What is Satanism?
Satanism is not a single, monolithic religion but a family of philosophies and spiritual currents that use the figure of Satan — whether as metaphor, archetype or literal deity — as a focal point. These traditions range from purely atheistic and philosophical to genuinely theistic and devotional.
The term encompasses highly organised modern movements such as the Church of Satan and The Satanic Temple, informal communities of independent theistic practitioners, and esoteric initiatory orders. What they share is a Left-Hand Path orientation: emphasis on individualism, self-determination, the questioning of orthodox morality, and the rejection of submissive or self-abnegating spirituality.
This encyclopaedia aims to provide accurate, nuanced information about each tradition — its origins, theology, practice and public standing — so that curious readers can understand the landscape clearly and without sensationalism.
Atheistic / LaVeyan Satanism
Church of Satan
Founded 1966 · Anton Szandor LaVey · San Francisco, California
The Church of Satan was founded on 30 April 1966 by Anton Szandor LaVey in San Francisco. It is the world's first organised Satanic church and the progenitor of modern organised Satanism. LaVey codified its philosophy in The Satanic Bible (1969), which remains the central text of LaVeyan Satanism and one of the most widely read texts in the Left-Hand Path broadly.
LaVeyan Satanism is fundamentally atheistic: Satan is understood not as a literal supernatural being but as a symbol of the carnal self, individual sovereignty, rebellion against spiritual tyranny, and the life-affirming rejection of herd conformity. The Nine Satanic Statements, Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth and Nine Satanic Sins form its ethical framework. Ritual is used as a psychodrama — a deliberate theatre of the self — rather than an attempt to communicate with supernatural entities.
The Church of Satan does not actively recruit and has no physical temples open to the public. Membership is granted by application. The organisation remains headquartered in the United States and is generally regarded as a legitimate, law-abiding religious organisation. It has no connection with criminal activity, abuse or extremism.
Atheistic / Political Satanism
The Satanic Temple
Founded 2013 · Lucien Greaves (Doug Mesner) & Malcolm Jarry · United States
The Satanic Temple (TST) was founded in 2013 and quickly became the most publicly visible Satanic organisation in the world, primarily through high-profile political activism. TST is atheistic: Satan is embraced as a metaphor for rational inquiry, personal sovereignty, and resistance to arbitrary authority — particularly religious authority imposed through government structures.
TST is recognised as a tax-exempt religion in the United States and organises its work around Seven Tenets emphasising compassion, individual freedoms, scientific rationalism, and the rejection of supernatural claims. Its campaigns have included challenges to Ten Commandments monuments on public land, Baphomet statue installations, and advocacy for reproductive rights framed as religious freedom.
TST and the Church of Satan are distinct and sometimes competing organisations with different philosophies, aesthetics and methods. TST emphasises collective action and political engagement where CoS emphasises individualism and non-participation in political movements. Neither worships Satan as a literal deity.
Spiritual / Theistic Satanism
Spiritual & Traditional Theistic Satanism
Diverse independent practitioners worldwide
Outside organised groups, many practitioners identify as theistic Satanists without membership in any particular organisation. This tradition predates the Church of Satan and draws from diverse esoteric sources: Romantic era imagery, ceremonial magic, Gnosticism, folk sorcery and direct personal mystical experience. Theistic Satanists venerate Satan as a genuinely real supernatural being — a god, a spirit of liberation, or a patron of occult knowledge.
Practice typically includes devotional prayer, altar work, meditation and ritual. There is no single canonical text; practitioners draw from grimoires, historical demonology and direct personal experience. The community is predominantly online and decentralised. While some theistic Satanists work within broader organised movements, the majority practise as solitaries or in informal small groups.
Left-Hand Path
Luciferianism
Diverse expressions · Michael W. Ford, Greater Church of Lucifer
Luciferianism centres on Lucifer — the Light-Bearer — as a symbol or deity of enlightenment, wisdom and individual becoming. Where Satanism often emphasises the adversarial and the chthonic, Luciferianism tends toward an illuminist philosophy: the pursuit of hidden knowledge, gnosis and the exaltation of the enlightened individual.
Luciferianism exists in both atheistic and theistic forms. In its atheistic expression, Lucifer represents rational inquiry and the Promethean quest for forbidden knowledge. In its theistic form, Lucifer is venerated as a genuinely existing being — a divine rebel who gifted humanity with consciousness and self-awareness.
Key figures include Michael W. Ford, author of Luciferian Witchcraft and the Book of the Witch Moon, and the Greater Church of Lucifer (founded 2014). Luciferianism is generally a peaceful tradition focused on personal spiritual development and poses no public safety concerns.
Left-Hand Path · Initiatory
Setianism / Temple of Set
Founded 1975 · Michael Aquino · Breakaway from the Church of Satan
The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by Lieutenant Colonel Michael Aquino, a former high-ranking member of the Church of Satan. Aquino claimed to have received a revelation from Set, the ancient Egyptian deity of darkness, storms and the desert — whom he identified as the true "Prince of Darkness" underlying the Satan archetype in Western esotericism.
Setianism is genuinely theistic, venerating Set as the sole truly existing god. The Setian pursues Xeper (Egyptian: "I have come into being") — the ongoing self-creation and self-evolution of the psyche toward genuine independent existence, separate from the natural order. This metaphysical individuation is the central spiritual goal.
The Temple functions as an initiatory order with a hierarchical degree structure. It is generally regarded as a serious esoteric organisation rather than a harmful group. Its membership is small and predominantly composed of intellectually serious occultists. It has no association with criminal activity.
Devotional · Polytheistic
Demonolatry
Ancient roots · Modern revival · S. Connolly (Stephanie Connolly Reisner) as prominent author
Demonolatry is the practice of venerating or worshipping demons as divine beings. Unlike ceremonial magicians who seek to command or bind demonic forces, demonolaters approach demons as deities worthy of respect, devotion and relationship. The practitioner seeks gnosis and assistance from these beings through sincere spiritual engagement rather than coercive ritual.
The tradition is polydemonic: practitioners work with various demonic figures drawn from grimoires — Azazel, Belial, Lilith, Beelzebub, Lucifer and others. Each is understood to have distinct attributes, spheres of influence, and a unique personality accessible through sustained devotional work.
Modern practice includes ritual invocation, altar work, devotional prayer called enns (repetitive chants specific to individual demons), and sigil work. The best-known modern author is S. Connolly, whose prolific output has shaped contemporary practice. Demonolatry is predominantly a private, personal practice and is generally considered non-harmful.
FOR INFORMATION ONLY — DO NOT JOIN ANY GROUP IN THIS SECTION
The following organisations are listed for educational purposes only. They have been identified as dangerous, extremist or criminal. Membership may result in serious psychological harm, radicalisation, legal consequences or physical danger.
⛔ DO NOT JOIN — TERRORISM-LINKED ORGANISATION
Order of the Nine Angles (O9A / 9°A°)
Emerged c. 1970–1980 · United Kingdom · Associated with David Myatt
The Order of the Nine Angles is one of the most dangerous organisations in contemporary occultism. It emerged in the United Kingdom and has been linked to David Myatt, though Myatt has publicly distanced himself. The O9A is proscribed as a terrorism-related organisation in the United Kingdom and is monitored by counter-terrorism authorities in multiple countries.
The O9A blends neo-Nazi ideology with occult aesthetics. Its doctrine promotes violence as spiritual development. The Seven-Fold Way includes "insight roles" in which members are encouraged to commit serious crimes — including violence and murder — as tests of will. This is not metaphorical language; O9A members have been convicted of serious violent offences.
- Terrorism designation— Proscribed in the UK under terrorism legislation; designated extremist in multiple Western countries.
- Criminal convictions— Members convicted of murder, terrorism offences, possession of child sexual abuse material and other serious crimes.
- Online recruitment— Actively targets young men through occult forums, dark aesthetics and a veneer of philosophical depth.
- Accelerationism— Seeks to destabilise society and hasten a race war through individual acts of extreme violence.
- No legitimate spiritual value— Despite its occult framing, the O9A is fundamentally a neo-Nazi terror network, not a genuine spiritual tradition.
If anyone contacts you to promote O9A material or recruit you, disengage immediately. The philosophical and occult veneer is designed to appeal to curious and intellectually ambitious individuals. Do not be deceived.
⛔ DO NOT JOIN — RACIST & ANTISEMITIC ORGANISATION
Joy of Satan Ministries
Founded c. 2002 · Andrea Maxine Dietrich (Sherri Pagels) & Cliff Herrington
Joy of Satan Ministries presents an overtly racist, antisemitic and neo-Nazi theology. The organisation claims that Satanism is the original "Aryan" spirituality that was allegedly "stolen" and corrupted by Jewish people. This is not a marginal interpretation — it is central to all their teaching and is present throughout their publicly available materials.
The group promotes racial pseudoscience, Holocaust denial and National Socialist ideology wrapped in Satanic imagery. The founders have documented ties to neo-Nazi organisations. Their online presence is extensive and deliberately formatted to appear credible to those unfamiliar with the subject.
Joy of Satan is not representative of theistic Satanism. The vast majority of theistic Satanists explicitly reject racism and antisemitism. Encountering this organisation online does not reflect the beliefs or practices of the broader theistic Satanist community.
⛔ DO NOT JOIN — PROMOTES VIOLENCE AND NIHILISM
Temple of the Black Light / Misanthropic Luciferian Order (MLO)
Founded early 1990s · Sweden · Linked to the extreme black metal scene
The Misanthropic Luciferian Order (MLO), later renamed the Temple of the Black Light, is a Swedish anti-cosmic Satanist organisation that emerged from the extreme black metal scene. Its theology is nihilistic: all material existence is regarded as a prison that must be destroyed. The goal is the annihilation of the Demiurge and the liberation of primordial chaos.
The organisation has been linked to arson attacks, church burnings and criminal activity associated with the Scandinavian black metal milieu. Its texts glorify violence and destruction as spiritual acts. Some former members have faced criminal prosecution.
Involvement with the MLO/Temple of the Black Light as a spiritual path is strongly discouraged. The material is designed to attract individuals experiencing severe alienation and may exacerbate serious psychological harm. There is no spiritual benefit that justifies the documented risks.