Satanism, Gnosticism and Kabbalah: a few thoughts

In both left-hand-path circles generally and Satanic ones specifically, I’ve observed a certain enthusiasm for Gnostic ideas. While there are facets of this that do make sense, I find it a bit odd and troubling. Why? Because I see Gnosticism as one of the most thoroughly anti-worldly religions to have ever existed. And that is, to my way of thinking, the opposite of what Satanism is about – even a spiritual/esoteric Satanism. Yes, we esoteric Satanists do borrow, appropriate and repurpose ideas from many occult sources. But when I see people insisting Kabbalah is irredeemable, yet embracing concepts from Gnosticism, let’s just say, I have questions. This post will thus explore some intersections and clashes between Satanism, Gnosticism and Kabbalah.

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“Contemplation of the Nine-Angled Nexion” in Tenebrous Satanism

In light of the imminent publication of Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness, I thought I’d preview some of my material. This post will therefore give a taste of the Fifth Key’s meditation practices. The meditation I describe here is called “Contemplation of the Nine-Angled Nexion”. I’ll be explaining the background of that name, what the meditation is meant to do, and what it generally entails.

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Satanic karma: law of the acausal jungle

When a magickal current believes that baneful magick works, but you shouldn’t do it, karma is a commonly-given reason. The Threefold Law is a widely-known concept, even among those who reject it as simplistic or simply false. I think it is safe to assert that most Satanists have little use for moralizing metaphysics of this kind. At the same time, though, the notion of an entirely consequence-free universe seems foreign to esoteric worldviews generally. So is any kind of karmic belief plausible for esoteric Satanists? I would argue yes… but this Satanic karma will deviate significantly from how other esotericists typically imagine the “law of karma” working…

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“Thou art the Emperor of Darkness”: Satanism in “Inno A Satana”

As stated in my bio, I am a passionate fan of black metal and similar genres of dark music. Therefore, from time to time, I like to share songs that I think especially capture the spirit of Tenebrous Satanism – and/or are of especial Satanic interest in broader terms. The subject of this post, “Inno A Satana” by Emperor, fits into the latter category. Awhile ago, I ran across an article discussing this song being a “bad example” of Satanic ideology. This struck me as an unfair dismissal, and in this post I’ll explain why.

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Baneful magick: series introduction

Something I’ve been wanting to do for awhile now is a series exploring the performance and implications of baneful magick. This includes such things as ethical considerations, metaphysical mechanisms, and rationales for recruiting one entity’s assistance rather than another’s. The current entry provides a tentative summary of some things I’ll be covering in that series.

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Alterations to unproductive Twitter usage

Recently, a build-up of personal issues compelled me to take a break from social media – specifically, unproductive Twitter usage. In order to exorcise some related demons, I am going to say a few things about why. This is almost certain to alienate a few members of my audience. I do not think it’s healthy keep bottling my feelings indefinitely, though. And if I don’t now set different boundaries to control said feelings, my long-term goals may be aversely affected. So, to tie this discussion to this blog’s usual concerns, I will discuss a few of my convictions re: what contributes to a good human life as per virtues posited by Tenebrous Satanism, and my unwillingness to continue being demoralized by online experiences that oppose those convictions.

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“Gods” vs “demons”: what do these terms mean?

A thread went around among LHP Tweeters awhile back, asking/speculating about the “gods” vs “demons” distinction. Unsurprisingly perhaps, my kneejerk response was “well, the entities I’m involved with are obviously both” ;). The topic is sufficiently interesting, though, that I thought it deserved lengthier reflection. Hence the blog post that follows.

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The dark Sufism of “The Black Path”

I mentioned previously that I was considering doing “I read this book, so that you don’t have to” -type posts. The current post is of this nature. Its focus is a book entitled The Black Path, which describes a supposed left-hand-path variant of Sufism. I’m under the impression there are controversies both with the group described therein, and the work itself. Regardless, I found many ideas in this book spoke to my own spirituality. Hence my desire to mention a few of them here.

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On “closed practices”

Having observed discourse circulating on Twitter re: “closed practices” for awhile, I thought I’d pitch my opinion on the topic. I do not by any means reject the concept as such – in some instances, it’s appropriate to apply. However, I have several concerns about how the concept is applied, and the implications of becoming overly hung-up on it.

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The Rite of Banishing: an antidote to unproductive delusions

One type of ritual-working that I perform quite often is a Rite of Banishing. This entry discusses the general concept of such rituals, how I perform them, and why I perform them. The process presented in vague terms here is detailed more fully in my book, Nine Keys of Abyssal Darkness. Those curious to know more about the life-path that led me to Tenebrous Satanism may also find something of interest in this entry… you see, I used to want to write fiction…

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