Novus Ordo Satanas

© Gideon LeMarchand

What exactly does it mean to be a Satanist? What does it take to walk the Left-Hand Path? I've read many dissertations on this very subject from various factions and while each one seems to define Left-Handed philosophy point-by-point, I haven't really read or heard anyone discuss the inherent duties that accompany the title of Satanist. Many speak of "truths" and proper belief practices, membership privileges and FAQs, but nothing is ever really said about what is expected of a Satanist once they take the name. Has the Left-Hand Path become nothing more than a pen-pal club where each participant relies on the other to initiate some sort of action? (I can't be the only one who has had this disturbing thought cross their mind, can I?) Aside from personal growth and achievement, what is the overall duty that each Satanist is expected to fulfill? Is there a higher calling or a more noble purpose than simple gratification of the ego? Are ideas and goals greater than the individual or the collective?

When Dr. LaVey issued his five-point program, Pentagonal Revisionism, I saw it as a plan that could be put into action immediately and with little effort. It was the foundation upon which all travelers of the Left-Hand Path, whether they were organizations or solitarians, could build their future. But as inspiring as this program was (and still is), I wondered how many would actually follow the Doctor's lead? Or, would they expect him and his successors to do all the work? And what of those rabid anti-LaVeyans? Would they dismiss this program for social change out of pure spite even though it holds enormous potential for the glory of the Left-Hand Path and is probably the one set of goals that every faction clings to unanimously, whether they admit it or not?

From my own personal experience, when a person stands atop all Creation to announce their place within the ranks of Hell's Infernal Pantheon, there is a price to be paid. Whether you approach the Left-Hand Path as a philosophy or as a religion, there is a contract of sorts that is expected to be honored without exception. Make no mistake, you are entering into a binding agreement. Philosophy and religion are systems of ethics and particular codes of conduct. In short, they are ways of life and not mere "lip service." To think that you can embrace the Left-Hand Path in name alone and offer nothing in return is the height of hypocrisy - the very thing that is most despised among many Satanists. There is a responsibility placed upon every Satanist to give back as much as they receive. Every time you call upon Hell for comfort and retribution, Hell expects to be assured that you will fully exploit every advantage that such aid offers you. Being a Satanist means more than just simply becoming all that you can. It means surpassing that which you are capable of; to rise above and beyond your perceived limits; and to obliterate any and all obstacles which stand between you and your ultimate goal. Most importantly, being a Satanist means that you are a guardian of the Left-Hand Path and that you will not allow it to die out, but will work to continue it on with each new generation in the same manner of vibrancy in which it was found within you. This continuance would also include the ideals of Pentagonal Revisionism and the implementation of social catalysts to bring about the downfall of White-Light hypocrisy across the face of the world. The fulfillment of our own potential and the fulfillment of Hell on Earth...this is our goal. The beauty is that one compliments the other perfectly.

It sounds like a big job, I know, but if taken in small steps, such a project can be administered very efficiently and simply. But only if everyone becomes involved in the process and does their part. This may be asking far too much, though, as it is human nature to simply sit back and criticize while others do the bulk of the work. We see this tendency far too often from the mainstream and we rail against it incessantly. Now we're starting to see it from within our own ranks as well. So be it. Those who leech off the work and planning of others will be shown for who they really are. Their parasitic existence will be their undoing. And if this is the truth, that there is more talk than action among Satanists, then perhaps the Left-Hand Path truly is a Herd all unto itself complete with its own set of herding mentalities - an entire society of followers with but a handful of true leaders seperated from the mainstream and united under the so-called individualistic microcosm of Satanism. As in all herds so shall it be in the Left-Hand Path - the Few will lead the Many. It will be the Few who will reap the full benefits of such work while the Many will have to resort to subsisting on whatever is leftover...or, at least, whatever scraps they are allowed to pick through. If those who call themselves Satanists cannot pull their own weight, they will fall under the same Draconian systems of stratification that the rest of the human herd lives with on a daily basis and denies at the same time. They will be left behind and their names forgotten.

And then there are those whose despisement of the Church of Satan clouds their judgement concerning Pentagonal Revisionism and what it ultimately represents. I don't care which organization a person chooses to join. I don't care what beliefs they choose to adopt. But these men and women are so focused on ousting the Church from its perch in a bid for notoriety they fail to realize that by actively pursuing Satanic change such notoriety would come naturally. We live in a time when we are free to openly declare our allegiance and kinship to the powers of the Left-Hand Path, and the best we can do is slander other Satanists because of their differing perceptions and beliefs. We praise the individual until he actually begins to think for himself. How noble. We have the power to change the face of the world, but instead we choose pretentiousness over action and conformity of belief instead of respecting personal preference. How utterly Christian of us! In the grand scheme of things, this activity is pure foolishness and accomplishes absolutely nothing positive. It only reveals to the world an appalling lack of decorum, personal growth, and collective strength. In 1966, we were a threat. We were a force of unimaginable power that struck terror into the hearts and minds of the world's populace. We were the Apocalypse; the Alpha and the Omega. We were superstition made flesh. Now, here in the infancy of a new millennium we are poor, misguided souls who are crying out for Christian witnessing. We are a shadow of our former selves. We are fools whose childish behavior is on public display for all to see. To think that we would allow the Left-Hand Path, the ideals we hold dear, to be sullied with such nonsense! If the Christian, or anyone for that matter, walks into our house and disturbs our peace, he is pounced upon instantly and without remorse by all Satanists despite their affiliations, but for some reason we just cannot seem to muster the same teamwork to achieve our common goals without sliding into the same rut that other schismatic religions face. How insane is it to defend our way of life to outsiders yet prey upon ourselves from within? Perhaps this is yet another indication that the Left-Hand Path has not left herding mentalities behind.

Either that or we are sorely lacking the proper leadership that is required to return the glory that was once held by the Left-Hand Path. And therein lies another problem...everyone with an ego wants to be the new Anton, but lack the style and poise to fill his shoes. Well, perhaps someday that leader will arise, or, at the very least, we will learn to lead ourselves collectively and not from a singular pulpit. United we can adopt and implement a course of action for Pentagonal Revisionism if people are willing to live up to the titles they have taken for themselves. It is often said that a Satanist is born, not bred. That may or may not be the case, but there is still a lot of learning to do if one desires to effectively progress the Left-Hand Path and leave the sigil of Baphomet chisled upon the world's social landscape.

From what I have experienced and learned over the course of my journey down the Left- Hand Path, here are some things that I believe would be of great benefit to any who would seek to further the goals, stated and unstated, of Pentagonal Revisionism. Here is a summary of some of the duties that I feel are inherent with the title of Satanist....

A Satanist, by his or her very nature, must be a highly disciplined person. The tenets of the Left-Hand Path may sound like perfectly natural principles to adhere to and rather simplistic compared to other religious avenues, but this isn't always the case. The Descendants of Adam have had well over two-thousand years to infect the social consciousness with their brand of hypocrisy and when you couple this with mankind's natural inclination towards indulging the Nine Satanic Sins, it becomes obvious very quickly that a Satanist must remain objective and ever vigilant of his or her thoughts, words, and deeds.

The Satanist must also be vigilant of his or her own ego. An unchecked ego will inevitably lead to over-confidence. This will inevitably lead to counterproductive pride and narcissism. A Satanist in this state can no longer learn from the wisdom and experience of others. When the ego is out of control, self-education is thwarted completely.

The future of the Left-Hand Path is a Hegellian ideal. That is, it is bigger than any one individual or group. The future we strive for - for ourselves and our posterity - is the one commonality that runs through all factions. The construction of this future, it's preservation and continued strength, is our main goal. Instead of putting our talents to use in the Herd's social machine, we should use them in the repair and continuance of our own social structure and goals. Otherwise, they are talents gone to waste.

A Satanist must be a multi-talented individual. Over the past decade as technology has become more specialized, so has man. No longer are there multi-talented individuals within the mainstream herd. DaVinci has been replaced by the Drone and no one seems to mind. Everyone has a specific duty to perform like cogs in a machine. The closest that society comes to achieving the proverbial Renaissance Man is through fast food workers. Not only can they flip a burger, but they can run a cash register, deep-fry chicken "nuggets", and oh so many other great and wonderful things. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they do it all. A Satanist must be able to identify those talents that are required to fulfill his or her own life's goals and then be able to successfully cultivate such abilities. Nothing is too difficult to learn if one is sincerely willing to learn. No talent is too hard to develop if one is disciplined, patient, and persistent. And through these newly learned abilities, the observant Satanist will also find the keys to enacting Pentagonal Revisionism.

A Satanist must always strive to develop his or her intellect. History, science, religion, philosophy, etc. An unquenchable thirst for knowledge of all kinds and opinions seems to be a trait of every Satanist I have met. They are more familiar with authors than with actors; with ideas rather than tabloid fare; and prize progressive action over silent spectatorship. I would hope that these are the traits that run commonly through all Satanists. The expansion of the mind is what ultimately seperates us from the rest of the Herd. While they sit in zombified worship of pop-culture entertainment, the Satanist absorbs the knowledge of the past and present while pondering and planning for the future. Those who are of the Herd live the lives of Drones under the credo of "Work - Sleep - Eat." We revel in our dreams and goals. Their lives are mere survival. We embrace each breath. Knowledge and the exercising of the intellect are the keys to quality of life.

A Satanist must be in control of his or her body. Compulsion is the great destroyer. Our bodies are the vessels that carry us through this life. Every day of our life is precious and should be lived to the fullest. The condition of our body will reflect the condition of our life. If we allow compulsive behavior to dictate our actions we ultimately betray our own existence and we are no better than the Herd. A person who cannot control their own body is unable to control their mind. A person that cannot control their mind is less than human.

A Satanist must learn the ways of the entrepreneur and leave the world of employment behind. Your time and talents are far too valuable to be sold into servitude for insulting salaries. Unless, of course, you feel that your life is worth a mere eight, nine, or ten dollars an hour. To work for someone else's dreams and goals is a waste of your life. To accept an employer's estimation of how much you are valued should be considered an insult of the highest order! This is wage slavery and is a trademark of the Herd. A Satanist does not allow another to place a dollar value on their existence! A Satanist makes that determination themself! Take your abilities and put them to work for your own goals. Create your own income in this life. Build your own business. Hire Drones to run it for you so that you may devote yourself more completely to your own dreams and desires. A Satanist cannot get much done if he or she is stuck working under someone else's schedule.

A Satanist must learn, practice, and effectively utilize the talents of the hypnotist and stage magician. It is the art of misdirection that blinds the Herd to our work. Social change cannot be properly conducted behind closed doors, not in this age of easily accessed information and conspiracy-charged headlines. So we must learn to puzzle and confound; to get them to look the other way while we do what must be done. The talent of misdirection, if applied strategically, can even be easily used to get the Herd to make the changes for us, believing all the while that such changes were born of their own free will.

A Satanist must learn the value and necessity of controlling the dissemination of information; of using information to manipulate and influence a populace. The study of new sciences of information warfare should be required reading for every traveler of the Left-Hand Path. The techniques of influence, persuasion, and propaganda must be second-nature to the Satanist so that he or she can apply them in their own life, and realize them for what they are when confronted by them. A Satanist must learn the art of the memeticist and see the potential power of the memetic virus in altering the thought processes of the Herd. Furthermore, a Satanist must fully study the behavioral mechanics of a social structure - it's complete psychology and sociological aspects. With such knowledge, Satanic change becomes more accessible in design and implementation. Change is impossible unless one fully understands the process of social conditioning.

A Satanist must be creative and resourceful. Every traveler on the Left-Hand Path must take full responsibility for their own actions and thoughts in life. When problems present themself, the only solution resides in the intellect. No obstacle is greater than your own ability to find resolve. Problems only appear insurmountable when you allow them the power to appear as such. A Satanist who cannot rely on himself to conquer any situation is a poor Satanist indeed.

And while some enjoy public presentations of their allegiances with the Infernal Empire, many others enjoy the privacy of working in the shadows. Here is where the power of Hell truly resides, I think. To be as wolves in sheep's clothing, working from within their ranks quietly and efficiently. They know we're there, but for the life of them, they cannot pick us out of the crowd. It is important that the Left-Hand Path enjoys a certain amount of public display, but it is equally important that many more of us stay in the Shadows. A public offering will reveal that we are not going away. The unease they feel over our silent infiltration into their circles of existence will reveal that we mean business. And for the purposes of Pentagonal Revisionism, it would be far easier to enact change from within than from without. People form their beliefs based on how they perceive reality around them. When you hide your actions inside the belief system of another, you can slowly alter their perceptions, and thereby alter their reality. This, of course, takes time and patience, but is far more effective and long-lasting than simply being "up front." Take a historical lesson from the Christian expansion and conversion practices of Northern Europe so many dark centuries ago. Slowly incorporate your beliefs with theirs until the "old ways" are all but non-existent, forgotten, or no longer valid. With the rising apologetic nature of Catholicism and Christianity, this should be no problem.

Granted, this is a sorely incomplete list, but it is incomplete for a reason. The rest is for you to figure out. It's time to see who can walk the walk and who just wants to sit back and talk the talk. From High Priest to lowly acolyte, it's time to see what you're made of. Is the Left-Hand Path just an ego trip, or is it the Future? You're actions will provide the answer.

A line has been drawn ... the gauntlet has been thrown. Instead of splintering the Left- Hand Path with delusions of dogmatic rights and wrongs, I would rather see a schism of Action and Inaction.

Ave Satanas!

Gideon LeMarchand

Saturday, May 13, 2000 CE