Some Reasons I Like Satanism:

I don't know if I just haven't encountered it yet, but I haven't really seen anyone talking about or acknowledging something that's neither Unverified Personal Gnosis or Shared Personal Gnosis, but rather a third thing: Personal Group Gnosis.

PGG emerges from a small group of people having similar experiences to each other, which may or may not resemble anything that people outside of the group are experiencing.

This isn't inherently a bad thing. But among those who lack critical thinking skills, it can lead to some real trouble if they conclude that their similar experiences means that they're uncovering an actual objective truth, regardless of whether it's congruent with anything anyone outside of the group is experiencing.

One thing that many people fail to account for is the fact that they and their group generally share many of the same preconceptions and biases. For example, a group of younger Wiccans are very likely to believe in now-debunked ideas such as the great goddess hypothesis and the witch cult hypothesis. They'll believe in the existence of pagan gods, but they'll probably have a Christian-influenced understanding of divinity and morality, with little to no comprehension of the role that animism played in the development of pre-Christian traditions, nor with any real appreciation for how different values influenced the stories that people told about gods and other spirits.

They might even be exposed to similar media, which gives them all similar ideas about gods, spirits, and history. Even if they don't directly engage with the most popular media, it can still reach them through second or third hand exposure.

They're also likely reading the same spiritual, occult, and esoteric writers; or at least, reading people who have very similar ideas to one another.

And finally, since they're most likely friends and therefore trust each other, they are naturally biased toward accepting each other's experiences as valid, and working them into their own mental maps of the spiritual or metaphysical world.

In short, they're all primed to have very similar experiences to each other.

Without awareness that exposure to similar ideas can influence similar mystical experiences, it's very easy for a small group like this to generate a sort of shared map of reality that they feel justified in regarding as absolutely, objectively true.

It's at this point that people begin to feel confident telling you that if you just talked to your gods about what they're claiming, your gods would absolutely confirm them to be true. And if they don't, you were never really talking to those gods.

Having one's entire internal map of reality dictated by Personal Group Gnosis can be incredibly dangerous. It alienates you from the rest of the world by making you feel as if the only people you can trust are those who agree with your PGG. It can make you see outsiders as spiritually inferior, especially if they disagree with you outright. It can even encourage conspiracy thinking, because attributing what outsiders believe (or apparently believe) to the actions of a malicious conspiracy is a very common rationalization.

In other words, this is how you get a cult.

Now, a lot of people won't recognize it as a cult (and some will vehemently deny it's a cult) because it might not have a clear leader (though there's almost certainly a small number of people who have the most influence), and it probably doesn't have a financial goal. However, the destructive capacities of small groups of people living in their own reality cannot be denied. Members who don't go along with the group's accepted model of reality are often treated harshly, and are frequently targets for harassment. They may say that if you don't like it you can just leave, but let's be real, that's no simple matter if you believe that these are the only people with a real grip on reality, or if these people are basically your only friends, or even just your only friends who share your spiritual beliefs.

(If you're in this kind of situation? My advice is to start making more friends outside of this group. You don't have to cut yourself off from this group cold turkey; you can just start hanging out with other people more.)

Now, I'd like to emphasize that none of this is to say that PGG is inherently bad; I am only pointing out that it can be incredibly dangerous for people who lack knowledge, perspective, and critical thinking skills. Additionally, a group where there's a lot of this going on can be very dangerous for those who desperately just want to belong and get along, and push themselves to adopt their groups popular beliefs for fear of consequences.

Just like a single person's UPG doesn't dictate reality for everyone, neither does a single group's gnosis. PGG isn't inherently any better or more "correct" than UPG.

SYMBOLISM OF BAPHOMET

Baphomet is obviously androgynous, with female breasts and the very phallic caduceus, representing the union of male and female.

The wings represent spirituality and ascension while the goat’s head represents sin and the animalistic nature of humans.

The wings represent Air and birds, the scales on its belly represent Water and fish, and its hooves represent Earth and mammals. The torch represents Fire.

The gesture that Baphomet is making with its hands represents the Hermetic Principle of Correspondence, “That which is above is like that which is below.” The “above” is the macrocosm, either the literal universe at large or the divine realms. The “below” is the microcosm, life on earth or the human body itself. And if you affect one, you affect the other.

The words on its arms, “solve” and “coagula,” mean “to separate” and “to bring together.” They summarize the alchemical process.

The torch on its head represents intelligence, divine knowledge, and enlightenment, the soul over the body. The pentagram on its head is upright, putting spirit above matter.

The white and black moon represent the sephiroth Chesed and Geburah (respectively), therefore the qualities of mercy and severity (respectively).

The caduceus in its lap, in addition to being a phallic symbol, is representative of magical power, healing, and bringing together of opposites. (Apparently also eternal life.)

The circle behind the caduceus is reminiscent of the Ouroboros, representing the Principle of Mentalism — all of the universe is in the mind of God. It also apparently represents the atmosphere, probably the “cosmic Void,” prima materia.

Baphomet is a personification of the process of magic. And yet for some reason, all people seem to remember is the goat’s head.

Miguel Carbonell Selva (1854-1896) - Death of Sappho, 1881

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.

Pantaleon Szyndler (Polish, 1846-1905) Eve (Temptation), 1889 National Museum in Warsaw

Offerings for Lucifer

Fruit and anything made of fruit - especially apples, pomegranates or whatever your culture pictures as The Fruit. Strawberries for Venusian (Morningstar) associations, citrus for Solar. Cider, wine, juice, kompot, fruit teas. Cakes and other sweets made with fruit.

Strong spirits - often associated with the Devil.

Roses - Venusian. You can also give him rose water, alone or mixed with vodka.

Dandelions - for their chaotic, wild, untamed, unconquerable spirit.

Any plants associated with the Devil in your culture. Research your local lore and especially folk names to find them. Check their biological properties too - many of them can be poisonous so be careful.

Snake imagery - pictures, figurines, photos, any kind of arts and crafts. You can even make something yourself. As well imagery of goats and other animals associated with him.

Star imagery - especially Morningstar and falling stars.

Shed antlers - for Lucifer in his horned Devil of The Forest aspect.

Sunflower seeds - Solar.

Perfume or oils, especially of scents associated with him (apples etc.)

Your art of any kind dedicated to him.

Picrews of them - they enjoy it in my experience.

Queer symbols - Lucifer is a nonbinary shapeshifter.

Cakes, cookies and chocolate - just a delicious UPG.

(Made for Lucifer the Devil, offerings for the Roman Lucifer may vary.)

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

Death work tips

Found in a rather interesting book

More people die in the first week of the year than any other.

People are most likely to die in the morning, around 11a.m.

Monday is the most common day to suffer a fatal heart attack.

Source: History's Weirdest Deaths by James Proud

@/ccultus - another fascist in the occult community

they even have a fascist shop

In this post they are promoting a book they are selling. Order of the Nine Angles is a nazi cult linked to acts of terror.

On their shop website, they're also selling things from Tempel ov Blood, another fascist group.

The last addition from that person's posts:

Tips for landlocked sea witches~

☾ Thrift stores are a good places to look for sea shells or ocean related items, especially if you aren’t going to a beach anytime soon or you don’t want to purchase online. You never know what you might find! If you’re worried about bad energies that may come with your purchase, there’s always spells that you can cast to fix this.

☾ Can’t find any sea shells? Or any shells that speak to you? Items, even crystals, that remind you of the ocean count as well. This includes jewelry or even your favorite blue sweater! Whatever makes you feel closer to the ocean and your craft~

☾ If you’re curious about the closest tides near you and their high and low points each day, there’s a free app called “Tides Near Me” on the app store for your phone~ it’s pretty cool and simple. 

☾ If you’re into moon phases, there’s also a free app called “Luna Solaria” and it gives you a pretty illustrated look at what’s going on up there. :)