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Subject: Satanism - A Brief Guide to the Art of Magick
   C. Beest. Revised: ONA 1998eh
   
   One of the long-term aims of the Dark Tradition is to bring to
   consciousness for the majority the reality of the Force that is
   Satan. This 'dis-covering' will result in the upward
   evolutionary surge known as the 'New Aeon'.
      A magickal Order, such as the ONA, is only one of several
   forms by which Satan is presenced - and presenced in the most
   undiluted of ways, without the obstruction of mortal fears. In
   one sense, all genuine sinister orders are an invokation to
   Satan: they constitute in themselves a magickal ritual, with each
   member understanding the conditions required if the long-term
   goal of the rite is to be attained. This magickal ritual, being
   founded upon the uncompromising principles of Nature, contains
   within it spontaneous or unknown factors which defy the
   imposition of abstract dogma. By this magickal ritual the unique
   creativity, the uniqueness of Being  possesed by each Adept, is
   allowed to develope of itself.
      But that uniqueness of Being is also the Will of the Cosmos
   itself, and thus certain types of individual creativity are Life
   made manifest during its course of Evolution - this is to say, in
   esoteric terms, that certain types of creativity presence the
   acausal. In essence, the creativity/magick that marks Adeptship
   is nurtured and expressed by individual defiance - the uniqueness
   of Being which is Satan.
      Because  genuine  acts  of  magick presence the acausal, the
   relationship of magick with 'the world' can be said to be
   "wholistic": a relationship where the difference and diversity of
   Nature and 'forms' exist to enable the spirit (or Being) of the
   Cosmos to thrive and evolve - ultimately there is nothing which
   exists external to this continous flow of Change; nothing which
   can be influenced or changed in isolation. A genuine Adept
   understands this, and begins to embody in their individual life,
   this most natural of esoteric paths: the way of empathy. As all
   genuine sinister magickians are quick to point out, this
   apprehension currently exists at odds with conventional
   esotericism. A well-quoted example is the qabalistic approach (as
   sickeningly influential today as ever) which involves the
   magickian - or more accurately 'sorcerer' - in viewing the forces
   of Nature as separate, often barbarous material to be dominated
   and manipulated for personal ends.
     A highly evolved esoteric Order would not be characterised by
   this 'grimoire' approach, since such an approach lacks a binding
   purpose, a great and clear vision which would enable members to
   transcend the personal and become the organic whole of a true
   magickal order - an order which is the life of the Cosmos
   manifested in a conscious way, and pertinent to a particular
   moment in causal time. A profusion of this latter type of
   magickal Order would be one such result of the New Aeon made
   manifest.
      In other words, what could be described as conventional
   occultism is that which is swayed by abstract theories over
   observation and intuition, whilst the genuine Western Way - for
   which read 'the Septenary System', Traditional Satanism, and so
   on - is concerned with what actually exists beyond limited
   personal forms. In real magick, there is an initial attempt to
   mimic the flow of natural forces, until an integration is
   achieved and with it, large-scale Willed Change - that is,
   conscious aeonic evolution. Via this process of magick - still
   the provence of the select few (Satanists of course!) - the
   Cosmos can progress to its next stage of existence: to live
   consciously via its manifestations; to evolve from childhood to
   adult existence. This is the secret of The
       This  path  of  genuine magick does not involve however the
   slavish following of some 'cosmic doctrine'/mandate, or any other
   such dogma. It involves the individual in freeing themselves from
   all influences in order to live, or become, the reality of the
   forces of Life itself. Thus the purpose of the Seven-Fold Way: to
   guide its Initiates towards the attainment of self-insight, where
   the 'personal' exists as a method to express the Cosmos, and not
   as a hinderence - through projections - of the apprehension of
   Life as a unified whole. The reality can only ever be experienced
   anew by each Initiate, since this apprehension of Life is a way
   of Being, and can only, as yet, be partially described by
   abstract methods. Thus each new Satanist - and genuine Satanic
   order - is a new manifestation of the living essence: thus there
   is Evolution.
      A magickal order such as the ONA is not motivated by trends in
   contemporary thinking, although it may on occassion manipulate
   'fashion' to provoke an appropriate outcome. All forms - from
   magickal systems, to 'Art,' to revolutionary political
   organisations (etc.) - have a finite life-span, but the criteria
   by which present-day Occultists judge forms as 'useful' or
   'outmoded' is most usually influenced by temporal trends, by the
   status quo; little though this is consciously recognised.
      One type of essential form so judged is the archetype. As
   discussed in Order MSS relating to Aeonics, the life-span of an
   archetype is not tied to 'linear time', or effected in any way by
   fleeting trends in society. At the very least, archetypes die
   when the civilisation to which they are bound dies - when a new
   aeon becomes manifest. Thus, they are subject to an
   aeonic/'alchemical' mode of time rather than the abstracted form
   by which we tend to live our personal lives, since 'time' is
   simply a measure of the change of Cosmic matter and energy.
       But even on the cusp of a new aeon, an archetype may spawn
   offspring  - or rather, it may continue to change according to
   its nature and particular mode of time. This occurs when the
   ethos of one aeon is continued and evolved into the next, as
   hopefully will occur during the transition from this present
   Western Aeon to the next 'Galactic' one.
      In order to really understand such things as archetypes, one
   must attain through self-effort, the aforementioned liberation
   from all contemporary influences - and from those influences
   which lie outside temporal forms. Most who do not follow the
   Seven-
   Fold Way will not achieve those stages beyond 'individuation'
   because the present concept of 'liberated thinking' or occult
   understanding is still in itself dictated by the influences that
   engineer this present society/culture. With regard to
   implementing the practical, 'magickal' purpose of archetypes,
   personal 'like' or 'dislike' of one form or another does not
   necessarily validate or invalidate the reality of that form, and
   should not provide the basis for making a reasoned judgement of
   what is, or is not, of aeonic significance (this is particularly
   true of 'politics' ...).
      In general, archetypes exert influence upon the unconscious,
   with mostly indirect results. However, Satan (or perhaps more
   accurately Satanas) is a numinous symbol, a living, Earth-based
   manifestation of the acausal. As such Satan is that force made
   conscious, and the gateway through which we as sentient Beings
   become the Will of the Cosmos.
      Thus, Satan is the word, "image", vibration, chant and deed of
   Cosmic evolution itself. The 'magick' of Satan and the Dark Gods
   in general are for us the keys to that Evolution. How present (or
   past) cultures view Satan is not entirely relevant, and should
   not be seriously considered by those attempting to form a
   judgement. Again, the reality has to be experienced.
      A Sinister organisation [and Satanas is the epitome of the
   Sinister] possesses that reality and seeks to increase the Cosmic
   Tides via its works in the 'real world'.
      Thus, the "chaos" trend of viewing all causal forms as merely
   means towards the 'Occult' attainment of some 'thing' is
   mistaken, because in this, a purely causal frame of reference -
   particularly in terms of 'time' - is used to judge that which
   actually possesses both causal and acausal components.
     Not all forms by their causal nature express limited
   understanding of acausal forces. While some methods are practical
   tools by which the individual may attain various magickal levels
   (as in some Insight Roles), others are those forces made manifest
   in the causal world: that is, the form so created is not a nexion
   to channel or presence the essence - it is the very essence
   itself; the essence evolving as it must evolve in causal time and
   space. This is so because such manifestations possess the
   greatest capacity to presence the continuous flow of Change that
   is Life [and significantly, do not always conform to coventional
   'Occult' expectations: they are viewed as 'exoteric']. That some
   forms may express things that are culturally understood as
   'plebian', primitive, or "Old Aeon" is absolutely irrelevant to
   their capacity to cause aeonic Change. This discernment requires
   the Satanic qualities of insight, knowledge, intuition and
   reason.
      For those unique individuals whose Destiny is tied to such a
   form, there is no living of that form while hiding the "esoteric
   reality", the esoteric wisdom - the occult aspect. There is no
   clever deceit, no skilled manipulation, because the form created
   is the reality, is that esoteric wisdom made real and
   practicalhat . This is the domain of Vindex, that much
   misunderstood embodiment of creative Change. Vindex does not
   really need 'the Occult' in conventional terms, to presence, or
   access the numinous ideals that s/he represents. Such things, in
   this case, only obscure the essence of Change, of evolution - as
   they can often distance a person from the creative numen which
   can and does provoke such an evolution.
      Because  of the nature of human consciousness, we possess the
   capability to extend and create symbols and forms (such as
   language, or more simply sound) which could describe the essence
   itself. Not all abstract symbols [whether mathematical, magickal
   or other] need inherently and ultimately obscure the essence; and
   neither is it in their nature - or in the nature of any form for
   that matter - to presence the acausal by purely intellectual
   procedures. In this we need to understand and integrate with
   existing numinous symbols in order to spawn completely new forms
   - this initial confrontation and then synthesis of 'opposites'
   (in terms of the psyche) allows the necessary organic (and
   latent) relationship to develope between human life and symbols
   and other forms.
      The majority are still swayed by archetypal forces
   conventionally described as "light" and "dark". That there exists
   a reality beyond such opposites does not mean that those
   opposites, for the majority, do not exist. They exist and exert
   influence until they are confronted and transcended. A magickal
   Order understands this, and thus seeks to guide its adherents
   towards the realms 'beyond opposites' via appropriate
   ordeals/Grade rituals - that is, via the fires of experience.
   That some (and they are very few) may attain this transcendence
   does not mean that such archetypes cease to exist for others, or
   that the realms beyond opposites are any more 'real'. Each realm,
   from those symbolised by Initiate to Magus, expresses a reality
   in the process of Evolution, and cannot be accurately
   comprehended in linear terms. In one practical sense, what is
   "good" and what is "evil" may be said to exist, since these are
   the concepts, at this point in time, by which a society views the
   world - by which life, for the majority, is still influenced.
   That the definition of moral absolutes may alter over the ages
   does not itself alter the essence by which they effect the
   process of human living.
      This bifurcation still exists because that is the nature of
   our species at present, as it has been for centuries, despite the
   many external changes that have occurred, and despite the
   intellectual musings of philosophers and occultists alike. This
   is unlikely to begin to change significantly until the emergence
   of the next aeon - some four hundred years from now. Thus a rite
   such as the genuine Black Mass still possesses real magickal
   purpose for individuals at a certain level of their development,
   as well as contributing to the necessary, broader aeonic changes.
   Such a rite accesses Nazarene/Magian energies and then re-directs
   them in a sinister way - and, as has been stated elsewhere in ONA
   MSS, the Satanist does not believe in the reality of "God", or
   the 'divinity' of the Nazarene, only that others so believe.
   Thus, there is still great relevance in promoting and practising
   a system of genuine "Black" magick which aims to counter the
   works of those who promote and practise magick of the "White"
   variety: in terms of the psyche of the West, a cosmic battle must
   still be played out if a synthesis is to be achieved by
   civilisation as a whole. In esoteric terms, this is to say that
   our civilisation has not as yet evolved to the stage of
   Adeptship. The goal of the Sinister Initiate is to aid this
   aeonic synthesis, and the methods by which they achieve this for
   the majority will differ in many instances from those which
   enabled this achievement for them as individuals.
      In reality, both an esoteric Black and White Order do exist,
   but the form that is now conventionally understood as "evil" is
   instead the way that will allow the necessary transition to take
   place, and thus prevent the stagnation and decay that would
   result from the triumph of Magian forces [as presenced by the
   "White" Order]. In the most profound sense therefore, it is the
   Sinister Path that enshrines 'divinity', little though this would
   be understood by the majority - but such an understanding by the
   majority is neither relevant, desirable, nor possible at this
   time.
       In this  very  real Cosmic battle, Satan does not feature as
   some Judaeo-Nazarene device to oppress 'the Folk', but as a
   numinous symbol for our civilisation, of all that defies the
   counter-evolutionary force of the Magian. What is rarely
   expressed, however, amidst the rabid cries for a Ragnarok, is
   that such counter-evolutionary forces are part of the process of
   Cosmic Change, part of the Wyrd of Western civilisation. For
   without such opposition there is no real evolution, no Triumph of
   the Will - and no Life. Thus to oppose such counter-evolutionary
   forces is to positively aid aeonic evolution and bring the
   intergration with Nature so often sought by those who follow an
   Occult way.
      As  practitioners  of  magick, we must have the understanding
   to allow those numinous symbols which presence - or 'order' - the
   wyrd of the aeon to which we are bound, to evolve unhindered
   according to their own mode of time; to flow with, and
   consciously become those forces, rather than aid
   counter-evolutionary powers by allowing limited personal ideas
   and projections to dominate.
     Real practitioners of Aeonic magick do not project their own
   understanding onto the society of their time, as they do not seek
   in their practises to elevate the understanding of their
   contempories by willful self-expression. Changes in the
   collective psyche will take much longer than one lifetime, and
   will instead swell in waves, over Aeons. Thus, a genuine
   practitioner of Aeonic magick works with the raw materials and
   possibilities that characterise the society of their time: they
   do not work beyond practical boundaries. And in this,
   importantly, an Aeonic magickian is not swayed solely by the
   desire to witness the fruits of their understanding in their own
   personal lifetime; they plan for centuries ahead, and embody in
   their Being the slowness of evolution, the Wisdom of Ages ...
   
       For the Present, we exist in a society characterised by a
   'supermarket' approach of choice and consumption, where
   individuals no longer create history, but look backwards and
   study, and romanticise - and distort. The realm of the Esoteric
   is no exception to this, and thus it is vital that we as
   Occultists, as creative individuals, cease to waste our time
   delving into the folk-tales and legends of past, dead cultures -
   this includes those of the Norse, Celtic, Saxon, and whatever
   else passes for conventional esoteric interest.
      Because to derive esoteric inspiration from the dim and
   distant deeds of an archetype is an utter waste of the magickal
   opportunity that exists now, with the people who exist now and
   the potential that they can embody in the future. To create and
   perform rituals based on a dim and distant fireside tale - or
   employ the symbolism of a past communal life-style - is a
   counter-productive [in aeonic terms] indulgence. A 'culture' is,
   magickally, unimportant. What matters is civilisation - or more
   precisely, the living, evolving force that moves a civilisation
   forwards, and which is in itself embodied by that civilisation.
   In this, the creativity of an associated culture is only of
   relevance if it presences this living, moving  force.
      When we enter a place of enigmatic 'historical interest', such
   as an old settlement or stone circle, we do not need to
   psychically unravel - or seek to re-enact - the secrets of a past
   community: we who live now are those secrets, we are that enigma.
   We must only tap into the genius of our creatvity and flow
   forwards, leaving the monuments, the ruins - the dead shells -
   where they belong. If there is a message locked within the
   unknown dolmen, it is this.
      However, to use the form of an ancient or old archetype for
   the purpose of doing something with that archetype in the world
   is another matter. But this implies re-presenting such an
   archetype as the hero of a new mythos - a mythos entirely
   representational of the current aeonic phase, and by that token
   one which allows the next phase to be reached.
      Thus,  a  new  mythos would feature an established archetype
   committing great acts of nobility (and great acts of terror), the
   nature and form of which would inspire and liberate the 'modern
   masses'. The magick of the archetype would be in its living now
   in the real world, rather than having existed in some ethereal
   realm of the past; a past when the manifestation of Human life
   was, in many respects, very different to today. These differences
   lie in what is and what is not practically needed in order for
   the people of modern 'Western' society to feel inspired towards
   overcoming the problems, self-imposed and otherwise, of their
   day-to-day existence.
      Thus,  the  deeds  of  this archetype could be a
   re-presentation of those acts committed by a real-life, modern
   day hero (such as a Satanist) - or the creation of a new legend,
   the practical basis of which has yet to occur, therefore
   inspiring individuals to bring it to life in the causal world ...
   The ways and methods of this powerful magickal technique are
   legion.
   
      And so in this, and in other ONA writings, the practical
   meaning of Magick is explicated - all that is now required of
   sinister esoteric Orders and individuals is the Will to make the
   meaning a reality. Thus, in conclusion, the magickal aims of a
   genuine sinister organisation should be as follows:
   1) To continue to maintain the existing Tradition by diseminating
       the various teachings  and methods [as published in MSS such
       as Codex Saerus, Naos and others].
       2)  To practically aid those 'exoteric' forms which will
       bring the New Aeon.
       3) To extend the Tradition by creating new forms of the
       sinister. These would include Artistic
       [musick/images/writing]; 'Magickal' [new ceremonial/hermetic
       forms]; and practical, numinous ways of living [as in the
       creation of an esoteric rural community, or communities].
       
      Though many will dismiss it because they do not have the
   courage to try, the Way of Satan remains, amidst the myriad of
   'paths' the essence of the Great Work. Experto credite.
   
       And when the works are complete, a Satanist disappears from
   sight - toward the next stage, leaving astonishment, disbelief
   and many questions in their wake. And then the failures begin
   their campaign, of distortion and lies.  Just occassionally, they
   may hear our laughter.
   
                    (C. Beest. Revised: ONA 1998eh)
   
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EOF