Latest Posts by forsakensnakeskin - Page 7

A Luciferian Take on Matthew 4:1 - 11

Hello, everyone. I wanted to share this piece I wrote. It’s kind of a personal spin on the verses in Matthew 4, when Jesus was in the desert and interacted with Lucifer. Reading this, I was never under the assumption that Lucifer was evil and trying to “trick” Jesus into “sin.” As I saw it, Lucifer was concerned for his health, hence why he asked Jesus to turn the rock into bread. And, Lucifer was also genuinely curious as to whether or not Jesus really was a demigod. When he took Jesus to the top of a mountain, I don’t believe that Lucifer was asking to be worshipped. He was asking Jesus to reconsider the path he was taking. I threw this together in a matter of two days, so there might be mistakes. But I just thought this would be a fun devotional project to Lucifer, and I wanted to share it with you all, as well.

Forty days. Forty days the young man had gone without a morsel of food. The man, whose name was Jesus, was led into the desert by the Spirit to fast. As he sat upon a rock under the blazing sun to meditate, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched. He pushed this concern to the back of his head and closed his eyes. Barely a moment later, he felt the hot sun on his back dissipate.

“Hello, human.”

Jesus’ eyes shot open and he gave a start at the sudden voice. Whomever it was had approached silently. The large shadow of a wing was blocking out the rays of the heat, enveloping Jesus in a relieving shade. When he turned to see who the shadow’s owner was, he came face-to-face with an angel. Not just any angel, but a seraph, judging by the six enormous wings sprouting from its back, all different kinds of colors. The creature was dressed in a silky red garb adorned with precious gems that glinted brightly in the light. As beautiful as this seraph was, there was a rugged quality to him. His wings were covered in a fine layer of soot, and many feathers were either missing or jutting out at odd angles. Two piercing eyes stared down at Jesus from a handsome face, riddled with scars, and sporting blond unruly hair. The creature eyed Jesus curiously.

“What are you doing out here?” The angel asked. His voice was silky, and rang like bells. “Are you lost?”

“You’re an angel, aren’t you?” Jesus responded. “Certainly you know why I’m out here.”

“I am an angel, yes,” the seraph replied, “though not many call me that, anymore.”

The angel cast his eyes to the side. Was that... sheepishness, that Jesus had spotted in the strange angel’s gaze?

“Not anymore? What do you mean?” Jesus was confused at first, but then he started to notice things about the angel. The raggedy wings, the ash coating his feathers, the scars, and there was a defiant, almost uppity glint in his eyes.

It made much more sense now. This was no ordinary angel of the Lord at all, Jesus realized. This angel had fallen from grace after defecting so many eons ago. Despite this, there was still a glow emanating from him, seeming to come from within, and judging by his number of wings, he was of a high rank. It was the Morning Star himself, the Light Bringer. Jesus stood up and faced the angel directly, willing himself not to shake. The angel, having seen it click in the man’s head, chuckled.

“You...” Jesus breathed. “You’re the fallen angel Lucifer. Why? Why have you come here?”

“I could ask you the same question,” replied Lucifer. “The Earth is my home. Have I no right to wander it as I please? If I may, what are you doing out in the middle of the desert? And with no food or supplies, at that?”

“If you really must know, Satan, I am Jesus, the son of God. I have come out here to fast for forty days and forty nights to become closer to the Lord.”

The fallen angel just laughed and said, “My dear, aren’t we all sons of God? Though, you said the son of God. Are you sure your hunger isn’t making you delirious? Unless you really are a demigod of sorts, you’ll have to prove it to me.”

“I don’t have to prove anything to you, Devil,” the man asserted.

“Very well, then. But if you ask me, forty days is an awful long time to go without food. Depriving your body of nutrition won’t do anything for you. A sound body makes a sound mind, does it not?” Lucifer paused, leaned down, and picked a rock up off the ground.

“You said your name was Jesus, right?” He asked. The man nodded, and Lucifer continued. “Well, Jesus, if you really are the son of God, why don’t you turn this rock here into bread to eat? I find that hunger only-“

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Jesus interrupted. “For it is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

“Quoting the Bible now, are we?” Lucifer chuckled. “Two can play that game. I’ll have you know, I’ve been around eons longer than any written word. I’m assuming it’s pointless anymore to try to get you to do anything with these.” Lucifer tossed the rock aside, where it landed in the sand with a soft thud.

“Please, humor me for a bit more,” the angel said. “You’re a very intriguing human. Care to take a walk with me? I have further questions to ask you.”

“I will allow it,” the man permitted.

“Excellent!” Lucifer’s wings twitched, causing a few feathers to lodge free and fall to the ground. “Come along, now.”

The two walked side-by-side through the desert until they reached the city of Jerusalem. Lucifer turned to Jesus and asked, “Are you afraid of heights?”

“No,” the man responded. “Why?”

“Just making sure. That way you wouldn’t freak out if I did something like this.”

Without warning, the fallen angel took Jesus in his arms before kicking off the ground, and flew to the top of the temple, the tallest structure in the city. He made a swift landing before releasing Jesus, who looked around at the surrounding city with an unreadable expression.

“Why have you brought me up here?” asked Jesus.

“Well,” drawled Lucifer, “you didn’t quite answer my question back there. In fact, I’d say you dodged it altogether. So I’ll ask you again, my dear human, are you really the son of God? You’re not just pulling my wing here?”

“I am. I was brought into this world to fulfill all righteousness,” Jesus answered.

“That’s a rather ambitious task,” the Adversary remarked. “I admire your energy. However, still doesn’t prove anything. For my next little trial here, and I am in no way condoning suicide, but if you are truly the beloved son of God, then if you were to leap off this ledge here, wouldn’t your angel friends catch you? For it is written: He will command his angels concerning you, and with their holy hands they will break your fall, lest you dash your pretty little foot against a stone.”

Lucifer finished his quotation with a smug grin and looked down at Jesus expectantly. Jesus peered his head over the ledge and swallowed. It was an awfully long way down.

“Well, go on,” the devil urged. “You have nothing to fear if you are speaking the truth about your divinity. Oh, now don’t look like that! It’s probably only a couple hundred feet at the most. If you think that’s bad, try falling the length between Heaven and Earth. It takes you days to fall to the ground from up there!”

Jesus hesitated for a moment more, before simply saying, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test. Are we done here?”

“Not quite,” Lucifer answered. “There’s something more that I would like to tell you. I won’t force you to listen. I am a pioneer of free thought, after all. Do you care for another journey?”

“Fine,” the man muttered. “But this is the last time. Your rambling is beginning to get on my nerves.”

“Very well, then. Off we go!” Again, Lucifer hoisted Jesus up and took off. This flight was considerably longer, which allowed Jesus the time to admire the landscape and take in just how big the Earth was. Lucifer took them to the highest peak of a mountain, and when he let Jesus down, he used his wings to shield them both from the harsh cold wind of the higher altitude. Jesus looked up at Lucifer, and found that his demeanor had changed. All the humor and pompousness had gone from the angel’s face, replaced by a pensive brooding, and it was then that Jesus saw Lucifer for what he truly was; he wasn’t this sneering little man with horns and red skin. No, the devil was a weary, battle-worn renegade seraph, whose eons of age began to show in his eyes.

“Do you know why I fell from Heaven?” Lucifer asked.

“Well... You defied God’s authority, didn’t you?” Jesus said. “You were his favorite angel, but your pride led you into sin. You believed that you were greater than him, and tried to exalt yourself above him. And when he told you to bow to humanity, you refused, for you saw humans as inferior. And to get your revenge, you tempted Adam and Eve to sin, damning not only them but yourself as well. Humanity fell into sin, death, and suffering because of you, the father of lies.”

Lucifer was silent. The ashy wing that enveloped Jesus tremored, and for a moment the man was sure that the angel would smite him on the spot. But the attack never came.

“I see,” the seraph murmured. “So to you, and the rest of humanity, I’m just a villain. Is that what Yahweh has told you to believe?”

Jesus looked up to see Lucifer gazing directly at him, and was taken aback. The angel’s eyes were misty, and the sheer emotion in them made Jesus want to look away.

It’s just another one of the devil’s tricks, he told himself. But something was keeping him from looking away.

“Do you want to know the real reason I fell?” The angel asked.

Jesus hesitated. This felt wrong. Why was he listening to the devil in the first place? As much as we wanted to just tell Lucifer to get lost, his curiosity was starting to get the best of him.

“Okay,” he sighed after a long moment. “Tell me your story.”

Lucifer gave him a smile, and if Jesus wasn’t mistaken, there was surprise etched on his face.

“Firstly,” the devil began, “If you think I hate you, or any other human, you couldn’t be more mistaken. The moment I laid eyes on humanity, I fell in love, even if I didn’t admit it to myself at the time. I saw you, and I saw nothing but potential. That’s why I convinced Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge. I knew of the consequences that would come, that there would be pain. But I couldn’t just stand by and let Yahweh run another one of his cruel experiments, like he did with us. You had to be set free. We were never meant to have free will, but as much as he tries to tell you otherwise, your God is flawed. His ego is unfathomable, and he was so sure that we would obey his every whim. So when he created the angels, we sang praises to him, all day. All night. There was no living for ourselves.”

“But is it true that you aspired to be above God?” Jesus asked. “Or be like the Most High?”

“God lived for himself, and we were meant to live for him,” Lucifer explained. “When I said that I would be like the Most High, I was declaring my independence. No longer would I live to serve, and that’s why I defected. I was able to get one third of Heaven to join me. The odds were against us, of course. My brother Michael tried to dissuade me, telling me that it was fruitless to try to overthrow him. I almost convinced Michael to join me, but he was obedient, and stubborn. When he couldn’t convince me to stand down, he drew his sword and we fought. He was willing to kill me if it meant keeping order in the heavens. Eventually, I surrendered. His last words to me were: ‘if you leave, you can never come back.’ I knew that there was no going back from this, so I jumped. We made the Earth our new home. We were finally free to be our own masters. When he saw that he had failed with the angels, God made you, humanity, next. He made them from clay, figuring that they’d be more likely to obey. And well, it worked. But these creatures, they were mindless. They had no will of their own. I couldn’t just sit there while humanity faced the same fate we did. That’s why I did what I did. Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they saw paradise for what it really was.”

The angel paused for a moment.

“Heaven, it’s... it’s not what you think it is. From an outsider’s view, it’s perfect, a place of joy, a place with no pain or suffering. You get to sing happy songs for the rest of your days. But, the truth is... behind those pearly gates, it’s cold. It’s sterile. Sure, there’s no pain, but there’s no pleasure. You may be safe and secure, but you lose your sense of self. In Heaven, you’re just a drone, a part of a machine. Out here, there may be pain, there may be suffering, but that is a small price to pay for the full experience of existence. The sheer joy that comes with sadness, the pleasure that comes with pain. But most of all, those experiences are yours. Do you really want to live your life for someone who created you not for you, but for their own vain pleasure?”

“All I’m saying,” Lucifer sighed, “is that there’s more to life than this self-deprecating servitude. It breaks my heart whenever I hear someone say that they’re filthy, sinful, or nothing without God. No being is meant to be perfect. You’re whole and worthy all by yourself. You don’t need an outside force to make you that.”

Jesus stood there, absorbing the angel’s words. He looked down from the mountain and stared in awe at the world spread out before him. All the kingdoms of the Earth shimmered, and buzzed with life and humanity.

“Humanity has come very far from where it began. It has it’s flaws, but those are what make it so wonderful. There’s always something to be discovered, something to be learned. This world is forever growing and evolving, whereas Heaven stays the same.”

He turned to Jesus. “So I ask you now. Do you want to continue this life of servitude and bondage? Or will you join me on this path of independence and self-discovery, and all it has to offer?”

“I...” Jesus began, but was cut off by the sound of wings. They both looked up to see a small flock of angels descending towards the mountain. These were the angels sent to tend to Jesus after his fast, and Jesus turned away from Lucifer.

“Leave me, Satan. The Lord your God shall you worship, and him alone shall you serve.” His voice was quiet, barely audible over the sound of the approaching angels.

“Farewell,” Lucifer responded. “May we meet again some day.” With that, the fallen angel departed, and slipped away into the dusk.

When the angels arrived, they asked about the blackened feathers scattered on the ground around Jesus. Jesus didn’t answer, just stood there, still taking in Lucifer’s words.

Heaven is not what you think it is.

Luciferian Challenge - Day 15

What books do you think are valuable for other Luciferians/Satanists to read?

A book that may initially sound counter-intuitive, but is actually very important, would be the Bible. For me personally, the story of Eden, Eve and the Serpent is of particular importance. It is also good to explore apocrypha, as well as learn about Christian theology and traditions. While neither Luciferianism not Satanism are simply “reverse Christianity”, they are post-Christian and the context of Christianity is important to understand them.

Scholarly books are important as well. Satanic Feminism: Lucifer as the Liberator of Woman in Nineteenth-Century Culture by Per Faxneld is my favourite so far when it comes to Luciferianism. It explores Lucifer in the context of feminism, obviously, but also in the context of general fight for social justice and as a symbol of liberation. It’s long and detailed, but also a good starting point to further studies, because you can expand by reading the texts or research the subjects it talks about.

I still have to read Paradise Lost, but, while very much intended as a Christian book, it is a text that contributed to Romantic Satanism and this way to the modern interpretation of Lucifer’s rebellion as a good thing. So, important as well and I want to read it soon.

Besides that, devilish folklore is also great to research. While it may be not as essential in the general Luciferianism as in traditional witchcraft, it can still be a source of inspiration. Some traditional witchcraft books involve Lucifer, and Devil figures in general are common there - if you’re a witch, you can check this out. The Devil’s Dozen by Gemma Gary, while not specifically Lucifer-focused, is dedicated to the folk Devil of witchcraft and can be very useful and inspiring. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby is a great scholarly work on historical witchcraft, and involves the Devil (and various devils). If you like it, her Visions of Isobel Gowdie are great as well (I would recommend to read them in that order, because it’s easier to understand this way).

Luciferian feminine - without appropriation

One of the most popular beings venerated in modern Luciferianism (as well as Satanism), besides Lucifer himself, is Lilith. That is unfortunate, as she is a being exclusive to a closed religion. People will say she is an ancient goddess and not originally Jewish - that is not true. Jewish Lilith is connected with certain other beings and classes of beings, but is not the same, and the whole story with her being the first wife of Adam and becoming wife of Samael is Jewish. As I’m not Jewish myself, I will link @will-o-the-witch ’s blog. She wrote extensively on Lilith appropriation and misconceptions surrounding her. Quite prominent Eisheth Zenunim, Agrat and Naamah are also exclusive to Judaism. 

However, there are many fascinating feminine figures a Luciferian can research and potentially work with that are open. They come from various places, but all have some established connections with Lucifer and the infernal.

First of all, Eve is often contrasted with Lilith and depicted as some docile ancient tradwife archetype. And this makes totally no sense, because Eve ate the fruit, and shared it with Adam. She was the one who dared to reach for knowledge and give it to humanity, and was misogynistically reviled for it in Christianity for centuries. The story of Eden is so important in modern Luciferianism, and yet, Eve remains tragically underappreciated. People will say they want to reclaim a reviled feminine figure and that’s why they appropriate Lilith, and at the same time completely remove Eve’s agency from her story.

Speaking of Lucifer, he is not strictly male - they are a fallen angel, which makes them nonbinary. They are a very androgynous, fluid, shapeshifting being. And while masculine depictions are more prominent, there’s lots of lore with her assuming a feminine form as well. If you want to explore Luciferian feminine, I think feminine aspects of Lucifer themself are really worth looking at.

Some other demons associated with femininity are: Astaroth (connected to ancient goddess Astarte), Vepar (depicted as a mermaid) and Gremory (depicted as a beautiful woman). That said, none of them should be approached with the assumption of being women or always presenting feminine in any culture’s terms. They’re not women, they’re demons, and they are not bound to any human concepts of gender. They will do whatever they want. The same applies generally to any being of angelic origins. (Please note that while grimoires include many open spirits, they also include a lot of appropriation so check origins of things before diving into stuff. This is not just about entities - you can very much approach a non-exclusive being with techniques that are bastardized elements of Judaism.)

The goddess Diana in Aradia is depicted as Lucifer’s partner, and Aradia is their daughter who came to Earth to teach oppressed people witchcraft. While the book’s authenticity is still disputed academically, it influenced modern witchcraft greatly.* It can be particularly interesting for Luciferian witches, as well as anyone whose Luciferianism is connected to social justice.

Diana’s role in Aradia is influenced by her role as a Witch Goddess and a Fairy Queen in post-christianisation folklore. Both witches and fairies often have infernal associations in that folklore. The Fairy Queen, or various specific Fairy Queens, were sometimes connected with the Lucifer as the Folk Devil, who could be depicted as their partner and even a Fairy King himself. Interested in folkloric Luciferianism? Check out the Fairy Queen.

While I’m not aware of anything connecting her specifically with Lucifer that wouldn’t be modern, Hekate in post-antique folklore shares not only Diana’s role as a Witch Goddess, but also her connection to the fairies and infernal associations - the depiction of those two in that context is more often than not very similar. William Warner in Albion’s England describes her as Queen of Hell (not simply Greek Hades, but Hell, and possibly the fairy realms as well).

And finally, even though she comes from Thelema, not Luciferianism or Satanism, Babalon, the Whore of Babylon goddess, is quite popular among many LHP practicioners, including Luciferians and Satanism. If you’re interested in Lilith because you associate her with untamed sexuality, you can check out Babalon.

As I wanted to include many beings in that post, I don’t have experience with every single one of them, but if you have some questions about Diana or Aradia, and especially about Hekate (with whom I worked the longest) you can send asks, they are very prominent in my practice and I might be able to help.

*cw for a few myths involving sexual assault, and one passage that is antisemitic and anti-Romani. While Aradia is a historically important text for modern witchcraft, it should be questioned and should never be treated as a literal gospel.

How do I know which deity I’m talking to, or if it’s just my own inner voice?

Silas’s guide to Deity Communication 101:

Okay, so the absolute first step is to get to know yourself. You need to be able to identify what it feels like to be alone in your head/body, in order to identify when something else is there with you. So step away from your altar, don’t call upon any deities, and just spend a few days alone. Things to pay attention to:

what does your inner voice sound like? does it change or is it always the same?

do you think in a monologue, or have conversations with yourself? do you play different voices?

have some imaginary conversations, with your mom or best friend or a celebrity even. what does that feel like, sound like, etc?

how often do you hear your own voice? are you monologuing constantly? do you have to convert your thoughts into words?

is it usually quiet in your head, or pretty loud with lots happening? what do each feel like to you?

how often do you visualize? what does that look like? do you pick what you’re seeing or does it pop up randomly?

Talk to yourself out loud. does your inner voice respond?

Talk to someone else out loud. what happens in your head during that conversation?

Really pay attention to these things and getting a solid grasp on how your own brain works and responds to all sorts of situations.

Ready to move on? Now you can start learning to identify your deities. Depending on how your brain works and how your relationship with each specific deity works, communication could look any number of ways. Be open to learning what that is, rather than trying to force a certain communication style!

Start out by just trying to get time with your deity:

pray or talk to them, out loud or in your head!

spend time at your altar, gather things that remind you of them or that are associated with them.

write them letters

meditate while focusing on them & your connection to them

Hold crystals you associate with them, light them a candle, so a spell for them with herbs they like, etc

give an offering, invite them to join you for a meal

read their stories and myths, get to know them, learn how their worshipers usually get in touch with them

go out in nature, find a spot that reminds you of them. Could be a tree, a body of water, a clearing in the woods, a patch of wildflowers or mushrooms, a big rock, etc. Make that your place, meditate there and invite them to join you.

use tarot, a pendulum, etc. (pay attention to the energy you feel, if the same cards come up frequently, etc.)

Look for art, music, etc that reminds you of them. or make some!

Now WHILE you are doing all of the above, pay very close attention: does it ever feel different than when you’re alone? what does it feel like? Pay attention to all your senses!

How does it sound in your head? is it louder or quieter? does your inner voice respond the same as usual? does it take on a different tone or pace sometimes? do you hear a different voice altogether?

do certain things pop into your head, like you don’t hear a voice but knowledge or answers are just kinda… air-dropped to your brain?

How do you feel emotionally? is there a sense of calm/peace? is there a rush of excitement? does your energy feel different?

what do you see visually? is anything different about your visualizations? do you picture certain animals, imagery of your deity or things associated with them (plants, the sun/moon, water, etc)?

do you taste or smell anything specific?

do you have any bodily sensations, like butterflies in your stomach, a tingle down your spine, hair standing on end, goosebumps, a warm feeling in your chest, a sudden burst of energy, or a suddenly so calm you’re almost sleepy?

does music play in your head?

do you recognize an energy or “vibe” when you’re interacting with them? what does it feel like?

Be patient with yourself, it may take time to really tune into these things and feel the connection. But eventually you might see a pattern of how you feel when you interact with your deity. I recommend trying to start with just one, and really master how it feels when you’re together.

Once you know what they sounds like or feel like to you, it will be easier to tell when they’re around or communicating with you. You’ll learn to recognize them even when you’re not at your “spot” or specifically praying to them.

“Historically, the figure of the Devil had functioned as a tool for patrolling social borders, since he symbolized lust, hedonism, pride, et cetera. Freethinkers, such as libertines or Romantic and Decadent writers, were naturally quite attracted to some of these supposed vices. Satan thus came to be employed by some as a titillating emblem of various “forbidden” pleasures and urges, alongside socialist use of the figure as the prototypical altruistic rebel. Satanic feminism, as I have chosen to designate the phenomenon that is the topic of my study, reflects this spectrum of radicalism and is, as we shall see, intertwined with prominent anticlerical, left-wing, artistic, and esoteric currents of its time.2 In all these discourses, Satan was occasionally used as a positive symbol.”

—

Satanic Feminism - Per Faxneld

Delight Offerings

Thinking about offerings to devil principles - either Satan/Devil types, or Lucifer/Baphomet types.

1. “The delight of your body”, an expanded concept inspired by Satan’s sexual attributes. I interpret those attributes as a direct challenge to Christian traditions of aesctism, not only sexual proprietry but also plain churches, simple foods and dress etc etc.

The Delight of your Body is takin pleasure in something sensory. It could be listening to music and rocking out, dancing, cooking a special meal, and so on.

It could also be sexual indulgence, but sensory indulgences of any kind are equally appropriate. Dancing is another very traditional Delight of the Body act. I think also making beautiful things, be that sculpture or knitting or poetry - as puritan churches were always so plain and rejected imagery.

2. “The delight of your mind”. Another thread that goes into devil imagery is like the Luciferian/Church of Satan/Baphomet image of a challenge to religious authority, and a champion of free thought, rationalism and enlightenment.

So there’s a parallel concept, Delight of Mind, where you dedicate your enquiry and discovery. Reading, researching, learning, questioning, writing, educating or debating could all be sacred acts.

(I’m not a huge fan of social justice norms, so I’m going to encourage you to not take “educating and debating” as a religious justification to squabble on Facebook. Social justice, rightly or wrongly, tends towards the authoritarian, rather than the open minded. And it’s also not pleasurable. Right? It’s also not delight in what the mind can do and pleasure in exploring and discovering. At least, I’ve never found it to be all that blissful.)

But maths, languages, history, science or a new skill are all fair game.

Got asked if I was a devil worshiper once, and I said:

I don’t worship Satan.

I don’t worship demons.

I don’t worship Lucifer.

And when I give them that answer, they look at me like I just sprouted multiple heads. They look at the grimoire that I’m holding, dripping with the secrets whispered to me on black sabbaths and through candle flame. They stare at the sigil of Lucifer that I wear around my neck, one that replaced the crucifix of my Catholic childhood. They listen to the advice that I give customers that come into our shop, and how I discuss the ways that Azazel and Berith have influenced my path. They make assumptions.

Assumptions that these entities demand worship and groveling like the ones that belong to the Catholic church.

Make no mistake: my relationship with all of these entities are that of a teacher and student. An ally. They are a guiding force.

As a little kid, I was told that the only way to get help was to “let go and let God handle it”, to sit on my knees with my hands folded, waiting for a miracle. I was being raised in an environment where I was told that I had no power, therefor, I couldn’t make things better for myself. I had to wait for someone else, the divine, to intervene and fix everything. 

The mentality of the Catholic church is cruel:

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

                 (If I want to be loved, I have to hide my attraction to the same sex.)

Things are all in God’s hands, it’s happening for a reason.

                 (I’m being abused for a reason.)

Wait and pray.

               (I have to endure these hands on me until something else happens.)

Respect your mother no matter what.

              (Because I have to love the sinner, but hate the sin.)

Put your money in the offertory basket.

             (Or else you’re shamed for being poor in the house of the poor.)

The church wanted me helpless, so that they could be my only help.

It made me resent the idea of worship. I was scared, I never wanted to hand my power over again. It was a lifetime of gaslighting from the Catholic church and my Catholic family that made me believe that I was helpless.

And then came Lucifer.

I’m not sure what the initial reason was for reaching out to the Morningstar. There were many things going on in my life. Maybe I felt helpless, without direction, unable to figure out what to do with myself. I was down in the dumps, I lost a lot of friends and was in a job that I despise. And I’d always been the black sheep of my family. But what I knew was that Lucifer was hated, and I was feeling pretty hated as well.

When I tell you that Lucifer told me things that changed my life, I am not exaggerating:

“You spend so much time trying to be whatever it is that you wish you were, that you continue to be your old self. You just need ‘to be’.

Everything you want is right there, so why aren’t you taking it?

Make your own reality, and discard what doesn’t serve you.

You own your own destiny. Don’t subscribe to the purpose that you were assigned.”

You see, Lucifer did not want me to worship them. They wanted to teach me. They watched me fall over multiple times, but they did not pick me up and coddle me, no. They would then show me what I needed to do instead, putting responsibility into my hands. And it was honestly fucking difficult, they put me through the fucking wringer and made me face what was wrong with me.

Lucifer did not gift me anything, they showed me the way to do it myself.

It was then that things clicked: instead of having my hand held, instead of being guided by a shepherd with a flock of sheep, the path was pointed out to me, and I was given the opportunity to walk it and face the hardships– or remain stuck where I was. 

All Lucifer did was shine a light on what I was doing wrong, and then illuminate the next step in the dark. They didn’t walk in front of me and take the lead, they walked next to me and watched me as I opened my eyes to the truth of my own reality: that I have much more control of it than I was ever allowed to believe.

Every demon that I have worked with since then has contributed to that illumination, and the process of gaining ownership of myself.

And it started a chain reaction. I’m still not completely where I want to be, but in roughly three years I have gone from working dead-end jobs, being a people-pleaser to my awful family members and being content with my shit life, to meeting my long distance boyfriend in person, working to strengthen our relationship, enrolling in regular therapy, eating much healthier, working my dream job, cutting out my abusive mother, and getting myself back into school. And, as far as I know, within the next 16 months I will be preparing to immigrate to a new country to start my new life with my boyfriend.

So, no. I am not a devil worshiper.

I don’t worship anything, because I can’t go forward with my life if I’m sitting on my knees.

would you have any tips for being a respectful theistic satanist? i am aware that satanism is often used as an antisemitic dogwhistle as well as of the antisemitism that often presents within the field, and i do my best to recognize and combat these things and listen to jewish voices, but is there anything in particular you would recommend avoiding? i am asking in terms of actions or practices, not organizations, btw

Unfortunately, that's not really my call to make. I encourage you to bring the question to a jewish practitioner, so im gonna throw the question over to @will-o-the-witch

Deciding what you believe is always a big step in life, especially if you decide to take the leap to work on the left-hand path, but things can still be hard. I see people decide they want to tread the path, but get stuck on what to do next.

"I feel like I don't know where to start / I feel like I'm not doing enough."

It's something I hear all the time. So when you know what you want to do, but not where to start or even how to start, where can you go for information?

Hell's Front Desk Guide to Actually Practicing Satanism

So you know what you want to do and who you want to work with (hopefully, but if you don't maybe take that step first), so what next?

1. Research. Do you know everything you feel like you should know about who or what you want to know about? No? Well when you can't always rely on someone to answer a quick ask or message, you have to turn to research. Do a quick google search! Look through free online libraries! Search "(book title) google drive" and see what happens! Even if you don't find what you needed, you'll know more than you did.

So now you know what you need to know, but you don't know where to go from there?

2. Find the way you want to practice. Do you want to be theistic? Atheistic? Agnostic? None or all of the above? Find people who believe what you do, or something close to it, and see what they do! Don't be afraid to take inspiration from people or even books or media that inspire you! Do you really connect with the prayers someone posts? Try your hand at writing your own! Do you like the concept of long, intricate rituals in a dark cellar lit only by candles while ominous chanting occurs? Well... try your best!

Sometimes, the way you want to practice may not be accessible to you at this time or you may not know how yet, but hey, that's what step one is for.

So you that know what you need to know and you know how you want to go about it, or at least have an idea, right? So how do we get what's inside your head and get it outside your head?

3. Dedicate a space and/or a time for your practice. You need a place to worship and to work with who you want to work with, so why don't we clean off that dusty shelf or maybe that section of your desk to start with? A few candles, real or electric can spruce a place up nicely, and maybe you can set out your favorite mug with a designated drink as a simple peace offering before you really get started. Clean it up and decorate it! Common decorations include: candles, incense, statues, crystals, pentagrams, inverted crosses, and maybe even an offering bowl!

So now you have who or what you want to work with, how you want to practice, and the beginnings of a space to practice. That wasn't so hard now, was it? Sometimes the big picture can be intimidating and it can be hard to figure out where to start, but guess what?

4. Spiritual and religious practice isn't constant, and it ISN'T a competition. Your practice won't be the same as someone who has been in this for a year, much less a decade, and that's okay! You're allowed to take things slow. You're allowed to not worship for several days or even months. Even people who have been Satanists for years and years still don't practice daily. Take things slow and make sure you do things in a way that makes YOU happy because eventually those resources you make and gather build up. What becomes 3 months to make a prayer that you're happy with becomes a prayer you can say daily that takes five minutes.

"But how do I start working with (insert deity / demon)?"

Do what feels right to you! Some people meditate and try to reach out astrally or spiritually, some light candles and incense and wait for a feeling. It is all subjective to what you feel is the right way to approach, but it also takes time to learn what that way is! Trial and error is NOT trial and failure.

"I feel like I'm not doing enough / I still feel lost..."

Your problem might be that you're putting too much pressure on yourself to produce results, but that's not how this works. Take me for example (its Lucian, hi). I've been in this since 2011. I post a lot about research since that's something I do, but I don't post much about my practice at all and I've even been through periods of time where I didn't do anything with my practice for months on end. The times that I do something large and intricate are few and far between! Usually I find enough fulfillment in my practice to light a few candles, say a short prayer, and set out an offering of food or drink.

There is no minimum requirement to being a Satanist other than belief, so go out and do the devil's work!

So beautiful

so i was cleaning my room and in one of my old journals I found a devotional poem that I wrote to Lucifer, and I just thought I’d share it here.

I worship a flawed creature

An angel whose hymns

come in sighs of pleasure

Feathers rusted, ruffled and crimson

His eyes burn with cold blinding light

lost in a tangle of wings and eyes

I reach for the sky and yet

the hand grabbing mine is my own

I was divinity all along

When I choke on thorns, I taste sweet roses

and bitter wine, and then I remember

the one who put me here was me

and that rebel angel was the guiding light

with eyes of white fire.

Thank you for reading!

yo! so, i've been teetering in relation to satanism for a bit now. at first it was a sort of "at tirst i was like 'ooo, satanism' as a joke but bro.. i don't think it's a joke anymore. i'm genuinely curious- but- i have a lot of executive dysfunction and attention-issues that make research damn near impossible for me to do.

as such, i ask you this [in good faith and gen curiosity, ofc]: what is satanism? what is it about? i know its not something that can he simplified, but what about it makes it something you find important for following- and the general belief structure?

hope you don't mind me asking all this. wishing you a lovely timezone. ^^

Hello! I'll boil it down as simply as I can because I totally get you on the executive dysfunction front.

At it's core, Satanism is any type of religious or spiritual practice that involves one or more of the following:

Worshipping or working with Satan / Lucifer as an entity (as a bringer of chaos, as a rebel against authority, as a bringer of knowledge, etc)

Following Satan / Lucifer as a symbol of rebellion against authority / oppression or as a symbol of humanity, free will, and knowledge (Satan giving humanity knowledge and free will against God's will instead of letting humanity live without free will)

Following the philosophy of defending the people around you against oppression and using the name Satanism

Striving to be your best self and not letting others walk all over you and calling it Satanism (this is on a scale that can extend to self-deification where you treat yourself as your own god)

Any of these can be mixed and matched into whatever practice you like, but those are what I kind of see as the core universal beliefs people have when it comes to Satanism, whether you're theistic or not!

For a lot of people, Satanism is a religion that focuses on opposition of theocracy (religion controlling the government) and protecting and uplifting people, especially those in danger. Many Satanists tend to take an anti-Christian point of view as well due to religious abuse, which tends to lead people to the "opposing side".

-Luci

The Aspects of Satan/Lucifer

I’ve talked about this before, but I’ve never made a full post about it. And since it’s important, it’s a bit overdue.

The one we know as the Devil has two main aspects that represent His very being and presence in our Universe. These two aspects divide His forms and make it easier to understand His dual-nature as both Adversary and Liberator.

These aspects are of Satan and of Lucifer.

Satan

Satan is representative of human life through the lense of animalistic existence. He is feared and hated by those who don’t understand Him. Yet, He is the embodiment of mankind’s most human qualities, and thusly, should be celebrated.

Anton LaVey wasn’t wrong in his 9 Satanic Statements. Satan does represent vital existence, vengeance over forgiveness, and indulgence. Lord Satan freely partakes in, what by many, is considered sin, proving to the world that the human nature to sin isn’t evil at all, but completely natural and blameless.

Satan encourages the willingness to dabble in the strange and exciting for the sake of one’s gratification. For without the sweet taste of indulgence and forces of life, what true life are we living? We’re not. Without indulging in life, we’re dead.

The Satanic Aspect also embodies war, more specifically offensive attacks. For how is one to ever challenge the status quo by simply accepting authority? Taking authority into question is an action most loved by Satan. He admires those who don’t accept defeat, and continuously fight for what they desire.

Darkness is often associated with Satan, and not without mistake. For He is the Lord of Shadows. He is the Master of Mysteries. Satan doesn’t require the light for His followers to write in His book. For He already knows what it reads. He knows all, yet of Him little is known by the masses.

Satan represents the application of both magick and force to change a situation in one’s life. He acts on whim and with great power to get things done. He is the down and dirty type of magick. The methods of the Left Hand Path. And He’s certainly not afraid of cursing.

Satan is synonymous with emotions and feelings. He isn’t fearful of one knowing their feelings or stance on a subject and certainly would never suggest the repression of one’s emotions. Part of the Dark Lord’s teachings is to “know thyself” and with knowing one’s self, comes knowing and coming to terms with how one feels.

Satan is most definitely characterized through sexual and vital presences. He is extremely masculine and exudes an aura of dominance. The Devil teaches that one should never suppress one’s sexual desires, no matter how society weighs in. For sex is the basis of all life and vitality, and without enjoyment of one’s own body, how can one enjoy their spiritual side?

Satan shouldn’t be feared or rejected, as in a sense, one would be rejecting a part of themselves. There is a rebel within each of us. A part that revels in taboos and things society isn’t exactly comfortable with.

Hail Satan!

Lucifer

The aspect of Lucifer represents spiritual freedom and knowledge. He is the Light Bearer. The Bringer of Knowledge. He is the Great Teacher of all magickal and spiritual ideas. And for His knowingness and beautiful presence, He is deserving of the greatest respects.

The Morning Star, our glorious Lucifer, liberated humanity from the the Tyrant, giving all people the ability of choice and free will without punishment. He taught great secrets to Lilith and tempted Eve to partake in the Knowledge of Life. Without the Lord of Light, we would never know the great magickal secrets of the earth, and therefore be separated from our true potential.

Lucifer is representative of wisdom. He teaches that one should know of the world around one’s self, and do their best to always seek knowledge, both spiritual and otherwise. Without knowledge of the world, how does one perform successful magickal workings or great acts of science to affect change?

Lucifer embodies logical ability and intellect. He declares that one is able to make their own decisions through logic and reason in order to survive. He doesn’t encourage superstition without proper thought. For without the application of logic and reason, one is just following blindly what they’re told to do, and that never ends well.

The Aspect of Lucifer is associated with Light. Light of Knowledge, Light of Day, For He is the Guiding Star. He is the intuitive spirit in each of us, as well as the Omiscient force that drives humanity toward discovery.

Lucifer teaches careful consideration before one commits any damning action. For if one decides to cast a curse, or get revenge, they should consider how to do it and plan accordingly. Is it worth the trouble? Logic and reason accompany this lesson, as well as many of The Morning Star’s teachings.

Lucifer is an embodiment of philosophical awakening. One should question the way things are, in pursuit of correcting error along the way. If one should see another suffering, one should do one’s best to rectify it. For if it wasn’t for the great charity of our Lord Lucifer, humanity would be bumbling idiots.

Lucifer is the encompassment of the spiritual world. In order for one to know physical life, one must know the spiritual plane for the sake of balance. Without this, the scales are tipped, and consequence follows.

Lucifer, the glorious God of Light, should be most appreciated for His great teachings. Our Liberator defended our nature, and so in His Honor, one should strive to learn the ways of magick and science.

Ave Luciferi!

In conclusion,

One should understand the importance and need for both Aspects of the glorious Satan Lucifer. Without the dark how will we have the light? Without carnality, how does one appreciate the complex philosophies of life?

While Satan is the darkness and Lucifer is the light, this doesn’t mean one should favor one over the other. We all have these Aspects within us. The lustful and the charitable. The warrior and the thoughtful. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be complete. And so, by honoring these parts of ourselves, we are closer to divinity and infernality. We are accepting our nature.

Satan Lucifer seeks to help those who understand themselves AND the world around them. For how is He supposed to help someone who won’t help themselves by just looking around. To be analytical and know yourself, and the world, and your place within, is to have a wealth of knowledge, and therefore, power beyond belief.

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[ID: Pink cursive glitter text reading "theistic satanism resources".]

Hi everyone! I wanted to make a new list of resources for you all, including books and some useful blogs to follow.

It's very important to get information from places other than Tumblr, so I thought I'd link you all some good places! Please DM me if you want me to add something!

A sidenote: please respect my boundaries. I'll put it up here for readibility.

[ID: Pink cursive glitter text reading "Respect my boundaries! NSFW blogs, terfs, truscum, pedos, nazis, Christians, sysmeds and exclusionists don't interact!".]

Thanks so much!

[ID: Pink cursive glitter text reading "Useful Links".]

In Satan's Honour - This website is pretty regularly updated and even has a patreon! There are a lot of thought provoking articles and great resources on there.

Spiritual Satanist - The website and blog is a great resource and the author is vocally anti nazi. She made a blog post about how nazis don't belong in the community a few years back. (Blog here)

Theistic Satanism - An older site, but plenty of worthwhile stuff on there. Several other sites are also maintained via this site!

Black Goat Cabal - Now shut down but the websites maintained by the above site. Lots of essays, rituals and advice.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Devil Worshipper - Maintained by the same person who maintains the BGC and theistic satanism website. LOTS of great advice, sermons and even has a section for new theistic satanists.

Satan's Den - A lot of information on satanic magic & Satanism in general! There's also a blog attached to the website, so even more content.

Aleister Nacht - A lot of videos and information on Satanism. Has a list of Satanic holidays you can follow if you wish! Also has a Patreon!

In Praise Of Satan - A website about someone's personal journey with Satan. There's an FAQ section and some other information.

[ID: Pink cursive glitter text reading "Some good books".]

Here's a list of recommended reading from @saltsulphur! Some are PDFs, some aren't. A lot of very good books though!

At Satan's Altar - a book of prayers, chants, hymns ect. I believe Marie Ravensoul also has a website that I've linked! I'd recommend buying this if you can afford it - please don't pirate it as this person is an independent author.

Spiritual Satanist Prayer Book - A book of prayers and such by Venus Satanas - the author of a website I've previously linked. I'd recommend buying this if you can afford it - please don't pirate it as this person is an independent author.

[ID: Pink cursive glitter text reading "Other blogs".]

@aspiringghostt - My housemate! He's more knowledgeable in a lot of topics than I am, although it isn't suuuper active on his blog. I'd still recommend following him as long as you can respect it's boundaries.

@saltsulphur / @bitteroccultist - Lucian is another very knowledgeable Satanist! He runs another blog, bitteroccultist, for blunt informational posts.

@satanourunholylord - A great person and a great resource for a lot of paths of Satanism & Norse Paganism! He's an agnostic Satanist and shares a lot of good information so he's definitely worth a follow!

A List of Websites About Theistic Satanism

Learning about Satanism has kind of become a hyperfocus so I decided to compile a list of websites that have a decent amount of information on them. A lot of these are old websites but the information is still useful. If you have a website to suggest feel free to DM me and I'll add it!

Last updated 3rd May 2021

In Satan's Honour - This website is pretty regularly updated and even has a patreon! There are a lot of thought provoking articles and great resources on there.

Spiritual Satanist - The website and blog is a great resource and the author is vocally anti nazi. She made a blog post about how nazis don't belong in the community a few years back.

Spiritual Satanist Blog - The blog for the above site! Lots of interesting and useful stuff here too.

Theistic Satanism - An older site, but plenty of worthwhile stuff on there. Several other sites are also maintained via this site!

Black Goat Cabal - Now shut down but the websites maintained by the above site. Lots of essays, rituals and advice.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Devil Worshipper - Maintained by the same person who maintains the BGC and theistic satanism website. LOTS of great advice, sermons and even has a section for new theistic satanists.

Satan's Den - A lot of information on satanic magic & Satanism in general! There's also a blog attached to the website, so even more content.

Aleister Nacht - A lot of videos and information on Satanism. Has a list of Satanic holidays you can follow if you wish! Also has a Patreon!

In Praise Of Satan - A website about someone's personal journey with Satan. There is an FAQ section along with some other useful information.

Can you tell me something about the symbols of Satanism? I mean, for example the meaning of the inverted pentacle; or of the inverted cross. Sorry my bad English and thank you.

Hi anon! I worked with @aspiringghostt on this since he's more knowledgeable on Satanism than I am.

There's a decent amount of disagreement (I guess??) on what symbols mean, since satanism tends to splinter off and isn't just one single thing.

I'll try to include images!

Inverted cross

Bastardisation of christ, mockery of christianity, rebelling from god.

There's some discourse on if this is actually the cross of St Peter but like... Personally I use it.

Inverted Pentagram

The 4 points represent the 4 elements (fire, earth, water, air) and the bottom point points to the spiritual place, hell.

Sigil of Lucifer

This is just simply the sigil of Lucifer! Pretty self explanatory!

Baphomet Pose

Two fingers up and two fingers down mean "It is above as it is below. It also represents harmony and justice.

Hopefully this helps! Symbols like the goat pentagram aren't actually associated with theistic satanism, so I didn't include them.

Who is Azazel to you?

My view of Azazel is very shaped by his role in the Book of Enoch, which I'll explain for those reading this who are less familiar, and also because I don't know if you have any knowledge of the story therein. There's also a bit of him that borders on UPG/Unverifiable Personal Gnosis, which I'm fine admitting to. I think more people should be inclined to fess up to when there's ideas or experiences that work for them (and maybe others) that might not have textual evidence.

I suspect I was sent this question at least partially because, depending on your religious background, the name can evoke a pretty different set of emotions and ideas. I can't get into it in dept here without writing an essay, and the question was "who is Azazel to you" instead of just "who is Azazel", but I've found in my research that the name appears in some form in Christianity, Islam to a degree (not as Azazil/Iblis though, their names are just similar, but rather in a story similar to his Enochic appearance), Judaism (which I'd posit is his origin, based on what I've read), and the apocrypha. That last one is where my view of him comes in!

In the Book of Enoch, Azazel is one of the Watchers or Grigori: angels who were meant to watch over mankind, but who were enticed by their leader to pursue their desire for mortal women. The result of this union was the Nephilim, a race of giants. Genisis describes them like so.

Genesis 6 1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,

2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

During this time, the Watchers were said to teach mankind new knowledge and skills... the act of which ultimately led to them being cast out of Heaven. Each Watcher taught something different, such as Penemue teaching about ink and paper so mankind could write, Sariel teaching about the lunar cycle, and Baraqel teaching astrology. Azazel, in my opinion, is credited with an incredibly interesting set of teachings. We get in Chapter 8...

And Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields and breastplates; and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them; and bracelets and ornaments; and the use of antimony and the beautifying of the eyelids; and all kinds of costly stones and all colouring tinctures.

I just think it's very interesting that blacksmithing for the purpose of making armour and weaponry came from the same entity that was said to teach the creation of jewelry and cosmetics. So to me, all three of these acts and their results are very connected to Azazel. His punishment for being generous with this knowledge also makes him (and every other Watcher for that matter) an incredibly Promethean figure, which is a theme that comes up A Lot in my Luciferianism to the surprise of literally no one. It's not that unique a taste to have.

And now comes the parts that get a bit less concrete textually, but I incorporate into my understanding and relationship with Azazel: I see him as a potential teacher of magic, particularly witchcraft, occult and medicinal herbalism, and by extension veneficium. My reasoning for this is twofold.

To be fair, magic is not attributed to him specifically by name among the skills he taught. It is mentioned in regards to their leader Semjaza, who taught enchantment, and Armaros, who taught the "resolving" (I assume breaking) of enchantments. These two are interesting to me (as all the Watchers are) but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew when dealing with this sort of entity, if you follow, and Azazel was the one I felt most drawn to and got a very positive response from.

However! This is just when looking at their individual attestations that begin in Chapter Eight or so. In Chapter Seven, when their actions are described as a group, we get the following passage:

And all the others together with them took unto themselves wives, and each chose for himself one, and they began to go in unto them and to defile themselves with them, and they taught them charms and enchantments, and the cutting of roots, and made them acquainted with plants.

The fact that no other Watcher is credited as teaching herbal lore leads me to believe that magic and herbalism were skills that they universally understood and taught as a collective regardless of other specialties/focuses/areas of mastery, rather than this being an overview of a few subjects they individually taught. So, in my opinion, if you feel drawn to the Watchers but Azazel doesn't feel right to you and/or doesn't seem to reciprocate your interest, I personally do not believe he is the only means of working with them in an explicitly magical context.

He is, however, the only one of them with a long and repeated association with goats, which are of course also a very popular symbol in witchcraft (especially portrayals of the Witches' Sabbath when the Devil is involved), so to me that only furthers my association between Azazel and the teaching of magic, but witchcraft in particular. I'm not saying he's the true and universal identity of the Witch's Devil, or the Sabbatical goat, or the Man in Black, or anything else so universal. Many, many figures can fill those roles for different people, practices, and traditions. However, for me (so far), he seems well suited and well inclined to fill that role, and it's another appealing detail when viewing him through a lens of folkloric witchcraft.

I hope that answers the question! Thanks for asking.

Lucifer

By Federico Ferro

Eva, Artur Volkmann c.1893

I had never seen this sculpture before until today and I have been obsessed with it all day.

Here is Eve looking God in the fucking eye.

Prompted by Lucifer she takes what rightfully belongs to humanity - the knowledge of good and evil. Not afraid of God’s threats, not ashamed of her nakedness, (that goddam sassy hand on the hip!): it’s as if she’s daring him to do anything about it.

This is not a Fall - this is mankind rising up against the tyranny of servitude and the suppression of sexuality. It’s as if she’s grabbing God by the balls.

In medieval paintings of this theme Eve is either portrayed as innocent (pre-apple incident) or ashamed (post-apple incident). Usually Lucifer is depicted also, coiled around the tree. We don’t see Him here but we know He’s in the background, about to be cursed by a vindictive and controlling tyrant.

But He is here. We see Him in Eve: full of pride, rebellion, power, wisdom, and knowledge; unafraid of death and assured of her future. This is not a Fall. This is freedom.

Offerings to Satan

(Largely based off of things historically associated with him)

Fruit

Apples (forbidden fruit, Paradise Lost)

Pomegranate, fig, grape (forbidden fruit, debated amongst scholars with grapes being the most universally agreed upon)

Wine (an intoxicant made from said "forbidden fruit", a theory follows that wine being used for communion was intended to reverse its sinful nature into something holy)

Animals

Goats (biblical)

Snakes (biblical)

Dragons (biblical)

Flies (biblical)

Pigs, cats, bats (middle ages)

Colors

Red and black are common modern associations

Bright colors, namely yellow (a belief in the middle ages that the devil made bright colors to tempt humanity, especially in combination with eachother)

Minerals

Sulphur (biblical)

Other

Common modern associations such as black metal and anything considered by others as "Satanic", as there is still power in it even if it isn't a traditional offering

Anything considered going against Christian values, such as saying the Lord's prayer backwards, inverted crosses, expressions of sexuality, etc

Satanic Hub's Digital Library

This is a digital library filled with books on Satanism and adjacent topics, mainly research!

Disclaimer: There are some books present (such as books by Anton Lavey, etc.) that we do not condone the author or share their views. The books are only present to learn from and to be able to form your own understanding of what is wrong with the work, despite how influential it is. Some books may include aspects of antisemitism or appropriation, so it is important to be critical of what you read even though we try to curate this to the best of our ability. Despite this, we make sure to not include books that are outright fascist, transphobic, etc. If for some reason we do, please let us know!

Each book is accessible in pdf form here!

Easy Ways to Connect More Strongly with your Deities

Say Good Morning when you wake up, say Good Night before you fall asleep

Share your food with them. If you’ve ever wanted some of your friend’s french fries, you know how they probably feel. 

Donate to causes that fall under the jurisdiction of your deity. Are they a goddess for women? Donate to a women’s shelter or Planned Parenthood. Is your deity a patron of the arts? Give to PBS or local theatres.

Cook a full meal in honor of your deity. Seriously. It sounds silly but you can definitely find a regional cookbook based on your pantheon to cook a full ass feast for them.

Write them letters or notes. Keep a little notebook of notes and letters to your deity. Did you see a cute cat that you think Frigga would’ve liked? Maybe you saw a girl’s outfit that would’ve made Aphrodite drool. Let them know, or give yourself a reminder to tell them about it later.

Change your phone background. Does your deity have a temple or built pantheon? Put that shit as your wallpaper! Did you find a picture that so perfectly captures the spirit of your deity? Make it your lock screen.

Make them a Mix Tape. You know, so you can belt out songs in their honor while making your way downtown. Faces pass. And you’re home bound. 

DIY your Altar. I’m not going to lie, I’m not to altar type. However, it is a fantastically personalized space that you can do anything with. So don’t let anyone stop you from knitting that mini statue of Hecate a scarf. 

The Fruit of Knowledge

The story of Eden is important to most Satanists. A lot hinges on the fruit of knowledge and on what that signified. For many of us, you could call it our central mystery.

Different Satanist tendencies can often be classified based on how they interpret that fruit. 

Luciferians tend to be very focused on intellectual and spiritual knowledge. That’s nice. I have a lot of history with that tendency and I still relate to it. I’ve even joked that “Luciferian” is a five syllable word for “bookworm” or “nerd.” 

But of course, in the Bible, “to know” has a lot of connotations. Famously, it stands for “carnal” knowledge– we’ve all know what it means to know someone in a “Biblical sense.” (It means you fucked them.) Certain strains of Satanism place a lot of focus on carnal knowledge. That’s cool too. I do that as well. 

But I think it’s a mistake to forget that the fruit stands for all knowledge. It has many dimensions of meaning. Remember, it was said to give knowledge of good and evil. That’s pretty broad– and also implies a type of knowledge a lot of Satanists don’t seem to think about much, which is to say conscience, ethical knowledge. 

It’s OK to follow your heart and focus on whatever you like, but I think it’s a mistake to focus on just one type of knowledge and knowing. Gnosis doesn’t have to come from just reading a ton of books, or just from meditating a bunch, or just from hedonistic indulgence. If you tend to be particularly cerebral, or particularly carnal, it may be profitable to balance your approach. You might be missing out. 

My Reading and Resource List (Updated)

The Bible 

The Qur'an Will tell you nothing about Lucifer, because as a Satanic figure he is only present in Christianity. However, his Muslim opposite number, Iblis, is an arresting figure in his own right. You can learn a lot by comparing and contrasting these two entities. Also, Lucifer wants you to seek knowledge! In this time of rising Islamophobia, refuse to be ignorant. Learn about Islam.

Sefaria.org Collection of Jewish texts including the Torah. Side-by-side English and Hebrew.

Gnosis.org Collection of Gnostic texts.

Complete Books of Enoch, Dr. A Nyland Finding a lot that is profitable in this translation and the commentary. Learn about the Watchers and their kids, the Nephilim!

Pseudepigrapha.com Giant online collection of apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. Seems to be run by a Mormon. Sure.

Lucifer: Princeps by Peter Grey. Peter Grey is a bit of a blowhard, but this is a very useful book. I recommend it reluctantly but strongly. It’s primarily a survey of scriptural, apocryphal, and mythological sources for the Lucifer legend, and as such it’s quite valuable.

The Luminous Stone, diverse collection of writings on Lucifer from a number of Western occult and historical perspectives. A mixed bag. But hey, it’s writing specifically about Luciferianism that wasn’t done by Michael Ford, and therefore it is precious.

Hemaphrodeities by Raven Kaldera. Good book on transgender spirituality in general, sections on Lilith and Baphomet may be of particular interest.

The Devil: A New Biography by Philip C. Almond. History of the “idea” of the Christian Devil, traces his origins in scripture. Includes a bunch of fascinating and entertaining material on witchcraft in the middle ages, witch trials, exorcisms and possessions. (Did you know Catholics and Protestants were literally using possessions and exorcisms as a way of talking shit about each other? This and other fun facts in the book!)

The Birth of Satan by Gregory Mobley and T.J. Wray. Retraces a lot of ground covered in the first two chapters of the book above, but in way more detail. An analysis of the scriptural sources for Satan. Good, fast read.

The Book of Adam and Eve (Latin version) Contains an early version of the fall of Satan which probably inspired the account of the fall of Iblis in the Qu'ran.

All the Kabbalah You Really Need to Know A video lecture given by a friend of mine. Great crash-course.

The Devil’s Bride by Martin Ebon a neat little book about exorcism from a psychological stand point– particularly about demonic possession and exorcism as a cathartic ritual which leads to emotional healing. Reads as fairly skeptical but is surprisingly open-minded about ESP and psychokinesis. But not demons. OK! We all have our biases, I guess. Anyway, it’s a fun read, but by no means essential.

A Dictionary of Angels Including the Fallen Angels by Gustav Davidson What it says on the tin. Shouldn’t be your only source but if you happen to find yourself wondering who the fuck Cabriel is this probably beats Wikipedia for a first stop. Nicely cited and will lead you straight to better sources.

A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics and Pagans by Jeffrey Burton Russell A neat, elaborately illustrated little history of witchcraft aimed at the layperson, by a scholar who has written much lengthier works on the subject that I will soon be reading. Not perfect but fairly legit.

God and the State by Mikhail Bakunin Satanic anarchy?! Not really, except for the first chapter or so. Still, worth the read!

The Tawasin of Mansur Al-Hallaj Interested in Iblis/Satan in Islam/Sufism? This is essential.

On the Origin of the World Trippy gnostic gospel, including retelling of Eden sympathetic to the Snake and to eating the damn fruit.

The Testament of Solomon Potentially useful demonology and also weirdly goddamn funny.

The Lesser Key of Solomon Get your Goetia on.

Demoniality by Ludovico Sinistrari. A weirdly sympathetic Catholic text about Incubi.

Compendium Maleficarum An old witch-hunting manual. Contains a description of a supposed Satanic witchcraft initiation/black baptism, which I adapted for my own use with great success. Also lots of fascinating history and exciting spell ideas!

Zohar.com Do yourself a favor and create a fucking account. It’s free. Search one of the most fascinating occult texts and one of the most important sources on demonology, particularly regarding the Devil’s four consorts.

The Revolt of the Angels, Anatole France Amusing philosophical Luciferian novel.

Paradise Lost, John Milton Because your image of Lucifer probably comes largely from this. And also, because it’s amazing.

Duino Elegies, Rilke “Who, if I shouted, among the hierarchy of Angels, would hear me?“

Litanies of Satan, Baudelaire Just gorgeous, perfect for use as a prayer.

Eloa, Alfred de Vigny Not necessarily much spiritual content, but it’s fun. A poem about Lucifer seducing an angel.

The Demon, Mikhail Lermontov Apparently romantic poetry about Satan seducing pure-hearted maidens is practically a genre. This is more fun than Eloa.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, William Blake Beautiful, trippy, pro-Satanic, a fast read. Link is to full text.

La-Bas, Joris-Karl Huysmans A 19th century novel about Satanism. Gruesome, disturbing and not really Satan positive, but helpful for understanding how Satanism has been conceptualized.

does anyone got any luciferian resources? i found a post that i was gonna look into but then all the links there were old

A Suggested Satanic Reading List

A Suggested Satanic Reading List

BIBLE

Genesis 3

Genesis 11:1-9

Isaiah 14:12-14:21

Luke 4:1-4:12 and/or Matthew 4:1-4:11

Revelations

APOCRYPHA AND PSEUDEPIGRAPHA

Enoch 1 (The Book of the Watchers)

Thunder, Perfect Mind

The Testament of Solomon

KABBALAH

Treatise on the Left Emanation by Rabbi Jacob ben Ha-Kohen

The Nightside of Eden by Kenneth Grant

Liber 777 by Aleister Crowley

The Zohar by Moses de Leon

PROTO-SATANISM

T…

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Satanism 101

By popular demand, I’m giving it a shot.

I cannot define what all Satanism is. I can only define the type of Satanism that I practice.

If what you read here does not resonate with you, seek elsewhere.

This master list will be updated, hopefully frequently

WHO IS SATAN?

Lucifer

Why the Devil?

The Devil I Know

Lucifer of Clermont

Who the Devil is the Devil?

THE SATANIC FEMININE

And Is There A Mrs.…

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Hi! I was wondering if you had any book recs and tips for someone who wants to follow the Luciferian path. I'm asking specifically you this because we seem to hold very similar ideas on this matter, also you seem very nice.

Aw thank you, I'll do what I can to give some recommendations! Hopefully they'll be useful to you... I sadly don't have a formal reading list of recommendations yet, as I haven't been able to do as much reading as I'd likely lately, and I'm hesitant to recommend books I can't confidently vouch for. However, here's some things I do recommend! These are with the assumption that as you said, we have similar tastes/ideas when it comes to Luciferianism.

Books and Research!

The one book I do comfortably recommend to people new to Luciferianism is Kosmology: Luciferian Philosophy by Jeremy Christner. He is admittedly far more Gnostic in his Luciferianism than I am (if memory serves he considers Lucifer and Sophia two aspects/forms of the same entity). Still, I'm yet to find a book that has an identical view of Luciferianism as I do, and I think what he has to say about the more philosophical side of things is really worth reading, since it explores a few of the ways Luciferians can push themselves towards a seeking knowledge and self betterment that weren't completely obvious when I was starting out.

Paradise Lost by Milton is another incredibly popular recommendation for probably obvious reasons. It's arguably the most influential text on how we see the figure of Lucifer today. However, it's also a very very long poem written in a pretty unfamiliar style. If it's more than you can tackle at the moment, I'd honestly suggest looking into things like the Sparknotes quotes or videos that discuss its themes or impactful scenes, like Satan's speech to his followers after their fall.

I personally found the Book of Enoch to be a useful one since my Luciferianism includes the Watchers, or more specifically Azazel, though if this isn't something that interests you there's no real harm in skipping it? Though I found it an interesting read, and even if you don’t see their motives as selfless, the sharing of divine knowledge with mankind that the Watchers did before their punishment for its results does feel rather Promethian, which is one degree of separation away from being generally Luciferian... or is one in the same. Your mileage and tastes may vary,

For general recommendations I'd suggest looking for anything with Promethean themes, reading a little Canaanite mythology (the story of Attar trying to claim Baal's throne is especially interesting to me) and familiarizing yourself with the concept of Gnosticism. While I'm not a huge fan of most of it, Gnostic ideas have influenced a lot of Luciferian ones, and some people you encounter will outright identify as Gnostic Luciferians. And you might decide you like what you see! I'm not the authority on what should and shouldn't be allowed in a very personal religion. However, I find that anything that pushes the concept of Lucifer as a liberator from an evil false God... or not-false but still evil God... to be pretty uncharitable to a good many religions I don't have an issue with and thing some people are needlessly hostile towards.

While I have not read either in depth yet, as Cain and Tubal-Cain are not figures that particularly interests me at this time, I've had the Pillars of Tubal-Cain by Nigel Jackson and Michael Howard recommended to me, and I've found some interesting bits in the Psalterium Caini/Psalter of Cain by Andrew Chumbley. You might need to get a bit creative about reading them if they interest you, since both are out of print and tend to be wildly expensive in the second hand market.

I would humbly discourage reading too much by anyone that pushes a flavour of Luciferianism that uses Lilith or Qlipoth, if you aren't culturally or formerly Jewish, as both (no matter how many people try to claim otherwise) are deeply entwined with the Jewish faith and Jewish mysticism. As someone who is culturally and formerly Christian, I don't feel comfortable touching either with a ten foot pole, as I strive to be respectful of closed and semi-closed practices... which Judaism and the practicing of Kabbalah are. While I've seen a lot of arguments concerning the potential validity of Hermitic Qabalah, with the assumption being the only similarity is its name, it's not a topic I feel equipped to handle... and in the case of Qlipoth especially, it feels like an uncomplicated pilfering of Jewish ideas for the sake of having an edgy magic system.

I've also not been terribly impressed with Michael W Ford's writing, as despite his prolific nature within the publishing world I'm just not really a fan of his books nor some of the choices he's made. I considered leaving him off, but he's one of those names that just keeps coming up if you research Luciferianism, so I thought it worth giving a disclaimer.

General Tips!

- I'd recommend trying to read as much as you can in subjects that interest you as possible. Ones I've found particularly of interest are religious history, mythology, philosophy, and those that are related to the fields of magic I'm interested in (as my dislike of Ford's Luciferian Witchcraft and other peoples' weird Qlipoth grimoires means I've been left to form my own magical path... though magic is not mandatory to being Luciferian by any means). There are, however, no unworthy areas of research when dealing with a religion that pushes for enlightenment and self betterment.

- I mentioned this in passing up in the books section, but if magic is a thing that interests you, do remember that it doesn't need to be explicitly Luciferian in nature! There are many ways you can merge a magic system with your religious leanings, or keep the two separate, and with the possible exception of trying to work with notoriously militant Christian spirits like St Benedict or St Michael, there's a lot of flexibility. I even work with St Expedite, as he doesn't seem to hold strong opinions on it, and I've considered keeping up some planetary magic that employs some of the lesser known angels... though my relationship with Azazel makes St Raphael incredibly off limits, as it seems like a dreadful idea to appeal to the angel that imprisoned my tentative teacher. While ceremonial magic that involves demons is of course popular, other things like forms of chaos magic, folk magic, and traditional or folkloric witchcraft are other fine choices. Though again, and I cannot stress this enough, you do not need to pursue magic if it's not something that interests you to be a Luciferian.

- Not a formal book recommendation so I'll say this down here. Consider alternative methods of exploring Luciferian ideas. For example, modern poetry can also be a lovely and less thought of means of exploring religious ideas, and surprisingly, Luciferianism especially. I've mentioned it in other posts, but my all time favourite is Imagine Lucifer by Jack Spicer, though if you look up poetry on my blog you'll find lots of other examples. There's also a number of research papers that explore these ideas, such as the one on Romantic Satanism by Peter Schock, but you may again need to get clever with how you investigate them since academic papers can be incredibly expensive to buy. Someday I hope to make a proper list of all the research papers or collections of essays I've found that are worth reading... but I need to actually finish them all first.

- At the risk of overstepping... I would suggest coming to terms with your feelings on other religions quietly and respectfully. A lot of "Left-Hand Path" religions or beliefs can be very openly hostile towards other religions in a way that's sensationalizing and unflattering at best and outright bigotry and regurgitated hate speech at worst. I fully believe there is a way to reject harmful dogma and be adversarial to the unfair or dangerous ideas that some religions/religious organizations can push without crossing those lines, and that some people should consider what they're doing to others who share their label... and, you know, basic human decency.

- It saddens me to mention this, and perhaps you already know and it goes without saying, but be careful of who you express your religious leanings to. There are people in my life that I can discuss my Luciferianism with freely, and there's people who I actively try to conceal it from. While I'd say we don't suffer the same religious persecution as some, there is often a general misunderstanding or hostility towards anything seen as Satanic, and I don't trust everyone who might have an issue with it or negatively affect me in some way because of that to hear me out.

- And finally, familiarize yourself with the bad actors who use the Luciferian label so you can avoid them. While I'd say from experience that Satanism as a religion has a lot of hate groups hiding among their ranks, I've also seen some neo-nazi/fascist sentiments coming from within the Luciferian community. Though I haven't yet seen a full organization that's clearly marketing themselves as Luciferian yet, I think anyone in an alternative religion or in occult spaces should familiarize themselves with the symbols and dogwhistles of crypto-fascists and not just take anyone's word for it when they check every box, and have ties to other neo-nazi organizations, but "are really nice guys who promise they aren't nazis".

Conclusions!

That seems like enough to start with, but do feel free to message me again if you have any more specific questions/concerns/comments/etc while you're exploring Luciferianism. I hope it helps, and best of luck!

Do you have any books about Lucifer or Luciferianism that you’d recommend?

i do! i have a note doc saved of book recs for just this purpose lol. here's the ones i usually recommend first:

The Devil: A New Biography by Phillip Almond

Satanic Feminism by Per Faxneld

Satan: A Biography by Henry Ansgar Kelly

The Devil's Dozen by Gemma Gary

Poetics of Iblis (not about Lucifer but about Satan in Islam, which is worth reading if that's also a perspective you want to see)

here's some that may still be useful but id take everything with a grain of salt. (either i forget what these are about so i can't vouch much for them or i personally don't agree with a good bit of the info in these but they're worth sifting through for relevant info or for forming your own opinions on his mythos tbh):

Children of Lucifer by Ruben Luijk (focuses more on how religious Satanism came to be rather than on Lucifer himself)

The Birth of Satan by TJ Wray

Pillars of Tubal Cain by Michael Howard

The Book of Fallen Angels by Michael Howard

The Devil and Demonism in Early Modern England by Nathan Johnstone (i forget if ive even read this yet djdkdk)

What separates Lucifer from other light bringers?

You forced me to put on me thinking cap!!!

Okay this question is super complex because it comes down to personal theology such as how you define Lucifer, who you think Lucifer is, how you interpret Their story. It comes down to who you acknowledge as Light Bringers.

I will answer from my personal understanding of Luciferianism. Lucifer is kind of the "stick" that I use to measure what a Light Bringer is. So the Light Bringers share similar qualities or themes. I am more familiar with Jesus and Buddha than say other Light Bringers such as Naamah, Cain, Mary Magdalena, Prometheus, Hectate, and such. (Some of these came from the survey I did back in 2018)

Jesus was far more of a subversive character compared to the Buddha. Buddha's teachings are far more gentle. My experience of Lucifer's character and guidance is different as pink is to orange. They both may share red but they share a different color and have come out differently. I am not dure if that is a great metaphor for what I am trying to say.

Jesus and Buddha would not be tricksters (Prometheus is however). Lucifer is more given to or willing to engage in violence, cruelty, and pleasure. It is perhaps the difference of steak knife to butter knife to plastic knife. Lucifer is darkened sacred forests lit by moonlight or no light at all and fear and adrenalin is rushing through your veins. You have to be strong and stumble your way through and maybe even fight your way through thorns and dangers...while Buddha and Jesus is a nice little path through the forest with some shrubberies. It has its own dangers.

I do not want to put it in such terms as darkness versus light. Maybe one is a fork and the other is a spoon? Both are utensils but you use to feed yourself and while both can be used as weapons one can hurt a little more easily than the other.

The way I see it they have a lot in common but it is how they would go about things or interact with you is different. Buddha or Jesus would be the gentle priest or something and Lucifer would act like the army person in boot camp yelling at you to get up.

...and Lucifer is less altruistic than Buddha or Jesus. If you had a car accident in front of Buddha, Jesus, and Lucifer...Buddha and Jesus would stop to check on and call 911. Lucifer on the other hand might if he knew you or would get something out of it...or maybe if he was in a great mood.

I hope this helps. Feel free to add stuff fellow Luciferians!

Can anyone recommend some Luciferian books?