© fra Necros
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: they shall be filled – Matthew 5:6
In this article, I attempt to present a mental exercise where we transform our suffering into sacred wrath and where the suffering experienced by the world presents us with the challenge of cultivating compassion and love. This exercise requires honesty in the aspirant’s intentions. The achievements of the lower ego are not the goals of this exercise, and thus, no rewards are presented here. The occultist’s work takes place in the spirit, penetrating the practitioner’s life. Only spiritual achievements are eternal.
A Satanist approaches suffering and evil with utmost care and gravity in their study and work, refusing to put anything aside from the realm of manifestation and the perceived metaphysical wholeness. Inevitably, facing these challenges requires great mental effort and an understanding that conceptualization can lead to paradoxes. We see one of these paradoxes in the central practice of this exercise: to hate and to love God.
One often faces the problem of suffering and evil by ignoring it, unconsciously accumulating a shadow substance in one’s own psyche. The shadow contains all unwanted things that are too challenging and painful to process and to bring to one’s awareness. People need the ability to act in the world, which requires us to see the world as not driven by horror, insanity and fear. Thus, we build the shadow archetype to hide phenomena that conflict with our need for a secure, meaningful world. However, we inevitably encounter this shadow in crises when the manifestation reveals its shadowy side and the hidden parts of our own psyche. The same shadow substance fuels the depictions of hell in the afterlife and soul-burning fire. To burn in this purifying fire, already while we live, is the result of the occultist’s work. This concept reveals my idea about one aspect of suffering: its possibility to purify and evolve us. When the permanent and eternal Self can experience suffering, it can have an elevating outcome. This perspective is based on the right-hand esoteric view that suffering and pain can be seen as an educational experience on the path of ascension. We can learn selflessness, achieve spiritual ascension, and become one with Lucifer-Christos.
But when we deal with suffering, when it is experienced by otherness, we move to the other side of this mental exercise. When we see suffering in the world, we must not accept it. And we must not use this suffering in any perverse way to benefit our egotistic ambitions of achieving virtuous appearances. True humanity is compassion, experiencing the suffering of another being, and being ready and willing to remove this suffering. The enlightened wish to take the suffering for themselves. The Satanist must employ hatred when starting the path — hatred towards unnecessary suffering.
On the one hand, one accepts personal suffering as a purifying fire, which Satan gives us, no more or less than what we can endure. And on the other hand, we can never accept the suffering experienced by others, awakening in us that holy anger towards God. If applying these methods is seriously considered, questions will arise.
How can this method work when we really can’t decide to feel the emotion of compassion, no matter how determined we are? The basis of this work is not really cultivating any emotion on the surface level of our mind. It is based on the Will to do compassionate work. A humble wish and hope that even when we see this utter devastation of creation, compassion and sacred work will be worthwhile and can ascend us. How can we accept our personal suffering? No answer can be given here. This is sacred and demanding work that one cannot jump into without careful preparation and consideration. This kind of work is unlikely to attract many people; however, it may be suitable for those who only accept the search for truth.
Salome 