The knowledge that makes us cherish innocence makes innocence unattainable.
— Irving Howe
Innocence
Part of the 2022 Advent of Lucifer
Innocence is an abstract concept. There can be no human innocence, as human morality is far too fluid and changes from one social group to another – what makes a person saintly to one group might make them monstrous to another. Diversity and experience – both valuable human qualities – preclude the existence of objective innocence among human beings.
Innocence presumes exclusion from a moral community; in order to be truly innocent, one cannot participate in morality at all. Obviously, this is not a realistic model for people who desire to live in a moral and accountable community, as innocence prohibits an appropriate exchange of praise and blame needed to shape a community in the first place.
Since innocence usually refers to the capacity and will of people to do harm to their community, can we consider children or babies to be innocent? Sure, but they probably shouldn’t be. Innocence isn’t really a static state, and while older children are capable of moral choices, they’re also developing as people and should be allowed mistakes with correction and guidance, but not harsh judgment as they grow. If we put innocence on a pedestal, then we’re forced to maintain it through shame and punishment. Few children, and certainly not babies, are capable of doing intentional material harm to mature, healthy adults, and definitely not their communities. Insofar as innocence matters here, we should not hold children culpable for the actions of the adults around them, nor responsible for what misinformation and propaganda they may have been fed.
If true innocence exists, it applies exclusively to the non-human natural world; those systems living things incapable of morality, however much they may cross purpose with human interests. The Africanized killer bee is innocent. The hurricane is innocent. Kudzu is innocent. We may not like what these things do to our environment, but we can’t project upon them moral blame for what they do. We can and should blame the careless people who introduce or exacerbate them, through ecological recklessness or climate change.
It may seem strange for Luciferians to contemplate topics like innocence or virginity, but we are about a full human experience, not the self-delusion of being special or apart from the full suite of human experiences. Can innocence be useful to us at all?
If we contextualize it as being a reflection of our capacity and will to harm our communities, then yes, it certainly can be! While moral purity is an illusion, we can absolutely seek to minimize our harm, and try our level best not to be responsible for making bad things worse. Innocence might not be attainable as an infallible concept, but we can strive to be innocent of doing unnecessary harm.
Charging the Sigil
Innocence inspires us to accept our inner child. We have grown up in a harsh world – many of us having lost innocence very early on. Our small selves made many mistakes to get us where we are now, and had big dreams for a future full of happiness. Life has a way of making us forget our inner child. We’re too grown, too busy trying to survive. Connecting with the child we once were allows us to accept who we’ve become. Accept your little self, so you may heal them and be free to build a brighter future.
As we devote our time this month to honoring Lucifer, charging our sigil encourages a deeper connection. If this is your first time charging a symbol like this, you can think of it like a moodboard – this sigil represents us as a community and religion. What does this sigil mean to you? What can it represent? Take the time to focus and reflect, meditate on what each of our concepts mean to you and how they can apply to our lives.
For our energy workers, you may charge our sigil by visualizing a bright white light surrounding it. Use breath work to guide this energy into the sigil, knowing that it grows in strength as you do so. You can also focus our themed concepts into the sigil using meditation and our affirmations to program this energy. This will serve to strengthen our sigil for later use in our ritual.
The following incantation may be used as part of your sigil charging, or used as an affirmation:
“Lift thy veil, heal thyself.”
Daily Devotion
Innocence asks us to connect to our inner child today. Revisit old memories by journaling or meditating. These memories may be positive or negative, but take the time to understand them. Reflect on your past self, and accept them as they are. This may be only the first step for you on your path to healing your inner child, but know that you are breaking free from the generational trauma that’s been inflicted upon you. We must free ourselves so our children can be free.
Spend time doing things you loved as a child, whether playtime, crafting, or old hobbies. Play a favorite childhood game, watch your favorite kid show, read your favorite bedtime stories. Let your inner child have the chance to play again.
Further Reading
The following resources may be enjoyed to deepen your connection to today’s concept. Please note that links to reading are not endorsements of every idea contained therein but are intended to offer a more broadly informed view.
Moral Innocence as Illusion and Inability
William Blake and the Limits of the Natural World
Make Your Own
We encourage you to make your own oracle card for each of our themed days, so that come the end of our Advent, you will have your own Luciferian oracle deck. These cards may be used to give you insight on what you may need to work with in the future.
We recommend using blank playing cards if available, but any kind of art or canvas cards, even lined notecards can be used. Make your drawing or symbol (it doesn’t have to be amazing, only meaningful to you) on one side and on the other write down any key phrases or words or concepts that resonate with the image to you.
If you choose to share your result, which we would love to see, you may use the hashtags #luciferiandominion and #adventoflucifer so that we can find them! If you choose to make your oracle deck part of your #Inktober or #Drawloween events, please feel free to use those hashtags and include them in relevant spaces!
Happy creating during this blessed Advent!
