Satan's Masks

Symbols and allegories.
Fomalhaut
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Satan's Masks

Post by Fomalhaut »

Satan's core essence appears in many aspects of life and has a myriad of masks. With what kind of masks does Satan appear in different aspects of your life? Which is closest to your heart? Which ones are more incomprehensible and challenging?
"I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become."
— C.G. Jung
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Nefastos
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by Nefastos »

I think that Satan, ultimately a bright divinity, often comes near us in difficult and/or challenging forms; in something we at first won't understand to be sacred & beneficent.

That said, one approach to the "masks of Satan" would be to consider the 7+1 cardinal sins as these. Especially the four highest ones are dear to me: Lust, Wrath, Pride & Despair. They are of Him, a part of Satan's manifold mask, both manifesting him & hiding him from the view. There's a secret in them, a hidden energy & the (possibility of) enlightenment.
Faust: "Lo contempla. / Ei muove in tortuosa spire / e s'avvicina lento alla nostra volta. / Oh! se non erro, / orme di foco imprime al suol!"
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Bies
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by Bies »

I agree that Satan most recognizably appears wearing masks of hardship, rather he is the silver-lining of strife and the accomplishment that comes with diligence.
"It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him."
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LoopGodel
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by LoopGodel »

Interesting thread.

Satan's masks are something I am wresting with at present, as I work through The Dark Face section of Fosforos. The following thought came to mind as I read the various comments...

Satan cannot appear to an individual in a manner completely independent of that person's inner psychic materials. Therefore, only to the extent that we have approached the unification of Light and Darkness within, can we behold Satan truly - in original form. Satan longs for us to do the Great Work of inner alchemy, so that He/She may be known.

I put that forward as a hunch, for discussion.

Thanks,

LoopGodel.
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LunaticSun
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by LunaticSun »

I have a feeling that there is also yet another law of "working" with Satan, which is also somehow reminiscent of the idea of the non-karmic reason for rightful actions. That is, one should not act righteously because of fear or worries for their afterlife, etc. I am bad at thinking logically, therefore I just say that I feel that Satan has a similar unspoken law: he is best seen in retrospection, otherwise he might just vanish before you learn anything. Or, speaking symbolically,
If you take his mask off too early, the Satan might just vanish at once, leaving you nothing but the mask.

This is but a presumption though. And while wandering into some weird fantasies I thought that maybe Satan could be our last visitor when the time of the death comes, for he comes to bring the whole collection of experience we've had, fragments of his face. After some consideration though, I thought this as a very erroneous idea, for it makes Satan as complete synonym to experience. (which seems like only one of the aspects of Satan, right?)
Kenazis
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by Kenazis »

LunaticSun wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:34 am If you take his mask off too early, the Satan might just vanish at once, leaving you nothing but the mask.
The masks are distractions and errors (in a way), but they are also the contact point and masks of knowledge. Through those masks we learn about Satan. If we approaching the idea of masks like this, removing the mask too early we haven't learn the important lessons the mask holds and Satan behind could really vanish.
"We live for the woods and the moon and the night"
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Aquila
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by Aquila »

LunaticSun wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 2:34 am This is but a presumption though. And while wandering into some weird fantasies I thought that maybe Satan could be our last visitor when the time of the death comes, for he comes to bring the whole collection of experience we've had, fragments of his face. After some consideration though, I thought this as a very erroneous idea, for it makes Satan as complete synonym to experience. (which seems like only one of the aspects of Satan, right?)
This sounds quite interesting actually. If we think how memories form the illusion (or experience, as "illusion" seems somewhat prejudiced word in this context) of chronological time and how these lived experiences are imprinted in the physical matter, you might be on the right tracks here. Satan certainly has to do with time and matter in his Saturnal aspect.
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LunaticSun
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by LunaticSun »

Aquila wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 12:39 pm This sounds quite interesting actually. If we think how memories form the illusion (or experience, as "illusion" seems somewhat prejudiced word in this context) of chronological time and how these lived experiences are imprinted in the physical matter, you might be on the right tracks here. Satan certainly has to do with time and matter in his Saturnal aspect.
But if so - what would be the other aspects of Satan? Are they less 'personal' and have a palpable meaning only when we look at everything at a grander scale? Or are there still some other attributes of his that impact us individually? (except for challenge, experience, and the sin-temptation that was already mentioned by Nefastos?)
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Smaragd
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by Smaragd »

LunaticSun wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:16 pm But if so - what would be the other aspects of Satan?
In addition to the cardinal sins to be seen as masks of Satan, we can see the archetypal powers of the seven planeray spirits revealing an aspect of Satan each. Perhaps it has been more traditional to connect Saturn to Satan, but the idea that all the archetypes include each others within themselves, we can see seven aspects of Satan in Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus. Actually a collection of articles written by fra Nefastos was not too long ago published as a book where these seven aspects of Satan was looked upon. As the book remains without published English translation as of yet, there is a good chance to challenge oneself to search how oneself would see these aspects revealed by the archetypes of classic planetary symbolism.
LunaticSun wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:16 pm Are they less 'personal' and have a palpable meaning only when we look at everything at a grander scale?
I would say the more archetypal meanings are in a sense less ’personal’ and perhaps gives a clearer sense to the aspects that offer a viewpoint to the grander scale of things. But archetypes, although clarifying in their lofty nature, are not that concrete and thus their meaning might not be that palpable. Their living nature is the reason for this – the Spirit can not be entrapped in to the grudest materia, and these planetary spirits are the seven aspects of the Spirit. But the grudest materia and forms of thought are shells and masks (the more ’personal’ parts that are shared with the personalities of the humans who subjectively recognizes and partly gives birth to the form) of these archetypes. The shells and masks are the traces of the living spirit, from the conrete nature of which we can seek the more abstract living core.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
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LunaticSun
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Re: Satan's Masks

Post by LunaticSun »

Thank you, Smaragd! Now I see the path further
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