With such a broad definition, it’s helpful to be clear about what animism isn’t.
The Occult Traditions
Occult traditions like Kaballah, the Masons and the Western mystery schools are not animism. Instead, they are often magical systems close to more well known religions.
They have organised structures and a fixed approach that is
consistent between practitioners. They also tend to have a series of
tools and methods which students progress through.
However, the occult traditions do use (and often keep alive) tools
that are grounded in animism such as spirit communication and spiritual
healing through prayer. They often work with symbolism and sacred space,
like animism, but in a more structured, less individual, approach.
Mysticism
Mysticism is often very close to animism, and sometimes the only distinction I can find is a more inward looking, less practical, approach.
THERE ARE TWO FORMS OF SATANISM, THEIST SATANISM, THE ACTUAL BELIEVE IN SATAN AS A BEING (THEIST SATANISTS CAN’T BE ANIMISTS.) AND LAVEYAN SATANISM, IN WHICH SATAN IS SEEN MERELY AS A SYMBOL OF OPPOSITION TO CHRISITAN AND OTHER THEIST BELIEVES AND DOGMA. LAVEYAN SATANISM IS STRICTLY ATHEITST. THEREFORE A SUPPORTER OF ANTON LAVEY’S PHILOSOPHY CAN BE AN ANIMIST TOO. THIS IS THE MORE TRADITIONAL FORM OF SATANISM, AS PRACTICED IN THE CHURCH OF SATAN. (THAT MIGHT BE THE REFERENCE OF ‘‘SOME FORMS OF SATANISM, THAT PROMOTE PERSONAL RESONSIBILITY ETC’‘, WRITTEN ABOUT IN THE TEXT.)
OLD NICKY939393 (WHO LOVES NATURE, IT’S SPIRITS AND MAGICK (ART) MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.)
Dealer, collector and curator of Outsider, Visionary, Esoteric and Occult Art, STEPHEN ROMANO GALLERY is pleased to announce it’s participation in the engaging SCOPE ART FAIR opening March 8 and continuing through March 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion -125 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011. This will be the gallery’s second year presenting work at SCOPE.
Last years presentation of a solo booth of “The Anti-Christ of Photography” William Mortensen was an enormous success, prompting the gallery to return for a second time with a curated booth including important works by William Mortensen (1897 – 1965), Charles Dellschau (1830 – 1923), Wolfgang Grasse (1930 – 2008), Vintage Spirit Photography dating from 1880 through 1930, as well as contemporary art by Barry William Hale, India Evans, Alexis Palmer Karl and Vincent Castiglia.
William Mortensen “Preparation For The Sabbath” c. 1928 manipulated photograph
William Mortensen (1897 – 1965) was an American Photographer, primarily known for his Hollywood portraits in the 1920s-1940s in the pictorialist style. “Ansel Adams called him ‘the Antichrist’ and wanted him written out of history. But William Mortensen’s grotesque photographs of death, nudity and torture and are now having their day.. A monograph on the artist was produced by Feral House in 2014 to great acclaim, including major articles on the artist in The Guardian, The LA Times and The Smithsonian. In addition, many exhibition have included the art of William Mortensen, including “American Grotesque” at Stephen Romano Gallery, as well as exhibitions at The Museum of Old and New, Scope Art Fair, The Metro Show, The Outsider Art Fair, as well as a major solo exhibition at the Dark MoFo Festival curated by Barry William Hale in 2018.
Barry William Hale LEGION 49: Circle of Conjuration Printed on Aluminum and Plexiglass cutouts 2017
Barry William Hale has been described as an occult artist, while a superficially germane term; on closer inspection it radiates a self-consciously unwelcome specificity. Too redolent of those early twentieth century outsider artists whose work depended on visionary states, specific knowledge of ancient mysteries, or some other Qabalistic obscurity. Hale, it should be noted, has certainly done nothing to dissuade such labels, mischievously luxuriating in such terms when fitting.It is apparent from his biography that he is, for example, an outspoken member of the OTO. But such groups encourage individual exploration, undoubtedly an attraction to Hale whose very genealogy radiates the outlaw.
Wolfgang Grasse (1930 – 2008) “South East Garden / Garden of Ultimate Love” 1990 Acrylic on Panel
Wolfgang Grasse was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1930. After private artistic training first by his grandfather, Feidrich Grasse, and then later studying in Italy, he returned to a partitioned post-war East Germany. There he was imprisoned for his cartoons critical of Soviet propaganda. He was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison. After serving 8 years of this sentence, he was granted an amnesty and released. He migrated to Australia in 1966 & has had numerous exhibitions.
Wolfgang’s art revisits medieval themes in which we find medieval weaponry replaced by that of the 20th century: the machinery of 20th century warfare which was capable of fulfilling the medieval prophesies borne of the plague. His paintings must be seen in the context of MAD – mutually assured destruction – at the height of the cold war. And although we, the public, now feel safer, the weapons currently at our disposal – chemical and biological – can visit upon us a fate both more immediate and final than that of a nuclear war, albeit one less spectacular.
Wolfgang’s style shares many elements with that of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism: “Fantastic Realism cannot be compared with Surrealism as a garden cannot be compared with a jungle. The fantasy of the Surrealist comes from the subconscious without formal order or relation, whereas the Fantastic Realist uses his images selectively. He uses old and new symbols to express his art purposefully and to show that the human situation never really changes in its eternal truths. The automatism of images of the Surrealist are a sharp contrast to the meaningful symbolism of the Fantastic Realist.” Wolfgang Grasse
The weekly challenge this time was that it had to be related to any ideology, so I chose Satanism because spooky goat people are about my speed. Tried to go for a Mignola-esque style.
The Satanic Temple is an organization that probably wouldn’t fit most people’s idea of what a Satanist is. After all, their goals are to “encourage benevolence and empathy” and “embrace practical common sense and justice.” Much like Anton LaVey’s version of Satanism, the Satanic Temple doesn’t actually believe in or worship Satan. They see him as a symbol—a rebellious figure against tyranny and authority.
Regardless of their lack of belief, the Satanic Temple considers itself to be a religion and believes that religion should be based on science and critical thinking rather than supernatural or superstitious claims. To them, Satanism provides them with everything that a religion should provide—a sense of identity, symbolic practices, and a community of those with similar beliefs.
The Satanic Temple has gained notoriety by pushing the boundaries of free speech and having a go at fundamentalist Christians. The group is most famous for trying to erect a statue of Baphomet in Detroit because the city had approved a statue of the Ten Commandments. The logic was that if Christians were allowed to publicly profess their religion, then they should, as well.
After the Hobby Lobby decision, which allows religious organizations to opt out of providing birth control, the Satanic Temple decided to use their own status as a religion to challenge US laws. They claimed that “informed consent” laws, which require doctors to share state-approved information to a woman before she has an abortion, violate their religious beliefsbecause some of the shared information has been deemed unscientific by the members
The Satanic Temple also held a “Pink Mass” in 2013 at the grave site of Fred Phelps’s mother. Phelps is the head of the Westboro Baptist Church, an extremist Christian group that is notorious for their opposition to homosexuality. The Pink Mass involved gay couples kissing in order to make Phelps’s mother “gay in the afterlife.”
II. Luciferianism
Luciferians are rather similar to LaVeyan Satanists. Most of them are nonreligious and simply treat Lucifer as a symbol. The 11 Luciferian Points of Power, provided by the Greater Church of Lucifer, illustrate how Lucifer represents values like self-determination and liberation from “slave mentality.” In this regard, Luciferianism falls closer to a philosophy rather than an actual religion. The Neo-Luciferian Church states that Luciferianism’s core goal is to help people “take responsibility for [their] own life and act as an individual moral agent, using the full potential of [their] own genius and thereby optimizing [their] own possibilities.”
Luciferians also see Lucifer as being a completely different entity than Satan. The Greater Church of Lucifer states that the word “Lucifer” (meaning “Light Bearer” or “Morning Star”) existed far before Christianity and that translations and interpretations have changed over time to equate Lucifer and Satan as one being.
Perhaps the greatest difference between Luciferians and LaVeyan Satanists is that Lucifer (the Light Bearer) is a symbol of knowledge, while Satan (the Adversary) represents carnality and opposition. The Greater Church of Lucifer compares the story of Adam and Eve to the Hellenistic story of Prometheus. In this story, Prometheus brings forbidden fire to humanity and teaches them how to harness it for their own good. For this, Prometheus is punished by Zeus. This is not unlike the Biblical story of how the snake tempts Adam and Eve into eating from the forbidden Tree of Life.
The ultimate goal of Luciferianism is to help each individual ignite their inner Black Flame and become self-aware. Luciferianists are called to question everything, overcome their own ignorance, and balance their carnal desires with their intellect
III. Anti-Cosmic Satanism
Anti-Cosmic Satanism, also called Chaos-Gnosticism, believes that the cosmic order created by God is nothing more than a grand fabrication, and behind that illusion is an endless and formless chaos. One practitioner of this form of Satanism is an occultist author who goes by the name of Vexior 218. In an interview, Vexior explained that he did believe in an all-powerful god called the Demiurge, who has been interpreted as Odin in Norse religion and God in Christianity. He created restrictions—time, space, and flesh—to bound our otherwise free spirits. This is where figures like Loki and Satan come in. They are rebels against the Demiurge’s tyrannical rule and aim to destroy his control. Other anti-cosmic gods might include Tiamat, Baal, Asmodeus, Lilith, and more.
This form of Satanism, much like its other non-LaVeyan variants, is very obscure and unfortunately hard to find much information on. It’s most well-known member was Jon Nodtveidt of the black metal band Dissection which we’ve mentioned before. He was a member of the Temple of Black Light, once called the Misanthropic Luciferian Order, an organization with the goal of destroying the order of the Demiurge and bringing the universe back to the chaos that was originally there. The Temple used many invocations to various deities and beings, especially Lilith.
Polytheistic Satanism is exactly what it sounds like—the belief in many gods as opposed to just one god. The most famous polytheistic Satanist organization is the Church of Azazel, which is a New York City–based group open to all Satanists, occultists, and followers of the Left-Hand Path. They revere several distinct deities.
The Church of Azazel focuses on what they call the “rising gods of the modern West“—Satan/Azazel, Lilith, Prometheus, Ishtar, Pan, and Lucifer-of-Sophia. (Sophia was a Gnostic goddess who had many parallels with the story of Lucifer, along with the story of Adam and Eve.) All of these gods have been demonized by Abrahamic religions, yet they represent values and principles that the Church of Azazel strongly identifies with and social trends that are disliked by the religious right. For example, Prometheus represents knowledge and understanding, and Ishtar represents nature and sexuality. Most importantly, Satan is the one who encourages free thinking by challenging and questioning dogma.
The Church of Azazel doesn’t worship any gods in the traditional sense. Rather, they pay reverence and respect toward their gods and often feel drawn to one or more of them. They are also rather agnostic, knowing that the realm of the gods will never be completely knowable to mankind, and therefore follow what is called a here-and-now philosophy. The Church of Azazel does believe that the gods might manifest themselves within human affairs, particularly in social, economic, and religious trends.
V. The Cult Of Cthulu
There is, surprisingly, a small religion that mixes the writings of H.P. Lovecraft with Satanism, black magic, and the Left-Hand Path. This is known as the Cult of Cthulu. Venger Satanis, the cult’s founder, acknowledges that many people don’t accept Lovecraft’s writings as reality, to which he responds: “There is no reality. What the human mind calls reality does not exist.” Satanis claims that everyone is locked inside a paradigm called Generally Accepted Reality, and he has the power to shape his own reality according to his own will.
“Long ago, I chose to believe in Cthulhu, Satan, Nyarlathotep, Yog Sothoth, and the Tsalal,” he writes. “My belief gives these gelatinous, winged, blasphemous, and sickeningly undulant fiends power.”
The Cult of Cthulu claims that the Old Ones resided over the Earth countless ages ago and that they spread their dark, forbidden, and arcane knowledge to humans. The Lesser Gods were chained and whipped, and their spilled blood created the universe. Some of the surviving Lesser Gods managed to break free and banish the Old Ones.
The Cult of Cthulu sees the Old Ones in the same way that many other Satanists see Lucifer, as beings that wished to bring knowledge and free humanity from enslavement. The Cult of Cthulu believes that the vast majority of human beings will live their lives trapped in the Generally Accepted Reality, and their suffering gives energy to the Lesser Gods. The only way to break free is to awaken and achieve True Consciousness. The Greater Reality that lies within each Cthulu Cultist goes by many names—the black flame, the mark of Satan, the gift of Set, or the call of Cthulu.
All evil gods—Cthulu, Satan, Loki, etc.—are thought to be merely extensions of the “formless black essence” that is underneath Generally Accepted Reality. These gods can be thought of as real or symbolic; it doesn’t matter how one chooses to interpret them. They all represent the concept of self-empowerment, the cult’s highest law.
VI. Setians
The Temple of Set was founded by LaVey’s former right-hand man Michael Aquino, who left the Church of Satan after LaVey had started to sell priesthood offices. The idea that LaVey would profit from the Church of Satan caused many members, including high priestess Lilith Sinclair, who eventually became Aquino’s wife, to resign from the church. Aquino and other defectors helped form the Temple of Set, which developed very different philosophies from the Church of Satan.
While LaVeyan Satanists don’t believe in any sort of god or deity, Setians “believe” in a suprapersonal entity known as Set. Set is the Egyptian god of violence and disorder, who eventually became known as the god of darkness and the enemy of all other Egyptian gods. In other words, Set is “the original Satanist: the ‘god’ against all false, man-imagined gods.”
LaVeyan Satanists believe that each member is their own personal god, and they seek to ascend to godhood. The goal of Setians is to achieve xeper, an Egyptian word that roughly means “I have come into being.” Setians believe that each person goes through a divine experience at some point or another and that it is possible to create more divine experiences through self-development, magic, and other means until the Setian finally achieves a level of godhood. This is the ultimate purpose of man.
Q: Whatever happened to Anton LaVey’s house in San Francisco?
A (Provided by High Priest Peter H Gilmore): Dr. LaVey’s Victorian home, once located at 6114 California Street in San Francisco, was vacated by his surviving family members after his death and remained empty for a number of years. LaVey had earlier sold his home to an old friend to raise money to pay off the palimony suit by his former partner, Diane Hegarty. The sons of this friend took over ownership and evicted LaVey’s partner, Blanche Barton, along with their son. Eventually, on October 16 of 2001, the house was demolished and remained an empty lot—all rubble having been carted away immediately. Beware of people claiming to be selling pieces of the house as the wrecking crew did not allow anyone on-site to take souvenirs. A new residential building now stands in its place with a different address.
Q: I am in the military and want to have my Satanism recognized. Is that possible?
In the United States, there used to be an armed services Chaplains’ manual that had been updated up until the second Bush administration, after which it seems to have disappeared. Members of the Church of Satan in the US armed forces could display their membership cards and request acknowledgement of their affiliation, since the Church of Satan was included in this official publication. Non-members had no such recourse.
The situation is less clear in the armed forces of other nations and continues to develop.
However, since Satanists are pragmatic it is important to consider that in any military situation you might have superior officers who are Christian and thus might hold unreasonable prejudices against anyone identifying himself as a Satanist. If a career is planned in the military, announcing one’s Satanism might not be a wise course to take. Many of our members serving in the armed forces often choose to identify themselves as atheists, or not select any religious affiliation.
The choice is yours, but do consider the consequences quite carefully before taking a step that cannot be reversed.
Q: I am a veteran and a Satanist and plan to be buried in a national military cemetery. Is it possible to have a pentagram or a Sigil or Baphomet or some other recognition on my grave marker?
This situation is currently evolving and so we expect for developments to occur.
The reversed cross is often seen by Christians as symbolic of St. Peter since legend states that he was crucified upside down (at his own request) by the Romans and thus it also can serve as symbolic of the office of the pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Literature has long depicted anyone who has embraced Satan and thus rejected Jesus as having embraced the reversed cross as symbolic of that act. Satanists are free to employ any symbols which they feel have resonance, so if such an upside-down cross has personal meaning they could use it.
However, the prime symbol for Satanists is the Sigil of Baphomet
Q: What is the symbol with the Nine Satanic Statements in The Satanic Bible?
It is the alchemical symbol for sulphur. The stench produced when this substance is burned has long been associated with the Infernal regions. Dr. LaVey used it as a spooky decoration and it has no other significance despite some hilarious interpretations by evangelical Christians.
Q: Is 666 a symbol of Satan?
For we Satanists, numbers are just numbers. We are amused by Christians who are superstitiously afraid of this number. And since we enjoy mocking irrationality in all its forms, we might use it to tease Christians, to show them how foolish it is to fear it.
Historically, 666 is the name of Emperor Nero reduced to its numerological value through Hebrew Gematria. In the New Testament it is referred to as the “number of the beast.” Satanists think this is quaint, but of no real value except for a record of the lengths people will go to force significance where none exists, objectively speaking.
So 666 is not part of Satanism per se, but since the public consciousness of it these days is as a Christian symbol of the “Antichrist,” we are happy to have addresses or phone numbers which include it as it stirs Christians to reactions which entertain us.
Q: What does “Shemhamforash” mean?
This word is supposed to stand for the “secret” name of the Hebrew God. To utter it was considered to be the utmost blasphemy against this deity, thereby guaranteeing one’s damnation. It is also supposed to be the “word of power” spoken by Moses to part the Red Sea. So, Satanists use it for traditional blasphemy’s sake.
There are many speculations regarding this, but Dr. LaVey wanted the detailed significance to remain a mystery and we respect his wishes. He did record the song by that name on his album Satan Takes a Holiday, which was released by Amarillo Records and re-released by Reptilian Records.
Q: What is that medallion worn by Anton LaVey with the pentagram and lightning bolt?
That medallion is of a symbol originally created to represent the office of the High Priest of the Church of Satan. Read this essay for a detailed explanation of its development and meaning: The Anton LaVey Sigil
Occult Aspects 