The Dark Lord Himself (via hennessy.id.au)
Story time.
I was raised in a Presbyterian church. Every Sunday, my mom drove me and grandma downtown to a building marked by very elaborate architecture and eye-catching intricacies that for some reason flipped on the “oh crap, Jesus is looking, I better be on my best behavior” switch in my head almost immediately. I would sit politely for an hour and a half listening to some dude in a robe blabber on about scriptures I would never remember, let alone understand. Somewhere in the middle my family found time to dump their hard-earned cash on a silver platter, but when the last hymn was sung, the large wooden doors behind me were flung open with such force that the warm afternoon air made me forget all about what I could have gotten with that money.
That is, until the last time we went to church.
My family fell on hard times when I was 11. For a few Sundays in a row, when that silver platter of holy welfare came hovering by again, we passed it along to the next person without adding to the cash pile. Grandma always felt bad about it, as if the Lord was some homeless guy sitting outside the liquor store waiting for just one more dollar to buy a Colt 45. One day, we got a letter from the church; essentially, it was an eviction notice. We were no longer invited. Why? Because we didn’t give enough “tithes”. This confused the fuck out of me. I looked up the word “tithe” in the dictionary and saw that it meant one-tenth of something, so I asked mom: “can’t we just give them a couple dimes instead of a couple dollars and call it even?” She said it wasn’t funny, but I wasn’t joking. Then I remembered that I hated church, so I stopped trying. We never went back, and we never found a new one to go to. I could sleep in on Sundays for once, the only day of the week that guy in the robe ever called the “day of rest”, and all I could think was, “it’s about time”. Since then, I haven’t been a part of any organized religion. It works for me. End of story.
Now why did I tell you all of that? I’m not entirely sure. But Jesus is a bit off topic for a metal blog. Let’s talk about Satan.
King of Adventure, huh? Doesn't sound so bad. (via philsp.com)
He’s a big red dude who loves hanging upside down in hotter-than-tropical climates, of that much we can be sure. We also know that he needs more souls, because let’s be honest – by all accounts, God just makes it too damn easy for the dead to get into heaven. This tug of war keeps each camp’s respective world religions, Christianity and Satanism, recruiting new blood 24/7, 365. Both of these belief systems, aside from being hilarious, have helped establish a context within which all human acts “good” or “evil” occur. Although I would argue there are more than a few good Satanists and more than a few evil Christians out there, this is the dichotomy to which we in the Western world are accustomed.
Where the fuck am I going with this? Okay, well metal has always been cast as Satanic since the dawn of ti- uh, the early 80’s, and rock and roll was given the same label during its inception (Elvis was more evil than Cronos). Kids listen to these genres because they represent rebellion and individuality, things they probably can’t have too much of as long as they live under their guardian’s roof. Dumbass teenagers use their favorite bands or genres to shout at their parents without really shouting, crying for attention through a pair of bondage pants as opposed to traditional tears.
As we all know, any kid who grows to like metal comes across this question: am I a Satanist? We’ve all been there, and we’ve all answered it for ourselves in one way or another. I know the way I answered it was by realizing that a religion is a religion regardless of whom the diety is, and since I was already jaded from my own religious experience, I found Satanism mutually retarded to Christianity. It’s not the same for everyone. Some look for answers within and others look elsewhere. One resource I happened to find out of recent curiosity was the Youth Communique on the Church of Satan website.
Sigil of Baphomet (via churchofsatan.com)
Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that such a page exists for children wishing to become Satanists? Believe me, I know there’s a niche for everyone on the Internet, but you’ve got to wonder what kind of frequent Hot Topic shoppers visit this website looking for answers as to how many wallet chains of ludicrous length, band patches on their Jansport bookbags, or multi-colored wristbands must be worn to please the Devil; the number has to be in the thousands. Fortunately, this page answers their most predictable questions pretty well:
- If you have read our books, you know that Satanism isn’t about taking drugs, and it isn’t about harming animals or children. Unlike many religions and philosophies, Satanism respects and exalts life. Children and animals are the purest expressions of that life force, and as such are held sacred and precious in the eyes of the Satanist. Besides, it is very un-Satanic to take any creature’s life against its will. It is equally un-Satanic to cloud your brain and impair your judgment with mind-altering substances. A real magician has no need of those kinds of things, as he should be able to bring about changes in consciousness by the very power of his Will and imagination. If you have not yet read The Satanic Bible, you should do so. It has much more information regarding our attitude toward Satan, and will give you a clearer idea of our philosophy, ideals, and goals. Perhaps at first they will be difficult for you to understand, because you may have been raised in an environment that dictates that God=Good and Satan=Evil. The truth is that good and evil are often terms that people twist to suit their own purposes. Sometimes people will lie and try to make you think certain things just so you will do what they want you to do. Always remember that the final judgment is yours. That is both a great freedom and a great responsibility. For us, Satan is a symbol of the power of that choice. There is no one way that a Satanist is “supposed” to be. Uniqueness and creativity are encouraged here, not mindless conformity. It doesn’t matter what kind of music you like to listen to; it doesn’t make any difference whether you prefer gothic music, black metal music, classical music, old popular tunes, show tunes, or many different types of music. It doesn’t matter what style of clothes you like to wear. You don’t have to wear black, or t-shirts with “Heavy Metal” band logos, or trench coats. There is not an “official” Satanic music and style of dress, and you should beware of people who claim otherwise. What does matter is that you are a mature, sensitive, self-aware individualist who revels in the Darkness, and who wishes to align yourself with others who share your views. In this world of prefabricated, media-saturated, unoriginal drones, it is up to the Satanist to cherish, maintain, and preserve true individuality and creativity. Satan represents freedom from hypocrisy, from convenient lies, and challenges that which is presumed to be true. His image of pride, strength, and defiance, inspires us to our own strengths.
I think everyone who believes all metal fans are Satanists should read that part. Hell (ha), everyone with a brain cell should read it. That list bit about the “world of prefabricated, media-saturated, unoriginal drones” is great. But there is one part about it that gives me a chuckle: being a “real magician”. Perhaps it is strictly metaphorical, but every bit of credibility that Satanism could gain from providing intelligent observations on the modern world is reduced to dust when they start talking about wizardry. It’s like O.T. VIII’s in the Church of Scientology who believe they have psychic abilities, only not as literal; it’s just bad public relations.
Satanists, according to this page, talk about confidence and intuition as if they are supernatural (i.e. magical) abilities that come with worshiping the darkness. Why not just say “be confident” as opposed to “practice lesser magic”? They make it sound like you don’t have enough experience points yet to do the real shit, like you’ve got to go sit in a forest for 10 fucking hours and kill wood elves until you level up. It doesn’t sound like reality. Then there’s all this stuff about how Satan represents love and kindness and blah blah blah, but they still use words like “dark”, “diabolical”, “daemonic”, and etc. to describe their belief system. It just sounds like a joke, I can’t help but think of Heavy Metal Happy Hour when I read it.
One of the more laughable sections is the “how to” guide to ritualizing:
- You don’t need everything mentioned in Dr. LaVey’s books to do an effective ritual. Maybe you don’t have the money to obtain—or the private space to store—items such as swords, chalices, black robes, gongs, and elaborate altars. Ritual is theatre meant to stimulate your emotions, so you may vary the details to suit your personal needs and situation. Sometimes the most effective ritual chamber is found in your own imagination, with your eyes closed and your Will focused—the theatre of the mind. Here, because many have requested it, is a powerful, yet simple, ritual you can perform and all you need is a quiet place where you can be alone, a Sigil of Baphomet, either as a medallion or as a picture, and a single black candle. Be sure the candle is placed in a safe holder so that there is no danger of fire. Light the candle and set it before you. Place the medallion or picture of the Sigil of Baphomet so that it is visible just above and safely beyond the flame of the candle. Sit up straight, breathe deeply and relax. Clear your mind of all outside thoughts. As you gaze at the flame, say in your mind or out loud, “I am ready, oh Dark Lord. I feel your strength within me and wish to honor you in my life. I am one of the Devil’s Own. Hail Satan!” Open your mind; look within. You may shift your gaze from the flickering flame into the eyes of the goat in the Sigil, and sense your essential self reflected in it. When you feel you’ve reached that primal part of yourself, and that the words you spoke ring with truth, speak the words “So it is done,” with intensity and conviction. Breathe deeply again. As you exhale, blow out the candle. You may then place the medallion on a necklace and wear it openly or hidden, or if you used a picture, store it in a private place until the next time you choose to perform this ritual. It will take time. You may think you are ready, but you may still find you cannot let go right away. Concentrate on your image of Satan and on the word “strength” and listen to what comes up from yourself. You have answers for yourself that no one else can give you. This is a simple way of aligning yourself with what Satan means to us, discovering that in yourself, and it will help you in finding the stamina and courage to guide yourself to greater achievements. The path you’ve chosen won’t be easy; sometimes it may be a nightmare. But when you are ready to face the challenge, it will be there.
As a matter of fact, I have plenty of room with which to store my swords, chalices, black robes, gongs, and elaborate altars, but I try to use my storage space for more economical means than accomplishing a fucking prayer. What in the Hell do you need all of that for, and why does the Dark Lord make you spend so much damn money? All Jesus ever asked was that you pray by your bedside at night and go to a “free” (aside from those pesky tithes) church service once a week. Christians don’t need a fucking Sigil of Noah to help reassure themselves that their life will be okay.
I’m sorry, maybe you’re a Satanist and you think this is great stuff. More power to you. I just think if you’re gonna be an individual, it starts with not being part of a group, which is exactly what both the Church of Satan and the Church of God are. A few last words:
- Just because you are not yet legally an adult doesn’t mean that you cannot explore on your own these Dark Realms that are opening before you. This is a very potent, magical time. You decided to write to us or read our web site for a reason, and right now you are going through an initiation into the Black Arts that must be all your own. Your body and your mind are going through intense changes. Take this time to learn all you can—about yourself and about the world around you. Explore your skills, talents, and inventiveness. Learn to play music, paint, or even build a robot. Study the subjects that can bring you wisdom about the human animal and the world around you: psychology, history, anthropology, sociology, the arts, literature, and the hard sciences. Use your brain and your heart to find out what is right, what is true, and what will make you stronger. You are not alone. You are different; you are superior, and it’s okay for you to feel that way. You see what others do not; you know what evil lurks in the hearts of men.
“Dark Realms”, ha! “A very potent, magical time”, HA! “Build a robot”, HAHA! This isn’t the Church of Satan – it’s more like the Church of this guy.
D&D, MOTHERFUCKER (via Blogspot)
CM
dasher10
