Friday, December 11, 2020

Satanic Panic: Redux

 

"Ritual" Crime?

Below is the letter I sent to the Lake County Sherriff's office regarding a local grave robbery.

It was way too long and I realized while writing it I was really trying to hash out my feelings regarding the influence of Q-Anon in re-branding and kick-starting the Satanic Panic.

If you see the media or law enforcement or those in education misrepresenting Satanism, please, contact Central Admin. The Church of Satan Priesthood and agents are authorized to clarify these issues.


Dear Lt. Herrell,

My name is Ygraine Osborn-Mitchell and for almost 40 years I have worked as an advocate and expert on alternative and occult religions.  I have guest lectured at several Florida police academies on the topics of ritual crime and religious civil rights.  My qualifications are available should you request them, but suffice to say I was hired as an expert on the occult by both Governor Martinez in 1990, and Governor Chiles in 1993.  My duty and goal, as a citizen and a member of the clergy of one of these alternative belief systems (www.churchofsatan.com), is to provide the public, and even more importantly those in positions of power, with facts.  As you are no doubt aware, it wasn't so very long ago that misinformation, shameless exaggeration, and stereotypes encouraged the Satanic Panic and its accompanying bigotry resulted in damage to the lives of thousands of peaceful citizens.

As a human being, a Florida resident, and as a Satanic Witch, I am disgusted that anyone would trespass, vandalize the property of others, and with no regard to the families of the deceased, desecrate graves.  You might not be aware that those acts are in direct contradiction to Satanic law.  There is no ritual in Satanism that requires such barbarism, and the same is true for the vast majority of Neo-Pagan, Wiccan, and Occult religions practiced today.  Unfortunately, that truth is nowhere near as exciting to the masses, and therefore is rejected by them, in lieu of lurid and bloody tales they have heard about from the pulpit or seen in the movies.  This makes your job so very important in terms of protecting the citizenry who practice these faiths.  Your position provides legitimacy and authority that most will accept without question.

I would like you to understand how problematic, and potentially dangerous, using the word "ritual"  is in regards to crime.  I read this quote in no less than six separate media sources, and can assume that tens of thousands have read it by now:

“Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene and began the investigation and found evidence that suggests that this incident is very likely tied to some form of ritualistic activity,” Herrell said.

There are two important issues to address. 

The first is that the word ritual, when used in a criminal context, immediately (and wrongly) evokes Satanism and Witchcraft to the populace.  I can promise you that most readers of that quote have subconsciously and in some cases consciously determined that Satanists (a term that sociologically, anthropologically, and in religious parlance applies only to those who practice the atheistic religion of Satanism as defined in The Satanic Bible) committed a serious and horrible crime in their neighborhood.  That determination often leads to fear, which often leads to responses that put innocent people in danger.  I wish I could say I only know this from study, but during the Satanic Panic I was assaulted in my home, my children were terrorized, my cat was killed by a neighbor, my business was vandalized constantly, including a car driving through a plate glass window and a man described as a "good Christian" ejaculated on my door.  I closed my business when the Port St. Lucie police, who I had lectured and consulted for, informed me that a man had bought a sniper rifle at a local pawnshop and mentioned that he was going to send the witch straight to Hell.  

To those who never hear otherwise, particularly from authority figures, only bad people perform rituals.  They have no way of knowing that The Satanic Bible/Satanism strictly prohibits the violation of laws, and demands that Satanists never harm animals or children and that unlike virtually every other religion the Church of Satan automatically terminates the memberships of those who violate the law & the rights of others.  They don't know that our church has worked with law enforcement in prosecuting occultists who have violated the law and have consulted on crimes that seem to have occult overtones.

 None of that matters once the word ritual is used to describe a crime.  The public automatically assumes the Satanists did it.  This makes our lives so difficult that the vast majority of us keep our religion to ourselves, allowing the public to believe they don't actually know any Satanists, prolonging the negative assumptions, but protecting us, creating a Catch-22 of epic proportions.

This brings me to the second issue. 

 In 1992 the FBI released a groundbreaking report on Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA), written by and named for Kenneth Lanning. The report concluded there wasn't any.  There wasn't a shred of evidence to support the crazy stories of breeders and sacrifice, and all those who made allegations were deemed to have done so for attention and getting in on the Satanic Panic industry that supported unethical therapists, pastors, publishers, and motivational speakers with millions of dollars. Most genuine crimes that had SRA features turned out to be committed by teens and the mentally ill, whose entire understanding of Satanism came from churches and movies.

This realization led to the conclusion that certain criteria would need to be present at a crime scene for a crime to be considered Satanic/Occult/SRA.

1.  The scene must have evidence of occult symbology or religious paraphernalia.  Often the symbols will be wrong because they came from Christian sources.  The most obvious example of this is pentacles, pentagrams, and/or reversed crosses spray-painted at the scene.  While these symbols certainly prove the perp believes he is doing a magical act, or desperately wants a mundane crime to be viewed as having magical significance, there is no ritual in Satanism, Wicca, or Any of the Neo-Pagan religions that demands a crime as a ritual component.  Regardless, without some symbology, there is virtually nowhere to begin in seeking an occult connection.

2.  There has to be a purpose for the crime within the framework of the alternative belief structure.  This is particularly important in determining if the crime is a necessary component of a ritual with a specific result in mind, or, much more frequently, if creating a scene that LOOKS like it had ritual purpose is the point in and of itself, to cover up a crime that is mundane in nature.  Alternative religions may be the minority but they still have all the features of traditional ones, including holy books and writings, and more importantly, they have rules.  There are 8 books that make up the canon of Satanism.  You will find pages of philosophy, history, and yes, rituals.  You won't find a single one that requires a body part.  Researching a crime and cross-referencing it to its relevance to a specific religion is required in order to claim a crime is ritualistically inspired.

3.  The perpetrator is found to be a member or practitioner of the religion that appears to have inspired the crime.  It isn't sufficient that the perp once took out a book on demonology from the library or watched The Omen 48 times.  In the internet age, there is no need for people with unusual belief systems to be alone, and human beings are social animals who gravitate towards others of a similar mindset.  There are over 350 recognized religions in the USA, and if a crime is considered to be religiously motivated it is important to link the criminal to the religion that allegedly inspired the crime.  

The media reports do not mention what specifically was at the crime scene that led you to call the crime ritualistic, but I have to assume, if the reports are accurate, that the missing head might have a shocking enough effect to lead those investigating to consider it.  However, were I to seek a much more earthly motive, the fact that human skulls sell on ebay for thousands of dollars leaps to mind.  Nat. Geo. Market for Skulls.  Still, I realize there may be features of the crime scene I am unaware of.  As listed above, perhaps there were symbols, ritual tools, or other evidence.  There is no occult holiday on December 5th, and the moon phase (waning) had no ritual significance.

While my vocation is to educate, my intentions are selfish.  We easily see the connection between current events and our day to day lives, as the events of the day can change everything from the price of food to the potential for war.  The social and political climate, while never great for people like me who walk a different path, has recently taken a decidedly more ominous turn.  If those in authority can, through education, be aware that real people can be really hurt by something as seemingly inconsequential as the use of the word “ritual” I can help myself, my family, and those in mine and other alternative religions.

The previous Satanic Panic is now being reborn within the  Q-Anon phenomena.  Yesterday’s “breeder vans,” and  “mobile crematoriums” are now pedophile pizzerias and Deep State power structures.  Perhaps even more frightening is the amount of people who believe it, and that becomes a critical issue for impressionable teens, the emotionally handicapped and the mentally ill. 

Those people are highly influenced by, and at the same time are awfully resentful of, authority figures in their lives.  Few hold more sway than ministers and pastors who act as the surrogate of God on Earth, and stand in front and above while discussing their perception of alternative/occult religions.  They don't tell their flock that the motto of Satanism is "Study, not worship," but instead paint Satanism as one long party, orgies and blasphemy, and freedom to do whatever one wants.  If that wasn’t attractive enough, many have incorporated “Q-Theory” as well, and made us seem unbelievably powerful.  The pastors, speakers, and pundits think they are scaring their followers about Hell.  Instead, to those with various mental issues, they have painted an exciting, mysterious, and freeing portrait that seems to provide a life of power and excitement.  

My church, the Church of Satan does not actively recruit members.  We also do not accept minors for membership, and we turn away many who have accepted the traditional church and Q definitions, but we did not create the few monsters who perform horrible acts in the name of the devil.

As atheists who see Satan merely as a metaphor or archetype, Satanists do not perform sacrifices because there is no one to sacrifice to, but any church in America will tell you that we perform sacrifice.  They will tell you we worship the biblical version of the devil (we don't worship anyone, and nothing in the Holy Bible interests us) and commit atrocities.  In other words, when we actually (and mercifully rarely) see genuinely gruesome crime scenes with symbols and candles and the like it is inevitably the work of those we call Christian Heretics or are more commonly referred to as Devil Worshippers.  They are not members of any recognized alternative religion, and they genuinely believe in the Holy Bible and its mythology.  They are, however, impressed, excited, and attracted to the false version of satanism their ministers, their podcast and radio hosts and their families have told them about. 
I realize I just went down a really long road to say that almost without exception what passes for ritual crime is committed by either mentally ill/emotionally compromised (heretical) Christian OR screwed up teens influenced by movies and boredom.

Mentally ill people are unlikely to pay for the word "ritual" however.  Rather, as the Q phenomena grows, those of us in non-traditional religions are again finding ourselves in the crosshairs.  We’ve become a lightning rod for those who have become even more religious during this difficult time.  There is more than a little chance we will face more than our usual quota of discrimination and bigotry when a compromised individual decides it might be a service to humanity, or even an act of faith to God, to remove someone who performs 'rituals.'  

This might seem paranoid to anyone who has never been on the receiving end of religious bigotry, but for those of us who suffered through the Satanic Panic, and I mean the word suffer both literally and figuratively, it is the natural, albeit terrifying, progression of human behavior fueled with fear, distrust, and the seeming agreement of the legal authorities.

What I am asking from you, now and in the future, is to accept that your office serves a religiously diverse population, many of whom choose to remain hidden for their own safety, while others are comfortable letting their "freak flag fly.”  We are vulnerable through no fault of our own and need our law enforcement agencies to see us not as a fringe sub-culture upon whom blame is easily placed, but as citizens doing nothing more than what every other American does by exercising our 1st Amendment rights. 

Regardless, I promise you this, unlike any other religious group, should it become clear that anyone in our ranks has committed this or any other crime, WE will turn them in and assist in their prosecution.

Respectfully, 

Ygraine Osborn-Mitchell

Magistra, Church of Satan

Blog Confessions of a Wicked Witch

Host RFS Confessions of a Wicked Witch

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

PANDEMIC PRICES FOR THE APOCALYPSE!

 Contagion Curses?

Pestilential Healings?

Lockdown Love Spells?





Wherein the Wicked Witch Confesses to Feeling the Financial
Burden of Armageddon
and Aims to Entice you with

25% ALL SERVICES & READINGS!!!!!











Thursday, September 17, 2020

You Might Not Be Glad That You Did

Wherein the Wicked Witch Confesses

The Neo-Panic has Caused an Existential Crisis






Twenty years ago, having already spent several decades on the front lines of alternative religious advocacy, I was asked to do an interview for an upcoming episode of A & E's The Unexplained, representing The Church of Satan.  

It was the tail-end of the Satanic Panic (which, of course, we didn't know at the time,) and I was doing media frequently, from my third occult bookstore, Pandora's Box.  I was still under the now disproven notion that education and information could solve all problems.  National television was an opportunity, in my mind, to help make a safer future for my kids and the kids of other Satanists.  I was scheduled to be interviewed in my shop, which was not unusual, and we even scheduled a ritual, replete with a nude altar, for the cameras.  The interview became three days of a camera crew following me about, filming all kinds of mundane and magical things, and eventually, the aired episode was, unintentionally,  much more about my Satanic life than about Satanism in general.   That made me uncomfortable, but I knew I had done my best, and only hoped I didn't screw anything up for my Church.

Faithful readers, good friends and confidantes, and everyone who has ever disliked me know what happened shortly thereafter.  Those wanting to catch up can read 16 Years Later and see that not long after this episode was filmed my life hit the skids in a fucking major way that took a decade or so to recover from.  Due to the prominent placement of my ex-husband, I had relegated this show to the shame file and avoided mentioning it or promoting it. 


I had no idea that there would be a return to those days.  I didn't realize how quickly society could reverse itself, or how all the years of work many of us had done to demand nothing more than our First Amendment rights, could vanish in the blink of an eye, but here we are.

I am a Satanic Witch.  With that definition, I expect to be the scapegoat.  I expect weak people, dependent on imaginary beings, to blame me and mine for all sorts of wrongdoing.  I expect those desperate for some race, creed, or gender to feel superior to, to use me & mine as their free pass to vent their bigotry.  

What I didn't expect is my country to fall so far apart that the President and any number of legislators could feed me & mine to the ignorant masses, lie through their teeth about us, and put us in jeopardy, again.  I never thought we'd be in the place where, 20 years ago, we were.

When I hear Christians talking about how under attack they are, I want to scream.  It is such bullshit.  The last few years have proven nothing as much as the power of Evangelical Christianity, to the detriment of everyone else.  These people are of the mind that anyone else having equal rights means they have reduced ones.  Their argument "_______________ (insert minority group here) don't want equal rights, they want MORE rights!" is a textbook worthy definition of "projection."



So, I wonder.  Are we in danger again?

Will someone physically attack me, again, for the love of their God, like 20+ years ago?

Will my step & grandchildren be picked on and humiliated, like my kids were 20+ years ago?

Will the police come to my door and tell me there are credible death threats against my life, like 20 years ago?

Will those same police look at the art on my walls, the books on my shelves, and based on that alone attempt to take kids away from me, like 20+ years ago?

Will small-minded neighbors poison my pets, break my windows, or vandalize my car?

Will real criminals get away with crimes because the great unwashed would prefer to place blame on Satanists than accept that normal Christian folk commit the vast majority of offenses?

Will I spend every waking hour correcting popular books and movies portraying us in ways that degrade and defame us?

40 years of interviews.

40 years of clarifications, explanations, lectures & testimony.

40 years of writing, speaking and explaining.

If this Q crap, this leadership that panders to the most stupid, most backward in our society, continues, will any of it matter?

Will everything I have done for almost 40 years mean absolutely nothing at all, making mine a wasted life, that made no difference for anyone or anything I care about?

I don't know.  I do know there isn't a snowball's chance in Hell of me going down that road without a fight.  To quote Nick Fury:








Thursday, August 20, 2020

Deja-F%*king-Vu

 Deja-Fucking-Vu

Wherein the Wicked Witch Confesses

That She Really Could Do Without Satanic Panic Redux

&

Fuck you, Q-Anon









It is scary to see Q-Anon, by extension the President, and so many of our neighbors buying into a lie that sent thousands of us into hiding, many of us attacked, and some even legally persecuted, not that long ago.   By us, I mean people like me, Satanists, who have spent 54+ years proving who we are, only to have the evidence ignored whenever the mainstream wants to blame the end result of their actions on others. 


Pizzagate, celebrity pedophile rings, and human trafficking are now all being prefaced with the word “Satanic.”  There is not a shred of any, let alone any credible, evidence of Satanic involvement, but the word triggers an almost Manchurian Candidate reaction that doesn’t require proof beyond the common need to feel superior by vilifying others.


There is no evidence of Satanic Ritual Abuse because there is no SRA.  Occasionally we may hear of a “devil-worshipper’ committing a heinous crime, but to worship a devil you have to believe in the whole Christian mythos, making devil worship a branch of heretical Christianity.  Satanism is atheistic, using Satan as a metaphor only, and the idea of kneeling before some fairytale and begging for favors is anathema to us. 


People I know are allowing conspiracy theorists to divert the attention away from 170+k dead Americans, a crashed economy and the most important election in history.  I see their posts, and I wonder if they know they are talking about me, wondering if they know how much it hurts or how scary it is to see the ugly head of the Satanic Panic rise up again, and wonder if I will make it through this time?  People, some I’d even consider friends, are lying about my religion, claiming the worst possible crimes, with no regard that this is no different than racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other prejudice.


If you are determined to have a reason to dislike Satanism, let me help you.


SRA LIES & URBAN LEGENDS

These are NOT valid accusations against Satanists


Sacrifice:  There is no god/devil/entity to make a sacrifice to.  There is no deity to make demands.  Sacrifice demands a recipient, and Satanists don’t have one.  Additionally, Satanic dogma, unlike the Holy Bible, specifically forbids killing animals for anything other than food, or ever harming children.


Sexual Abuse:  Under no condition is there a ritual, ceremony, or requirement calling for non-consensual sex. As a religion that celebrates the carnal, there are few things as literally against our dogma than rape or any form of sexual abuse or harassment


Children: We do not allow children to join the Church or participate in rituals.  No exceptions.  We don’t believe in indoctrinating children and are uninterested in recruiting them.  Our religious dogma forbids the harming of kids, and it serves no purpose. 


Recruiting:  We have a website one can visit for free, and the books that make up our religious canon are for sale.  Beyond that, we do not actively seek members.  They must come to us.  We have no desire to be a major world religion and are comfortable being a minority religion that speaks deeply to some, and not at all, to most.


VALID REASONS FOR TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

TO DISAPPROVE OF SATANISM



We set an example the vast majority of churches cannot live up to:

We pay taxes.

We do not violate the wall of church/state separation by preaching politics from the pulpit.

If aware that a member or clergy person has violated a law we assist law enforcement and refuse to protect offenders.


We demonstrate ethics and civility because we choose to, not because a book told us to, or because we fear Hell.


We applaud people, not gods, for human accomplishments, and blame people, not devils, for the bad things they do.  We find most people prefer to relinquish their personal responsibility and put it on beings we think of as fairytales.


By not believing in Heaven or Hell, we expect no reward or punishment after death, but take complete responsibility for what we do in our one life.


We don’t love everyone but love deeply those who have enriched our lives.  By not loving all our neighbors, our love is valuable and has true meaning.  Likewise, we do not repress our hatred for those who have done us wrong.  As individualists, we do not judge on race or gender or sexual identity but by actions.


In sum, if you must find a reason, make it a true one.  We don’t believe in God or Satan or faith or magic beans, and you do, fine.  Please follow your own rules then, about not bearing false witness on your neighbor.  These same lies destroyed countless lives a few decades back, and willing ignorance and prejudice can start it all over again.




Sunday, February 16, 2020

The 6th Annual Wicked Witch of the Year/Nominees & the Winner

Out of the Frying Pan

Wherein the Wicked Witch Avoids Making a Painful Decision by Making the Right One


I confess...

There is something about your adult child having cancer that makes you feel like a total twat for using it as an excuse for failing to live up to your responsibilities.  Using my kids for any purpose is pretty low, but this situation makes the truth of it seem like a lie, and leads to a further spiral into a vat of confusion and guilt.  This is in no way helped by the fact that , knowing myself and knowing I am utterly capable of avoiding something for any number of non-altruistic reasons.

That said, it has been a solid two decades since I last took such a gut shot.  I'm sure over that time I would have thought any number of other things were meaningful and devastating, but my kid being sick has put all that in perspective, in a pretty horrible way.

So, I begged patience from and forgiveness to my Wicked Witch of the Year nominees and of Radio Free Satan .  Naturally, as I have come to depend, the citizenry of The Church of Satan were kind, and understanding, supportive and inspiring.

That made it worse.

When you feel guilt, and people are so unfathomably kind, it only sharpens the comprehension of who you are letting down.

So I said to my husband that today is the day!  I will make the decision, I will finish the bios, I will Hail some Satan, and do my fucking job.  Dammit!

Here is a secret:  Most (not all) years I know who is going to win before anyone is even nominated.  It isn't rigged, or fixed, but I pay attention to the women in our organization in a way that borders on stalking.  If a Satanic Witch does something that blows me the Hell away in June, I start the competition at that moment in my head, and pretty soon everything that comes afterwards if measured by that accomplishment.  Sometimes it is topped by a different witch.  Sometimes it isn't.  Regardless it is always about the application of Satanic theory, as defined by our canon and the membership, in improving the lives of the women in our organization, and how their self-improvement has elevated the Church of Satan.

This year was brutal.  I had no ONE favorite because I had so MANY favorites.  Added to that conundrum, and how I didn't see this shit coming I'll never know, but as the years go by and I have more interaction with these members, the closer I become to them, and the harder it is to select among them.

Now, on my very best day I have intellectual ADHD, there isn't a research rabbit hole I won't fall into, and, as stated, left to my own devices I'd live in my pajamas and blow off anything of note.  It took me years to comprehend that them turning it off was not the signal to pay the electric bill, that the big stack of impressive (but impersonal, hence the ignoring of) mail on the counter might provide some forewarnings.

And yet, for all that, I have never had a real job where I wasn't organized, on time, on top of every little thing, and focussed.  When I put my nose to the grindstone pity the fucker who gets in my way.  The problem is getting my nose to the grindstone.

So, I started this morning with all the best intent in the world.  I mean, I won't be curing my kid's cancer today, so what the Hell is my excuse, right?

I'm re-reading the bios, I remember what my council of previous winners have told me, I have cleared all potential winners with Central to guarantee their membership is in good standing, and.....I have juggled the same 3 names over and over and over, and I just can't.  Maybe it is because I am feeling so much pain I can't bear the thought of hurting anyone's feelings, or maybe because I know so many of these women so well and love them, and that isn't a word I use lightly as a woman or as a Satanist.  I mean LOVE.  Knowing them genuinely makes my life better, and without them I'd lose a part of me, and really, is there a better definition of love?

So bear with me, while I demonstrate the one thing I did see coming when I determined this award was mine to give, and mine alone.  I always felt that asking others to take the responsibility of this choice was a shit move.  

" Hey, yeah, you know that thing that makes me crazy and drives me to tears?  Here, have some."  seems a tad less than polite, so if this thing takes an amazing dump it will have to be exclusively on me.

So when I began researching a way OUT OF THIS, I found a degree of clarity.  I was thinking of starting a Wicked Witch Hall of Fame, where everyone nominated was a winner and got a nifty participation coffee mug!  Then I thought I would go the traditional pageant route and we'd have a Miss Congeniality award, or maybe Best Newcomer.  Yup, 2 hours of bullshitting to myself trying to make something organic, synthetic.

Nope.  

Below are the wonderful wicked witches nominated for the 6th Annual Wicked Witch of the Year.  Each one is worthy.  Each one adds to this amazing organization. 






















These are the Finalists for

The 6th Annual Wicked Witch of the Year
presented by
www.confessionsofawickedwitch.com
in association with
www.radiofreesatan.com


Witch Renee

Art on You Studios

Renee is a perennial nominee because she just continues to grow, adapt, and live in the real world without hiding or watering down her beliefs. In years past she has participated in local politics, and she and her husband continue to perform charitable and philanthropic acts in their community , both through their tattoo shop, and as caring individuals. This past year they held a private event for members over Halloween, and I am so sorry I missed it as the word on that ritual & gathering has been 'unforgettable.' Having a private goal, Renee took a mundane job, that she wasn't too fond of, in order to reduce debt and plan for the future. That is real Satanism! She looked at the long goal and sacrificed--not metaphor, but herself, to make her dreams come true. Equally Satanic was her decision to leave her job when the pain overtook the joy.














 





"I would like to tell you that I used specific magic on a day-to-day basis, but I’ve been an Active Member for so many years that I don’t even have to think about it anymore. It’s second nature. " ~Witch Renee









Sara Josephine Clarke

thestillshow@gmail.com


Social media got a whole lot better when Sarah Josephine Clarke bought a beautiful old home and shared her creativity in its restoration with photographs.


She writes : My Husband and I moved to a small town last Fall after buying a 113 year old house in the Spring. We are doing most all of the work on it ourselves. I have spent the majority of my nearly 42 years of life learning skills such as perfumery, painting, sculpting, mold making/casting, sewing, printmaking, etc. All of which make for the feeling of being ready for a project such as our new old house. Our Beloved High Priestess naturally put all best when she took the time to say:


"I'm so excited for you. From watching your creative activities over the years, I feel like making this house your home, a shining tribute to both of you and also to its history, is the project you've been preparing your whole life for."

That pretty much defines Satanic Witchery.




'A neighbor I was somewhat acquainted with and I are in the elevator of the Downtown highrise apartment I lived in at the time.
He says [in a scoffy tone]: "I heard that you are a Witch. What the hell does that even mean [mumbles one mainsteam impression after another]?"
So I say: "It means I understand people and I'm quite skilled at getting what I want."
After a long pause, his tone is markedly different, and he says: "..Well.. Damn.. I wish I could say that about my life.." '
~Sarah Josephine Clarke



Zoe Frost


No one who attended Howl's Devil's Reign/TSB 50th Anniversary this year will ever forget meeting the delightfully wicked, incredibly talented, and wonderfully witty Zoe Frost.  I have known her husband for decades, love him like a brother, and felt through online contact I knew who Zoe was.  I didn't have a clue.  Her formal addition to the ranks, coinciding with the birth of https://www.satanme.com/ were merely an appetizer.  This educated, talented, wife, mother and dual careerist made such a splash onstage at Howl that everyone was charmed and smitten.









"This leads me to the most significant accomplishment of the year. The opening of Satanme. I mean, have you seen that ass? "

~Zoe Frost


Tania


It has been my great pleasure to have known this incredibly smart and almost unreasonably beautiful witch for years. I knew the kid she is now taking on college tours when he was a little kid. She in unconventional, cheerfully sarcastic, and the kind of mom I like best, hands on, but in no denial of what a shit gig it can be. I have seen her ride the waves of up & down, and then...Tania was diagnosed with a chronic and debilitating illness, and like all those afflicted with such, and hardest of all things to comprehend as a Satanist, she lost control.
Her nomination is for the attitude she used to get some element of that control back, and how if demonstrates Satanic Witchery. She writes: "Elite is about the real world and how you navigate it. Life isn’t always pretty, real life isn’t a laundry list of accomplishments. Life is marred by ugly things. None of us are immune and none of us will escape the chapters that break us for a while, change us, even bring us to our knees."
"I’m hopelessly flawed, oftentimes graceless in my execution of life. Sometimes we dance, more often I stumble. But I will always keep listening for the music. "

~Tania








Josie Gallows


Another multiple nominee, Josie has been in the organization for 18 years.  Few people have lived more of a life of complete self-definition than Josie.  By even the most liberal standards, Josie is radical, insofar as she refuses to filter her words and lifestyle to appease anyone's notions of anything.  She is provocative, iconoclastic, funny and smart.  It takes quite a bit to shock me into an 'Oh, No!  She didn't!," but Josie hits that spot fairfly regularly, and the ensuing mental conversation I have with myself is always worth the effort.  This year it was a pleasure seeing her bond with other members and establish Bitchcraft Boutique.
"Satanic witches aren't parrots. They don't yearn from their cloacas awaiting someone else's agenda and motivations. They are cunning, adaptive, but concrete when it comes to their core self because they've put in the work. "

~Josie Gallows







Lizzie Hendricks

 Lizzie is a first time nominee, but I KNOW it won't be the last.  This young woman has accomplished more at 30 than most do in a lifetime.  I had the great pleasure of meeting her recently and was blown away by her wonderfully whimsical attitude, and commitment to the organization and, more importantly, to her own standards of excellence.  A great indicator of a magnificent Satanic witch is when you see their significant other beam with pride every time she speaks a word, or catches an eye.
When I see someone working in medicine who is also religiously inclined to believe in Heaven, my cynical brain wonders what, therefore, is the motivation to keep people alive?  Lizzie obviously cares deeply or she would not be where she is, and it looks like it is just the beginning.  This past year, alone:  
• Got BSN • Got Advanced Cert in Trauma nursing • Obtained Prehospital Trauma Life support • Obtained employment at a Magnet Status Level 1 Trauma Center, that is also a certified burn, stroke, and chest pain center.
She is the type of member who can make us all proud.



"I use my Satanic skills in everything I do, and try to live as a an example of Satanism by just living my life, and being the best me I can be."


~Lizzie Hendricks











Lauren Hippenstiel

From the horse's mouth: 
"Hey there, everybody, my name is Lauren, I'm a Satanist and I have been nominated for the Wicked Witch of the Year Award! Some of you may know me from my blog ImASatanistAnd.com, but that's not all I am known for in my area. Here at home, I am a Theatrical Lighting Designer and Stage Manager, gardener, cat owner, and poet. Speaking of, a few readers may recognize my name from Infernal Ink Magazine, where I had a poem published!"
 "This is my second year being nominated for the Wicked Witch of the Year Award and, win or lose, it is always an honor to be nominated beside such powerful witches. "
~Lizzie Hippenstiel


Cimminnee Holt

I went back four years and discovered that in nominations alone, no one has more than Cimminnee Holt.  The reason she has yet to win?  Because she herself keeps placing the bar higher for her own accomplishments.  Few people I know have a greater comprehension of magical and religious traditions than Cimminnee.  She is the epitome of an academic who has followed her bliss straight into poverty, and this year she decided maybe she deserved a little bit better.  Naturally she is questioning her choices, as I have yet to know a ph.D candidate who hasn't, but instead of wandering blindly through a fairly substantial existential crisis, she went to doctors, the gym, mental health professionals, to ensure she was at a level to make those decisions, wisely.  
Oh, and I've said it before, you have not lived until you've watched brilliant & scholarly Cimm turn karaoke "Like A Virgin" into a punk anthem.  
 "As for the ways I’m using Satanism, the honest answer is: life can suckity suck suck...I just know that being human is a process and I’ve never been bored with my own brain."


~Cimminnee Holt


Delilah Charmer

I was reading Delilah's information, and as I tried to re-write I realized I was doing this gifted writer a disservice.  I noted a complete understanding of self, aware and wise, and the kind of full life that accepts both tragedy and joy with equal amounts of passion.  Delilah lost loved ones this year, busted butt to homeschool and then graduate her child, ran a business, and is returning to an earlier love, writing.

"Ever since I was little, I've always found it useful to color my world using words and a way to ignite my Inner Flame. Creative and abstract words are always fun to play with. Not to say that I'm not open to other writing styles, because I certainly am and always willing to learn new things."
~Delilah Charmer








Julia Perrotta


I became aware of Julia when she spearheaded a memorial for Les Hernandez.  I became fascinated and was grateful for her contribution.  Some months later I had the pleasure of getting to meet her at current Wicked Witch of the Year, Heather Height's birthday party, and I was so impressed.
To me true feminism and Satanism connect when there is neither expectation or limits  based on gender.  I applaud women who stay at home with their kids for one simple reason:  There is no tougher job in the world.  I applaud men who do likewise.  Child rearing is brutal, and women who stay at home to do so are vilified on two fronts.  If you add to that the post partum biological changes, you have a superhero with Desitin on their cape, smelling vaguely like spit up, whose fondest wish is neither jewels nor caviar, but a decent night's sleep.
One thing that does not come with parenting is time to indulge in the self care that reminds you that in addition to wife & mom, you are still you.  Julia spent this year determining how to define herself, getting healthy, making jewelry, writing, and picking her Italian lessons back up.
"I'm not just myself again; I'm the best version of myself, stronger and more capable than I ever knew."

~Julia Perrotta










Ophelia Rain

We're the friggin' Church of Satan .  Of course we have porn stars!

Obviousness aside, our Ophelia has had a really rough time over the last year.  Instead of writing all about her let me say, just this, CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement!

~Ophelia Rain




Karen Steuer


So I am going through Karen's list of accomplishments and am completely dumbstruck when I read that her herbal shop has EXCEEDED its goals. When do you see that? Met goals, maybe. Exceeded them is unique, especially when she spent the year in a 9 month herbalist program, working towards joining the Herbalists Guild, getting certified in Reiki, and being a crazy cat lady. She also co-hosted an event that drew members from all over the country. She wrote that she wasn't a "typical" witch, due to a love of Martha Stewart, gardening, weaving, etc... I know she'll come to see that none of us are. That is the nature of Satanic witchery--each of us is completely unique.











"Doktor's words just resonated with me....and it's LIBERATING to own my own life. My only regret is not having embraced the philosophy sooner."

~Karen Steuer





About The Winner
If you have taken the time to read about the nominees you'd have to agree that I was facing a daunting task. I had whittled down to 3 possible choices, and each one was just as fabulous as the other two and I was banging my head against the wall like a crazy person, madly flip flopping between them from moment to moment, and that secret is going with me to the grave.

So, I chucked all pretense, all convention, and asked myself who best represented the organization, who was the one person who was active, universally respected, and who gave us all a soft place to land and brutal honesty when required?

The answer came to me when I realized who I turn to, who I respect enough to tell my worst secrets, safe in the knowledge there will be a lack of judgment and a surplus of support AND I knew that she played the same role for hundreds, if not thousands of others. She isn't just loved, she is needed. Hell, her nickname is even 'Mama Satan!"

I have known this woman for over 25 years. I have felt her love & her wrath, and they were both deserved. Even those older than her want to be her when/if they grow up.

I won't list her accomplishments, although I will provide some links, because they are too vast and impressive to write that book right now.

I also hope the nominees will understand why, just this once, I abandoned them, and had to look in my heart for the winner of the 6th Annual Wicked Witch of the Year Award:

The High Priestess
of the

Magistra Peggy Nadramia




So it is done!

Hail, Satan!














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 7th Annual Wicked Witch of the Year Lizzie Hendrix