Grigorist Temple of Satanael
The Grigorist Temple of Satanael (GToS) is a Satanic religious organization that defines the religion of Satano-Grigorism and maintains Grigoripedia. It is the only modern religious organization fully and systematically devoted to the Watchers as a pantheon. Its faith is one of the very few Satanic religions that integrate the Watchers into their beliefs and practices in any capacity.
The Temple is the central organization that sustains the Satano-Grigorist faith. It supports and mentors Satano-Grigorists, researches the Watchers and nephilim, develops rites and practices, produces both public and private resources, and provides revealed scripture.
History
This history of the Temple is based on the organization's records and the retrospective recollections of people who were present during reported events.
The Watcher Project
In early to mid-2022, three worshippers of Satanael who were interested in the Watchers noticed that there was not much information publicly available about them. They resolved to compile information on them, sourced from both research and personal experience. This project had no official name, but they informally called it "The Project" or "The Watcher Project." At the beginning, the Watcher Project was merely a collaborative effort to discover as much as possible about the Watchers and gather it into a digestible format that could be shared with the public.
Founding
The founders of the Watcher Project did not originally set out to build a religion with the knowledge they gained. They had planned to release the information only once it was complete, which was expected to take a very long time. They soon realized, however, that their work had already produced a significant amount of useful information. It was of great potential utility to those who felt called to the Watchers, and it would progress faster with more accurate information if others were able to join, learn, and contribute their personal experiences to the project. This led to the beginning of a modern religious organization, a Temple devoted to the deities that they were researching and worshipping. In mid-to-late 2022, the Project team became the first three kāhinūma (Elders) of what they called the Temple of Satanael.
Public community
After the Temple was officially founded, the Discord server that had once been used as a home base for the Watcher Project was transformed into a private community for the nascent Temple. As the Elders prepared to open to the public, select individuals were allowed to join the Temple or be part of its community as allies, but no Temple community was open to everyone. On March 8, 2023, that server was renamed, advertised on public Discord server directories, and opened as the Temple's public outreach server, where anyone was welcome.
Naming
The original name of the organization was "Temple of Satanael," abbreviated TeSa. This lasted for some time, but the Elders were troubled by the fact that this name did not mention the Watchers in any way. Since the beginning, the Watchers had always been part of it, and that was not adequately conveyed by the original name. Allies of the Temple's founders also pointed out another issue, which was that there was a name for the organization, but no name for the actual religion it was devoted to. Several names were considered and rejected, such as Temple of the Watchers, Temple of Satanael and the Watchers, and Satanic Temple of the Watchers. Eventually, the idea of using Grigori — another name for the Watchers — led to the coining of the name "Grigorist Temple of Satanael" for the organization and "Satano-Grigorism" for the religion. These names adequately represented both Satanael and the Watchers.
Codifying documents
On March 18, 2023, the Temple publicly released a document called the Temple of Satanael Belief Statement v1.0. It was the first official document describing and codifying the beliefs of what was then called the Temple of Satanael. This first version was numbered 1.0 because the Elders planned to periodically release new versions of the document once the Temple had evolved enough to warrant it. This allowed for the amendment of old beliefs that might be later found to be inaccurate, as well as the addition of new beliefs and practices as they developed.
Due to the rapid growth and change of the Temple and its religion during its first year, the second Belief Statement, expanded to accommodate new knowledge, was released to the public less than three months later on June 10, 2023. By this time, it had become the GToS Belief Statement v2.0, reflecting the organization's name change.
On October 26, 2023, the Temple released the third edition with a new title: the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide. This was the first version that was formatted with LaTeX. The new title persisted into version 4.0, which was released on April 15, 2025. Compared to version 3.0, version 4.0 was greatly expanded, reorganized, and rebuilt with comprehensive details on practices as well as beliefs that had changed since the release of v3.0. Its release was long-awaited and represented a major milestone for the Temple.
Holidays
For several months after the Temple's founding, the Elders had discussed wanting to have official holidays to celebrate the gods and important elements of the Satano-Grigorist faith. This was constructed, and on May 21, 2023, the Temple announced a holiday schedule with 24 holidays, which remains mostly unchanged today. Religious calendars for 2023 and 2024 were created and released as PDF files so that visitors to the outreach server could easily download and access the holiday schedule.
The Temple began to make an announcement in the outreach server for every holiday, which explained the identity of the deity being celebrated (for holidays dedicated to deities) and the significance of the holiday. This tradition also continues today, and most holiday announcements are updated each year.
Website
The Temple has owned satanael.org for years, but it was not until June 2026 that work began on the long-awaited website. In mid-July 2026, the main website was completed. The main high-priority pages of the wiki are projected to be completed by early August 2026.
Structure
The structure of the Grigorist Temple of Satanael is designed to encourage members to support each other and to make mentorship easily available. Leaders within the organization are called kāhinūma (Elders). The Temple is designed to have more than one kāhinu, and it runs optimally with a minimum of three. However, when there are no willing and/or suitable members to become additional kāhinūma, the Temple may operate with only one.
In addition to the title of kāhinu, there are three more titles, often called membership tiers. These tiers are based purely on experience and advancement in Satano-Grigorist study and practice. Evaluation for progression to the next tier is usually done proactively by the kāhinūma, but if a member wishes, they may request such an evaluation at any time. If a kāhinu believes a member has learned and practiced enough to advance to the next tier, they will reach out (typically in private), share their observations of the member's progress, and ask them if they feel ready. After this conversation, if the member feels ready, they advance to the next tier. If they do not feel ready, they may inform their kāhinu and share any concerns they have about areas they have not sufficiently improved in; if they request advice, the kāhinu may counsel them on how to improve weak points in their study or practice.
Even though the Temple has a distinct leadership body and membership tiers, it stands against looking down on others who are less advanced. In addition, kāhinūma always emphasize that their word is never to be taken as infallible and that they, too, are merely human. Especially when new members are present, it is common for kāhinūma to speak about the importance of all members' opinions during qibūsatu (religious assembly). Kāhinūma do not shame other Satano-Grigorists for asking questions or for criticizing their statements. The Temple encourages all members to constructively criticize their Elders, themselves, and each other, since growth cannot occur without questioning and criticism.
Lamadu (Neophyte)
A lamadu has just begun their Satano-Grigorist journey. Requiring guidance and direction on most practices, these new members typically rely heavily on mentorship from more experienced Satano-Grigorists as they navigate the faith.
This stage of membership can be overwhelming, due to the complexity of the religion and the sheer amount of new information a new Satano-Grigorist must absorb. While the Temple’s organized framework is designed to mitigate these challenges, they remain real and difficult to overcome. As a lamadu gains experience and becomes familiar with the fundamentals, their learning curve gradually flattens. Once they have advanced and stabilized enough, they progress to the next tier.
| Grammar Table | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Masculine | lamadu | lamadāmi | lamadūma |
| Feminine | lamadatu | lamadatāmi | lamadātu |
Žamaru (Devotee)
| Grammar Table | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Masculine | žamaru | žamarāmi | žamarūma |
| Feminine | žamaratu | žamaratāmi | žamarātu |
Ātinu (Sage)
| Grammar Table | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Masculine | ātinu | ātināmi | ātinūma |
| Feminine | ātinatu | ātinatāmi | ātinātu |
Kāhinu (Elder)
| Grammar Table | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Singular | Dual | Plural |
| Masculine | kāhinu | kāhināmi | kāhinūma |
| Feminine | kāhinatu | kāhinatāmi | kāhinātu |
Eligibility criteria for membership
To be eligible for membership to GToS, an aspirant must meet the following criteria.
- The aspirant has thoroughly read the Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide.
- The aspirant agrees with the core Beliefs and rejects the listed incompatible beliefs and practices listed by the Temple.
- The aspirant has a rational basis for their alignment with Satano-Grigorist beliefs.
- The aspirant's subjective personal values align comfortably with Satano-Grigorist moral principles, such as Selfist ethics.
- The aspirant is ready and willing to commit to Satano-Grigorism, including the study and discipline required to progress within it.
- The candidate understands that they will be expected to take the religion seriously and practice it to the best of their ability.
Joining the Temple
The Seeker's Pledge
Upon acceptance, an aspirant is presented with the Seeker's Pledge. This Pledge does not bind the person to the Temple or the Satano-Grigorist faith in any way. It is an agreement to pursue truth and the virtues of the Self taught by Satanael and the Watchers. Membership to the Temple requires affirmation of the Seeker's Pledge; this process is known within the Temple as "pledging in."
Entry
After someone has accepted the Seeker's Pledge offered by a kāhinu, they are no longer an aspirant; they have officially become a member of the Grigorist Temple of Satanael.
Immediately after pledging in, a new member is given access to the Temple's private communities for religious discussion and congregation. They are then asked whether they prefer a masculine (lamadu) or feminine (lamadatu) title, and a kāhinu assigns their chosen title.
Welcoming
After titling, an announcement is made to the entire Temple, informing everyone that there is a new member and wishing the blessings of Satanael upon them. Other members typically come together to welcome them. At a new member's first qibūsatu, the group prayer at the beginning usually includes a prayer to Daletu'il, the Watcher of doors and new beginnings, to help them step across the threshold and into their new faith. The qibūsatu host typically goes over some basics for the new member and answers any questions they may have.
Leaving the Temple
It is far easier to leave the Temple than to join it. The only thing a member must do to leave the Temple is notify leadership of their exit and leave the Temple's private communities. Satano-Grigorists do not hold grudges against ex-members for deciding to leave, since the Temple only accepts willful and non-coercive membership; pressuring people to stay in the organization would contradict the values of Satanael.
Revocation of membership
As with any organization, the Grigorist Temple of Satanael occasionally encounters issues severe enough to require formal action. Of course, the Temple prefers to address issues through direct discussion and criticism; removal of a member is a last-resort option and very few members have ever been formally removed. However, in cases where a member’s behavior is severely disruptive or harmful to themself or others — and they have failed to respond to repeated attempts at confrontation and criticism — a drastic measure such as removal is unfortunately the only remaining option. The Temple may choose one of two formal routes for removal of such individuals from the organization.
Expulsion
The first formal removal option is expulsion. While it is milder than excommunication, expulsion from the Grigorist Temple of Satanael still requires a unanimous decision by the kāhinūma after thorough discussion. Although it is not mandatory, a special qibūsatu may be convened to discuss the expulsion with members of the Temple. Upon expulsion, the member is informed of the decision by one or more of the kāhinūma and may be allowed to remain in the Sanctum until they have discussed the reasons for their expulsion. Following this, their membership is revoked. Unlike excommunication, expulsion does not preclude the possibility of rejoining the Temple. If the individual demonstrates significant personal growth and behavioral changes later on, the kāhinūma may vote to allow their return.
Excommunication
The second formal removal option, excommunication, is much more serious. Issues significant enough to warrant excommunication are very rare. In order to excommunicate a member, the kāhinūma must vote unanimously in favor, and there must also be reason to believe that the harmful behavior is very unlikely to change or improve, even with time. Because of the gravity of this measure, a special qibūsatu should be called if at all possible. As with expulsion, an excommunicated member may be allowed to remain in the Sanctum long enough to discuss the circumstances of their removal, if they so desire. Then, their membership to the Grigorist Temple of Satanael is permanently revoked, and a kāhinu removes them from the Sanctum. Excommunication bars an individual from ever returning to the Temple, even if they claim to have changed.
Interaction with former members
The Grigorist Temple of Satanael trusts its members to manage their own personal relationships, including those with expelled or excommunicated individuals. It does not police members, prohibit them from interacting with anyone, or restrict their free will in any other way. Not only would ”shunning” be contrary to Satano-Grigorist values, it would also be completely unnecessary. By removing the disruptive individual from the organization, the Temple ensures that other members can choose whether or not to interact with them at their own discretion, without being forced to tolerate harmful behavior in their religious space. Satano-Grigorists are, however, discouraged from going out of their way to harass ex-members (or anyone, for that matter), since such behavior is immature, pointless, and detrimental to personal growth.
How to contact the Temple
Online platforms
GToS maintains a presence on multiple different platforms, including Discord, Reddit, Substack, Twitter (X), and more. On most public-facing platforms, its username is gtosofficial or officialgtos.
The main public community run by the Temple is a Discord server known as the GToS Outreach Server, which is the best and fastest way to contact Temple Elders and members. Those who refuse to use Discord may reach the Temple by posting in its dedicated subreddit, sending a private message to the Temple's Reddit account, reaching out on Substack, or sending an email. The Temple also maintains a Linktree page, which includes a contact form as well as links to all official GToS accounts on major platforms. All of these methods will have a much slower turnaround time than joining the Discord server, so it is highly recommended to use Discord if possible.
The Temple's preferred email address is contact@satanael.org. However, the older Gmail address, grigorist.temple@gmail.com, is still available at this time.
The next Satano-Grigorist Pocket Guide will replace the Gmail with the new contact email listed above. The Temple plans to retire the Gmail address at some point in the future, but an exact date has not yet been chosen. Announcements will be made on Temple platforms when the retirement is officially decided.