The Satanic Feminine Divine: Introduction

 Originally published 7 March 2011.  © Torey B. Scott

Many of those unfamiliar with Satanic paths assume that Satanism is, like Christianity, a religion dominated by and permeated with masculine themes, ideals and aggressive philosophies which are often considered to be aligned with male qualities. Although Satanic traditions which acknowledge only the perceivably male entity of Satan as the embodiment of acausal divinity may be fairly regarded as traditions based upon masculine energies, most forms of Theistic Satanism which incorporate aspects of Satanic Demonolatry within their core religious foundations acknowledge and exalt the Dark Divine as manifesting through sacred feminine theophanies.

Some traditions regard Satan Himself as embodying both masculine and feminine polarities and as being a hermaphroditic deity which transcends the boundaries of the causal perceptions of male and female. Many Theistic Satanists embrace the image of Baphomet, as depicted by the mage Eliphas Levi, as a sound representation of the androgynous nature of Satan. As Levi’s Baphomet incorporates aspects of both man and woman, bird, fish and the terrestrial goat, it is an ideal illustration of Satan, as a being of Spirit concerned with the interests of the material world, absorbing and reflecting the beauty of Nature in all of Her guises.

Outside of the traditional exaltation of Satan Himself within Satanic traditions is the reverence of the Divine, expressed through the sacred feminine, as the Dark Goddesses. Many Neo-Pagans will already be familiar with Dark Goddesses such as Hecate, The Morrigan, Sekhmet and Hel, but Satanic traditions often recognise the Feminine Divine in the forms of Demonesses found within a variety of world cultures and mythologies.

In this series of articles, I will explore key figures of The Satanic Feminine Divine from a variety of world cultures and religions.  If you have any suggestions for figures for future articles whom I have not yet included in my series, please feel free to comment on this article and I will do my best to incorporate Them.