Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No.

2 (June 2001)

Who Serves Satan? A Demographic and Ideological Profile

James R. Lewis Dept. of Philosophy and Religious Studies University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, USA Email: im.!e"is#u"sp.edu

Abstract $n order to test conventional "isdom a%out modern Satanists, an online &uestionnaire "as used to gather data from '() respondents. *ased on this data, a demographic and ideological profile "as constructed "hich indicated that the statistically+average Satanist is an unmarried, "hite male in his mid+t"enties "ith a fe" years of college. ,e %ecame involved in Satanism through something he read in high school, and has %een a self+identified Satanist for more than seven years. Raised -hristian, he e.plored one non+Satanist religious group %eyond the one in "hich he "as raised %efore settling into Satanism. ,is vie" of Satan is some variety of non+theistic humanism and he practices magic. /he length of average involvement and the often reflective responses to open+ ended &uestions indicates that, far from %eing confined to adolescent re%els, many Satanists are reflective individuals "ho++despite the fact that youthful re%ellion "as usually a factor in the %eginning++have come to appropriate Satanism as a mature religious option.

Introd!ction $n Mephistopheles, the final volume in his magisterial study of the history of the Devil, effrey *urton Russell contemptuously dismisses modern, religious Satanism as represented %y Anton S0andor !a1ey, the -hurch of Satan, and the /emple of Set. 2%viously irritated %y "hat he characteri0es as 3Satan chic,3 Russell asserts that 3Satan is %y definition evil.3 ,ence contemporary Satanism4s effort to recover the positive Satan of the Romantic poets is 3inherently meaningless3 %ecause it 3contradicts itself.3 /he pro%lem "ith this 5ind of analysis is that Western society is long past the stage in its cultural history "here Satan and Satanism can unam%iguously %e e&uated "ith evil. /he difficulties inherent in Russell4s assertion %ecome evident as soon as one entertains its corollary, namely that -hrist and -hristianity are %y definition good. ,o"ever positively "e might regard -hristianity, fe" of us "ould %e "illing to characteri0e the influence of the -hristian tradition as an unalloyed good. Although "e might "ish "e could ma5e such simple, straightfor"ard associations, the fact of the matter is that the cultural images of Satanism and -hristianity "e have inherited are comple. and often am%iguous. We do not have to loo5 any further than everyday speech to perceive ho" thoroughly Satan4s sinister associations have %een diluted: We live in a "orld "here, "ithout a second thought, "e consume Deviled ham and Devil4s food, 3play Devil4s advocate,3 descri%e

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

certain locations as 3hellholes,3 go out and have a 3Devil of a good time,3 "a5e up 3feeling li5e hell,3 and so forth. $n short, Satan has come to represent much more than the ultimate %ad guy. /hough Satan and his minions sometimes still play their time"orn roles as representatives of pure evil, our culture has also invested the Devil "ith many positive, attractive traits. A prime e.ample of this is se.: *ecause of the -hristian -hurch4s traditional negative attitude to"ard se.uality, the dia%olical has come to %e associated "ith se. and sensuality. Satan has also %een portrayed as a proud, clever, creative non+conformist "illing to &uestion the status &uo. $n the modern "orld, all of these characteristics are regarded as positive traits 6at least theoretically7. $t is difficult to understand modern religious Satanism "ithout ta5ing into account of this reevaluation of the Prince of Dar5ness. *eginning in the late '89)s, organi0ed Satanism emerged out of the occult su%culture "ith the formation of the -hurch of Satan. $t "as not long, ho"ever, %efore Satanism had e.panded "ell %eyond the -hurch of Satan. /he decentrali0ation of the Satanist movement "as considera%ly accelerated "hen !a1ey dis%anded the grotto system in the mid+Seventies. At present, religious Satanism e.ists primarily a decentrali0ed su%culture, not unli5e the :eopagan su%culture. Perhaps surprisingly, no serious academic %oo5s have %een "ritten on this movement. What e.ists are a num%er of good scholarly volumes on the ritual a%use scare, such as effrey 1ictor4s Satanic Panic and ames /. Richardson et al.4s The Satanism Scare. *eyond a couple of older articles on the -hurch of Satan 6e.g., Alfred '8;97 and a relatively recent paper on Satanism in the U< 6,arvey '88=7, the only e.tended, academic treatment of organi0ed Satanism is William *ain%ridge4s no"+dated Satan's Power 6'8;>7. ,o"ever, even this %oo5 focuses on a single group, the Process -hurch, "hich has long since distanced itself from Satanism. /he principal reason for this lac5 of attention appears to %e that academics consciously or unconsciously perceive Satanism as a trivial phenomenon rather than as a serious religious movement. /he tendency seems to %e to regard Satanists as mostly immature adolescents "ho have adopted a dia%olical veneer as a "ay of acting out their re%ellion against parents and society. /his vie" has %een e.plicitly e.pressed in a num%er of professional pu%lications, including Anthony ?oriarty4s The Psychology of Adolescent Satanism: A Guide for Parents, Counselors, Clergy, and Teachers 6'88@7. ?oriarty %egins %y asserting that Satanism negatively impacts, 3the individual4s psychological development, religious training, personal e.perience, and the culture in "hich the person lives.3 As a "ay of illustrating the full depth of this 3pro%lem,3 he recounts his first professional encounter "ith a young Satanist: /he first time an adolescent revealed his Satanic %eliefs to me, $ "as in for a revelation $ "as totally unprepared to address. ?y therapeutic relationship "ith this young man, and su%se&uently others, revealed a convoluted system of occult %eliefs that po"erfully affected all aspects of his personal identity. /he transformation of his identity "as no"here more evident than in the feeling of po"er he e.uded. /his "as a complete reversal of the "ay he appeared to act %efore his Satanic involvement. ,e fully %elieved that he "as no" a person of great po"er "ho held the fate of others in 2

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

his hands. /he em%eddedness of these %eliefs and their pervasive impact "ere most stri5ing to me. Whether this "as true or not "as insignificant. /he fact that this perception of po"er o%tained for him this sense of conviction, poise, and persuasion among his peers made all the difference in the "orld to him. ,e "as totally immune to self+dou%t, fear, or guilt. ?oriarty further relates that he "as completely ta5en a%ac5 %y this encounter. /he young man4s 3conversion3 to Satanism had 3changed all the rules3: /he common underlying emotions of fear, guilt, and an.iety that drive so many human pro%lems "ere no longer valid guides for understanding. ?y traditional modes of thin5ing a%out adolescents no longer made sense. A$ hadB e.pected to meet a frustrated, impulsive, and angry young man, of "hom $ have seen many in fifteen years as a clinical psychologist. Adolescents often are ali5e in their feelings of alienation, lo" self+esteem, and anger to"ard the "orld. /his pattern of trou%les is almost al"ays rooted in an intense feeling of helplessness that is denied. :ot so "ith this young Satanist. /hese passages are revealing. What if, instead of the 3Satanic %eliefs3 and 3Satanic involvement3 of this 3young Satanist,3 ?oriarty had encountered the 3-hristian %eliefs3 and 3-hristian involvement3 of a 3young -hristian3 presenting similar 3symptoms3C Would the author have %ecome alarmed a%out the -hristian 3pro%lem,3 and perhaps gone on to "rite a %oo5 a%out The Psychology of Adolescent Christianity 2ne suspects not. Alternately, had he discovered a drug "ith effects similar to those he reports o%serving in his client, it "ould li5ely have %een heralded as the successor to Pro0ac. $t thus appears that the author4s concerns arose more from his o"n felt sense of helplessness in the face of this young Satanist4s %uoyant self+confidence than from anything else. $t is interesting to note in this regard that ?oriarty fails to mention Ed"ard . ?oody4s seminal paper, 3?agical /herapy: An Anthropological $nvestigation of -ontemporary Satanism.3 /his piece is not even cited in his %i%liography, despite the fact that it "as pu%lished almost t"o decades prior to The Psychology of Adolescent Satanism in a "idely+availa%le volume on contemporary religious movements. Although ?oody4s focus "as adult converts, his o%servations on the therapeutic dimension of Satanism in many "ays parallel ?oriarty4s. Dor e.ample, to"ard the end of the penultimate section of his paper, ?oody o%serves: /he %enefits of Satanism and *lac5 ?agic to the "itch or magician are o%vious: he need %e less an.ious or fearful, he is more a%le socially, and he is actually more successful in many spheres of activity due to his enhanced a%ility to interact "ith others. Perhaps had he ta5en ?oody4s "or5 more seriously, ?oriarty4s o"n study "ould have %een more %alanced and less dismissive of modern Satanism. Despite the "ea5ness of his analysis, the %asic phenomenon ?oriarty is pointing to++namely, adolescents adopting Satanism as a strategy for dealing "ith the crisis of maturation++is real enough. 2ne of the aspects of modern Satanism4s appeal, especially to teenagers, is its ready accessi%ility, 3

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

even to isolated individuals. Unli5e traditional religions, and even unli5e the early Satanist %odies such as the -hurch of Satan and the /emple of Set, contemporary Satanism is, for the most part, a decentrali0ed movement. $n the past, this movement has %een propagated through the medium of certain popular %oo5s, especially Anton !a1ey4s Satanic !i"le. $n more recent years, the internet has come to play a significant role in reaching potential 3converts,3 particularly among disaffected young people. Does this phenomenon, ho"ever, e.haust the significance of religious SatanismC Are most Satanists, in other "ords, Eust angry teenagers "ho adopt dia%olical trappings to e.press their alienation, only to renounce the Prince of Dar5ness as soon as they mature into adultsC While many youthful Satanists undou%tedly fit this profile, $ came to feel that this "as, at %est, only a partial picture. $nstead, $ reasoned, there must %e a core of committed Satanists "ho++for "hatever reasons they initially %ecome involved++had come to appropriate Satanism as a mature religious option. $n order to test this hypothesis, $ decided to collect %asic demographic data on contemporary Satanists. /o this end, $ constructed a simple, @)+item &uestionnaire that could %e ans"ered in = or ') minutes. $ also included a fe" open+ended items "hich allo"ed respondents to e.pound their thoughts at greater length, if they felt so inclined. /hrough e+mail addresses posted on Satanist "e%sites, $ %egan sending out &uestionnaires in early August @))). Also, several of the people $ contacted for information on their organi0ations agreed to post the &uestionnaire on their respective "e%sites. *y the end of De%ruary @))', $ had received '() responses, "hich $ felt "as ade&uate to use as the %asis for constructing a preliminary profile. $ also sent out a more am%itious, follo"+up &uestionnaire to respondents "ho had e.pressed interest in participating in further research. $ received several do0en thoughtful responses to the second mailing. $t should finally %e noted that $ sent earlier versions of the present report to some of my Satanist contacts. A num%er of these individuals provided me "ith useful feed%ac5 and critical commentary. /he most fre&uent criticism $ received "as that $ may have missed a significant su%group of Satanists "ho do not surf the "e%, and "ho therefore "ould not have an opportunity to respond to the &uestionnaire. Although this criticism has merit, it is difficult to address ade&uately, given that there e.ists no national directory of Satanists to utili0e as a %asis for mailing &uestionnaires to individuals not online. ,ence the &uestionnaire4s respondents constitute as good of a sample as one might reasona%ly hope to o%tain, given the pro%lems inherent in the tas5 of contacting mem%ers of a decentrali0ed su%culture. Another, related issue is the pro%lem of "here to dra" the line %et"een religious Satanists and Satanic 3da%%lers.3 /his distinction "as stressed to me %y the "e%master of the Satanic ?edia Watch in a series of e+mail communications. She noted, for instance, that, Dor every serious Satanist you can find online $ "ould guess you could find at least t"o teens "ho are into ,eavy ?etal music, "ho never read anything on Satanism, and "ho have pro%lems in their personal lives. ,eavy ?etal teens "ho are into vandalism form local groups and do not go online. $t "ould also %e very hard to ma5e them ta5e part in any survey. As you 5no" there are many 5inds of Satanists. A lot of teens fit stereotypes rather "ell. $f you do not ta5e this into account and 4

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

sho" the pu%lic a false picture of Satanism, you "ill ma5e the pu%lic accuse serious Satanists for the actions of teens. $ thin5 you need to e.plain the difference %et"een at least these t"o groups, and that your survey does not cover %oth groups. /hough $ &uestion the t"o+to+one ratio, $ "ould agree that there are some adolescents "ho 3da%%le3 in Satanism and "ho have no interest in Satanism as a religion. Also, anyone "ho familiar "ith The Satanic !i"le++easily the most "idely+read ideological document of modern Satanism++5no"s that Anton !a1ey e.plicitly and strongly reEects unla"ful activity, "hich places senseless vandalism %eyond the pale of religious Satanism. At the same time, it should also %e noted that some serious Satanists start out as 3Satanic da%%lers,3 "hich means there are some ha0y areas in the line dividing Satanists from those "ho merely adopt Satanic trappings.

2ne final criticism $ encountered focused on the status of the founder of modern Satanism. Anton !a1ey "as and is a controversial figure, and his organi0ation is at present deeply em%roiled in controversy "ith other Satanist groups. $n the course of my research, $ found myself un"ittingly stepping into this arena of contention. Perhaps as a conse&uence of this conflict, some of my contacts voiced o%Eections to the central role $ assigned !a1ey and his %est+5no"n "or5, The Satanic !i"le, in the formation of modern Satanist religion. $ "as, furthermore, encouraged to shift my emphasis to the "or5 of earlier literary figures ultimately responsi%le for fashioning the positive image of the Devil that !a1ey later adopted for his -hurch of Satan. ?y survey findings, ho"ever, consistently pointed to the centrality of !a1ey4s influence on modern Satanism. /his finding "as a surprise, as $ had initially assumed contemporary Satanism had moved "ell %eyond !a1ey. /hus, after reflecting on these o%Eections, $ concluded that++despite his heavy dependence on prior thin5ers++!a1ey "as directly responsi%le for the genesis of Satanism as a serious religious 6as opposed to a purely literary7 movement. Durthermore, ho"ever one might critici0e and depreciate it, The Satanic !i"le is still the single most influential document shaping the contemporary Satanist movement. Whether Anton !a1ey "as a religious virtuoso or a misanthropic huc5ster, and "hether The Satanic !i"le "as an inspired document or a poorly edited plagiarism, the influence of !a1ey and his 3%i%le3 "as and is pervasive. $n the present report, $ "ill first discuss the survey4s statistical findings and "hat these num%ers indicate a%out the demography of the Satanist movement. $n the second part of the report, $ "ill e.amine select responses from open+ended &uestionnaire items, and "hat these responses say a%out the ideology of contemporary Satanism

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

Statistical "indings /he average Satanist is @9 years old 6ranging from '( to =97 "ho has %een a Satanist for eight years 6ranging from less than a year to (( years for an individual "ho claimed to have %een raised in a Satanist household7. /his means that the average Satanist %ecame involved at age '>. /he youthfulness of this average is not surprising, %ut the length of involvement is. Even "hen the respondents "ho claimed to have %een Satanists all their lives are e.cluded, the average age only drops to @= and the length of involvement to seven years. /his means the average age at "hich someone %ecomes involved is still '>. ?ost Satanists are male. 2ne hundred and one survey respondents "ere male, thirty si. "ere female, and t"o mar5ed the item 3not applica%le.3 /he heavy predominance of males sets Satanism apart from the active mem%erships of most other religious %odies, old or ne". ?ost Satanists are Single. :inety+si. respondents++a full t"o+thirds of the sample++"ere single 6though a fe" noted they "ere in long term relationships and a fe" others that they "ere engaged7, thirty t"o "ere marriedF and t"elve divorced or separated. /hirty one had children 6eleven "ith one child, t"elve "ith t"o children, seven "ith three children, and one "ith four children7. /his is not an unsurprising pattern, given the relative youth of Satanists. /a%le ' + ?arital Status Stat!s Single ?arried DivorcedISeparated #o!nt 89 H@ '@ Percentage$ 98,))G @H,))G 8,))G

AJ*ecause percentages are rounded off throughout this report, they "ill sometimes total more, and sometimes less, than '))G.B ?ost Satanists are -aucasian. /"o respondents "ere Asian+American, three *lac5, nine ,ispanic, and Eleven noted that at least one of their ancestors "as :ative American. /"o other respondents indicated that they "ere 3multi+racial,3 one "as /ur5ish, and one "as $ndian 6South Asian7. Everyone else "as 3pure3 -aucasian. /his is also not surprising. Demographic studies of other alternative religions have found the predominance of participants to %e White.

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

/hirty+nine respondents 6@>G7 lived outside of the United States. :ine "ere -anadian. Si. lived in the United <ingdom, five in Australia, five in the :etherlands, and three in Denmar5. U.S. respondents "ere spread across the country. /he top 3Satanist states3 "ere: -alifornia 6'H7, /e.as 687, Wisconsin 6;7, 1irginia 6;7, -olorado 697, :e" Kor5 697, ?assachusetts 6=7, and :orth -arolina 6=7. While one might have e.pected to find more Satanists in -alifornia, thirteen respondents represents only 8G of the total, ma5ing this predominance less mar5ed than anticipated. /a%le @ + Leographical Distri%ution State%#o!ntr& -anada United <ingdom :etherlands Australia Denmar5 2ther -ountriesJ -alifornia /e.as Wisconsin 1irginia -olorado :e" Kor5 ?assachusetts :orth -arolina Pennsylvania 25lahoma 2ther U.S. States #o!nt 8 9 = = H '' 'H 8 ; ; 9 9 = = ( H =9 Percentage 9,))G (,))G (,))G (,))G @,))G >,))G 8,))G 9,))G =,))G =,))G ;,))G ;,))G (,))G (,))G H,))G @,))G (),))G

AJ2ne respondent each from Lermany, South Africa, Poland, -0ech Repu%lic, S"eden, :e" Mealand, $ndia, Estonia, Russia, and the Philippines. 2ne respondent also indicated South America "ithout specifying a country.B

/he average Satanist has %et"een one and a half and t"o years of college. Among respondents, t"enty five "ere college graduates and nine of these held advanced degrees. Dorty respondents 7

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

indicated they "ere currently in school. As the &uestionnaire did not e.plicitly as5 a%out student status, more than these forty "ere li5ely students. /a%le H N Education 'ears%(ighest Degree :o -ollege or non+response ' year of college @ years H years *achelor4s ?aster4s #o!nt == '8 @> '' '9 8 Percentage H8,))G '(,))G @),))G >,))G '',))G 9,))G

Satanists are employed in diverse occupations. Eighteen respondents "ere involved "ith computers andIor the internet. Dorty "ere students. And eleven "ere "riters or artists 6fourteen if "e% "riters are included7. 2ther"ise, they ran the gamut from stripper to clinical psychologist, and from salesman to engineer. /a%le ( N Employment )cc!pation Student -omputersI$nternet WriterIArtist SalesIRetail -ler5 Restaurant Wor5er ,ealthcare PoliceISecurity ?ost of these #o!nt () '> '' '' 8 ; = Percentage @8,))G 'H,))G >,))G >,))G 9,))G =,))G (,))G

With respect to the WriterIArtist category, one of my contacts, the "e%master of the Satanic ?edia Watch, offered the criticism that, 3Satanic "riters and artists3 only do "or5 on "e%pages or in satanic maga0ines. $n Satanism many people vie" the artist as an ideal and that ma5es a lot of Satanists "ant to vie" themselves as "riters and artist. *ut the truth is, that most of them do not earn any money from there art. Although this o%servation is accurate "ith respect to some respondents, at least si.++and may%e more++of these eleven respondents actually do ma5e their living as graphic artists and professional "riters.

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

Satanists are politically diverse. Dourteen respondents "ere Democrats, nine Repu%licans, si.ty three non+political, and forty one $ndependent or /hird Party. /he significant num%er of $ndependentI/hird Party respondents mar5edly sets Satanists apart from the larger population. /his finding is congruent "ith "hat one might anticipate from people follo"ing an individualistic philosophy. /a%le = + Political Affiliation Part& Democrat Repu%lican !i%ertarian Lreen Socialist -ommunist Anarchist $ndependent :one #o!nt '( 8 '= > @ ' = @) 9H Percentage '),))G 9,))G '',))G 9,))G ',))G ',))G (,))G '(,))G (=,))G

/he traditions in "hich Satanists are raised reflect the general pattern of the larger society. /"o respondents "ere raised as secular e"s, t"enty eight "ere raised -atholic, seventy seven raised Protestant 6si.teen e.plicitly mentioned *aptist and nine !utheran7, and t"enty three nothing or no response. ?any respondents indicated that their -hristian up%ringing "as nominal, though several "ere the children of ministers. /he only unusual responses "ere t"o respondents "ho "ere raised :eopagan and t"o raised as Satanists. /a%le 9 + Religious ,eritage Religion Protestant -atholic e"ish :eopagan Satanist :one or :IR *!mber ;; @> @ @ @ @H Percentage ==,))G @),))G ',))G ',))G ',))G '9,))G

People %ecome involved in Satanism in diverse "ays, though more often through reading and personal study: Si.ty four said they %ecame involved through personal studyI%oo5s 6thirty e.plicitly !

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

mentioned the Satanic !i"le7, t"enty four through other people, seventeen through the internet, and t"o through music 6one specifically mentioned ?arilyn ?anson7. 2ther responses "ere harder to classify: 2ne respondent, for instance, said he %ecame interested in Satanism as the result of a Leraldo Rivera programF another, that he %ecame interested as a result of ta5ing a religious studies class. $f the seventeen internet responses are added to the si.ty+four personal studyI%oo5 responses, "e can assert that the maEority of Satanists %ecome involved through reading. /a%le ; + $ntroduction to Satanism +edi!m DriendIAc&uaintance Satanic *i%le 2therreadingIstudy $nternet ?usic 2ther #o!nt @( H) H( '; @ @> Percentage ';,))G @',))G @(,))G '@,))G ',))G @),))G

?ost Satanists have %een involved in other religions, usually :eopaganism or some other magical group: Dorty+five respondents 6slightly less than a third of the sample7 indicated that, %eyond the religion in "hich they "ere raised, they had not %een involved in any other form of spirituality %efore coming to Satanism. Dorty eight mentioned :eopaganism, t"enty t"o some other Oleft+hand pathP 6!,P++e.g., /helemic ?agicF -haos ?agic7, t"enty one an Eastern religion 6fifteen *uddhism7, and fourteen some form of -hristianity 6not counting the religion in "hich they "ere raised7. /hese add up to more than the total num%er of respondents %ecause t"enty+t"o people had %een involved in more than one other religion. /a%le > + 2ther Religions Religions :eopaganIWicca !,P Eastern -hristianity :one #o!nt (> @@ @' '( (= Percentage H(,))G '9,))G '=,))G '),))G H@,))G

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Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

/here is no typical pattern to involvement in Satanist groups. Si.ty+seven respondents had never %een involved in such a group, thirty five are or have %een involved in only one group, and thirty eight have %een or are involved in more than one group. /a%le 8 + Satanist group involvement *!mber of gro!ps :one 2ne /"o+/hree Dour+Dive ?ore than Dive #o!nt 9; H= @' '' 9 Percentage (>,))G @=,))G '=,))G >,))G (,))G

?ost Satanists are humanistic 6atheisticIagnostic7 Satanists, reflecting the dominant influence of Anton !a1ey4s thought. Si.ty percent of respondents 6>(7 said that Satan "as a sym%ol, an archetype, myself, nature, or some other anti+theistic understanding of Satan. /"enty five indicated that Satan "as an impersonal force. 6/hough not regarded as Osupernatural,P this force is something not ade&uately understood %y current science.7 :ineteen "ere theistic Satanists, although even most of these respondents did not have "hat one "ould call a traditional vie" of SatanIgodIdemons. /"elve respondents did not ans"er this item. Satanists %elieve in the efficacy of magic. 2nly fourteen respondents stated that they did not %elieve in magic. Difteen others did not respond to this item. /he %alance did ans"er this &uestion, though they often noted that magic "as not Osupernatural.P /his again reflects the influence of !a1ey on this issue. Eight+five respondents never meet "ith other co+religionists for religiousIritual purposes, thirty one rarely, and everyone else ran the gamut from one or t"o times a year to every "ee5. $n other "ords, more than eighty percent of all respondents rarely or never meet "ith co+religionists for religiousIritual purposes. Dinally, the Satanist community is an internet community. While more than half of all Satanists do not meet "ith their coreligionists face+to+face, Difty+eight communicate "ith others in tal5 rooms or via e+mail on a daily %asis and another thirty one communicate fre&uently. /his finding is congruent "ith the scattered geographical distri%ution of Satanists.

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Satanist Profile With a limited sample such as this, it is difficult to dra" hard+and+fast conclusions. /he representativeness of the sample partially depends on the si0e of the population from "hich the sample is dra"n. Some of my Satanist contacts 3guestimated3 the total num%er of practicing, self+ identified Satanists in :orth America to %e no more than ;))+>)). $f this is the case, then the num%er of respondents represents a good sample. 2n the other hand, the editor of The !lac# $lame, a Satanist maga0ine, commented on this estimate %y noting that: Each issue of The !lac# $lame sells %et"een ; and > thousand copies. $f even only half of the readers "ere fol5s "ho consider themselves to %e Satanists, this "ould up the estimate given a%ove for practicing Satanists %y a good deal. $ su%mit a good deal more than half of those "ho %uy this maga0ine see themselves as Satanists, and the %ul5 of our sales are in :orth America, "ith the U< and the Scandinavian countries follo"ing in amount of copies sold. $t "ould thus %e reasona%le to argue that there are thousands of self+identified Satanists in :orth America and Europe. $n either case, $ "ill proceed to discuss the data as if it represents a reasona%ly accurate picture of the Satanist community as a "hole. /o construct a statistical caricature, "e could say that the 3average3 Satanist is an unmarried, "hite male in his mid+t"enties "ith a fe" years of college. ,e %ecame involved in Satanism through something he read in high school, and has %een a self+identified Satanist for seven or eight years. Raised -hristian, he e.plored one non+Satanist religious group %eyond the one in "hich he "as raised %efore settling into Satanism. ,is vie" of Satan is some variety of non+theistic humanism and he practices magic. Although this profile is statistically accurate "ith respect to the sample, there are o%vious pro%lems "ith regarding it as a static datum. Specifically, the relative youth of Satanists indicates that, if a similar &uestionnaire "as to %e sent to this same set of respondents five or ten years from no", a significantly higher percentage "ould %e married college graduates "ith children. /he occupational aspect of the profile "ould also li5ely %e some"hat different. $n other "ords, the survey4s finding that a maEority of &uestionnaire respondents are single and have not finished college does not mean that one can therefore conclude that most Satanists are socially+challenged dropouts. 2ne of the more remar5a%le findings "as the e.tended length of time the average Satanist has %een involved in the movement. /he statistic that the typical participant has %een a Satanist for seven to eight years indicates a level of seriousness $ had not anticipated. $t also demonstrates that their relative youth cannot %e ta5en as indicating that Satanists are simply going through a youthful, re%ellious 3phase.3 At the same time, the statistic that most %ecame involved during their teens indicates that many initially %ecame Satanists as a form of teenage re%elliousness. /heir involvement did not, ho"ever, end after they left home. Rather, they "ent on to appropriate Satanism as a serious religious option. /he fact that a maEority of Satanists have loo5ed into other religions sho"s that this "as not an unconsidered choice, underta5en solely as a reaction against esta%lished religions. Also, though a reaction against -hristianity may "ell have %een a factor for some, too many 12

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

respondents indicated that their religious up%ringing "as superficial, nominal or non+e.istent for this factor to e.plain "hy the maEority of people %ecome Satanists. /he follo"+up &uestionnaire contained a num%er of open+ended items that as5ed respondents "hat role they felt re%elliousness played in the 3recruitment3 of ne" Satanists, "hy individuals left Satanism, and ho" they regarded other religions. ?any of the responses to these items "ere intelligent and thoughtful, often reflecting a maturity and insightfulness that e.ceeded my e.pectations. /o %egin "ith the 3re%ellion factor,3 a fe" respondents diminished the role of re%elliousness, "hile others disparaged re%ellious young Satanists, asserting, for e.ample, that they should 3L2 ,2?E and solve pro%lems "ith their parents.3 ?ost "ere less negative, noting that this factor indeed played a significant part in creating ne" Satanists. 2ne respondent "ent so far as to o%serve: $ thin5 re%ellion is the 2:!K reason people initially come to Satanism. /hey "ant something more. A sense of self. A sense of po"er over their lives. A sense of self+ importance to some degree. /hey are tired of conforming and pretending to %e something theyQre not. 2r theyQre tired of %eing Eust li5e everyone else. ?ost people convert as teens. /he general tendency "as to ac5no"ledge the important role of this factor, %ut to indicate that, "hile many such adolescents eventually dropped out of the movement, some "ent on to transform their participation into something more serious: /here are many "ho are initially attracted to us %ecause they thin5 "e are 3%ad3 or 3evil3 or offer easy se. or drugs. /hese people very &uic5ly "eed themselves out and find some"here else to %e. /he rare e.ception to this rule is those "ho find more than they had dared to hope for, and there%y %ecome some of our strongest supporters. 2ne respondent made a distinction %et"een t"o forms of re%elliousness, indicating that adolescent re%elliousness could mature into something 3higher3: /here is more than one 5ind of re%elliousness in the "orld, and $ thin5 it ta5es a certain 5ind of mature re%elliousness to %ecome involved in Satanism. $t ta5es a "illingness to step %eyond the safety %oundaries of society, to %ecome involved in the dar5 3under%elly3 of our culture. $ have seen t"o 5inds of re%elliousness in Satanists: the 5ind that $ spea5 ofF a &uiet and mature re%elliousness that drives the person to see5 out their o"n path, apart from the norm + and the 5ind that $ have a great distaste forF the adolescent urge to shoc5. Admittedly, the adolescent urge to shoc5 "ill al"ays %e a part of Satanism, %ut $ regard it as merely a gate"ay to the 3higher3 5ind of re%elliousness. Dinally, another respondent e.pressed the opinion that Satanists needed to get %eyond regarding re%ellion as an end in itself: 3$t is al"ays easier to destroy than to create, and to attac5 than to defend. $f Satanism is to %e more than a reaction, re%ellion must %e perceived as a tool and not as a goal.3 When as5ed "hy people leave Satanism, respondents again provided a "ide range of ans"ers. ?ost 13

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

o%served that individuals often came to Satanism during a certain 3phase3 of their personal unfoldment, only to drop out after they completed that particular developmental stage. :evertheless, many of these people 3carry the same %eliefs "ith them3 after they leave 6meaning that their personal philosophies continued to resonate "ith many Satanic ideals7. 2ne respondent noted that many participants dropped out of the movement after discovering that it failed to live up to ,olly"ood stereotypes: $ feel that some people stum%le into Satanism thin5ing they "ill %e a%le to do as they "ish from po"ers given to them %y the Devil 6Satan7 and "hen they reali0e that there is actually thought and intelligence "ithin, they feel %ored. ?ost "ant to %e a%le to curse and 5ill or hate for no reason. /hose "ho stay are sound in mind and spirit, and have a very strong "ill for life, or anything they do in life. And finally, one respondent articulated the idea that the people "ho did not drop out of the movement "ere 3%orn Satanists3: /here is a saying that Satanists are %orn not made. ?any people come to Satanism %ecause of their re%ellious natureRho"ever, not all are true Satanists. Some are Eust loo5ing for attention from their parents, some are Eust there to shoc5 people, %ut the true Satanists are there %ecause Athey findB a %elief system Athey alreadyB %elieved in Aand hadB lived their entire lives. Another &uestionnaire item that indirectly addressed the issue of the 3re%ellion factor3 as5ed respondents "hat they thought of other religions. As one "ould anticipate, many Satanists denounced theistic religion outright as a 3hoa.3 and a 3folly.3 ?ore than a fe", ho"ever, %egrudgingly ac5no"ledged other religions4 right to e.istF e.g.: 3$ accept people "ho really %elieve in something 6even if it is damn -hristianity7.3 $n this same vein, other respondents noted: $ donQt have as much of a pro%lem "ith some -hristians as $ do "ith -hristianity. /o me, -hristianity is a money+ma5ing %usiness, nothing more. -hristianity is a good faith. Wor5s "onders for a lot of people. 2ccupies their life, ma5es them feel %etter a%out their pathetic lives. $ have nothing against it, really. /he maEority of respondents, ho"ever, "ere less negative, although their vie"s e.hi%ited a "ide range of opinion. /his spectrum can %est %e illustrated %y e.amining a set of short citations from a series of different &uestionnaire responses: $ am am%ivalentR :eedless to say, $ disagree "ith many tenets of -hristianity. *ut $ see that as secondary to our interaction as mature human %eings All religions are fine. $t4s certain PE2P!E $: those religions or !EADERSRthat cause the pro%lems. 2ther religions are composed of mostly good people "ho are simply trying to find their o"n "ay in the "orld.

14

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$4m glad there are many religions out there %ecause religion is not a one si0e fits all thing. $f "e ma5e the 6admittedly pro%lematic7 inference that this pattern of responses is representative of the larger Satanist community, it radically undercuts the common stereotype that all or even the maEority of Satanists hate -hristians and -hristianity. $t also flies in the face of the casual assumption that all or most people %ecome Satanists in reaction to the -hristian tradition. $t should further %e noted that, as reflected in the thoughtfulness of many of the a%ove responses, Satanists tend to %e more intellectual than average. /he finding that most %ecame involved as a result of reading, for instance, indicates that they read more than the typical citi0en 6e.g., most adult Americans read an average of one %oo5 per year or less7. /hey are also freethin5ers, "ho, if involved in the political process 6and the maEority are7, tend to %e independent voters or supporters of third parties. Religiously,"hether or not they are formal mem%ers of the -hurch of Satan, Anton !a1ey4s particular formulation is a central if not the central component in most Satanist thin5ing. /his is especially true "ith respect to conceptions of Satan and magic. Dinally, many Satanists 6or at least those "ho responded to the &uestionnaire7 are primarily internet Satanists. /his is at least partially %ecause of the 3scattered3 geographical distri%ution of Satanists, although, according to my contacts, the mar5ed individualism of modern Satanists++"hich mitigates against close group "or5++is also a factor. ,he -nd!ring Infl!ence of Anton La.e& *efore $ %egan collecting &uestionnaire data, $ had formed the impression from perusing relevant "e%sites that contemporary Satanism had developed in different directions from the specific formulation developed %y Anton !a1ey in the '89)4s. $n particular, it appeared to me that many contemporary Satanists had moved to a position of regarding Satan as a conscious %eing. $ "as thus surprised to discover that !a1ey4s humanistic approach++"hich reEects the real e.istence of personal spiritual %eings, dia%olical or other"ise++"as the dominant form of Satanism professed %y respondents. At least part of the reason for this state of affairs appears to %e the pervasive influence of Anton !a1ey4s Satanic !i"le %S!&. A full @)G of respondents e.plicitly noted the S! as the single most important factor attracting them to Satanism. $t is also li5ely that this %oo5 played a maEor role in the 3conversion3 of other Satanists in my sample. $n response to a &uestionnaire item as5ing ho" they %ecame involved, a num%er of people simply "rote, 3$ read the Satanic !i"le.3 2ne respondent ela%orated %y noting that she had %een a Satanist in her 3heart first, %ut $ couldn4t put a name to itF then $ found the Satanic !i"le.3 2ne of the more interesting of these responses "as another individual "ho "rote, 3?y step+father used to %e a -hristian preacher. After %eing told my choices in clothing, music, art, poetry, etc. "ere Satanic, $ decided to %uy the Satanic !i"le to see if it "as a %ad as he made it out to %e.3 /his respondent su%se&uently %ecame a Satanist. !a1ey4s influential pu%lication "as also referred to a num%er of times in response to other &uestionnaire items. Dor e.ample, one person noted that, 3%ecause $ agree "ith and practice the 15

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

maEority of the %eliefs set forth in The Satanic !i"le and other "or5s of Dr. !a1ey, $ 1ERK ?U-, consider myself Eust as valid a Satanist as any 4official4 priest.3 Another respondent "rote, 3Satan is merely a "ord, a representative concept that encompasses all that the Satanic !i"le teaches.3 And yet another individual stated: 3/o me, Satan is the personification of man5ind4s carnal nature. ?ore information can %e found in The Satanic !i"le %y Anton S0andor !a1ey.3 $t thus appears that the S! is a doctrinal touchstone for many++though certainly not all++ participants in this movement, despite the fact that the great maEority of contemporary Satanists are not formal mem%ers of Anton !a1ey4s -hurch of Satan. 62ne respondent, noting that he "as not a mem%er of any organi0ation, "rote, 3A$t4sB Eust me and my Satanic !i"le.37 And "hatever !a1ey had in mind "hen he 6or his pu%lisher7 entitled this pu%lication, in certain "ays the S! plays the role of a 3%i%le3 for many mem%ers of this decentrali0ed, anti+authoritarian su%culture. /his is not to say, ho"ever, that Satanists regard the S! in the same "ay -hristians regard the -hristian *i%le. ?any are a"are, for e.ample, that !a1ey dre" heavily on the thin5ing of others "hen he composed his 3%i%le.3 ?any have also %ecome a"are in recent years that !a1ey fa%ricated a semi+legendary %iography for himself 6Wright, '88'7. ,o"ever, neither of these facts undercut the legitimacy of the S! %ecause the Satan !i"le is not a 3sacred te.t.3 Rather, the S! is significant %ecause of the philosophy of life it advocates, not %ecause of any divine++or dia%olical++authority. $n a follo"+up &uestionnaire, respondents "ere e.plicitly as5ed ho" they regarded the S!, and to "hat e.tent their personal philosophies aligned "ith the ideas e.pressed in its pages. ?ost stated that their vie" of the "orld aligned significantly "ith the S!. 2ne Satanist said that the S! "as a%out the realities of human nature, so that there "as 3nothing Ain the Satanic !i"leB that $ didn4t already 5no" or %elieve myself prior to reading it.3 2nly one respondent completely reEected the !a1eyan tradition. /"o traditional Satanists asserted that they regarded the S! as Eust another 3self+ help %oo5.3 Some respondents diminished 6"ithout disparaging7 the S! as an 3introductory te.t3 or 3primer3 of Satanism. 6An assessment !a1ey himself "ould have agreed "ithF see !a1ey intervie"s in ?oynihan and Soderlind '88>, p. @H(, and in *addeley '888, p.;8.7 ?ost hastened to add that they did not regard it as 3dogma.3 Although !a1ey has sometimes %een dismissed as having done little more than thro" together disparate ideas and practices into an artificial syncretism and dress it up in sensational trappings, it appears that his creation is highly attractive to a certain segment of the population. Part of the reason for this attractiveness is !a1eyan Satanism4s a%ility to hold together a num%er of diverse meanings found in the am%ivalent sym%ol of Satan. $n the Western cultural tradition, as discussed in the introductory section to the present paper, the Devil represents much more than a%solute evil. *y default, the Prince of Dar5ness has come to em%ody some very attractive attri%utes. Dor e.ample, %ecause traditional -hristianity has %een so anti+sensual, Satan represents se.. /he -hristian tradition has also condemned pride, vengefulness and avarice, and, "hen allied "ith the status &uo, has promoted conformity and o%edience. /he three former traits and the antithesis of the latter t"o traits thus %ecame associated "ith the Devil. 6As one respondent "rote, 3Satan stands for all that -hristians deem "rong in the "orld.37 !a1eyan Satanism cele%rates such 3vices3 as virtues, and identifies them as the core of 16

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"hat Satanism is really all a%out. Dinally, !a1ey "as a%le to suggest the reality of mysterious, 3occult3 forces "hile simultaneously appealing to an atheist vie"point that, he asserted, "as supported %y modern science. /he pervasive influence of !a1ey4s vision "as reflected in numerous responses to a &uestionnaire item a%out the nature of Satan. 2ne respondent "rote that 3Satan is not physical or even spiritual..., %ut instead is a mythological character "hose saving &uality is his pride and refusal to o%ey Eust for the sa5e of o%eying.3 Echoing !a1ey4s focus on individualistic atheism, another respondent o%served, 3/o the maEority of ASatanistsB, there is no higher spiritual ruler. We ta5e on the role of godIgoddess as "e are the ones "ho control our destinies, and do for ourselves all that a supposed 4god4 is said to %e doing for us.3 Satan also represents 3a%solute indulgence and pleasure.3 Satan is often referred to as an 3archetype.3 2ne respondent noted that the Devil is a sym%ol or 3archetype of indulgence, am%ition, animality, the life force.3 Another said that Satan "as the archetype of 3/he one "ho "as not afraid to &uestion even the divine. /he sym%olism represents our need to &uestion and evaluate the accepted philosophies and not accept any 4truth4 at face value.3 And yet another respondent "rote: 3/he SatanIPrometheus archetype represents dynamic individualism "ithin a stagnant cultural conte.t, in all spheres of human %ehavior.3 And finally, 34Satan4 is the archetype of our "ill. $t is our intellect and identity. We are an animal that identifies itself as a higher species %ecause of our strong "ill. /hat identification is manifest through the archetype of Satan.3 /hese !a1eyan notions do not, ho"ever, e.haust the 5inds of ans"ers respondents provided. $n addition to a handful of people "ho asserted that there is a 3real3 Satan or real demons, a significant su%set of respondents descri%ed Satan almost mystically as an energy, or as, 3/he un5no"n and unseen force that moves the universe.3 Some respondents emphasi0ed the impersonality of this force, as a 3faceless, purposeless po"er "ithout direction, given name to %ecome more limited and comprehensi%le to the human mind. Without form, "ithout thought.3 Similarly, another respondent portrayed Satan as a force li5e gravity: 3Satan represents the cosmic forces "hich act to create occurrences and "hich guide the life process such as the moon dominating the tides of the ocean.3 At times, this vie" of Satan as an impersonal force almost seemed to e.plode out of its naturalistic mold to e.press a genuinely mystical vie" of the universe: ASatan isB that "hich is felt %ut not seen++the part of you that truly moves and motivates us as humans at our deepest levels. $t is "here "e touch upon that "hich is eternal. $t is divine in "ays that a -hristian "ill never 5no" e.ists %ecause it can only %e spo5en of "ithin a %oo5, %ut never DED$:ED "ithin a %oo5. $t is Eust as terrifying as it is e.alting, and is usually encountered during times of great stress during "hich "e must 3evolve or die.3 When "e touch upon the primal, it is Eust as horrifying as it is %eautiful. Liven this impersonal vie" of Satan, one might "ell as5 "hy one should even use the self+ designation 3Satanist.3 Among other reasons 6e.g., refer to *arton, p. 9(7, !a1ey asserted that it "as useful to call oneself a Satanist %ecause it shoc5ed other people into thin5ing. As one respondent 17

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

"rote, 3/here is no Satan. /he "ord AisB used...only for shoc5 value %ecause the -hristians %elieve there is a 4Satan.43 Descriptions of Satan as an impersonal force tended to overlap respondents4 descriptions of ho" magic "or5s. /hough many descri%ed magic as operating in a purely psychological "ay, most indicated that magic could also involve actual forces++forces that, "hile physical, had not yet %een grasped %y science. /he former, psychological vie" is "ell represented in the follo"ing: ?agic5 is causing change in conformity to Will, therefore everyone practices magic5, "hether they call it magic5 or not. $f "e "ant something, "e perform the "or5 to get it. $f "e "ant to ma5e more money, chanting over a candle does nothing, %ut getting an education "or5s. -hanting over a candle may help the magician to focus, or even %elieve a higher po"er is helping himIher through school, %ut in itself does nothing. ?ost respondents, ho"ever, indicated that magic did something more than this to aid them in 3re"riting the script of life.3 $mplying the e.istence of an un5no"n %ut nevertheless non+occult po"er, one respondent defined magic as 3the name for anything that cannot %e completely e.plained scientifically, %ut still e.ists. All technology "as once magic....3 and another as, 3the manipulation of the su%tle forces of nature that are not currently detecta%le to science.3 2ne e.ample of these forces is the a%ility of dogs 3to predict natural catastrophes. Dogs have essentially evolved to utili0e "hat Satanists call 4Satan.43 2ne respondent identified the forces manipulated in magic "ith 3the %iochemical energies your %ody gives off during the ritual.3 $n "hatever "ay they conceptuali0e it, most modern Satanists "ould agree that it is 3/he mind set of the magician Athat sets theB stage for successful magic or failure,3 rather than the specific elements of magical rituals. )ther Iss!es $n a follo"+up &uestionnaire, $ e.amined other aspects of "hat might %e called the 3Satanist stereotype,3 such as the e.tent of Satanist participation in role+playing games 6RPLs7 li5e Dungeons S Dragons, and the Satanic appreciation for heavy metal music. 6:o &uestions "ere as5ed a%out 3ritual a%use,3 as all serious scholars have dismissed the empirical reality of this pseudo+ phenomenon.7 What little data $ have gathered on these issues thus far indicates some interest in mainstream heavy metal, %ut minimal interest in more e.treme forms 6such as so+called 3Satanic3 metal music7. Respondents e.pressed varia%le interest in RPLs. $ also attempted to gage a"areness of a handful of specific thin5ers associated "ith modern Satanism for one reason or the otherTAleister -ro"ley, Ayn Rand, Drederic5 :iet0sche, -harles *audelaire, and Ragnar Red%eard. ?ore respondents "ere familiar "ith the "ritings of -ro"ley and :iet0sche than the others, and many had read -ro"ley. Despite the fact that !a1ey descri%ed his religion as 3Eust Ayn Rand4s philosophy "ith ceremony and ritual added3 6cited in Ellis, p. '>)7, only a handful of respondents "ere more than passingly familiar "ith Rand. When respondents "ere as5ed a%out their movement4s reputation for hedonism, most respondents "ere only too happy to em%race this aspect of Satanism4s cultural image. ?any also noted, ho"ever, that most people 6including -hristians7 "ere also hedonistic, %ut "ere either hypocritical or guilt+ridden a%out it. As one respondent asserted, 3/he only difference %et"een the 1

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

Satanist and the ordinary person is that the Satanist indulges 5no"ingly and on purpose. /he ordinary person pretends they aren4t doing it, or goes to confession after doing it.3 $n contrast to their general agreement a%out hedonism, Satanists "ere split in their response to the &uestion on animal sacrifice. :one of the respondents claimed they had actually participated in such rites, and most had no direct contact "ith people "ho did. ?any respondents "ere e.tremely critical of the practice, asserting, for e.ample, that 3if you ever hear of a satanic sacrifice, it4s either %ullsJJt, or the 4Satanist4 deserves a good %eating.3 At the other end of the spectrum "ere certain traditional Satanists "ho, li5e Santeria practitioners, 3sacrifice chic5ens during certain rites. /he dead chic5ens are consumed at a feast after"ard.3 $n recent years, the most controversial self+identified Satanists have %een certain neo+:a0i, northern European Satanists "ho %urn do"n -hristian churches 6see ?oynihan and Soderlind '88>7. ?ost other Satanists, particularly outside of continental Europe, regard these individuals negatively, although Satanists are not uniform on this point. Some respondents e.pressed a degree of am%ivalence, as reflected in the follo"ing remar5s: $f they see the churches they %urn do"n as sym%ols of evil and oppression, and see their %urning as a sym%olic li%eration of the human spirit, as "ell as a very real damage to the resources of their enemy, then so %e it. A*utB :a0ism is part of a sic5 sadomasochistic fetish that confuses se.uality "ith games of po"er and domination. *urning churches is a difficult topic. $ don4t 5no" if they "ere serious Satanists, %ut in my opinion it is very silly %ecause it is Eust a %uilding after all and it isn4t "orth %eing imprisoned for that. /he rage they feel is legitimate, ho"ever you don4t solve pro%lems %y attac5ing the innocent. /here is no honor in it as a "arrior, "hich is ho" many of these people see themselves. :a0ism is largely %ased on ancient :ordic "arrior traditions that 5ne" the value of honor among your enemiesF these idiots don4t. /hey are not part of 3us3 as modern Satanists, especially as it is practiced here in the U.S. ?ost respondents "ere strongly critical, dismissing church+%urners as 3violent, un%alanced people "ith serious mental pro%lems and an unhealthy fascination "ith fascism.3 2r, to cite another Satanist: 3:a0ism is not SatanismR :o one has the right to destroy anything A%elonging toB someone else. /hose "ho do deserve a very hefty punishment.3 And finally: Everyone has the right to %elieve in "hat she or he deems fit for their lives. $ 5no" that $ "ouldn4t "ant anyone to %urn my house do"n %ecause that is "here $ practice my religionR. As for :a0is, "ell, $ have a special disdain for them. ,aving %een married to a cra0y <<< mem%er for three years, $ thin5 that they all have a %unch of scre"s loose and they give a %ad name to Satanism every"here. Perhaps the most pro%lematic aspect of mainstream Satanism from the perspective of an outside o%server is the practice of cursing. Although all %ut one respondent agreed that cursing 1!

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

"or5ed++and that it "or5ed independently of "hether or not the targeted person "as a"are of %eing cursed++most asserted that they rarely engaged in the practice. /here "as clearly some reluctance a%out discussing this aspect of Satanism. /hus, for e.ample, in response to an open+end item re&uesting respondents to descri%e their e.perience of casting an effective curse, more than one person "rote, 3Would prefer not to comment,3 or something similar. 2thers left the item %lan5 or responded "ith 3non+applica%le.3 2ne Satanist even "rote, 3$ consider this to %e a%out as personal a &uestion as as5ing my "ife if she has met my mistress.3 /hree respondents provided e.tended accounts of effective curses that put this practice in perspective: A co+"or5er of mine had given me a lot of pro%lems for an e.tended period of time, to the point $ "as ready to 5ic5 the crap out of him %ut didn4t "ant to get fired for it. So $ "or5ed a curse on him in "hich $ sa" myself as 3suc5ing3 the life force out of his face. /he follo"ing day $ noticed he "asn4t at "or5, nor for a couple of days after this. When $ in&uired a%out him via his girlfriend, $ "as told he had a"a5ened in the night vomiting %lood and had to %e ta5en to the hospital. /he doctors never found anything "rong "ith him, and he "as a%le to return to "or5 a fe" days later. $t did, ho"ever, seem to give him a serious attitude adEustment %y loo5ing his o"n mortality in the eye. $t is also "orth noting that the imagery involved here actually surprised me, as $ didn4t AanticipateB the graphic nature of it Ato "or5 itself out so concretelyB as far as 3suc5ing3 from his face goes. $t "as "ay too intimate a gesture "ith another man, and one "hom $ despised at that. ust goes to sho", magic5 "ill often ta5e very une.pected t"ists on you "ithout much "arning. $tQs very e.hausting to put a curse on someone. $t "ill "ea5en you, that is "hy its not done very often. ,o"ever, the end result Aof a particular cursing ritualB "as the person that the curse "as for ended up getting stomach cancer not long after"ards. $t too5 him three years to die. Understand that this man that "e 6my coven and $7 had cursed "as a chronic rapist. ,e got "hat he deserved. $ have cursed several people in my lifetime. /he %ul5 of the time the curses "ere simply meant to sho" these people the error of their "ays %y having something happen to them to sho" them "hat they are doing to others is "rong. /hese curses tend to %e very effective and are harmless. ,o"ever, more specifically, $ have cursed people to death + t"ice. $ cursed the man "ho raped me + "ithin one "ee5 he died from congestive heart failure. $ cursed the %oyfriend of a friend %ecause he %eat her "hile she "as pregnant, 5ic5ed her in the a%domen, and she lost the %a%y. Within one "ee5, he died in a car crash + he "as hit head on %y a drun5 driver. :eedless to say + $ don4t use curses unless $ feel it is a%solutely necessary. $t4s not something to %e ta5en lightly. $n fact, none of the respondents to the follo"+up &uestionnaire appeared to ta5e the matter of cursing lightly. 2ne Satanist group has even articulated a set of rules for applying curses. $n the "ords of one respondent: AWBe have rules for this '. Wait three days %efore doing anything. @. Assess ho" you feel a%out the situation and see if there is another "ay to resolve the issue. H. Determine "hat 20

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

you "ant the curse to do + A!WAKS have a clear goal. (. Do not regret "hat you are doing or you "ill %ring that negative energy %ac5 on yourself in guilt. Satanists apparently feel that it is as Eustifia%le to curse a truly 3%ad3 person as it is to punish a la"+ %rea5er, particularly in a society that often neglects to rein in a%users. /hus "hile there are undou%tedly more than a fe" immature Satanists "ho unthin5ingly curse anyone "ho irritates them, for most, cursing is a 5ind of vigilantee Eustice, underta5en only as a last resort. Even if a ritual curse does not 3"or5,3 ho"ever, it can %e a valua%le practice, if only to vent one4s anger: 3/he positive effect of cursing is that it can %e mentally healing for the magician %y allo"ing her to dispel pent up negative energy to"ard a person.3 /his venting can %e effective self+ therapy even if it has no o%serva%le e.ternal impact: 3?y cursings have al"ays had the secret motivation of %eing more effective on me, to get that nice avenged feeling "ithout ever really 5no"ing if the curse "or5ed.3 $t should %e noted in passing that my interest in negative pu%lic images of Satanists caused me to focus one+sidedly on destructive 6cursing7 magic. With the %enefit of hindsight, $ should also have as5ed a%out lust 6love7 and compassion 6healing7 magic. 6$n this regard, see part four of !a1ey '898.7 $n other "ords, Satanic ritual magic has a much %righter side that my &uestionnaire did not address. Respondents themselves e.pressed concern a%out Satanism and the "ay it is perceived. Several people "ere concerned a%out the tendency of society to apply traditional stereotypes to modern Satanism: 3Satanists D2 :2/ sacrifice virgins and drin5 %lood and so on, and $ hope Satanism "ill %e ta5en seriously as a religion.3 Perhaps the single greatest concern e.pressed "as the alarming tendency of many Satanists to try to ma5e Satanism into another cli&ue: -onformity as a movement can %e a useful tool, given the need to mo%ili0e ourselves for a tas5, %ut a lac5 of individuality and personal meaning is detrimental to the very essence of Satanism. /hen the movement is not of Satanists %ut rather one of angry sheep loo5ing to reclaim their "ool. A rhetorical strategy often employed "hen Satanists critici0e other Satanists is to accuse them of %eing crypto+-hristians. /hus another respondent e.pressed concern over conformity "ithin the movement in the follo"ing "ay: $ hate to see people praising the name of Satan "hen to them it4s nothing more than some Picasso -hristianity. Satanism is in the individual, and to really %e a%le to proclaim oneself a Satanist 6the A:/$/,ES$S of -hristian follo"+the+leader tactics7 they should %e a%le to say 3DJJ5 Satan3 &uic5er than they get do"n on all fours and start singing -hristian hymns %ac5"ards. /his concern spills over into the concern a%out the phenomenon of adolescent Satanism 6discussed earlier7, "hich tends to create the impression that the movement is not a serious religion. ?any tend to vie" Satanic practitioners as trou%led adolescents "ith poor education and family %ac5grounds. /his is not necessarily the caseR. 2f course, the vie" of Satan as a re%el is a dra" to most teens that da%%le in Satanism or 3Reverse 21

Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

-hristianity3 6the latter is most often the case7, %ut these types tend to outgro"n the fascination "hen they reach their t"enties. At its %est, according respondents, mature Satanism is an attractive religion "hich, li5e all religions, provides a structure of meaning and enhances one4s life: Religion is an integral part of the human e.perience. /here are people "ho can live "ithout it, %ut $ find the life of an Atheist rather sterile. Satanism gives me a connection to things greater than myself and opens a door of ne" sights, sounds, smells, ritual, art, music, and a connection "ith a tri%al underculture. ADinallyB, Satanism provides me "ith a moral vie" of the Universe in "hich $ live. #oncl!sion As "e noted earlier, the author of The Psychology of Adolescent Satanism un"ittingly praises Satanism for its empo"ering influence in the lives of confused young people. $n fact, many of ?oriarty4s o%servations a%out the first Satanist he encountered in his professional practice dovetail nicely "ith the findings of the present study, and it is perhaps fitting to %ring our discussion to a close "ith one final citation from The Psychology of Adolescent Satanism: A/he young SatanistB presented himself "ith a sense of po"er and control that "as eerie. ,e controlled the venting of his anger "ith the accuracy of a mar5sman. ,is targets "ere those in authority, most nota%ly his parents. ,e 5ne" e.actly "hat he "as doing. ,e also praised Satan for giving him this ne" lease on life. ,e reveled in this po"er. ,e practiced rituals that he thought gave him more po"er. ,is authority "as The Satanic !i"le. /his 5id "as really different. $ronically, ?oriarty has spelled out not only some of the factors that initially dra" individuals to Satanism, %ut also some of the important reasons for "hy they stay. 2ne %ecomes a Satanist for much the same reasons one Eoins any religion++to achieve a sense of meaning, a supportive community, personal empo"erment, and so forth. Sometimes these choices are impulsive or ill+considered, and many converts disaffiliate soon after Eoining. /he maEority "ho remain, ho"ever, eventually integrate their ne" religion into their personal identities as they mature in their 3faith3 6if $ may %e permitted to use this traditional term in the present conte.t7. Satanism, it turns out, is no e.ception to this general rule. Dar from %eing confined to adolescent re%els, the data e.amined in the present study indicates that many Satanists are reflective individuals "ho++despite the fact that youthful re%ellion "as often a factor in the %eginning++have come to appropriate Satanism as a mature religious option.

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Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

WE*S$/ES Although they seem to %e phasing out this aspect of their service, in the past Kahoo included structured guides to certain topics. $f this service is still in place, typing OSatanismP into http:II""".yahoo.com gives one a useful starting place. Alternately, type OSatanismP into the 2ingo site at: http:II""".oingo.com. /he internet has %een influential in reaching individuals potentially interested in religious Satanism. ?any other"ise isolated Satanists find a community of li5e+minded fello" religionists in cy%erspace. *ecause of the uni&ue characteristics of the electronic medium, it is often difficult to distinguish su%stantial Satanist organi0ations from individual persons "ith a talent for creating e.tensive, professional "e%sites. /he oldest groups are the -hurch of Satan and the /emple of Set 6though it should %e stressed that the /emple of Set no longer identifies itself as Satanic7. /he precise status and e.tent of other groups are more difficult to determine. )rgani/ations -hurch of Satan http:II""".churchofsatan.com 2fficial site of the original Satanist church. /emple of Set http:II"""..eper.org Also see *alanone4s /emple of Set $nformation Site. http:II""".%igfoot.comIU%alanoneI Dirst -hurch of Satan http:II""".churchofsatan.org /his is a large net"or5ing group 2rder of Shaitan """.geocities.comIoshaitan /emple of !ylyth http:II""".lylyth.org /e0rianQs 1ault http:II""".demonolatry.com Demonology claims to %e a form of traditional Satanism /he Dirst Satanic -hurch http:II""".satanicchurch.com <arla !a1ey, one of Anton !a1eyQs daughters, founded this group shortly after her fatherQs death. Satanic Reds http:II""".geocities.comIsatanicredsI An important emergent group seriously promoting a form of Satanism informed %y communism. /he Prometheus Society http:II""".geocities.comIprometheusVsociety /his association %rings in non+Satanist left+hand path groups.

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Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

$nfernal -hapel http:IIcommunity."e%tv.netI?agus('>I$nfernal-hapel !uciferQs Den http:II""".angelfire.comImiI!U-$DERSDE: /he *lac5 !odge http:II""".%lac5+lodge.org :inth -ovenant http:IItheninthcovenant.com 2rder 2f :ine Angles http:II""".nas0+dom.net -hurch of the ?orning Star http:II""".churchoflucifer.>m.com 2rder of $nfernal !ight http:II""".infernal+light.org /he 2rder of $nfernal !ight is a Satanic Aesthetic order )ther Satanist Websites Where the Wild /hings Are http:II""".hellroseplace.com A Ohigh endP "e%site "ith a verita%le archive of information on !a1eyan Satanism. /his site is associated "ith <arla !a1eyQs Dirst Satanic -hurch. Ascendancy http:II""".Eashan.net Ascendancy is a prominent, Ohigh endP Satanic "e%site. 9)) -lu% http:II""".the9))clu%.com An interesting site associated "ith <arla !a1eyQs Dirst Satanic -hurch. Satanism ')' http:II""".satanism')'.com A site providing a general introduction to religious Satanism. /2<US Smac5ers http:II""".satanservice.com An online archive of Satanist articles compiled %y /he 2rder of <aos Under Satan 6/2<US7. Purging /alon Pu%lishing http:II""".purgingtalon.com

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Marburg Journal of Religion: Volume 6, No. 2 (June 2001)

References *addeley, Lavin. 'ucifer (ising: Sin, )e*il +orship and (oc#'n'(oll. !ondon: Ple.us, '888. *ain%ridge, William Sims. Satan's Power. *er5eley: University of -alifornia Press, '8;>. *arton, *lanche. The Church of Satan: A ,istory of the +orld's Most -otorious (eligion. :K: ,ell4s <itchen, '88). +++++++++++++++. The Secret 'ife of a Satanist: The Authori.ed !iography of Anton 'a/ey. !os Angeles, -A: Deral ,ouse, '88). Ellis, *ill. (aising the )e*il: Satanism, -ew (eligions, and the Media. !e.ington, <K: /he University Press of <entuc5y, @))). !a1ey, Anton S0andor. The Satanic !i"le. :e" Kor5: Avon, '898 ?oriarty, Anthony. The Psychology of Adolescent Satanism: A Guide for Parents, Counselors, Clergy, and Teachers. Westport, -onn.: Praeger, '88@. ?oody, Ed"ard .3?agical /herapy: An Anthropological $nvestigation of -ontemporary Satanism.3 $n $rving $. Marets5y and ?ar5 P. !eone, eds. (eligious Mo*ements in Contemporary America. Princeton, : : Princeton University Press, '8;(. ?oynihan, ?ichael and Didri5 Soderlind. 'ords of Chaos: The !loody (ise of the Satanic Metal 0nderground. 1enice, -A: Deral ,ouse, '88>. Rand, Ayn. Atlas Shrugged. :e" Kor5: Random ,ouse, '8=;. Red%eard, Ragnar. Might is (ight1 or, The Sur*i*al of the $ittest. !ondon: W. . Ro%%ins, =th ed.'8'). ARpt. of '>89B Richardson, ames, oel *est and David L. *romley. The Satanism Scare. :K: Aldine de Lruyter, '88'. Russell, effrey *urton. Mephistopheles: The )e*il in the Modern +orld. $thaca, :K: -ornell University Press, '8>9. 1ictor, effrey. Satanic Panic: The Creation of a Contemporary 'egend. -hicago: 2pen -ourt, '88H. Wright, !a"erence. 3Sympathy for the Devil.3 (olling Stone Septem%er =, '88'.

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