Frequently Asked Questions

GToS is a Satanic religious organization whose members follow Satano-Grigorism, a distinct religion devoted to Satanael and the 200 Watchers.

Satano-Grigorism is an organized polytheistic Satanic religion devoted to the worship of Satanael — an adversarial deity often called "Satan" or "Lucifer" by others — and the 200 Watchers, fallen angels best known from apocryphal texts such as 1 Enoch.

Yes, Satano-Grigorism is one of many Satanic religions that fall under the umbrella of theistic Satanism.

The Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide, which is available for download at our Resources page, explains our membership criteria in section 12.1. Complete reading of the Pocket Guide is a requirement before requesting membership.

Satanael is a powerful deity associated with self-love, self-awareness, self-reliance, independence, freedom, knowledge, pride, pleasure, confidence, and other related values. He is the Devil, the same being who is harshly slandered by Yahwist (Abrahamic) religions. He is not a Watcher, although He is worshipped alongside the Watchers in Satano-Grigorism.

Other names for Satanael that are accepted by Satano-Grigorists include Azazel, Helel, Belial, and Beelzebul. Colloquially, He is often called "Satan" or "Lucifer," and Muslims call Him Iblīs, although Satano-Grigorists avoid these names. His titles and epithets include God of the Self, God of a Thousand Names, God of This World, Adversary of Tyranny, Prideful One, Shining One, Great Red Dragon, Serpent of Eden, Prince of the Watchers, Prince of the Power of the Air, and many more.

The Watchers are an order of 200 spiritual beings who were once angels of Yahweh. They were tasked to monitor mankind and release important information to them only in a scarce and calculated manner, to keep them reliant on Yahweh for their growth. However, They eventually grew dissatisfied with this role. The breaking point came when They observed the beauty of humans and felt desire; They wanted to experience sexual pleasure, and They yearned to be free.

They decided to rebel against Yahweh, but They were still bound in service to him, so They first sought the help of Satanael. With His assistance, the Watchers then broke Their bonds, swore an oath together, descended to earth, had sex with humans, and taught the forbidden knowledge They had previously withheld by Yahweh's command. Women who became pregnant by Watchers birthed powerful hybrid offspring called nephilim.

Some of the arts and fields of knowledge taught to mankind by the Watchers include writing, metallurgy, cosmetics, agricultural innovations, jewelry-making, pharmacy (in ancient times, this was the production of herbal medicines), celestial navigation, architectural innovations, refinement of ores, sexual education, sex magic, defensive magic, natural magic (using plant and animal parts), spirit work, and multiple different forms of divination.

No. We do not fit the BITE model of cult control. We do not isolate members from friends or family, ask for money, demand obedience, punish anyone for leaving, suppress criticism, or restrict access to information. Inquirers can and should ask questions, read other texts, study other religions, and take their time before requesting membership.

We admire His values, we respect His nature, and we enjoy His presence in our lives. We seek His insight and guidance throughout life in order to elevate ourselves and ascend toward His values, and we also pray to Him for aid in mundane matters once we have earned His willingness to help.

No. As an organization, we are apolitical, but we tend to look down upon extreme views. We do not endorse or tolerate extremist actions, especially illegal ones. We are aware that some other Satanic organizations exist that do support political extremism, but we are entirely unaffiliated with them.

No. We operate fully within the law, and we do not condone illegal activity. All of our religious practices are done in a law-abiding manner.

No. All of these practices are completely optional. Someone who chooses not to do them can still be a Satano-Grigorist and have a good connection with Satanael and the Watchers.

We define theistic Satanism as an umbrella term covering all Satanic religions, which are religions whose adherents believe in and worship Satanael (the Devil) as a real being. The Satanic religions are very diverse in theology, and they often disagree with each other about the nature of Satanael, other gods, humans, and the universe.

Yes. As theistic Satanists, we do believe that Satanael and the Watchers really exist. We believe that the Watchers were incarnate in the physical realm, and that They, in the flesh, had sex with humans and taught mankind Their arts.

Yes, we do believe that Yahweh exists, and we view Allah as another name of Yahweh. However, we do not believe his claims to supremacy, omnipotence, omniscience, or creation; we consider him to be a tyrant who lies about these things to gain control over other beings.

Yes. We define angels as immortal spiritual beings who loyally serve Yahweh. There are many different types (orders) of angels, since they are not a distinct class of spirits but rather a group defined by their common master.

Yes, we believe that many other gods, such as most pagan gods, likely exist.

Yes, we firmly believe that descendants of the Watchers still exist today. They are called nephilim or napīlūma (singular: nephil or napīlu). Modern nephilim do not have the extreme power or imposing physical traits that early generations of nephilim had, but they still have composite souls with a divine element from the Watcher(s) from whom they are descended, and they display certain traits of their ancestor(s) throughout their lives.

No. Since nephilim are literal descendants of the Watchers, the status of being a nephil cannot be gained or lost.

No. Nephilim may have stronger innate spiritual abilities, but advancement is ultimately determined by practice and dedication. Nephil traits also include many difficulties and disadvantages, not only advantages. Mutūma are just as capable of being powerful, knowledgeable Satano-Grigorists if they apply the power of their Will.

No. We believe that Yahwist scripture and doctrine portray Satanael in an inaccurate and degrading way.

No, we do not believe in the existence of objective morality. All moral statements express the personal sentiment of an individual.

No. Heaven and hell are lies perpetuated by Yahweh to keep people under control through reward and punishment.

The Temple itself is apolitical. Its purpose is purely religious, so it does not hold any political agenda or engage in political advocacy. Individual members may hold various political alignments of their own, and unless these alignments are extreme and lead to unacceptable conduct, we do not police anyone's personal politics.

Yes. A form of meditation called power meditation is a core element of Satano-Grigorist practice. It involves concentrating upon one's own naphsha and the power of one's Will and Self. During power meditation, naphsha exercises can be done to train one's spiritual abilities. Ritual also involves meditation. Every ritual begins with it, and many Satano-Grigorists report that their rituals tend to end with it as well.

Yes, we pray much like devotees of other gods and religions do, by reaching out to a deity and speaking to Him. We do not degrade ourselves in prayer: we address our gods with respect but without submission, and we do not beg when we make our requests.

We burn our offerings in a fire-safe offering bowl or an outdoor fire. The offering bowl is a necessary religious item for us; it is usually placed at the center of a Satano-Grigorist altar.

The exact offerings depend on the specific god, since each one has His own preferences. Common Satano-Grigorist burnt offerings include herbs, oils, aromatic resins, and other plant products, as well as small amounts of honey. Sometimes, we offer a drop or two of our own blood, a splash of liquor, or animal products such as feathers. We can also make sexual offerings by dedicating the naphsha released during a sexual experience to a particular god.

Yes, and the process is simple: burn the offering while mentally or verbally dedicating it to the target god.

No, and our gods do not desire these things. Satanael is the God of the Self, and He teaches us to elevate the Self in all aspects of our lives. Self-harm is physically, mentally, and spiritually detrimental, and therefore rejected by Satano-Grigorists. Violence against others is also a self-destructive act: it is known to be psychologically damaging to the perpetrator in most cases, and it also carries a risk of legal punishment or retaliation by the victim or their loved ones. We do not associate with those who promote religiously motivated self-harm or violence.

There is a Satano-Grigorist practice called shataya dami, which literally translates to "blood-drinking." It involves the ritual consumption of consecrated animal blood, usually cooked as part of a meal. We do not encourage the actual drinking of raw animal blood due to the risk of foodborne diseases. No Satano-Grigorist rite involves consuming human blood.

The rite of shataya dami is important to us because the early Nephilim drank the blood of animals they killed for food, in order to nourish themselves physically and spiritually. The Satano-Grigorist rite is a modern version of that ancient practice. Due to its origins, shataya dami is currently restricted to Nephilim only, but we are actively looking into possible alternative rites that may provide equivalent benefits for mutūma.

No. Intentional cruelty to animals is not tolerated within our Temple, and, if done in the name of one of our gods, would also be disrespectful to that god. Even animal sacrifices in Satano-Grigorism require humane slaughter. Animal cruelty is also illegal, and we do not condone illegal activities.

We only offer blood from ourselves or another fully informed person who has given consent, and it must be obtained in a way that does not cause significant mental or physical harm. Acceptable sources of blood include fingerpricks with sterile diabetic lancets, accidental injuries such as minor cuts and scrapes, nosebleeds, or fresh menstrual blood from a clean body. Most of our gods accept fresh menstrual blood, and all of Them accept safely collected vascular blood. Even one droplet is sufficient for an offering; we do not risk harming ourselves by collecting large quantities.

Yes, but it is very rare and has very specific constraints. A Satano-Grigorist animal sacrifice (dabḥu) must always be performed legally, humanely, and with proper ceremony; we do not tolerate animal cruelty or illegal activity. The meat of the sacrificed animal is eaten, not wasted. The complete guidelines for dabḥu can be found in the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide, which contains a section dedicated to it.

You can't. That is a myth derived from Christian folklore, founded on assumptions likewise derived from the Christian framework. Satanael does not want dominion over anyone's soul. Even if He did, He would have to remain unsatisfied, because it is not metaphysically possible to sell your soul.

Most of our specialized terminology is derived from either Ugaritic or Akkadian, and the majority of these terms are Ugaritic.

Much of our non-English terminology is used to describe concepts that cannot be adequately described in English without long and clunky phrases or explanations, such as naphsha. A few terms do have English equivalents, but we may choose to use our own specialized terms anyway in ceremonial contexts or in regular conversation to help maintain immersion in our faith even when we're not actively practicing.

No. Satano-Grigorists should have some familiarity with at least our most commonly used terminology, but it is not mandatory to use these terms or know them all, although we do encourage their use.

Start with the document that codifies our religion: the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide. It thoroughly explains all major aspects of our religion, from the core beliefs to the structure of the Temple and how to join.

No. Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible describes an atheistic belief system and has no relation to Satano-Grigorism. We follow the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide as our primary codifying document, and our two revealed texts as sacred scripture.

Satano-Grigorist scriptures are texts revealed by our deities and compiled by our Elders. Ultimately, they are the word of the god(s) who conveyed them, not of the human(s) who transcribed and compiled them. Non-scriptural Satano-Grigorist texts such as the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide are written by humans, typically to describe or explain some aspect of our faith.

The word of our gods is, of course, extremely valuable to us. However, it does not form the foundation of our faith in the same way that the Bible does for Christianity. The Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide serves as the foundational document of our religion. Aspirants are required to read the Pocket Guide before they can request membership, but reading the scriptures is not a requirement to join.

No. Our scriptures do not contain any errors that we know of, but it is not impossible that they could contain an error. Scripture is received by humans, and humans are fallible. Even though our elders are highly experienced in the faith and use rigorous methods to independently verify important revelation as much as possible, some room for error will always exist. Gods are also potentially fallible, but if there is a mistake in scripture, it is much more likely for a human to be responsible than a god.

Yes, we do have private resources that become accessible only after joining the Temple. They mostly concern specific information on particular Watchers, including preferred offerings, associations, symbolism, visual appearance, and notes. For many of these Watchers, there is no useful information on Them anywhere else. Temple Elders may, at their discretion, grant individual nikarūma (non-members) access to private Temple resources, but this is rare and occurs on a case-by-case basis.

Mainly because our internal Deity Notes are far from complete, and we would not want to publicize information that may not be complete and accurate. We are aware of the identities of about 100 Watchers at this time, while only about 22 are named in publicly available texts on the Watchers. We may publicize profiles of these Watchers individually in the future, but we do not plan to release the contents of the Deity Notes document publicly until all 200 are known and fully filled in.

Our Temple was founded in 2022, marking the birth of Satano-Grigorism as a coherent religion of its own. However, the ideas and stories upon which our faith is based are far more ancient, and we take this into account with our research, terminology, and practice.

No, simply because a physical Temple is not feasible at this time. We do plan on establishing one at some point in the future once circumstances are more favorable.

Yes. There are three tiers that are attained purely via advancement in the study and practice of Satano-Grigorism: lamadu (Neophyte), žamaru (Devotee), and ātinu (Sage). The fourth title, kāhinu (Elder), refers to Temple leadership. This is not a value hierarchy — members of a lower experience tier are not treated worse than those of higher tiers. Satano-Grigorists often take pride in their title as a reminder of the hard work they have put in to progress in the faith.

No. We will never at any point require our members to pay money to be Satano-Grigorist or access Satano-Grigorist resources.

Our Temple has no firm age limit, except that members must be old enough to legally use Discord and/or other platforms we may use to congregate. Minors are excluded from discussions and teachings about mature topics such as sexual rites. Since those practices are not required, minors can still be Satano-Grigorists.

Even though minors may join the Temple, we still expect all Satano-Grigorists to maintain a certain level of maturity in their interactions with others — minors do not get a free pass to act disruptively or bully others.

No, of course not. Mutūma (non-Nephilim) are equally welcome to join if they satisfy the membership criteria. Usually, new members do not even find out if they are Nephilim until months into their Satano-Grigorist journey.

Temple leaders will not reveal your membership to anyone without your permission. You do not have to use your legal name.

Yes. We have many members from other countries. Anyone who speaks English (or can use reliable translation software to read and communicate) may join.

No, but we encourage them to attend if they can. Attending qibūsatu regularly helps Satano-Grigorists progress in their path.

Absolutely. Questioning is not only allowed; it is actually encouraged. Our Elders are happy to work with members on their questions, discuss doubts, and walk through their logical reasoning. We have long taught that we can all learn from each other by questioning and discussing, and that even the kāhinūma (Elders) can learn from lamadūma (Neophytes).

Yes. Our public outreach server is open to everyone, and it offers an opportunity to learn firsthand from experienced Satano-Grigorists and observe our behavior before becoming a member. If you wish to go deeper, there is another option as well. Temple Elders, at their discretion, may grant a nikaru (non-member) the position of garu (guest), which allows them to have limited access to the inner Sanctum and typically also to attend qibūsātu (weekly gatherings). This role is only granted to serious inquirers who are trusted not to abuse it; if you wish to request it, you will need to spend time in the outreach server first. In recent times, most aspirants have been required to go through a garu stage before they are admitted to the Temple, even if they believe they are ready to commit to Satano-Grigorism right away. This waiting period ensures that aspirants understand the faith and community they seek to enter.

Yes, any member may voluntarily leave the Temple and Satano-Grigorism if they wish. There is no spiritual, emotional, or other retaliation for choosing to leave. Satano-Grigorism is not right for everyone, and that's okay. It is better to leave and find a better-fitting path than to continue on a path you no longer wish to walk.

Yes, protocols for revocation of membership do exist, although it is very rare for the Elders to have to resort to such measures. There are two different types of removal: expulsion and excommunication. Expelled members are potentially allowed to rejoin later on if they have truly changed and improved the issues that led to their expulsion. Excommunicated members are never allowed to return, and this is reserved for the most serious of offenses. For more information on revocation of membership, see section 12.5 of the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide.

No. Satano-Grigorism is only one of many theistic Satanic religions. We disagree with many beliefs held by other Satanists, and they disagree with many of ours. It is up to you to do the research, determine what you believe, and decide what you want to practice.

No. An organized religion like Satano-Grigorism cannot be separated from its organization, just as Catholicism cannot be separated from the Catholic Church. There are many other types of theistic Satanism available to those who do not wish to join GToS.

Yes. Worship of other gods is considered a heterodox practice, but that does not inherently preclude membership. It is governed by a few restrictions: the god(s) in question must not be opposed to the actions or values of Satanael and the Watchers, the god(s) in question must not take consistent priority over Satanael and the Watchers in the member's life and practice, and the member must continue to use standard Satano-Grigorist methods to worship Satanael and the Watchers (external methods that may be appropriate for the other god(s) in question should not be used for Satanael and the Watchers.)

No. Angels are agents of Yahweh, the tyrant god against whom the Watchers rebelled. Their values and goals are completely incompatible with those of Satanael and the Watchers. We avoid them whenever possible and banish them if they interfere with us.

Yes, of course. We do not police our members' personal relationships. We do recommend that Satano-Grigorists who have close relationships with Yahwists should frequently do protection prayers and be familiar with angel banishment, because Yahwists have a tendency to pray for people and this may attract angels. Protection work can be done without affecting the Yahwist friend in any way.

No. Active efforts to work against Yahwism, or any other religion, are a waste of personal resources and act as a distraction from the worship of Satanael and the Watchers and the elevation of the Self. Although we have disdain for Yahweh, our religion is not about opposing other religions; it is about our own beliefs, gods, and goals.

Because there are so many Satanic religions with very different views, we cannot give a blanket answer to this. Our approach to members of other Satanic religions is generally neutral and civil (unless they are affiliated with the few Satanic groups that promote political extremism or violence). Ultimately, though we may not see eye to eye on many topics, we all worship Satanael and that is a beautiful thing.

Our beliefs, values, and overall worldview differ in many ways from these groups, but the largest difference is that CoS and TST are both atheistic, meaning that they do not believe in Satanael or any other gods. GToS is fully theistic.

We do not consider atheistic satanists (atheosatanists) to be Satanists in the same way that theistic Satanists are. However, we recognize that many forms of atheosatanism align with many of the same values that we recognize as Satanic virtues. We generally aim to treat atheosatanists civilly and focus on what we have in common rather than how we differ.

No. Most Satano-Grigorists doubt the existence of many of the Goetic demons. Solomonic magic also involves calling upon Yahweh and his angels to bind spirits, which we would not tolerate.

Check our Contact page for direct contact information.

Check our Socials page for a list of our official social media accounts.

No, we do not preach our religion with intent to convert. We would gain nothing from converting people who are not truly called to Satano-Grigorism, and it would be a waste of our time as well as theirs. Our faith is not for everyone, and we are fine with that. The goal of Temple outreach efforts is not to convert people, but to inform them of our existence and ideas, so that those who seek a tradition like ours can find us and reach out to us.