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Occult: Neo-Paganism Occult: Neo-Paganism and Satanismand Satanism

Occult: Neo-Paganism Occult: Neo-Paganism and Satanismand Satanism

RELS 225: Cults and New Religious RELS 225: Cults and New Religious

MovementsMovementsRELS 225: Cults and New Religious RELS 225: Cults and New Religious

MovementsMovements

OccultOccultOccultOccult

• Important: distinguish among types• Not the Middle Ages perception that all

witches• Worship Satan • ritual killing• sexual orgies• diabolical acts

• Traditional Christians have spread this stereotype

• 4 different types of beliefs and practices

1. Religion of Simple 1. Religion of Simple SocietiesSocieties

1. Religion of Simple 1. Religion of Simple SocietiesSocieties

• sorcery by witch doctors in pre-industrial, nontechnological societies.

• Africa • South America • voodoo in Haiti

• actions including:• potions as medicine, but also less palatable

actions:• grave robbing • ritual killing of babies

2. Neo-Paganism2. Neo-Paganism2. Neo-Paganism2. Neo-Paganism• pagan path familiar from The Da Vinci

Code. • “white witches”

• do not believe in Satan • deny intent to harm anyone• follow various traditions

• Practices:• worship gods and goddesses• honor Mother Earth• participate in covens• celebrate sexuality in rituals• follow the cycles of nature for holy days

3. Church of Satan3. Church of Satan3. Church of Satan3. Church of Satan• follow “the dark side” • true living involves

• being self-centered • engaging in all the lusts of the flesh

• Anton LaVey• founder of the Church of Satan • author of The Satanic Bible.

• deny traditional Satan • Satan a metaphor for a life opposed to Christian

virtues:• Peace• gentleness• Love

• denies involvement in criminal acts such as satanic ritual abuse

4. Satan Worshippers4. Satan Worshippers4. Satan Worshippers4. Satan Worshippers

• Two kinds:1.Non-criminal2.criminal

• operate as loners or in concert with a handful of others.

• Some serial killers represent themselves as Satanists.

• In the 1980’s common claim: 50,000 victims per year in United States.

• satanic panic unsupported by FBI court invesstigations

Aboriginal religionAboriginal religionAboriginal religionAboriginal religion

• Trend in neo-paganism• Healing, shamanism• What can the sweat lodge, vision

quest, way of the warrior, healing arts contribute to religion today?

Neo-PaganismNeo-PaganismNeo-PaganismNeo-Paganism

• Variety of groups and practices• “The ancient gods are not dead; but they

think we are”• Not virulently anti-Christian• Most trace back to ancient Egyptian religion

• Polytheistic, yet monistic.• Not absolute unity, but not pluralistic chaos

either.• Appropriate diversity (god of wisdom; god of

love, etc.)• balancing of interactions (male/female; four

seasons, directions, etc.) create a totality.

Contrast with Conventional Contrast with Conventional Western ReligionsWestern Religions

Contrast with Conventional Contrast with Conventional Western ReligionsWestern Religions

• Christianity & Judaism are thought to privilege will, imposing it on human nature and earth’s nature.

• Neo-paganism favours imagination rather than will.

• Seeks cooperation with the forces of nature, on a basis of reverence and exchange.

• Christianity and Judaism are religions of history• God has a purpose, from beginning (creation) to

end (paradise).• Neo-paganism celebrates what is

• A religion of atmosphere instead of faith.• A cosmos constructed by the imagination• Calling up the gods from within oneself is thought

to be true magic.

RitualRitualRitualRitual

• Emphasis on the practical side of religious expression: the rite, gesture, ceremonial act.

• Teaching is pale in comparison to rites.• The magical cosmos is evoked, made by

acts done as if it were present.• A secondary world is created in a special

time and place, far different from the outside world.

• Magic circle, wand, sword, flowers, dance.

Relationship to other Relationship to other movementsmovements

Relationship to other Relationship to other movementsmovements

• In the Western tradition• Eastern yoga and meditation are

thought to be too foreign for westerners• Relationship with occult

• Kabbalah, Tarot cards, astrology, etc.• But use rite instead of

intellectual/psychological exercise.• More concerned with human

relationship with nature

BackgroundBackgroundBackgroundBackground• Roots in romanticism

• Eliphas Levi (1810-1875) France, applied romantic feeling to magic.

• Papas (1865-1916) France, founded an Order.• Some Masons (1888) founded Order of the Golden

Dawn• led by S. L. MacGregor Mathers. (1854-1917), who

claimed occult contact with 3 “Secret Chiefs” in Paris.• Aleister Crowley (1875-1947)

• expelled from the Golden Dawn • founded his own Order (Argentinum Astrum), then

joined Ordo Templarum Orientalis (1912).• Wrote on “magick”, poet, heroin addict, exaggerator,

dramatic.• “Do what you will shall be the whole of the Law”• Practiced sex magic.

Categories of neo-Categories of neo-paganismpaganism

Categories of neo-Categories of neo-paganismpaganism

• Magical groups• Influenced by Golden Dawn, Crowley• Antiquarian• Concerned with evocation

• Nature groups• Romantic• Influence d by Robert Graves, White

Goddess.• Concerned with celebration of existing

goddesses.• Wicca

• Between these two: combines ritual magic and nature-oriented neo-paganism.

WiccaWiccaWiccaWicca

• Aligned to nature’s cycles.• Moon, seasons.• Typically worship Horned God and Triple

Goddess (Maiden, Mother, and Crone).• May attempt to evoke the God and Goddess

through dance, chant, gestures.• Styles of ritual in American Wicca:

• Gardnerian: energetic, nude dancing• Traditional: clothed, slower-paced; homey

implements• Alexandrian: adds Kabbalist-occult astrology,

magic, etc.

FeminismFeminismFeminismFeminism• Why call themselves “witches”?

• They insist the stereotypes are wrong (4:10.• They identify with women who found power

outside of male-dominated religion and society.

• Some could not accept a God referred to exclusively with male pronouns (“He”).

• Mary Daly, Beyond God the Father• Judith Plaskow, Womanspirit Rising.

• Some Wiccan groups shifted the emphasis to the Goddess, away from the Horned God.

• Some groups were mainly lesbian.

Neo-Paganism: Neo-Paganism: SummarySummary

Neo-Paganism: Neo-Paganism: SummarySummary

• Variety; many trace roots to ancient Egypt; • Polytheistic, yet monistic.• favours imagination rather than will, what is rather

than what should be.• Emphasis on ritual rather than teaching• Roots in romanticism, influence from

Masons,Crowley,• Categories: Magical; Nature; Wicca (combination)• Wicca: nature + evoking God&Goddess; 3 main styles

of ritual: Gardnerian, Traditional, Alexandrian• Feminism: “witches” were liberated women; some

wiccans emphasize the Goddess rather than the Horned God.

• Aboriginal religion appreciated in neo-paganism• Seek to recover a sense of wonder and respect as

religious feelings toward nature.

SatanismSatanismSatanismSatanism

• Satanism scare. Blend of:• What Satanism is• The Scare as a social phenomenon.

• All cults produced social panics, but this one more than any, even though it is the most imaginary.

• “A social problem”• Practices – 2 groups• Sociological studies show the problem is a

constructed problem (not a self-existent one).

Emergence of Satanism Emergence of Satanism as a Social Problemas a Social Problem

Emergence of Satanism Emergence of Satanism as a Social Problemas a Social Problem

• In the 1980’s (mid to late 80’s, early 90’s peak)• Because the ACM were losing ground and

attention in their battle against boring old cults.• ‘86, ’87 moved to Satanism.• Still 2 source points:

• A long cultural tradition of Satanic mythology & conspiracies, going back 500 years and more.

• Popular culture – • Hollywood produced self-styled Satanists (crazies,

adolescent dabblers)• Legal Satanic organizations

• Plus an new source in the ‘80’s – more serious:• Reports of women undergoing satanic ritual abuse

(14:49) as children• “False memory syndrome”

Claims of Satanic Claims of Satanic ActivityActivity

Claims of Satanic Claims of Satanic ActivityActivity

• ACM put adolescent reports, ritual abuse, crazies all together and generated an international Satanic conspiracy.

• They claimed the victims were brainwashed so they don’t remember it.

• Thousands (50000 children kidnapped every year in US & ritually sacrificed every year) or women baby factories for sacrifice.

• 30 years ago, Hamilton kids reported cannibalism, eating feces, desecrating cemeteries.

Official ResponsesOfficial ResponsesOfficial ResponsesOfficial Responses• At height of the scare, police forces got drawn

into investigations.• FBI formed special task force – 3 years on all

reports of Satanic crime in US• Found no evidence of any satanic crime ever in US.• Not even circumstantial evidence to warrant a

trial.• British 16 years ago went to the leading

proponent of Satanic Ritual Abuse and asked them to write a scientifically credible report and document it.

• The deadline passed 4 times with no report.

History of SatanHistory of SatanHistory of SatanHistory of Satan

• Old Testament: One reference to a personified Satan.

• The story of Job originally did not have the Satan prologue , which was added centuries later.

• A handful of Jewish writings from the time between OT & NT. A few references to personified evil rarely called “Satan”.

• New Testament: Jesus casts demons out; Devil as tempter of Christ; “Belial”, “Beelzebub”, “the evil one”

History of SatanHistory of SatanHistory of SatanHistory of Satan• 19th Century French

images by Eliphas Levi show Satan as an opponent to Christ since the dawn of time. Not true.

• Where does Satan crop up?

• 15th Century Catholic inquisition: wishing to persecute remnants of non-Christian pagans.

How bad is Satanism?How bad is Satanism?How bad is Satanism?How bad is Satanism?

• All Satanic practice is an inversion of Christianity – an act of mockery.

• Most Satanists don’t want to be malevolent; they want to justify the pleasures Christianity prohibits.

• This can be damaging.

Church of SatanChurch of SatanChurch of SatanChurch of Satan• Hundreds of sites with

serious info.• Many fewer by well-

organized Satanists.• They’ll refer to The Church

of Satan• Founded in 1966 by

Anton LaVey (8:22)• Black cape, goatee, red. • Black panther on a chain.

Called a press conference to open it. A publicity grab.

• Founded it as a profession.• Had been: musician, lover of

Marilyn Munroe, circus worker, college course, crime photographer, saw hypocrisy of Christian culture.

Church of Satan, Church of Satan, continued.continued.

Church of Satan, Church of Satan, continued.continued.

• 1969: published the Satanic Bible. – paperback, Ballantyne books. Sells several 100,000 copies per year.

• A series of statements and doctrines:

• Indulgence, vital existence, undefiled wisdom, kindness to those who deserve it, vengeance, responsibility to the responsible, man is another animal, sins of physical or mental gratification kept church in business.

• LaVey disbanded it, but it’s been reconstituted.

• He lost most of his money, got fat, & tried to eke out an existence. Died in 1998.

Temple of SetTemple of SetTemple of SetTemple of Set• Came out of Church of Satan.

1975. Exclusive. 500 members.

• The model for Satan as an entity is the Egyptian god Set.

• By a protégé: Michael Aquino – completely different character.

• Disgusted by LaVey’s clown antics.

• Born 1946. Aquino is still a member, but high priest is now Patricia Hardy.

• Aquino has PhD in psychology from U. California. Lieut. Colonel in US army. Teaching psychological ops, intelligence, foreign relations, many honours as a soldier.

Temple of Set, cont’dTemple of Set, cont’dTemple of Set, cont’dTemple of Set, cont’d

• The Book of Coming Forth By Night• Founding Charter of Temple of Set.• The god Set has been involved in history

for centuries and seeking a new enhanced human species.

• Practices greater black magic (to create the awakening of powers within).

• Repudiates lesser black magic (curses) as beneath people in his group.

• They all abide by laws.

Satanism as a Social Satanism as a Social PhenomenonPhenomenon

Satanism as a Social Satanism as a Social PhenomenonPhenomenon

• Randy Lippert, Canadian sociologist• “Construction of Satanism as a Social

Problem in Canada” CJS 1990.• Jeff Victor, Dynamics in Satanism

Scare, 1992.

Rumour panicsRumour panicsRumour panicsRumour panics• data collected on 31 rumour panics in US 1984-1989.• Also, 1989 Lethbridge panic.• Reminiscent of War of the Worlds (H.G. Wells’ novel

narrated by Orson Welles): Mars invades earth, done as a news cast.

• All 31 had the following characteristics:• Trigger event: discovery of graffiti, vandalism, mutilated

animals, teenage suicides (3 in Lethbridge)• People keep children home from school, others rush to sites

of Satanism• Police inundated with calls (cat gone, graffiti, strange

neighbour behaviour)• Newspaper reported: here are pictures of what to look for.• Public meetings – educational, calls to action.• Churches hold special classes, bring in outside “experts”• Attacks on unconventional members of society (old ladies in

dilapidated house).

Media reports it allMedia reports it allMedia reports it allMedia reports it all• Bandwagon effect. Report it because everyone

else is doing so.• Lippert reports: New reports in 1980’s: all in

Canada.• 100’s of discussions of Calgary RCMP report on

the number of Satanists in Calgary• Back-pedalled it to one single RCMP constable

taking a course, in his paper, he guessed at the number.

• Lippert: Who benefits from making the claims? Local Police, Child Welfare, Media, also psychological professionals, ACM, church leaders.

• Victor: Why are others receptive to them? Every panic happened in small towns in decline:

• suicide, alcohol abuse, etc., higher in rural areas.