-Caveat Lector-
an excerpt from:
Ritual Abuse
Margaret Smith©1993
HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
ISBN 0-06-250214-X
213pps — out-of-print
--[6]--
Chapter 6
The Groups: Beliefs, Practices, History, and Structure
My abusers taught me that people of this world are ruled by the God of
Abraham, the God of the Old Testament. His laws are unjust laws based on the
rules of nature. He teaches an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. He is the
God of Ignorance, the God of Violence and lower intelligence. In his world,
people suffer In his world, there is chaos, plague, and starvation. His world
is in the desert.
In our belief system, the ultimate deity is the God manifested in the actions
of Jesus. We believe Jesus was not a doctor or a magician who healed physical
blindness. He healed the blindness of the spirit, a feat far greater than the
acts of any doctor or magician. He said the words that our hearts longed to
hear He spoke the Truth. But when he died, so did his Word. Once again, the
Word was lost.
We believe Jesus's teachings should not be dictated by some "church."
Morality is not something we learn intellectually. It is something we each
must emotionally experience. We believe people must find the truth inside
themselves if they want to understand from their hearts what Jesus was trying
to say. We designed rituals and systems of thought to help people realize the
deep revelations Jesus spoke about. We believe that in order to learn the
Truth found in his words, people must lose the Truth in their own lives. In
other words, in order to have compassion for people who are hungry, you must
have experienced hunger yourself In order to have compassion for people who
are freezing on the street, you also must have felt bitterly cold.
We believe that through Jesus radiated the perfect emanation of Heavenly
Light. The heavenly light is also symbolized in the Old Testament of the
Judeo-Christian Bible as Lucifer, the Light Bearer the serpent who enticed
Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Religions based on the teachings of
the Old Testament referred to
Lucifer as Satan or the Devil because he led people astray from the teachings
of the God of Abraham. In our teachings, Lucifer was not the "Devil ." He was
the Bringer of Light, the bringer of wisdom, which allowed humankind the
opportunity to overcome the laws of nature. He was the bringer of knowledge,
which allowed humankind the ability to judge the world from something other
than our immediate experiences. He told us to eat from the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil so we could know what was right and wrong and could see the
Laws of the Ignorant God are Unjust.
We most certainly would not consider ourselves to be Satan worshipers. We
believe that "Satan" is a term used by the church to separate the world into
good and evil through the eyes of the God of the Old Testament. In our belief
system, Satan—or the personification Of evil—is Ignorance. It is only a
shadow, a temporary stage of thought before Revelation. Only love, light, and
truth exist. Everything else is a mistake, a shadow, an "accident." That is
why we believe that we can commit any act without feeling shame or remorse.
Our philosophy says, "Nothing can be created that is not God."
We symbolize the loss of the Word in a number of ways: the death of Osiris in
the Egyptian myth, which leaves Isis weeping and yearning for her lost
husband; the quest for the Holy Grail, which contains the water that gives
eternal life. The acts we commit during rituals intensify the power of this
imagery. No one yearns for the water or the Word more than someone who each
day is having it taken away.
We believe we have to create the perfect race: a race of warriors to prepare
for his second coming. We don't know where he is going to be born. We don't
know where the Word is going to become manifest, but we have to make a people
that is going to be ready to hear the message.
This is what they taught me. They used this philosophy to manipulate and
control me time and time again. For people who believe only love, light, and
truth exist, they certainly did everything in their power to see that I never
felt loved.
My abusers taught me that our mission is to unite all humankind under a
single principle. They used a great deal of symbolism to describe that
principle, but they would never say what it was. Due to my own past and what
I knew was important to me, I always assumed that principle was love. I
actually found support for my theory in some cult philosophy.
When I told my idea to them, they led me to believe I had found the supreme
secret. They told me they do what they do to make people value the importance
of love. They told me that no one knows more about just how important love is
than someone who has had it stolen from their life everyday. In a way, I
could see their twisted logic. I knew because I lacked love most of my life,
I longed for it desperately.
I saw that my abusers were people in a great deal of pain, but the actions
and goals of the group as a whole are not what these men say they are. Ritual
abuse is designed to betray love. It makes children so hopeless and
despairing that it seems impossible to trust or love again. Ritually abused
children learn that love is about suffering and betrayal. Because of the
intense programming, they feel alone in a way that almost can't be comforted.
The only thing that heals these children is love, but—guaranteed—they do not
get unbetrayed, supportive love from their abusers. These children heal if
they are lucky enough to find someone or something special enough to them
that they are able to break the walls of their isolation.
Ritual abuse hurts children almost beyond repair The messages the cults give
children about love cause them to be so terrified of failure, betrayal,
humiliation, and unrequited love, that often they just push love out of their
life.
No, the goal is not to unite people under the concept of love. The goal, as
dictated by their actions, is to teach people that love is a weakness; that
love only ends in pain and loss. They show their victims that life is tragic,
and they make the children believe there is no love to protect "bad" children
abused in cults. They conclude the world is not a place guided by a
benevolent force that wants all people to feel love and pleasure. Rather the
universe is guided by rules and logic, and love is. the folly that corrupts
people to commit foolish acts that result in pain.
What is life without love? How do we feel when we believe no one loves us?
How do we feel when we believe the universe is based only on rules and logic
and no other forces? if love is a folly that leads to despair and suffering,
then how do we treat those around us? How deeply do we hurt when we are
alone? If the universe was based only on rules and logic, we would not have
emotions.
Whether there is a God or not, whether the universe is benevolent or
malevolent, human beings have the right to choose what feels best. If we live
in a world where love has no place, would we still want to be here? if we
lived in a world where love had no limits, where betrayal was unheard of
because everyone wanted to feel good, what would life be like? If there was
no such thing as unrequited love, and we could love to our heart's content
without ever having to worry about being hurt, what a place this would be! So
I believe it is a choice of what we value in our own lives, God or no God,
benevolent or malevolent universe. No matter what abusers or anyone may take
away, we can still look inside and listen to what makes us feel good.
BELIEF SYSTEMS OF VIOLENT CULTS
Violent cults that ritually abuse children use a variety of belief systems to
justify their acts. Some belief systems are based on the idea of needing to
understand both good and evil in order to reach spiritual enlightenment. in
violent cults based on this belief, members engage in all evil acts
imaginable in an attempt to understand the nature of evil.
Some violent cults believe in supreme evil powers or beings that can be
worshiped to gain supernatural power. Under this belief system, people
practice ritual abuse as a means to worship the evil forces or
personifications.
Other belief systems are based on the idea of creating a superior white race
to rule the world. These cults believe they must torture and ritually abuse
their children in order to create a "stronger" breed of humans that can
withstand any degree of pain.
Still other belief systems teach children Christian morals using violent
tactics.
Finally, some belief systems are based on worshiping the cycles of nature.
These violent cults teach that death, pain, and destruction are all natural
cycles of existence that must be worshiped the same as life, joy, and
creation. Cults that ritually abuse children usually have belief systems
based on one or more of these theoretical foundations.
Ritual abuse occurs under a variety of different religious beliefs—from
satanism to Christianity, from paganism to white supremacy. It is important
to remember that not all followers of these belief systems are involved in
ritual abuse. There are people who call themselves satanists who don't
practice ritual abuse, just as there are Christians who don't practice ritual
abuse. There are also people who call themselves witches who worship the
Great Goddess, and people who believe strongly in the power of magic, who
have never used violence as part of their rituals. The following section
describes only the groups within these traditions that practice ritual abuse.
The source of this information is from my own personal experience, as well as
from conversations I have had with other ritual abuse survivors.
The Unifying God
The idea of reuniting the dualistic concepts of good and evil is a common
philosophy used by groups that practice ritual abuse. The groups suggest that
behind good and evil is a single Source from which both good and evil sprang.
They suggest that if humankind finds that Source, we will obtain world peace,
universal religion, and harmony.
In practice, how does a group search for the source of good in the world? How
does a group search for the source of evil? Some groups believe that in order
to find the Source, they must engage in all acts considered both good and
evil. They believe that if they examine good and evil intellectually, without
practicing the acts, they could not evoke emotion and truly reveal the Source.
In order to understand such a belief system, it is important to understand
the philosophical image of "the unifying God." In such a belief system, there
is no duality, and hence no true evil. The unifying God encompasses both good
and evil. Some groups symbolize the unifying God as unconditional love
because unconditional love feels warmth for everything, without judgment. In
a unifying God belief system, God's presence is in everything. God is not
separate from our lives. Taking this belief a step further, if everything is
God, nothing can be created that is not God. Therefore, evil does not really
exist because it is part of God.
Worship of Evil
Devil worship, black magic, and other practices used to worship evil are all
attempts to gain power by connecting with a dark force. In these belief
systems, there is an evil force, energy, or personification in the universe
that can be used for personal gain. Worshipers believe that the darker force
of the universe provides people with immense power. Usually, these people
desire things that are associated with the concept of evil: power over
others, sexual gratification without love. Over half of the survivors who
participated in this study said they had been abused by a satanic cult.
People who worship evil have their behavior dictated to them by the image
they have of the evil force. For example, a devil worshiper who feels
compassion or love for someone who is being harmed during a ritual is unable
to stop what is happening or cry in remorse because such "moral" behavior is
not acceptable to the group. It is reminiscent of the Good God's tenets of
morality.
White Supremacy
Many violent cults also teach a doctrine of white supremacy. They ritually
abuse their children in an attempt to create a superior white race that will
overtake the world. These groups are bonded by a mutual hatred for an
identified race or group of people. This immature type of bonding, based on
victimizing other people, provides white supremacists with a sense of
belonging. If they can identify a common enemy, then they are able to feel
bonded to the group and they no longer feel alone in the world. if they all
hate blacks, Jews, or homosexuals, they feel as though they have something in
common with one another. They will violate anyone's rights whenever needed in
order to feel this immature sense of belonging.
Belief in Magic
The belief in magic is a central feature of ritual abuse. According to The
New Merriam-Webster Dictionary, magic is the art of people who claim to be
able to do things by the help of supernatural powers or by their own
knowledge of nature's secrets.[1] My abusers taught me that magic is the
ability to shape reality according to your will. Some ancient magical
teachings suggest that through pain and suffering, people are able to connect
to higher planes of spiritual reality. In a sense, the magicians of the past
were correct. Psychologists who study perception say that our perception is a
result of biochemical operations within the brain. Trauma alters brain
chemistry, which results in changed perceptions of reality.
When a child is tortured, his or her body releases adrenaline and endorphins
as a response to the stress. These substances alter the biochemistry in the
child's mind and may cause hallucinations. For example, a pin that is dropped
on the other side of the room may sound to a child in this state like a
thunderbolt. From an ancient magicians point of view, the child's experience
is a mystical one.
Hundreds of years ago, under this type of magical belief system, people
tortured themselves and others for a perceived spiritual benefit. They did
not understand dissociation, amnesia, and multiple personalities as defense
mechanisms that allowed people to survive the pain; they believed these
responses to severe trauma to be "magic." The perceived power of early
magicians who traumatized children was unimaginable. They were thought to
have mystical power over people. But in all truth, they were the causes of
children's dissociation, the braids response to trauma.
Christianity
Christian-based ritual abuse is one of most confusing forms of abuse. The
abusers teach children strict moral principles of honesty, integrity, and
nonviolent behavior, while they are being ritually abused. Children are
taught that violence is acceptable in the ritual context because it is being
used for higher spiritual purposes. The most confusing part is that the
abusers actually believe the ritual abuse is helpful for children. They
believe that the values of honesty, integrity, and nonviolent behavior must
be taught to children through violence. In the case of molestation, they
might say the children need to share their bodies with others as a pure,
Christian gesture. if they are unable to rationalize the abuse, they blame
their violent impulses on the devil.
As a result of the ritual abuse, children raised in these cults may develop
aggressive, sexualized, sadistic tendencies that the abusers frame as "evil"
and "sinful" impulses. These children grow up feeling that they have a hidden
evil inside of them. They often try desperately to follow Christian values,
but instead are attracted to sexual violence. Many of these adults constrain
their violent impulses until they get to a ritual, where they explode with
sexually violent behavior. If they act sexually or violently outside of a
ritual context, they are often plagued with extreme guilt and blame their
acts on Satan.
Female Cults
One of the most secretive contexts for ritual abuse is in female cults. These
groups do not allow men and usually are based on the worship of the cycles of
nature. They believe that death and destruction are natural parts of the
cycle of existence and must be worshiped the same as life and creation. just
as there are many Christians who do not practice violence in their rituals,
there are also a number of women around the country who refer to themselves
as witches and worship the cycles of nature who do not engage in ritual
abuse. This is an important distinction to make because traditionally, as
exemplified by the inquisition, "witches" are often the people accused of
practicing violence during their rituals.
The female cults that do practice ritual abuse are extremely secretive.
Female cults preach that men are the cause of the problems on the earth. They
are responsible for the destruction of the planet. They remind members that
for the most part, ever since humans devised the concept of ownership, men
have claimed they own their Mother Earth (in the form of property), their
wives, and their children. In order to satisfy their ownership desires, men
kicked the feminine out of people's understanding of "God." Men taught people
to refer to God as a male figure in the sky so they could violate the earth.
Women were kept in the home, silent. Female cults also remind their members
that within the last century, since women have increased their power in our
society, major reforms have occurred to protect the earth, women, and
children. Often women feel bonded to their female cults because they see the
accuracy in such statements.
Female cults primarily worship the feminine principle in the form of the
Great Goddess. When they worship the male force, they usually worship him as
a passive force that is in service to her. Sometimes he is gentle and
compassionate, not violent and in search of power. Other times he is the
Reaper, the power of destruction that takes life away from the earth. They
worship the love between the God and the Goddess as a sexualized union that
creates life. They believe that the love between the Goddess and her consort,
the God, is the force that holds all life together.
The Goddess has three faces, which are all worshiped in violent female cults.
Although there is a great deal of variety, I will describe some of the
practices I am familiar with. The first face, creation, is worshiped with
rites of fertility. These rituals are sexual and moderately violent. An
animal might be killed to remind members that for something to live,
something else must die. Next is the face of destruction. These rituals are
extremely violent and are designed to connect members to their most cruel and
sadistic impulses. Children or babies might be killed. Members are forced to
suffer because destruction causes pain. Finally, there is the face of rebirth
or rest, depending on the cult. These rituals also include violence and
sexuality. Rebirth in female cults usually involves mock killings accompanied
by sexual unions, to symbolize that death is not the end, but the beginning
of a new life. Female cults are the most secretive. No males are allowed to
witness the rites except for the young sons of members.
Most female cult members were also raised in male/female cults. Female cult
hatred for men is based on the practices of the male/female cults. In
male/female cults, men are taught to betray, humiliate, and degrade women.
Women are taught to be loving and unconditionally loyal to the men, no matter
how great the betrayal may be. In their daily lives, female cult members are
usually attracted to male cult members because they can understand each
others' pain. In cult members' relationships, programming about how to behave
surfaces and female hatred for men intensifies. Female cult beliefs about men
as "evil, snakes" is thus supported, because neither partner is able to
identify the ritual abuse as the cause of the problems in the relationship.
RITUALS
This section is based on my own memories and on conversations I have had with
other survivors. Although some of the practices of violent cults might be
similar to practices of nonviolent groups, it is important to remember that
the differentiating factor between the cults described in this book and other
cults is that the cults described in this book practice violence while
children are present.
Rituals are structured events in which members are assigned roles. Usually,
someone leads the, rituals. Most leaders are referred to as High Priests or
High Priestesses. High Priests, High Priestesses, or both simultaneously lead
prayers, perform sacrifices, and engage in sexual acts, while other members
witness or participate. The exact activities of a particular ritual vary,
depending on the holiday.
Some rituals are fertility rites. During these ceremonies, members engage in
sexual orgies, using perfumes and oils to enhance stimulation. People wear
luxurious clothing and eat extravagant foods as a means to celebrate
prosperity and earthly delights. Most cults celebrate spring rituals, such as
May Day and the Vernal Equinox, with fertility rites.
Other rituals are based on the principles of life and death. In these
ceremonies, animals or humans are sacrificed. Cult members drain the blood of
the creatures and use it as body paints or drink. Most human sacrifices
performed during rituals are mock sacrifices, in which High Priests or
Priestesses dramatize the sacrifice of children or adults. Babies taken from
members are the most common real human sacrifices. Actual human sacrifice of
children and adults may also be performed, but only on special occasions.
Mock killings are performed more often and are designed to look as believable
as real killings. Cults use the blood of animals to enhance the effect of
agony and suffering. For young children, witnessing mock killings is
sometimes just as psychologically damaging as witnessing the genuine killing
of humans. A child who watches a friend being killed in a ritual, and then
later sees the friend playing with other people, learns that death is not
"real." Life and death are blended, and the child no longer understands the
significance of either.
Some rituals are designed to train members for special roles. Training
rituals are not performed on specific holidays, but whenever members are
available. Training rituals generally include performances, in which members
wear elaborate costumes, and may also include fertility rites and sacrifices.
Holidays
The holidays celebrated by violent cults vary a great deal depending on the
cult's specific belief system. However, most cults in the United States
recognize the spring and autumn equinoxes (March and September 21) and the
winter and summer solstices (June and December 21). Cult members believe
these holidays give them power by connecting them with the forces of nature.
Most cults also celebrate the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter.
Many cults recognize Jesus as a supreme symbol for good, and celebrating his
birth and death is believed to enhance the power of the group.
Some cults also celebrate Beltane (April 30), a satanic and matriarchal
holiday, and the marriage of the Beast (September 7), a satanic holiday.
Celebrating satanic holidays allows nonsatanic cults to utilize what they
consider "evil" powers as well. Most cults also celebrate the ancient
agricultural holidays of Halloween and May Day.
Robes and Costumes
At the beginning of most rituals, participants wear robes or costumes. The
color of the robes depends on the ritual and the group. Most groups wear
black or white robes for sacrificial rituals, and blue or violet robes for
fertility rites. Once the ritual begins, clothing is often removed either
simultaneously or as part of a ritual skit.
In my experience, the leaders of male/female cults usually wear tall hats
(similar in shape to the hat of the pope) during rituals. The shape and color
of hats are used to identify a persons rank in the group. In general, taller
hats with more elaborate decoration signify a more important role. During
ritual drama, women wear fancy, costumelike dresses. Men wear costumes as
well, often with knives and swords attached to uniforms. The clothing is
often made of silk, leather, and lace.
Children are usually not allowed to wear clothing during rituals. Sometimes
adults wearing clown costumes or Dracula costumes torment the children.
Adults also dress up as vicious animals to frighten the children into
silence. Often an adult member dresses up as Jesus, and he too betrays the
children. These situations are designed to teach children that nothing is
safe.
Use of Color and Symbolism
Red and black are the colors of satanic, violent cults. Nonsatanic cults also
use these colors because of their "darker" powers. White is a color used by
cults to signify innocence and purity. Blue and violet are colors of
fertility, with blue as the healing color and violet as the color of love and
power. Most cults believe in the spiritual significance of geometrical
shapes, particularly the circle, triangle, pentagram, and other stars.
HISTORY OF VIOLENT CULTS
Because I am a survivor of ritual abuse, I wanted to know how long such abuse
had been going on. I read a number of books to find out if any other groups
historically had practiced rituals similar to the ones I remembered from my
own abuse. I don't claim to be an expert on history or religion, but I do
feel it is important to present the information I found that helped me
believe my own memories of abuse.
Historically, conquering people attempt to convert conquered people to their
own religious beliefs, and they persecute those people who continue to
practice their old religion. Throughout history, a number of religious groups
have been persecuted for their religious beliefs, sometimes with the use of
torture and execution. Forcing people to change their religious beliefs is a
difficult task. Before the scientific revolution, peoples religious beliefs
were the most important beliefs they had. The sun rose in the morning because
of God. The rains that kept the crops alive and kept the people from starving
were also a gift from God. Humankind's entire existence and the world around
them was a magical mystery, which they explained using their religious
beliefs. Forcing people to change their religious beliefs forced them to
change their basic understanding of the world. If people truly believed their
religion was the "Truth"—and most religions believe they have the "Truth"—it
would follow that some members of a given religion would do whatever they had
to in order to preserve it.
It is possible that in some families, the practice of ritual abuse and
programming developed during times when it was dangerous for people to
express religious convictions that contradicted the religious beliefs of the
ruling class. Followers of a persecuted religion who wanted to pass their
beliefs on to their children had to do so in secret. They had to worry if
their children told the neighbors about their hidden spiritual practices and
beliefs, they would be punished, perhaps tortured and killed. To protect
themselves, perhaps these desperate parents physically reprimanded their
children for telling others about their religious convictions and practices.
Historically, there have been no laws to protect children from violence that
did not end in death. Perhaps the beatings and teachings parents gave their
children became more intense and violent as danger increased. As a result, in
some families' religious beliefs, rituals and violence all became
intermingled into what we now refer to as ritual abuse.
Once a family is caught in a cycle of extreme violence, it is very difficult
to break the pattern. The previous chapter on abusers illustrates that
extreme trauma results in a lack of emotion. Often this lack of emotion then
results in the capacity to abuse others with no remorse. Due to lack of
understanding about the cycle of trauma, people raised in these families were
helpless to change their predicament and became stuck in the cycle of ritual
abuse.
Ritual Abuse: Children Raised in Violent Belief Systems
Throughout history, a number of religious movements have been accused of
practicing violent, sexualized rituals similar to those described by ritual
abuse survivors. Certain sects of the Gnostics, a spiritual movement that
rivaled the early Catholic church, were accused by the church of practicing
violent, sexualized rituals over fifteen hundred years ago. in the Middle
Ages, a small number of secret societies and fraternal organizations were
also accused of similar acts.
In a paper published in the journal Dissociation: Progress in the
Dissociative Disorders, Sally Hill and jean Goodwin noted similarities
between the violent rituals that some Gnostic sects were speculated to have
practiced and the rituals described by ritual abuse survivors today. Some
Gnostic sects were accused of (1) participating in a secret nocturnal feast;
(2) reversing the Christian mass; (3) engaging in orgiastic sex involving
incest; (4) using blood, semen, and other excretions during rituals; and (5)
sacrificing embryos and infants that were later eaten. All of the above
accusations have also been described in modem times by ritual abuse
survivors.[2]
The Gnostics were divided into a variety of sects that disagreed about
practices and beliefs, although they shared some common elements. The sects
as a whole believed that the world lived in ignorance. They agreed that human
beings lived in an imperfect state and that through Gnosis, a spiritual
revelation, humankind could be redeemed to its true spiritual nature. Most
sects also believed that the God of the Old Testament was inferior to the
Supreme Unknown God of the Universe. They believed that the world of
matter-everything physical we experience around us-was infested with the same
imperfection as the God of the Old Testament. Since all matter was imperfect,
the body itself was also considered imperfect. The only redeeming factor
human beings received from the Supreme Unknown God was a single spark of
life. A few sects claimed the God of the Old Testament was Satan himself
because he punished people with extreme violence, such as war, plagues, and
famine.[3] The belief systems of the Gnostics threatened the power of the
Catholic church. Some have suggested the Catholic church fabricated tales of
sexualized, violent rituals as a means to persecute its adversaries.
Most Gnostic sects rejected the Ten Commandments of Moses because they were
given to him by the inferior God of the Old Testament. Gnostic sects
developed their own standards of morality. Some suggest that these early
Gnostics believed that bringing a child into this world of darkness was a
sin. The Gnostics were speculated to have believed that because this world
was ruled by the God of the Old Testament, giving birth to a child was doing
a grave injustice to the child's spirit, who longed to be with the Supreme
Unknown God. Birth into this world of evil was a cruel injustice to the soul.
Some Gnostic sects were also thought to have worshiped their own semen and
menstrual blood because both contained the life-giving force.[4] For more
detailed information on Gnostic beliefs, please refer to the books listed in
Resources.
In the Middle Ages, some secret societies and fraternal
organi-zations were accused by the Catholic church of practicing a violent,
sexualized mass. In the thirteenth century, the Cathars were ac-cused of
practicing devil worship, human sacrifice, incest, homo-sexuality, and
celebrating the "Black Mass" According to Michael Howard, author of The
Occult Conspiracy, the accusations of practic-ing a Black Mass were based on
the Cathar practice of engaging in a love feast, a rite they had inherited
from the pagan mysteries. The Catholic church launched a crusade and killed
thousands of mem-bers of the order.[5]
In the fourteenth century, the Knights Templar were also accused by the
church of denying the tenets of the Christian faith, spitting and urinating
on the cross, worshiping a skull and anointing it with the blood or the fat
of unbaptized babies. According to Howard, during confessions Templars said
the ceremonies took place at night in candle-lit chapels. They said they were
forced to renounce their Christian faith as a sign of their loyalty to the
Order, and they were asked to spit, urinate, or trample on the cross.
Unfortunately, the torture and blackmail used by the church to obtain
confessions makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction in regard to the
accusations.[6]
The Illuminati
In the eighteenth century, another secret society openly dedicated itself to
the destruction of monarchies and standardized religion. The group's primary
aim was to establish a government and religion that represented the people.
The name of this group was the Illuminati. Because the Illuminati were known
subversives, the group had to go into hiding. Some suggest members of the
Illuminati infiltrated mainstream secret societies and fraternal
organizations, including Freemasonry, as an attempt to achieve their
political and spiritual aims.[7] The Illuminati are the most widely
recognized secret society associated with satanism, although the Illuminati
were not satanists and did not worship the devil to gain personal power.
Illuminist philosophies were based on dualism. According to Carl Raschke,
university professor, researcher on satanism, and author of Painted Black:
The point to bear in mind is that Illuminism aimed from its outset to
accomplish what alchemists and occultists have called the "great work" as a
social and political undertaking. The "magical" objective of the Illuminati
was abolition of a millennium of feudalism together with the creation of a
universal, utopian society, that knitted together all humankind. At the same
time, Illuminist politics were fired by a selfconscious worship of the
deepest and most compelling instinctual urgings of the human organism. Only
the reign of the violent and repressed would be sufficient to liberate
humanity from the tyranny of religion, law, and class domination ... The use
of a naked woman as an altar (during the so-called Black Mass), and the
substitution of fecal matter for the consecrated host, were not simply
blasphemy. They were direct expressions of the dualistic idea that the
horrible and the glorious, the shadowy and the resplendent, must be exhibited
together as the supreme revelation of "secret knowledge."[8]
This "secret knowledge' is probably the same revelation author Kurt Seligmann
describes in The History of Magic and the Occult:
The best minds of the West were influenced by a higher type of magic. The
investigators of nature followed for centuries the path trodden before them
by ancient philosophers and magi. They believed that in magical wisdom lay
the secret of the world's harmony. The religions of the West have admitted
that Satan's revolt split the universe, that he infests the world of matter,
and that the ever-tempted believer may gain lasting felicity only after
death. The magical systems of the old did not admit disharmony. They
encircled the totality of being, good and evil, life and death, the visible
and the invisible. All is contained in All. And All in One. The supernatural
is not separate from the world of matter, but is infused in every object.
Good and Evil sprang from the same source; both obey the same law.[9]
The "secret knowledge" is most likely a revelation of the source of both good
and evil. In order to find the source, some secret societies and fraternal
organizations might have required members to engage in acts described as evil
and acts described as good. Once initiates found the source of their own
behavior, it might have been believed that members then acted from their true
spiritual natures. A theme common to most secret societies accused of violent
masses is a global ambition to unite the world under the principles of peace
and world harmony. The groups did not accept traditional Christianity as the
vehicle of peace. They believed that Christianity, as dictated by the
Catholic church, hindered human beings from their true spiritual nature. The
groups believed that understanding God must be an active experience
accomplished through a variety of spiritual practices and revelations that
are taught at each stage of the group's initiation rites.
As the Catholic church became more corrupt-for example, charging people money
to receive forgiveness for their sins-secret societies and fraternal
organizations might have seemed like an attractive alternative to meet
peoples spiritual needs. The secret societies' noble aims of forming
worldwide peace appealed to the learned men of the past. Another attraction
was the occult practice of worshiping the Feminine Principle in the form of
the Goddess. For many, the worship of the Goddess filled the void left within
traditional Christianity, which refers to God as a masculine entity The
groups tended to attract the intelligent elite who were unhappy with the
status quo.[10]
Freemasonry
Historically, certain secret societies and fraternal organizations were
accused of practicing a violent, sexualized mass. Survivors in this study
also reported a relationship between perpetrator involvement in secret
societies and the practice of ritual abuse. Sixty-seven percent of the
survivors said their ritual abuse perpetrators were members of secret
societies or fraternal organizations. Thirty-three percent said perpetrating
family members were Masons. Survivors also reported a variety of other secret
societies in which their fathers were members. Since a number of survivors in
this study reported their perpetrators were Masons, this section describes
Masonry in detail.
Masonry is an extensive examination of the nature of God. Albert Pike's
Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, an
861-page book to be studied by Masons of the highest degrees, is an array of
historical, mythological, philosophical, and logical examinations of God. The
book is difficult to read because Pike continually refers to mythological
gods and goddesses of other cultures. Pike attempts to use logic and reason
to convey to the reader the existence of a Universal God that could unite all
people.
Here Pike reveals to the reader the doctrine of Freemasonry:
While all these faiths assert their claims to the exclusive possession of
Truth, Masonry inculcates its old doctrine, and no more: ... That God is ONE;
that HIS THOUGHT uttered in His WORD, created the Universe, and preserves it
by those Eternal Laws which are the expression of that Thought; that the Soul
of Man, breathed into him by God, is immortal as His Thoughts are; that he is
free to do evil or to choose good, responsible for his acts and punishable
for his sins: that all evil and wrong and suffering are but temporary, the
discords of one great Harmony, and that in His good time they will lead by
infinite modulations to the great, harmonic final chord and cadence of Truth,
Love, Peace, and Happiness, that will ring forever and ever under the Arches
of Heaven, among all the Stars and Worlds, and in all souls of men and
Angels.[11]
In the closing paragraphs of the book, Pike describes how the Great Harmony
is supposed to happen.
And as in each Triangle of Perfection, one is three and three are
one, so man is one, though of a double nature; and he attains the purposes of
his being only when the two natures that are in him are in just equilibrium .
. . [12]
The two natures Pike talks about are humankind's appetite for pleasure tamed
by a moral sense. If people learn to balance both, he says, they are able to
live under a free government based on liberty while the people still obey the
law.
The Masons are one of the most powerful and influential organizations in the
world. A number of books have been written on the historical and present
power of the Masons. Masonic dreams of freedom and liberty were principles
that influenced the founding of the United States. Howard, author of The
Occult Conspiracy, notes that fifty of the fifty-six signers of the
Declaration of Independence were Masons. George Washington and John Adams
were both high-ranking Masons. Some suggest there is side of history that
reveals how secret societies and fraternal organizations have been
responsible for the Protestant Reformation, the founding of the United States
of America, the Declaration of Independence, and the two World Wars.[13]
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley, a well-known British occultist at the turn of the century,
was also a high-ranking Mason. Publicly, Crowley was believed to be a
satanist interested in the darker side of the occult. He was well known for
his participation in sexualized masses, which he referred to as Gnostic
Masses.[14]
Crowley also envisioned a world based on the principles of world peace and
harmony. After finishing his Book of Lies, Crowley was approached by a
fraternal organization that told him he had found the "supreme secret" and
that he was now obligated in regard to it. Crowley said he knew no such
secret, but the leaders of the order turned to a page in the Book of Lies and
told him he had printed it in clearest language.[15] The passage that they
referred to is most likely the only passage that contradicts the theme of the
book. In the closing chapter, Crowley states:
Behold! I have lived many years, and I have travelled in every land that is
under the dominion of the Sun, and I have sailed the seas from pole to pole.
Now do I lift up my voice and testify that all is vanity on earth, except for
the love of a good woman, and that woman LAYLAH. And I testify that in heaven
all is vanity (for I have journeyed oft, and sojourned oft, in every heaven),
except the love of Our Lady Babylon ... And at the End is She that was
Laylah, and Babylon, and Nuit, being . . . [16]
Laylah was a woman Crowley loved, and he referred to her in his book on
numerous occasions. He stated in the closing of the book that all in life is
vanity except love. His comment, which accompanies the chapter, reads:
This chapter is a sort of final Confession of Faith. It is the unification of
all symbols and all planes. The End is inexpressible.[17]
After Crowley was aware of the "supreme secret," he stated in the book The
Confessions of Aleister Crowley:
I understood I held in my hands the key to the future progress of humanity .
. . [18]
Crowley also wrote The Book of the Law, a text that is believed by some
occultists to be the foundation for the formation of a religion to unite all
people. The theme of love is a primary part of the book. Part I of the book
is the voice of the goddess Nuit, who prepares the world for her marriage
with her consort Hadit. Her rituals are not to be celebrated with violence.
At all my meetings with you shall the priestess say-and her eyes shall burn
with desire as she stands bare rejoicing in my secret temple-To me! To me!
calling forth the flame of the hearts of all in her love-chant. Sing
rapturous love song unto me! Bum to me perfumes! Wear to me jewels! Drink to
me, for I love you! I love you! [19]
Part II of the book is the voice of Hadit, the consort of Nuit. He is hidden
from the goddess. The final part of the book is the voice of the God of War
of Vengeance. The voice of this God is the voice of violence and power. In
Part III of The Book of the Law, Crowley makes references to the violent,
sexualized mass variously described throughout history.
Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords & spears. Let the woman
be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow to my name. Trample down the
Heathen; be upon them, o warrior, I will give you their flesh to eat!
Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child ... For perfume mix meal &
honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and
afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood. The best blood is of
the moon, monthly; then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host
of heaven; then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers; last of
some beast, no matter what. This bum: of this and make cakes & eat unto
me.[20]
Crowley was hired by powerful Masons to standardize worldwide Masonic
practices. At the time, there was a great deal of disagreement among Masonic
lodges. Crowley notes:
Faced with these, and similar difficulties, I gladly accepted the task laid
upon me by the most intelligent freemasons of the world, united as they were
by their sincerity, understanding and good will, though divided by sectarian
squabbles about jurisdiction.[21]
Crowley's ideas were never adopted by the Masons because the men who had
hired Crowley were unable to take the action necessary to implement the
changes.[22]
Initiation Rites of Freemasonry
A primary part of Masonry is the participation in dramatic "skits" or rituals
that are supposed to connect members to a higher spiritual reality. For
example, playing the part of an important historical or mythological figure
during a ritual is supposed to connect the initiate to the spiritual
significance of the legend or tale. In the book The Deadly Deception, author
Jim Shaw, an ex-member of the Masons, describes initiation rites in which
group members acted out skits:
Dressed in long, black, hooded robes, we marched in single file, with only
our faces partly showing, and took our seats[23]. . . We then swore true
allegiance to the Supreme council of the 33rd Degree above all other
allegiances ... One of the Conductors then handed the "candidate' a human
skull, upside down, with wine in it.[24]
When Shaw was granted the degree of Master Mason, he was assaulted during a
ritual in which he was supposed to play the part of Hiram Abiff, architect of
Solomon's Temple.
Jubela then got even more violent, demanding the secret word, right then!
Again speaking for me, the Senior Deacon said, "Craftsman, I cannot and will
not give them" upon which Jubela struck a blow across my throat with the
24-inch gauge. It hurt and startled me . . . [25]
During initiation rites as a Shriner (one of the highest branches of
Freemasonry), Shaw witnessed vulgarities during rituals.
At one point we were placed in a large, mesh cage, and one of the Shriners
climbed on top of it. He exposed a very convincing rubber penis which was
connected to a water bag concealed in his clothing and hosed down all of us
in the cage to the delighted howls of the spectators.[26]
Shaw said when he received his highest degree in Masonry, he was flown to
Washington, D.C. There, behind closed doors, he met high-ranking Masons,
including a Scandinavian king, two expresidents of the United States, and two
internationally prominent clergymen.[27] Shaw and other Masons are silenced
about the power and practices of Masons by the threats made to them in their
first degrees of Masonry. Shaw stated:
As it [the oath] progressed I realized that I was swearing to protect the
secrets of the Lodge. Then I heard myself saying that I was "binding myself
under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my
tongue torn out by its roots, and buried in the sands of the sea ... if I
should ever willingly, knowingly, or unlawfully violate this, my Entered
Apprentice Oath, so help me God and keep me steadfast."[28]
In her master's thesis on ritual abuse, Ann-Marie Germain recalls a number of
conversations she had with her father about Masonry. Ann-Marie is a ritual
abuse survivor and her father, a 32nd-degree Mason and a Shriner (deceased),
was one of her perpetrators. When Ann-Marie was seven, her father moved away
from her hometown in an attempt, she believes, to flee from the Masons. In
her dissertation, Germain recalls conversations she had with her father about
Masonry. Miss Germain was amnesic of the ritual abuse when the following
conversations occurred:
ME: Daddy, did you see the newspaper article about plans to put up a big
new building on the Masonic Temple property?
HIM: It's the Sarasota Lodge, not Temple, Ann.
ME: Well, whatever it's called. It doesn't matter.
HIM: Yes, it does matter. I wanted us to move to Sarasota instead of
Clearwater because there wasn't any Temple here and it wasn't likely there
would be one. There werent enough Masons here with the money to build one.
Now I'm afraid they might build a Temple on the Lodge property. (said with
seriousness and real fear)
ME: Why are you afraid of it? I thought you'd be glad, why didn't you want to
move where there was a Temple?
HIM: They do things in Temples that can't be done in a Lodge. (He looked
away from me, out the window as he spoke, with a hard, closed face.)
ME: What's wrong with that? What kind of things?
HIM: I can't tell you Ann! (exasperated with my probing) They do bad things
and it's all kept secret.[29]
Ann-Marie's father did not want her to join the Eastern Star, an organization
for the wives of Masons. Ann-Marie notes a conversation she had with her
father on the topic.
ME: Do you know if the wives of any of your friends at Shrin-ers belong to
Eastern Star?
HIM: No. Why?
ME: I'd like to learn about them. I might want to join.
Him: No! Don't go there. It's not a good group. It's dangerous for you to
go there. (His serious, warning tone of voice frightened me off I sensed he
really meant it, but he wouldn't tell me why.)[30]
As her father grew older, he spoke to Ann-Marie about his fear of going to
Hell.
ME: What's wrong Daddy?
HIM: I'm afraid to die. I'm afraid I won't go to heaven.
ME: But you're a Christian.
Him: You don't understand. (A sentence that he said to me many times in
those years)
ME: You told me about being saved by Billy Sunday when you were just a boy.
And you've been a Deacon at the church all these years. (pause)
Him: That doesn't matter. The Masons taught one thing and the Christians
another, and I believed the Masons. I was convinced. Even the preacher was
part of the Masons. Now, I don't know what to think, and I'm afraid I'm going
to Hell. I've done some terrible things.
ME: If you're sorry, you can ask God to forgive you and He will.
HIM: I doubt it.
ME: It says in the Bible that He will forgive if we repent and ask for
forgiveness in Jesus' name.
HIM: I know, Ann. But that won't work for me.[31]
Ann-Marie's father expressed on a few occasions remorse for acts she could
not remember.
ME: What's wrong Daddy?
Him: I'm sorry, Ann. I'm really sorry I didn't know. I didn't real-ize how
much harm was being done.
ME: Sorry for what?
HIM: You really don't remember, do you?
ME: Remember what?
Him: I can't tell you. If you don't remember, I can't tell you. It might do
more harm than good.
ME: Well, I don't know what to say because I dont know what you're talking
about.
HIM: I know it. That's all right. At least I am leaving an inheritance, a
house, and $50,000. I wish it were more, but it's all I can do. It'll help
some. It's not enough, but it's a pretty good amount. A lot better than
nothing.
(Later)
HIM: I need you to forgive me.
ME: (I didn't understand, but remembered our talk about his fear of Hell
so I responded to that.) If you ask God to forgive you, you'll be forgiven.
HIM: No. I need you to forgive me. (His voice was very quiet, and pleading.)
ME: For what?
HIM: (He paused, tears coming to his eyes.) I cant tell you.
ME: (I paused too, wanting to console him, watching him wipe his tears. I
tried to reassure him.) Well, it doesn't matter if I forgive you, it's God's
forgiveness that counts.
HIM: I don't think God will forgive me. I'm resigned to that. What I did
was too bad. But I'd feel better if I could know that you forgave me.
ME: (I was near tears myself in compassion for his pain.) I'd forgive you if
I could, if I knew what it was about, Daddy.
HIM: Do you mean that?
ME: Yes. If you didn't know, like you said, if you didn't realize you
were doing harm, I wouldnt hold it against you. I can see you're really
sorry. (There was relief on his face as he searched my face and saw that I
meant what I said.)[32]
THE CULT NETWORK
Sixty-seven percent of the survivors in this study said they were abused by
more than one cult group. This illustrates how many cults that ritually abuse
children share their victims and communicate with one another. Most survivors
said their perpetrators were involved in the distribution and trading of
child pornography. Some survivors said their abusers were involved in drug
trafficking and organized crime. Some survivors say there is a network of
violent cults that operate in a businesslike fashion similar to the organized
crime network and are involved in ritual abuse, organized crime, and child
pornography.
Prevalence and Power
Cults that ritually abuse children are found all over the world. Survivors in
this study were abused in forty-five of the fifty United States. Survivors
also said they were abused in Scotland, England, Germany, Mexico, South
America, and Canada (see Table 6.1).
Survivors were abused out of doors, in peoples homes, and in churches (see
Table 6.2). The abusers had access to public buildings. The occupations of
the abusers, as noted in the previous chapter, allow them access to these
buildings.
Why don't They Get Caught?
Violent cults take precautions to protect themselves. Rituals usually take
place late at night, while most people are sleeping. Programming is designed
to silence members, often by causing amnesia in the victims. The cults are
cautious about where they perform rituals. Often rituals are performed in
buildings owned by members, in basements or in rooms with no windows. if
rituals are performed outside, cults make sure they are in remote areas and
scouts patrol the site to ensure that onlookers are not present. Human
sacrifices are usually eaten or burned.
Table 6.1 States in Which Survivors Were Ritually Abused
California 37% Vermont 4%
New York 15% Wisconsin 4%
Washington 12% Wyoming 4%
Michigan 10% Connecticut 2%
Illinois 8% Delaware 2%
Arizona 6% Georgia 2%
Indiana 6% Idaho 2%
Louisiana 6% Kansas 2%
Maryland 6% Kentucky 2%
New Jersey 6% Minnesota 2%
Ohio 6% Mississippi 2%
Tennessee 6% Montana 2%
Arkansas 4% Nebraska 2%
Colorado 4% New Hampshire 2%
Florida 4% New Mexico 2%
Maine 4% North Carolina 2%
Massachusetts 4% Pennsylvania 2%
Nevada 4% Utah 2%
Oregon 4% Virginia 2%
Pennsylvania 4% Washington, D.C. 2%
Texas 4% West Virginia 2%
If a violent cult is caught practicing such rituals, it is difficult to
prosecute members specifically for ritual abuse-related crimes. The cases are
tried simply on molestation charges, pornography charges, or organized crime
charges while ignoring the ritual-related accusations of the victims.
Table 6.2 Specific Locations at Which the Ritual Abuse Occurred
Outside (woods, fields, etc.) 65% School (nursery-high) 19%
Church Theater/Film studio 12%
(usually the basement) 50% Warehouse 10%
Home other than parents' 42% Medical building 8%
Farms, ranches, barns 33% Funeral home 6%
Parents' home 29% Beach 6%
Graveyard 25%
Other Locations Mentioned by Survivors
Abandoned building My workplace
Boat My father's workplace
Bomb shelter Old hotel
Businesses Parks
Carnival Police vehicles
Community meeting center Restaurant
Crematorium Salt mines
Factory Scottish Rite Temple
Main house on secluded rural estate Slaughterhouse
Masonic Lodge Summer camp
Mausoleum Steel mill
Military base Vacant apartments
Museum
Ritual abuse-related crime, especially satanic ritual abuse, has for many
years been a taboo topic among law enforcement professionals. Politically, it
is very unpopular for police commissioners or public officials to acknowledge
that ritual abuse is a problem in their community.
Most people dont hear about ritual abuse because they dont want to. in the
past, many reputable newspapers, television stations, and publishing houses
were unwilling to publish on the topic because the public was unwilling to
believe that ritual abuse happens. Most people have a difficult time
accepting that atrocities are being committed on a large scale. The American
public, for example, didn't want to know about the millions of Jews being
killed in Germany prior to WWII. If we had acknowledged that Jews were being
tortured and killed in concentration camps, morally we would have felt
obligated to take action.
The same is true regarding ritual abuse. When we acknowledge that it is
happening, we feel compelled to make it stop. However, it is the inability to
believe ritual abuse survivors that is the greatest factor protecting violent
cults. Only when we acknowledge that ritual abuse happens-and these survivors
who are speaking out receive our support and compassion rather than our
interrogations and judgment-will more survivors come forward. As it stands
now, ritual abuse survivors who have the courage to remember the abuse and
talk about it often face disbelief and insensitivity.
NOTES
1. The New Merriam-Webster Dictionary (Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster,
1989), 440.
2. Sally Hill, M.S.W, and jean Goodwin, M.D., M.PH., "Satanism: Similarities
Between Patient Accounts and Preinquisition Historical Sources:'
Dissociation: Progress in Dissociative Disorders 2, no. 1 (1989): 39-42.
3. Benjamin Walker, Gnosticism: Its History and Influence (Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire, UK: Crucible, 1989), 41-44.
4. Walker, Gnosticism, 120, 131.
5. Michael Howard, The Occult Conspiracy (Rochester, VT Destiny Books, 1989),
26.
6. Howard, The Occult Conspiracy, 37.
7. Howard, The Occult Conspiracy, 62.
8. Carl Raschke, Painted Black (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco,(1990),87.
9. Kurt Seligmann, The History of Magic and the Occult (New York: Harmony
Books, 1975), 321.
10. Raschke, Painted Black, 83.
11. Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
of Freemasonry (Washington, D.C.: House of the Temple, 1966; originally
published in 1871), 577.
12. Pike, Morals and Dogma, 861.
13. Howard, The Occult Conspiracy, 82.
14. Aleister Crowley, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, edited by John
Symonds and Kenneth Grant (London: Arkana, 1979), 13 (footnote).
15. Crowley, Confessions, 710.
16. Aleister Crowley, The Book of Lies (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1988),
190.
17. Crowley, The Book of Lies, 191.
18. Crowley, Confessions, 710.
19. Aleister Crowley, The Law Is for All: An Extenuation of The Book of Law
(Las Vegas, NV: The Falcon Press, 1988), 50-51.
20. Crowley, The Law Is for All, 58-60.
21. Crowley, Confessions, 700.
22. Crowley, Confessions, 707.
23. Jim Shaw and Tom McKenney, The Deadly Deception (Lafayette, LA:
Huntington House, 1988), 106.
24. Shaw and McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 104.
25. Shaw and McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 49-50.
26. Shaw and McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 75.
27. Shaw and McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 104.
28. Shaw and McKenney, The Deadly Deception, 26.
29. Ann-Marie Germain, Ritual Abuse: Its Effects and the Process of Recovery
Using Self-help Methods and Resources, and Focusing on the Spiritual Aspect
of Damage and Recovery (Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale, 1992), 227. Master's thesis; unpublished.
30. Germain, Ritual Abuse, 225-26.
31. Germain, Ritual Abuse, 229.
32. Germain, Ritual Abuse, 230.
pps. 121-150
--[cont]--
Aloha, He'Ping,
Om, Shalom, Salaam.
Em Hotep, Peace Be,
Omnia Bona Bonis,
All My Relations.
Adieu, Adios, Aloha.
Amen.
Roads End
Kris
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