The Rules

written: July 11th

2016 Grimoire Challenge Question: What are the rules of your practice?

I am such a feral spirit that I really did not even want to touch this question.  I dislike the term “rules” because it reminds me more of Christianity, with its Thou Shalt Not’s. 

Instead, I do better with the 11 Satanic Rules of the Earth – though slightly modified, as I’m not Satanic and do not take it was far as Satanists do.

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

1. Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked.
2. Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them.
3. When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there.
4. If a guest in your lair annoys you, treat him cruelly and without mercy.
5. Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal.
6. Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it is a burden to the other person and he cries out to be relieved.
7. Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.
8. Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
9. Do not harm little children.
10. Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food.
11. When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask him to stop. If he does not stop, destroy him.

I believe most of these are easy to follow and the rationale is strong (excluding the whole “destroy him” LeVay bullshit).  I will respect you as long as you respect me.  I will not seek to harm you unless you harm me or my family first.  I do not seek war, but if you bring it to my doorstep, I will rain down wrath upon you.  

My approach to many things in life is simply “As long as it occurs between legal, consenting, fully informed adults and does not harm others, I don’t care what you are doing.”  This goes for sex, life, etc.  You want to have a mass orgy in your home and everyone involved is of legal age, consents to the activity, and is fully informed of the activity and any issues (healthy or otherwise) that could arise – then I say for it and have a wonderfully fun evening.  It’s of no concern to me.  You want to abort the fetus you carry?  It does not impact me, therefore, it’s really NONE of my business.

The same rules apply to my religion.  I don’t care what you practice, as long as it seeks to make you a better person.  I don’t care what you practice as long as you do not force it upon those who do not want it.  I will not attack you over your religion unless you attack me first.  And it takes quite a bit to really get me riled up and I will warn you many times along that path, so should we get to the point that I feel it needs to come to blows…do not feign surprise.  You were warned and now these are the consequences of your actions.

I am not a person to turn the other cheek.  I’m more of the Serpent.  I mean you no harm.  But know that if you seek to harm me, I will strike.  And my strike is true.  I’m not out hunting you.  But corner me and provoke me, I will defend myself to the best of my abilities.