The Nine Satanic Sins
by Anton Szandor LaVey ©1987
1. Stupidity — The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin
of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is
one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends
on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a
cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable.
Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.
2. Pretentiousness — Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying
the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what
keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big
shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.
3. Solipsism — Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions,
responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned
than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same
consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t.
Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they
do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest
you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been
said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but
unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we
are far from that point.
4. Self-deceit — It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated
here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows
presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The
only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with
awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!
5. Herd Conformity — That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to
conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools
follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you.
The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims
of the many.
6. Lack of Perspective — Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist.
You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be,
by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep
the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to
both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you
want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know
that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.
7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies — Be aware that this is one of the keys to
brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality
it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new
package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget
the original. This makes for a disposable society.
8. Counterproductive Pride — That first word is important. Pride is great up to
the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of
Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when
you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m
sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.
9. Lack of Aesthetics — This is the physical application of the Balance Factor.
Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious
that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form
most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for
beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for
greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s
what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but
there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not
be denied.
http://www.churchofsatan.com/Pages/Sins.html
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