Let’s say you’ve decided to assemble a group for Satanic purposes – i.e., what the Order of Nine Angles (ONA/O9A) might call a nexion. This post details some of my thought process in connection with such an endeavor. Were I to take on the esoteric recruiting and mentoring of novices, for instance, what would I need to know about such individuals as a starting point? Below are a list of questions that I’d want answers for, together with commentary on why I’d be asking them.
Introduction
The Tenebrous sorcerer commits to the advancement of Satan’s cause through both magickal and mundane means. Undertaking a sorcerer’s initiation is thus intended to make one into a more effective aeonic actor. Accomplishing such a goal requires both knowing yourself, and being able to navigate relationships with others.
The initiation protocol in Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness is, therefore, not an entirely solitary pursuit. Two of the seven stages of Tenebrous initiation require the initiate – i.e. the sorcerer – to interact with others. In one, the Venus stage, the task is to form a close relationship with a spiritual companion. In the other, the Saturn stage, one version of the task is to lead a group. Both intend that the sorcerer refine their abilities and self-understanding based on the relationships thus formed.
If you are going to work so closely with someone, though, surely it’s prudent to first establish a starting point. Accordingly, what this post lays out is the questions that I, in the position of the initiate-sorcerer, would want whoever I’m going to work with to answer. This is primarily with a mind to the Venus stage, i.e., a magickal companion, someone I wish to help grow in esoteric knowledge and experience. However, if I was doing a version of the Saturn stage in which I was leading a group, my starting point would be much the same re: getting to know prospective members.
Structure of this post
The line of questioning I envision breaks down into seven topics:
- Ethos: how one interprets and responds to concepts central to Tenebrous Satanism.
- Metaphysics: what beliefs and experiences shape one’s understanding of spiritual matters more generally.
- Values: one’s self-understanding re: qualities one wishes to promote or combat.
- Resourcefulness: skills and attitudes bearing upon one’s ability to succeed in the tasks one undertakes.
- Focus: one’s familiarity, strengths and weaknesses regarding the practice of meditation.
- Insight: one’s familiarity, strengths and weaknesses regarding the practice of divination.
- Craft: one’s familiarity, strengths and weaknesses regarding the practice of ritual magick.
Considering this range of things would be my first step toward crafting a curriculum or experience package – i.e., a game-plan re: what areas can I help someone grow in, and how will I go about it? This does not necessarily presume that said person is, or will become, a Tenebrous Satanist in some official sense. Of course, I would welcome such a development. For Venus-stage purposes, though, what I mainly seek is a capable student, i.e., someone wanting to advance in areas of esotericism that I, by teaching, can refine my own understanding and experience in.
I’ll proceed to break each area down into seven questions. I’ll accompany these with notes re: what the question is really after and potential red flags re: undesirable traits for would-be students.
Those familiar with O9A may find this exercise an interesting illustration of where I take up the spirit of the Niner current vs. where I deviate from O9A re: desirable qualities for a “serious” practitioner. I hope it may also offer food for thought to others trying to envision what dedicated Satanic collaborations might look like.
The Sevenfold interview for esoteric recruiting and mentoring
1. Ethos
These questions help establish common ground I have or lack with the would-be mentoree. Ideally, one comes to these questions having already read my book, Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness. However, I would not consider that an absolute requirement at the very outset. Nor am I looking for some kind of rote response. Rather, the central issue is, to what extent does the person readily think like a Satanist? If we’re not fully on the same page, there should at least be an absence of severe clashes in worldview if we’re going to be working together.
Questions
- Do you see life in this world as something to enjoy and make the most of? Or do you see it as something limiting and unfortunate that we need to escape from or otherwise overcome?
- What is the most harmful ideology threatening the world today, and on what basis do you label it “worst”?
- In your judgment, what behaviors, attitudes, experiences, etc. distinguish an evolving person from a stagnant one?
- Would you agree that zeal, wisdom, honor, empathy and perseverance are positive traits for a person to possess? Which of these values do you personally prize the most?
- To what extent do you prefer to stand out from the Herd, or to avoid doing so? How is this impacted by context, what do you do/avoid to accomplish it, etc.?
- What is your attitude toward magick? e.g., are you a skeptic; do you find it fun and interesting but nothing more; could you see it becoming a major force in your life; etc.?
- If you were living in an society that you found unbearable, what concrete actions could you envision undertaking in response?
Commentary
- This question is mainly an opportunity for me to make clear that Tenebrous Satanism is not compatible with Gnostic Luciferianism.
- Huffing about “religion,” without being able to say which one, specific tenets, etc., suggests levels of arrogance and resentment I’d rather do without. But ultimately I care less about the answer than how it’s justified – e.g. actual articulated arguments vs. repeating stereotypical soundbites.
- This is to weed out “I fail at life, but it’s OK because I console myself by posting cutesy memes about how failing is OK” -types. I regard such behavior as a subtle manifestation-and-predictor of Dogmagianism, as previously mentioned in this entry.
- These should be regarded not as moral virtues, but as competencies, i.e., it’s hard to live a satisfactory human life if you lack them. This is thus not a question about morality, nor is there a “correct” answer re: priority. But if a person disregards one or more of these qualities, or refuses to think about the matter, that’s not a promising sign.
- Contra the romanticism of some Satanists, you don’t necessarily want uber abrasive “fuck the man – in your face!” types here. Personally I’d prefer someone experienced with a degree of alienation, who can nonetheless navigate life without making that alienation their whole personality.
- Presumably the person is minimally interested in magick if we are even having this interview. What I’m aiming at though is, are they potential-sorcerer-material, potential-witch-material, or just curious?
- This seeks to gauge one’s capacity both for creative resistance and necessary violence. Both have implications re: effectiveness of the will when push comes to shove, which matters if you’re going to mess around with dark magick.
Note: minor issues with any of this I’d tend to see as things we’ll be working on, not necessarily deal-breakers.
2. Metaphysics
These questions are meant to reveal beliefs and experiences that inform the individual’s spiritual worldview. Since the relationship being-entered-into is one in which magick is central, stridently anti-spiritual atheists need not apply.
Questions
- Were you “brought up religious” in any sense? What impact do you feel this has had on you?
- Any particularly positive experiences you have had with people of a particular religious or spiritual background?
- Any particularly negative experiences you have had with people of a particular religious or spiritual background?
- What are your beliefs about this-worldly acausal beings, e.g. spirits of the deceased, spirits associated with specific locations, etc.? Any noteworthy experiences with these?
- What are your beliefs about other-worldly acausal beings, e.g. polytheism, monotheism, etc.? Any deities that you have had a devotional relationship with?
- Do you believe there is a such thing as the soul? What do you believe about how this works before, during, and after one’s current lifetime?
- Do you find that there is something “spiritual” about being out in nature? If so, what are your experiences with this?
Commentary
The first three questions focus on where the person is coming from. This includes areas in which they may believe or reject certain things due to social pressure, unconscious bias, etc. Implications may follow re: maybe magick using one’s own energies is something they will be more open to than magick involving entities, for example. (see here for more discussion of such distinctions re: magick)
The rest are more aimed at where the person is at currently. I’m less concerned with what they believe than with to what extent they seem to have thought about it. Direct experience is not something I necessarily count favorably or unfavorably, as it can be a boon or an obstacle depending on circumstances. It’s good to know about either way, however.
The afterlife dimension of 2.6 is not particularly germane to the matter at hand. Rather, it’s an angle to get people to share more thoughts about “the soul” than they otherwise might. Such beliefs can in turn translate into assumptions about entities, magick, etc.
A subtext of 2.7 is, is this person willing to hike, camp, etc.? Whether they are or not certainly stands to impact the “experience package” they’ll be getting from me.
3. Values
Of all the batteries of questions that appear here, this one may seem the least directly relevant to esoteric practice. Insofar though as the left-hand-path revolves around “being your own god,” it’s worth trying to establish what exactly one’s personal divinity stands for vs. against.
Questions
- What do you consider the most positive personal quality that you possess, and what experiences of yours illustrate it?
- What do you consider the most negative personal quality that you possess, and what experiences of yours illustrate it?
- Are there characteristics you dislike in yourself that you are working to overcome? What exactly are you doing to make progress toward this goal?
- What personal quality do you most value in other people? What behaviors is this quality manifest in, and why would you characterize it as positive?
- What personal quality do you most despise in other people? What behaviors is this quality manifest in, and why would you characterize it as negative?
- Is there a personal quality that you think society overvalues to its detriment? What do you think could be done to change this for the better?
- Is there a personal quality that you think society undervalues to its detriment? What do you think could be done to change this for the better?
Commentary
When asking these questions, I am less concerned with the specific answers than with the following impressions:
- Has the person thought about their answer, and are they able to articulate their values in a way that makes sense?
- Is what they’re saying grounded in actual experience, or are they just telling themselves stories driven by self-flattery, bitterness, etc.?
- To what extent do they seem self-oriented vs. other-oriented?
- Does their worldview position themselves as participating in the human problem, or as somehow “above” it?
- Do their values alienate them from the world around them? Are they thus resigned to perpetually-frustrated idealism, or do they actually try to do anything about it?
This sort of thing matters for two reasons. Firstly, introspection supports esoteric advancement, whereas hubris thwarts it. Therefore, signs of the former are good, while signs of the latter can be red flags. Secondly, values may translate into some things being easier/harder for this individual than others. Should I encourage them to attempt a working for themselves first, or for someone else they care about? Do they have a fair sense of when someone’s wronged them, or are they a chronically-resentful enthusiast of baneful magick for trivial reasons? Having some sense of a person’s values is useful for gauging such matters.
4. Resourcefulness
Many left-hand-path practitioners envision a correlation between magickal competence and general competence. These questions therefore aim at getting a sense of the latter dimension of a person’s life.
Questions
- What’s a skill / ability of yours that you consider especially strong? What are some situations in which it’s been of concrete benefit to you?
- What are some things you do to prepare yourself for challenging situations? To what extent have these techniques helped you meet actual challenges competently and gracefully?
- What are you most proud of having accomplished in your life thus far?
- To what extent would you say that “society” or other factors beyond your control prevent you from thriving? What have you done to attempt to maximize your flourishing in spite of this?
- Imagine being in a difficult survival scenario with a small group of other people; what would you envision yourself being able to provide in such a scenario to support the survival of yourself and others?
- What do you find most helpful / unhelpful when someone is attempting to impart new knowledge or skills to you?
- Given your current life circumstances, how easy or difficult would it be for you to find the time and energy to commit to a new endeavor?
Commentary
4.1-4.4 come with similar considerations and serve a similar purpose as the questions in the preceding section. i.e., specific answers are less important than general impressions re: is this person self-reflective; are they appropriately assertive about their strengths and weaknesses vs. self-abnegating vs. boastful; do they follow through on things vs. making excuses; etc. I believe it’s very hard to be a competent magician amid problems on any of these fronts.
4.5 is an alternate angle on 1.4: it’s looking for a thoughtful answer, not a “right” one. And it’s also looking for red flags re: the passionless, the ignorant, the untrustworthy, the narcissistic and the quitter. It seems to me that none of those bodes well for involving someone with the Sinister Path.
4.6 & 4.7’s implications are both on the practical front. 4.6’s answer helps me hone my approach in mentoring this person. 4.7’s answer gives me information re: what kind of schedule the person could reasonably commit to.
5. Focus, Insight and Craft
This should actually be three separate batteries of questions. But as the core of what’s being asked won’t change, I’m just providing that core here. The intent, though, would be to run through three times, replacing [this esoteric practice] with meditation/divination/ritual magick each time as appropriate.
Questions
- What knowledge of [this esoteric practice] do you have from books, other people, your own experience, etc.?
- Assuming you’ve tried performing [this esoteric practice], what success have you experienced? How did this impact your life subsequently?
- Assuming you’ve tried performing [this esoteric practice], have you experienced failures or things otherwise going awry? What have you learned from such experiences?
- Have you performed [this esoteric practice] both by yourself and with other people present? How did those experiences differ from one another for you?
- If you feel hesitation or insecurity regarding [this esoteric practice], what do you feel is holding you back?
- What positive or negative perceptions do you have regarding other people who have engaged in [this esoteric practice]? To what extent do you perceive yourself as below or above average at the practice compared to those others?
- Are there specific goals or areas of improvement you are seeking to work on in connection with [this esoteric practice]?
Commentary
Fairly straightforward re: if you are going to further someone’s esoteric development, you must first know where they’re at. Lack of experience isn’t a problem for my purposes, since fostering experience is the very thing I’m setting out to do. I’m wary, though, of anyone who claims they have done a lot and never failed, especially re: ritual magick. Are some people naturally good at such things? Sure. But there’s also a large scope for self-deception in the absence of knowing what failure feels like.
Herein lies an additional useful dimension of the previous sets of not-obviously esoteric questions: in general, to what extent is this person capable of talking about themselves honestly, vs. prone to passionate exaggeration, evasiveness, convoluted rationales, etc.? Read whatever they say about esoteric matters through the lens they reveal elsewhere, and it seems to me that much might be discerned…
Concluding thoughts
I’m more optimistic than the average LHP-walker re: magickal potential in the general population. The idea that the insights of Satanism are only for some uber-special elite is not one that I find useful. My view, rather, is that while some are unsuited for the path, others just need more of a push to succeed. Asking questions such as those I’ve listed above can help the sorcerer determine where and how hard to push the apprentice.
Yes, I do have some lines re: a person having spiritual assumptions that are too distant from mine for us to be able to collaborate, or something dysfunctional in their personality and/or worldview that I will find frustrating to deal with, or other such factors that might make me hesitate to mentor them. It’s important, though, to distinguish between deal-breakers that suggest my energy will be wasted, and weaknesses that I might be well-positioned to help a person overcome.
It seems to me that even if you disagree with the relevance of some of the above re: esoteric mentoring, articulating why you see it as irrelevant could itself be an informative exercise re: as a sorcerer, what are you trying to do and why? Has anyone in the audience had experiences with taking on students in esotericism, running an order, etc., though? If so, I’d be especially curious to hear what you think in the comments.
Regarding the first questin that is related to life and we should escape or not,it’s important.It’s logical to define if life worth to live or deny it.Personally,i don’t agree with those “nay-sayers” to life considering it as a prison and “the matter must be destroyed” nonsense.And also,determining the goals is important to me as well,as an ambitious person,i want to evolve and achieve those ambitions no matter what.