Satanic Symbols

Name: Inverted Pentagram

When used by satanic groups, the three downward points often signifyrejection of the Christian Trinity.

Name: Baphomet

This is a 19th century image by Eliphas Levi called the "Sabbatic Goat." The name "Baphomet," which eventually became associated with this illustration, has been around since the 13th century and at some point became linked with pagan worship.

Aleister Crowley associated the image with sex magic.

It is also depicts "the devil" in some Tarot images.

Name: Sigil of Baphomet

The Hebrew characters situated in the outer ring spell out "Leviathan."

This symbol has been used from the days of the Spanish Inquisition to the present as it is the cover art for Anton LaVey's The Satanic Bible.

(Image courtesy of Gustov89.)

Name: Cross of St. Peter

Traditionally called the Cross of St. Peter to depict the upside down crucifixion of the apostle, it was later adopted by some satanic organizations to convey a reversal of Christianity.

Name: Satanic Cross

A modification of the alchemic sign for sulfur, which represents fire and brimstone, the symbol is used in Anton LaVey's The Satanic Bible.

Name: Hexagram

This six-pointed star is usually associated with Judaism, but has been used as an occult symbol going by the name "The Seal of Solomon."

 

 

 

Ancient Greek and Roman Religion

What was Greco-Roman religion? What were the beliefs ofancient Greeks and ancient Romans? What did Greco-Roman religion look like during the Roman Empire and what happened to it as Christianity spread in the ancient world?

Although the religion of the ancient Greeks is virtually extinct in its original form, it lives on in the cultures, imaginations, and even the religions of the modern western world.

This section of ReligionFacts explores the beliefs, practices andhistory of religion in the world of Ancient Greece.

Our index articles focus primarily on Greek religious beliefs and rituasl, but they include Greek philosophy as well. In the ancient world, "religion" and "philosophy" were not completely distinct entities, and the beliefs of the average Greek might have been influenced both by traditional beliefs about the gods and ideas derived from the teachings of the philsophers. In addition, the teachings of philosophers like Plato and Socrates deal with the subjects we often group under "religious" today - the meaning of life, the existence of an afterlife, the nature of the universe, and God or gods.

Glossary of Greek and Roman Religion

A

Aeneas

Hero of Greek mythology and literature. Son of Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. In the Iliad, he is a Trojan leader who is very pious towards the gods.

Agamemnon

Hero of Greek mythology and literature. Son of Atreus, brother of Menelaus, husband of Clytemnestra. In Homer, commander of the Greek expedition against Troy and a man of personal valor but easily discouraged.

agones

1. Informal and competitive struggles and rivalries that permeated Greek life.
2. Gatherings of people, usually for formal contests in honor of a god or local hero.

agora

Large open space used for assembly of the citizens; thus the center of a Greek city.

Anthesteria

An Athenian festival in honor of the god Dionysus. Held annually for three days in the early spring to celebrate the end of winter and the maturing of the wine.

aparche (first-fruits)

Lit. "from the beginning." Gift to the gods, usually agricultural products. They may be either burnt, deposited at sacred places, or sunk in water.

Apaturia

An Ionian festival celebrated by the phatry throughout Attica. It took place in the autumn month of Pyanopsion for three days, and its main function was to enrol new phatry members.

Apellai

Dorian festival of Apollo celebrated at Sparta and elsewhere. Corresponded to the Ionian festival of Apaturia. At Sparta, the festival was celebrated monthly, on the seventh, when the Spartan assembly met.

Aphrodite

Goddess of sexuality and reproduction; also connected with vegetation and the earth in general. Patron goddess of prostitutes, seafaring, and civic harmony. According to Homer, the daughter of Zeus and Dione. According to Hesiod, born from the severed genitals of Uranus. Seen as both Greek and foreign.

Apollo

Important god of many functions, including healing and purification, prophecy, care for young citizens, poetry and music. Son of Zeus and Leto, brother of Artemis. For many, the most Greek of Greek gods. Portrayed as young, beardless, athletic, and of ideal beauty. His weapon is the bow, his instrument is the lyre, and his plant is the laurel.

apophrades

"Impure" days of the Athenian calendar. Associated with the Plynteria, homicide trials, moonless days, and other inauspicious events. Temples were closed and major undertakings were avoided.

Aristotle

(384-322 BCE) Greek philosopher who taught that knowledge of God is the primary form of knowledge, and the way to know God is through the intellect and rationality. Aristotle's thought (combined with Platonism) was influential in Judaism, Islam and Christianity in the Middle Ages.

Attica (Modern Greek Attiki)

Ancient coastal district of east central Greece. Contained the cities of Eleusis, Marathon, and Athens. The modern district stretches farther west and has Athens as its capital.

B

Bacchanalia (also Dionysia)

Any of several festivals of Dionysus, the wine god. Suppressed by the Roman senate in 186 BC. Bacchic cults included oaths of loyalty, organized funding, property and membership. In Greece, only women were admitted; in Rome, both were admitted and the festivities were held more often.

Bacchus

See Dionysus.

D

dadouchos

The torchbearer, and second most important priest, of the Eleusian Mysteries. He was chosen from the lineage of the Kerykes for life. He wore a headbadn with a myrtle wreath, a robe of purple, and carried torches. The appointment was considered a great honor and there was often considerable competition for the position.

Dionysus (also Bacchus)

God of fruitfulness, vegetation, wine and ecstasy. Son of Zeus and Semele.

E

eiresione

Olive branch carried by singing boys at various festivals, then deposited either at the temple of Apollo or house doors. The branches were hung with symbols of agricultural abundance: figs, fruits, etc. Householders were expected to give the boys a present in return.

Eleusinia

Important festival of games held at Eleusis (in Attica) on a grand scale every fourth year and on a lesser scale every two years. The prize was grain from the Rarian field in Eleusis, where grain was believed to have been first cultivated.

Eleusis

Most famous local community (deme) in Athens after Piraeus. On a landlocked bay with a rich plain; merege with Athens before 7th cent. BCE.

Elysium (also Elysian Fields)

Paradise inhabited by the distinguished or the good after their death. First named in Homer's Odyssey as the destiny of Menelaus.

exegetes

An interpreter or teacher of sacred lore. Athenian exegetai concerned themselves primarily with the unwritten sacred law, but also pronounced on secular and domestic questions.

F

fable

Short story in Greece and other ancient cultures. Fables appeared in literature as illustrative examples and later were compiled into collections.

H

hierodouloi

"Sacred slaves." The term can refer to slaves who are technically the property of a god and live on land owned by temples, slaves who are attached to the service of a god through a gift or civic decree, and slaves who were manumitted through a fictitious sale to a god. Occasionally it was also used by devotees of a cult to refer to themselves as "slaves of the god."

hieros gamos (holy marriage)

Specifically, a festival in Athens celebrating the marriage of Zeus and Hera and also known as Theogamia. More generally, the mythical or ritual presentation of a solemn sexual union involving at least one divine partner.

Homer

The real or legendary author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were written in the 8th century BCE. See Homer.

I

Iris

Goddess of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, employed especially by Zeus and Hera.

K

kanephoroi

Young women who carried baskets or vessels (kana) of objects needed for the sacrificial ceremony in processions. They were required to be from a good family, unmarried, and chaste. They were dressed splendidly, their hair and garments were decked with gold and jewels, they were powdered with while barley-flour and wore a chain of figs.

Ker (also Cer)

An impersonal spirit of evil and destructiveness. Usually spoken of in the plural (Keres), and originally used in relation to destiny or in reference to the spirits of the dead. In post-Homeric usage, they pollute like the Harpies and are associated with disease, old age, death, and troubles in general.

M

makarismos

"Blessed." Used in Homer and possibly in rites of initations in mystery cults.

maschalismos

A practice mentioned in tragedies, which may or may not have been common in real life, of cutting off the extremities of a murder victim and placing them under the corpse's armpits (maschalai). The purpose was probably humiliation, but may have also served to avoid pollution or prevent the corpse from taking vengeance.

N

nenia

A dirge of lamentation and praise of a deceased person, sung to a flute accompaniment by a hired mourner. Named for Nenia, the goddess of funerary lamentation.

neokoros

"Temple warden." Originally, a temple official. From the late 1st cent. CE, a title for a city that held a provincial temple in the Roman Empire.

O

Olympian Games

Games hled at Olympia once every four years in August or September in honor of Zeus. The original contest was a 200-meter sprint; horse and chariot races were added around the 8th century BCE. The prizes were crowns of wild olive. The games were abolished in 393 CE by Emperor Theodosius I.

Olympian gods (also Olympians)

The twelve gods on the Parthenon frieze: Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseiden and Zeus.

Oschophoria

Attic festival celebrated early in the autumn month of Pyanopsion. Main rites were: a procession led by two young noblemen dressed as women and carrying oschoi, bunches of grapes on the branch; a race along the same course, also holding oschoi; a banquet with female "dinner-bearers" and libations accompanied by mixed cries of joy and grief.

P

Paean

A ritual exclamation and name for the song addressed to gods of healing (originally Paean, later Apollo and Asclepius). Paeans were sung at religious festivals, during illness or plague, before a military action, after libations, and on public occasions like the ratification of peace.

pannychis

An "all-night" festival for a deity. In comedies, they are sometime the occasion of illicit sexual encounters, and Pannychis was also a common name for an upper-class prostitute.

pharmakos

A human scapegoat, chosen from among the poor and ugly and chased out of the city-state to purify it in times of famine or plague. In myths, sometimes aristocrats, princesses or kings sacrifice themselves for the city.

Platonism

Philosophical system derived from Plato's writings. The basic teaching of Platonism is that ultimate reality cannot be found in everyday life but in the world of the "Forms." Knowledge of the Forms comes by moral and intellectual purification.

Plotinus

(c. 205-270 CE) Founder of Neoplatonism and mystic. His thought centered around attaining to the One (or the Good) through contemplation. Plotinus' works were published by his pupil Porphyry in six "Enneads" (groups of nine).

proagon

In Classical Athens, an official theatrical presentation taking place a few days before the Great Dionysia began.

T

tithe (dekate)

A thank-offering to a god that is a one-tenth part of a revenue.

Z

Zeus

Chief deity of the Olympian pantheon, god of the sky and weather, and sender of thunderbolts and lightning.

Temple of Set

The Temple of Set was started in 1975 by Michael. A Aquino. It was given its title after Aquino stated that theEgyptian god Set spoke to him. Aquino was a member of Anton LaVey's Church of Satan until he and others left the organization over administrative differences. The philosophy of The Temple of Set stresses self-enhancement through education and experimentation.

The book, The Jewelled Tablets of Set, articulates degrees within the order:

1st degree - Setian

2nd degree - Adept

3rd degree - Priest/Priestess

4th degree - Magister/Magistra Templi

5th degree - Magus/Maga

6th degree - Ipsissimus/Ipsissima

Local groups of the Temple of Set are called Pylons. Members get together to talk about various topics concerning ultimate reality.

The Typhonian Order

The Typhonian Order, also known as The Typhonian Ordo Templi Orientis, was started in the late 19th century in England by Carl Kellner. Theodor Reuss succeeded Kellner in 1905 and Aleister Crowley succeeded Reuss in 1921. World War II significantly reduced the size of the organization, but the group survived led by Kenneth Grant, an English occultist. Grant was also authored several books including The Typhonian Trilogies, Remembering Aleister Crowley, and At the Feet of the Guru. Today, The Typhonian Order is interested in demons, various occult activities, and the search for life in space.

The Yezidi

The Yezidi are a Kurdish-speaking people group that mostly live in northern Iraq. Their religious practices borrow from different belief systems. While Sufi terminology is embedded in their vocabulary, some Yezidi are circumcised following the practices of Judaism. They also practice baptism like in Christianity.

Bird Worshippers?

Some who have studied the Yezidi have concluded that they are birdworshippers. The preeminent deity among the Yezidi is named Melek Tawus, a Peacock Angel. The Yezidi believe God created Melek Tawus, who was the first of seven archangels that he made before Adam. When Adam was made, God told the archangels to bow to him, but Melek Tawus refused. God then praised Melek Tawus and gave him jurisdiction over the earth. Yezidis believe God’s command was only a test, which Melek Tawus passed.
To some, Melek Tawus’ rebellion against God is reminiscent of Lucifer’s rebellion against God as recorded in the Bible. This is one reason why many consider the Yezidi devil worshippers.

Devil Worshippers?

The Yezidi have had numerous conflicts with their Muslim neighbors over the centuries due in part to the belief that they worship the devil. The Yezidi call Melek Tawus “Shaytan,” which is the word the Quran uses for “Satan.” Muslims also identify Melek Tawus’ rebellion with Satan’s rebellion, but instead of being lauded by God for his refusal like in the Yezidi version of the story, he is cursed. The Yezidi’s story of what happened after Melek Tawus’ rebellion, according to Muslims, is a sinister edit of the story inspired by Satan himself.
Modern reporting suggests the Yezidi still hold firm to their controversial beliefs. In 2007, Sean Thomas, a writer forThe Telegraph in London, England, wrote about his time with the Yezidi and concluded the group worshipped a bird. But, while speaking with a Yezidi spokesman, he was told this about their religious beliefs:

“We believe [Melek Tawus] is a proud angel, who rebelled and was thrown into hell by God. He stayed there 40,000 years, until his tears quenched the fires of the underworld. Now he is reconciled to God.”

The Yezidi’s use of a peacock may also have origins associated with Satan and demons. In some ancient religions in Turkey, for example, the imagery of birds represents the swift aerial movement often associated with how spirit-beings travel.
Finally, Church of Satan founder Anton LeVay is his book, The Satanic Bible, refers to the Yezidi as “a sect of devilworshippers” (p. 43), adding speculation that there is more to the Yezidi's belief system that the veneration of a bird.

Order of Nine Angles

The Order of Nine Angles is a secretive satanic group thought to have originated in England in the 1960's by David Myatt.
The organization emphasizes pushing physical and mental limits for the purpose of individual growth, such as spending months living in isolation in the forest. Adherents believe such practices will lead to a more refined society.
The Order of the Nine Angles' literature, including Anton Long'sHysteron Proteron, encourages human sacrifices. The group contends that forbidden activities such as human sacrifice will produce a new age of higher civilization in the world. The Order of the Nine Angles has had a contentious relationship with other satanic groups, like The Church of Satan, over the issue of human sacrifice.
Founder David Myatt converted to Islam in 1998.

Our Lady of Endor

Our Lady of Endor, also known as Ophite Cultus Satanas, was started in 1948 by Herbert Arthur Sloane in Toledo, Ohio. Sloane believes that when he was a child, Satan appeared to him in the woods as a horned-god.
The group's name is thought to be derived from the biblical character Saul's visit to a medium at a place named Endor. 1 Samuel 28:6-13 records the story:

"6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor. 8 And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee. 9 And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die? 10 And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing. 11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel. 12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul. 13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth." (KJV)

Members of Our Lady of Endor worship Satan, who they call Satanas, which is a Latin-to-English transliteration of the name. Adherents perceive Satan through the lens of Gnosticism and recommend the book The Gnostic Religionby Hans Jonas. Like the ancient Ophites, members of Our Lady of Endor hold that the serpent in the Garden of Eden, written of in Genesis 3:1-14, possessed unique knowledge.

Palladists

Palladists were members of The Order of Palladium, a satanic group started in France in 1737. The order had two degrees, "Adelph" and "Companion of Ulysses." Women members were called "Companions of Penelope." The order was broken up by French law enforcement a few years after it began.

The Satanic Bible

Author: Anton LaVey
Pages: 272
Publisher: Avon Books
First edition: 1969
ISBN: 9780380015399
The Satanic Bible is a collection of rituals, essays, and philosophical teachings of The Church of Satan.

Contents

Early editions of The Satanic Bible included numerous dedications to people such as Friedrich Nietzsche, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Howard Hughes, Marilyn Monroe, George Orwell, H.G. Wells, and HarryHoudini. Modern versions have a dedication page that reads: "To Diane" and also contain a 10-page introduction by Peter H. Gilmore, the current high priest of the Church of Satan.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Preface
Prologue
The Nine Satanic Statements
The body of the book is divided into four parts.

(FIRE)
- BOOK OF SATAN -
The Infernal Diatribe

(AIR)
- BOOK OF LUCIFER -
The Enlightenment

I. Wanted!: God—Dead or Alive
II. The God You SAVE May Be Yourself
III. Some Evidence of a New Satanic Age
IV. Hell, the Devil, and How to Sell Your Soul
V. Love and Hate
VI. Satanic Sex
VII. Not all Vampires Suck Blood
VIII. Indulgence... NOT Compulsion
IX. On the Choice of a Human Sacrifice
X. Life After Death Through Fulfillment of the Ego
XI. Religious Holidays
XII. The Black Mass

(EARTH)
- BOOK OF BELIAL -
The Mastery of the Earth

I. Theory and Practice of Satanic Magic: (Definition and Purpose of Lesser and Greater Magic)
II. The Three Types of Satanic Ritual
III. The Ritual, or "Intellectual Decompression," Chamber
IV. The Ingredients Used in the Performance of Satanic Magic:
1. Desire
2. Timing
3. Imagery
4. Direction
5. The Balance Factor
V. The Satanic Ritual:
1. Some Notes Which are to be Observed Before Beginning Ritual
2. The Thirteen Steps
3. Device Used in Satanic Ritual

(WATER)
- BOOK OF LEVIATHAN -
The Raging Sea

I. Invocation to Satan
II. The Infernal Names
III. Invocation Employed Towards the Conjuration of Lust
IV. Invocation Employed Towards the Conjuration of Destruction
V. Invocation Employed Towards the Conjuration of Compassion
VI. The Enochian Keys and The Enochian Language 

Dragon Rouge

Dragon Rouge, also known as the Ordo Draconis et Atri Adamantis, was started on December 31, 1989 in Sweden. Members of the Dragon Rouge are known to practice dark magic, which is an activity where individuals seek personal gain through occult activities. Practitioners believe dark magic can be used for virtuous acts like helping a person who is sick or for malicious acts like unjuring an enemy. Dragon Rouge reports it has hundreds of members around the world.

First Satanic Church

The First Satanic Church was started on October 31, 1999 by Karla LaVey, the daughter of Church of Satan founder, Anton LaVey. When the Church of Satan's headquarters were moved to New York, New York following the death of her father in the late 1990's, Karla disagreed with the new leadership's decision. She soon re-established a satanic church in San Francisco, California, modeled after her father's, and called it the First Satanic Church.
The church regularly has activities in the Bay Area.

Luciferianism

Luciferianists were theistic Satanists who celebrated the spirit-being Lucifer. Some adherents identified the figurewith the biblical character Satan, while others associated him with old-world mythologies and occult lore.
The 12 century document, The Gesta Treverorum, or "Deeds of Treven," are the records of the Archbishops of Trier and the writings of Popes, amassed by monks from St. Matthews Abbey located in Trier, France. The documents speak of the existence and activity of Luciferians. Pope Gregory IX (1145-1241) writes that Luciferians argued that Lucifer was unfairly expelled from heaven.
Many groups today claim an affiliation with historical Luciferianism, including The Order of the Phosphorus, The Ordo Luciferis, The Ordo Luciferi, The Temple of the Dark Sun, and The Neo-Luciferian Church.

The Ophites

The "Ophites" (from the Greek word for snake), also known as the Serpentinians, were associated with Gnostic and Egyptian sects around 100 A.D. They honored the serpent written of in Genesis 3:1-14.

"Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, Theserpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (King James Version, emphasis mine).

What is known about the Ophites comes from early Christian writers. Clement of Alexandria, head of the Catechitical School of Alexandria in the late first to early second century, wrote that the name "Ophians" was taken from the groups object of worship (Storm. vii 17, p.900). Irenaus, Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul in the 2nd century, mentioned the Ophites in a book on heresy (Against Heresy, i. 23-28). Furthermore, Philaster, the Bishop of Brescia in the 4th century, wrote that the Ophites were produced by the devil.