Satanism - Blog Posts

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?

Luciferian Basics

So the bread and butter of Luciferianism falls around

- A central admired figured that represents qualities/values but are usually a character that is considered a bringer of knowledge/wisdom. They are considered revolutionary, went against the “norm,” and are sometimes even “demonized” for it.

- The core of Luciferianism falls around knowledge/wisdom. It is about always having a questioning, skeptical mind, never accepting things at face value, but also always being open to learning because learning never stops. It’s never about being stuck in beliefs/value/knowledge when its wrong (i.e. God creation theory). Science is as only good as the latest finding after all! Part of this knowledge/wisdom is also in knowing yourself which… -Being your personal best is the other leg of Luciferianism. Some people call it achieving “godhood” or “divinity” or “enlightenment”

- Rebellion or Revolutionary. If you look at the stories of the various Luciferian figures, literary works, and scripture…there is often a form of “rebellion” or “revolutionary” figure there. Iblis rebelled against God. There is a common thread of the pop culture Satan rebelling against God because God is “unjust.” There is Eve eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Jesus Christ himself was a figure that went against the current religious doctrine of the times. Mary Magdelena was important, then dismissed, but she was also an important Luciferian figure. Then there is Prometheus defying Zeus for humanity. Buddha is another figure with his revolutionary practice that was nothing the Hindu’s had seen. It was radical. So it would be safe to say that the Luciferian can be “radical.” Of course, can be both good and bad change depending upon different factors, different perspectives.

Anything I miss? This is an incredibly broad sweep and not the essay I am working on. This is just the bare bones. Luciferianism itself is like water, it has form…but it also does not. It is a personal path that one must discover for oneself.

Communicating with Spirits

On this blog, we’ve talked about why witches might want to work with spirits, types of spirits they might work with, and the proper etiquette for establishing a relationship with a spirit. What we haven’t yet talked about is one of the most important, but sometimes most frustrating, elements of spirit work: communication.

There are several methods you can use to communicate with spirits, depending on your skills, preferences, and comfort level.

Signs and Synchronicity

The most organic way to receive messages from spirits is to wait for physical signs in your environment.

The concept of synchronicity was first introduced by Carl Jung. A synchronicity is a “meaningful coincidence” — a seemingly random event that feels meaningful to the individual. For example: crows have a lot of spiritual significance to me, and whenever I see or hear one it has a very specific meaning for me.

Another way a spirit might send you a sign is by surrounding you with physical reminders of them. I’ve most often experienced this with deities. If a new deity is reaching out to me, I’ll see images of them in places I wouldn’t expect to and may hear their name mentioned over and over again around me.

In her book The Angel Code, Chantel Lysette encourages readers to ask for physical signs when they connect with spirits, as a way to confirm that this is a genuine spiritual experience. This is something that has really stuck with me, and has become common practice in my spirit work. It can be very powerful to see signs in your mundane life that validate your spiritual experiences.

Divination

One easy way to communicate with spirits is to use your favorite divination method. (I’ve already done a whole post on divination, so I’m not going to spend much time on it here.) When using divination to communicate with a spirit, address your questions to them by name. From there, proceed as you normally would.

One thing to keep in mind when using divination to communicate with spirits is that the communication will be limited by the divination method you use. If you’re using a pendulum, you can only ask yes or no questions. If you’re using a tarot or oracle deck, the spirit will be limited to the cards in that deck when they’re trying to answer. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind.

Automatic Writing or Channeled Writing

This is a little bit different than other divination methods, because in this case you’re actually connecting directly with the spirit in order to write down messages from them. Automatic writing is the act of allowing your hand to write out a message without focusing on the words — the idea is that your hand will be guided by the spirits in order to write down their message for you. Some people believe that you should use your non-dominant hand for automatic writing, as this is your “receptive” hand. Channeled writing is the act of receiving a message through your psychic senses, which you then write down. Automatic writing is a type of channeling, but not all channeling is automatic writing.

I personally prefer channeled writing, simply because I find it more comfortable. Some witches prefer automatic writing because it bypasses your conscious mind, thus making it less likely that you’ll unknowingly “edit” the message. However, automatic writing can be a little bit harder to learn, so I’m going to focus on channeling here.

To channel a message from a spirit, you will need something to write with — a notebook and pen/pencil works, but so does a laptop with a word processor or even the notebook app on a smart phone. You will also need to enter a light trance state (this is the same state of consciousness experienced in meditation), so you might choose to use trance triggers like incense, shamanic drumming, or binaural beats. Begin by creating a protective space around yourself. (This is just to make sure only one spirit comes through at a time.) Invite the spirit you want to receive a message from into your space. Enter a trance and open yourself up to whatever it is they have to say. Don’t think about the words that come to you — simply write them down. You can analyze the message later, after your trance has ended.

Meditation

If you have a specific question you need an answer to, you can receive an answer to that question in a meditation. Likewise, if you want to connect with a certain spirit, you can do so through meditation.

This is fairly straightforward. Prepare for meditation in the way you normally do — light incense or candles and play music if you’d like, and make sure you have a comfortable place to sit or lay down. Before you begin to meditate, speak your intention out loud. This could be as simple as saying, “My intention for this meditation is to connect with [insert spirit’s name],” or “My intention for this meditation is to receive an answer from [insert spirit’s name] about [insert topic here],” or it could be an elaborate prayer.

From there, meditate as you normally would. Focus on the spirit you’re trying to connect with or, if you have a specific question, focus on that question. Whenever I do this, I often receive an answer in a sudden information download — suddenly the answer to my question is clear and obvious.

Pathworking

A pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, usually with a specific goal in mind. I like to think of pathworking as the halfway point between meditation and astral travel. With pathworking, you are still anchored to your physical body, but your consciousness is able to make a journey into the astral world.

There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.

A very common entrance/exit point is a door or gate which you use to enter and exit the astral realm. Sometimes it’s more of a home base — for example, my entry point is a rocky beach. I’ve also heard of people using a tree, or even The World Tree, as their entry point. Whatever imagery you choose, make sure you’re able to find your way back to it. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.

If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take.

Astral Travel/Spirit Flight

Perhaps the most direct route, astral travel (also called “spirit flight,” “soul flight,” or “hedge riding”) involves sending your spirit or consciousness into the astral realm/spirit world. Astral travel is not a beginner technique. This method should only be used by witches who have experience with meditation, pathworking, and other altered states of consciousness. The major advantage of astral travel is that you’re visiting the spirits on their own turf, which means you can communicate with them much more clearly and directly.

I’ll talk about both pathworking and astral travel at length in my next post. In the meantime, know that it is an option but that I only recommend it for intermediate to experienced witches, and even then only after some serious research into how to do it safely.

Some Basic Precautions

No matter which method you use, here are some basic rules to keep you safe and comfortable during your communication.

Cleanse before you begin. The best way to make sure you’re talking to the spirit you want is to clear out any other nasties before you begin. There are lots of ways to cleanse your space, from incense to sound baths to sweeping with a ritual broom. Use your favorite method to energetically tidy up before you try to contact anybody.

Use protection. A few safety precautions never hurt anyone, and they’re a good idea if you’re going to attempt one of the more involved methods of communication, like channeled writing or astral travel. The salt circle is an oldie but a goodie — once you’ve set it up, only spirits you invite can enter the circle. (But please don’t sprinkle salt on the ground outdoors — this hurts plant life! Use another protective substance, like rosemary, to form the circle instead.)

Know who you’re talking to. It may not be in your best interest to chat it up with whoever presents themselves. Not every spirit has good intentions. I speak from experience when I say that opening the lines of communication to whoever is around is not the best idea. Be clear and specific with which spirits you invite into your space, and don’t open the door to spirits who make you uncomfortable. This is part of the reason that having an established relationship with spirits that you know and trust is important.

Don’t take things at face value. Something that doesn’t get brought up enough in the New Age community is the fact that spirits can and do lie. They can also be wrong, and may give you false information in good faith. Just because a spirit tells you something doesn’t make it true. Always do your own fact-checking outside of spirit work.

Don’t be the idiot in a horror movie. Use common sense when working with spirits. Use safety precautions (see previous notes about cleansing and protection). Don’t intentionally contact negative entities — don’t be that guy who buys a Ouija board so he can talk to Jack the Ripper’s ghost. If a spirit gives you bad vibes, tell them politely but firmly to leave. When in doubt ask yourself, “Would a character in a horror movie do this?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it. You’re smarter than that.

Resources:

The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon

New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)

“My Goddesses: How and Why I Work with Mary and Hel” by Kelly-Ann Maddox

Spirit work tip

I had this idea, that may or may not have been suggested before. I don't remember a suggestion this specific but there is a possibility.

If you use tarot cards or other divination methods, you can ask the deity or spirit what they suggest you journal about for that entry in your devotional journal.

Depending on your style of divination and/or your interpretations this could be a specific topic or a more general area of life or self.

Example:

I asked Aphrodite for a card to represent a journal prompt, something I should or need to explore.

I pulled the 10 of swords which in the Spirit Halloween tarot deck has an image of a Gryphon.

Upright: Back-stabbed, defeat, crisis, betrayal, endings, loss

The gryphon gives me the vibe of relating to the public face of a being.

Overall this suggests I should write about how a painful or stressful change in my public image affects me and what I think that means.

Which is a rather hardcore topic to start with 😅

Ways to Get Intimate with the Gods

For those special gods in your life. 

Leave space for them on your bed when you sleep

Dedicate a piece of jewelry to them and wear it all the time

When you’re emotional, write a letter to them until your hands start to hurt

Make them a cup of tea and sit down across from it and just talk

Make some time to sit in ritual in silence and just feel them

Wear their colors for them and let them know you did it for them

Orgasms are great offerings

Take care of yourself physically and pamper yourself while you talk to them and visualize them helping you (example: washing your hair, doing your nails)

Magic is made from passion, so when you need an extra kick in the spell, visualize them touching you and whispering in your ear all the passion that you need 

Eat dinner with them

Create a place where you meet in meditation 

Working with deities

I get dozens of asks on how to find the right deity, or how to find “your” deity. I’ll just cover the basics here (mainly so my lazy ass can link to it later instead of typing this over and over). Quick note: Some of this may be UPG or my personal opinions. I welcome you to share your own, but don’t be rude about it. 

Quick Vocab:

Worship vs. Working With. I use these interchangeably. I consider both of them to be talking about the relationship and connection you kindle with a deity. “Working with” does not mean “utilizing in spells as ingredients”. 

Patron ____. Wicca has different views as to what a patron or matron is compared to most of the witchcraft world. One view is: when you pick a patron deity it means a bond that will last a lifetime. Another view is that patron deities are not ones that you personally identify with, but rather are ones that relate to your lifestyle/profession/occupation. 

Devotee. Being a devotee is a way to work more closely with one, or a few, deities without committing to it for a lifetime (some do make that commitment). It simply means that you focus more of your worship and time on them, but you can still worship other deities too.

Pantheon. A group of deities, usually based on the culture they come from. The names can sometimes vary (Greek = Hellenic, Egyptian = Kemetic, etc.)

Some misconceptions and false expectations:

Everybody needs a deity. You don’t need to work with deities to be a witch. Witchcraft does not equal religion. Religion *can* be tied into witchcraft if you want though! Don’t force yourself to work with deities just because you see other people doing it!

Deities will talk to you. Sometimes, but not usually, or not in the way you expect. You aren’t likely to hear a voice in response, or to confirm that they want to work with you. You’re more likely to get: A sign of some sort, a certain feeling (warm and tingly or emotional, for example) or possibly your inner voice seems a bit different and you think it may be influenced.

You’ll know when your deities like offerings, or hear your prayers. Again, sometimes, but not usually. Not getting a response doesn’t mean you’re getting the cold shoulder. Prayers, offerings and other things don’t always garner a response, or an immediate response.

You have to pick one pantheon. Not at all, however you do have to be respectful of the pantheons each deity comes from. You can’t pick and choose which aspects of the deity you want. I personally stick to one pantheon because it’s simple and fits for me.

Deities from closed cultures are “calling to you”. Listen, I highly doubt that a deity from a culture that is closed, usually due to outsiders being oppressive and awful to them, would want to work with you. Check yourself and make sure it’s not just the aesthetic value or mysteriousness that’s drawing you to them. ALSO! You may be drawn to characteristics that they have, and there is most likely a similar deity in an open culture. Here’s a link to the google question “what cultures are closed?”

On finding a deity to work with:

I often get asked “how to I figure out which deity is a good fit for me?” The easy answer: I have no clue. Only you know what works best for you, and what’s a good fit. However, here’s some good methods:

Research the pantheons. The Greek, Egyptian and Norse are the ones that often have the most information (and are all open practices). See if one in particular calls to you. Then spend time reading about each deity.

Look at what traits you are called to. Self love? Fierceness? Feelings of home? You can literally just google “gods/deities of ____”. You can even add a specific pantheon to the end if you’ve narrowed it down.

Reaching out to that deity:

The “proper” way to do this varies per pantheon, so do your research! Google and books are your friend. And there’s usually a lot of resources for beginners on tumblr as well. The typical ways include:

An offering. Usually there’s some sort of information on traditional offerings, which you can never go wrong with. Sometimes certain offerings are offensive/not given to certain types of deities.

A prayer. It’s totally okay to look up “____ (deity’s name) prayer” for a format if you’re daunted by writing your own. It can also just be more of an explanation on why you want to worship them.

Ask for a sign. I don’t do this and hesitate to even recommend it because it can be SO hard to figure out what’s actually a sign. I’d suggest knowing the basics of the deities sacred animals, plants and colors so you have an idea of what to look for.

Just start worshiping. You don’t have to have a formal relationship with every deity to worship them. I do recommend forming a relationship with them before becoming their devotee.

My go-to resource for the Hellenic Pantheon is this site, I’m unsure for the other ones as I don’t work with the deities within them!

Reciprocity

There are a lot of things pagans value. Most of them are the same universal values everyone appreciates, like kindness, personal responsibility, and community. One that seems to be unique to paganism, at least among Western religions, is reciprocity.

Reciprocity means a mutual positive exchange. It means rewarding kindness and respect with more of the same. It means that all parties involved in a relationship benefit from the relationship in some way.

This is similar to, but not quite the same as, fairness. When you strive for fairness, or justice, or any other similar concept, everyone gets what they deserve based on their actions. If you act like a jerk, you lose favor or get excluded from the group.

Reciprocity is a similar concept, but it has the added connotation of working toward positive relationships. When the word “reciprocity” is used in social psychology or in politics, it almost always refers to an exchange that benefits both parties. This desire for mutual benefit is a big part of pagan philosophy, especially in how pagans interact with their gods.

Pagans don’t worship their gods just because the gods exist, or because they feel a moral obligation to. Pagan worship is a relationship — and like any relationship, it is based on reciprocity.

You probably already practice reciprocity in your interpersonal relationships without even realizing it. If you want someone to be your friend you treat them well, pay attention to their needs, and respect their autonomy. In exchange, you get quality time with a person you like, a fulfilling emotional connection, and help when you need it.

Building relationships with pagan gods works much the same way. The focus is on the connection, rather than on what the gods can do for you or vice versa.

That’s not to say that pagans are casual about their worship of the gods. The gods are ancient, wise, and incredibly powerful, and all of that deserves respect. Pagans approach their gods with a sense of awe and humility, just like practitioners of any other religion. The difference lies in the belief among pagans that the gods also benefit from relationships with humans. We need the gods but, likewise, the gods need worshipers.

This is part of the reason offerings form the backbone of most pagan worship. Offerings “feed” the gods, giving them a metaphyiscal boost. (I’ve heard some pagans call them “energy snacks.”) These small gifts are a great, friendly way to get a god’s attention. After all, who doesn’t like presents?

It’s important to remember that offerings aren’t just payment for divine favors. Many pagans (myself included) have fallen into the trap of only making offerings or saying prayers when they need something from the gods. That’s no way to maintain a healthy relationship! We all have friends who only contact us when they need a favor — and most of us are annoyed and fed up with these people. Why would we assume that the gods are any different?

Reciprocity doesn’t just mean making an offering before you ask for something. It’s an ongoing commitment to a healthy, mutually beneficial relationship. Regular offerings and prayers are a great way to outwardly demonstrate this commitment.

How often “regular” offerings are depends on the pagan. Some pagans offer to their gods every day. Others only make offerings on major holidays or festivals. Once you begin working with deities, you’ll get a feel for how often you need to offer to your gods.

In general, it’s polite to make an offering when you first introduce yourself to a god or goddess. Don’t ask for anything at this point — think of the offering as a “getting to know you” gift. From there, continue making regular offerings for as long as you work closely with that god. You should also make an offering any time you ask for a big blessing or favor. (More on offerings in a future post.)

Offerings are an important part of practicing reciprocity, but they aren’t the only part. Reciprocity also requires you to uphold shared values.

For example, if you have a friend who can’t stand liars, and they find out you’ve been lying to them, you probably won’t stay friends for long. Likewise, if you want to keep a good relationship with a god, you need to value the things they value and live in a way they can approve of.

If you abhor violence and confrontation, it may be difficult for you to maintain reciprocal relationships with warlike deities like Ishtar or the Morrigan. On the other hand, if you are the kind of person who thrives on confrontation, a relationship with these deities may be natural for you. This is why I cannot stress enough how important it is to choose gods who share your core values. Like any relationship, you need some common ground to build a strong foundation.

(When we talk about specific pagan paths in future posts, we’ll talk more about their gods and what those gods ask of their followers. We’ll also talk about the difference between a religion that challenges your assumptions and a religion that violates your core values.)

This may seem complicated, but here’s the basics: reciprocity means that both parties benefit from a relationship. If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: pagan worship is a mutually beneficial partnership, not one-sided servitude.

Resources:

Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin

The Way of Fire and Ice by Ryan Smith

Where the Hawthorn Grows by Morgan Daimler

Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler

A Practical Guide to Irish Spirituality by Lora O’Brien

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