“Satan represents all of the so-called sins as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!”
-The 8th Satanic Statement
If I were to be pressed by anyone to state which of the so-called “sins” is my favorite, it would be a tough choice. I dig sloth because who does not like to sleep in on a Sunday when so many Christians (some of my family members included) are forced to go to boring religious gatherings? Gluttony is also a fun time for me—especially regarding sweets. Do not let my slim frame fool you, dear reader; I love to eat sumptuous foods! Pride is also something I indulge in with, well, pride. I like a good suit and jewelry as much as the next warlock, and who doesn't like it when someone notices and says, “hey, lookin' good!”
But if there is one single, solitary sin that I find the most gratification from—the one so-called foible that others try very hard to discourage me from; it would have to be wrath. Why that one? Wrath is my favorite “sin” because wrath gets shit done!” Don't get it twisted. I am talking about anger from real wrongs or past pains that can be implemented towards a productive means. I am not speaking of holding grudges or being petty because some guy cut you off in traffic while flipping you the bird. When it comes to wrath, I am selective with it as much as I am picky about what kind of food I will eat, what suit I will wear, or the type of entertainment I consume.
The Doktor admonishes us to indulge in what life offers but never to be compulsive—emotions included. The kind of anger I am talking about is the kind of wrath that gives one the get-up-and-go to make changes in their life. I sincerely believe that anger is the motivating force for all positive change—so long as it is harnessed constructively. Think of all the positive transformations in history and wonderous innovations due to dissatisfaction and wrath. If it were not for the primitive man being dissatisfied and then angered at his harsh and cold environment, he would not have tinkered with the elements to discover fire. It was a form of anger that spurred him to explore something better.
A prime moment in history that I am reminded of is the Haitian Revolution—the first successful slave rebellion which led to a nation. The enslaved Haitians had enough of being whipped, raped, and thrown into servitude with little reward. Much like the witchy women who gathered in the forests to gather knowledge from Old Nick himself, the Haitians met in groves under cover of night to vent their anger and then plot and plan how they could overthrow their French overlords. Despite their slavers having better weapons and technology, the wrath of the enslaved Haitians won out in the end, and that fury gave them the fuel to fight and ultimately win.
Anger is a frightening emotion, and it is also a potent one. People with power, perpetually afraid that those beneath them will take such a lofty station away, do everything they can to keep us from being angry. Religion is the biggest offender of rage-repression. After all, it is no surprise that the Christian church has made wrath one of the seven deadly sins. Christianity is not the only offender. Eastern religions such as Buddhism—with their opaque teachings and bogus values—tell their parishioners to avoid anger and always be at peace.
Peace is one thing, but idly sitting by and allowing yourself to get reamed in the ass by life and those who oppress you (figuratively and sometimes, in a tragic manner, literally) is quite another. The priests and monks of these respective faiths demand passivity and skittish compliance so they can “keep their mistresses in jewelry” and pay the mortgage on their temples of fake piety. So these shearing shepherds command their flock to purge themselves of their wrath and that feeling such emotion, righteous or not, is a sin that they must pray or meditate away. These lies ensure that their followers, who then feel guilty about being angry at injustice, keep coming back like druggies to devotionalism. So while these deprived devotees are pushed to the dangerous edge of drudgery and defanging, they become docile and domesticated, devoid of any desire to dethrone their “divinely ordained” demagogues—thus becoming dependent on them.
The vicious cycle continues until they can no longer understand why they were angry in the first place and thus are put on an emotional feedback loop. If these poor souls were given a proper outlet for their anger, perhaps we would see less religious-inspired violence? It all goes back to the denial of our animal nature and repression being the most dangerous of mental warfare. “To hell with that!” the Satanist proclaims, knowing there is nothing wrong with anger and the desire to seek justice in one's life.
The critical strength of anger is the sheer push it gives to oneself. Sure, other emotions like love and compassion have power underneath—plenty of power. But, as far as my own experience is concerned, anger is a diesel engine of devouring devilry that puts the wind in my sails. I must reiterate that I am not talking of blind rage but of controlled anger that is harnessed into the power of my vital existence. The desire to “prove those bastards wrong” or “I'll show you!” is a driving force for me. As a prime example, I was able to get my first book not only written but published. In part because I was angry that—during the lockdowns—I was not as productive as I could have been. Past negativity also came into play because while growing up, I was told by several ninnies and dingbats that I would “never amount to anything.” Instead of believing such a self-defeating lie, I became angry that anyone would try to spoon-feed me such falsehoods.
I was also disgusted at how those in my past life—people I cared about—had gifts but would squander them. Seeing such waste made me wrathful. I inevitably cut these losers out of my life and implemented my past negativity as a life-altering tool to achieve greater heights in my writing career. As you read these passages, dear reader, my fingers furiously pound on keys as the inferno within my innards tells me, “don't stop now. You can keep going!” If I passively accepted my fate instead of trying to master it, I would be just another shiftless member of the herd. As a Satanist, such a thought is repulsive to me.
There is a term for this in the world of psychology called negative motivation, and some very successful people have said they wanted to prove their haters wrong by becoming the best they can be. It was the anger at their situation which pushed them along.
But a word of caution to all of this, whenever someone says to you that “you're too angry,” It is worth keeping two things in mind. Remember, Cui Bono? Who benefits? If they see that your anger is consuming you instead of being a tool, it is time to reassess your emotional state and consider their warning. Ensure that you are the master of your emotions, not the other way around. But on the other hand, if they are saying you're too angry because the person in question is a psychic vampire and they know you have seen through the mask of their tomfoolery—their jig is up, and they're panicking. People who always downplay the emotions of others are usually up to no good and are what I like to call grandiose gaslighters—telling you that you are crazy for feeling that something is wrong, let alone wanting to do something about it.
If you fall for this trap—Cui Bono? They do! They benefit by having another emotionally stunted person to control and use as puppets. I don't know about you, but I was born with no strings and prefer to keep such flimsy shackles at bay. So the next time someone says wrath is a sin, give a hearty laugh and talk about how being pissed off is your favorite of all the sins. I know I will.
(Although I am a member, I do not speak for The Church of Satan.)
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