Satanism

The history of satanismThe worship of Satan, or the devil(velnias), the god of evil inchristianity, during the renaissance, witches(ragana), along with heretics,were accused (kaltinami)of worshiping (garbinimas)the devil. Manyconfessed(pripazista) to it, probably coerced [κ?υ??:σ] v (pri)versti bytorture. In popular lore(moksle), witches are still believed to haveworshiped the devil. (In modern neo-paganism and witchcraft(raganyste), orwicca(burtai,kerai), as it is often called, there is no belief nor worshipof the devil.) Satanism has been far less common (daznaipaplites)throughout history than many would believe. The Inquisitors andwitch hunters of earlier centuries tried to persuade (itikinti)the populacethat devil worshipers were everywhere and posed (nustatyti,pastatyti)aserious threat (gresme)to their well being. For about 250 years, from themid-15th century to the early 18th century, the height of the witch hunts,that argument worked. It is possible that some devil worship may haveactually existed in those times, as an act of defiance(ignoravimas) amongthose who opposed (lygina)the authority (valdžia)of the christianchurch.Satanism as an organized activity did not exist much before the 17thcentury. As early as the 17th century, however, the catholickatalikiškas)church was condemning (pasmerkti)priests who subverted(nuversti)the magical(magiskas) powers of the holy mass(sventos misios) forevil(blogio) purposes.(tikslu) The Grimoire of Honorious, a magicaltextbook first printed in the 17th century (but perhaps older), gaveinstructions for saying masses(misias) to conjour (susijungti)[κ?ν?δ???ν]demons. In the 17th century, satanic activities were conducted(vadovaujamas)by christians who indulged(isitraukti,medautis)in themagical/sexual rites(apeigos) of the black mass, presided (prizaidvadovauti)over by defrocked(atimtu kunigyste) or unscrupulous(nesaziningas)priests. The most notorious(zinomas) of these escapades(issisokimas) took

place in France during the reign(rein-karaliavimas) of Louis XIV,engineered by the kings mistress, Madamme de Montespan, and led(vadovavo)by an occultist(okeltizm okultizmas) named La Voisin and a 67year old libertine (libertyn-laisvamanis)priest, the Abbé Guiborg.There isno reliable evidence(požymiu) of satanic activity in the 18th century. InEngland, the Hellfire club, a society founded by Sir Francis Dashwood (1708-1781), has often been described as satanic, but in actuality it was littlemore than a club for adolescent(edelnest-paauglys)-like men toindule(isitraukti) in drinking, sexual play with woman called“nuns”(vienuoles) and outrageous(siaubingas) behavior(elgesys). TheHellfire club, or the “Medmenham monks” as they called themselves, metregularly between 1750 and 1762 in Dashwood’s home, Medmenham Abbey. Themembers were said to conduct(vadovauti) black masses, but it isdoubtful(abejotinas) that these were serious satanic activities. Similargroups were the brimstone(siera)boys and blue blazers(trumpasSvarkelis) ofIreland.Perhaps the most famous Satanist in the 19th century was the AbbéBoullan of France, who became the head of an offshoot(atsaka) of the churchof Carmel and allegedly(tariamai) practiced black magic and infant(kudikiu)sacrifice(aukojimas). The church of Carmel was formed by Eugene Vintras,the foreman (meistras)of a cardboard (karotono)box factory Tillysur-Seulles. In 1839 Vintras said he received a letter from the archangelMichael, followed by visions, of the archangel, the holy ghost, St.Josephand the virgin Mary. He was informed that he was thereincarnated(ryinkarneit-persikuniti) prophet(pranasas) Elijah, and he wasto found a new religious order and proclaim(paskelbti) the coming of theage of the holy(sventas) ghost. The true king of France, he was told, wasone Charles Naundorf.Vintras went about the countrysidepreaching(sakytipamoksla) this news and acquiring(isigyti) followers,including priests. Masses were celebrated that included visions of emptychalices(tselis-taure) filled with blood stapins(deme) on theEucharist.(komunija) By 1848 the church of Carmel, as the movement wasknown, was condemned(pasmerktasMirti) by the pope(popiezius). In 1851Vintras was accused(kaltinamas) by a former disciple(sekėjas) ofconducting(vadovavimas) black masses in the nude(njud-nuoga), homosexualityand masturbating while praying at the alter.Shortly before his death in1875, Vintras befriended(draugiskas) Boullan, who formed asplinter(skeveldra) group of the church of Carmel upon Vintras death. Heran the group for 18 years, until his death, outwardly maintaining piouspractices but secretly conducting satanic rituals.Boullan seems to havebeen obsessed(persekioti) with Satanism and evel since the age of 29, whenhe took a nun (vienuole)named Adele Chevalier as his mistress. Chevalierleft her convent(vienuolynas), bore (nuobodus)two bastard (išpera)childrenand founded with Boullan The Society for the Reparation of Souls. Boullanspecialized in exorcising (piktujuDvasiuIsvarymas)demons byunconventional(nesuvarzytas) means, such as feeding possessed(apimtas)viltims(aukos) a mixture of human excrement and the Eucharist. Healso performed(ivykdyti)black masses. On January 8, 1860, he had Chevalierreportedly conducted a black mass in which they sacrificed one of theirchildren.By the time Boullan met Vintras, Boullan was claiming to be thereincarnated (persikunyti)St.John the Baptist. He taught his followerssexual techniques and said the original sin(nuodėme) of Adam and Eve couldbe redeemed(išpirkti) by sex with incubi (veisti)and succubi. he and hisfollowers were said to copulate(poruotis) with the spirits of the dead,including Anthony the great.Boullan’s group was infiltrated (iflirtuoti)bytwo Rosicrucians, Oswald Wirth and Stanislasde Guaita, who wrote anexposé,(atidengti) The Temple of Satan. Boullan and de Guaitasupposedly(manoma) engaged(manomas) in magical warfare. Boullan and hisfriend, the novelist J.K. Huysmans, claimed to be attacked by demons. WhenBoullan collapsed and died of a heart attack on January 3, 1893, Huysmansbelieved it was due to an evil spell cast by de Guaita, and said so inprint. De Guaita challenged him to a duel, but Huysmans declined andapologized.In his novel, La-bas, Huysmans included a black mass, which hesaid was based on his observations of one conducted by a satanic group inParis, operating in the late 19th century. He said the mass was recitedbackwards, the crucifix was upside down, the Eucharist was defiled and therite ended in a sexual orgy.By the early 20th century, Aleister Crowley(known as the black pope) was linked to Satanism. Although he calledhimself “the beast”, used the words “life” “love” and “light” to describeSatan and once baptized and crucified a toad as Jesus, he was not aSatanist but a magician and occultist. Modern SatanismThe Largest movement of modern Satanism began in the 1960’s in the UnitedStates, led by Anton Szandor LaVey, a shrewd(izvalgaus) intelligent manwith a charismatic (zavus)persona and an imposing(ispudingas)appearance.(pasirodymas) LaVey founded the church of Satan in San Franciscoin 1966, the activities of which became the object of great mediaattention.Born April 11, 1930, in Chicago, LaVey claimed an ancestory(protevis)of Alsatian, Georgian and Romanian blood, including a gypsy(čigonas)grandmother from Transylvania. As a child he studied music andbecame interested in the occult(slaptas)okultizmas. He learned to play thepiano at age 10, and at 15 became an oboist for the San Francisco BalletSymphony Orchestra. He dropped out of high school in his junior year andjoined the Clyde Beatty Circus as a cage(kalejimo) boy. He had a gift(dovana)for working with the large cats and became assistant trainer. Itwas in the circus, working with lions, he later said, that he learned aboutinner power and magic. On the side he investigated haunted houses. At 18,he left the circus and joined a carnival as a magician’s assistant and acalliope player. In 1948 he met Marilyn Monroe and played as heraccompanist.He married his first wife, Carole, in 1951; they had onedaughter, Karla. He studied criminology at City College in San Francisco,and spent 3 years as a crime photographer with the San Francisco policedepartment. Disgusted with the violence that he had seen, he quit andreturned to playing the organ at local night clubs and theatres.He beganholding(turėjimas) classes on occult subjects. From these classesevolved(plėtotis) a magic circle, which met to perform rituals LaVey haddevised or re-created from historical sources on the Knights Templar , TheHellfire Club, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley.LaVey apparently (aiskiai)enjoyed the theatrics of the rituals; he dressedin a scarlet lined cape and kept(raudonaapsiausta) skulls (kaukole)andother odd (keistas)objects about. Magic-circle members includedactress(artiste) Jayne Mansfield and film maker Kenneth Anger.LaVeydivorced Carole in 1960 and married Dianne, a 17 year old who worked as ausherette at his friday night occult sessions. The had a daughter, Zeena.From 1960 to 1966 he developed his elitist satanic philosophy. He viewedthe devil as a dark force hidden in nature, ruling earthlyaffairs.(reikalas) Mans true nature, he claimed , is one of lust, pride,hedonism and willfulness, attributes that enable the advancement ofcivilization. Flesh should not be denied but celebrated. Individuals whostand in the way of achieving (pasiekti)what one wants should becursed(prakeiktas).On Walpurgisnacht (April 30) in 1966, LaVey shaved hishead and announced(paskelbe) the founding of the Church of Satan. Heshrewdly(apgalvotas) recognized the shock value of using the term churchfor worshiping the devil and recognized peoples innate (igimtas)for ritual,ceremony and pageantry(iškilmingumas) He performed satanicbaptisms,(krikstas) weddings and funerals, all of which received widespread(placiaipaplites)media coverage.(nusvietimasSpaudoje) He used a nude woman(partially covered by a leopard skin) as an alter.(perdirbti) His wife,Dianne became high priestess of the Church. He baptized (pakrikštyta)Zeena.Karla began giving lectures on Satanism at universities and colleges.LaVeypreached antiestablishmentarianism, self indulgence and all forms ofgratification and vengeance. Enemies were to be hated and smashed. Sex wasexalted. He opposed the use of drugs, saying they were escapist(vengiantystikroves) and unnecessary to achieving natural highs. He alsodeplored(apgaileti) the use of black magic in criminal activity. He did notinclude the Black Mass in his rituals because he believed the Black Mass tobe out of date. The Church of Satan organized into grottoes. A reversedpentacle(atvirksciai penkiakampe) containing a goats headOzio, called thebaphomet(apskritakazkas), was chosen as the symbol. LaVey used Enochian asthe magical language for rituals and espoused(palaikyti) the Enochian keysused by Crowley.The Church attracted an international following. Most weremiddle-class and included occultists, thrill seekers(jauduliuieskotojai),the curious9smalsus), racists(rasistas) and political right-wingers. At itspeak, it was said to have about 25,000 members (years later, ex-memberssaid the figures were exaggerated). Followers included celebrities, amongthem Jayne Mansfield, who became an active member.Mansfield’s involvementwith LaVey deeply disturbed Sam Brody, Mansfield’s attorney(įgaliotinis)and lover. Brody feared word would break out to the press and that shewould be damaged by negative publicity. In 1967 Brody attempted to scareoff LaVey by threatening(grasinimas) to publish stories about him thatwould label him a fraud(apgaule). LaVey responded by putting acurse(keikimasis) on the lawyer, who suffered a minor car accident shortlythereafter. LaVey also warned Mansfield that she should sever herrelationship with Brody.In June 1967 LaVey reportedly told Mansfield thathe had a premonition that Brody would have another car accident, and ifJayne were with him, she might be injured. She dismissed the warning. OnJune 29 she was riding with Brody in his car when it collided with a truck.Both she and Brody were killed, Mansfield by decapitation.Film directorRoman Polanski hired LaVey for his film version of Ira Levin’s Devil-worshipers, Rosemary’s baby, released in 1968. LaVey portrayed(aprase)Satan and advised Polanski on Satanic ritual details.LaVey turnedmuch of his organizational activities over to others in the church andbegan writing books. The Satanic Bible was published in 1969, followed byThe Satanic Rituals in 1972. A third book The Compleat Witch, was publishedin Europe.In 1975 the Church suffered a serious loss of members, who leftto form a new Satanic organization, The Temple of Set. In the mid-1970’sthe Church of Satan reorganized as a secret society and dissolved intogrottoes. The headquarters remain in San Francisco. LaVey is no longeractive, for he passed away a little while ago. Membership began to riseagain in the 1980’s.The Temple of Set also is based in San Francisco andhad several hundred members as of the mid 1980’s. Key founders were MichaelA. Aquino, Lilith Sinclair (Aquinos wife) and Betty Ford (not the formerfirst lady, wife of president Gerold Ford). It is an initiatory societydevoted to the Egyptian God Set (also known as Seth), whom members do notconsider evil but merely the prototype of Satan. According to the temple,Set has, over the millennia, altered human genetics in order to createpeople of superior intelligence for the next level of evolution. Threemajor phases have occured(atsitikti) the first in 1904, when Crowleyrecieved the book of the law; the second in 1966 when the Church of Satanwas formed; and the third in 1975, when the Temple of Set was formed.In hiswitings,(samojis) Aquino has prophesied an apocolypse in which only the“elect” or members of the Temple of Set, will survive. Aquino, a liutenantcolonal in the U.S. army reserves, has an interest in Nazi pagan ritualspractised during World War II but says he does not sympathize Nazipolotics.A number of other Satanic groups formed in the united states inthe 1970’s were defunct (ismire)by the 1980’s. Nevertheless, Satanicactivities remain widespread on both sides of the Atlantic; some expertssay they were on the rise as of the 1980’s. The extent of Satanism isimpossible to gauge, because of the great secrecy of many orgonizations.There is evidence of small “family traditions” of Satanism, passed downfrom one generation to another. Some Satanists are associated with Neo-Naziorganizations or sex magic orders. Some Satanic cults are alleged to beinvolved in drug, prostitution and pornography trade and to have realestate holdings. Members are said to include white-collar professionals.These do not pertain(priklausyti) to the modern daySatanists(LaVeyan)Michelle Remembers (1980), by Michelle Smith and LawrencePazder, M.D., recounts the terrors Smith experienced as a child of five inSatanic rituals in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1954-55. She said hermother yielded (derlius)her to devil worshipers, who used her as a livingpointer in rituals. She witnessed (liudytojas)the ritual killings ofanimals and infants and was shut in coffins that were put into graves andinto which were thrown dead animals. She also watched the cult membersattempt to bring life to a white statue of a man with horns. She said shewas tricked (negrazus pokstai)into defacating (sugadinta)on the cross andwas asked to renounce(atsisakyti) the christian god. Smith descibesinstances in which during the rituals, she witnessed the devilemerge(pasirodyti) from the fire, a man animal with a whipping(plakimas),snake-like tail that struck her on the neck and seared herflesh(susilpnintiJosKuna). Fire shot from his finger tips and filled hismouth. He had clawlike(nagas)hands, steaming nostrils(garuojantinosiarykle) and odd(keista) nostrils. His shape constantly changed, and heappeared to be apart of the fire. Smith was able to purge (išvalymas)hermemories in psychiatric therapy at age 28.Perhaps most dangerous of all aresmall cults whose members call themselves Satanists and practise ritualmurder and animal mutilation. Such groups are said to kidnap(pagrobimas)runaway children and the homeless and use them as sacrificialviltims(aukos), this is known as devil worship by LaVeyan followers. Ex-Satanic cult members have reported gruesome rituals in which hearts are cutout of living victims. Others report that victims are sexually abused(piknaudziaujama)before being killed; then their blood is drunk and theirflesh is eaten. Women “breeders” (augintojos)produce babies for the“ultimate” and “ideal” human sacrifice. Former breeders report witnessingtheir babies being skinned alive, eaten, burned, poured in concrete and cutup and thrown in the ocean. Ritual tools are made from their bones.In 1985a ten year old boy in Bakersfield, Califonia, said that he and about twodozen other children were taken to a bad church by some 40 adults, who tookoff their clothes while chanting prayers(monotoniskasMaldavimas) to Satan.The children were forced to throw knives (peilius)at a living baby, whichwas killed and dissmembered(pasmeigtas). The children were then forced todrink its blood. Then the boy said that the adults molested(izaginti) thechildren. Similar cases were reported throughout California, but theauthorities found little evidence to support the claims. In 1987 a reportissued by the Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police suggested that Satanismmight be related to unsolved cases of missing children. Satanists wherealso believed to be responsable for some grave desecrations androbbings.Satanism has been linked to certain oppresive heavy matal rockbands and teenage suicides (sjusaid-savizudybe)and murders. Some troubledteens apparently turn to Satanism when they feel powerless andabandone(paliktas) by thier families, the world and the christian god. Theyjoin cults that encourage(padrasinti), or require, them to carry out actsof violence to prove thier homage to Satan. Drug abuse is common. Theritual violence gives them a sence of power.Author Maury Terry, in theUltimate Evil (1987), asserts that David Berkowitz, the convicted “Son ofSam” killer who terrorized New York neighborhoodsin the late 1970’s, was amember of a Satanic cult that operates in Westchester County and plannedthe Son of Sam murders. Terry states the cult is linked to a network ofcults across the country, with a primary headquarters near Los Angeles, andthat Charles Manson may have been involved with it. The cult is reportedlyan offshoot of a Satanic group in England.LaVeyan Satanists, Neo-paganWitches and neo-pagans are wrongly blamed for devil worship activities.Several organizations carry on public relations and education programs forthe media and members of the law-enforcement community to counteract suchaccusationsSatanic religious organizations, such as the Church of Satan andTemple of Set, DO NOT condone the violent blood sacfifices of the cults andare not associated with them in any way. According to Aquino, the Temple ofSet emphasizes “rational self interest” and taking responsibility for one’sown intellectual and ethical decisions.