When the Watchers arrived on earth
Hi! I was wondering if you had any book recs and tips for someone who wants to follow the Luciferian path. I'm asking specifically you this because we seem to hold very similar ideas on this matter, also you seem very nice.
Aw thank you, I'll do what I can to give some recommendations! Hopefully they'll be useful to you... I sadly don't have a formal reading list of recommendations yet, as I haven't been able to do as much reading as I'd likely lately, and I'm hesitant to recommend books I can't confidently vouch for. However, here's some things I do recommend! These are with the assumption that as you said, we have similar tastes/ideas when it comes to Luciferianism.
Books and Research!
The one book I do comfortably recommend to people new to Luciferianism is Kosmology: Luciferian Philosophy by Jeremy Christner. He is admittedly far more Gnostic in his Luciferianism than I am (if memory serves he considers Lucifer and Sophia two aspects/forms of the same entity). Still, I'm yet to find a book that has an identical view of Luciferianism as I do, and I think what he has to say about the more philosophical side of things is really worth reading, since it explores a few of the ways Luciferians can push themselves towards a seeking knowledge and self betterment that weren't completely obvious when I was starting out.
Paradise Lost by Milton is another incredibly popular recommendation for probably obvious reasons. It's arguably the most influential text on how we see the figure of Lucifer today. However, it's also a very very long poem written in a pretty unfamiliar style. If it's more than you can tackle at the moment, I'd honestly suggest looking into things like the Sparknotes quotes or videos that discuss its themes or impactful scenes, like Satan's speech to his followers after their fall.
I personally found the Book of Enoch to be a useful one since my Luciferianism includes the Watchers, or more specifically Azazel, though if this isn't something that interests you there's no real harm in skipping it? Though I found it an interesting read, and even if you don’t see their motives as selfless, the sharing of divine knowledge with mankind that the Watchers did before their punishment for its results does feel rather Promethian, which is one degree of separation away from being generally Luciferian... or is one in the same. Your mileage and tastes may vary,
For general recommendations I'd suggest looking for anything with Promethean themes, reading a little Canaanite mythology (the story of Attar trying to claim Baal's throne is especially interesting to me) and familiarizing yourself with the concept of Gnosticism. While I'm not a huge fan of most of it, Gnostic ideas have influenced a lot of Luciferian ones, and some people you encounter will outright identify as Gnostic Luciferians. And you might decide you like what you see! I'm not the authority on what should and shouldn't be allowed in a very personal religion. However, I find that anything that pushes the concept of Lucifer as a liberator from an evil false God... or not-false but still evil God... to be pretty uncharitable to a good many religions I don't have an issue with and thing some people are needlessly hostile towards.
While I have not read either in depth yet, as Cain and Tubal-Cain are not figures that particularly interests me at this time, I've had the Pillars of Tubal-Cain by Nigel Jackson and Michael Howard recommended to me, and I've found some interesting bits in the Psalterium Caini/Psalter of Cain by Andrew Chumbley. You might need to get a bit creative about reading them if they interest you, since both are out of print and tend to be wildly expensive in the second hand market.
I would humbly discourage reading too much by anyone that pushes a flavour of Luciferianism that uses Lilith or Qlipoth, if you aren't culturally or formerly Jewish, as both (no matter how many people try to claim otherwise) are deeply entwined with the Jewish faith and Jewish mysticism. As someone who is culturally and formerly Christian, I don't feel comfortable touching either with a ten foot pole, as I strive to be respectful of closed and semi-closed practices... which Judaism and the practicing of Kabbalah are. While I've seen a lot of arguments concerning the potential validity of Hermitic Qabalah, with the assumption being the only similarity is its name, it's not a topic I feel equipped to handle... and in the case of Qlipoth especially, it feels like an uncomplicated pilfering of Jewish ideas for the sake of having an edgy magic system.
I've also not been terribly impressed with Michael W Ford's writing, as despite his prolific nature within the publishing world I'm just not really a fan of his books nor some of the choices he's made. I considered leaving him off, but he's one of those names that just keeps coming up if you research Luciferianism, so I thought it worth giving a disclaimer.
General Tips!
- I'd recommend trying to read as much as you can in subjects that interest you as possible. Ones I've found particularly of interest are religious history, mythology, philosophy, and those that are related to the fields of magic I'm interested in (as my dislike of Ford's Luciferian Witchcraft and other peoples' weird Qlipoth grimoires means I've been left to form my own magical path... though magic is not mandatory to being Luciferian by any means). There are, however, no unworthy areas of research when dealing with a religion that pushes for enlightenment and self betterment.
- I mentioned this in passing up in the books section, but if magic is a thing that interests you, do remember that it doesn't need to be explicitly Luciferian in nature! There are many ways you can merge a magic system with your religious leanings, or keep the two separate, and with the possible exception of trying to work with notoriously militant Christian spirits like St Benedict or St Michael, there's a lot of flexibility. I even work with St Expedite, as he doesn't seem to hold strong opinions on it, and I've considered keeping up some planetary magic that employs some of the lesser known angels... though my relationship with Azazel makes St Raphael incredibly off limits, as it seems like a dreadful idea to appeal to the angel that imprisoned my tentative teacher. While ceremonial magic that involves demons is of course popular, other things like forms of chaos magic, folk magic, and traditional or folkloric witchcraft are other fine choices. Though again, and I cannot stress this enough, you do not need to pursue magic if it's not something that interests you to be a Luciferian.
- Not a formal book recommendation so I'll say this down here. Consider alternative methods of exploring Luciferian ideas. For example, modern poetry can also be a lovely and less thought of means of exploring religious ideas, and surprisingly, Luciferianism especially. I've mentioned it in other posts, but my all time favourite is Imagine Lucifer by Jack Spicer, though if you look up poetry on my blog you'll find lots of other examples. There's also a number of research papers that explore these ideas, such as the one on Romantic Satanism by Peter Schock, but you may again need to get clever with how you investigate them since academic papers can be incredibly expensive to buy. Someday I hope to make a proper list of all the research papers or collections of essays I've found that are worth reading... but I need to actually finish them all first.
- At the risk of overstepping... I would suggest coming to terms with your feelings on other religions quietly and respectfully. A lot of "Left-Hand Path" religions or beliefs can be very openly hostile towards other religions in a way that's sensationalizing and unflattering at best and outright bigotry and regurgitated hate speech at worst. I fully believe there is a way to reject harmful dogma and be adversarial to the unfair or dangerous ideas that some religions/religious organizations can push without crossing those lines, and that some people should consider what they're doing to others who share their label... and, you know, basic human decency.
- It saddens me to mention this, and perhaps you already know and it goes without saying, but be careful of who you express your religious leanings to. There are people in my life that I can discuss my Luciferianism with freely, and there's people who I actively try to conceal it from. While I'd say we don't suffer the same religious persecution as some, there is often a general misunderstanding or hostility towards anything seen as Satanic, and I don't trust everyone who might have an issue with it or negatively affect me in some way because of that to hear me out.
- And finally, familiarize yourself with the bad actors who use the Luciferian label so you can avoid them. While I'd say from experience that Satanism as a religion has a lot of hate groups hiding among their ranks, I've also seen some neo-nazi/fascist sentiments coming from within the Luciferian community. Though I haven't yet seen a full organization that's clearly marketing themselves as Luciferian yet, I think anyone in an alternative religion or in occult spaces should familiarize themselves with the symbols and dogwhistles of crypto-fascists and not just take anyone's word for it when they check every box, and have ties to other neo-nazi organizations, but "are really nice guys who promise they aren't nazis".
Conclusions!
That seems like enough to start with, but do feel free to message me again if you have any more specific questions/concerns/comments/etc while you're exploring Luciferianism. I hope it helps, and best of luck!
So the bread and butter of Luciferianism falls around
- A central admired figured that represents qualities/values but are usually a character that is considered a bringer of knowledge/wisdom. They are considered revolutionary, went against the “norm,” and are sometimes even “demonized” for it.
- The core of Luciferianism falls around knowledge/wisdom. It is about always having a questioning, skeptical mind, never accepting things at face value, but also always being open to learning because learning never stops. It’s never about being stuck in beliefs/value/knowledge when its wrong (i.e. God creation theory). Science is as only good as the latest finding after all! Part of this knowledge/wisdom is also in knowing yourself which… -Being your personal best is the other leg of Luciferianism. Some people call it achieving “godhood” or “divinity” or “enlightenment”
- Rebellion or Revolutionary. If you look at the stories of the various Luciferian figures, literary works, and scripture…there is often a form of “rebellion” or “revolutionary” figure there. Iblis rebelled against God. There is a common thread of the pop culture Satan rebelling against God because God is “unjust.” There is Eve eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Jesus Christ himself was a figure that went against the current religious doctrine of the times. Mary Magdelena was important, then dismissed, but she was also an important Luciferian figure. Then there is Prometheus defying Zeus for humanity. Buddha is another figure with his revolutionary practice that was nothing the Hindu’s had seen. It was radical. So it would be safe to say that the Luciferian can be “radical.” Of course, can be both good and bad change depending upon different factors, different perspectives.
Anything I miss? This is an incredibly broad sweep and not the essay I am working on. This is just the bare bones. Luciferianism itself is like water, it has form…but it also does not. It is a personal path that one must discover for oneself.
Do you know anything about trickster Spirits pretending their deity's?
I don't have much experience with that, sorry.
The passage in Isaiah that became associated with the fallen angel speaks of the bright Morningstar explicitly as a Fallen Star as well, fallen due to his pride that led him to rise against God himself. The fragment is explicitly not about our Lucifer - but this is essentially how he's seen in Christianity (and where the Isaiah association generally ends).
Challenging God is something that certainly demands extraordinary courage. The consequences Lucifer suffered were painful. And yet, the dawn always rises again, and so does the Morningstar, persistent and unbroken. Thus, Lucifer's name can be linked to those qualities, as well as to hope, rebirth and new beginnings.
As the church considered it sinful, sex became naturally associated with Lucifer. Later, when the Romantic Satanists began to reclaim his and Satan's symbolism - whether treating them separately or as one entity - they reevaluated this association more positively.
The reason why I'm talking about it here is that it coincides perfectly with the Morningstar being the planet Venus in both astrology and various religions connected with love and eroticism.
In my experience, the planet's association with various kinds of love, not just romantic and sexual, mirrors Lucifer's nature as well.
Lucifer is, of course, also a spirit of intellect whose light can be understood in connection to that as well. As the Serpent and ever further, they are encouraging us to question, to practice critical thinking, to learn and reflect.
Not necessarily about Gnosticism, gnosis is spiritual knowledge acquired in personal experience. It is subjective, of course, but beautiful. In a more spiritual interpretation of the Eden myth, the knowledge Lucifer the Serpent opens the way to is gnosis.
Note - you might have heard the term UPG. In the spiritual context, it stands for unverified personal gnosis. While, in my opinion, personal gnosis would be enough - it's always unverified, in the end - the term helps us coexist while understanding things in our own ways.
There's another, deeply personal way I've experienced the light Lucifer brings - the light of comfort that shines in the dark, the sweet flame warming me when I need support.
There are certainly more ways you can interpret Lucifer's name! Do you have your own?
Dividers by @firefly-graphics.
Dyeing your hair
Wear dragon, serpent, or goat jewelry
Tie-dye or other ways of dyeing fabric
Do some makeup
Learn how to sword fight; kendo, fencing, etc
Make your own jewelry
Dedicate jewelry to wear for him
Collect weapons; check your local/national laws for regulations on legality
Practice fire scrying and incorporate fire in your witchcraft
Metallic nail polish
Learn about metallurgy
Arts and crafts involving metals and/or gems
Explore the wilderness around you
Get a nose piercing
Cultivate grapes
Drink grape juice or wine if of age
Spend some time in darkness
Learn to identify plants of your area
Wear black, red, and/or yellow
Mirror scrying
Be proud of yourself
Celebrate your own beauty
Explore pleasure and your sexuality
Help protect snakes
Enn:Ef enay Phenex ayer
Other names: Phoenix, Pheynix
The Thirty-Seventh Spirit is Marquis Phenex (or Pheynix). Phenex is a nature spirit, whom inspires a careful pondering of the places of nature and the animals within it. He is a great Marquis, and appears like a bird phoenix, having the voice of a child. He sings many sweet notes before the practitioner, which he must not regard, He will also take on human shape. He can speak on science. He is a poet, good and excellent. Evoke Phenex during fire baptisms and rebirth rituals including creative path working. He will be wiling to perform requests. He governs 20 legions of spirits,
Runyon mentions his origin as being of the Egyptian Benu birds, literally phoenixes. He is also thought to be of the Order of Dominations, same as Marchosias.
⬩Creative path working
⬩Nature
⬩Poetry
⬩Songs
⬩Writing
⬩Ask him what else he will work with you on⬩
Enn:Ef enay Phenex ayer
Sigil:Posted above
Plant:Rose
Incense:Jasmine
⬩Purple candles or objects
⬩Ask Marquis Phenex what he likes⬩
⬩It is important to learn protections before trying to work with any spirits. You can get tricksters and parasites if you don't.
Cleansings- cleaning your space of negative energies. You can burn herbs or incense for this.
Banishings- forcing negative energies out of your space. The lesser banishing ritual is one of the most commonly used.
Warding- wards keep negative energy out of your space. Amulets, sigils and talismans do this.
Set up a your space and do a cleanse and banishing. Have wards up in your home. Meditation is to calm yourself and get your mind ready. The sigil (symbol) is what you draw on paper. The enn is what you chant or say to call forth the spirit.⬩
would you have any tips for being a respectful theistic satanist? i am aware that satanism is often used as an antisemitic dogwhistle as well as of the antisemitism that often presents within the field, and i do my best to recognize and combat these things and listen to jewish voices, but is there anything in particular you would recommend avoiding? i am asking in terms of actions or practices, not organizations, btw
Unfortunately, that's not really my call to make. I encourage you to bring the question to a jewish practitioner, so im gonna throw the question over to @will-o-the-witch
It is no secret that angels go beyond the gender binary. Lucifer, a fallen one, is no exception, and as a notorious shapeshifter they can appear however they wish at the moment. (...) But there is more to it, something that goes beyond LGBT characteristics. As beautifully exemplified in their mythos, Lucifer is the epitome of Queer.
More in my new Wordpress post:
Salem. Agenderflux. Mix of all pronouns and terms. Sapphic aroace and polyam. Poet, horror fan, hermit. Satanist and eclectic polytheist. Azazel. Main blog is thirstyvampyre {I do NOT support racism, Nazis, cultural appropriation, terfs, queerphobia, fascism, or sexism. If I reblog anything that condones any of the above, please let me know. I do not want it on my blog.}
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