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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Reverted &lt;a href=&quot;https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP%3AAGF&quot; class=&quot;extiw cultopedia-missing-wikipedia&quot; title=&quot;WP:AGF on Wikipedia&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;good faith&lt;/a&gt; edits by &lt;a href=&quot;/index.php/Special:Contributions/~2026-18519-40&quot; title=&quot;Special:Contributions/~2026-18519-40&quot;&gt;~2026-18519-40&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;a href=&quot;/index.php?title=User_talk:~2026-18519-40&amp;amp;action=edit&amp;amp;redlink=1&quot; class=&quot;new&quot; title=&quot;User talk:~2026-18519-40 (page does not exist)&quot;&gt;talk&lt;/a&gt;): Rv external link&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;{{short description|Occult religious organization founded in 2002}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Infobox religion&lt;br /&gt;
| name               = Temple of Zeus&lt;br /&gt;
| image              = [[File:Logo of the Temple of Zeus.png|250px]]&lt;br /&gt;
| caption            = &lt;br /&gt;
| abbreviation       = ToZ&lt;br /&gt;
| type               = [[New religious movement]] ([[Satanism]])&lt;br /&gt;
| orientation        = Spiritual Satanism&lt;br /&gt;
| area               = International (Mainly USA)&lt;br /&gt;
| main_classification = [[Theistic Satanism]]&lt;br /&gt;
| theology           = [[Polytheism]]&lt;br /&gt;
| scripture          = &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Yazidi Book of Revelation]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&lt;br /&gt;
| structure          = [[Magical order]]&lt;br /&gt;
| founder            = Andrea Maxine Dietrich (1962-2020)&lt;br /&gt;
| founded_date       = {{Start date and age|2002}}&lt;br /&gt;
| tax_status         = [[Tax exemption|Exempt]]&lt;br /&gt;
| website            = {{URL|www.templeofzeus.org}}&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Temple of Zeus&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (formerly known as the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Joy of Satan Ministries&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;) is an [[occult]] religious organization founded in 2002 by Andrea M. Dietrich.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite thesis |last=Petersen |first=Jesper |title=Between Darwin and the Devil: Modern satanism as Discourse, Milieu, and Self |type=PhD |publisher=Norwegian University of Science and Technology |url=https://ntnuopen.ntnu.no/ntnu-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/242892/455597_FULLTEXT01.pdf?sequence=2&amp;amp;isAllowed=y |isbn=9788247130520 |pages=218–219, 144–146 |year=2011}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Asprem, Granhom |first=Egil, Kennet |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1t_BAAAQBAJ&amp;amp;dq=Maxine%20Dietrich&amp;amp;pg=PA142 |title=Contemporary Esotericism |date=September 11, 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781908049322 |location=London |pages=142; 144–146 |oclc=1064890577}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A [[new religious movement]] and form of [[Western esotericism]], the Temple of Zeus espouses a religion known as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Zevism&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, whose practitioners are called &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Zevists&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, identifying itself as a form of [[Satanism]].&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Temple of Zeus advocates an ideology that presents a synthesis of [[theistic Satanism]], [[Occultism in Nazism|Nazi occultism]], [[Gnosticism]], [[Modern paganism|neopaganism]], [[Western esotericism]], [[UFO conspiracy theories]], and [[Extraterrestrial hypothesis|extraterrestrial beliefs]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nt8zDwAAQBAJ |title=Satanism: A Social History |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-90-04-28828-7 |series=Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism |volume=21 |location=[[Leiden]] |pages=370–371 |oclc=1030572947}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Members believe [[Zeus]] (which they also refer to as [[Satan]]) to be &amp;quot;the true father and creator God of humanity&amp;quot;, whose desire was for his creations, humanity, to elevate themselves through knowledge and understanding.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=McBride|first=Jaemes|title=The Divine Province: Birthing New Earth|publisher=Ed Rychkun|year=2013|isbn=978-1927066034|location=|pages=84}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;!--Since Maxine is not active anymore and her advocates run the organisation, any references to Maxine, Clifford, and the NSM should be in the past tense.--&amp;gt;== Definition ==&lt;br /&gt;
The orientation of the Temple of Zeus is generally acknowledged by religious scholars as a form of [[Western esotericism]],&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Petersen|first=Jesper|date=August 27–29, 2012|title=Bracketing Beelzebub: Satanism studies and/as boundary work|url=https://contern.org/cyberproceedings/papers-from-the-1st-international-conference-on-contemporary-esotericism/jesper-aa-petersen-bracketing-beelzebub-satanism-studies-andas-boundary-work/|access-date=January 25, 2021|website=ContERN}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; which embraces [[theistic Satanism]] with an esoteric perception contrasting the materialist and carnal inceptions idealized by [[LaVeyan Satanism]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Dyrendal|first=Asbjorn|title=The Invention of Satanism|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2015|isbn=978-0195181104|location=|pages=144–232}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The relationship between practictioners and Satan is described by professor of religious studies, [[Christopher Partridge]], as &amp;quot;the core of an esoteric project of transformation, based on a personal or mystical relationship&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Partridge|first=Christopher|title=The Occult World|publisher=Routledge|year=2014|isbn=978-0415695961|pages=402}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Beliefs ==&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:Fresco of the enthroned Zeus, crowned by Victory.jpg|thumb|Fresco of enthroned Zeus, cradling a golden lightning bolt and holding a silver scepter. Victory crowns him with a laurel wreath. Pompeii, House of the Dioscuri, 62-79 CE.]]&lt;br /&gt;
=== Theology ===&lt;br /&gt;
The Temple of Zeus adheres to a polytheistic belief system and holds that the demons of the [[Goetia]] have a real existence, and acknowledges [[Baal]] (also referred to as Zeus/Satan) as their primary ruler.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Ancient gods ====&lt;br /&gt;
According to scholars, Satan and some demons are viewed by the Temple of Zeus as one of many [[Deity|deities]] which are equated with many gods from ancient cultures,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news |last=Atlanta |first=J.F. |date=Jan 9, 2014 |title=What do Satanists believe? |url=https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2014/01/09/what-do-satanists-believe |access-date=January 25, 2021 |newspaper=The Economist}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; such as Satan having known to be the [[Sumerian religion|Sumerian]] god [[Enki]] and the [[Yazidism|Yazidi]] angel [[Tawûsî Melek|Melek Taus]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; While the Temple of Zeus views Zeus as a deity, they also consider the deities to be highly evolved, sentient, and powerful humanoid extraterrestrial beings who do not age.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They also hold the belief that Zeus represents strength, power, justice, and freedom.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; [[Lilith]] is another deity of significance to the group, who is recognized as &amp;quot;the patron of strong women and a goddess of women&amp;#039;s rights&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:16&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite journal |last=Faxneld |first=Per |date=April 2, 2013 |title=Intuitive, Receptive, Dark&amp;quot;: Negotiations of Femininity in the Contemporary Satanic and Left-hand Path Milieu |journal=International Journal for the Study of New Religions |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=216 |via=Equinox Publishing Ltd.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Adaptations and comparisons to LaVey ====&lt;br /&gt;
While the Temple of Zeus originally established some of the Satanic principles from LaVey&amp;#039;s Satanic Bible, [[Massimo Introvigne|Introvigne]] notes that LaVeyan Satanism tends to be more &amp;quot;rationalist&amp;quot; in comparison.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In the account of the scholar of philosophy and religion, Asbjorn Dyrendal, he acknowledges &amp;quot;a different spiritual atmosphere from LaVeyan Satanism.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Asbjorn adds that while LaVey was able to suggest the existence of mysterious, occult forces while simultaneously appealing to an atheist viewpoint, which he claimed was supported by modern science, the Joy of Satan tends to use more simplistic, spiritualist language.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Revisionist history ===&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Dark forest hypothesis}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
As noted by [[sociologist of religion]] [[Massimo Introvigne]], Maxine Dietrich derived the theory of a mortal struggle between enlightened aliens and a monstrous extraterrestrial race, the [[Reptilian conspiracy theory|Reptilians]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Temple of Zeus believes that Satan and the demons of the Goetia are sentient and powerful extraterrestrial beings responsible for the creation of humanity,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news |last=Paniccia |first=Enrico |date=January 17, 2021 |title=The dark side of Christianity |url=https://www.consulpress.eu/il-lato-oscuro-del-cristianesimo/ |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=Consul Press}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and whose origins pre-date [[Abrahamic religions]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite news |last=Acito |first=Monica |date=January 27, 2021 |title=Spiritual Satanism - What Is It? |url=https://www.eroicafenice.com/salotto-culturale/satanismo-spirituale-che-cose/ |access-date=January 27, 2021 |work=Heroic Phoenix}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; They&amp;#039;re also identified as [[Nephilim]] from the [[Hebrew Bible]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Origins of humanity ====&lt;br /&gt;
{{Quote box&lt;br /&gt;
| title = &lt;br /&gt;
| quote = &amp;quot;The books of Jews, Christians and Muslims, as of those who are without, accept in a sense, i.e., so far as they agree with and conform to my statutes. Whatsoever is contrary to these, they have altered; do not accept it. Three things are against me and I hate three things. But those who keep my secrets shall receive the fulfillment of my promises. Those who suffer for my sake I will surely reward in one of the worlds.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
It is my desire that all my followers unite in a bond of unity, lest those who are without prevail against them. Now, then, all ye who have followed my commandments and my teachings, reject all the teachings and sayings of such as are without.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I have not taught these teachings, nor do they proceed from me. Do not mention my name nor my attributes, lest ye regret it; for ye do not know what those who are without may do.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;
| source = Kitab Al Jilwah (Book of Revelation) Chapter IV&lt;br /&gt;
| align = right&lt;br /&gt;
| width = 34em&lt;br /&gt;
| border = 1px&lt;br /&gt;
| fontsize = 100&lt;br /&gt;
| title_bg = B0FDFF&lt;br /&gt;
| title_fnt = B0FDFF&lt;br /&gt;
| salign = right&lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Temple of Zeus believes that one of the benign aliens, [[Enki]], who they consider to be Satan himself, created, with his collaborators on Earth, human beings through their advanced technology of [[genetic engineering]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; They consider that most salient of his creations were the [[Nordic race|Nordic]]-[[Aryan race|Aryan]] race.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; They declare that the Reptilians have, in turn, created their own kind by combining their own DNA with the DNA of semi-animal humanoids (also known as [[Neanderthal|neanderthals]]) which would later become known as the [[Jews|Jewish race]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==== Aftermath of the cosmic war ====&lt;br /&gt;
{{See also|Disruption Theory|Flood myth}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They posit that the peak of hostilities between the extraterrestrial factions led to the benevolent extraterrestrials departing Earth approximately 10,000 years ago,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; during which the [[Paleolithic]]-[[Neolithic]] era was a post-apocalyptic period shaped by catastrophic events. Following their departure, they believe the agents of the Reptilians (see [[Reptilian conspiracy theory]]) began to establish their own religious systems, the [[Abrahamic religions]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Subsequently, this led to the deposition and defamation of Pagan deities and their followers.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; A similar formulation is made with the [[witch-cult hypothesis]]. They claim these religions maligned the benign extraterrestrials by labelling them as &amp;quot;devils&amp;quot; and malevolent, and through their doctrines, created a climate of terror within humanity (e.g., condemning sexuality), to better program and control humans.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
They state that Satan, however, did not abandon humanity, believing to have revealed himself to the Yazidis (a [[Ancient Iranian religion|pre-Zoroastrian]] sect from Northern Iraq), described in [[Yazidi Book of Revelation|&amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Black Book of Satan&amp;#039;&amp;#039;]] (not to be confused with the [[Order of Nine Angles|ONA]]&amp;#039;s scripture of the same name).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==History==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Inception ===&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the early 2000s, Maxine Dietrich began the creation of the Joy of Satan Ministries.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:9&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Maxine Dietrich established a Satanic ideology that would present itself as an esoteric form of [[LaVeyan Satanism]], but would espouse a &amp;quot;traditional Satanism&amp;quot; by establishing its satanic fundamentals from ancient [[Ancient Middle East|Middle East]], [[Vedas|Far-Eastern]] and [[Paganism|Western teachings]], and only acknowledging the Judaic/Abrahamic concept of Satan as a reaction.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite book |last=Introvigne |first=Massimo |author-link=Massimo Introvigne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nt8zDwAAQBAJ |title=Satanism: A Social History |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2016 |isbn=978-90-04-28828-7 |series=Aries Book Series: Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism |volume=21 |location=[[Leiden]] |pages=370–371 |oclc=1030572947}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; [[File:Ea (Babilonian) - EnKi (Sumerian).jpg|thumb|The ancient clay tablets served as a basis for many ancient astronaut theorists. This Adda Seal depicts [[Enki|Ea]] (Sumerian Enki), god of subterranean waters and of wisdom,[[Isimud|Usimu]], his vizier (chief minister), the sun god Shamash (Sumerian Utu) at the centre, and the winged goddess Ishtar (Sumerian Inanna) to the left.]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== E.T. revelation ===&lt;br /&gt;
At some point during Maxine Dietrich&amp;#039;s studies in ancient history, with [[Ancient astronauts|ancient astronaut]] theorist [[Zecharia Sitchin]] being noted to have some influence, derived the theory of an ancient conflict between advanced extraterrestrial races (see [[#Origins of humanity]], below) and incorporated these theories into her ideology;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; concluding that Jews and the [[Abrahamic religions]] were the creations of a hostile alien race responsible for the deposition of pagan religions and their pagan gods (who the JoS identify as [[demon]]s).&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; With this reinterpretation, the Joy of Satan Ministries recreated Anton LaVey&amp;#039;s [[Sigil of Baphomet]], a [[Sigil]] that would incorporate [[cuneiform]] script instead of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] letters (which spells out &amp;quot;[[Satan]]&amp;quot; in cuneiform instead of &amp;quot;[[Leviathan]]&amp;quot; in Hebrew), attributing to the origins of the use of the [[Pentagram]] in Sumeria. The introduction of these theories, along with their contempt for [[Jewish mysticism]], sparked significant controversy within the religious organization.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== NSM incident ===&lt;br /&gt;
In 2004, the Joy of Satan Ministries became established as a non-profit religious organization. [[Anti-Judaism|Anti-Judaic]] sentiment had also completely established itself within the JoS ideology. It was also revealed that Clifford Herrington, chairman of the National Socialist Movement, was the husband of the organization&amp;#039;s high priestess.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; This revelation exposed the split in the NSM&amp;#039;s supposed &amp;quot;[[Christian Identity|Christian identity]]&amp;quot; between the Christians, theistic Satanists and [[Heathenry (new religious movement)|Odinists]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:112&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Karkov |first=Catherine |title=Disturbing Times Medieval Pasts, Reimagined Futures |publisher=Punctum Books |year=2020 |isbn=978-1950192755 |location= |pages=323}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; After the events, they became the topic of significant controversy.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |title=Bill White |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/bill-white |access-date=2022-03-07 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Current - post Maxine ===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite its controversies, the Joy of Satan Ministries maintained some degree of popularity and significance among the currents of recent and contemporary theistic Satanism.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Some among the theistic Satanist community commend Maxine Dietrich, appraising her pioneering efforts as a &amp;quot;vast improvement over the old, disrespectful [[grimoire]] methods&amp;quot; with the introduction of a system of respectful demon invocation.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:5&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In March 2019, [[Angelfire]] discontinued its web hosting services for the organization.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the absence of Maxine Dietrich, the organization is sustained by her advocates and has undergone significant changes. In 2025, it reconstituted itself as the Temple of Zeus.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Practices==&lt;br /&gt;
The Temple of Zeus promotes a wide variety of occult practices, including methods for [[evocation]] of [[Demon|demonic entities]] and guidelines for making pacts with them.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The Temple of Zeus considers that Satanism, in practice, is the true nature of humanity that precedes Christianity and Islam.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Occultism ===&lt;br /&gt;
The practices of the Temple of Zeus may bear similarities to those of other groups categorized under theistic Satanism and esoteric ideology.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:15&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last1=Bancarz |first1=Steven |title=The Second Coming of the New Age: The Hidden Dangers of Alternative Spirituality in Contemporary America and Its Churches |last2=Peck |first2=Josh |publisher=Defender Publishing |year=2018 |isbn=978-1948014113 |pages=74}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; As Christian author and biblical researcher Josh Peck notes, &amp;quot;theistic Satanism engages in every New age practice under the sun in their dedications to Satan and Satanic philosophy.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; As an example, he cites their use of divination methods such as, [[astrology]], [[Magic (supernatural)|magic]], [[Dowsing|pendulums]], [[runes]], [[clairvoyance]], [[past lives]], the [[pineal gland]] and [[third eye]], the [[chakra]]s, [[Bioelectricity|bioelectric technology]], the [[astral plane]], spells, the [[Kundalini|kundalini serpent]], [[trance]], as well as methods in [[self-hypnosis]], [[incense]], [[telekinesis]], [[Neural oscillation|brain waves]], and [[chanting]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:15&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The scholar of Satanism, Jesper A. Petersen, notes that practitioners who experiment with the meditation practices of the Temple of Zeus may find them useful, and adds that the group&amp;#039;s use of magic spans from simple to complex techniques.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; These include sorcery, spells, and various types of [[witchcraft]], all of which require the practitioner to imaginatively apply specialized knowledge and technique to the object of the [[Spell (magic)|spell]], [[Hypnosis|hypnotism]], [[Spiritual Healing|healing]] and other kind of magic or [[divination]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Stebbins |first=Robert |title=The Interrelationship of Leisure and Play |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2015 |isbn=978-1137513014 |location= |pages=61}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; They also offer a range of occult techniques in [[black magic]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:13&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite journal |last=Armson |first=Morandir |year=2014 |title=The Search for &amp;quot;Meaning&amp;quot;: Occult Redefinitions and the Internet |url=https://journals.equinoxpub.com/index.php/POM/article/view/15116 |journal=The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies |publisher=Equinox Publishing |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=79 |doi=10.1558/pome.v16i1.15116|url-access=subscription }}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
===Rituals===&lt;br /&gt;
According to Jesper Petersen, &amp;quot;The rituals proposed by the Joy of Satan are very simple and not particularly advanced, with most consisting of mainly visualization exercises rather than actual rituals known in mainstream satanic culture.&amp;quot; He adds that, contrary to popular belief, the rituals do not involve negotiation or the exercise of evil; rather, they revolve around telepathic communication with [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] beings, often accompanied by an almost jovial tone.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
[[File:72 Goeta sigils.png|thumb|The 72 Goetic Sigils adapted from the Lemegeton&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;,&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon, a 17th-century grimoire. The origins of the Sigils have been debated.|left]]&lt;br /&gt;
The Temple of Zeus also states that Zeus recognizes a lack of funds and does not expect his adherents to have expensive items for ritual in comparison to the ideals of a modern Christian Church.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; A similar formulation is also used when discussing the scarcity of black candles.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Initiates begin a &amp;quot;formal commitment&amp;quot; that is signed in blood and burned to participate fully in Satan&amp;#039;s work upon humanity, to imply a growth in spiritual knowledge and personal power.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; During standard devotional rituals, the focus of their practice is described as shifting from exerting control to cultivating attachment and self-development.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Rather than forcefully summoning demons, these rituals aim to facilitate mystical experiences and empower the practitioners in a way that aligns with their expressive concerns.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The central part of their &amp;quot;Standard Ritual to Satan&amp;quot; consists of reading prayers to and &amp;quot;communicating with father Satan one to one&amp;quot;, which is considered by Jesper Petersen &amp;quot;a surprising break with the more traditional ceremonial activities known in mainstream satanic culture.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The structure of the ritual is also considered fairly standard, after which suitable preparations (bathing, lighting candles, and so on), the ritual begins with ringing the bell and invoking &amp;quot;The four princes of hell.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In the main part, the [[Invocation]] to Satan is recited, establishing a link suitable for prayer and communication in which the practitioner, after concluding his endeavors, will then end the ritual with a close.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Prominent theistic Satanist, Diane Vera, commends Maxine Dietrich, appraising her pioneering efforts as a &amp;quot;vast improvement over the old, disrespectful [[grimoire]] methods.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Lewis|first=James|title=The Oxford Handbook of New Religious Movements: Volume II|publisher=Oxford University Press; 2 edition|year=2016|isbn=978-0190466176|location=|pages=448}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Rev. Jeff Rhoades also states their endeavors with demons are &amp;quot;with much more respect than most version of the Goetia and other Christian grimoires.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Rhoades|first=Jeff|title=Hermetic Qabala: A Course in Personal Transformation and Self Empowerment|publisher=Lulu.com|year=2012|isbn=978-1105783319|location=|pages=284}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Adherents of the Temple of Zeus may also partake in rituals against those believed to be &amp;quot;enemies of Satan&amp;quot;, advocated as [[spiritual warfare]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==Reception==&lt;br /&gt;
Joy of Satan Ministries became the topic of significant criticism for its close connections to a high-ranking leader of the [[National Socialist Movement (United States)|National Socialist Movement]], as well as for its [[Anti-Semitism|antisemitic]], [[Anti-Judaism|anti-Judaic]], [[Anti-Christian sentiment|anti-Christian]], and [[Islamophobia|anti-Muslim]] beliefs.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; While some among the theistic and spiritual Satanist community adopt their ideas as a model, they may distance themselves from the group&amp;#039;s controversial beliefs,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and &amp;quot;explicit connection with Nazism.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; According to religious studies scholars, although they may appear somewhat similar to the [[Order of Nine Angles]], their ideology and beliefs fundamentally oppose each other.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book |last=Colin |first=Mathieu |title=&amp;quot;And the Devil Marches With Us&amp;quot;: Aesthetics and Accelerationism in the Order of Nine Angles |publisher=Taylor &amp;amp; Francis |year=2024}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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When the fact that Maxine was the wife of a well-known American neo-Nazi leader became public knowledge, it created serious problems within Joy of Satan Ministries itself.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:11&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; This controversy exposed the split in the NSM between the Christian Identity and the [[Odinists]] and Satanists.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite book|last=Karkov|first=Catherine|title=Disturbing Times Medieval Pasts, Reimagined Futures|publisher=Punctum Books|year=2020|isbn=978-1950192755|location=|pages=323}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; According to Introvigne (2016), &amp;quot;Several local groups abandoned Dietrich and started minuscule splinter organisations. Some of these insisted that they were not Satanist, just pagan&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Introvigne also adds that while most of the Satanic groups are no longer active, JoS persists, albeit with fewer members.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Despite the events, Introvigne notes that the group&amp;#039;s beliefs in extraterrestrial life, meditation, and telepathic communication with demons have gained popularity among a broader community of non-LaVeyan &amp;quot;spiritual&amp;quot; or theistic Satanists.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Followed by a series of backlash, Clifford and Andrea Herrington were also accused of sexual misconduct which Introvigne claims &amp;quot;are difficult to evaluate&amp;quot;,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; however, Maxine&amp;#039;s Satanic affiliations were enough to result in Clifford Herrington&amp;#039;s departure from the National Socialist Movement.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Clifford Herrington would then attempt to recreate his own &amp;quot;National Socialist Freedom Movement&amp;quot; after leaving the NSM in 2006.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=February 6, 2021|title=The National Socialist Movement|url=https://www.adl.org/education/resources/profiles/national-socialist-movement|access-date=|website=ADL}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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Scholar of religion, [[James R. Lewis (scholar)|James R. Lewis]], noted in his &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Satan census&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (2009) a surprising number of respondents to the Joy of Satan Ministries. Additionally, the scholar of Satanism, Jesper A. Petersen, found in his 2014 survey on the Satanic &amp;#039;&amp;#039;milieu&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;s proliferation on the internet a surprising prominence among theistic Satanist websites on the internet,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; noting the popularity of the [[Church of Satan]] to be somewhat paradoxically with the Joy of Satan Ministries&amp;#039; page base on the [[Angelfire]] network.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ancient Egyptian religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ancient Mesopotamian religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Ancient Greek religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Historical Vedic religion|Ancient Vedic religion]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Anti-Christian sentiment]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Islamophobia|Anti-Islam sentiment]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Demonology]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Esoteric neo-Nazism]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Extraterrestrial hypothesis]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Far-right politics]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Fermi paradox|Fermi Paradox]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Religions of the ancient Near East]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Spirituality]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Temple of Set]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;lt;references /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
== Further reading ==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite book |author1=Joseph |first=Isya |title=Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidis |title-link= |publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |year=1919 |isbn= |location=Boston, Massachusetts, USA |translator-last= |translator-first=}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite book|author1=Wolfe, Burton H.|title=The Satanic Bible|title-link=The Satanic Bible|author2=LaVey, Anton Szandor|publisher=Avon|year=1969|isbn=978-0380015399|location=New York}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{Cite book |last=Sitchin |first=Zecharia |url=https://archive.org/details/TheLostBookOfEnki_201805/mode/2up |title=The Lost Book of Enki: Memoirs and Prophecies of an Extraterrestrial God |publisher=Bear &amp;amp; Company; 2nd Edition. |year=2001 |isbn=978-1591430377}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== External links ==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{official website|https://satanisgod.org/}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2002]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Left-Hand Path]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Magical organizations]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Anti-Christian sentiment]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Ancient astronaut speculation]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Alt-right organizations]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Religious organizations established in 2002]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Neo-Nazi organizations]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Satanism and Nazism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Theistic Satanism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Polytheism]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 2000s]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Satanist groups]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Zeus]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>imported&gt;Joyous!</name></author>
	</entry>
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