LaVeyan Satanism
| LaVeyan Satanism | |
|---|---|
| Family | Modern / Nontheistic Satanism |
| Origin region | United States |
| Founding period | 20th century CE |
| Estimated adherents | Unknown; organized and independent practitioners exist internationally. |
LaVeyan Satanism is a modern nontheistic religious and philosophical movement associated with Anton LaVey, individualism, ritual psychodrama, skepticism, and the symbolic use of Satan as a figure of pride and rebellion.
Overview
LaVeyan Satanism began with the Church of Satan in the 1960s. It generally does not worship a literal Satan; instead, Satan is treated as a symbol of individual liberty, carnality, self-interest, rational skepticism, and opposition to imposed religious guilt. Ritual is often understood as psychological drama rather than supernatural worship.
Key beliefs
- Satan as a symbolic figure rather than a deity in standard LaVeyan teaching
- Individualism, self-responsibility, and personal sovereignty
- Skepticism toward supernatural claims and conventional religious morality
- Ritual as psychodrama and emotional focus
- Affirmation of earthly life, desire, and personal excellence
Practices
- Reading and discussion of LaVeyan texts
- Rituals of compassion, destruction, and lust as symbolic or psychological acts
- Personal self-development and aesthetic identity
- Participation in Church of Satan or independent Satanist communities
- Use of symbols such as the Sigil of Baphomet
Places of worship
- No universal place of worship; practice may occur in homes, private ritual spaces, online communities, or organizational events
Sacred texts
- The Satanic Bible and other writings by Anton LaVey are central to LaVeyan Satanism
Holidays and observances
- Common observances include one’s birthday, Halloween, Walpurgisnacht, and solstices or equinoxes in some communities