Living at the Edge of Death
As Satanists we all know that Satan represents life and all of the fleshly pleasures that come with it. Satanists come from a wide array of professions and backgrounds. In my experience I’ve met Satanists who were bakers, mechanics, Soldiers, and academics. Each person had a unique way of using the tools provided by The Satanic Bible to enrich their life and grab their world by the horns, and I am no exception. Ironically enough, my life is death. I am a proud mortician, and Satanism is a tool that helps move me through the dark currents of death.
If you, the reader, would indulge me for a moment I will give you a little background on who I am. I am a simple guy with a background in corrections and security who found his way into the mortuary science field nearly 2 years ago. I had moved to a new state to live with my partner so that we can live together. I had applied for the state corrections academy in my new state and I had begun entertaining the idea of applying for a federal correctional officer position. Working in corrections was enjoyable to me, and even though it was incredibly stressful, I felt that it was the path that I was supposed to be on. While searching online for corrections officer positions an ad for a local funeral home caught my eye. I had been interested in mortuary work in my teenage years but I had thought that morgue work was restricted to those with advanced degrees in medicine or mortuary science. I foolishly disregarded my interests and pursued my other one instead, which was the criminal justice field. My interest surged again and I contacted the funeral home. After a brief exchange and the typical processes (sending a resume, interview, etc.) I was hired by the funeral home owner and immediately put to work.
As a Satanist working in a funeral home I truly understood how important it is to live your life to the fullest, Our death should be something we are aware of but keep as far away as possible. Overindulgence can earn you a spot on my embalming table but so will ignoring your indulgences. Hard work is good but not to the point where you burn yourself out and you exist simply to punch a clock and slave away to make your boss’ dream come true. You most likely have heard some members of the younger generation say something to the effect of “self care is important.” This certainly has some merit and it can refer to more than just eating healthy and sleeping in now and again. Take care of yourself and don’t ignore the Devil on your shoulder when he gets in your ear “Hey, live a little!” Have a drink or two, spend time with friends and loved ones, have great sex, travel to new places, and work hard in your career field. Just make sure you have time for YOU. A funeral is often referred to as a “celebration of life.” This is appropriate, and reinforces the idea that it is up to each one of us to make our lives something worth celebrating. Our Vital Existence is not eternal, even though some may want it to be.
By now you may be wondering how this influences the way I use Satanism in my daily life. The answer is simple I use it to as a reminder to life my life to its fullest for myself and those I care about. Satan represents vital existence and death is most certainly the great abstinence, and working so close to it has made me more conscious of my own mortality. In addition to embalming I also work in forensic pathology and part of my job is assisting with autopsies. Between my career experience and my mortuary school education I’m incredibly aware of how easily our bodies can be fatally damaged. Honestly, it’s a wonder that we don’t have a stroke during a particularly difficult bowel movement. At any given moment your life can be extinguished in an accident or due to some health complication. If that were to happen would your life be worth celebrating? What would your funeral look like?
Satanism is the set of tools I use to navigate the death industry. Satanism reminds me of my own mortality and that my vital existence can be ended in an instant. Death is a large bucket of water that can snuff out your Black Flame and Satanism is the fuel for that flame. I’ve taken steps to improve the quality of my life, such as limiting my tobacco use (I do love a good cigar) and getting more exercise in my life. Satanism is a religion for those that are masters of their life and in that spirit I use Satanism to not only maintain mastery of my life but also increase it. I also want to master death enough to keep it at bay for as long as possibly until one day a young funeral director comes to collect my body.
The conclusion to this is simple-live your life to the fullest! Indulge in what fulfills you but know that death is always lurking close by, waiting to claim you. Trust me when I say that a lot of people die without accomplishing anything significant in their lives. I’m confident that a Satanist will not have this problem when the Reaper comes to haul them away.
Hail yourself!
Hail Satan!
Matthew Miles
Warlock in the Church of Satan
