Guest Lecturer: Samael on Modern Satanism

[Samael] INTRODUCTION to Modern Satanism

[Samael] I think the best place to start for an Introduction to Satanism would be my personal introduction; how I awoke to the Left-Hand Path and gathered my own understanding of it.

[mireacien] a pleasure to meet you Samael

[Samael] I would like to get something out of the way before I begin.

[Samael] I personally do not use the term "Modern Satanism." To say "Modern Satanism" is, of course, to note by default that there is a version of Satanism which is not modern.

[Samael] People use the term to note a difference between Satanism and Devil Worship. However, the term is rather redundant as Satanism will always be a modern thing because it evolves as necessary;

[Samael] as logic dictates it should. Which is not to say that it is wholly reactionary -- it is not.

[Samael] My journey into the realm of Satanism seems to have occurred either by fluke or by fate. Whatever the explanation, I certainly never saw it coming. Years ago, when I was around the age of twelve,

[Samael] a close friend of mine and I were staring at a Ouija board...wondering if it would work if we tried it. My friend hadn't been raised as devoutly Christian as I had been.

[Samael] For him, testing out a Ouija board was a natural thing that curious preteens did on summer break. For me, the Ouija board was a tool of the Devil.

[Samael] Who might know what horrible and terrifying beings could be unleashed through the gateway that was the Ouija board, I thought! I was honestly terrified of the thing.

[Samael] The thought seemed to have sprung from nowhere...and how odd it was for me to have it. I thought, Why not follow the Devil? Why be impeded by all these rules? Why worship a god who -- even in all his supposed power

[Samael] -- doesn't seem to be doing anything to lift the suffering of billions? It was that night that I decided that I would follow Satan, and no longer be afraid of what might lurk in the shadows.

[Samael] Well, the Ouija board proved to be an interesting experience. Today I often write it off as a means of communicating with one's own inner psyche or with entities created by one's own belief in them.

[Samael] Either completely, or at least more so than a method to communicate with the dead or spirits which exist outside of the Collective Unconscious of mankind. We can get back to this later...

[Samael] My friend was bent on worshiping the Devil. I recall how he tried to convince me that Satan represented killing animals, being evil, doing drugs and causing trouble -- quite frankly...being a human wastrel.

[Samael] I never sacrificed any animals and neither did he. I argued to him a theory that had been forming in my mind. It was that intuitive notion that I had which has brought me to where I am today as a Satanist.

[Samael] Although it was nothing more than a gut feeling at the time, I have now found more evidence supporting it than any attack made against it.

[Samael] I told my friend, "What if the Devil is actually the good guy? What if Satan is the one who is really concerned for mankind, and it is Jehovah who wants to keep everyone stupid and under his control?"

[Samael] As it turned out, he had thought of that as well but being a pushover and prone to going along with the crowd he thought the idea of being an evil Devil Worshiper was the cool thing to do.

[Samael] I figured Satan wouldn't have anything to do with animal sacrifice. After all, it was the Christian god who accepted the animal sacrifice of Abel in the book of Genesis. Furthermore,

[Samael] it was the Christian god who had supposedly flooded the Earth and killed off millions of creatures in agony. In the book of Genesis the circumspect reader will see the true mission of Satan as plain as day.

[Samael] The story is very similar to the much earlier Sumerian story. In that story we have Enki (the god of wisdom and agriculture associated with the serpent) going against His half-brother's wishes to keep mankind as a spiritually ignorant naked slave;

[Samael] little more than a domesticated animal. In Genesis we read:

[Samael] "And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." -- Genesis 2:9

[Samael] So we clearly have two trees. Which is also described in the Sumerian story, which Genesis is a poor reproduction of. However, in the book of Genesis we see both trees meshed together as one.

[Samael] For the tree which is stated as being "in the midst of the garden" is the Tree of Life. Take note of this.

[Samael] "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."" -- Genesis 2:16, 17

[Samael] Now we have the Christian god saying that death will come to man if he eats of the tree. But how will that death come? Will it be because the "fruit" of the tree is poisonous?

[Samael] No, we find out that death comes from the curse of the Christian god.

[Samael] "And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'"

[Samael] But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."" -- Genesis 3:2 - 5

[Samael] This is where most Christian people will say that the Serpent lied to the woman. But did He? As we shall see, death does not come from the "fruit" itself but from the punishment of the Christian god.

[Samael] Maybe, the Serpent should have explained, "You won't die from the fruit of the tree, for it is not poisonous, but you will die from the curse of he who has proclaimed himself your god."

[Samael] Furthermore, which tree is spoken of by the woman? It is the "tree which is in the midst of the garden."

[Samael] So therefore, we can go back to Genesis 2:9 and see that the woman is either speaking directly about the Tree of Life or both trees exist as one and there is a fallacy in the translation.

[Samael] "Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever"

[Samael] -- therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man;

[Samael] and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life." -- Genesis 3:22 - 24

[Samael] So we can at minimum establish that the Christian god does not like the idea of man "becoming like one of us". We can also note that if the woman was not supposed to eat of the tree "in the midst of the garden"

[Samael] then she was not supposed to partake of the "fruit" of the Tree of Life.

[Samael] Thus, although many Christian people say otherwise, Adam and Eve were not immortal; they could not live till time indefinite for it was forbidden that they partake of the very thing which would allow them to.

[Samael] t was around the time that I had these realizations that my friend told me there was a book called _The Satanic Bible_. I picked it up and truly didn't understand all of it. I was reading through eyes tainted by a Christian upbringing.

[Samael] I still believed that the Devil existed and it made me a bit uncomfortable to think that I was on the losing side of the War of Heaven & Earth.

[Samael] It wasn't until I picked up _The Secret Life of a Satanist_ that I read how LaVey saw the Devil as little more than an icon of his religion, rather than a literal being.

[Samael] I'm going to refrain from the argument of whether the Devil exists or not.

[Samael] What is important [and this is what Satanism means] is what Satan represents. Many people and organizations in the world of Satanism believe that a religion erected to the Devil would be an inversion of Christianity (at least to some degree).

[Samael] If Christianity is about being good then with the logic of certain people, Satanism should concern itself with being evil. But what do we arrive at when we invert Christianity or more importantly the Christian god?

[Samael] In Neil Freer's book _God Games: What Do You Do Forever_, on page 129 he makes an excellent point concerning this very subject.

[Samael] "How can one respect, much less work for, any entity who acts in ways that do not even measure up to the imperfect ideals of the highest development of an ordinary human, who does not act in ways that

[Samael] are even up to the relatively primitive standards of international law or the Constitution?"

[Samael] So, we have a god who is a vile slave master. Who has little concern for lesser beings. Who has committed some of the most despicable acts of violence and terrorism.

[Samael] Who punishes billions for the mistakes of two naked slaves who didn't even have the knowledge of good and evil! Who demands sacrifice. Who threatens non-worshipers with vicious punishments and damnation.

[Samael] Who demands fear and blind obedience. Who in all his supposedly infinite wisdom and power cannot and does not step in to assist mankind in uprooting suffering.

[Samael] I could go on for hours!

[Samael] So, we return to the question, "What would be the inversion of such a being?"

[Samael] To be a Satanist is to attempt to be as good and just as possible. It is to walk the path of the gods, up the never ending staircase of the Temple of Wisdom.

[Samael] But why wear the black robe? Where is the evil in Satanism, some may ask. To some Satanism isn't Satanism unless the dark imagery and misanthropic views go with it.

[Samael] Don't get me wrong, Satanism is extremely dark. Our view of the world is one many will find hard to stomach. One priest of the Priesthood of Satan of the Satanic Empire explains it like this:

[Samael] "I am the most optimistic pessimist you will ever meet. The glass is not half empty. Nor is it half full. The glass is completely empty, save for shards of glass at the bottom from its broken rim! Yet there is still hope."

[Samael] Similarly, LaVey explained the presence of the human skull in Satanic imagery as not being something to reflect the grotesque and sinister nature of Satanism but rather as a reminder of where all our thoughts come from.

[Samael] Furthermore, it is dark imagery which reflects the present state of things; it is a reminder that death is always around the corner and that the world is not always a pleasant place.

[Samael] Those are the basics. I will end this short lecture with a quote from my forthcoming fiction book titled _Conversations With Satan: A Sinister Dialogue_. In the book Satan explains:

[Samael] "I have taken the throne they have set down before me and accepted the robes thrown upon me. I no longer have any desire to cast off the imagery associated with me. The lies concerning who I am are entrenched in the minds of men too deeply.

[Samael] I reside now in the halls of the wicked and have made my home in the bogs of damnation. If I am to be known as evil then so be it...the lessons of love and life can still be taught in the tombs of the dead.

[Samael] My enemies have convinced men that they are on the path to slavation although they are led away from spiritual freedom. For those who cannot see beyond the lies,

[Samael] I shall waste no time turning my back upon them."

[Samael] That marks the end of this lecture.

[Samael] Thank you.

[Athrawon] Thank you Samael

[Keysol] *claps*

[Samael] You're quite welcome.

[nanamin] I enjoyed it, thank you for being here Samael

[Athrawon] Are you open to questions now?

[twolf] dito

[Samael] You're welcome.

[Samael] Certainly.

[Athrawon] Okay... are there any questions for our guest?

[Nightshade] Yes

[Gwynn] Could you comment on the Nag Hammadi Library....namely , i forget the name of the text itself, but where Satan himself is seen as Christ

[Nightshade] So you don't believe in gaining from the specific suffering of others? Or Do you?

[Samael] I am not thoroughly familiar with that text.

[Gwynn] And those in control are seen as 'The Authorties'

[Samael] No.

[Samael] Gwynn, care to expand?

[Dalighla] You have sparked my interest tho Gwynn. I'll have to look for the text.

[Gwynn] Okay, I found this text in the Nag Hammadi

[Gwynn] I forget what it's called

[Gwynn] that explains the story of creation

[Athrawon] the nag hammadi aka the aprocrypha

[Gwynn] and starts in blackness made by a mistake

[Samael] William Bramley, the author of _The Gods of Eden_ sums it up quite nicely:

[Gwynn] has an authority aspect and a truth aspect

[Samael] "The Bible informs us that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was overcome before it was able to complete its mission and give Adam and Eve the "fruit" from the second "tree." Ea (who was also symbolized as a snake)

[Samael] was banished to Earth and was extensively villainized by his opponents to ensure that he could never again secure a widespread following among human beings.

[Samael] Ea's title was changed from "Prince of Earth" to "Prince of Darkness." He was labeled other horrible epithets: Satan, the Devil, Evil Incarnate, Monarch of Hell, Lord of Vermin, Prince of Liars, and more.

[nanamin] In LeVay's Satanic Bible, he mentions 3 satanic rituals...would it be contrary to Satanic belief to use magic other than this

[Samael] He was portrayed as the mortal enemy of a Supreme Being and as the keeper of Hell. People were taught that his only intentions were to spiritually enslave everyone and that everything bad on Earth was caused by him.

[Samael] Humans were encouraged to detect him in all his future lives ("incarnations") and to destroy him and his creations whenever he was discovered. All beliefs and practices named after his various appellations ("Satanism," "Devil Worship," etc.)

[Samael] were to be made so horrific and degrading that no right-thinking person would (or should) have anything to do with them. He and his followers were to be viewed with nothing but the utmost loathing."

[Samael] _The Gods of Eden_ by William Bramley ("Brotherhood of the Snake," page 55)

[twolf] I have one. You mentioned LaVey. Are there any others who can be creditied with the formulation of Satanic philosophy?

[Samael] No, nanamin.

[Moonchild] I was wondering - in your belief where does Satan come from? Do you believe in the 'Fallen Angel' theory of Christianity?

[Samael] Yes, those whom LaVey drew from.

[Samael] Such as Mark Twain, Ayn Rand, Jung, Orwell and others.

[Gwynn] Okay, I found the name of the text..The Hypostasis Of The Archons if anyone is interested

[Samael] I do not believe in the existence of the Devil. The most intelligent explanation I have read concerning the nature of the Devil and our creation is given by men such as Zecharia Sitchin, Laurence Gardner, Neil Freer and William Bramley (among others).

[Samael] I see the root of the Devil being found in Sumer.

[Samael] In short, Sumerian texts detail that Enki created mankind to serve as a slave of the Anunnaki. He later decided to treat mankind as a being which had the right to rule himself.

[Samael] Enki's half-brother Enlil didn't like the idea and intended mankind to be kept as a slave.

[Samael] Sumerian texts relate the story of the flood as a strategy of Enlil's, a method to wipe out humanity.

[Samael] It was Enki who stepped in and saved mankind from the oncoming flood.

[Athrawon] It is believed among the Abrahamic beliefs that Lucifer is actually Satan, yet in ancient Sumerian and Babylonian, Satan is actually the angel Ah-Satan. Care to comment on this or is this part of the no existance of Satan you mentioned earlier?

[Samael] The Biblical tale unfortunately tells the story as if the Christian god had a hand in creating the Ark and saving mankind.

[Samael] I don't pay too much attention to beliefs dealing with the existence of Satan as one thing or another.

[twolf] Is there a link between Satanism and Luciferian Witchcraft?

[Athrawon] So rather than Satan being a "creature" do you believe that Satan is more of an attitude, or way of thinking?

[Samael] I think many of the Luciferians are on the right track. Yes, there would be a link between Satanism (as it is defined as I described it in the lecture) and Luciferian Witchcraft.

[Samael] Satan is one of three things, or all of them.

[Samael] 1. A symbol of a religion; a symbol and nothing more.

[Moonchild] So you don't have an entity to focus on as I have with the concept of God and Godess?

[Samael] 2. A being which exists with the Collective Unconscious because people believe in its existence.

[Samael] 3. A physical being which was recorded as walking among men by ancient peoples.

[Samael] Archetypes are useful Moonchild.

[Dalighla] What is the general Satanic concensus on death? is it taught there there is an after life, a great nothingness, or is it up to the Satanist?

[Keysol] It's my understanding that Satanism is basically split into two factions. Those that worship Satan as an entity, and those that follow the philosophical views of 'Satan', am I correct?

[Samael] Some people employ a very Jungian approach to Satanism and magic. For them, entities are very important.

[Samael] I think reincarnation is probably the best explanantion. However, Satanism does not have a specific belief concerning the after life. We require proof and verifiable experience.

[Gwynn] Since Moses was raised as an Egyptian and he is cretited with writing the first chapters of the Jewish and Christian Bible, would he not be very familiar with the Egyptian religion? Would not this belief leak into the creation story? So the Hebrew magic would also be Egyptian Magic?

[Dalighla] ah, ok, thank you

[Samael] Keysol, there are many reasons why the worship of Satan is deemed unSatanic. However, yes, there are many different types of "Satanists".

[twolf] Does a satanist believe they are a god or capable of reaching godhood?

[Samael] The story of Set and Osiris is comparable to that of Enki and Enlil, Satan and Jehovah and Prometheus and Zeus.

[Samael] A Satanist exalts him/herself as a god. This is not to say that he or she is capable of fantastic feats.

[twolf] Do the views of Nietche fit in with satanism as it stands today?

[Samael] I have another appointment. Are there any last questions?

[Athrawon] So you are saying that you are divine in and of yourself, similar to our belief that the divine exists within us and not without?

[Nightshade] No I will look at your site because i am very confused

[Samael] Twolf, for the most part. Of course, Satanism can be a very individual path so there will be clashes with anything.

[Moonchild] * Moonchild is still thinking in circles

[twolf] Confusion is the first step in the quest for knowledge Night

[Gwynn] No more questions teacher, Thankyou for your time.

[Samael] Within the Priesthood of Satan, it is taught that the Self is god. The "Self" is defined as the Center Point of Consciousness.

[Nightshade] yes, but I know nothing of Satanism till now, and i just don't know what it is believed or followed exactly

[Athrawon] Yes Samael, thank you for your time to visit us and this wonderful lecture

[Nightshade] so i will check it out and maybe that will help me

[Dalighla] Thank you very very much Samael.

[Dalighla] It was a pleasure to have you here

[Keysol] Thanks..

[Moonchild] are we allowed to ask you questions by email? As it seems I really have to sleep on this and think it through sorrowly

[Samael] Thank you all. I hope I didn't let you down.

[Nightshade] Yes thank you, it was very interesting and raised a lot of inward questions

[Athrawon] Please come and visit again sometime if you have more time

[Samael] Contact me as often as you like.

[Dalighla] Not at all.

[Gwynn] I think you did very good.

[twolf] Yes thank you for the lecture and the answers also.

[Samael] daval@satanicempire.org

[nanamin] Thank you for the information.

[Moonchild] thank you very much

[Athrawon] No, there was no disappointment here

[Samael] Take care.