Theistic Satanism

Theistic Satanism is the belief in or experience of Satan as an entity. This is a general term for Satanists that know and experience Satan as a god. This is also known as Spiritual Satanism. Spiritual Satanism describes the spiritual belief in, or experience of, Satan as a spiritual force. Also, Theistic Satanism may be a form of polytheism for some, by those who choose to include other gods or demons in their religious worship.

Some Spiritual Satanists may accept Satan as creator of the Earth, or even as creator of the Universe, as the energy of the abyss or void and the force of nothingness or destruction, as a god that represents the all, or as a representative of the inner divine power of the self. Still, others claim that Satan is a father god, who watches over his kin, acting as a beneficent god to help those that seek Satanic divinity. Some accept Satan as a guiding force for the destiny and fate of humankind. These are just some of the varieties of beliefs of spiritual Satanists.

As a (Theistic) Spiritual Satanist, I have come to my own understandings of what Satan represents to me. In the article, The Force of Satan I discuss some of my personal beliefs about the nature of Satan. On a very basic level, I think that Satan is a representation of our human desires, and a god of this earth, one of many gods who help us to spiritually reach our potential.

Satan is not the only god that has been demonized. There have been many other dark gods in history, and Satanic prototypes that helped to develop the character of Satan. In earlier, pre-christian myths the Persian devil, Ahirman represented the forces of destruction and evil. Even Lucifer and Prometheus, who were legendary bringers of wisdom and enlightenment, are compared to Satan. However, these gods and devils are not the same as Satan. Gods can be categorized for their similar qualities, but because they are similar does not mean they are the same (or, identical). It is typical, especially within christian theology, to categorize all other gods as 'fallen', and this is why Satan is associated with so many other similar gods.

To further divide this issue into it's most important aspect, the Satan of Christianity, is not the same as the Satan that Satanists know of and experience. If this is difficult to understand, then consider the fact that the god of Judaism is not the same as the god of Catholicism, even though they share common roots.