49970501 AA1 Hail Satan! Walpurgisnacht Project (cc'd to O.Zell/D.Frew)
A REVIEW OF:
_Witchcraft, Satanism and Occult Crime: Who's Who and What's
What, A Manual of Reference Materials for the Professional
Investigator__, edited by Otter [Oberon] Zell, publisher
not identified, Fourth Edition, October 1991; 20 pages with
8 page insert, sold by GREEN EGG at $4/ea.
------------------------------------------------------------
TITLE:
Analysis
the title of the booklet has several problems. first, the
categories "witchcraft" and "satanism" are ambiguous, being
both names of religious sects (latter day, after having been
the hammer of condemnation by Christians) and popularly used
folkloricals. for brevity I merely refer the reader to such
published works as those by Robbins, Michelet, Hughes, and
of course the variety of texts by countless anthropologists,
sociologists, historians and religious scholars who have
developed in some cases quite explicit categories of
terminological usage that transcend any particular culture
(e.g. Mair, Marwick, Monter, or Trevor-Roper -- all
references may be found in the Appendix to this document).
secondly, even if one were to presume an explicit and, from
the outset, defined parameter ("Witchcraft" and "Satanism"
referring to the neuvoreligious movements which use these,
describing both attempts to recapture pre-Christian religious
practices as in the case of modern Wicca/Witchcraft and to
intentionally engage antagonistic religious practices under
the auspices of a falsely- or honestly-adopted worship
of some being referred to as "Satan"), the phrase "occult
crime" is imprecise, ambiguous, and has no historical
foundation for its usage aside from persecution of religious
minorities in a modern blood libel or witchhunt (cf. Lanning).
third, the characterization of the text as "a manual of
reference materials for the professional investigator"
connotes a level of research and structure of expression
which is unwarranted, as comments by [a law officer who
is participating in] our conference make very clear
(his suggested models after which to format such a
publication included Lanning, 1988, 1992, and Cuhulain,
and he recommends providing a practical tool for police
or other investigators inclusive of basic journalistic
characteristics -- who/what/where/when/why/how -- within
a more neutral perspective, as well as a more thorough
bibliography and specific references to the duties of
a police officer or investigatory professional).
lastly, the title is overly long and overly inclusive of
claimed content ("who's who" publications usually tout
a level of completion which this document doesn't even
come close to incorporating, nor does it focus in any
consistent way on the persons who have had a major
impact on these subject areas).
Recommendations
if the publication is to continue, then its content
should be reshaped as to conform to the title or its
title should be edited to reflect more succinctly
what it is you are trying to express, and in general,
should the title remain the same, the material should
appear less like a propaganda tool between religious
sects or an academic analysis of religious currents,
and more like an adjunct source for real investigation
of criminal or other activities along the lines
described above.
----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 2: "Introduction"
by Otter [Oberon] G'Zell, editor
Analysis
instead of being a lead-in to the manual itself, describing
its origins, how it should be used by the professional
investigator, what its limitations might be as far as
accuracy and the viability of its attempts to be
comprehensive, Zell's text is actually an introduction to
the paradigm from which the terms of the title have been
drawn, the purpose behind its publication (propaganda), and
contains hints of subjects which in many cases would take a
great deal more focus in order to make clear: the movement
which is Satanism (which Zell presumes to have begun in the
mid-20th-century, something later undermined by Mr. Frew),
the movement herein called "Paganism" (which Zell presumes,
along with the bulk of the writers in the booklet, is of
much more ancient origin, despite a lack of substantiation),
and the Satanic Panic flimflam (which Zell correctly implies
is rife with deception and confidence games but does not
entirely discount).
Recommendations
serious research ought be conducted to flesh out both the
origins of Satanism in literature and artistic tradition,
its correlates as regards other cultures and their anti-
establishment movements, and the pro-Satanism culture
which has grown in its overt manifestation since the 1960's
out of 'the Occult Revival' to which the editor refers.
secondarily, similar research should be conducted into the
roots and history of Neopaganism in order to disclose the
movement's more recent origins in Hermetic, rennovative
innovation (from Gardner and others onward). this should
include a careful review of the strengths and weaknesses
of the controversial hypothesis by Margaret Murray, upon
whom so many Neopagan apologists for historical lineage
depend. it should have sources of anthropological evidence
presented by a wide variety of academics whose bias leans
less toward particular and rebellious goals and whose
motives in the establishment of a pre-Christian remnant
religious cult are less pronounced. among these would
of course be writers such as Adler.
thirdly, as was mentioned above regarding the TITLE page,
more thorough review of the supplemental instruction
manuals actually used by law officers in the course of
their duty is necessary should this audience continue to
be targetted.
----------------------------------------------------------
PP. 3/4: "A Brief History of Satanism"
by Don H. Frew)
Analysis
the most rational and substantive article contained in this
booklet as regards Satanism, it suffers from several weak
points in its departure from neutrality and contains an
incomplete overview of the history of Satanism from the
standpoint of modern Satanists.
firstly, Frew's history of devil-worship does not include
any more than a review of European accusations of "devil-
worship", ostensibly by the Roman Catholic Church. he does
not distinguish between the many concepts of 'devils' and
'the Devil' and does not include a broad history of the
concept of the Devil within world cultures as have some more
thorough academic analyses (Russell, 1977, 1981, 1984, 1986).
he also does not explain the varied concept of 'spirits',
'daemons', 'demons', 'ghosts', 'gods', 'the God', or any of
a variety of other religious concepts and their histories
necessary for a complete understanding of both the subject
matter and modern Satanism's relation to these.
instead Frew embarks from accusations and Inquisitory overview
to the analysis of historical influences on modern Satanism
while projecting the rebellious activities of clergy and
nobles in Europe during and after the Renaissance and
Enlightenment periods into an otherwise unsubstantiated
'tradition'. he thereafter proceeds to tie this somehow
to the 19th-century Occult Revival which included Crowley
and the other offshoots of the Golden Dawn without making
entirely clear why Satanism might not incorporate the Judeo-
Christian elements of Crowley's art, and falsely implies
that the Crowleyan branch of the Golden Dawn tradition has
no "invocations to Satan" (cf. Crowley, 1973: Appendix IV).
Frew's discussion and review of modern Satanism (beginning
with LaVey) is strewn with evaluatives, omits important
historical precursors or stipulated qualifications (such as
that _The Satanic Bible_ was as much a collage as an
authored text), and fails to analyse the greater variety of
both organized and independent Satanism which has existed
since the inception of LaVey's and Aquino's organizations.
he then formalizes his evaluatives quite outside an
historical methodology and incorporates false information
in an apparent attempt to distance these two organizations
(the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set) from
conventional anti-Christian riteforms (such as the Black
Mass). in fact Mr. LaVey makes it very clear that his
organization *does* encourage the needful to engage anti-
Christian psychodramas and ridicules of Christian rite
such as the Black Mass (LaVey, p. 100) or a Satanic Pact
(Barton, p. 103), even while agreeing that "a black mass
is *not* the magical ceremony practiced by Satanists".
Frew also generalizes beyond the actual circumstance of
both Satanism and Witchcraft/Wicca as regards their
*dis*beliefs (Church of Satan incorporates a limited
form of belief in "Satan" by its understanding, at times
wholly contained within psychodrama and therefore quite
specific, at others cosmologic and pervasive -- as in
LaVey's 'Balance Factor' (cf. Barton)) and origins (his
description of the history of "the Craft" is rife with
the same unfounded Neopagan apologies which were
presented in Zell's Introduction).
more than this, Frew does not acknowledge the possible
and controversial connection between modern Satanism
(esp. among teens and the occasional psychopath) and
lawbreaking, at least inspired by popular music and,
as he does make plain, Christian sources. this is but
a brief mention of what should ostensibly be a very
important and in-depth analysis (given the supposed
target audience of the booklet).
despite what the various organized Satanists would like
to contend, it is not unanimously agreed that Satanists
always remain in conformity to legal standards (see the
TOKUS website.
for examples of exceptions here, and one can find even
within LaVey's text justification for breaking the law
if willing to face the possible repercussions (Barton)).
mentioned within this article is the intriguing claim
that "Satanists often invert and parody the religions
of others", which conforms to similar claims made by
the editor and other writers in the booklet. yet,
aside from the Cross, there is no justifiable example
given of Satanic uniqueness in this activity. the
other example given in the booklet is that of the
pentacle, and yet its origins in Masonry clearly
indicate a point-down usage, even modern Wiccans
utilizing both major orientations themselves.
unfortunately Frew then goes on to repeat a number of
unsubstantiated rumors concerning the rise in crime
and violence committed by children, without either
providing the source of his information or details as
regards their historical levels. he does not mention
how this might or might not be related to Satanism and
what he calls "devil-worship" (something he never
explicitly defines other than to relate it to 'worship
of the god of Evil' in association with a French trial
in 1022 Orleans), stating flatly that both of these
"are real" and "make up ...a small part of the problem
of violence by and against children" without providing
any sort of evidence to back up this claim.
he states that "the problem" is to be found "in the
home" and yet his conclusion is so tangental and
indirect as to prove almost useless to both the
professional investigator and academic alike.
the bibliography includes some excellent sources on
the influences of modern Satanism and occult
disciplines, yet *nothing* on the matter of separating
these from violence committed by children *or* adults.
Recommendations
this essay, along with that by Cuhulain, below, should
become the basis for a complete revision of the booklet
here under review. its content as regards the history
of Church-accusation, rebellious activities within the
clergy and beyond, should be the focal point of an
introduction on the history of blood libel and religious
feud.
greater detail and thoroughness of research should be
incorporated, adding a neutrality and comprehensiveness
which will allow the target audience to fully absorb
and consider carefully the real historical, artistic,
ecclesiastical, and political forces behind the mythos,
folklore and character of Satan through time and the
subsequent modern Satanism movement which was inspired
in reflection of it in America during the 1960's.
a more careful analysis of the extant Satanic organizations
and the variety and character of independents should be
incorporated so as to provide a complete picture, inclusive
of controversial, co-optive, deceptive, intentionally
outrageous and obfuscatory language and activities which
fall within the culture and organizations surrounding
the figure and mythos of 'Satan', 'Lucifer', 'the Devil',
or Hir relatives (Set, Tiamat, Leviathan, etc.).
the evaluation of "ritual abuse" issues should be thorough
in its debunk of modern "False Memory Syndrome" and
"Satanic Ritual Abuse" charlatanry, detailing precisely, with
careful specificity and citation, the sources of unreliable
and expository information concerning this witchhunt, its
relationship to historical blood libel, and its real
differences and similarities to modern Satanism and its
contributors.
this latter should include such information as that the
texts of nineteenth-century occultists like Crowley and
a variety of Satanists make plain and unambiguous
references to previous condemnatory rhetoric in their
advocations and in many cases in their ritual forms, such
as the less controversial but confusing formation of
"Witches' covens", "Sabbats", the occasional usage of
magical tools for bloodworkings, the less frequent
sacrifice of animals, Crowley's clear intimations of child
sacrifice, LaVey's or other Satanists' advocation or
implicative discussion of human sacrifice, 'culling', and
'weening the herd', etc.
it should also include the attitude of a variety of
occultists and Satanists towards these expressions,
inclusive of popular organizations such as those
mentioned above and those visible organizations which
are directly associated with Crowley such as Ordo Templi
Orientis. it should also state clearly how these
expressions are conceived in the minds of teenage and
other readers, should this information be obtainable,
and make plain the very real possibility of a multitude
of practical interpretations based on these texts.
the bibliography should be reviewed critically so as
to exclude possible problems (e.g. G.G. Scott and
R.E. Guiley come to mind) and expand to incorporate
a diversity of perspective on the subjects being
covered, providing footnotes or author references
so that the reader can reproduce the research.
the review and recommendations of this article have
been intentionally thorough and lengthy due to its
value in the previous and possible future publications.
Frew's attitude and the content of his work should be
enhanced and taken as representative of a responsible
and respectfully neutral alternative to previous
booklet editions.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PP. 5/6: "Neo-Pagan Witchcraft vs. Satanism: Confusions and Distinctions"
by Otter and Morning Glory Zell, Editors, GREEN EGG magazine
Analysis
this is by far the most biased and obviously slanted of the
included essays. the Zells attempt to define rigid religious
boundaries using unfounded and ambiguous rhetoric is
exemplary of poor academic support and a political grudge
or demonstrated religious frustration. they begin by
clearly explaining their bias as though this were fact and
then use equally-biased, but unqualified, sources (e.g.
E. Jong) to support their ill-founded conclusions.
the Zells' etymology is in many cases flawed or incomplete
(e.g. 'paganus', which has a variety of historical meanings
and an older origin than is cited herein) and they appear
to attempt to legislate religious standards and
classifications without proper academic analysis or
justification.
the Zells continue with questionable historical and
mythological references (emphasizing the relationship
between Pan and Satan to an extent greater than which may
be reasonably sustained), utilizing unfounded scholastic
categories ('the Horned God') derived from their own
religious sources rather than historical methodologies.
their usage of taxonomical terminology is confusingly
variable in its conventional ('shaman') and technical
('monotheist', 'dualism') applications, while drawing on
the unfounded "historical" connections critiqued above
in the Introduction.
a great deal of the material which the Zells include here
is valuable, if misplaced, and their attempt to make an
historical connection between their religious sect
('Witches') and those who were persecuted during the
various Inquisitions while citing no reliable sources
is indicative of its propaganda content.
Recommendations
such a work should not appear in a manual directed toward the
professional investigator, but belongs more appropriately in
a tract for the Zell's religious preference. it should be
completely revised to incorporate reliable research and
sources of both academic and religious specialization, and
placed within a publication promoting Witchcraft or making
more clear its motivation and reliability.
as a contextual introduction to a discussion of the real
boundaries and overlaps between the Satanist and Neopagan
cultures it could become an important element in the booklet
along lines which would fit nicely with the Neo-Pagan
overview on page 10, though it would require massive changes.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 7: "Ritualistic, Cult and Occult Crime"
by Kerr Cuhulain, Coordinator, Wiccan Information Network
Analysis
the most pertinent and reliable portion of the booklet,
Kerr's article is rather concise and comprehensive in its
treatment of "occult crime" and this fallacious category's
relationship to Satanism or indeed to any religion.
his occasional limitation as regards thoroughness (such as
the evaluation of the term 'occult', its relationship to
Satanism and the greater society which utilizes the arts
and sciences implied by this term, are sadly omitted) is
compensated by his direct addressing of matters which
should form the basis of a manual such as includes it.
Kerr's addition of the quote from _The Satanic Bible_ is
somewhat anomalous, since nowhere in the article itself
does it mention LaVey, the Church of Satan, or the value
or meaning of these statements. more importantly, they
do not appear to bear any relationship at all to
ritualistic or cult crime or criminal activity of any
sort -- the supposed focus of his article and the booklet.
Recommendations
this essay should be expanded to become the container
for the ENTIRE discussion surrounding criminal activities
and the investigation of cases which appear to contain
evidence related to the occult, witchcraft of any sort,
and Satanism.
in addition, a *separate* section should cover the notion
of a 'cult', the history of this term's usage in religious
studies and condemnatory rhetoric, and any modern framework
(perhaps such as is implied by Bonewits "Advanced Bonewits
Cult Danger Evaluation Frame" or "ABCDEF" (of late without
the "AB"), mentioned by Kerr, but more likely drawing from
better authorities in the field of sociology, power-dynamics
and self-esteem).
mention of Satan and Satanism should be tangental to its
content, with either thorough investigation for the
purposes of imbuing the investigator in the details of
the real Satanist and witchcraft culture(s) or omission
such that no religious or occult characteristics are
mentioned due to there being *no demonstrable connection
between them and criminality or violence*.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 8: "Defining Occult Crime: the Perpetrators and their Actions"
Abstracted from _Occult Crime, a Law Enforcement Primer_,
(pp. 25-33), published by the State of California Office
of Criminal Justice Planning....
Analysis
the material contained in this excerpt is both confusing and
confused. it apparently represents the State of California's
attempts to deal with the Satanic Panic and put into words
some guidelines for law officers as regards symbolism and
crimes committed within some religious context with which
the officers in the field may not be familiar or those
which incorporate symbolism foreign to their experience.
its initial definition of 'occult crime' is specious and
circular, neither providing a thorough analysis of what
"(the) occult" means, nor how one might discern something
which is "occult-related". what it therefore amounts to
is a SLANDER against occultists of all sorts, inclusive
of the more religious (e.g. Wiccans, Satanists) and those
who may have less formal relationships to social
organizations (teenagers and others who begin solitary
experimentation in worship or ritual magick due to their
exposure via popular and/or concentrated sources -- from
Slayer and Black Sabbath to Aleister Crowley and Scott
Cunningham).
in general the material is based on realistic assessments
outside the bias of its language, until it begins to
discuss "Ritualistic Abuse", at which point it detours
into fallacious assumptions about the prevalence of the
phenomenon and the mythical "Cult Satanists", herein
slandering Satanists unjustly and without substantiation
on the basis of faulty research.
Recommendations
given that this is an excerpt from a larger work and not
the writing of an individual, and given its inaccurate
and slanderous language, this document should be omitted
from any publication ostensibly designed to assist a
professional investigator.
review of subsequent editions of the publication from
which this was taken should be considered, but if it
continues to imply "occult criminality", especially
without some sort of justification, then the entire
source (State of CA) should be considered suspect and
rejected without further inclusion, perhaps designating
this agency as a TARGET for the booklet being revised.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 9: "Principles of Wiccan Belief" as adopted by the Council of
American Witches at its Spring 1974 Witchmeet, April 11-14,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Analysis
in general this is another polemic pursuing a religious
perspective of self-identification and is therefore akin
to the Zell's article on pages 5-6. however, this being
less expressive concerning what and who Satanists are,
and merely *implying* that there may be some who "accept
the concept of 'absolute evil'", "worship (some) entity known
as 'Satan' or 'the Devil' as defined by Christian tradition",
"seek power through the suffering of others" and "accept
the concept that personal benefits can only derived by
denial of another", it is less objectionable on the whole.
the only problem with it is that it should be seen for
what it is: a *very* limited expression of a particular
group ("CAW", interestingly enough) at a particular time
(1974). we can form no real idea of how many people
this statement spoke for then, speaks for now, whether
these people still believe as they have stated here, or
how they might have reacted to questions about the
subjects ostensibly discussed within this booklet, since
it is not clear that it was specifically designed *for*
this booklet at the outset.
Recommendations
as an example of the feeling and belief of those who
identify as "Witches" or "Wiccans", this is a valuable
statement. as such it should be referenced within an
historical overview of Witchcraft/Wicca inclusive of
much more information concerning its creation in order
to be valuable to either the professional investigator
or the academic target of this publication. it should
otherwise be omitted completely and possibly replaced
with more current and complete citations from groups
whose identity and motive is more clear to the reader.
----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 10: "Common Themes of Neo-Pagan Religious Orientation" abstracted
from meetings of the ecumenical Council of Themis Califia
South Members, Summer 1970
Analysis
less controversial than the other religious apologies,
it suffers from the same lack of definition as regards
its source and the possible pervasiveness of commonalities
within the Neo-Pagan (or indeed Neopagan) culture. it says
little if anything about, but may be a superset of, the
religious communities under discussion without mentioning
at all how these (Witchcraft/Satanism/Occult) might be
related to Neo-Paganism as they are defining it.
Recommendations
this would be more valuable if it did actually integrate
a rational and academically-defensible description of
how modern Witchcraft/Wicca and modern Satanism are
actually related to both the greater Neo-Pagan and the
greater Neopagan communities (if there is a difference
between these as latter many CAW-members seem to suggest).
it would also be valuable to describe how the 1960's and
the variety of influences such as anthropology and
mythology texts from academics provided seeds for the
attempted reconstruction of ancient faiths, regardless
of how faithful or accurate these may have been.
until it is so revised this article is useless to the
professional investigator and should be omitted from
revisions of the booklet.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PP. (between 10-11; 8 intervening pages unnumbered):
"Witchcraft, Paganism and the Occult: A Basic Glossary of
Common Terms and Symbols" (3rd Edition), by Otter and
Morning Glory Zell, Editors, GREEN EGG magazine [taking a
number of definitions from _Real Magic_, by Bonewits -- tn]
Analysis
as with the Zells' other article on pages 5-6, this one
suffers some of the same biases and limitations as regards
completeness, reliability, and deception. it is at times
fabricatory ("athame") or overgeneralized ("Baphomet"),
blatantly biased toward certain perspectives on Satanism
and its organizations ("Church of Satan"), simplistic and
conventionally-stereotypical without further explanation
("Black Mass"), promoting the Zells' own viewpoints to the
exclusion of rational supportability ("Demons") and
completely fallacious as regards its etymology ("Devil").
its graphics at times present unorthodox iconography (as
accompanies "Pentagram, Inverted" and "Satan"), and its
statements about Satanists are often outlandish and
simplistic or generalized beyond supportability ("Set").
in all it is a wonderful attempt at initiating a consensus
of language within the realm of occultism, yet it fails
by virtue of its errors, hyperbole and brevity.
Recommendations
if this section is to remain it should be incorporated
formally into the publication (receiving numerical paging)
and expanded greatly so as to incorporate a diversity of
perspective not heretofore allowed. rather than forming
the basis of a consolidated polemic, it should identify
with precision the sources of terminological usage, their
inflection and history, possibly fleshing out etymological
and historical usage from earliest integration into occult
materials with reliable sourcing. until this is
accomplished it should be omitted from future editions
of the booklet.
----------------------------------------------------------
PP. 11/12: "The Earth Religion Anti-Abuse Resolution", adopted
overwhelmingly by major workshops at the following
1988 Pagan ecumenical conferences: [list omitted -- tn]
Analysis
this unfortunately describes how pervasively the Satanic
Panic has permeated even Neopagan and occult networks,
its representatives apparently willing to undersign a
document attesting to the "rise in violent criminal
activity with Satanic ritualistic overtones".
it also demonstrates itself as a political document based
on fear and ignorance as it seeks to rigidify through
insular agreement that "Witches and Pagans are not
Satanists and do not engage in abusive or criminal
activities", further affirming that "we neither
acknowledge nor worship the Christian devil, "Satan,"
who is not in our Pagan pantheons."
importantly it does provide a listing of contact
addresses and phone numbers for those who wish to
determine for themselves what these people are about,
and a list of "Pagan Therapists Volunteering Services
to Adult Survivors of Ritual Abuse", despite the
implication that this phenomenon is likely more
common that is realistic (as compared to fabrication).
Recommendations
if possible this document should be reconstructed so as
to take the emphasis off of religious divisions and placed
more squarely on the fact that the undersigned have a
commitment to human rights (and those of other animals!),
freedom of (and from) religion, an opposition to violation
of *any* sort, and a clear support for those who may have
been duped by the Satanic Panic charlatans or suffered
any type of abuse, whether associated with some religious
or occult symbolism, ritualized, or not.
until this is accomplished, this could form the basis of
a reference list for interested researchers, providing
contact information to those who may have interest in
consultation in the investigation of criminal activities
or for mere groundwork of ordinary duties, perhaps in
consolidation with the Resources on page 19). otherwise
this article should be omitted from the booklet entirely.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGES 13-18: [Letters from a variety of sources, academic and non,
purporting to disclaim the connection between Neo-
Paganism and violation and/or Satanism], from the
following sources:
Dr. Cindee Grace, Founder of MPD/LOOM
Sandi Gallant
Robert S. Ellwood, Directory, USC School of Religion
Joan Christianson
Hal Mansfield, Director, Religious Movement Res. Ctr.
J. Gordon Melton, Director, Institute for
the Study of American Religion -- tn]
Analysis
these statements continue a longstanding and incorrect
association between Satanism and "ritual abuse", as
well as, in many cases, making religious assessments
which are completely unfounded and unsupported, in
some cases drawing categorical lines irresponsibly --
such as that by Robert Ellwood's "they (Satanism and
the Neo-Pagan movement) are quite different" (without
in any meaningful or convincing manner defining the
former); or Hal Mansfield's "...an individual's own
pathological behavior. Almost all these persons call
themselves Satanists. Satanism, whether it's a made-
up system by individuals, or organized group, or a
destructive cult, is not Wicca or Paganism! There is
little similarity between them"; or the implication by
J. Gordon Melton's "mistaking the peaceful, nature-
loving and life-affirming Pagan community as Satanists".
the comments by Gallant and Christianson are
controversial enough given their apparent histories
with respect to the Satanic Panic, yet the inclusion
of the statement from the MPD/LOOM and the biased and
unsubstantiated fabrications unabashedly contributed
by otherwise reputable sources on religious matters
demonstrates an ignorance of Satanism as it exists
beyond the Christian-challenged.
Recommendations
many different letters should be collected from those
who have previously been duped into believing that
Satanism and ritual abuse were identical, those whose
lives were turned upside-down by the False Memory
Syndrome, and those Neopagans who have a good or close
association with Neopaganism, along with those who
studied the religious cultures themselves and can
respond in a manner not just born of ignorance and
an acceptance of Christian terminology.
all of the present letters should be omitted in favor of
the more updated, and, aside from testimonials, there should
be statements from a variety of academic and *especially*
law-enforcement agencies like the FBI, the other state
and federal agencies which have conducted extensive
investigations into the Satanic Panic and its illusions.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 19: "Resources and References"
Analysis
the "Recommended Expert Consultants" are truly a mix of
the interested, the biased, and the properly neutral. it
is not at all clear what the criteria was for inclusion
therein except that those listed have some willingness to
promote the diversity between Neo-Paganism and crime.
the "Recommended Information Packets" are totally and
overly biased toward the Neo-Pagan, well-distributed
throughout (though contained within) the US.
the "Recommended Periodicals" and "Recommended Reading"
(this is redundant) lists do not include sufficient Satanist
'zines or periodicals, though the section-divisions within
the books/papers section is a good start (Don Frew's list
should have been integrated into this from the beginning).
it is still a mystery who "Temple on Dieties" might be and
what "Ravenschool" might have to do with Satanism or how
"The Black Flame" (an organ of the Church of Satan) could
qualify as a 'Satanic Organization'. the limitation to the
US is a major problem, and there are no phone numbers listed
for the Satanic orgs.
Recommendations
this should be extensively revised as a third part of the
booklet along with the overviews of Witchcraft and Satanism
the section on crime as per the Kerr materials (perhaps
in association with a revised anti-abuse resolution from
pages 11-2) to incorporate a diversity of listings from
Neo-Pagan (and greater Neopagan), occult and Satanist
sources in equal measure.
also represented should be police and FBI agencies and
contacts for further information on the subject as a whole,
along with those organizations and contact who would be
willing to assist the debunking process in response to the
numberous Satanic Panic charlatans ('recovery centers').
care should be taken to include only neutral and favorable
references, those who have no religious grudges (thus
omitting contacts like Isaac Bonewits) and who can be
relied upon to obtain updated information as it becomes
available.
recommended reading should be packets which are balanced
in their approach on the subject of Satanism as well as
on Witchcraft, occultism, cults, and criminal activity in
association with these. several books concerning the
Satanic Panic should be highlighted, clearly indicating
that there is a tremendous volume of hype around and that
investigators should be exceedingly suspicious of any
who come to them trying to sell seminars and books
designed to provide 'the real scoop on Satanic crime'.
Satanic organizations could also be supplemented by a
number of magazines and books beyond what is currently
listed, along with balanced independent contacts should
any be willing to engage the public.
-----------------------------------------------------------
PAGE 20: "A Few Magickal [sic] and Occult Signs and Symbols"
Analysis
containing some valuable and some blatantly false
descriptions ("Inverted Pentagram: ... representing
the antithesis of all that Witchcraft stands for"(!)),
this page is only a meager adjunct to the Glossary
between pages 10-11. its simplistic approach and in
some cases very incomplete documentation ("Moon sign"
-- this is typically used by the Church of Satan as
a 'Horns' salute (Barton)) make it a more humorous
than helpful reference source. other inadequacies
include the lack of a mention that the "Double-
Lightning Bolts" are runes, the obviously large
overlap between Witches and Satanists as regards the
point-down ("inverted" -- why this characterization?)
pentacle/pentagram, and the alchemical symbol for
sulphur ("Church of Satan" (!)).
Recommendations
either this should be severely revised or scrapped
and integrated into the Glossary as unnecessary
sensationalism. to be adequately covered the symbols
would have to be described much more concisely and
extensively, especially as regards their historical
associations (e.g. "Swastika") and significances.
-----------------------------------------------------------
OVERALL:
Analysis
it is problematic to attempt to exclude Satanists from
an article ostensibly attempting to describe and *define*
the religious parameters among communities of which they
are a part. this was in some measure an outgrowth of the
real hostilities and infighting between visible
neuvoreligious groups (symbolized by the
ToS-CAW/Aquino-Zell correspondence).
that it was constructed without the direct input of a
variety of government agencies and law enforcement and
investigative agencies indicates that the target audience
was never truly this segment of the population, but that
the *promotion* of this target was meant to imply its
authority, perhaps the intent being to have its biased
and propagandizing tone influence legal and social
authorities sufficiently to prevent further prejudice
against Neo-Pagans.
that it made it through *four* editions without such
coordination demonstrates a severe lack of respect for
either careful research (as such would have debunked the
major charlatans even from references given within the
GREEN EGG Reader's Forum -- covered in the 'Context for
the Critique' posts previous to this conference) or
sincere ecumenism beyond 'passing the buck'.
Recommendations
the discussions ongoing are a positive development in
the process of revising this booklet. should the
diverse crowd assembled be able to agree on an assembly
of materials and the type and slant of data to be
included in the next version, it could be helpful not
only to the relationship between the CAW and Satanists
but amongst Neopagans and neuvoreligious generally,
finally ending some of the heated infighting and
conceivably redirecting energies toward the preservation
of liberties on the part of religious minorities (such
as that concerning ritual psychoactives, sacrifice, and
the use of public land and cemeteries for sacred purpose).
should the communication break down in some way or an
agreement amongst Satanists and Neopagans become unresolved
as regards the content and presentation of this booklet, it
should be revised so as to omit information about anything
to do with religious factions not involved in its production,
withdrawing from the continued sectarian propagandizing so
that greater community-integrity may be allowed to develop.
===========================================================
APPENDIX: Cited References
Adler, Margot: _Drawing Down the Moon_, Beacon Press, 1986.
Barton, Blanche: _The Church of Satan_, Hell's Kitchen, 1990.
Crowley, Aleister: _Magick_, ed. Symonds/Grant, Arkana, 1973.
Cuhulain, Kerr: "Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca",
published by Horned Owl Publishing in association
with W.I.N. (Wiccan Informatin Network), 1989. 1992.
(W.I.N.: Box 2422, Main Post Office, Vancouver,
B.C., V6B 3W7.
Hughes, Pennethorne: _Witchcraft_, Penguin Books, 1965.
Lanning, Kenneth V.: "Satanic, Occult, Ritualistic Crime: A Law
Enforcement Perspective_, Oct. 1988.
___________________: "Investigator's Guide to Allegations of 'Ritual'
Child Abuse", Behavioral Science Unit, National Center for
the Analysis of Violent Crime, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, FBI Academy, Quantico, Virgina 22135, 1992.
LaVey, Anton Szandor: _The Satanic Bible_, Avon Books, 1969.
Mair, Lucy: _Witchcraft_, World University Library, 1969.
Marwick, Max, ed.: _Witchcraft and Sorcery_, Penguin Books, 1970.
Michelet, Jules: _Satanism and Witchcraft: A Study in
Medieval Superstition_, transl. by A.R. Allinson,
Citadel Press, 1939.
Monter, E. William, ed.: _European Witchcraft_, John Wiley/Sons, 1969.
Robbins, Rossell Hope: _The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and
Demonology_, Crown Publishers, 1959.
Russell, Jeffrey Burton: _The Devil: Perceptions of Evil From
Antiquity to Primitive Christianity_, Cornell University
Press, 1977.
_______________________: _Satan: The Early Christian Tradition_,
Cornell University Press, 1981.
_______________________: _Lucifer: The Devil in the Middle Ages_,
Cornell University Press, 1984.
_______________________: _Mephistopheles: The Devil in the Modern
World, Cornell University Press, 1986.
Trevor-Roper, H.R.: _The European Witch-Craze_, Harper & Row, 1969.
====================================================================
this document may be copied and shared freely as desired.
[snip]
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