Dear Satan 10/2024
This month’s letter comes from Anu Morning Star who writes:
Dear Satan,
I would like to start expressing myself more and taking part in group meetings and gatherings as well as ceremonies when necessary for any member.
•"My Question's"•
1)Is there a Satanic Temple anywhere in Wisconsin?
2)If so, where is it located?
3)If not, will their be one accessible to those of us in Wisconsin in the near future?
4)Can we start a go-fund-me for the collective of the Satanic Temple that would be stationed in Wisconsin, for the sole purpose of the GoFundMe page being to erect a statue of Baphomet?
Thank you so much for your ear.
⛧"Hail Satan-Hail Lucifer-Hail Leviathan!"⛧
Thank you for your letter, Anu. To answer your question there is an established congregation of The Satanic Temple in Wisconsin but we do not have a physical building. In fact, the only physical Satanic Temple building is the Salem location. Because of this our 501c3 did not incorporate as a church but simply as a non-profit organization. If we had a location that we regularly meet up at or preformed rituals at it would be nice to upgrade to being a church but that is not something we have been looking at for the foreseeable future. As far as trying to raise money to purchase a building or erect a statue that is beyond our capabilities at the moment. We only have about 100 members and most of our fundraisers result in about 300 being raised per month. As nice as it would be to have our own building, we just can’t afford it. And even if we could it would be hard to find a central place for our members to meet in the state. We are all spread out over the state of Wisconsin. Because of that our in-person events are historically less attended than our virtual events using Zoom. Right now, we have rotating in-person events that appear each month around the state in; Green Bay, Milwaukee, Madison and Eau Claire.
To take just a brief moment to address the desire to erect a statue TSTWI only seeks to erect monuments where there is an existing religious monument to create an atmosphere of plurality and equal representation. In this regard TSTWI did sponsor a holiday tree at the Green Bay railroad museum last year that got a lot of media attention. This was because we wanted to create a sense of religious plurality in the community. Since then, the railroad museum has decided to not invite any religions to have a tree which we see as a suitable compromise as there is not a need for religious plurality if no religions are participating. We are however looking at putting together a display for the state capital. Whether or not it comes together this year or waits until next year remains to be seen but we have some irons in the fire for that endeavor.
I have also gotten a question this month about what being a member of the congregation means. I would like to take a moment to respond to that as well. Firstly, and foremostly being a member means being part of a Stanic community. We exist at the pleasure of our members and are geared towards serving them. There are no dues or membership fees, and all participation is voluntary. We are always looking for fresh faces and new people to join. Some of the types of events you can look forward to are; book club, current events, music video nights, game nights and satanic philosophy conversations.
Being a member of a congregation also gives one easier access to advocacy and charitable endeavors in the community. We currently have adopted a stretch of highway in Wisconsin and do regular clean ups of it each year. We also often do fundraisers. This month we are raising money for the Eau Claire County Humane Association. We are always looking for more opportunities to engage with the community and support charities we are passionate about.
And Finally, being a member of a congregation beings being part of a religion. We have the central seven tenets of The Satanic Temple which we all share as guidelines for our morality. We have shared history in satanic literature and philosophy. For many people satanism is a lifestyle and is expressed in how they dress, act and think. We also offer occasional ritual opportunities. Some things that are available are; weddings, black mass, unbaptism, destruction rituals and reverse exorcisms. We do not believe in magic or that rituals have any supernatural effect. We do however believe that rituals have a profound psychological impact on those practicing them and that they can be a source of mental health and wellness.
Being a religion also joins us to the larger international community of The Satanic Temple. We are not alone here in WI but we are connected to a large community of Satanists around the world. We are soon to see the return of Temple Services from TST which are open to all members. We also have the opportunity to engage in all TST campaigns and activities such as the abortion clinics, sober faction, protect the children project, after school Satan clubs and grey faction to name a few. Being in a religion is joining with like-minded individuals in a community with shared values in an effort to live those values in our communities both at home and at large. We are all very proud to be members of The Satanic Temple and look forward to our continued growth and activity in our community of Wisconsin and in the world.
Minister JN
