Awaken in Light.

I’ll be honest, this was a difficult post for me to write at first. I had started this entry two weeks ago, and found myself stuck about a few paragraphs in. I felt like I was repeating myself, like the information just didn’t flow as clearly as I had hoped, and like I was losing the entire point of the entry in trying to force myself to write something, anything.

And then today I attended a fundraising dinner for the Muslim Student Association at my school, where one of the speakers they had invited pretty much blew me away. So much of what she said resonated with my own faith, and gave me the inspiration I needed to continue writing. So just as a note beforehand—this entry contains a lot of interfaith dialogue, more so than the previous ALP entries I’ve posted, because of the effect the speaker had on me and the fact that activism, and initiative as tied into activism, is such an important factor in many of the world’s religions and belief systems. 

Jumping right in, the MSA speaker’s main point was about spiritual activism—a term I had never heard before, but one which I understand to encompass all of what I believe Luciferianism to stand for. The integration of one’s own faith and spirituality into matters concerning activism is something that is pretty much ingrained into Luciferianism, through the fact that this is not a belief system that urges its followers to implicitly trust that their god will sort things out, or that ‘everything happens for a reason’. Luciferianism is a system that is never satisfied with ‘that’s just the way things are’ for an end-all answer. Instead, it calls for the recognition of one’s own ability to initiate change, to revolutionize from within as well as outside ourselves.

She spoke of what Islam describes as the ‘levels’ of spiritual activism and initiating change. The first, she said, is to bring about change within your own heart. A phrase that speaks dearly to me concerning this is one that I’ve come to incorporate into my own faith through my past in Christianity—“break my heart for what breaks yours”. In molding my own values so closely with that of Lucifer’s own, Luciferianism speaks to me not only as a set of ideals that I respect, but ones that have direct emotional impact on me. I don’t uphold resistance, or sacrifice, or change because my faith tells me to, but rather because my heart does, and my heart is so deeply intertwined with that of my god’s, and the values embedded in zir mythos that I cannot help but be moved by these things.

The second level is that of bringing change with one’s own tongue—of speaking out against injustices, taking a stand for that which causes one’s heart to stir, and raising awareness in others. As a whole, Luciferianism is perhaps less so focused on this particular aspect of activism than the others. There is an emphasis on actions speaking louder than words, and thus we seek to incorporate our faith directly into our deeds, although I would also argue that sometimes, even subconsciously, our faith also shines through our words. There is also the issue of our faith being so stigmatized that being vocally ‘out’ about it is not only potentially ostracizing, but a safety hazard as well. For me, I would hope that my blog serves as a testament to my own efforts in contributing my voice to my faith, and educating others.

The third level is initiating change with one’s own hands. To me, this goes beyond the obvious of being a driving force behind change, into making the effort to live by our faith, and using that faith directly to inspire our actions. “They will know and recognize us by our love”—this is a paraphrased from John 13:35, and it’s a phrase that I heard during my days within Christianity that I believe lies in tandem with Luciferianism’s value embodiment. It refers to living one’s faith as a means of identity, and of actively practicing what one preaches—of having the initiative to carry out the beliefs we have such respect for. The point of these ideals is not to tell others that “this is how you should live”, or “these are the things you should be doing” while not making the effort to do so yourself. Rather, it’s about showing that “this is how I live, and these are the things I am doing through my faith”. These values aren’t embodied in the hopes that they will bring us fame or the approval of our peers, but as mentioned earlier, because they resound within our hearts and minds. This lies in another point that the MSA speaker made concerning her own spiritual activism, in that one should look inward for reasons to pursue activism rather than outward at the external, physical rewards that may be granted.

So…why does any of this matter? Isn’t Luciferianism focused on self-growth and development? Why should a belief system that emphasizes the individual be preoccupied with activism?

Luciferianism seeks to break and rebuild in the attempt to reconfigure the self into something stronger, something better than before. The speaker today said something along the lines of, ‘one has to search within one’s self, be comfortable in who they are and in their faith, before they can even think about reaching out to others’. On the one hand, I would agree with this statement—I think this is part of what makes Luciferianism a path about the individual: it is the starting point that many of us take to remaking ourselves into something we can be proud of. Through that, we can potentially connect to others who see the result of this path and wish to embark on it for their own benefit. But on the other hand, activism and spiritual activism can also serve as a way to understand and learn more about the self, or about the person they want to become. Activism, spiritual or not, requires self-reflection and questions one’s own intentions or motivations. The interactions with others can reinforce or break down previously held beliefs and convictions. In this way, Luciferianism both shapes and is shaped by the individual, while being connected to that which lies outside the self but just as equally moves and inspires us.

Festivals, Days, and Times Sacred to this Deity

There’s early morning, due to zir role as Morningstar and Son of Dawn, which is a shame because I’m not a morning person.

 And although ze doesn’t have particular days of reverence, back when I still followed the whole ‘wheel of the year’ thing, I tried to structure it around zir Fall, sort of how Wiccans tend to view the cycle as a metaphor for the death and rebirth of their god. 

The summer solstice had been the peak of Lu’s lightbearer aspect, and as the season shifted to fall, and the days got shorter and colder, I took that to represent zir growing dissatisfaction with the hierarchy of Heaven, leading up to the rebellion (Rebel Angel aspect). The winter solstice was zir exile and descent from the heavens (Mourningstar aspect). But as warmth returned for the spring equinox, so too did zir resolution and determination of establishing change within a corrupt system (Throneless King aspect). 

And so the cycle revolved around those four particular roles, in accordance with the shifting of seasons. 

I don’t stick to this system any longer, simply because I don’t do well with formalized seasonal ‘holidays’. But the summer and winter seasons as a whole still resonate rather strongly with me as representations of Lu’s Lightbearer and Mourningstar facets.

Common Mistakes About This Deity

Oh my. Where to begin?

• Pitchfork wielding, red-skinned dude with horns

Not quite.  “And no wonder; for Satan himself appears as an angel of light.” (2 Corinthians 11:14)

• Out to steal souls

My soul is still intact, thank you very much.

• Hates humanity

I don’t think ze’d make quite the effort to grant us knowledge if ze hated us. Or that I’d have come so far from the person I used to be.

• Demands blood sacrifice

Nope, no blood. Just fruit, coffee, …and all my free time.

• Hates God and all that he stands for

Really now? (link)

• Hates Christians

Considering the fact that I’m led to take on many of the qualities they strive for, such as acceptance, compassion, etc. and engage in interfaith networking with them, I’d say no.

• Out to kill and murder

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that seems like something that would take away the free will of others…and free will is kind of one of zir fundamental principles.

 Besides, haven’t you all ever seen this?

• Thrives off of our suffering

No, just mine. But in all seriousness, working with Lu has brought me more joy and contentment, and an appreciation of life that I had lacked before.

• Wants us to focus on material possessions and ‘worldly’ attachments

On the contrary, such growth-impeding attachments and dependency of any sort are rather frowned upon by zir—had that not been the case, I wouldn’t be 3000 miles away from home right now missing my babies dearly.

• Leads us away from God

I was called to observe lent by reading parts of the bible in order to get a better understanding of the influences of YHWH and Jesus’s ideals on Lu’s Pre- and Post-Fall aspects . You want to run that by me again? Also, see Day 4.

Names and Epithets (and Titles)

• Light-Bearer
• Firstborn Sun
• Morningstar/Mourningstar
• Adversary
• Throneless King
• Peacock Angel, Blue God
• Son of Dawn

And because of obvious reasons I will not list the more derogatory titles given to zir by others.

This is another of those values I wouldn’t have necessarily thought was Luciferian in nature. But I’m not referring to blind faith in the sense of placing one’s whole life and trust in the hands of another, deity or not. Instead, I want to talk about faith rooted in hope, and inspired through action.

Faith is an integral part in Lucifer’s own Fall—the faith that zir struggle and loss would not be in vain, that there was more to life than serving, that zir own potential was greater than what zir maker claimed it was, that humanity was worth the effort of granting them the knowledge to become as gods themselves.

The whole Luciferian concept of wanting humanity to reach its full potential is grounded in the faith that we will use that knowledge for good. Of course, ‘good’ here is subjective, but in general I’m referring to having faith that humanity will not use it to cause unnecessary suffering in others or in one another

I’m not going to lie, it’s hard to keep that sort of faith alive. It’s hard to hold on to the hope that mankind can manage to do something other than just fuck things up, and cause ourselves pain and suffering. It’s difficult to be optimistic about using our knowledge for good in a world where the desire for wealth, power, and control corrupts society, ends innocent lives, and subverts the free will of others.

But I guess this is where one has to look at things on a smaller scale, since the bigger picture can seem so overwhelmingly disheartening, starting on an individual basis. There are a lot of wonderful people out there, people who restore my faith in humanity through their own small actions. These can be acts of kindness, inspiration, or even just sheer human emotion. There’s something incredibly moving about someone being so caught up in their own joy that it infects others, or of one’s devotion to their fellow man. Truth be told, I have a great respect for the stories of Jesus as being a servant to the people, and to those that seek to follow in his footsteps through living as he did. While I may not agree with all of his motives, I do think there is value upholding his actions as exemplary.

Then there are the accounts of humanity’s sheer resilience, the resistance of a people not willing to back down even in the face of adversity and devastation, of clinging to the hope that there is something worth fighting for. And not merely surviving through adversity, but flourishing through it and because of it. We’re stubborn and curious and innovative and eager to prove ourselves, and are all the better because of these things. We get caught up in our own emotions, and though we may let them override common sense at times, our passions inspire and create.

But on the flip side, faith also encompasses having faith in one’s own capabilities. This ties into pride, which I’ll discuss in a separate entry, but also into recognizing one’s own self worth and contributions. For example, I struggled with this when I first started blogging—who was I to be offering this sort of information, what did I know anyways? Surely there must be other Luciferians out there who were more qualified to educate the misinformed about what this path was all about, ones more well-spoken and knowledgeable than I.

But then again, my perspective of Luciferianism is rather unique. For one, it’s theistic and combined with the devotion of a deity. And it is also tied into Christianity more so than most other Luciferians might be comfortable with, case in point being my above comments regarding Jesus.

And as I’ve come to recognize, even though there might be others who are in more suitable positions to run this sort of blog, to the best of my knowledge they’re not doing it. So that leaves me to fill the position to the best of my ability.

I guess this all just boils down to having faith in my Work, that I’m not doing it for nothing. It also goes back to grounding my spiritual faith in practice, in living my faith, and through that I hope that I can be a source of inspiration to others and be a small part in that overall restoration of faith in humanity. 

What next?

No, but seriously, I get the strangest requests from my god sometimes.

I should probably start off by pointing out that the words ‘rebellion’ and ‘resistance’ mean two different things to me, but can also be used in combination with one another. While ‘rebellion’ suggests going against an already established system, ‘resistance’ includes more preventative actions to avoid the formation of unequal systems of power, systems that directly affect myself and the communities I am a part of. It also seems to be more inclusive of non-violent strategies of opposition, something I’ve very much in favor of.

 Resistance is much closer to my heart.

It is present in the very blood that runs through my veins, the genetic continuance of a people who others sought to erase. The effort to keep our traditions and culture alive is a form of resistance, as is making the effort to learn my native tongue despite being displaced from my homeland. The small snippets of Nawat present in even the colonial language I grew up with are reminders of the legacy of resistance I’m upholding. My faith is a form of resistance in itself, in that it is composed of doubt and questioning a ‘truth’ I was brought up to follow blindly.

And yet, sometimes rebellion is necessary, as my past can attest to. When resistance goes unheard or ignored, rebellion becomes the only other option. Along with rebellion comes increased risks and sacrifices—loss of a job, alienation from one’s peers, etc. And with armed, combative rebellion comes death, including innocent lives. I think this is why I tend to prefer resistance over rebellion, because I’ve experienced what it’s like to have conflict due to rebellion cause tragedy and loss. I know what it’s like to have your family torn apart and scattered because of rebellion and war, to grow up in a place that isn’t ‘home’ and be constantly reminded that I don’t ‘belong’ here. Of course, there were other forces in play that led to my particular situation (like the US not being able to keep its nose out of other countries’ business), but the rebellion of my people was definitely a key factor. The need for change sometimes requires such sacrifices, which I’ll talk about in a later entry, and this is where rebellion builds its strength and becomes an agent of change.

This is also why I believe it is important that one ask themselves what exactly it is they’re rebelling against and why, and if the end justifies the means. Technically you could consider a 5-year-old’s temper tantrum to be a form of rebellion, or a moody teen throwing insults at their parents, but what do either of these things really accomplish? While Luciferianism can be considered a very selfish path, I would argue that it’s also in the nature of Luciferianism to strive for bigger and better things—why struggle for the little things that only affect yourself when you could initiate a bigger change that affects an entire group of people? Obviously this is also situational, and can differ according to whether we’re talking about resistance or rebellion.

In its most basic and general form, it means not conforming to what others say or do simply because they’re in a position of authority or power. It doesn’t have to be about waging wars or leading large-scale uprisings— resistance and rebellion takes various other forms, from vocally disagreeing with what one perceives to be an unjust statement, to taking a much more active role such as defending a victim of bullying. It can also take a much more political stance, through participation with a social justice movement. It’s about not allowing oneself to remain passive or simply accept things that go against one’s own moral code. Resistance and rebellion is the ability to recognize injustices and do something about it. 

Normally I wouldn’t start a new project until I was done with the ’30 Days of Devotion’ meme. However, one of the downsides to being claimed by Lu is that my Work takes priority to other stuff (including sleep, seeing as ze shoved this idea at me at like 2 am last night and had me spazzing for a good hour until I got up to jot down notes).

So I realized that while I talk a lot about Luciferianism being a very practical and action-motivated path, I rarely if ever develop that train of thought into how one goes about using Luciferian ideals in the day-to-day. I guess for me it’s almost intrinsic, because so much of how I view the world is from a Luciferian mindset, but obviously those just starting out or interested in learning more can’t read my mind and understand what I’m referring to.

The purpose then of this project is to take Luciferian ideals and expand upon how I personally have incorporated them into action, and offer suggestions to others who are interested in embodying those ideals in their own lives.

The ideals/qualities I have so far (with input from LucifersPA) are:

• Resistance/Rebellion
• Change
• Sacrifice
• Challenge
• Responsibility
• Growth
• Pride
• Initiative
• Faith
• Honor
• Identity
• Loyalty
• Choice

Some of the above are very much tied into other qualities, such as choice, honor, loyalty, and responsibility, so I’ll probably end up combining those in order to make the entries less disjointed.

I would love it if others (Luciferian or not!) would take this template and perhaps use it as a record of how they themselves are integrating these qualities into their own practice.If others from different paths want to do a similar project with ideals more suited to their own particular faith, that’s absolutely okay with me (an alternative title could be Applied Path Project?). Overall, I’m just interested in learning how people go about applying their faith and beliefs to their everyday lives, while using this particular project as a part of my Work.

Symbols and Icons of this deity

• There are the more well-known ones, such as serpents and dragons, both of which have some scriptural bearings: “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him” [Revelation 12:9]. For me, the serpent symbolism has always been more prevalent than dragons. Lu shows several traits associated with serpents, such as being rather sly and cunning trickster figures.
•  Apples are a common symbol too, what with the interpretation of the serpent in the Garden of Eden as having some sort of connection to Lucifer. But here’s a fun fact: the account of Eve’s temptation in Genesis never specifically states what sort of fruit hung on the Tree of Knowledge. It could’ve been a pear or a plum, but for some reason the collective agreement is that it was an apple.
• Then there’s peacocks. This is derived more so from zir possible role as the blue god of the Yezidis, and since the peacock is thought to be a prideful creature to flaunt it’s beauty so, it has been likened to Lucifer whose own sin was pride. I find this association kind of ironic, considering the fact that sometimes the peacock is used to symbolize YHWH’s all-seeing presence, since its feathers appear to be like a thousand eyes.
• Stars, particularly the planet Venus as the morning star. This one is rather self-explanatory.

·         As for the more UPG-oriented symbols, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include them here so I’ll just list them out:

• -snow
• -lightning
• -feathers