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Show Hot to not For a drug free America J Ft" 1 U Editor's Note: The Davis County Clipper, in an attempt at-tempt to educate the public, and specifically specifi-cally parents, is running a series of on drug abuse and related problems. Most of the information in-formation is taken from a handbook hand-book called, Let's All Work Together To-gether to Fight Drug Abuse. By SARAH HANSEN Satanism is not just a fanatical tale. It is real. Satanic activities occur in virtually every city across the nation. Satanism has been the answer in communities nationwide that have had reports of puzzling incidences. Although Satanic cults are very secretive, the signs are obvious if people know what to look for. Adolescents are particularly at risk for becoming involved in a Satanic cult. Adolescence is an age of passage in a society that has few rites of passage. Historically, a rite of passage between childhood and adulthood usually involved a sacrifice, risk, ritual, the passing of secrets and the welcoming of a child into an elite standing. That standing was adulthood, with all the powers and esteem that accompanies accom-panies it. Satanic cults offer many of these elements in their rituals. party. He is isolative, perhaps declaring the bedroom hallowed ground. He is an alcohol or drug abuser and has poor social skills. Kids are currently becoming involved in-volved in Satanism through their friends and the music media. The friends who introduce kids to the cult usually do so through drugs. The largest group of youth involved in-volved in Satanism are dabblers. They toy with symbols because they look unusual, make up rituals they have heard about, listen to rock music in which the lyrics call up images of the devil or death and cruelty. This way they commit themselves to the cult, become obsessed with cult symbols and loyalties, plan and carry out sadistic rituals which usually involve small animals, use drugs as part of their rituals and become very secretive about their activities. A few of these dabblers advance beyond this stage to adopt not only the rituals of Satanism but also the belief system, making Satanism their religion. Some teenagers are recruited by adults into a more serious and dangerous form of Satanism. Although Al-though such recruiting has not yet become wide spread, the numbers seem to be increasing. Once young people get involved, it is very difficult for them to get out. Threats of death, involvement in serious crimes and arcane blood rituals are some of the tactics used to keep months in the year. Four times four is the devil's calling numbers. 666 is the sign of the beast. There are 6 legions of demons and 66 cohorts, each consisting of 666 companies with 6,666 individuals in each company. com-pany. Items that may be found at the site of a Satanic ritual include food, a chalice, athame (dagger), a sword, Ruinic symbols, a mutilated animal, bones, robes and candles of various colors, books, a ring of salt on the ground, a fire site and an altar. Satanism is a problem that every parent needs to be concerned about. Parents should ask themselves, does my child isolate himself in his room listing to music on headphones? Does he refuse to allow anyone into his room? Is his room covered with Satanic or violent posters? Has he drawn strange symbols on his clothing or skin? Has he mutilated himself in any way? Does he keep a secret book? Often Satanic cults require re-quire members to keep a "Book of Shadows" which is a blank diary used to record activities, fears and secret prayers. Many adolescents exhibit rebelliousness, re-belliousness, many are secretive and many keep diaries. These things alone are not cause for alarm. Certainly they are not cause for intrusion in-trusion into the privacy adolescents value. There are many things that parents can do to reassure themselves them-selves and evaluate the situation, however. Setting aside structured time with ' kids is a basic part of good parenting. paren-ting. It gives structure, offers opportunity oppor-tunity for communication and keeps regular contact with the family. In addition to activities, the time should also include regular time set aside just to talk, report on the week, discuss problems or make plans. While respecting privacy, it is okay to periodically check a child's bedroom with the child present If there are things displayed which you don't understand, ask. If you are worried or scared, say so. Being able to admit fear can often defuse a situation that could otherwise fester into anger and close off communication completely. complete-ly. Be able to discuss rationally with your child and be willing to listen to his point of view. Kids who are drawn into cults are often told their parents are their enemies and that secrets are to be kept at all costs. If you show love and tolerance, this often opens the door for the child to talk about it Be sure your child knows that it's not acceptable to turn any part of your home into a ritual area and that visitors are allowed with parental approval. Establish clear boundaries. boun-daries. It's your home and you have authority over who visits and what goes on there. Don't be afraid to seek help from your priest, minister, a social service ser-vice agency, the school or the police. They can and do help many people in this situation. It is often impossible to do it alone. Satanism also promises power, sex and drugs, and provides a peer group which offers protection. It offers immediate gratification very convincingly. It offers an escape for youth who feel powerless, angry or bored from the oppression of those he views as having all the power over his life such as parents, teachers and school administrators. Normal adolescent development is part of the attraction to Satanism. Rituals are exciting to youth. An adolescent may discover that the secret symbols fit well into his newly new-ly discovered need for privacy and fervent curiosity about the world. The mythic nature of the cult offers a doorway out of reality. An adolescent ado-lescent often views his reality as boring or painfully self-conscious. Rituals provide structure in a confusing con-fusing time of life. They provide a sense of control and a comforting structure, paradoxically, for rebellion rebel-lion against structure. A profile of adolescents com- monly involved in Satanic cults has been compiled by law enforcement agencies from the records of young people who have been arrested for ' various ritual-related crimes, those who have volunteered information about their cult involvement and those who have revealed during addiction ad-diction treatment that they were cult members. It is important to remember re-member that all adolescents fit this profile to some extent, so it is dangerous to assume that the presence of some of these traits in a person is proof of cult involvement It may mean only that the youth is at risk. The average teen aged cult member is male. Only one in ten are female. He is a middle to upper class Caucasian. He has an above average intelligence and creativity, but is labeled as an underachiever in school He is bored and restless, has little self-stimulation and has more than the usual self-esteem crisis. Typically he is from an abusive home, either sexual, physical, alcohol or other drugs or emotional abuse, even if he is not the abused kids involved and quiet. Criminal activity often plays a role in Satanic cults. Since Satanism is a form of religion, the good works associated with conventional conven-tional religions take the form of crimes in Satanism. Unusual descriptions of religious symbols and vandalized cemeteries or churches are indications of occultic activity. Since the Satanic rites often involve in-volve cruel, sadistic acts, the bodies of tortured or dismembered animals, animals drained of their blood, or evidences of sadistic sex crimes perpetrated on innocent victims vic-tims may be found. Crimes of mutilation of self and others are also commonly associated with the occult. Crimes of unusual violence or sadism might also include the drinking of urine or blood or the forcing of others to do so or the smearing or eating of feces. Arson which does not fit the usual partem, such as the burning of a field in a circular or star-shaped pattern, or the burning of an object that may conceal an animal carcass is also a warning sign. Significant dates in Satanic rituals are February 2, Candelmas Day; March 20, the Spring or Ver-. nal Equinox; April 30, Walpurgisnacht (the eve of May Day); June 21, the Summer Solstice; September 22, the Autumnal Equinox; October 3 1 , Samhian (All Hallows Eve); November 1, Festival of Hecate (the goddess of lower regions); and December 2 1 , the Winter Solstice. Numbers that are significant in Satanic rituals are one, three, five, seven, thirteen, four times four and 666. , One is equated with primal chaos. The number three, or triple repetitions of words or chants is believed to be effective in incantations. incanta-tions. Five is the symbol of justice. Seven is believed to possess mystical implications, thirteen is the number of members in a witches coven, or often, a Satanic cult It is associated with the thirteen lunar |