LIVE LOVE LUST
Being part of the tstvhq.com adventure is one of the most wholesome and gratifying professional experiences (and my work here has just begun!). More importantly, helping organize Lupercalia is very dear to me. I became a team member very recently, when the event was already all planned out. To be fair, I didn’t really know what the Lupercalia programming looked like. All I knew was that I wanted to help if they would have me! But boy was that a great surprise!
For a lot of TST Satanists, this holiday is not as important, it’s “not for everybody”, and for others it is their favorite! We are all different, we all live our lives differently and practice our religion differently. Our sexual and romantic preferences, if we have any, are all unique although some are similar. But I think there is a common misconception around: Lupercalia = SEX everywhere only! Well, not here... This year’s participants being such a motley crew and having so many different flavors or performances make it so that there is something for (pretty much) everyone here, and achieving that... is pretty impressive!
Based on the Roman festival of the same name, Lupercalia falls on February 15. In keeping with the ancient tradition, February 13th and 14th are observed as feast days leading up to the actual holiday. What we are translating this to in TST is a "hail yourself" day. This idea offers a parallel to the "others-centered" traditions of Sol Invictus.
- The Satanic Temple Holiday Guide
I find it really awesome, coming from an area of the world where you can actually grow and hang around Ancient Roman era heritage that TST honors those ancient celebrations. The influence of paganism and neo paganism is something I appreciate too. The aesthetic is cool and dark but to me, it also is a come back to our roots, to more simple and natural pleasures, appreciating what nature brought us and celebrating our body and life without guilt, social constructs and taboos…
You are mind and you are flesh and if you hail thyself then, you should hail thy flesh! Whether you do it by treating yourself to a new pair of yoga pants that make your derrière look “bomb”, by having your significant other feed you a box of chocolate or by making your room smell like roses...and yes some might be having a full on BDSM orgy with your polycule, truth is: it’s up to you!
In a time of pandemic, physically hailing ourselves together in ceremonies and large parties is just not an option for firm believers in science, compassion and nobility of actions. I envy people living with their partners because, like many others, I am isolated and away from all my friends and partners (not a pity party, the French countryside is too pretty for me to really complain).
The Satanic Temple Virtual Headquarters brings an amazing alternative to “in real life” meetings, they work to allow members and adjacent people to gather in such a “bitchin” place… Jeez-us! (yeah i meant that sinful lusty blasphemy) They must have sold their soul or something! Truly, it’s incredible! It’s like Jumanji but with a satanic clue board! Who would have thought going to church could be so cool?
Some TST Satanists do not feel like their religion or their religious practices should include their sexuality, some don’t even have or want to have a sexuality… and that is perfectly fine! That also is bodily autonomy! I simply hope that these people do not feel left behind in the Lupercalia celebrations because it doesn’t have to be sexual!
Around religious celebrations, oftentimes there are rituals. Black Mass for instance is a classic. What I find particularly awesome with a satanic celebration of our physical self is that it gives so many options! Thyself is Thy master, do what thou wilt! Including your own way of celebrating, your own ritual is expressing your agency and autonomy! One could of course write poems, songs and make it a satanic love prayer to their muse in celebration of said muse’s body.
One could have a formal lust ritual and sin away solo, with their significant other or with multiple partners. One could have a purification ritual and bathe in flower petals or why not even go all the way and do it under the moonlight in a frozen lake after going in a sauna. One could get tattooed or pierced. Hell, handfasting in a quarry or at the edge of the forest, just those two humans holding hands...that’s pretty Lupercalia to me, yo!
Sure there has been lust and sex rituals since the beginning of time! Long before Crowley’s sex magick or Lavey’s satanic sex and there will be many more until the end of times. You might even have sex rituals you don’t even consider as such, because you never really thought of that.
Everyday sex rituals can be as simple as selecting a mate by swiping left and right on your phone. Watching porn with a box of tissue by one hand and a tube of lube by the other. Dimming the light before getting frisky. Holding back, keeping it in, edging, being chaste for 3 days before the date you organize with a possible partner… or even just avoiding sex scenes in movies because they don’t interest you and they bring nothing to the plot... Saying NO...what do I know, maybe just cuddling to animes is all you need.
But when people think about satanic rituals, they tend to think about something more elaborate, glamorous theatrical. They generally picture something like fire, pentagrams, blood and long dark hooded robes. So more formal rituals …
Well, rejoice people! You can have that too!
Within TST’s ranks Lilith Starr, Priest Penemue, Shiva Honey, Sadie Satanas and The FLESH ladies are definitely satanic leaders who inspired me to have more self love, sex and body positivity. The Devil’s Tome is a great recipe book for learning about rituals, trying some and crafting your own rituals. I am looking forward to Shiva’s presentation! I am also looking forward to Chalice Blythe and Mischief Madness Feast of the FLESH and I hope the ritual submission idea inspires tstvhq.com’s (now thesatanic.estate )visitors and members , teaches them new things and boosts their creativity and confidence!
Hail Thyself this Lupercalia and Hail Satan!