On the Subject of Prayer
I’d like to clarify that a Satanist of any kind, theistic or otherwise, does not “pray” to their selected demon.
Prayer is a request gently given. Demons expect a return for their assistance. In His divine humanist form – that is, not as a flesh-and-blood deity – invocations made to Satan are calling upon the inherent creative force within all people, but this boon is useless without subsequent action to ensure your intentions are made manifest. Attending a motivational seminar is pointless if you don’t utilize your new-found motivation to make necessary changes!
As a theistic Satanist, a believer in the literal existence of Satan (in some fashion, be He abstract and metaphysical, or of the anthropomorphic variety), I burn herbs, chant of His greatness and agree to use the powers He bestows upon us for the advancement of not just our interests, but His own. It’s like hashing out a business partnership of mutual interest. If at any point the demon decides you’re no longer worthy of His mantle, He will retract His influence and power. An agreement to take on a patron deity from the Demon Pantheon is being ’employed’ under contract to them, to do their will here on Earth; if you violate the terms of the agreement or do a shitty job, you’re ‘fired.’ No big deal. This does not happen often, because demons tend to observe their intended ’employees’ for a very long time before proposing such an agreement. (As imperfect beings, demons can make errors.) You can also ‘quit’ your service of a demon, generally without repercussion. If you actively undermine the demon’s work, they’ll curse you and send their minions to torment you, in the same way that an employee caught sabotaging their company will not only be fired, but also prosecuted for the damages.
In the divine humanist sense, sabotage of His ambitions refers to more complex psychological mechanisms of depression, shame, low self-esteem, willful ignorance and self-destructive habits. These corrupt one’s access to Satan, and must be frequently contended with in one’s pursuit of demonic Enlightenment.
What This Means for the Afterlife
Having dealings with demons doesn’t influence your afterlife much. God might ban you from heaven for committing sorcery — the Bible is pretty overt in its condemnation of what I do — but Hell is a place of separation from God, not necessarily a place of eternal suffering. It only promises to be such a place if you make enemies there before you even arrive, which occurs when you are cruel to people in this life who will appear in the next.
Satan is not only our Champion, He is Punisher of the Wicked. This Title is somewhat misleading. Satan does not actively attack the wicked, or assign them a ‘layer of Hell’ in correspondence with their ‘sins.’ Rather, Satan and His Demon Lords ensure that chaos reigns supreme in Hell. There is no infrastructure, no law, no rules to prevail any one group’s interests over the rest. When such a monopoly of thought occurs, Satan conspires to destroy it. Removed of their presumptions of superiority, which are enabled by this infrastructure, the wickedest despot is a slave to the benevolence of his fellows in Hell. (And there, benevolence is hardly assured.)
Hell is what you make of it – no more, no less. Think freely, be respectful, and encourage diversity in this life, and you will be received warmly in Hell. Treat people cruelly without provocation or suppress their free will and ambition when it harms no one, and you will be among the most reviled souls in Hell. This teaching is in keeping with the Satanic principle that you, ultimately, are the architect of your own future. Will you be a master of the self, or a slave to your compulsions or another’s will? This is determined by the sum of your actions and thoughts.