Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

Temple of Set 257
the Temple of Set has been formally recognized as
a religion by the federal government.
Aquino holds a Ph.D. in political science from
the University of California at Santa Barbara and
served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army.
Aquino became well known as a Satanist and the
subject of a variety of media coverage by the end
of the 1970s. On the basis of charges made by a
Christian chaplain, in the late 1980s he was investigated
by local, federal, and military agencies for
supposedly sexually molesting a young girl at the
army base in San Francisco. An in-depth investigation
showed him to be completely uninvolved
with the day-care center on base or any of the
children.
The Temple of Set views itself as a philosophical
organization, revolving around the ancient
Egyptian principle of Xeper (which Setians translate
as “self-improvement” or “self-creation”), and
the ideals represented by a modern understanding
of Set, perhaps the closest divinity the Egyptians
had to Satan. Many members of the temple believe
that the individual does not automatically have an
immortal self, but that he or she can, by certain
practices, achieve immortality. Thus, while Xeper
is related to contemporary notions of selfimprovement,
it means something far more.
The temple is also an initiatory organization,
oriented to the growth and unfolding of its
members. A number of degrees are recognized,
and members are identified by their degree. Unlike
many other religious bodies, the Temple of Set has
no church or other permanent building. Also
unlike many other religions, Setians do not
worship a divinity, Set or anyone else.
Furthermore, Setians do not recognize the real
existence of any deity. They do, however, recognize
the real existence of Set, but regard him as more of
a father or older brother. The core of the Setian
religion is individual self-development, which is
the cornerstone of LHP initiatory groups. This is
described by “Balanone,” a long-time member of
the temple, on his (unofficial) Temple of Set information
site: “The term ‘left hand path’ suggests a
philosophical orientation which feels that the
individual is extremely important. The individual
initiate pursuing Xeper is more important than
our society in general, any peer group, and any
organization (including even the Temple of Set
itself). Responsible individualism and freedom are
goals to which the organization lends its energies.”
The Temple of Set’s ambivalence about the
Satanist label is reflected in Balanone’s remarks
where he states that,“if by ‘Satanism’ you mean the
worship of a Satan, or anti-Christian belief, then
most definitely we are not, since we do not believe
in the Christian god, Jesus, nor devil, and we have
little reason to be ‘anti-Christian.’ If by Satanism
you mean an antinomian freedom from the
unreasoning limitations of various elements of
society, then by that definition we would qualify.”
Like LaVeyan Satanists, temple members work
with “magic” but do not attribute magical efficacy
to gods, goddesses, or devils. Also similar to
LaVey’s tradition, Setians eschew illegal activity of
any kind, including illegal drug use.
Members of the Temple of Set gather together
and communicate with one another (often via the
Internet) to further their goal of the creation of a
better self by sharing their knowledge with one
another. Local groups are referred to as pylons,
and larger get-togethers as conclaves. There is an
annual international conclave. Among other activities,
Setians gather for both rituals and
psychodramas, viewed as the symbolic acting out
of their goals and development.
The primary emblem of the temple is a variant
on the familiar inverted pentagram within a circle
used by most modern Satanist groups. Setians
refer to this symbol as the Pentagram of Set. At
formal gatherings, members wear the pentagram
as a medallion. Different levels of initiation wear
medallions of different colors:
First Degree (“Setian”)—White
Second Degree (“Adept”)—Red
Third Degree (“Priest”)—Black
Fourth Degree (“Master of the Temple”)—Blue
Fifth Degree (“Magus” or “Maga”)—Purple
Sixth Degree (“Ipsissimus” or “Ipsissima”)—
Gold
The first three degrees are designated “Setian”
(a general term for all members), “Adept,” and
“Priest.” The second three degrees are considered
variations on the third.