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Hey! My preliminary research has suggested Azazel being closed to Judaism due to his roots within it, can I ask where you have gotten your information on him from? Not to sound accusatory, just wanting to know more.

Hello, thanks for asking!

So obviously I'm coming at this from a Christian perspective. My knowledge of Jewish religion and folklore is far more limited than someone raised within the religion.

The aspect of Azazel I understand to be very intertwined with Judaism is the scapegoat ritual. I've grabbed a definition of it from the Sydney Jewish Museum.

A key part of Yom Kippur, as described in the Torah, is the ritual slaughter of two goats; one for the Lord, and the other is designated “for Azazel”. Jewish tradition takes “Azazel” as the name of a rocky headland off which one goat, having the sins of the community symbolically placed upon it, would be thrown. The other goat, the one for the Lord, would be slaughtered as part of the general Yom Kippur rituals. This slaughter would bring atonement to the community.

This isn't part of Azazel's mythology that I really engage with. My view of him as a Watcher or fallen angel comes from the Book of Enoch, which is an Apocryphal text that seems to date back to the Dead Sea Scrolls. I've read that both Ethiopian Jewish communities and some Orthodox Christian churches consider it canon, but for the most part it is treated by wider Judaism and Christianity as not an official part of scripture. I have also heard that a story very similar to it appears in Islam, though I've not done enough research into it to speak at length about that.

In another Apocryphal text called the Apocalypse of Abraham, the name Azazel is attributed to an unclean bird of prey that tried to consume part of Abraham's sacrifices to God. In the same text, the name is also used to refer instead to the Serpent in Hell. Neither version is something I draw much of my understanding of him from (at least currently), but I'm mentioning it as an example of how often the same name or concept can pop up in different texts.

So to summarize, the name Azazel and a very specific rite associated with it do appear in Judaism, and that version/interpretation not something I feel comfortable approaching as a Luciferian who was raised Christian. Meanwhile, the view of him as a fallen angel exists only in Apocrypha, and isn't closely intertwined with or unique to Jewish culture and folklore in the same way a figure like Lilith is. That's the specific entity called Azazel I engage with.

greetings! i'm new to buddhism and i would be curious to know if you have any tips for westerners regarding the practice. i see a lot of people online aggravated by western attitudes at times and as new convert, i would like to avoid contributing to that. thank you!

Hi there :)

I suppose one of the greater issues is that there is a mindset of... shall we say, pioneering and innovation that can be unhelpful when approaching Asian traditions.

Western practitioners like to experiment, change the rules, "fuck around and find out" as they so often say. This works out well enough for them – in fact I think Western practitioners often thrive on their enthusiasm to explore, when it is balanced by discernment – but it is not an attitude that will get them far if they decide to train properly in an Asian tradition.

What we have in Asia that is lacking in Western traditions, are culture, history and esoteric lineages spanning thousands of years, and techniques that have been refined through trial and error with each passing generation. European traditions don't have this kind of unbroken lineage, which creates some distinct differences in mindset.

A Western practitioner might consider themself 'advanced' after 5-10 years of practice. But to become a Buddhist monk, guru/lama or Daoist method master, in that time you might only have just completed basic training (depending on tradition; I'm making broad generalisations here).

There is such a thing as spiritual authority, and Westerners sometimes don't like to hear this. After all, for many, becoming a witch/sorcerer/magician/spiritualist is all about taking fate into your own hands, claiming the universe's power, the church be damned, etc. Asian witchcraft and malefica does exist, however it is not treated as the path of self-liberation and sovereignty as it is in the West, so please do not mistake it as such.

(Diasporic Asians like to claim titles such as 'witch', and this is fine, but just bear in mind this has a decidedly negative connotation when you visit countries in East Asia).

The line between laypeople and ordained monks and priests is very clearly defined, and one is expected to show deference. This does not mean any sort of self-deprecation, rather, to understand one's own limits and keep an open and curious mind. Just as a layperson would not presume to know better than a trained doctor or surgeon.

Therefore, having ample patience will serve you well. You should expect to repeat the same basic practices 100s and 1000s of times, because cultivation is grueling and the path to Buddhahood, Immortality, or what have you, is something that takes lifetimes to achieve.

Now, that may not be your goal. You might simply want to live well in this life, and that is fine. The above message is more for those who aspire for mastery, importance or greatness, but do not yet understand what the journey requires. (I don't claim to understand it myself either).

This might be obvious, but in case it is not... be discerning about who you trust to guide you. There are genuine European/white practitioners who have entered their respective traditions the correct way, and there are Asian frauds and charlatans who have no qualms about using their cultural traditions to con people out of their money. You should respect what people have to say about their cultures and experiences, naturally, but don't use someone's ethnic background as a validation of their skill or character.

Most of all, maintain humility. Humility is the virtue that supports all other virtues. One that I think all of humanity struggles with the most, perhaps because we don’t understand it very well, and our survival has so often required its opposite.

Beyond that, I advise you not to place too much emphasis on seeking knowledge in books or written texts. The main reason for this: published texts on Buddhist practices come from oral traditions that may require empowerment and transmission. The people who publish these texts might not understand this, or they are relying on the good faith of spiritual seekers. One does themself a great disservice if they believe they can bypass the guidance of a teacher from a long-standing lineage.

The other reason is that the wisdom, capacity and personal growth one gains through cultivation is experiential. It can only be gained through consistent practice. A skillful teacher can guide you on the path, but ultimately, the real thing cannot be taught, and all words fail to capture its true majesty.

I hope this helps, and doesn't come across as too intimidating. Take it slow, let the path unfold before you, and enjoy each day as it comes. Keep a green bough in your heart, and the singing bird will come 💚

Faces of Lucifer #2

Fallen Angel

As one of the Fallen, Lucifer has been through Hell. And yet he survived, and he lights the way of those who go through Hell of their own.

Lucifer knows sorrow, he understands pain and grief. He is there for the hurt, the outcast, the oppressed. He understands those with religious, family, or any kind of trauma, and he will be there for them.

He knows how is it to be hurt, vulnerable and angry, and will teach protection and baneful magic to those who need it. He knows maleficium is not synonymous with malice and doesn’t expect anyone to be nice to their oppressors.

Some say he has become a monster consumed by hate, wishing only suffering on human beings. But it is so far from true. He knows what suffering is like, and has compassion for those who are in pain.

His light could not be extinguished, and it is warm. And he understands.

Luciferian Journal Prompts

What does the story of the Fall mean to you?

Do you relate to it in some way? How?

What are your thoughts on the idea and symbolism of Hell?

Ritual Acts

Contemplating falling stars.

Reading / watching a catharthic story.

Expressing feelings through music.

Offering ideas

Feathers.

Blackberries. He is said to have fallen in a bush of bramble on his way to Hell, and since then, they are one of his plants.*

A cup of nice, warm tea and a place at your table. He gives so many his warmth and kindness, he deserves some too.

*Source of the bramble lore piece: Plants of the Devil, Corinne Boyer. More demonic lore about blackberries and other plants can be found in the book.

Some cute Satanic/Luciferian wallpapers

This blog does not support: antisemitism, neo-nazis, racism, terfs, queerphobia, or cultural appropriation

Saw this while browsing tarot cards and thought of you lol @teawiththegods

Delight Offerings

Thinking about offerings to devil principles - either Satan/Devil types, or Lucifer/Baphomet types.

1. “The delight of your body”, an expanded concept inspired by Satan’s sexual attributes. I interpret those attributes as a direct challenge to Christian traditions of aesctism, not only sexual proprietry but also plain churches, simple foods and dress etc etc.

The Delight of your Body is takin pleasure in something sensory. It could be listening to music and rocking out, dancing, cooking a special meal, and so on.

It could also be sexual indulgence, but sensory indulgences of any kind are equally appropriate. Dancing is another very traditional Delight of the Body act. I think also making beautiful things, be that sculpture or knitting or poetry - as puritan churches were always so plain and rejected imagery.

2. “The delight of your mind”. Another thread that goes into devil imagery is like the Luciferian/Church of Satan/Baphomet image of a challenge to religious authority, and a champion of free thought, rationalism and enlightenment.

So there’s a parallel concept, Delight of Mind, where you dedicate your enquiry and discovery. Reading, researching, learning, questioning, writing, educating or debating could all be sacred acts.

(I’m not a huge fan of social justice norms, so I’m going to encourage you to not take “educating and debating” as a religious justification to squabble on Facebook. Social justice, rightly or wrongly, tends towards the authoritarian, rather than the open minded. And it’s also not pleasurable. Right? It’s also not delight in what the mind can do and pleasure in exploring and discovering. At least, I’ve never found it to be all that blissful.)

But maths, languages, history, science or a new skill are all fair game.

As an addendum: I talked to my therapist about spiritual psychosis, because I've had visions, and I have a therapist, and she had some thoughts.

If you are noodling over what kinds of spiritual experiences are psychologically healthy and not, Abraham Maslow wrote a book called _Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences_ that you should probably read.

Psychosis comes with compulsions. If you have an experience and still feel free to choose for yourself what you do and do not do, religiously speaking, it's not spiritual psychosis. Spiritual psychosis is psychosis with spiritual window dressing. It is spiritually themed, but not actually spiritual in nature, if that makes any sense. If your visions are threatening, and you feel like you can't say no to them, that is spiritual psychosis. If Hekate appears and tells you everything is going to be ok, but you should probably work on being nicer to people (and you think about that, and tell her maybe, but that's really hard, and you don't know if you can do that) that isn't.

Another problem, also with spiritual window dressing, but far more common, is spiritual bypassing. This is when you use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks. So, if you take a theological position that the gods hate everyone who does X because it triggers your trauma, that is spiritual by-passing. If the gods comfort you when you are hurting, that is not.

Edit: If you want to know what causes psychosis, here is an article. Funky religious and spiritual practices aren't on the list.

New terf just dropped

Satanhasa/sideblog is a terf in the satanism community.

Screenshots below. I'd recommend just blocking them.

Hello!🦋✨ I was wondering what your opinion of devotion/worship of Greek figures that arent gods is? Im asking bc I want to honor Sappho in some way but I havent seen any opinions on it. Even if shes not recognized as a Goddess I feel that Sappho could be a great deity/spirit for wlw to work with. I feel like maybe worship is the wrong word but i cant think of another word rn? 🙊 Would it be wrong to consider her a Goddess? How would I go about this (honoring her) in a respectful manor? ✨💖

Hello, sweetness!! The Ancient Greeks have been worshiping non gods since forever! I mean they deified a lot of heroes just so they could worship them as gods. And today a lot of non god figures are worshiped by modern Hellenics such as Alexander the Great, Chiron, and most likely many others. So there’s nothing wrong with you wanting to honor Sappho.

I do think you can honor her (which would be a nice way to describe it if you dont want to say “worship”) without referring to her as a Goddess. I personally think its best you don’t refer to her as a Goddess because she isn’t one and could be seen as offensive and disrespectful to actual Goddesses. But like i said you don’t need to see her as a Goddess in order to honor her and work with her. 

I truly believe you can pretty much go about honoring her however way you want to. Like you can do similar things that we as worshipers do for the gods. I think giving her the label of Goddess would piss off the gods more so than anything you do for her. So you can give offerings and do things in her honor if thats what you choose to do.

But I do also want to stress that this is strictly my opinion.