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I've considered Satanism for a while now, but I don't know if it's really the right religion for me. So, if you have any thoughts or advice about that, I'd appreciate them. Thanks.
Also this page might be important to avoid certain groups if groups are your thing (its not for a lot of people):Note, however, that I do not recommend performing ANY ritual, including my suggested self-initiation ritual, until after you've studied a variety of different forms of Satanism plus some other relevant background info including the basics of ritual magick, the history of religion, and psychology (especially hypnosis).
Also I should probably ask because it's important... as I come from this and it's very important you deal with some stuff before going to Satanism... but are you currently or in the past have you been in any "heavy" form of Satanism? I came from a baptist religious indoctrination and later was surrounded with Pentecostals and it has only gotten in the way of my path because I ignored my anger from it so much.[SIZE=+1]The dangers
[/SIZE]Most forms of Satanism pay at least lip service to the idea that we Satanists should think for ourselves and not conform blindly to any herd. Nevertheless, the Satanist scene has its share of sheep - and plenty of shepherds and would-be shepherds out to fleece them. Alas, there do exist quite a few groups in the Satanist scene that appear to be run by would-be cult leaders looking for blindly obedient followers.
Some groups can be downright dangerous to their own members, in one way or another - especially to those who join and then decide, later, to start thinking for themselves.
Obviously, the most dangerous groups are those which practice or advocate violent criminal activity in the name of Satan (or any other god). Although not as commonplace as is popularly believed, such groups have indeed existed from time to time, mainly amongst teenagers. And they are far more dangerous to their own members than they are to anyone else, judging by the track record of the Norwegian "Black Metal Circle" and the Italian "Beasts of Satan." In both these groups, at least one member was murdered by at least one other member.
But the more law-abiding groups can be dangerous too, in other ways. For example, quite a few groups will ask prospective members lots of nosy personal questions in the membership application. Some groups - even some otherwise reputable groups - have been known to use that information against ex-members who voiced public disagreement with the group later on.
Still other groups can be dangerous to one's mental health, using meditation and visualization techniques to blur the distinction between fantasy and reality. (Meditation and visualization do have valid uses too; indeed they are vital to the practices of all occult groups that I'm aware of. But, in my opinion, they should be approached carefully and systematically, with an awareness of the psychology involved.)
Thanks for providing those links. I had to delete them in this reply because I'm not allowed to post links yet, but I'll check them out. Thanks also for the advice about being very careful about renouncing one's salvation. I don't believe I've ever been involved in any "heavy" Satanism.Satanism is, for most people, just something that you will find comes naturally to you if the path is for you.
But there are many things you should consider, many things to study before you do anything major like try to renounce old gods or dedicate yourself, and a lot of harmful information out there to new Satanists.
This is probably the best site for new Satanists, as well this specific page is for if you are thinking of joining Satanism (though it's mostly a list of recommended articles of hers:
this other one is more prose though:
Specifically she says:
Also this page might be important to avoid certain groups if groups are your thing (its not for a lot of people):
Also I should probably ask because it's important... as I come from this and it's very important you deal with some stuff before going to Satanism... but are you currently or in the past have you been in any "heavy" form of Satanism? I came from a baptist religious indoctrination and later was surrounded with Pentecostals and it has only gotten in the way of my path because I ignored my anger from it so much.
Also these sources might help some too:
Also in this facebook group there is a lot of help I have found, it's technically run by Diane Vera, but is in practice is kept in check by the two mods. There are a number of Satanists in there and I sometimes pop my head in.
I can think of other theistic groups, but most that come to mind are very dangerous and pressure people to jump in before they can come to a sound intellectual decision. As well I strongly advise this and say this from experience but do not, DO NOT unless you are 200% sure you are ready EVER Renounce any type of salvation or dedicate FOR LIFE OR BEYOND your soul UNLESS you are absolutely ready and sure YOU WILL NEVER GO BACK ON THOSE WORDS, as it can SCREW WITH YOUR HEAD SEVERELY.
Thanks for providing those links. I had to delete them in this reply because I'm not allowed to post links yet, but I'll check them out. Thanks also for the advice about being very careful about renouncing one's salvation. I don't believe I've ever been involved in any "heavy" Satanism.