Traditional Satanism is a form of Satanism. It is the Satanism you often hear about, yet in total, there are less Traditional Satanists than LaVeyan Satanists. It is a broad pathway, but a pathway nonetheless.
The earliest recorded mention of Satanism was in an address from an Oxford professor Thomas Harding to a John Jewel, bishop of Salisbury, after a controversy that had sparked between the two regarding recusancy, in 1565 or 1566 C.E. In it, Harding described Martin Luther, founder of Lutheranism, a protestant branch of Christianity, as one who spread Satanism(s).
Thomas Harding
Meaning the time when Luther first brinced to Germanie the poisoned cuppe of his heresies, blasphemies, and Satanismes.
The term was not meant to describe a faith, but was instead used pejoratively. This, however, was the common use and introduction of the word. It did originate within both Catholic and protestant churches, and later became a made-up religion often used to persecute people in the burning times.
After the burning times, Satanism continued to be an imaginary religion that the Church defined as anti-Christian in every way, inventing the concept of the “Black Mass,” a backwards parody of the Catholic Mass, which entailed using urine for wine, turnips for bread/the host, and usually a sacrificial killing.
To this day, many equate anything that offends Christian or other Abrahamic beliefs as a form of “Satanism.” Freemasonry, Thelema, and various occult beliefs had all been labeled “Satanism” at one point in time. Even those Abrahamic religions that opposed eachother—most notably the Catholic v. protestant turmoil throughout the past few hundred years—accused one another of being “Satanists.”
The very first religion that called itself “Satanism” began in the 1950’s with Anton LaVey. This inspired other groups to form and claim themselves as Satanists as well.
“Theistic Satanism is "traditional" only in the sense of reclaiming the traditional primary meaning of the word "Satanism." Most (if not all) of today's theistic Satanists are not "traditional" in the sense of having a direct lineage from any Satanist group that existed before 1966 C.E.” (D. Vera <link>)
As of yet, there is no historic evidence of any religion dubbing itself “Satanism” before LaVey gave his religion a title. Until proof can be offered, we are to assume that LaVeyan Satanism was the first actual religion to lay claim to the title.
After 1966, Theistic Satanists began to emerge. They called themselves Traditional Satanists. Unlike LaVey’s religion, Traditional Satanists claimed the belief in Satan as a deity, and for the most part, worshipped him.
An explosion of different Traditional Satanic religions that acknowledged themselves as Satanists occurred and is still going on to this very day. Some worship Satan, and others, sticking true to the ideals of the Left-Hand Path, rather revere him instead of worship him. Some require a staunch political and/or social worldview, or focus more on blaspheming Christianity than spending much time on Satan. Some who still call themselves Satanists even have decided against worshipping/revering Satan, and have instead adopted deities similar to the Christian devil from other pantheons.
It is, again, a very broad pathway, but one that is typically distinguished from LaVeyan Satanism.
I’ll be focusing on some larger forms/organizations of Traditional Satanism.
The Church of Azazel is and organization run by Diane Vera: a traditional Satanist who also attempt to educate people on the various forms of Satanism, and rejects dogmatic definitions of Satanism.
The Church of Azazel, AKA “CoAz,” believes Azazel to be Satan, yet they distinguish him from the ha-satan of the book of Job in the Christian Bible. They also used the apocryphal “Book of Enoch.” They have got an almost cannon Abrahamic view of Satan, as the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
The CoAz does not believe that Satan telepathically communicates with human beings. They also feel it worthless to try to strive to become more “natural” as humans are advanced creatures who are incapable of reaching a “natural” state. They have, not unlike many other Satanists, a here-and-now mindset as opposed to having any concern for the afterlife, and striving towards an eternal reward or away from eternal punishment.
They do believe in the Christian God, YHVH as well. They do not see him as the cosmic creator, however. They see him as a war god of the Israelites, one who, by the Bible says that he is indeed a “jealous god.” YHVH is not “all-good” within this religion, nor is Satan “all-bad.” YHVH attempts to suppress human knowledge and achievement at certain points in the Bible.
They are not monotheistic. Satan/Azazel is their primary deity, however, they believe in what they call the rising gods of the modern West (Lilith, Prometheus, Ishtar, Pan, and Lucifer-of-Sophia). The gods do quarrel and have distinct personalities.
Overall, the religion is inspired by post-Copernican natural theology, Thelema, gnosis, etc.
The Temple of Set was founded by Michael Aquino, once a member of LaVey’s Church of Satan. He and a few others broke away from the Church of Satan, finding that their philosophy just was not for them, and founded one that was right for them.
The Temple of Set (ToS) equates the Egyptian Set with Satan, and Satan/Set with individuality. They worship Set, and in effect, worship their inner selves. This practice is heavily influenced from the “higher self” aspirations of Aleister Crowley’s philosophy of Thelema. The ToS believes that the entire self—not just the ego—this includes the soul, should be glorified.
Other specifics to the philosophy are that Setians believe humans to be the highest living being above all other creatures. They emphasize a good amount of their magical practices on sex, and it is implied that one who calls himself a Setian should strive to attain divinity all his own.
They do not have an established dogma aside from one’s personal dogma in regards to various scenarios, assessed with intelligence and enlightenment.
Because the ToS is highly individualistic, perhaps moreso than the Church of Satan or CoAz, it is difficult to find much outside the Temple of Set. A serious student of Setianism is best off joining the Temple of Set or speaking with those in the ToS to learn more about it. Similarly, Michael Aquino has several works online.
Pirate will add more later, when she is less lazy! Don't you just love these posts that you can tell I got too lazy to even proofread? Well, here it remains until the laziness subsides.
