Satanic Self-Care: A Ritual for Balance in the Midst of Chaos
Hello Readers!
I hope you all are doing OK during this frightening and overwhelming time. This week marks the Vernal Equinox - the beginning of spring. Over the years I’ve found this seasonal marker to be a good time for rituals of renewal and intention setting. This year, the seasonal change is accompanied by a global pandemic that has turned our worlds upside down. We are overcome with confusion, worry, uncertainty and fear.
Ritual can often provide a space to ground and empower ourselves. This equinox, I reached out to my friend Scorpio Boligrafo to share a ritual they’ve developed to help ground us during this difficult time. Scorpio is a Satanic ritual practitioner, an advocate for personal autonomy in healthcare and a scientist with a doctorate in biology who collaborated with me on my chapter on the scientific case for ritual in The Devil’s Tome. Check out their insight and spring equinox ritual below.
-Shiva
Spring Equinox 2020: A Suggestion for a Collective Ritual for Balance
The spring equinox symbolizes renewal. Under normal circumstances, we would come together to celebrate – to sow seeds and to germinate both our plants and our plans. This year, it is more challenging to feel refreshed as people worldwide suffer immensely. Times of crisis draw communities closer together; paradoxically it is also imperative that we resist the urge for physical closeness. I am yearning for the intimacy of a gathering – and the catharsis of group ritual. For many who do not identify as solitary practitioners, we may now find ourselves on our own. I truly believe in your power. I believe in your power as an individual. I also believe in our power together. I believe in our collective strength. I believe that we will join each other this equinox.
A Most Open Invitation
Whether you are experienced in your practice or you have never considered ritual until just now, I offer my thoughts and suggestions for this somber yet powerful equinox. I invite you to join my circle of womxn, witches, and wonders - from wherever you may be. From your home altar, your home office, and from the front lines – let us come together to join in ritual practice. Let us appreciate and be inspired by the balance shown to us by the day and the night.
The significant demands many people are facing will require tremendous feats of balance. May your ritual help to support a reestablishment of homeostasis for yourself, your family, your community, and your world.
Homeostasis and Satan
As a secular Satanist, I look to science and humanity as my guide posts. This spring equinox provides a rare moment of balance in our daily physical world. A window into the homeostatic mechanisms of our planet. Homeostasis is not a condition of stillness or stopping. Homeostasis is a beautifully balanced act - a symphony of rheostats and feedback loops. Homeostasis is biological balance from the organismal all the way down to the single cells of which it is composed. Cells are self-contained units, each with their own molecular devices that allow them to adapt and establish a new normal in changing conditions. As cells work together in tissues, layers of homeostatic processes work together to maintain coordination and functionality within that tissue. When injury or disruption occurs, the cells within us coordinate their response to try to restore balance to our organism. This is constantly occurring within us and in our ecosystems - from the smallest cell to the largest galaxy. As above, so below.
A Ritual Space in Uncertain Times
You may not have access to your normal ritual space or ritual goods. I encourage you to join me in creating a makeshift altar in whatever space you might have. If you are alone, you could take this opportunity to make the largest altar you ever have. If you are sharing space with non-practicing family members you may want to either invite these individuals to join you, or choose a safe space with as much privacy as your situation allows. For those of you providing critical services, if you find only a moment for your practice, let your ritual space simply be the space you occupy at that moment.
Creating Your Altar
For this ritual, create an altar out of what you have. If you are at home, you may want to incorporate some of your favorite things. If you are at someone else’s home, try to incorporate as many things as you can that comfort you and make you feel safe in this space. If you are at work, use whatever makes sense such as your desk or a quiet hallway. If you are in a busy or hectic environment, try to build a simple altar in your mind through meditation. Challenge yourself to create a beautiful altar using items from your surroundings (indoors and outdoors) and to minimize waste. Use crystals, textile, wood, ceramic, and other items to create an altar that, to you, symbolizes balance.
Scorpio’s altar - The Water Signs Sisters’ Equinox altar:
Dining room table, well loved textile, obsidian, North American quartz, amethyst, citrine, slag glass, wavelite, coal, fulgurite, wood from our father’s tree, seashells, peacock feather, handmade ceramics, a reflective pyramid containing our wishes, salt, copper, bronze, water with Petoskey stones, and an antique scale and chest.
A Ritual for Balance
At this crucial moment, we are asked to remain physically still and to heed the urgency of the situation. We take slow breaths to still our mind while using all of our physical energy to support our communities. We remain on high alert while also trying to foster calm and alleviate panic. We have the opportunity to align ourselves with the daily cycle of time and be transformed by this moment of balance in this otherwise chaotic time.
Close your eyes and reflect on yourself and yourself alone. Take a moment to go deep within yourself, beyond even your breath – and know that you are still, that you are okay. Open your eyes and move forward into your ritual space. Imagine those you hold dear stepping into their ritual spaces. Imagine people all over the world engaged in ritual practice at this enchanting time of year.
Reflect on this moment in your life and in the world. If you are with others, you may wish to share words. Meditate at your altar for as long as is appropriate for your situation. Return to your altar anytime you need during the day and the night.
To make this time both heavy and light; we look to our power in the day and the night.
With love,
Scorpio Boligrafo, PhD
Scorpio Boligrafo, PhD is a Michigan native, a ritual practitioner, satanist, and an advocate for personal autonomy in healthcare. Scorpio is a scientist with a doctorate in biology. Through their secular ritual practice Scorpio draws no distinction between the scientific and the spiritual. The sun, moon, seasonal transitions, and cycles of birth and death are universal aspects of the human experience. Scorpio’s rituals foster personal practice while remaining intentionally inclusive for friends and family with a wide range of beliefs. Dr. Boligrafo believes in the power of the individual and the power of the pen.
Want more love rituals? Check out Shiva’s book The Devil’s Tome and pick up ritual tools to accompany your practice in our shop
Satanic Self-Care: Coronavirus Edition
Coronavirus (SARS-COV-2, COVID-19) is spreading quickly across the globe and impacting our daily lives. How do we manage this ever-changing environment? How do our Satanic values emerge under these conditions? How can we take care of ourselves and community? Before I became a full-time artist, I worked in public health and epidemiology. I’ve been listening to the experts and put together some initial thoughts on how we confront this phenomenon and ways to put our Satanic values in action.
Trust the science
For Satanists, science is the final word. It holds our greatest understanding of what’s happening around us and teaches us how to best navigate this pandemic and care for ourselves. It can also help us manage anxiety and avoid unnecessary panic and help us prepare appropriately. With that in mind, don’t copy and re-post unreferenced coronavirus tips from social media. There is a ton of potentially dangerous misinformation about the coronavirus spreading across social media, so make sure you verify your sources of information before you absorb or repost. Here are some tips from Harvard on how to spot fake news.
It’s important to remember that the science behind understanding the virus is very new and there is a tremendous amount we don’t understand. Many of the studies emerging are promising but haven’t had time to undergo the usual validation process, so take everything with a grain of salt. Here are some tried and true resources recommended by trusted epidemiologists:
For those who want to go straight to the source and be up to date on the latest research, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has a Coronavirus dashboard for updates and direct links to new papers on SARS-COV-2.
The World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control provide up to date, easily digestible info on the virus
Johns Hopkins created a resource site for COVID-19. It includes a dashboard from Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science that examines the global spread of the disease, tips on prevention, as well as insight from global health experts on the virus
Have some extra time and brain space to deepen your learning on epidemiology? Coursera is offering a free massive online open course named 'Epidemics' was developed at Penn State Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. It‘s an excellent resource for learning about a range of topics in epidemiology, public health, disease ecology and dynamics. Check it out: https://www.coursera.org/learn/epidemics
Minimize risk to yourself and community
It’s time to bring your compassion to the forefront! First of all, if you think you’re sick and your symptoms match those of the virus, get tested and seek care. Many health systems are offering phone lines and tele-visits to advise patients on their risk and avoid overloading the system, so utilize those resources if you can.
Everything we know about this virus suggests that infection spreads exponentially until we are able to contain it. This virus has a higher mortality rate than the average flu and is extremely communicable. How do we contain the virus? Through social distancing - meaning we need to try to keep people (even those who aren’t sick or are asymptomatic) home as much as possible, for as long as possible until this recedes. How can you put this into practice? Check out this article for an overview. In brief - obey regional directives to quarantine if you have them. If you don’t yet have them, stay at home as much as possible anyway. If you’re a business owner, entertainer, or community leader, move work and meetings online. Cancel or postpone shows and other gatherings until the virus is under control. It appears that many carriers are asymptomatic and some of the hardest hit are the elderly and those with preexisting health conditions - meaning someone with little or no symptoms could carry the virus to people who are high risk. These modifications can be difficult and inconveniencing, but think of them as religious sacrifices - ones that help to protect your community and yourself.
Help those in need
Now is the time to take care of ourselves and our community. Reach out to your community if you have the resources and spoons to help those that need it. That could mean going on food runs for elderly neighbors, providing guidance and encouragement to a sick or worried friend, giving money to someone who lost work, or watching your neighbor’s kids when their schools are closed. If you have a local chapter, consider creating a mechanism for members to help each other. If you need help, ask! Know your needs and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance. Check out local and regional resources for assistance as well. As Trent Reznor famously crooned, ‘We’re in this together now!’ There are a myriad of ways to help locally and provide support to each other in our Satanic community. Keep your eyes and heart open and stay safe.
How are you putting your Satanic values in action during the pandemic?
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Satanic Self-Care: Ritual as a tool for inner revolution in the New Year
Resurget Cineribus Ritual at Devil’s Renaissance, Detroit 12/29/2019. Photo by Friends of TST Detroit
The New Year is a great symbolic marker for fresh starts and change and a fantastic time to reflect and focus your energy on ridding yourself of negative habits and people, while creating a vision for what you want. Over the last 7 years I’ve consciously used ritual to facilitate my own personal healing, empowerment, and manifestation work. I’ve found the practice to be incredibly helpful in my life — in fact, one of the reasons I started Serpentīnae was to be able to share some of my personal tools and practices with the general public. The New Year is a symbolic and powerful time to practice ritual. And ritual — science is confirming — can help us process, heal, and accomplish goals.
What is a Ritual?
Although widely used and valued by the theistic religious community, ritual is often relegated to the world of ‘woo’ in non-religious and secular communities. Interestingly, there’s a growing body of academic work that explores the power of ritual in psychological and emotional well-being that points to its efficacy regardless of religion or lack thereof. The literature points to a number of benefits of ritual including strengthening social connections, reducing grief, reducing performance-related anxiety, and re-establishing a sense of control to those who perform.
I think much of the misconception about ritual stems from its definition. For the purposes of this article I look to Norton and Gino, some of the foremost modern scholars on ritual, who define the practice as ‘a symbolic activity that is performed before, during, or after a meaningful event in order to achieve some desired outcome’. Contrary to popular belief, there doesn’t have to be an associate with a deity or religion — ritual is just a mindful, symbolic activity performed to create a particular result. Examples include religious rites like prayer and baptisms, but can also include secular rituals like commitment ceremonies, manifestation work like vision boarding, performance rituals like athletes wearing a particular charm or piece of clothing before a game, meditation and affirmation practice.
Ritual can help us process grief
Throughout the ages, humans have used ritual to cope with grief. Funeral practices, for instance, are a ubiquitous phenomenon that range from a jazz procession in New Orleans to sky burials in Yazd. Whether it’s mourning the loss of a lover, a job, or a home, people develop personal an unending assortment of rituals to cope with grief and process the complex feelings that accompany it.
In 2013, Norton and Gino conducted three experiments to explore the impact of mourning rituals — after losses of loved ones, lovers, and lotteries — on mitigating grief. The authors found that participants who were directed to think about past rituals or were told to complete rituals after experiencing losses reported lower levels of grief than those who did not.
Rituals can lower anxiety and help improve performance
Anxiety is a terrible beast that can stunt personal growth, create misery, and cripple performance. In 2015, Brooks et al investigated ritual’s effects on anxiety and performance by asking study participants in the experimental group to complete a ritual before singing publicly. They then measured self-reported emotional experience and singing quality (which was assessed by voice recognition software). Through the study, they found that having participants complete a ritual before an anxiety- inducing performance task reduced self-reported anxiety and improved subsequent singing performance. In 2017, Hobson et al expanded on this work, finding that ritual dulls neural response to performance failure and can then guide goal-directed performance.
Ritual can help us establish control
The underlying mechanism of ritual appears to be the establishment or restoration of feelings of control in those who practice. Norton and Gino discuss,
“Despite the variance in the form that rituals take, we propose that a common psychological mechanism underlies their effectiveness: a restoration of feelings of control that losses impair. Indeed, people who suffer losses often report feeling “out of control” (Low, 1994) and actively try to regain control when they feel it slipping away (Brehm, 1966); feeling in control in turn is associated with increased well-being, physical health, and coping ability (Glass & Singer, 1972; Klein, Fencil-Morse, & Seligman, 1976; Rodin & Langer, 1977). Some qualitative data offer initial evidence for the link between rituals and control; for example, the extent to which athletes and fisherman engage in rituals is related to the unpredictability of their jobs (Gmelch, 1971; Malinowski & Redfield, 1948; see Whitson & Galinsky, 2008). We suggest that the use of rituals serves as a compensatory mechanism designed to restore feelings of control after losses, and that this increased feeling of control contributes to reduced grief.”
It’s this restored sense of control that ritual provides that makes the practice so powerful. In my own practice, I’ve found that this sense of control I gain through ritual coupled with the targeted time for reflection and action ritual provides to be incredibly empowering. What could be more liberating than a reminder that you are in control of your destiny?
Ritual as a Tool for Inner Revolution
As this year draws to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity to make time for ritual. Whether it’s a destruction or banishing ritual, a healing ritual, a rebirth ritual, a resolution or commitment ceremony, or a visioning or manifestation session, the time is ripe to set yourself in motion for the next year.
Satanic Self-Care: Winter Solstice Ritual
There are many ways to celebrate the Winter Solstice, but as we Satanists enter the end of the decade, I’m using it as an opportunity to symbolically clear away the accumulated gunk that has built up over the years and create an opportunity for new beginnings.
As I discussed in Satanic Self-Care: Holiday Edition, the holidays can be an especially difficult time for Satanists. On our Satanic journey, many of us come to uncomfortable realizations about family, tradition, and personal relationships - realizations that tend to be magnified during holiday interactions. We often realize that we need to affirm our identities and make big changes — at times cutting off toxic relationships and ridding ourselves of limiting ideas.
I’ve used burning rituals to great effect over the years both in my personal life and for rituals I’ve created for TST Headquarters. I’ve created this ritual as a way to help provide an opportunity to identify those things we want to part with and create a space to heal. I hope this ritual helps you this winter! If you’re interested in learning more, get on the mailing list to find out about the next release of my book, The Devil’s Tome
īnflammō
A Winter Solstice Ritual
Tools: A fire bowl, strips of paper, pen, matches or a lighter, dead flowers, candle, music player
Sacred Space: A private dark room in your home
Preparation: Perform this ritual on the Winter Solstice (December 21) or before the years end. Prepare a playlist that puts you in the mood for the cleansing work ahead. Allow yourself at least an hour of time. If you’re working through deep and painful issues, identify a friend that you can check in with before and after the ritual to provide support and aftercare
Ritual: Begin your playlist
Create a circle of dead flowers and repeat ‘I cast a circle of protection where I sit in my power’ as you lay the circle
Put the fire bowl, candle, paper, pen, and lighter in the center of the circle
Step into the circle and sit
Take 3 deep breaths and allow yourself to sink in to your body. Relax. Become aware of the space you occupy
Light your candle as you say, ‘Through the darkness of winter, I commit to my illumination. I shed light on that which does not serve me and burn the bridges leading to nowhere’
Begin to think of people, ideas, beliefs, relationships, and thoughts you want to part with. As they arise, write each down on a separate strips of paper. As you write each down, allow yourself to feel any emotions that come up. Give yourself space and time to process those emotions. Understand you’re in a safe space. Cry, scream, grieve as necessary
After you write each strip, light it on fire saying, ‘I free myself through the flame.’ Imagine yourself separating from that person, need, or thought as the fire consumes it. Watch it burn to completion in the fire bowl
After you finish lighting all your strips of paper on fire, say ‘It is done. Non Serviam’
Collect the ash, dead flowers, and other remnants and dispose of them as you like
Additional Resources
If you’re having a rough time this holiday season and need professional support, please also consider these resources (special thanks to Kathleen Koski for encouraging me to write this ritual + the resources below):
Crisis Text Line - 24/7 text line where every texter is connected with a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening and collaborative problem solving
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255). The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.Vets can press "1" to be connected to VA specialists for resources
Trans Lifeline’s Hotline - Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers
The Trevor Project - A free, confidential service that provides live help to LGBTQ youth 24/7 via hotline, chat and text service
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Satanic Self-Care: Holiday Edition
Snaketivity - 2014 - The Satanic Temple Detroit
Greetings! It’s Shiva here for your very first edition of Satanic Self-Care. What better way to start the series than by discussing ways to survive and thrive during the holiday season?
For many of us the holidays can be a painful time. Old wounds are re-opened as we’re often pressured to spend time with people who don’t respect us and confront uncomfortable truths about family, religion, and tradition. I became a Satanist in 2014 after having survived decades of abusive religious programming. That fall I joined The Satanic Temple Detroit and finally felt like I’d found a group of like-minded folks. Needless to say, my family was not encouraged by the infamy our group courted via the construction of the Snaketivity monument - a piece highlighting religious plurality which we displayed in Michigan’s state capitol that December. It was an exciting, painful, and eye-opening few months.
Since those early days I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, cut out family and friends from my life, and have ultimately grown to cultivate my own sacred relationships based on mutual love, acceptance, and respect. Holidays don’t hold the same destructive power they once did because of radical acts of self-care and preservation. Here are some pieces of wisdom to help you navigate the next few months
5 Satanic Power Moves to Help You Through The Holidays
1. Know Thyself - This sounds incredibly simple, but after years of cultural and religious programming can be extremely difficult to figure out. What are your values? What sparks joy? Do you want to attend holiday functions? Are you willing to get in to an argument with your Trump-supporting uncle? Eat dry turkey? Are you in the state of mind to handle family prying?
As a recovering people-pleaser, this was something that was really challenging for me (was? I should say is). Once I started to understand my own desire, to accept my power and make decisions based on my needs, I saw a radical transformation in my life for the better
"No is a necessary magic. No draws a circle around you with chalk and says 'I have given enough.'" ~McKayla Robbin
2. “No” Is A Necessary Magic - Don’t feel obligated to attend functions or participate in traditions that make you feel anxious, devalued, or uncomfortable. Say ‘No’ a lot. In fact, say it twice as much as you feel comfortable. Say ‘no’ to attending a party. Say ‘no’ to going to a church service. Say ‘no’ to talking about Satanism or your personal life if it makes you feel uncomfortable. It shows strength. It’s a great habit to start and one you’ll improve at the more you do it.
Feelings of guilt can definitely accompany this, but know that establishing boundaries doesn’t make you bad, weak, lazy, or disrespectful. It shows strength. It also has the added magical property of letting you know who is an asshole…
3. Let Them Go - Sure, setting boundaries may make some people upset, but folks that become upset at you for communicating your needs and honoring your own well-being, that is their problem and you are probably better off taking a break.
Becoming a Satanist is an excellent way to separate your thoughtful, understanding, and compassionate acquaintances from those that are abusive and intolerant. When I first became a Satanist it took a while for a number of folks I held dear to understand and accept my decision, but over time it sparked larger transformations in our relationships that evolved them for the better. On the other hand, there have been family members I thought I’d never cut off that went bananas when I became a Satanist. I created space with them initially on those grounds only to find there were mountains of historical abuse that I’d experienced that I’d ignored over the decades. It was an incredibly painful yet liberating realization. Cutting ties with them was one of the most freeing things I’ve done in my life.
4. You Don’t Have To Fight - If folks give you a hard time for asserting boundaries and renegotiating relationships, it’s OK to back away. Similarly, you don’t have to feel a need to defend positions, argue, or explain yourself to every bigoted acquaintance at the dinner table. Contrary to popular belief, very few minds are changed via shouting matches over pie and coffee. Engage friends and family if you have the energy, but don’t feel obligated.
If you are entering a contentious situation, buddy up at the event with a like-minded friend or family member to back you up. You can also prepare by having a friend you can text if things get difficult who can then call you with an "emergency" to help you exit the situation
5. You’re Not Alone - If you’re feeling overwhelmed during the holiday season, try to make time to hang out with other like-minded friends, give yourself ample time to recharge, and spend time doing activities that make you happy. If you know you’re entering volatile territory, see if you can check in and vent to to someone close. Partake in activities that make you feel valuable and support your self-esteem. If you’re feeling frustrated, sad, or angry, create a cleansing ritual ritual around the holidays to help work through those feelings and affirm yourself. Create new traditions with your Satanic family or others who love and respect you. Let the holidays be sacred periods of growth and self-discovery that empower you on your journey.
If you’re having a rough time this holiday season and need professional support, please also consider these resources (special thanks to Kathleen Koski for the resources below, for providing a second set of eyes on the article, and sharing additions based on her experience as a crisis worker):
Crisis Text Line - 24/7 text line where every texter is connected with a Crisis Counselor, a real-life human being trained to bring texters from a hot moment to a cool calm through active listening and collaborative problem solving
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255). The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.Vets can press "1" to be connected to VA specialists for resources
Trans Lifeline’s Hotline - Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support service run by trans people, for trans and questioning callers
The Trevor Project - A free, confidential service that provides live help to LGBTQ youth 24/7 via hotline, chat and text service
How do you handle the holidays as a Satanist? Any tips you’ve learned? Share below in the comments
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