From:    Lilith Aquino
To:      Nythcar                                  13-Feb-94 03:10pm
Subject: RE: Ndp Candidate

Nyt> Are you one of the "some" who would consider you Satanic?  I don't
Nyt> remember ever seeing your thoughts on that.

I can't answer this in 25 words or less, so bear with me! If 
you consider Satanism to be anti-Christian Devil worship, the 
answer is no. The Temple of Set practices a completely 
non-Christianized, positive "high Satanism".To understand what 
we mean by this, a bit of history of the Temple is needed: 
While the TOS as an organization was formally incorporated and 
recognized by both state and federal governments in 1975 CE, 
its magical and philosophical roots are prehistoric, 
originating in mankind's first apprehension that there is 
"something different" about the human race - a sense of 
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS that places humanity apart from all other 
known forms of life. Ancient religions - of which those of 
Egypt are generally acknowledged the eldest - either exalted or 
feared this self-consciousness. Those which exalted it took the 
position that the human psyche is capable of opposition to and 
domination of the forces of nature.

The psyche-worshipping, reasoning religions - or schools of 
initiatory philosophy - attained levels of abstract knowledge 
that made them mysterious to the masses. In a few socities, 
such as Egypt and Greece, such groups were respected and 
admired. More often, however, their exclusive elitism and 
"supernatural" activities made them objects of resentment and 
persecution. While all philosophical schools embraced the 
psychecentric consciousness to some degree, there were a very 
few which made it avowedly and explicitly the focus of their 
attention. The divine personifications ("gods") of such schools 
have come down to us as symbols of what most Western religions, 
worshippers of non-consciousness, consider the supreme "evil": 
the Prince of Darkness in his many forms. Of these the most 
ancient is Set, whose Priesthood can be traced to predynastic 
times.

Originally a circumpolar/stellar deity portrayed as a cyclical 
counterpart to the Solar Horus, Set was later recast as an evil 
principle by the cults of Osiris and Isis. When the Hebrews 
emigrated from Egypt during the XIX Dynasty, they took with 
them a caricature of Set: "Satan" (from the hieroglyphic 
_Set-Hen_, one of the god's formal titles). Originally a sort 
of "prosecuting angel for YHVH", the Hebrew Satan was changed 
by Christianity into a personification of everything God was 
not - and since God was "good", Satan was necessarily "bad". 
Alluring or mysterious deities from religions competing with 
early Christianity - such as the hellenic/Roman Mysteries and 
Persian Mithraic faith - were also "bad". Non-Christian gods 
generally were redefined as Christian "demons" and given a 
place in the Christian Hell (another name stolen and perverted 
from Norse mythology). Christian propaganda nonwithstanding, 
the present day "Satan" is wholly their invention.

Which brings us to the present time: The Satanic religion 
proposes to raise the individual to personal godhood, free from 
enslavement to any other "God" (or gods). However this is a 
question not just of power, but also of ethics, morality, and 
psychological maturity. The parameters of philosophy and 
metaphysics extend far beyond the conceptual and symbolic 
limits of the Judaic/Chrisitian tradition. The Temple of Set 
explores the "human equation" and the metaphysical and 
psychological roots of the great Satanic/psyche-centered 
philosophies of history. The appeal of occultism is much the 
same as that of conventional religion: Logical positivism and 
scientific materialism, though they have made great strides 
towards explaining the "how" of existence, have failed entirely 
to explain the why.

Conventional religions, with their colorful mythologies 
analyzed in terms of the underlying philosophical principles, 
represent simply the primitive longing of man to feel "at one" 
with the Universal harmony he perceives about

him. The Black Magician rejects both the desirability of union 
with the Universe and any self-deceptive actions designed to 
create such an illusion. He/she has considered the existence of 
the individual psyche - the "core you" of your conscious 
intelligence - and has taken satisfaction from its existence as 
something unlike anything else. The Black Magician desires this 
psyche to live, to experience, to continue. He/she does not 
wish to die - or to lose consciousness and identity in a 
larger, Universal consciousness (assuming that such exists). 
He/she wants to BE. This decision in favor of individual 
existence is the first premise of the Temple of Set.

The second premise of the Temple is that the psychecentric 
consciousness can evolve towards its own divinity through 
deliberate exercise of the intelligence and Will, a process of 
BECOMING or COMING INTO BEING (XEPER), whose roots may be found 
in the dialectic method expounded by Plato and the conscious 
exaltation of the Will proposed by Nietzsche.

The "worship" of Set is thus the "worship" of individualism. In 
the Church of Satan this was taken to mean indulgence in all 
(legal) desires of the body and ego. Since many such desires 
are impulsive and destructive, the COS found itself in an 
awkward position, which accelerated its eventual crisis and 
demise in 1975. The Temple of Set determined to preserve the 
principle of individualism, but to add to it the evolutionary 
"higher self" aspirations od Aleister Crowley's pre-OTO 
philosophy of Thelema. Glorification of the ego is not enough; 
it is the COMPLETE psyche, the entire Self or soul, which must 
be recognized, appreciated, and actualized. Dogma, - to include 
fixed ideology in any form - is repugnant to Setians. We strive 
rather towards an atmosphere of "best possible premises", which 
are always subject to constructive, intelligent examination and 
criticism. Foolish, pretentious, or destructive egotism under 
the guise of exploration is neither respected nor endured.

Regretfully there still exist some individuals whose idea of 
"Satanism" is largely a simple-minded synthesis of Christian 
propaganda and Hollywood horror movies. The Temple of Set 
enjoys the colorful legacy of the Black Arts, and we use many 
forms of historical Satanic imagery for our artistic 
stimulation and pleasure. But we have not found that any 
interest or activity which an enlightened, mature intellect 
would regard as undignified, sadistic, criminal, or depraved is 
desirable, much less essential to our work. The Temple of Set 
is an evolutinary product of human experience. Such experience 
includes the magical and philosophical work of many occult 
individuals which have preceded us. In examining the secret and 
suppressed corners of history for valuable and useful material, 
the Temple insists upon ehtical presentation and use of such 
discoveries. All Setians are expected to display a high measure 
of maturity and common sense in this area. We reject absolutely 
wanton cruelty and harm to others, and are particularly adamant 
about this with regard to animals.

The Temple of Set evaluates conventional religions as erroneous 
in principle, and feels no need to concern itself with their 
activities unless they intrude upon our affairs. 
________________________________________________________________________

Any further questions or comments are welcome.