. How can you make a computer if you don't know how? You would have to base it on knowledge of that computer, or in this case, God's knowledge of "evil." So, God is evil. If God created hell, he'd have to know about eternal torment, meaning God is tormented. If God created humans, and humans are imperfect, God is imperfect.

Polybius, the ancient historian, said:

"Since the multitude is ever fickle, full of lawless desires, irrational passions and violence, there is no other way to keep them in order but by the fear and terror of the invisible world; on which account our ancestors seem to me to have acted judiciously, when they contrived to bring into the popular belief these notions of the gods, and of the infernal regions."

As you can see from this quote, it was political and economic leaders who created these religious myths in order to keep people under their power. The ancient Roman leaders gave the people breads and circuses; carnivals, gladiator shows, and a host of underworld myths in order to keep the people ignorant and too busy to think for themselves.

People create their own heaven and hell according to the way they think. Some may choose to make their lives a hell on earth, then spread that misery to those around them. Or, one may choose to live a joyous life that's guilt free and revel in the pleasures of the flesh. The choice is yours alone.

For obvious reasons, I feel it to be a philosophy. Many observations and events led me to this conclusion. Allow me to elaborate:

I was born March 8, 1951. Growing up, I was influenced by the work of a distant relative, also of Irish extraction - Warder Clyde Allee, aka W.C. Allee. He died soon after I was born.

Allee was an animal ecologist who coined the phrase "pecking order," which came into widespread use. At the time, W.C. was referring to the behavior of hens who would use their beaks as a weapon to establish a "chain of command" in the chicken coop. The top hen would peck on all the others, but they couldn't peck on her. The next one down would peck on every one but the top hen. The third one down would peck on every hen but the top two and this would continue straight down the line until you come to the bottom hen, who was pecked on by everyone and couldn't peck back.

Many might argue that human society is structured the same way. You have the masters and the slaves with varying levels of dominance and submission. But W.C. noticed a third option among animals with greater intelligence: social cooperation. This follows the reasoning of Ayn Rand, when she spoke of the "Ideal Man" and Friedrich Nietzsche, when he spoke of the "Ubermensch" or Overman. In both cases, the superior human is seen as having no need to dominate or be dominated by others. The superior human leads by example and does not require validation within a menial pecking order. Philosophical Satanism revolves around this concept of recognizing your sovereignty as an individual.

Sometimes we have to look at these things allegorically, because an image is more powerful than words alone:

When you ask a Christian what the goal of their religion is, they will often tell you that it is to emulate Jesus the Christ, to walk in his footsteps. Satanists sometimes use a similar mythological figure -- that of the Archangel Lucifer refusing to accept the authority of a god above himself. Comparatively, the Satanist desires to emulate what the Archangel Lucifer is doing -- refusing to accept the authority of a god above himself. This is what Crowley meant when he wrote, "There is no god but Man."

This also explains why Satanists do not worship Satan or Lucifer or Beelzebub or Mammon or any of the other deities demonized by Christianity. Those who do worship demons are called "devil worshipers" and they practice what could only be called "upside-down Christianity." Therefore, Philosophical Satanism must never be thought of as a church or a religion.

In the year 1966, Howard Levey, better known as Anton LaVey from San Francisco, was encouraged to create a "Church of Satan" by professional publicist, Ed Webber. Anton was told that press was going to "flip out" over all this and that he would get a lot of notoriety. The gimmick worked and LaVey became a popular cultural icon.

Tragically, this new religion does misrepresent the philosophy proposed by Crowley and Nietzsche and tries to dogmatize individualism with Satanic rules and statements. LaVey's High Priestess, Blanche Barton, tried to rationalize the contradiction by stating, "This is an organization for non-joiners." She may as well have said, "This is a church for non-believers." This again begs the question, "Do the words 'Church' and 'Satan' even belong in the same sentence together?" That's something you may want to consider.

And then there is the silly assertion made by LaVey that, if you show enough devotion to a thing it becomes your religion, whether it be coin collecting, racing sports cars, playing baseball or forming an anti-religion. Now, that's a weak attempt to redefine the way billions of people already think about the word "religion," and I doubt if that's going to help you to communicate ideas in a meaningful fashion. If you want to be successful, you can't speak to people using a different language. Besides, I don't think you're going to win many adherents calling yourself an "anti-religion religion."

The Church of Satan created a social clique with a herd mentality and a set of rules and layers of presumptive stratification where blind obedience to the High Priest is rewarded. This poses the question, "If you are judged by your superiors, who is there to judge you if you are inferior to no one?" Certainly, replacing one deity with another is not the answer. Organized religion opens the door to the abuse of power and organized Satanism is no exception.

Boyd Rice defined elitism quite eloquently on his website, boydrice.com:

At one time, the sycophants and functionaries at the forefront of the CoS may have been called apparatchiks or pencil pushers. Today they are bloggers, whose sole arena of combat is the Internet. When they employ "satanic" ideals, it's in endless squabbles in cyberspace, rarely in real life or the real world. The LaVey I knew abhorred such types, and frequently told me as much.

I am told that many in the Church of Satan were offended by my book NO, particularly by my essay on individuality; which they perceived as a potshot taken at them. How very perceptive - it was exactly that! If Anton were alive to read the text, he'd agree wholeheartedly; and laugh his ass off. He often lamented to me that his ideas vis-a-vis individualism were misguided and that he'd in effect "given birth to a monster"; or that such ideas applied to a few rare souls and not to everyone with the price of admission.

Consequently, my first official act as new leader and only truly ordained High Priest of the Church of Satan is to declare that the organization no longer exists. True LaVeyan Satanism only exists insofar as it is manifested in deeds: in life and living. Never in mere words. Elitism is self-defining, it is not a commodity that can be bought or sold for a few hundred dollars, or whatever the going rate is for a little, red membership card.

Let us recall the devil's advocates who might be called "philosophical satanists" because they knew how to invoke the image of the adversary to get their point across:

1. Ambrose Bierce, who wrote "The Devil's Dictionary."
2. Mark Twain, who wrote "The Chronicle of Young Satan," also known as "The Mysterious Stranger."
3. George Bernard Shaw, who scripted "The Devil's Disciple." 
4. Friedrich Nietzsche, self-proclaimed "Anti-Christ." 
5. Aleister Crowley, the self-proclaimed "Beast of Revelation 666."

Each one of these individuals were shit disturbers who upset the social order. If it were not for them and others like them, slavery would never have been abolished and innocent people would still be hanged, burned, drowned, imprisoned and tortured as witches!

None of these individuals would have proposed a Church of Satan to address the needs of an atheist seeking a sense of direction or purpose.

The result of manifesting something in your life can be pleasant or catastrophic. In this case, it all depends on how the individual relates to this dark figure. Do you believe in a Devil who was a heroic symbol for some during the Middle Ages, liberating the serfs from the shackles of slavery to an oppressive Church system? If you attach yourself to this hero figure, that will be reflected in your life - you may even become a positive role model for others.

But if you follow the current Hollywood trend and worship a nasty Devil who rebels against everyone, chances are, you will become the thing you worship: an outcast - someone who can't work or play well with others - in other words, a loser.

I've been a Christian for years and tried to "convert" others. I was one of those individuals who tried to separate Man from God. Well, I learned that I don't have to "turn" to God. He/she is already inside me and always was. I don't have to be "baptized" in the blood of Jesus. In fact, I am the very expression of that which is infinite and divine and so are you! Stop worshiping metaphors and wasting your time searching for miracles. Religions that don't teach that we are ALL the sons and daughters of God are poison, pure and simple. This includes Christianity and Islam.

A person could waste their entire life playing semantics. The fact is that Satanism is anti-dogmatic. There are no rules to think by. It promotes free thought. It is not a religion, per se, but completes all religions. In the end, nobody can tell you, teach you, or guide you. We must all find our own way. Idolizing people is simply counterproductive to spiritual development. People want someone to tell them what to do. That is not what Satanism is about. Satanism is about you knowing what's best for you. Nobody can tell you how to be happy. It is whatever trips your trigger, or floats your boat.

The validity of a spiritual or philosophical path, can only be weighed and determined by the individual because we are essentially dealing with relative truths. If you were to ask if I believed Satanism helps one to excel, I would state that it depends on how the individual relates to various aspects of the philosophy and what it reveals to them. People look for a symbol or metaphor to attach blame or praise, but much has to do with the will and intent of the individual responsible and the way in which these symbols are interpreted.

It's a very difficult concept for people to grasp that there is a positive side and a negative side to every issue. Ingesting mind-altering substances; beneficial or harmful? The truthful answer is: both. Yes, drugs can expand your consciousness and unlock your hidden creative potential... and yes, this is a path fraught with peril, hazardous to your physical and mental well-being.

In life, there are no guarantees, just as there are no free rides! Satanists approach each and every issue dispassionately, like scholars. If an issue touches a sensitive nerve, we will quietly retreat and re-examine our own thoughts/feelings toward the object in question, from every conceivable angle! Eventually, we arrive at that lofty plane of indifference, where passions from both sides of the argument are quelled. However, this is often easier said than done - it may require goring one or two of your own sacred cows!

The enlightened mind realizes that drug use and drug addiction are not the same thing. Not everyone who uses is an "addict." Media talk shows and news correspondents, for their own greedy ends, always seem to promote ideas which only resonate with the notion of the perpetual victim. All of this is merely part of the overall process by which such agencies attempt to rob you of your volition, and implant their own self-serving agendas in your brain.

What certain mind-altering drugs can do, however, is provide access to the Dionysian (subjective) realm that we close off so often in the pursuit of slave-like everyday "normality." To be creative, access to this realm is a must, and drugs are one -- but, we need to stress, NOT THE ONLY -- way to get there. A reasonable question to ask seems to be: "If these drugs are so terrible, then why is it that so much great art has been created by drug users?" Answer: drugs take the user out of boring and mundane everyday reality and the constrictions of the societal superego into a freer mental and spiritual space.

Of course, there many examples of great artists and thinkers who have also been drug users. Coleridge, DeQuincey, Baudelaire, Freud, Crowley, Rimbaud, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Lou Reed, and so on. Interestingly, if you compare work done on drugs, and work done when straight, by many artists, you will find that almost invariably the work done on drugs is far more inspired: in the realm of popular art, a good example would be David Bowie's work from 1970-1980, done when he was a heavy narcotics user, and which towers over anything he's done since. There are no shortage of people in rock and roll alone who've given up drugs and never come close to greatness again. This is no mere coincidence, and the inquisitive seeker needs to examine the reasons for this.

Of course, the artist risks self-destruction in this process of discovery. But to quote Rimbaud, "A poet makes himself a visionary through a long, boundless, and systematized disorganization of all the senses... He attains the unknown and if demented, he finally loses the understanding of his visions, he will at least have seen them! So what if he is destroyed in his ecstatic flight through things unheard of, unnamable: other horrible workers will come, they will begin at the horizons where the first one has fallen!"

Finally, the word to take note of in Rimbaud's exhortation - which differentiates the drug user from the kind of "addict" the media loves to demonize - is "systematized." One undertakes this experiential journey with a goal in mind, not in a random and directionless fashion. As Miles Davis said, "It's when you take drugs and you ain't got nothing to do that you get in trouble." We again stresses that this is NOT, we repeat, NOT, a task to be undertaken lightly, nor is it meant for everyone. It is an option.

Many Satanists advocate the legalization of all drugs and the immediate closure of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) government offices in the United States. Why? We believe in personal responsibility. People must be given right to choose - to make their own mistakes and suffer the consequences of their own actions.

John Allee advocates meditation to achieve altered states of consciousness, including out-of-body experiences. "When seekers ask my opinion on whether or not to experiment with drugs, I immediately draw out a list of other options like yoga, rituals, breathing exercises, etc. The fact that I've examined both sides of the issue does not mean that I endorse one path to enlightenment."

The left hand path involves responsibility for self, first and foremost. This is not a religious issue, but a philosophical one. Yes, we can take these ideas out of the religious realm. The person on the Left Hand Path has to summon the courage to ask the right questions. It is okay to wonder why some parts of religions do not seem to make sense or follow logic. It is okay to want to learn more or deepen your spirituality. It is okay not to believe in a deity or deities. This is and should be a personal choice for an adult.

The left hand path offers:

* An emphasis on responsibility for self
* A non-religious approach most often
* Enlightenment that comes from within
* An often-solitary path

The left hand path is really about reaching one's potential. Here are some ideas those on the left hand path embrace:

* You have to love yourself before you can love another;
* Only emotionally strong parents can produce stable children with healthy self-esteem,
* Question everything, including authority;
* Always look before you leap.
* Provide for self and dependent family members first.

Because there is no one else to share the blame, there is no scapegoat. There is no forgiveness. There is only a focus on the present. These are the characteristics of the left hand path, according to Wikipedia:

1. Agnostic view
2. Belief that people should strive to become deities
3. Self-determined codes of morality
4. Possible existence of male and female polarities as natural forces
5. Possible existence of more than one god
6. Practice and knowledge, not faith, makes a pagan (craft vs. religion)
7. Deity is transcendent and imminent
8. Person is responsible for his own actions
9. No external salvation
10. Magic is based on natural laws and works in accordance with science yet to be explained
11. There is a web of interconnection with the earth

As you read the above, you may notice there are not a lot of differences when compared to the characteristics of some right hand pagan paths. However, the difference between the left hand path and Christian religions are remarkable. John explains it this way, "The left hand path is about the here and now and not the hereafter."

Because there is no one to blame or to share the blame, this choice can be a difficult existence. There is no hope of a savior or benefactor for redemption. You make or break your own destiny. We all appreciate a break now and then, but some prefer this philosophy's roots in reality and focus on the here and now. Why? The left hand philosophy assumes the individual must correct their actions to live freely in a community. It is not society's job to allow inappropriate behavior, rehabilitate an individual, or prepare him for a heavenly reward.

People will continue to ask about the left hand path or what some call the "darker paths." The left hand path practitioner is often agnostic or atheistic. This is hard for some people to understand, especially coming from a Christian or Muslim book religion. Some people cannot imagine living without "feeling" a divine force at work in their lives. Yet the person on the left hand path may just describe that force a bit differently.

On the left hand path, the practitioner is the one ultimately responsible for his success or failure. Most individuals on this path today will tell you that the left hand path is one where you ask the question "Why?" This, as you now know, is the inner path of severity where you test yourself throughout your growth and evolution.

The left path is something that should be explored by all magic workers at some point to see if it can aid them in their magical journey. However, if a practitioner does not learn balance, they are living a needlessly harsh and cold lifestyle remaining far on the side of the left hand path. Those who blindly stay on the right hand path will learn a lot about group dynamics and service, but may miss out on opportunities for self-development and solitary exploration.

Where can we begin to find common ground? It is not as difficult as it may seem if minds are open. All pagans believe in the concept of sovereignty and the importance of healthy self-esteem. We can all agree with the idea of a divine spark in our selves and others.

Why would some choose this path? We have been told through culture and folklore that anything that is "left" is suspect and evil. Certainly, there are aspects of this path that may not be comfortable for those who have been exposed to only right hand path philosophy. Of course, this addresses the issue of definitions. It is all about how an individual defines evil and selfishness.

Too often those on the left hand path (who are clearly in the minority) spend more of their time explaining what their beliefs do not involve, rather than what they actually do. To our knowledge, the books on this subject either are biased to one side or the other, or treat the information only in an academic fashion (while often still being biased!) There are a great number of excellent resources available on each path, just not on the two paths combined. We hope you will consider some of the suggestions we offer to deepen your experience and your study of spirituality.

The Right Hand Path is about work toward an eventual union with deity after a life of good deeds and strong belief. Any ritual that is seen as coming from the right hand path gives credit and obedience to deity.

The right hand path's tenets include:

* Devotion to deity,
* Practice within a group or congregation
* Belief in the good of the collective over that of self, and
* The source of enlightenment being found outside of the individual.

Christianity and other major non-Christian religions of the world fall under the category of the right hand path. Even in the Hare Krishna sect, the followers aim for unity with what they term as "Krishna Consciousness," which is a state of union with their Lord.

The right hand path's focus is on expending energy outward by helping the community, There will be overt acts of charity and mercy monetary donations, but donations of time to various causes. The major right hand path religions usually have very clear codes for morality and ethics that are outlined in detail for followers in holy books or scripts. There is not a lot of wiggle room for variation or individuality, but clearly defined rules that make the religion easier to follow. For example, Christians work to uphold the Ten Commandments. Why? These are their basic ethical rules.

New Age, Old Ideas

The New Age movement is also right hand path. This focus is often on metaphysical studies and the mind, body and soul/spirit connection. The key here is that they are still following others, or looking outside themselves, in their quest for spiritual truth. The ideas and practices are new, but repackaged with different names. Channeling is no different than mediumship, yet the name has been changed for marketing purposes.
There are no set ethics or dogma for the New Age movement because it is not a religion. Many forms of spirituality are found in the New Age movement, but the beliefs are similar.

New Age adherents are often found:

* Looking to the "light" and denying the darkness,
* Calling themselves "light workers,"
* Discussing an "ascension process"
* Believing in extraterrestrials as messengers or guardians,
* Seeking channelers or channeled teachings,
* Following media-savvy leaders (with their own set dogma)
* Searching outside of themselves for answers, therapies, or cures,
* Retaining their Judeo-Christian beliefs, and/or
* Mixing Christianity with their new metaphysical beliefs.

New Age information is again found outside oneself, whether in self-help books or workshops, classes or meetings. Most who follow the teachings of various spiritual gurus believe they need guidance from outside or above. This is the difference that firmly places the New Age ideas on the right hand path. The New Age Movement may offer some people new freedom regarding their thoughts and beliefs, but many followers simply trade one gospel for another.

Pagans often follow a right hand path philosophy, but do not have any set dogma or rigid codes of morality.

The right hand path as a philosophy will be more sensitive to the cause of the group over the individual, and more willing to understand and accept the failures and shortcomings of humans. The right hand path always encourages forgiveness and allows for salvation, even on the deathbed. The left hand path will look at the group as only as strong as its weakest link and advocate for strong individual responsibility and empowerment.

In occult circles, it is said that the Right Hand Path is "fluffy" and the Left Hand Path is for "evil doers," but if you analyze the situation more closely, you will discover that the entire left/right argument is a dangerous deception. It is a ploy to promote conflict/division between our carnal, sexual nature (Left) and our spiritual, empathic nature (Right). Sadly, religions such as Islam and Christianity are based upon this false dichotomy. Satanist Ian Diabhal explains it this way:

It is this induced polarization of spiritual as good, and carnal feelings as sinful or bad that has and does cause much conflict within people leading to mental illness: neuroses, obsessive, and possessive behaviors. The person battles with the artificial conflict set up within them, between wanting to be good and feeling that normal carnal urges should be repressed or supressed.

For me what is positive is what is in my rational self interests. In a way of putting it what is in my best self interests, has a "trickle-down" effect, as if I am doing well and my needs are met, then I am more able to help family, loved ones or friends if they need my help or assistance. Satanism for me is indeed a form of controlled selfishness. I do not see this as negativity or being anti-social, but as a reality, prioritization and putting things in order - even if it seems harsh or even morally brutal. In my opinion a Right Hand path boils down to one's view on altruism, and being altruistic.

Mental Illness is not the only symptom to result from this split mind theology. There are also the scumbags: the preachers, politicians and lawyers who prey upon the conflicted personality, manipulating them through guilt and fear as they have for centuries! For example, in the past, it was easy for a defendant to lose a case, not based of the facts presented, but because he did not have the right skin color or fit a certain stereotype. This inability to see things objectively comes from the conflicted mind we spoke of. The solution is simple - in order to restore sanity, we must close the gap which separates the carnal from the spiritual and fully embrace our own humanity. We are already making progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Here are some more thoughts concerning our RHP/LHP fixation, beginning with Jonathan Sousa:

The true RHP seeks attainment through service to others and a cooperation with Divinity as part of Divinity. The true LHP seeks the same attainment through self-deification and self-service. Both are open to abuses if the ego (the Self) falters on the crucible of initiation. Yet, both result in the SAME attainment.

And there comes a time where each aspirant of the RHP must spend time upon the LHP - to strengthen their self to enter that alchemical forge. Failing this, they become weak-willed and (at best) turn back to return to the status quo or (at worst) become crushed under the demands of that service.

Likewise, each wayfarer upon the LHP must encompass in part the RHP in their journey to keep them grounded in being part of a greater Cosmos, thereby preventing petty arrogance from being confused with pride of true worth.

With the rise of the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set, the LHP has become a term of self-identification. Prior to that, the lodges and orders with some public existence all claimed to be of the RHP. This was born out of caricatures that the LHP was evil or debased. These caricatures were in turn born out of the medieval superstitions that the right hand was of God, while the left hand belonged to the Devil - resulting in several generations of left-handed people being beaten by nuns in catechism class!

The actual terms RHP and LHP come from the East. The RHP refers to the "Easy road" available to all for spiritual progress, wherein taboos are observed as to ritual cleanliness and proper acts of piety. There is an emphasis on male deities. The LHP refers to the harder path available only to the elect. Women are elevated as the pinnacle of Deific expression. Taboos are carefully broken to guide the student to the realization that the Divine is beyond such distinctions, and that all is delusion.

It is interesting to see the differences.

It is also most interesting that (much to the chagrin of the White Light Brigade) most variants of the Traditional Craft consider themselves either as belonging to the LHP or to encompass both Right and Left in the Middle Path of Dynamic Equilibrium.

Michael John Goldsmith-Deterick comments:

Dualistic monism would declare Left and Right Hand Paths as being interdependent and mutually arising, kind of like yin-yang are two ways of looking at the same thing. One taken to the extreme is not good, and a balance between the two is of optimal importance. Left, too far, leads to isolation. Right, too far, leads to naivety, and one is easily taken advantage of.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati comments:

"Vama marga is the left path which combines sexual life with yoga practices in order to explode the dormant energy centres. Dakshina marga is the right path of yoga practices without sexual enactment. Previously, due to the barriers in sexual life, the path most widely followed was dakshina marga. Today, however, these barriers are rapidly being broken, and the path most sought after by the people everywhere is vama marga, which utilizes sexual life for spiritual development.

According to tantra, sexual life has a threefold purpose. Some practice it for procreation, others for pleasure, but the tantric yogi practices it for samadhi. He does not hold any negative views about it. He does it as a part of his sadhana. But, at the same time, he realizes that for spiritual purposes, the experience must be maintained. Ordinarily this experience is lost before one is able to deepen it. By mastering certain techniques, however, this experience can become continuous even in daily life. Then the silent centres of the brain are awakened and start to function all the time."

John and Lillee Allee comments:

The inclusion of the Left Hand Path may seem unusual if you are coming from a traditional Right Hand Path philosophy or religion. After all, society teaches us to always put others before ourselves. Our philosophy, though, does not just address the importance of doing the right thing, but also asking the right questions so you may understand what is the right thing to do.

Coming from the Left Hand Path, you may also be surprised. Why? The focus will not be on the enlightenment and evolution of Self, but also on the growth of Self as a microcosm and macrocosm. Look at it this way. The Left Hand Path is concerned with Self-development and mind training. Most training on the Left Hand Path takes place inside your head. It is an inward journey. Conversely, the Right Hand Path is outside the Self and about service. We could say that the Right Hand Path is more about the body and actively using it to do your good deeds.

When an individual says that he will only follow the Right Hand Path or the Left Hand Path, this individual is imposing serious limitations on himself and his workings. He may be voluntarily handicapping himself by ignoring his own Shadow side and that of others.

The best decisions one can make in life are the best for everyone involved. A decision that would only benefit the Self or just others would not be the optimum situation. We like to teach people, not only about witchcraft or magic, but how to use their own spirituality and philosophy to enhance their lives. Many people struggle with effective decision-making skills. Sometimes in life, choices are not that easy or nice. Once in a while, a compromise or even a sacrifice may be involved. It is most important that every one of us should be equipped psychologically and physically to make the best decisions for all involved, including ourselves. Often it is not necessary to be the martyr or the survivalist. As we say to each other in the occult community, there is often "a happy medium."

You may as well ask, "Are Satanists merciful and compassionate?" The answer to that is, yes, but the line is drawn at enabling. There are many people who are mentally ill in this world who complain that they are "victims" who require special dispensation. We see past this and do not allow psychological predators to take advantage of us. We realize the ones crying "victim" are often the ones doing the victimizing.

As my friend Chris Morton brilliantly stated, "I take the Devil as a symbol of cunning adaptability and the mastery inherent in those with dynamic spirits and minds. But I also see the Devil as inherently elite, and not a fan of petty human sentimentality. A hero for humanity? No, that implies a savior figure. Those who groveled at the feel of the mother church have no place in my Devils heart. A hero for the self autonomous? That's more like it.

A Devil who is master conductor of his own emotive force, not a being conducted by his emotive force.

This is a scary thing to those who rely on their emotions to guide them, instead of guiding their emotions. Those who feel victims of circumstance and their own "uncontrollable" feelings.

I work well with others, but it's mostly a mask, a contrivance - with the exception of a few lovers that could really see me, I cannot relate to most humanity. At all.

I feel not their emotions, but I can taste them, I have not their heart, but I can empathize. I am capable of great feats of mercy, but I also have no regret for my acts of Will.

I do not fear demonic possession because we know what causes it. In fact, there are two kinds of possession: spiritual and psychological. The former is voluntary and considered beneficial, the latter is involuntary and considered harmful. Let us examine both:

Psychological Possession

The truth is, you only see these cases of demon possession in cultures that believe in a devil and look upon good and evil as moral absolutes. The Christian and Islamic cultures induce this form of socialized schizophrenia by telling you that the animal side of you is "evil" and must be suppressed! And so, people repress their natural feelings until they become obsessions that overwhelm them and the devil appears to simply step in and take control of their bodies. That's what we get for going against nature. That's what we get for waging war against a devil that we created. I'm not arguing that these incidents occur, I'm arguing why they occur and why it is our fault, not the devil's.

There is no objective basis for evil, otherwise it would have consistent features that are clearly definable. Again, I'll use the analogy: To a mouse, cats are hideously evil monsters with fangs and claws that rip you apart. To the cat owner, they are heavenly bundles of fur, who even lower your blood pressure when you pat them! Are cats good or evil? The answer I usually get is, "Neither. They are what they are." Well, the same could be said of humans. We are what we are.

So, let's stop playing these games of "good" and "evil," all the time pretending to take the moral high ground. It is causing too many problems. There are people who are willing to sacrifice their lives as suicide bombers, believing they are killing Satan and it isn't working. Satan is alive and well and living inside each of us because we all have carnal instincts. The only way you are going to get rid of Satan is to destroy the human race... who wants to be first?

Historically, exorcisms were performed by the Catholic Church with set rituals and prayers. Priests who were trained would deal in such cases. Also, believers were given prayers to say that would help keep 'evil' at bay. Today's Roman Catholic Church still has trained exorcists, however, they rarely perform exorcisms, and the Church always looks for natural, medical and psychological causes first.

Other religious sects are not so professional in dealing with their beliefs. Recently here in the United States, two Christian parents were arrested for beating the devil out of their child during an exorcism rite, effectively killing her. Of course, you'll never hear a lead story with the caption "Christian parents kill child" because it would offend many listeners. It is also irresponsible journalism. But if the caption reads "Satanist parents kill child in bizarre ritual," that would be fair game. Since Paul's letters in the New Testament, the devil has served the convenient function of scapegoat and that tradition is reflected in today's news headlines. What this accomplishes is to deflect blame onto a metaphor. People need to take responsibility for their own thoughts, words and actions.

Spiritual Possession

The concept of spiritual possession exists in many religions, including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Haitian Voodoo, Wicca, and Southeast Asian and African traditions. People actually "will" these experiences to occur and consider them very empowering. The reason this is so is because the deities they invoke often represent universal archetypes that have a powerful influence on the unconscious mind. Author Paul Roland explains it this way:

"Archetypes are universal figures which personify abstract qualities, characteristics or ideals such as the Hero, the Villain, the Mother, the Father, the Magician, the Witch (or the Seductress). They are common to all cultures around the world and featured in myths and folk tales where they represent specific personality types that are likely to be encountered in real life. They occasionally appear in our dreams because they can embody a specific aspect of our own personality or that of other people we have encountered, and because they are a universally recognized symbol they have a strong resonance in our subconscious."

The archetype of Satan is the most hated and feared of all because it represents a force within our own psyche that our entire culture refuses to acknowledge. The question must be asked, "Is there something one can learn about themselves by willingly sharing consciousness with the force and form called Satan?" I believe the answer is yes.

Shortly after I left my first wife, I became depressed and decided to focus on the ultimate symbol of independence and personal power, the rebel of the cosmos himself - Satan. Using the prescribed methods outlined by Crowley, I set out to achieve the assumption of God form with Satan. In other words, inviting the Prince of Darkness to not only possess me, but share consciousness with me. To make a long story short, after a short preparation and long meditation that evening, it worked and upon awakening from my sleep, the union was established. It lasted at least ten minutes. Nothing, but nothing of "occult significance" will ever compare to that experience thirty years ago.

No!, although the Judeo-Christian tradition is steeped in it. Polaris, a noted researcher, has this to say;

Any reading of the so-called Old Testament, or the Torah of the Jews will show a highly developed cult of not only animal but also of human sacrifice. The ancient Hebrews did not share in a convivial meal with their god or gods, but rather they offered the animal completely to him. Not only is this attested in the Old Testament, but rules and regulations concerning its practice make up whole parts of the books of Leviticus and Numbers. These books are veritable charnel houses with instructions to make burnt offerings of massive numbers of animals of various kinds. Yahweh must have grown very fat from the glut of burnt flesh the Temple priests sent his way in those years.

Although the Jews must have given up the regular practice of human sacrifice at some time, their holy books still have some references to it. The most famous case is the little practical joke Yahweh played on Abraham -- where he tells Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, but stops him at the last minute (Genesis 22). Now this is actually a representation of the fairly common Semitic practice of the "sacrifice of the first fruit" which was at one time extended even to human offspring. But not to leave the girls out: There is also the story of Jephthah (Judges 11) who vowed to offer as a burnt offering to God "whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of (his) house to meet (him)," if God would grant him victory in the war against the "sons of Ammon." Well, after his victory, the first thing that came out of his house to meet him was his only daughter "with timbrels and dances." It seems Jephthah was a better general than he was a logician -- what did he think would be coming out of his house a goat? Anyway, Jephthah made good on his vow to sacrifice his only, and still virgin daughter.

These references may be thought to be only isolated cased used to spice up the Biblical narrative. But such is not really the case. It is well known that all of the Semitic peoples practiced human sacrifice of the first fruit of the womb at one time or another. The Hebrews included. It is still customary to have to "buy back" the first born son from God. This is still done in a ceremony called the pidyon ha-ben-- "redemption of the first-son." This originally referred to a human sacrifice, but was later changed to dedicating the son to "temple service." Now the kid can be bought back with a few shekels paid to the kohen!

It was also an ancient Semitic belief that sin could be atoned for through the shedding of blood. Thus animal sacrifice was used to "purify" one self of sin. This is the essential liturgical drama at the root of the myth of the Jesus crucifixion as seen from a Judaic perspective.

Let us take a realistic and revealing look at our present day attitudes regarding sacrifice:

Farmer Brown runs a poultry farm in New England. Every Thanksgiving (a national holiday), family members from far and wide come to visit, give thanks and enjoy the traditional dinner. The morning the guests are about to arrive, Farmer Brown grabs the largest turkey he can find and chops off its head with an axe, then prepares the bird for his guests. When the guests arrive, they all sit down, say a prayer, "Bless this, Thy bounty which we are about to receive."

Now the scene I just described is fairly common. Could this be ritual sacrifice? Of course, the religious zealot will rant, "Ritual sacrifice occurs during or prior to the act of killing!" So, let's clarify; If Farmer Brown bowed his head and said a little prayer to sweet Jesus before he chopped the turkey's head off, that would be a ritual sacrifice and therefore, a crime against god and nature. Brown should wait until he is about to eat the roasted carcass, standing as head (priest) of the household, before a long table (altar), saying a glorious prayer before the entire family (congregation).

This "ritual sacrifice" argument is bogus, purely in the eye of the beholder. If a rabbi performs a kosher killing at the local slaughterhouse, it's called "Passover." If a Christian Santeria priest cuts of the head off a chicken, it is called "murder." These contradictions were brought before the U.S. Supreme Court and the Santeria practitioners won! It is legal for them to practice their religion in the United States.

We do not promote or practice the ritual slaughter of animals, but we will defend unto death the right of orthodox Jews, Christians, Santerians, etc., to continue this practice unabated, as long as the slaughter is humane and the flesh properly cooked and eaten. It makes no difference whether you say your prayer before the animal is slaughtered or at the dinner table, after the animal is cooked. It's time pagans quit riding the wave of a make-believe guilt trip invented by gullible evangelical Christians! (The only opposing argument I care to listen to is the sincerity of a non-hypocritical vegetarian.) Satanists cherish the free will of all living creatures. Like any animal, we kill for practical reasons: food or survival (clothing, self-defense). The Satanic magician is more likely to incorporate a few drops of his own blood for use in a ritual, rather than the blood of a creature that's innocent or unwilling.

So, what's this ritual sacrifice nonsense really about? It's about religious persecution - a fake argument to punish those religions you disagree with. We have at least learned this from the Satanic Panic of the 1980s.

When reverence for nature is absent, self-respect is diminished. Perception impacts behavior and vice-versa. When an adolescent boy "thrill kills" the neighborhood dog or cat for the sake of cruelty toward the pet or its owner, this is not natural aggression because animals do not "thrill kill" other animals. It is a common symptom seen in the behavior of those later convicted of murder and abuse. When kids look for a defenseless animal to torture, it is because they feel tortured themselves, so they seek a comparable scapegoat. Satanists refuse to protect those who would use their religion to showcase aberrant behavior.

If your child is mentally disturbed, get help. Blaming the devil is not going to solve your problem. If any person kills a living thing and it is not a part of a religious situation (such as Santeria) please get the facts. Tolerance is good. To not do something when there may be animals, children and others in danger from a nut (of any religious persuasion) is irresponsible.

As a magician for five decades, I must confide - I have cast a circle only about 3 times and it was for the benefit of frightened fluffies. I even had the nerve to sleep in the chamber where many dramatic rituals were performed. The atmosphere in that room became highly charged to the point where it felt cool, even in summer weather. Once I played a cassette tape of the sounds of a bird sanctuary and the forces inside the room began to mimic, assume form and began flying in and out of the walls and ceiling. Any skeptic of magic would have run from the room screaming! I turned to my wife Anne and said, "How do we get it to stop? This is very unnerving." She looked up and shouted, "Knock it off!!" And it stopped. LOL True story

Anyhow, to me, it made absolutely no sense trying to protect yourself from the very forces that you call upon. Let's just say we had a mutual respect. One of the tricks they would pull is, I would be coming home and look up at our second floor bedchamber window and see my wife, clear as day, staring at me. I would walk up the stairs, open the door and scream, "Honey, aren't you supposed to be picking the kids up from school?" No one was there. The apartment was empty. Later that afternoon when my wife returned with the kids, I told her about the incident. She said, "Don't feel bad. That has already happened to me a few times and I thought you were at home, but you were obviously still at work." LOL Good times with mischievous spirits.

How does one open and close a ritual? Ring the bell clockwise to open, counterclockwise to close. And of course, lighting the candles as an indication of opening and blowing them out as an indication of closure. Saying the words, "So it is done" or "So mote it be" at the very end. The putting on and removal of the ritual garb is yet another indicator to your subjective mind of start and finish. Remember, as above, so below. As below, so above. All you have to do is convince the subconscious part of you when the Working has begun and ended. If you could convince yourself to accept the fact that blinking your eyes three times and bending over meant the start of a ritual and grabbing your crotch and coughing is the end of a ritual, that would work!! Seriously.

The tools of magick are empowered to the degree that you've allowed and have invested your own energy. First Hermetic Principle? The All is mind; the Universe is mental. And the magician is a reflection, a microcosm of that Universe. All magic begins and ends with you. As above, so below. That's why I look upon ritual tools as stage props that add to the excitement (for those who truly need them). But hell, these days my broom is in the closet. I can fly better without one ;-)

And so, getting back to the circle... if we are to truly see these forces as originating within and attracting corresponding natural forces, without, then what would be the sense of treating Pazuzu, as he sits there staring, flapping his ugly wings at you, as something foreign and alien from which you'll need protection? It is deliberate compartmentalization of one's own psyche and the reason some magicians wind up in the nuthouse with disassociated personality disorder. It is the fear of one's own shadow side, that Carl Jung always spoke of. If you think of these demons as enemies, they will be your enemies.

If you are willing something or doing a magical working, you can indicate a start and finish, like drawing up a blueprint, wrapping it up and sending it off to the builder. But it is not necessary to encircle and "cleanse" the area you are performing in, as if you were having sex with yourself and felt the need to wear a condom because you might "catch" something.

Then again, it all depends on what your intent is! If you are drawing a magic circle and see it as an expansion of your Will or some kind of focal point of power, then I do not see that as problematic. Go right ahead, make that ritual an expression of your divinity.

When people ask this question, it is because they assume that Christianity gave birth to the idea of a cosmic villain. The first Gutenberg bible was printed in the year 1456 - that's less than 600 years ago. If these individuals took the time to study religion and mythology, they would learn that the birth of the Evil One dates back to ancient Mesopotamia and Persia, going back roughly 4,000 years, long before the birth of Jesus Christ. The question they should be asking is, "Can Christianity exist without Satan?" I think the answer to that question is fairly obvious.

What is truly disgusting and hypocritical is the way Christianity stole the idea of a god-man from the ancient pagan religions, then declared that all those pre-existing god-men were in fact devils. If you were suspected worshiping one of the non-Christian god-men during the Middle Ages, you could easily be maimed, tortured and burned at the stake! Following is a quote from the web site, Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth:

You already know Christmas trees and Easter eggs were originally Pagan, and you probably know the seasonal timing of the two holidays is Pagan too.

Ancient cultures around the Mediterranean shared standard ideas about Gods and their powers and place in the universe. Christianity simply adopted those ideas and applied them to Jesus. Ancient people knew god-men did miracles. The first Christians thought Jesus was a god-man, so they told stories about Jesus doing miracles. They even had Him doing the same miracles as the other god-men.

The core of Christianity - the worship of a miracle working, walking, talking god-man who brings salvation - was also the core of other ancient religions that began at least 1,000 years before Jesus.

Heaven, hell, prophecy, daemon possession, sacrifice, initiation by baptism, communion with God through a holy meal, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, immortality of the soul, and many other "Christian" ideas all belonged to earlier, older Pagan faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture.

Miracle working sons of God, born of a mortal woman, were common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religion. Mithras had 'em. So did Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, and Orpheus and more.

And they had them generations - centuries - before Jesus was a twinkle in Saint Paul's eye.

Are Satan and Lucifer the same?

Factually speaking, absolutely not! However, when you approach the subject metaphorically, it is easy to make things up and draw associations between the two.

In the fourteenth chapter of the Old Testament book of Isaiah, twelfth verse, we read: "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

Lucifer is a Latin name. So how did it find its way into a Hebrew manuscript, written before the existence of a Roman language? The answer is simple. The fourteenth chapter of Isaiah is not about a fallen angel named "Lucifer," but about a fallen Babylonian king, who had persecuted the Israelites. There is no mention of Satan, the adversary, whatsoever. We can only guess that some early Christian scribes, writing in Church Latin, had decided to change the story and make it more metaphorical and less of a historic footnote.

The poetic name given to the morning star was "Lucifer," from the latin "lucem ferre," the bringer or bearer of light, which alludes to a Greek god named, Phosphorus. Technically, there was no god named "Lucifer" in the ancient Roman pantheon of gods, but the Italian Strega witches have adopted Phosphorus in modern times, calling him, of course, "Lucifer." Cultures have always adopted foreign gods, especially following times of war and conquest. Again, this had nothing to do with the Devil. The morning star, which we've identified today as the planet Venus, appears in the sky just before dawn. The expression used to describe the Babylonian king before his death was Helal, son of Shahar, (Helel Ben Shachar) which can best be translated as "Day star, son of the Dawn." So, this is how we went from a fallen king to a fallen star!

Now, here is where the confusion comes in:

In the year 1611, King James I authorized the translation of the Bible into English, but did not use the original Hebrew texts. The scholars used versions translated by St. Jerome in the fourth century, who mistranslated the Hebrew expression, "Day star, son of the Dawn," as "Lucifer." Then, over the centuries, more confusion took place. You have The Divine Comedy or Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost and other literary works that interwove the church doctrine of the fall of man from the Garden of Eden, with Lucifer becoming a disobedient angel, cast out of heaven to rule eternally in hell. So, Lucifer, the morning star is now another name for Satan, the Devil, who is ironically, the Prince of Darkness - a strange metamorphosis, indeed!

Now, to add further to this confusion, Christians identify Christ himself as the morning star, a term used as a central theme in many Christian sermons. Jesus refers to himself as the morning star in Revelation 22:16: "I, Jesus, have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star." So, one could argue that there is a stronger parallel between Lucifer and Christ, than between Lucifer and Satan. Of course, the bible thumpers who do not read beyond the King James version will declare, "The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it."

Now, there is something I want you to pay close attention to:

Let's say you were going to visit a psychiatric counselor who specializes in dream interpretation. You tell him you had a dream where you met Lucifer and shook hands. What do you think he might say? Would he tell you that you've recently made a deal with the devil and it is bothering you? Or, is he more likely to tell you that you have begun to make more "enlightened" choices involving your career? I pick the latter because part of your brain already knows that Lucifer is not Satan, and it doesn't matter if you were raised an atheist, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. We all share an unconscious universal memory where myths and metaphors take root and prove themselves to be more than just fleeting illusions. A metaphor is not a lie, but an idea that has a value attached to it. The same could be said of our myths and legends.

Chartering Unexplored Realms of Consciousness

Most people see art, myth, dreams, as being entirely different from one another - I see them as going in the same direction. The next time you feel stuck in your life or unable to move forward, there is an interesting experiment I'd like you to try. Wake up very early, before dawn, go to an isolated spot and find the morning star, the planet Venus. Then, reaching out with your mind, request the wisdom, the enlightenment, the quickening of consciousness to master your obstacles. Envision that light entering into you, feel it transforming you. What this will do is create a neural link with a corresponding part of your brain which will help provide the solution you are seeking. Try this once or twice a week and see what happens! Then, after six or eight weeks, message me and describe your experience with the Lucifer current. I eagerly await your reply! Thank you.

What are the rules of Satanism?

People who are looking for a book of rules to live by do not win respect. Our brand of spirituality isn't based upon a book, presumably inspired by some higher authority.

We are not looking for those who want to argue over their past conditioning or who wish to confine themselves based on their past experiences. We wish to help those individuals who are intelligent enough and courageous enough to not only create a set of rules for themselves, but then live by them. Only this will result in balanced individuals who can function in society.

The best summary of this idea was penned almost a century ago by famed poet and mystic, Aleister Crowley:

Liber Oz

There is no god but Man.

Man has the right to live by his own law --
to live in the way that he wills to do:
to work as he will:
to play as he will:
to rest as he will.
to die when and how he will:

Man has the right to eat what he will:
to drink what he will:
to dwell where he will:
to move as he will on the face of the earth.

Man has the right to think what he will:
to speak what he will:
to write what he will:
to draw, paint, carve, etch, mould, build as he will:
to dress as he will.

Man has the right to love as he will: ---
"take your fill and will of love as ye will,
when, where and with whom ye will!" -- AL. I. 51.

Man has the right to resist those who would thwart these rights.
"the slaves shall serve." -- AL. II. 58.

Why do you curse people?

I am a Chaos Magician who proudly curses people and does it very well. Now, immediately, for some strange reason, this instantly stigmatizes me. People do not want to know why I do it or under what unique set of circumstances it could be warranted or even somewhat "beneficial" for all concerned! The worst thing you can do is hold anger inside and refuse to deal with it!

Back in the 1990s before Usenet was usurped by Google, I predicted in a post the demise of an enemy of mine, the fact that it would be a suicide, the implement of his self-destruction (a gun) and the fact that he would blow his brains out. One year later, it all came to fruition, just as I said it would. Later, a magazine writer by the name of Joe Necchi wrote an article about it. Then, it was mentioned in a book entitled, "Contemporary Religious Satanism: a critical anthology" by Jesper Aagaard Petersen on page 55.

Now, one would think that this kind of notoriety would make people "fear" me or feel some sort of trepidation when dealing with me, but the exact opposite is true! I've seen entire covens band together and collectively throw curses on me. What began as a very personal matter has now become a major sporting event. After a while, I came up with my own rating system where I would judge the performance of each one based on a scale from 1 to 10. Most of the covens I know rank about a 2 or 3, which is abysmal. All I can say to the coven north of Boston is, "Keep trying ladies." For this stuff to work, you have to have a real reason and a real purpose for doing it. Don't go off on some half baked scheme of revenge just because someone has aired your dirty laundry. And don't think you can fool people by calling your curse a "justice spell," so you can avoid taking responsibility for your actions.

Curses work best on individuals who are delusional and self-destructive. Just a bit of advice: perhaps you should start by just looking in the mirror.

The only reason my life is an open book is because I know it is going to benefit people. As crazy as this sounds, using my own life as an example as well as inspiring others, I know something for a fact. That is, if everyone went around cursing one another, rather than committing acts of rage and homicide, things would run a lot smoother in the world. The unbalanced nut cases would be the first to suffer the direct consequences of their actions because magic seeks the path of least resistance. I say this honestly and sincerely. The world would be a saner, safer place to live. The Law of Three is reserved for the haters, whose weakness and insecurity makes them vile, not for those defending the lives of those they love! Cursing and binding people DOES have its place in magic and should NOT be shunned or dismissed as evil entirely.

For the love of the Goddess, and in the name of love, I say, "Curses are good! Curses are Kind!" Have A Nice Day! ;-)

Do Satanists molest children?

Clearly NOt !, an adult having sex with young children is not appropriate!

State laws and opinions differ when we start talking about teenagers having sex with teenagers. It would be more convenient to somehow delay the process until physical maturity matches mental maturity, but that is not reality. It all comes down to choices once again. Stress and conflict exist when there is a divide between our carnal nature and the way we structure our society. You can struggle against basic carnal instinct all you want, but she will have the final say and the last laugh in all situations.

The job of mother nature is to prepare the child's body for reproduction. Your job as a parent is to prepare the child's mind. This is a call to all parents who can read these words; try educating your children! Be diligent, be responsible. Provide a moral and ethical framework and apply discipline when needed. Raise your child to be a responsible young adult, that's all you can do. Tell the truth. Share your insight. Then, let go.

When a child reaches puberty, which is the age of sexual consent according to nature, parents no longer are able to control the child's sexual behavior. You cannot be with that child every hour of every day. If you find yourself acting as moral arbiter in the life of a sexually active teen, twenty, or thirty year old, then it is time to get a life! The need to protect a child is a natural instinct, but only to a certain point - when you go beyond that point, healthy, natural instinct turns to unhealthy, unnatural obsession. Most successful parents will tell you that the vast majority of instilling ethics and morals into your children is done by the time they reach 12 years old. There are laws, existing laws, that protect people of all ages from rape and sexual harassment. We strongly suggest that these laws be enforced.

No one should sexually impose upon an unaware, unconsenting child, or mentally impaired adult for that matter, or senior citizen! But, more often than not, the pedophile accusation is the first yanked from the hat! That thing which threatens our young, be it real or imaginary, is certain to push buttons and trigger defense mechanisms! False morality, outmoded Christian values, prey upon the imagination, subverting this natural instinct to protect our young, transforming this drive into a destructive, deadly weapon; a blunt instrument in the wieldy hands of the cunning puppet master. Take for example the evangelical preacher who cries from his pulpit, "Homosexuals are trying to recruit our children! We must fight to save our kids!"

H. L. Mencken said it best, "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed - and hence clamorous to be led to safety - by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." When people cry wolf, it dulls the scream of the true victim.

As a culture, we are sexually obsessed with our young. You see it in magazines, on television... everywhere! We acknowledge this reaction, even have a definitive term for it; The Law of the Forbidden. Once rooted, cultural taboos become erotic obsessions! Shortly after the year 2000, the city of Boston, Massachusetts was shaken when a local archdiocese of the Roman Catholic church released a list of names of the priests accused of molesting children. It has happened in our dioceses. It happens in locker rooms in schools. It happens in families. We need to have education and awareness. Children who have better self respect, body image and self esteem will be less likely to "give it away."

It does seem odd that in one state a fourteen year old can get married to the perpetrator, yet in another, she would be sending him to jail. Sometimes we have to depend on the parents to work with the flow of nature to raise responsible, productive adults who will respect their own bodies and those of others.

There are those who fail to understand what the Black Mass is all about. It has nothing to do with any form of religious practice, it is a TOOL USED TO LIBERATE ONESELF PSYCHOLOGICALLY FROM GUILT AND RELIGIOUS OPPRESSION. The mandate of Lucifer teaches us to look within and discover our true divinity. Those who have been raised in a strict orthodox atmosphere might need to resort to blasphemy to "burn away the dross" before they can proceed upon this path of self-exploration. In other words, it becomes necessary to first cast off the pre-formatted identity handed down to us by society. This is why you'll see the Black Mass performed by younger Satanists. Those stuck in this phase of teen rebellion are destined to grow up and become no different from their parents - this conflicts with our purpose. We therefore suggest you perform this psychodrama, get it out of your system, then MOVE ON!

The self-aware Satanist sees past the confusion imposed by Christian and Moslem dualism. We realize there is a masculine and feminine principal governing the Universe and one cannot exist without the other. It is foolish to assign a value of "good" to one principal and "evil" to the other. The objective of the Black Mass is to bring BALANCE to the equation, not tilt the scale in the opposite direction! In conclusion, the religious absolutist views blasphemy as a dire travesty against god. The self aware Satanist sees things a bit differently since our objective is truth, not pretentious displays of false piety.

On a final note, the Black Mass does NOT need to involve sacrificing goats or drinking the blood of unbaptized babies. Just a general statement of denial against the god(s) of your parent religion and perhaps desecrating some holy relics is all that is necessary.

But what happens to consciousness when you die? On a quantum level, we discover that we are all representations of the consciousness of the Universe. When you die, thought meets thought and the very first thing you experience is your lifelong expectation of what death is like. If you are an atheist, you may experience the inside of a box or dark nothingness that seems to last an eternity. If you are a Christian, maybe a tunnel with light at the end and all your dead relatives waiting to greet you or perhaps even Jesus himself with angels strumming harps. Then there's the soul of the Universe, ancient ancestors, Krishna, Kali, Mohammed, Papa Legba, Osiris, the Devil, the Goddess or whatever deity/concept floats your boat, formed or formless.

Slowly.... you come to realize that consciousness is experiencing a plane of existence where there is no linear time separation between thinking of something and experiencing it. Furthermore, all experiences are perfectly valid. There is no delineation between what's considered real and unreal. Welcome to the next dimension.

You may have even made a "pact" with God OR the Devil during your existence that came true, but such things are like permission slips, love letters, promissory notes to oneself. You are a slave to no one, unless that is your desire and belief.