(Under construction. Last updated: February 14, 2024)
Welcome to my Theistic Satanism site. I created this site so I could have an online space to share my spiritual beliefs and thoughts in my own words without fear of censorship. I have been a Satanist for about 12 years now, but am not a part of any Satanic organization. What I hope to have up here eventually are essays about my own personal beliefs, as well as a links and recommended reading page. And of lesser priority, perhaps some "just for fun" or humorous pages.
The word "theism" means a belief in a god or gods. It's the antonym of "atheism" or belief in no gods. Therefore, a "theistic" Satanist is one who believes in or reveres an entity they call "Satan" as a literal deity who actually exists. Theistic Satanism is also known as "Devil worship."
I use this term to distinguish myself from the more well-known "atheistic" or "symbolic" Satanists such as the Church of Satan founded by Anton LaVey in 1966. They use the name and image of Satan as an archetype or symbol of their beliefs, but do not believe in or revere Satan as a literal deity.
In short, "Satan" is an appropriate name for the deity I revere, because of the associations that name has in Christianity and popular culture.
If Satan represents evil, why choose to identify oneself with him? Because "evil" is a subjective term. What Satan's enemies typically consider "evil," Satanists typically consider "good." The most common examples are: independent thinking, blasphemy or heresy against the Christian church, rebellion, sexual freedom, reason, knowledge, and the natural world. All of these things have been considered "Satanic" at one time or another.
The term "Satan" originates from the Hebrew language where it means "opposer" or "adversary," and can refer to any adversary in general, not necessarily to an embodiment of cosmic evil. In Judaism, God is considered responsible for the creation of everything in the world - including "evil."
When Christianity came along, they interpreted "Satan" (aka "the Devil") as a dualistic opposite to their god. In Christianity, Jesus and God represent "good" while Satan represents "evil." Christians also identified the Serpent in the Garden of Eden with Satan, and consider the Garden of Eden story to be a story of "the fall of man," with Satan tempting man to sin. Jews do not share this interpretation; nothing in the text of the Genesis story says that the Serpent is actually Satan.
The majority of Satanists (theistic or otherwise) come from a Christian background, whether they were raised Christian themselves or simply in a Christian-dominant society. Some Satanists try to argue against accusations like "Satanism is reverse Christianity" or "Satan is evil" by claiming that the name "Satan" actually predates Christianity or refers to a pre-Christian god, e.g. claiming that the word "Satan" actually originates from the similar-sounding Egyptian god, "Set."
But if you believe Satan is only another name for a god such as Set or Enki, why call yourself a Satanist and not a Setian or Enkist? The fact of the matter is, if you are drawn to identify with the term "Satanist," it is probably because you are from a Christian culture, and the symbolism you choose is shaped by that culture. For example, if I were from a Muslim background, I would say I worship "Iblis" (the Islamic Devil) not "Satan." But because I was not raised Muslim, the name "Iblis" does not have the same meaning to me that "Satan" does.
It would be silly to be ashamed of something you didn't choose, including your cultural background. So I acknowledge that my understanding of Satan is influenced by a Christian background.
I wanted to use the name "liminal" for the web address but it was already taken. Webster's defines "liminal" as:
1 : of, relating to, or situated at a sensory threshold : barely perceptible or capable of eliciting a response liminal visual stimuli
2 : of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition : in-between, transitional … in the liminal state between life and death.— Deborah Jowitt
In my experience, these definitions fit the supernatural to a T. It's "barely perceptible" under normal circumstances. Supernatural experiences can feel like something "in-between" the real world and fantasy. And finally, a powerful supernatural experience can mark a transitional period in one's life.