The Neo-Luciferian Church Archives

This is an information site for the purpose of archiving the philosophy presented here in.

The Mainline Neo-Luciferian Church website can be found here on the Internet Archive: www.neoluciferianchurch.dk

The Mainline FB Page can be found here: NLC FB Page 


Welcome to the Neo-Luciferian Church

"Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est"

The Neo-Luciferian Church is a Gnostic and Luciferian organization with roots in western esoterism, Thelema and Magick. Though the word "Church" suggests religion, the nature of the church is something apart from that. We do not consider us religious in the strict sense of the word, with moral laws and absolute powers, but we're not atheistic either, in the sense that we believe in a magical reality and operate with divine and demonic powers, as the electrician operates with electricity.

The Neo-Luciferian Church has chosen the motto "Ipsa Scientia Potestas Est" (knowledge itself is power), often attributed to Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626), because we're not afraid of knowing - or doing, based on our knowledge.


Information on the Neo-Luciferian Church

"First of all, the magical view is that when x is transmitted to y - from z, and x is a magical lineage - z is the initiateur and y is the initiate, something is "given" by reception of x ... x is multi-layered and must be given a depth exploration - mined like we mine for layers of mineral." - Michael Bertiaux

The Neo-Luciferian Church has its roots in the Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis and belongs in the succession from a number of churches, some Gnostic and Magical in origin, others belonging in the apostolic succession. Though the word ”church” suggests religion and dogma, the nature of the Neo-Luciferian Church is something apart from that. It was founded on Candlemass 2005 e.v. as a corporation between the Rt. Rev. Michael Bertiaux and the Rt. Rev.T. Lucem Fero, assisted by Rt. Rev. T. Philo Sophia. All of them belong to the episcopate of the Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis.

It had been a wish with the episcopate of the Ecclesia Gnostica Spiritualis, since the days of Rt. Rev. Marc Lully in the 1970ies, to re-establish a Danish Luciferian Church and carry on the magical current from Carl William Hansen (Ben Kadosh) and his Naassenic Gnostic Synod. The proclamation of the Neo-Luciferian Church in the winther of 2004-2005 e.v. rekindled that flame.

The Neo-Luciferian Church is a preparation of the individual in his or her aspiration towards The Inner Sanctuary, that inner order which has no name among men. Magically we reckon with five stages, which are:

--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

The term The Esoteric Temple denotes what is commonly called the Astral Plane. The Inner Sanctuary denotes the Inner Order and the Pistis Sophia is the term we use for the highest attainment. None of these exist on the physical plane, but all of them constitute a reality to the magician.


About Neo-Luciferianism

Neo-Luciferianism is a magickal philosophy with few, if any, fixed dogmas. More often the Luciferian magician is inspired by a multitude of different sources.

If there is any dogma at all, it is each person’s individual aspiration to imitate and mobilize the force which s/he call by diverse names, but which we – out of convenience – call Lucifer, Phosphorus and other champions of humanity. The main idea is to take responsibility for your own life and act as an individual moral agent, using the full potential of your own genius and thereby optimizing your own possibilities. For this purpose, we use common sense, Magick and creativity.

We evaluate reality and act according to circumstances and therefore do not pretend to obey any fixed set of rules. What seem reasonable today may seems quite different tomorrow. In this regard fixed dogmas are useless and are – at best – a rule of thumb.

In the Neo-Luciferian Church we adhere to the following simple statements:

1. Lucifer is the deity of illumination, education and insight.

2. Lucifer is the deity of pride.

3. Lucifer is the deity of freedom.

4. Lucifer is the deity of prosperity.

5. Lucifer is a primeval force.

These keywords are not to be understood as dogma, but they illustrate our concept of the Neo-Luciferian energy. The enjoyment of these points is what unites us. Point 1 and 5 have a specific magical meaning; That the Luciferian path is also about mystical illumination and not just a philosophical intellectual system, and that Magick works from the plane of instinct and intuition which inhabits the magician. Though it is primarily through the instinctive and intuitive plane magick forces are mobilized, this does not reduce magick to a purely psychological exercise, as many magicians know. Contact to other beings (spirits, gods, angels or whatever one chooses to call them) are a common experience with many practicing magicians - including the Luciferians.


Who is Lucifer?

Luciferianism is the study of the hidden, occult forces in man and in nature. Neo-Luciferianism is a practical and result-oriented occult path for those with the will and talent of success.

Lucifer was a Roman God. His name means Lightbearer. In Roman mythology he is the herald of Aurora, the dawn. Lucifer is the personification of the Morningsstar, the planet Venus. In Greek mythology Lucifer was called Phosphorus, the shining one, herald to the rosy-fingered Eos, sister of Selene and Helios, the Moon and the Sun. The Dawn, which lies between darkness and light, is a fitting symbol of initiation. Lucifer, the herald of dawn, becomes the initiator himself.

Lucifer is an alien element in Christianity. His role in Christianity is due to a mistranslation in the Book of Isaiah and he was later identified with Satan. The Book of Isaiah 12:14 says: [Hebrew letters] HYLL BN-ShChR. HYLL means bright or shining morningstar. BN means son. ShChR means dawn or morningstar. The Bright Son of the Morningstar, an ironic title Isaiah attributed to the arrogant Babylonian King Tiglath-Pileser III. By the translation into Greek, the translator used the word phosphorus, the shining one, and from the translation in Greek into Latin, the word used was Lucifer. In the Vulgate Bible Lucifer is spelled without a capital L. It was not intended to be a name, but a title.

In the Lucifer myth and in Christianity's perversion of ancient mythologies, it is easy to recognize Aurora, the dawn dressed in red gowns who loves to seduce young kings and princes, in the shape of Babylon, the Scarlet Whore who courts kings at her tent in the Apocalypse of St. John. The beautiful love-sick woman, a symbol of initiation, was turned into a simple slut by the men of Christianity.

In a certain sense Lucifer can be compared to the Daimon of Greek Mythology or The Holy Guardian Angel of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley's systems. Aurora is just an ancient symbol of Babalon. Methods and perception of truth changes as the years roll by and the centuries pass, but the Gnosis remains unchanged. It is the Axl in the Wheel.

In his Book IV, part 3 (Chp. XXI, footnote), Aleister Crowley identifies Aiwaz – a key-deity in the system known as Thelema - as the solar-phallic-hermetic ”Lucifer”, and his own Holy Guardian Angel. The concept of the daimon is further elaborated upon by identifying Satan with Hadit – another key-deity - explained from the perspective of the androgyne devil of the Tarot, Baphomet, a reference to Hermes as the lord of initiation. The esoteric luciferian concept can thus – for the individual seeker – be intervowen with The Book of the Law and the magick doctrines of Thelema.

Lucifer's role as an Arch-Devil was adopted by Christians, Satanists and Occultists, but not by luciferians. We find the Arch-Devil Lucifer represented in works such as The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, written in 1458. Here he's the airial crownprince of Hell and reigns with Satan, Belial and Leviathan.

Eliphas Levi writes in the 1850ies, in Dogme et Rituel de la haute Magie: "The Great Magical Agent manifests by four kinds of phenomena, and has been subjected to the experiments of profane science under four names - caloric, light, electricity, magnetism. It has received also the names of TETRAGRAM, INRI, AZOTH, ETHER, OD, Magnetic Fluid, Soul of the Earth, Lucifer, etc."

Years later the famous freemason Albert Pike mentions the Lucifer of Light in his Morals and Dogma from 1871, writing: "Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish Souls? Doubt it not!" The quote actually origins from the French occultist Eliphas Levi, though in a slightly different form. As Pike, Levi was connected to Freemasonry, and the myth of Luciferianism within Freemasonry was fueled further when Leo Taxil (Gabriel Jogand-Pagés) made his famous hoax in the late 19th century. Of course Freemasonry isn't luciferian. Neither Pike or Levi believed that, but the quote of the Luciferian idea of a Light Bearer illustrates that spiritually interested indivuals had seen through the Christian biased view of the Bringer of Light and that ”spiritual satanism” or Luciferianism was surfacing in the late 19th century.

In 1899 a book surfaced, written by Charles G. Leland, claiming to be an old Italian manuscript for witches. It was titled Arardia – or the Gospel of the Witches, and says: "DIANA was the first created before all creation; in her were all things; out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself; into darkness and light she was divided. Lucifer, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light. And when DIANA saw that the light was so beautiful, the light which was her other half, her brother Lucifer, she yearned for it with exceeding great desire. Wishing to receive the light again into her darkness, to swallow it up in rapture, in delight, she trembled with desire. This desire was the dawn."


Membership of the N.’.L.’.C.’.

The Neo-Luciferian Church is a Gnostic and Luciferian church and we have nothing to do with modern satanism as expounded by Anton LaVey and The Church of Satan and its offsprings. The Satanic Bible is not the foundation of the church. Nor do we have preferences running towards the Black Metal Satanism with painted faces and churches on fire ... We're simply not interested! That said, membership of the Neo-Luciferian Church is by invitation only, but since an invitation requires an introduction to other members, it is possible to apply for membership and take up communication with a member of the church who might agree to admit you to membership.

Applicants for membership in the Neo-Luciferian Church should write to one of the contact addresses posted on the side and answer the following questions carefully:

Full name, address and date of birth. Don't waste our time writing to us under false name, motto or whatever. We're only interested in contacting people who're sincere about their aspiration

Please answer the following questions:

a) What do you expect to find within the Neo-Luciferian Church?

b) What educational background do you have and what is your professional occupation?

c) Do you have a spouse? Children? Pets?

d) Do you have any experience with occultism, magick and esoteric religion/philosophy?

e) Do you have a criminal record? If yes, please elaborate.

f) Do you have any chronic diseases?

Attach a photo to your letter (electronic form is OK).

Membership of the Church will require a physical meeting and the physical initiation into the First Grade of the Church. If you're not capable - or willing - to attend to a physical meeting, don't write. All applicants must also bring an alb, which is a white robe that can be bought in most church outfitters. If you're not willing to procure the gear and take the trouble of letting us get to know you, the Neo-Luciferian Church is probably not for you.

We recommend all members and applicants to start a general study in the Western Occult Tradition. Though all students are expected to find their own Path – be it religious, philosophical or something different - and work with the techniques which appeal to them, we still recommend the works of such fine authors as Ben Kadosh, Eliphas Levi, Michael Bertiaux, Dion Fortune, S. MacGregor Mathers, Israel Regardie, Aleister Crowley, Francis King, Kenneth Grant, Austin Osman Spare and many others in the tradition of western occultism/esoterism.

Membership is free, but members contribute financially through the donations to individual church events.


Gradestructure

The Church has a grade structure and an initiatory system but is in essence not particularly hierarchic. Our philosophy suggests a network of strong individuals working for their own benefit rather than an organization with leaders and followers. 

The Neo-Luciferian Church (N.L.C.) has seven grades.

Seven Grades for seven is the number of Venus, the Morningstar, who is Lucifer.

Seven Grades for 1+2+3+4+5+6+7 = 28, which is the mystic number of Netzach, a Sephira attributed to Venus in the Qabalah.

Seven Grades for the number 28 is the third perfect number and 3 is attributed to Binah, a Sephira denoting the Great Mother in her Scarlet Dress, our mother Aurora, the dawn.

They Seven Grades are as follow:

Lightbearer

The First Grade in the Church is called Lightbearer. The Lightbearer is baptized into the Neo-Luciferian Church and chooses a name or motto in the Church. There are no specific requirements asked of the new member, but all applicants must be invited.

Deacon/Deaconess

The Second Grade in the Church is called Deacon/Deaconess, from the Greek diakonos, a servant. The Deacon or Deaconess participates actively in the work with the Mass and other ceremonial. The Deacon or Deaconess serves the priesthood of the Church.

Deacons and Deaconesses of the Church are encouraged to engage in ritual work and astral projection.

Priest/Priestess

The Third Grade in the Church is Priest/Priestess, from the Greek presbyteros, an elder. The priesthood of the Church serves the congregation by doing Mass, conducting baptism, funeral services, weddings, the ordination of Deacons and Deaconesses. A Priest or Priestess of the Neo-Luciferian Church may build his or her own congregation, or – if that be their will – work in solitude with the forces passed on.

It is common for the Priesthood of the Church to study sex-magic, alchemy, talisman and sigil magic, invocation, godsforms, etc. All these disciplines are exceedingly active, and we encourage all members to practice them.

High Priest/High Priestess

The Fourth Grade of the Church is that of High Priest/High Priestess, which is characterized by being an overseer and advisor of the different congregations. High Priests and High Priestesses are primarily concerned with the education of Church members.

Bishop

The Fifth Grade in the Church is that of Bishop, from the Greek episkopos, an overseer. The Bishops are the Church leaders and they ordain and consecrate in all Grades as they will. They are custodians of the Apostolic Succession lines within the church.

Arch-Bishop and Honorary Arch-Bishop

These grades are administrative only.


Successionlines of the N.L.C.

The Neo-Luciferian Church possess several succession lines which are listed here:

1. Gnostic, Templar and Rosicrucian traditions

2. Anglican Church

3. Roman-Old Catholic Church

4. Vintrasian Carmelite Church

5. American Orthodox Catholic Church

6. American Greek Melchite Church

7. Armenian Uniate Church

8. Syro-Chaldean Church

9. Antiochian-Jacobit Church

10. Syrian Malabar Church

11. Boullanian Carmelite Church

12. Gnostic Catholic Apostolic Church

13. Chaldean Church of Babylon

14. Free Protestant Episcopal Church

15. Liberal Catholic Church

16. Mariavite Catholic Church

17. Mexican lineage

18. Old Catholic Church in England

19. Order of Corporate Reunion

20. Russian Orthodox Church

21. Syrian Orthodox Church

This list is not displayed to fan authenticity to our history, but rather to illustrate the wide variety of magical tradition that are built into the current of this Church of Neo-Luciferians. 


Luciferian Conspiracy

Is there any such thing as a ”luciferian conspiracy”? Of course there is. Many people who believe in the freedom of man and the fight against tyrannical thought-schools, censurship, governments and dictators work in secret to improve society and educate their fellow men. Such people attract other people with similar interests and they ”plot and plan” against regimes that oppress the population. What is often termed a ”luciferian conspirary” on fundamentalist religious sites is none other than an imformal contact and sympathy between people who believe in education, unbiased research, nature preservation and human rights. There're no central leaders, but the central plan seems clear: Increase freedom and possibilities for humankind, and make this world a better place to live.

This ”very evil world conspiracy” by nature works against fundamentalist religions as expressed in right-wing Christianity, Islamist fundamentalism, Jewish fundamentalism, Hindu caste-systems and oppressing religious observances against women, homosexuals and with racist issues. And of course the luciferian conspiracy works against the extreme right- and leftwing political groups and other forms of extremism, where it is believed that a few men are entitled to rule the viewpoint and behavior of all other men. All men have a right to flourish and express their talent to the bettering of the world. Is that not what the legends of Lucifer illustrate? 

In that sense it is easy to understand why such extreme groups regard information as a threat to their very existence, and therefore – par excellence – evil and dangerous. So yes, there is a ”luciferian conspiracy” but the conspirators do not have an exclusive membership card to any one organisation.


Neo-Luciferian Teachings

"It is not in the life of cities, - in the turmoil and the crowd; it is in the still, the lonely, and more sacred life, which for some hours, under every sun, the student lives (his stolen retreat from the Agora to the Cave), that I feel there is between us the bond of that secret sympathy, that magnetic chain, which unites the everlasting brotherhood." - Sir Bulwer-Lytton, Zanoni

The epistemes change, but the mysteries don't. The road to initiation has been described in numerous ways in different religions and esoteric systems, and these descriptions of course are influenced by culture and time.

The road to initiation may be described as man's increased contact with the divine, the Daimon, by using techniques that open the spiritual sensorium. In some systems the Daimon is called The Holy Guardian Angel, but we prefer to use the classical Greek expression Daimon, which simply means deity or spirit. The Daimon is the real initiator of the seeker.

The Sun and the Great Mother are probably the oldest representation of gods we know. These are represented in Neo-Luciferianism by Lucifer and the Goddess, and of these, only Lucifer is manifested in a perceivable way, so therefore we describe man's "voyage to the Sun".

Neo-Luciferianism is a road to the god with the light, the spiritual enlightment (Lux). Beyond that enlightenment is a still deeper knowledge, the Goddess, Darkness (Nox). It is only the road from "the earth to the sun" which may be described through an initiatory system. To attain unto the last step, towards the Goddess, may only be attained by the help of the God. To pretend to be able to initiate unto that step is humbug.

The God is the outer, manifested part of the Goddess, like the Goddess is the hidden inner core of the God. In this way we may say that the Goddess is Lucifer and Lucifer is the Goddess.

The first goal in true initiation is to attain unto contact with the Daimon. This is a complicated process because the ordinary man is under continuous influence from different forces. In other words, there are so much noise in the life of most people, that we're unable to hear that inner voice that will guide us to our goal. 

The Angel and the Abyss are central to the understanding of Lucifer as perceived within the Neo-Luciferian Church.

By balancing these forces we strive towards a mental peace where the noise is stilled, so the Daimon may speak. With The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn this process was described in the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and with the symbols The Sun over The Moon, weighted against Venus opposite to Mercury - or the cross consistent of Tiphareth, Yesod, Netzach and Hod on the Cabbalistic Tree of Life.

The solution to the problem, that is, the balancing of the forces, was a central theme in classic occultism. But the classic occultism work according to an obsolete episteme, that in order to attain balance, the magician must be an expert in - and able to rule - each and everyone of these forces. This is the Renaissance man's comprehension of being well-educated and learned, that he should know a little about everything. This episteme is no longer valid. You must find what you're best at and then perfect it! This is the only way towards an elite.

As a magical method, this is not insignificant. It is not necessary that you master all the different forces, as long as you're well-informed and conscious about their influence. If only you make your spiritual fire - your pure aspiration towards insight - hot enough, all the small parts will melt together to one consistent mass.

The Neo-Luciferian road to initiation is described by use of the astrological symbols. We are initiated from the Earth, via the Moon, Venus, Mercury and finally the Sun. This is the straight path between earth and the sun. In the Neo-Luciferian Church we follow a structure with Seven Grades, but only five grades have any real importance. The two last grades are administrative only.

Please see image posted below. 

The reader will notice that the titles of the grades for the major part has been borrowed from the Catholic Church. This is no coincidence, since the Neo-Luciferian Church is a continuation of older, gnostic church traditions, passed on through so-called "wandering Bishops". The title Bishop is derived from the Greek episkopos meaning an over-seer. The title Priest is derived from the Greek presbyteros, meaning "an elder" and finally the title Deacon is derived from the Greek diakonos, meaning a servant.

Lucifer is the planet Venus, or more correctly, the spiritual energies attributed to the astrological Venus, not the astronomical. Aleister Crowley saw the importance of the Venus symbol when he wrote:

"There is furthermore the alchemical symbol of Venus, the only one of the planetary symbols which comprises all the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The doctrine implied is that the fundamental formula of the Universe is Love. [The circle touches the Sephiroth 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3; the Cross is formed by 6, 9, 10 and 7, 8.]" ~ (Aleister Crowley: Book of Thoth, p.75).