Concerning the rituals

Fantasy plays an important part in any religious curriculum, for the subjective mind is less discriminating about the quality of its food than it is about the taste. The religious rites of Satanism differ from those of other faiths in that fantasy is not employed to control the practitioners of the rites. The ingredients of Satanic ritual are not designed to hold the celebrant in thrall, but rather to serve his goals. Thus, fantasy is utilized as a magic weapon by the individual rather than by the system. This is not meant to imply that there are not, nor there will not exist, those who will claim dedication to Satanism as an identity while continuing to be manipulated unknowingly from without. The essence of Satanic ritual, and Satanism itself, if taken up out of logic rather than desperation, is to objectively enter into a subjective state. It must be realized, however, that human behavior is almost totally motivated by subjective impulse. It is difficult therefore, to try to be objective once the emotions have established their preferences. Since man is the only animal who can lie to himself and believe it, he must consciously strive for some degree of self-awareness. Inasmuch as ritual magic is dependent upon emotional intensity for success, all manner of emotion producing devices must be employed in its practice. The basic ingredients in the casting of a spell can be categorized as desire, timing, imagery, direction, and balance. Each of these is explained in the author's prior work, The Satanic Bible. The material contained in this volume represents the type of Satanic rite which has been employed in the past for specialized productive or destructive ends. It will be observed that a pervasive element of paradox tuns throughout the rituals contained herein. Up is down, pleasure is pain, darkness is light, slavery is freedom, madness is sanity, etc. In keeping with the very semantic and etymological meanings of Satan, situations, sensations and values are often inverted and reversed. This is not intended solely to serve as blasphemy-on the contrary, it is used to make it apparent that things are not always as they seem and that no standard can or should be deified, for under the proper conditions any standard can be changed. Because Satanic Ritual so often exerts such change, both within the chamber and as an aftermath in the outside world, it is easy to assume that the upside-down cross and the Lord's Prayer recited backwards* usually linked with the Black Mass are also synonymous with Satanism. This generalization is correct in theory, since Satanism indeed represents the opposite viewpoint, and as such acts as a catalyst for change. The fact is, throughout history a "bad guy" has been needed so that those who are "right" can flourish. It was to be expected that the first Messes Noirs would institute reversals of existing liturgy, thus reinforcing the original blasphemy of heretical thought. Modern Satanism realizes man's need for an "other side," and has realistically accepted that polarity-at least within the confines of a ritual chamber. Thus a Satanic chamber can serve -depending upon the degree of embellishment and the extent of the acts within-as a meditation chamber for the entertainment of unspoken thoughts, or a veritable palace of perversity. Ceremonies such as the German Wahsinn der Logisch actually weld the concepts of Satanism and the manifestations of insanity into a total assumption of the role of needed social adversary. This phenomenon has been eloquently defined by * Inaccurate assumption; the traditional Messe Noir employs a parody of Matthew 6:9 rather than a word-order inversion. psychiatrist Thomas S. Szasz in The Manufacture of Madness. Wherever this polarity of opposites exists, there is balance, life, and evolution. Where it is lacking, disintegration, extinction and decay ensue. It is high time that people learned that without opposites, vitality wanes. Yet opposite has long been synonymous with bad. Despite the prevalence of adages like "Variety is the spice of life."-"It takes all kinds . . ."-'The grass is always greener. . ." many people still automatically condemn whatever is opposite as "evil" Action and reaction, cause and effect, are the bases of everything in the known universe. Yet when automobiles are generally large, it is said "no one will ever drive a small car," or when hem lines go up, "they'll never wear long dresses again," etc. The mere fact that the smugness-and boredomof the populace rests on the mantra, "It'll never happen!" indicates to the magician that he must avoid such thinking. In magic the unexpected occurs-with such regularity, in fact, that it is safe to say that to dwell on anything too long is to consume it. Magic is a push/pull situation, like the universe itself. While one is pushing, he cannot pull. The purpose in ritual is to "push" the desired result within a unique span of time and space, then move away and "pull" by divorcing oneself from all thoughts and related acts previously ritualized. The productions contained here fall into two distinct categories: rituals, which are directed towards a specific end that the performer desires; and ceremonies, which are pageants paying homage to or commemorating an event, aspect of life, admired personage, or declaration of faith. Generally, a ritual is used to attain, while a ceremony serves to sustain. For example, the traditional Black Mass would incorrectly be considered a ceremony-a pageant of blasphemy. Actually it is usually entered into for a personal need to purge oneself, via overcompensation, of inhibiting guilts imposed by Christian dogma. Thus it is a ritual. If a Black Mass is performed by curiosity seekers or "for fun," it becomes a party. What constitutes the difference between a Satanic ceremony and a play presented by a theatre group? Often very little: mainly it hinges on the degree of acceptance on the part of the audience. It is of little consequence whether an outside audience does or does not accept the substance of a Satanic ceremony: the strange and grotesque always has a large and enthusiastic audience. Murders sell more newspapers than garden-club meetings. However, it is important to consider the needs of the participants: those who need Satanic ceremony most are the least likely to let themselves go before an audience of the curious. Unlike encounter groups, the purpose of most Satanic ceremonies is to elevate the self rather than demean it. Encounter "therapy" is founded on the premise that if one is reduced in stature by another, who in turn has been reduced, all will have a firm foundation upon which to build. In theory this is admirable, for those who prefer to have someone else insult and browbeat them. They attain thereby a rather dubious form of recognition. For the masochistically inclined, encounter groups do provide a source of punishment and recognition. But what of those who have established an identity, those who are winners in the world, and have pride and rational self-interest, yet who possess the desire to express unpopular thoughts? A ceremonial chamber essentially provides a stage for a performer who wishes complete acceptance from his audience. The audience becomes, in fact, part of the show. It has become fashionable in recent years to incorporate the audience into theatrical performances. This started with audience participation, with selected members of the audience called up to the stage to assist a performer in his role. Gradually this developed to such a degree that entire audiences mingled with the cast Still, there can be no assurance that an audience will participate as a result of genuine enthusiasm, or merely because they are expected-or coerced-to do so. A ceremony is dependent upon total single-mindedness of purpose on the part of all persons present. Even commemorative pageants of a public nature suffer from divergence of thought and emotion during the festivities. A Fourth of July or Mardi Gras festival has a definite reason for its existence, yet how many participants maintain an awareness of its raison d'etre while revelling? The festival becomes only an excuse, so to speak-a theme upon which to base social needs. Unfortunately, too many arcane and occult ceremonies and rituals wind up as just such excuses for social (and sexual) intercourse. An important point to remember in the practice of any magic ritual or ceremony is: if you depend upon the activities within the chamber to provide or sustain a social climate, the ensuing energy-conscious or otherwise-directed toward these ends will negate any results you wish to obtain through the ritual! The line is fine between the desirability for close rapport between participants, and one's need per se for close rapport. The ritual will suffer if there is a single person in the chamber who drains the substance from it by his ulterior motives. Hence it is better to have three participants who are "with it" than twenty who are and three who are not. The most effective rituals are often the most solitary. This is why it is preposterous to attempt a ritual or ceremony with outsiders present who happen to be "sincerely interested" or "want to find out more about it" or "want to see what it's like." A philosophical commitment is a prerequisite for acceptance into ritualistic activities, and this serves as a rudimentary screening process for organized Satanism. Consequently, a degree of compatibility-necessary to a successful workingexists within the chamber. Of course, anyone can say, "I believe," simply to gain access. It will be up to the discerning magician to determine actual sincerity. Because Lesser Magic is everyday magic, a finely attuned sense of discrimination is essential for all accomplishment. In addition, one of the most important "commandments" of Satanism is: Satanism demands study-not worship! This book was, for the most part, written because the author believes that ritual magic should be removed from the sealed vacuum in which it has been held by occultists. Scant yean ago, The Satanic Bible first publicly advanced magical techniques and working procedures utilizing sexual energy and other emotional responses. Since then many volumes have appeared that give identical principles, in both technical and esoteric jargon. It is expected that the precedent established by the present work will likewise "free" others to reveal "hidden mysteries." Why, it will be asked, is it deemed feasible to make these rituals public knowledge? Primarily because the demand is great -not only from curiosity-seekers, but from those who thirst for more than what is offered by the recent outpourings of pseudoCabbalistic, crypto-Christian writing. Another reason for this book is that there are many recent awesome discoveries which give the sorcerer new tools with which to experiment. That is also why it is now "safe'1 to advance much of the present material. A third reason, and perhaps the most important of all, is that magic-like life itself-produces what one puts into it This principle can be observed in countless facets of human behavior. Human beings invariably treat things (property, other persons, etc.) with the same degree of respect with which they regard themselves. If one has little self-respect, no matter how much of a surface ego is present, one has little respect for anything else. This will lessen or negate ultimate successmagical or otherwise. The difference between prayer and magic can be compared to the difference between applying for a loan and writing out a blank check for a desired amount. A man applying for a loan (prayer) may have nothing but a job as collateral and must keep working and pay interest, should the loan be granted. Otherwise he will wind up with bad credit (purgatory). The man (magician) who writes the desired amount on the blank check, assumes there will be delivery of the merchandise, and he pays no interest He is indeed fortunate-but he had better have sufficient funds (magical qualities) to cover the amount written, or he may wind up in far worse straits, and have his creditors (demons) out looking for him. Magic, like any other tool, requires a skilled hand. This does not mean that one need be a magician's magician or an advanced scholar of occult teachings. But it requires an application of principles-principles (earned through study and experience. Life itself demands application of certain principles. If one's wattage (potential) is high, and the proper principles are applied, there is very little that cannot be accomplished. The more readily one can apply the principles needed to effect a proficiency in Lesser Magic, the greater one's chances of attainment through the use of ritual-or ceremonial-magic. Satanic Ritual is a blend of Gnostic, Cabbalistic, Hermetic, and Masonic elements, incorporating nomenclature and vibratory words of power from virtually every mythos. Though the rituals in this book are representative of different nations, it will be easy to perceive a basic undercurrent through the cultural variants. Two each of the rites are French and German, their preponderance accountable to the rich wealth of Satanic drama and liturgy produced by those countries. The British, although enamored of ghosts, hauntings, pixies, witches, and murder mysteries, have drawn most of dieir Satanic repertoire from European sources. Perhaps this is because a European Catholic who wanted to rebel became a Satanist: an Englishman who wanted to rebel became a Catholic-that was blasphemy enough! If most Americans' knowledge of Satanism is gleaned from the tabloid press and horror films, the average Briton can boast of "enlightenment" from the pens of three of their writers: Montague Summers, Dennis Wheatley and Rollo Ahmed. The notable British exceptions to what historian Elliot Rose terms die "anti-Sadducee" school of literary probing into Satanism, are that author's bold work, A Razor for a Goat; and Henry T. F. Rhodes' comprehensive study, The Satanic Mass. Approximately half of the rites contained in this volume can be performed by four or less persons, thereby eliminating problems or failures which can arise if quantity takes precedence over quality in the selection of dramatis personae. Where group solidarity and singleness of purpose exists, ceremonies such as Das Tierdrama, Homage to Tchort and The Call to Cthulhu, can be celebrated effectively by a larger number of participants. For the most part, the rites should be begun and ended with the procedures standard to Satanic liturgy. These are presented in detail in The Satanic Bible, and are indicated wherever the term standard sequence, or customary manner (or die equivalent), appears in the present text. Accouterments necessary to all rites, as well as the Enochian Calls, are likewise given in the Bible. As to the pronunciation of the names involved (despite some occultists who insist, "You can't expect help from the forces you call upon if you can't pronounce their names right,"), assume that the forces, demons, or elementals have enough insight to judge a caller's worthiness on more profound criteria than his glib tongue or expensive shoes. Pronounce the names as they sound best to you, but don't assume that you have the correct pronunciation, exclusive of all others. The "vibratory" rate of the names is only as effective as your own ability to "vibrate" while saying them, neither of which terms is to be confused with vibrato. The success of magical operations is dependent upon application of principles learned rather than the amount of data collected. This rule must be stressed, for ignorance of this fact is the one most consistent cause of magical incompetency-and the least likely to be considered as the reason for failure. The most successful individuals throughout history have been the people who learn a few good tricks and apply them well, rather than those with a whole bag full who don't know which trick to pull out at the right time-or how to use it once they get it out! Much magical curricula is padded beyond belief with pseudo-esoteric data, the purpose of which is: (a) to make it tougher to learn, since no one places any credence in what comes too easy (though they constantly seek shortcuts, giveaways and miracles); (b) to provide many things that can go wrong, so that if a ritual doesn't work it can be said that the student was delinquent in his studies; (c) to discourage all but the most idle, bored, talentless, and barren (translation=introspective, mystical, spiritual) persons. Contrary to popular assumption, esoteric doctrines do not discourage nonachievers but actually encourage them to dwell in loftier ivory towers. Those with the greatest degree of natural magical ability are often far too busy with other activities to learn the "finer" points of the Sephiroth, Tarot, I Ching, etc. This is not intended to suggest that there is no value in arcane wisdom. But, just because one memorizes every name in a telephone directory it does not mean he is intimately acquainted with each person listed. It is often said that magic is an impersonal tool and therefore neither "white" nor "black," but creative or destructive, depending upon the magician. This implies that-like a gunmagic is as good or bad as its user's motivations. This, unfortunately, is a half-truth. It presumes that once a magician activates his magical weapon it will serve him according to his own propensities. If a magician were dealing with only two elements-himself and his magical force-this theory could be valid. But under most circumstances, human actions and events are influenced and carried out by other human beings. If a magician wants to effect a change according to his will (personal) and employs magic as a tool (impersonal), he must often rely on a human vehicle (personal) to carry out his will. No matter how impersonal a force magic is, the emotional and behavioral pattern of the human vehicle must be considered. It is too often assumed that if a magician curses someone the victim will meet with an accident or fall ill. This is an oversimplification. Often the most profound magical workings are those which engage the assistance of other unknown human beings in order to effect the magician's will. A magician's destructive wish toward another may be justified by all laws of natural ethic and fair play, but the force that he summons may be wielded by a mean, worthless person-one whom the magician himself would despise-in order to complete the working. Oddly enough, this manner of operations can be employed for benevolent or amorous-rather than destructive-ends with equal success. The Satanic Bible states that the magician should treat the entities he calls upon as friends and companions, for even an "impersonal" device will respond better to a conscientious and respectful user. This principle is accurate for operating automobiles and power tools, as well as demons and elementals. It will be apparent to some readers that Satanic rites of the type contained in this book can act as catalysts for the actions of great numbers of people, and indeed they have-acting, in the words of Lovecraft, as the mind that is held by no head. Whenever reference in this book is made to a priest, the role may also be taken by a woman who can serve in the capacity of priestess. It must be clarified, however, that the essence of Satanism-its dualistic principle-necessarily imposes an active/ passive dichotomy upon the respective roles of celebrant and altar. If a woman serves as a celebrant, then for all intents and purposes she represents the masculine principle in the rite. The pervasive theme of active/passive (Yin/Yang) in human relations cannot be stifled, despite attempts to create matriarchal, patriarchal, or unisexual societies. There will always be those who "might as well be men" or "might as well be women," depending upon their endocrinological, emotional and/or behavioral predilections. It is far sounder, from a magical standpoint, for an ego-driven or forceful woman to conduct a ritual, rather than a shy, introspective man. It might prove awkward, however, to cast a passive man in the role of Earth-Mother-as the altar-unless his appearance conveyed the image of a woman. An exclusively homosexual group can often conduct more fruitful rituals than a group with both heterosexual and homosexual participants. The reason is that each person in an aflhomophile group is usually more aware of the individual active/passive propensities of his associates, and this ensures accurate role casting. It must be stressed that both male and female principles must be present, even if the same sex portrays both. With few exceptions the rituals and ceremonies in this book have been written to meet existing conditions and requirements. Because a workable format depends on fairly recent standards of language, readily-understandable rubrics and emotion-producing litany cannot be set down without a certain degree of "Satanic license." There are virtually no Satanic rites over one hundred years old that elicit sufficient emotional response from today's practitioner, if the rites are presented in their original form. When the rites were initially conceived, they were amply provocative to the wizards who practiced them, of course. In short, one no longer reads a Victorian romance for sexual titillation. No single element of a magical rite is quite as important as the words which ate spoken, and unless the litany of a ritual is stimulating to the speaker, silence is far more desirable. The celebrant or priest conducting a rite must serve as a sounding board for the emotions of those in attendance. Through the strength of his words, his listeners' potential charge of magical energy can be inspired to peak intensity or wane to lethargy out of sheer boredom. However, many people are bored by any litany, no matter how meaningful or eloquent, so it behooves the magician to select his co-workers with care. Those who are perennially bored are usually stupid, insensitive, unimaginative individuals. They are deadwood in any ritual chamber. Naturally, there is a reasonable level of possible emotional response which must be understood when selecting a litany to he used for ceremonial purposes. A wizard or cultist of 1800 may have thrilled at his words when speaking of "waiting at the darkness visible, lifting our eyes to that bright Morning Star, whose rising brings peace and salvation to the faithful and obedient of the human race." Now he may say, "standing at the gates of Hell to summon Lucifer, that he might rise and show himself as the harbinger of balance and truth to a world grown heavy with the spawn of holy lies," in order to engender the same emotional response. The guiding thoughts behind Satanic rituals past and present have emanated from diverse minds and places, yet all operate on much the same "frequency." Many people who never conceptualized their personal philosophies discover that the principles of Satanism are an unequalled vehicle for their thoughts; hence the title of "Satanist" is now being claimed by its rightful owners. Those who disagree with the non-Christian definition of Satanist, as set forth in The Satanic Bible, should examine the basis of that disagreement. It surely stems from one of two sources: "common knowledge" or scripturally founded propaganda. "Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!"-the Ninth Satanic Statement-is not limited just to the religious organization referred to as "the church." How convenient an enemy the Devil has been for the weak and insecure! Crusaders against the Devil maintained that Satan, even if accepted on an anthropomorphic basis, was neither so evil nor so dangerous that he could not be personally vanquished. And so Satan has existed as a convenient enemy to be employed when needed-one who could be beaten by any lily-livered popinjay who could find the time to arm himself with a barrage of scriptural rhetoric! Thus Satan has made cowards into heroes, weaklings into gladiators, and wretches into nobles. That was so simply because his adversaries were able to tailor the rules of the game to suit their own needs. Now that there are avowed Satanists, who make their own standards, the rules of the game change. If a substance is harmful, its poisonous effects will speak for it. If Satanists are powerfully evil, then their foes have valid fears. The "godly," have toughened Satan in his role of scapegoat, while keeping him nourished and handy for their needs. Now it is they who have weakened and atrophied while Satan breaks his bonds. Now Satan's people can speak for Him, and they have a weapon calculated to annihilate the feeble and insipid mournings of the pulpit pounders of the past. That weapon is logic. The Satanist can easily invent fairy tales to match anything contained in holy writ, for his background is the very childhood of fiction-the myths immemorial of all peoples and all nations. And he admits they are fairy tales. The Christian cannot-no, dares not-admit that his heritage is fairy tales, yet he depends on them for his pious sustenance. The Satanist maintains a storehouse of avowed fantasy gathered from all cultures and from all ages. With his unfettered access to logic as well, he now becomes a powerful adversary of Satan's past tormentors. Those who have depended on fighting the Devil to display their "goodness" must discover a new adversary-one who is helpless, disorganized, and easily vanquished. But the world is changing fast and such a recruitment will prove difficult, ... so difficult, in fact, that witch-hunters and devil finders may be forced to seek their quarry in the most impenetrable of jungles-themselves. Note In rituals where a foreign language is presented, the English translation usually follows after a brief space. Wherever both languages are so presented, only one should be employed. To reiterate a statement in an alternate language breaks the flow of the original statement. If the foreign text is used, the English translation should be studied beforehand, so the meaning of the foreign text will be fully understood.

This page is part of the The Satanic Rituals book made by Anton Szandor LaVey.