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.
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