"A large percentage of the posters on DU have occultic/satanic avatars"

[Catherine Vincent]

This is what was said to me in an email by a former poster (tombstoned). It's been a while since the email but I always wondered what he meant by that. I don't think I would know what a satanic avatar would look like unless it was a picture of a red devil or something. Anyone have any clues?

[wuushew]

1. Probably various Wiccan and Chluthlu based avatars

In his mind

[yankeedem]

5. Your avatar is kind of Satanic

To a freeper, they hate the UN, as well as any organization that sometimes helps people rather than kills them.

[LiberalVoice]

2. Sounds like that former poster was tombstoned for good reason. nt

[Big Kahuna]

3. It's called a pentacle

and we are here for your daughters! :evilgrin:

[Chovexani]

64. And your sons!

We're greedy. :evilgrin:

[tavalon]

4. Anything that might reflect badly

on the chimpster? :shrug:

[ThomWV]

6. Half of us are also endowed with enormous peni

And I consider that a very good thing.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. It looks like this

There's an occult message hidden in the cat's lips.

[tjdee]

8. A number of pentagrams...

That's all I've seen/noticed.

And "a large percentage" is a flat out lie.

[terrya]

9. The rainbow flag is satanic??

Oh-oh.

[havocmom]

41. Maybe it's the avatar I and many others here use

There seems to be a widespread fear of it among junta members and supporters.

[AntiCoup2K4]

88. Actually, they might think that....

...several years ago, I seem to remember hearing some story about rainbows being represented as "Lucifer's bridge between Hell and Earth" or some crap like that. I didn't even bother debating it, because I was told in Sunday School that the rainbow was God's promise to Noah not to flood the Earth again.

Now where the gay symbology comes into either of those stories, I'm not really sure.......

[Hissyspit]

10. So f'what, anyway. Some DUr's pretend to worship Satan

to get on wingnuts' nerves, while the wingnuts ACTUALLY do worship Satan. They are just too dumb to realize it.

[billyskank]

108. Anyway, what about YOUR avatar?

Is that what I think it is!

[NuttyFluffers]

114. Yes it is, it's a fountain.

-- with love, Marcel DuChamp

[JNelson6563]

11. Probably meant mine

:-)

[Frederik]

31. Spot on

:rofl:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. Sounds like he should be a former poster

[kittenpants]

18. is that dog cerberus?

could it be, could it be..... SATANNNNN!

[havocmom]

44. *snarf* Let's hope NSMA answers that question

Anybody with a Golden might entertain the possibility early on in the relationship ;)

[Swede]

13. Nope.

Anything non-christian is probably satanic to a nutcase.

[jmowreader]

72. What you mean "probably," Willis?

There is a scriptural passage that says anything that doesn't glorify God glorifies Satan.

[Cleita]

14. The Starship Enterprise?

Well, they did have that devilish Mr. Spock on board.

[Ready4Change]

15. He's objecting to all the Red White and Blue avatars.

Those ARE the colors of the Flag of France, after all. ;)

[mike_c]

16. isn't that hell depicted in your avatar...?

:evilgrin:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. No

Texas gets hotter :D

[Catherine Vincent]

37. Tell me about it!

[The Whiskey Priest]

17. This is the most occultic/satanic avatar I know

I don’t remember seeing it on DU.

[EFerrari]

19. Okay, whose been putting horns on my avatar again?

:rofl:

[RC]

20. I wonder what he would think of mine?

Make love, not war? Love your neighborer? Whatever. How is that a bad thing.

[Hissyspit]

21. Texas is a satanic avatar. That's where the anti-christ has a ranch

he bought, so that he could pretend to be a common person/human. :P

[Catherine Vincent]

30. You have a point!

:-)

[zippy890]

36. what's yours hissy?

looks like something to do with bladder control

no offense intended, just wondering
:)

[Bridget Burke]

43. A salute to Marcel Duchamp?

Found at the American Museum of Beat Art, Man.

http://www.beatmuseum.org/

[Hissyspit]

58. Yes, salute to Duchamp. Anti-World War I art.

[Hissyspit]

59. "Fountain" 1917

Duchamp took a urinal and turned it on its side and called it 'Fountain.' It may look like a urinal, but it's not, in a sense. The artist has proclaimed it a fountain.

As in: It may look like a satanic avatar, but is probably not, the viewer is just an idiot.

Dada anti-war art. One of the most important, pivotal works of the 20th century.

[Redstone]

75. A urinal turned on its side is "one of the most important,

pivotal works (of art) of the 20th century?"

Ohhhkay. If you insist.

I must be some kind of Philistine, because I simply cannot believe that statement was made with a straight face.

Redstone

[Trajan]

92. The DaDa art movement ...

Was the Punk Rock of its day .. no wonder it scandalizes itself in your eyes ...

DaDa was a DENIAL of artistic convention, a rejection of artistic standards and characterizations ... it literally 'broke the mold' of what art is or should be ... it is not for everyone ...

But it was significant: it transformed eventually to Surrealism, and to great works by Picasso, Dali, Breton and Miro, et al ...

Here is a better explanation: ... http://www.bway.net/~monique/history.htm

At the end of the First War World, Tristan Tzara, leader of the Dada movement, wanted to attack society through scandal. He believed that a society that creates the monstrosity of war does not deserve art, so he decided to give it anti-art–not beauty but ugliness. With phrases like Dada destroys everything! Tzara wanted to offend the new industrial commercial world–the bourgeoisie. However, his intended victims were not insulted at all. Instead they thought that this rebellious new expression opposed, not them but the "old art" and the "old patrons" of feudalism and church dominion. In fact, the bourgeoisie embraced this "rebellious" new art so thoroughly that anti-art became Art, the anti-academy the Academy, the anti-conventionalism the Convention, and the rebellion through chaotic images, the status quo.

[Redstone]

116. If you say so.

Redstone

[Horse with no Name]

22. Yeah

ban the satanic support ribbons.
:eyes:

[KarenS]

23. well,,,, I don't know, but mine could seem to be,,,,,

Poor ol' Susan B,,,,,

Things have been different since Women got the right to vote.

[The Doctor.]

25. I guess he doesn't read comic books...

[phaseolus]

26. He's probably a Texe Marrs fan

I used to own a couple of his books. In one of 'em, he explained that Girl Scout merit badges were full of satanic imagery.

Whatta maroon....

[jonnyblitz]

27. .

:scared:

[uppityperson]

84. +

[Moochy]

28. TV is the devil

FEAR MY Satanic Avatar, the TELEVISION.

Kill your television!!! before it kills you and steals your SOUL!!!
:evilfrown:

[Frederik]

29. The state of Texas

has a very powerful occultic meaning to illuminates above the XXXIVth degree.

:P

[ismnotwasm]

32. Well, as we all know

Seattle is THE den of iniquity. Lot's of satanic stuff going on over here.

[Canuckistanian]

33. Max Headroom - Stooge of Satan?

The Devil made me do it.

[davsand]

34. Give to me all the babies that I might eat them for breakfast!

Jeesh, does that ass not know what a pentagram IS??? Besides, my pentagram is in my SIG, not my avatar. If you look back, my sig line is most often Eugene Debs or Mother Jones--and we ALL know the labor movement is Satanic to freepers and fundies

Hell, my avatar is a black cat because I LIVE with a black cat named Chaucer... He lets my daughter put baby doll clothing on him.

If you really want to get a handle on how active the pagan community is on DU, just take a gander at the pagan forum. We maybe get a dozen posts a week in there.

But in the meantime, just to keep up appearances, I used that post title. I figured it'd give them a queer sort of thrill to see it in print at DU.

:evilgrin:


Laura

[Pikku]

45. Just for that, I changed my avatar!

So nyah.

[Hissyspit]

61. Don't be so "FAMILIAR!"

:P

[TimeChaser]

35. Just another misinformed fundie

I take it he was referring to the pentacle, which is used nowadays by Neo-Pagan religions (and in no way satanic. Satan is from the Christian religion, not mine.). The Pentacle is a very old symbol, and is found in many other cultures as well, including medieval Christianity, where it was used to represent the five wounds of Christ.

For myself and many other Neo-Pagans, though, it represents the five elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and the Spirit. Although, as I said, other cultures and traditions have different meanings.

[hfojvt]

38. inspired me to get an avatar, is it satanic enough?

coo-coo-cachoo

[ruggerson]

39. Your avatar is definitely satanic

The outline of the scariest, most satanic state in the union.

I have a cross facing the computer to ward off any bad vibes from it.

[LordshipLadyship]

40. No, that freeper is absolutely correct

after all, a lot of us recognize this man as a devil and post with his Satanic image.





Maybe he or she finally saw the light. ;)

[kliljedahl]

42. Do keyboard players count?

Keith’s Barbeque Central

[maddiejoan]

46. Beware my evil alien space woman!

She will probe you! Oh yes. She will probe you.

[alphafemale]

47. Well, mine does have a serpent on it....

:rofl:

[Tsiyu]

48. yeah, Buddy Holly

was a big Satanist. He's writing songs with the Devil even as we speak....

[Bunny]

49. Well, it COULD be my evil eye. And, Tower of Power has been

known to eat live babies. Maybe it's me? :shrug:

[Avalux]

50. Peace!

OK, then. :silly:

[redacted]

51. The subject of my avatar is openly Satanic.

The little devil.

He's such a stinker. Get's into everything and thinks it's funny.

We love him to death.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

52. Well, Mark Twain did write a book whose protaganist was Satan.

An hilarious satire of Christianity called "Letters from the Earth". To the fundies, I'm sure it, and he, would be considered Satanic.

In it, Satan has been booted out of heaven by a thinskinned God who brooks no questions. So, Satan checks out God's latest project Earth and writes letter to his pal St. Michael.

If you haven't read, need a great laugh, or would like to read intelligent writing, I can't recommend it enough.

[Walt Starr]

53. Having made a study of religion and occult matters

There are several symbols of a religious nature in DU avatars. To dig down into it, we'll need to begin with a similar framework in definitions, so let's turn to the dictionary, shall we?

religion - n.
1. a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b.A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2.The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.

Since there is no word "occultic", let's turn to the word "occult":

occult - adj.
1. Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena.
2. Beyond the realm of human comprehension; inscrutable.
3. Available only to the initiate; secret: occult lore. See Synonyms at mysterious.
4. Hidden from view; concealed.

5. a. Medicine. Detectable only by microscopic examination or chemical analysis, as a minute blood sample.
b.Not accompanied by readily detectable signs or symptoms: occult carcinoma.

n.
Occult practices or techniques: a student of the occult.

So we have established that religion and occult are related and if a symbol is religious in nature, there must be an occult nature to the symbol. Thus we have a common framework to proceed and to examine some of the occult avatars available on DU:



































Although related to the works of fiction in the horror genre by H. P. Lovecraft, some may misinterprate the following as occult in nature:





The following are related to trademarks of open source software or other things such as secular halloween imagery which are not related to religion or the occult, but many insist upon that erroneous connotation:

















This ends this post and all below here is my signature.

[Droopy]

82. Good post

[Catherine Vincent]

95. Ditto!

[Withywindle]

101. Sums it up for me...I like the witch kitsch!

I've been Pagan for 16 years, and I've been making the lewd broomstick jokes long, long before Harry Potter. Hence the avatar: it makes me smile.

[Straight Shooter]

54. I guess my avatar is Satanic because Conyers is going to give bush hell.

:evilgrin:

[achtung_circus]

55. So I worship pigs,

what's the deal?

I'm following in the steps of that great American Homer Simpson.

"Right, Lisa, bacon, sausage and ham from one animal, a magical animal."

[BiggJawn]

56. The guy on my Bicycle....

..He doesn't go to church.
How do I know this? Because neither do I, and I post on Sundays and Wednesday evenings, and there he is, right up in the corner....

Since the person who told you that has been "Stoned", consider the source.

[Solly Mack]

57. Someone is bad-mouthing my fish?

well, fuck'em

[Crunchy Frog]

60. I guess it could be possible to see a picture of Texas as satanic.

Maybe they've got something there.:shrug:

[WildEyedLiberal]

102. OMG, Tolkien wrote FANTASY books!

Wit' WIZARDS n' MAGIC n' ELVES n' all that stuff!

:P I bet half the freepers don't know J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout Catholic. Or maybe they do, but don't care that his works inspired D&D, which they DO consider Satanic, paradoxically. Man, if I were a freeper, my head would explode.

How are you, Crunchy?

[cestpaspossible]

62. Maybe he meant all the Wes Clark avatars?

[Chovexani]

63. LOL

My avatar is just a Japanese gothic drag queen. Though they'd probably think that's satanic. :crazy:

Yeah, it's probably the pentacle he's talking about. People are very ignorant and assume it has to do with Satanism, which it doesn't. But people who are prone to think that are usually the same ones who think Wicca = Satanism anyway (which, of course, it's not).

[Hubert Flottz]

65. Things like 'Pet Goats' can be satanic!

Remember that 'My Pet Goat' book, that Bush reads to all the little innocent hearted first graders? Well a GOAT is a satanic symbol! Here's what I mean...

snip>

Goat Head - The horned goat, goat of mendes, Baphomet, god of the witches, the scapegoat. It's a Satanists way of mocking Jesus as the "Lamb" who died for our sins.

http://www.exposingsatanism.org/signsymbols.htm

Well we know for sure Bush is always looking for a "Scapegoat"!

****** ****** ******

Religious Symbol Dictionary


An illustrated glossary of symbols relating to religion, magick, mysticism, mythology and the occult. Hundreds of symbols, glyphs, signs and emblems illustrated and defined.

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/blsymbols.htm

[Maraya1969]

66. My Avatar has been scared of theses people for some time now

[Lex]

67. Hmmm . . .

My avatar is definitely Satanic. Something about Eve and the Serpent . . .

(okay, it's a stretch, but who knows how the fundie mind works anyway)

[merh]

68. topo gigio, satanic?

They discovered the truth, they know the secret! :freak: The little mouse used for years to reach out to the millions who watched Ed Sullivan, who closed his segment with "give a kiss Eddie", is just an evil tool, using love to reach out to millions, innocence that hides a more evil purpose! Bhhhhwwaahhhhhhaaaaaaaa! :sarcasm:

I think the former poster has some issues! :crazy:

[Zero Division]

69. Many people are completely ignorant of the meanings of the Pentacle

Here's a good link on the subject: http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_pent.htm

The Pentacle that many DUers use to signify their Neopagan or Wiccan beliefs is this Pentacle:

The form of Pentacle that those who refer to themselves as Satanists use is the Inverted Pentacle:

It is the Inverted Pentacle which is used as a symbol of evil/destruction.

But, of course, any kind of non-mainstream religious symbol is often seen as "satanic" in the minds of fundamentalist/conservative Christians.

Ironically, the stars on the GOP Elephant symbol are often seen oriented downward like the star in the Satanic Pentacle:
I find this, of course, to be quite hilarious and appropriate.

[Dervill Crow]

71. OMG, what a great observation!

"Ironically, the stars on the GOP Elephant symbol are often seen oriented downward like the star in the Satanic Pentacle:
I find this, of course, to be quite hilarious and appropriate."

I never noticed that. How funny.

[cestpaspossible]

73. It's not irony, it's a secret message nt

[merh]

99. Holy Moly!

What a great observation! Thanks for sharing this with us.

I agree with you, it is very appropriate! :eyes:

[Dervill Crow]

70. Silly man.

He probably means the pentacles and eyes of Horus that are pretty common around here. Nothing satanic about either one of them unless you get your information about non-Christian religions from Law and Order or the X-Files.

If everyone who wears a pentacle is a satanist, then everyone who wears a cross plays with snakes and believes in faith healers.

Feh!

[ikojo]

74. I have Yoda....is he considered to be Satanic?

He's a Jedi Master!

The Force is strong in him...

[Left Is Write]

76. They do? Funny, I never noticed.

I wonder if anything about my lips and teeth is Satanic...

[swag]

96. Only in the most delightful way.

[jandrok]

77. True. The Debbil made me choose the 'Stros avatar.

And sure enough, the Stros's season has gone to hell.

[Lauri16]

78. Damn those Unions

:)

[FuzzySlippers]

79. Yep. Everyone knows the bunny rabbit

is one of Satan's familiars.:eyes:

[SmokingJacket]

80. Mine's one.

See: that's not wine.

It's BLOOOOOODDDDD!

[SnohoDem]

81. Apparently he doesn't.

Have any clues, that is.

My avatar is a 'snowflake baby' from outer space.

[hyphenate]

83. There are many diverse icons

out there that pertain to more than one thing. Some gamers might put an avatar that has nothing to do with occult or "Satanic" subjects except for the games they enjoy playing; an upright pentagram is a wiccan symbol, and NOT a "Satanic" one; some people are members of Elks, Freemasons or other club groups; some people enjoy archaeologically based symbols, especially Egyptian, Roman, Greek, Sumerian, etc. cultural icons, etc.

Fact is, "Satanism" has absolutely NOTHING-ZERO-ZILCH-NADA to do with Wicca. "Satanism" comes from Christian religions, worshipping the "Fallen Angel." Wicca, as both a lifestyle and belief system, is based on earth traditions and has more to do with Paganism than anything Xtian based.

I don't think there are extraordinarily more of religious symbology in the icons at DU than there are of past patriots, modern patriots, cats, dogs, paperclips or any other miscellaneous items. :)

[leftofthedial]

85. yours is evil

but I don't think it's satanic

[bertha katzenengel]

86. Cats in hats?! OF THE DEVIL!

Don't be fooled by that "halo" on that hat, Believers!

[ghostsofgiants]

112. Well the Cat in the Hat did wreak some pretty fierce havoc...

Clearly a tool of the devil.

[AntiCoup2K4]

87. I'm sure the one they're all paranoid about is....

This little guy --->

But he's only really Satanic if you're a Microsoft employee.

And in that case, so is the little penguin. :evilgrin:

[Kathleen04]

89. Beware!

Of my evil pitchfork!!..er, palm tree... }(

[lumberingbear]

90. I don't think....

my lovable lumbering bear is a wiccan. But it would be ok if he is.

[baldguy]

91. I do.

[Trajan]

93. HE is close ....

John actually said something about being bigger than Jesus ...

I think he meant in album sales during the years 1964-1968 ....

Btw ? .. ANYONE can say ANYTHING ... doesnt mean it is true ....

[Evergreen Emerald]

94. Maybe he is talking about the cowbell

SOMEBODY GIVE US SOME COWBELL!

[Arkana]

97. Well, I can see how my homicidal little South Park guy

might scare some dumbass Freep.

[lpbk2713]

98. Well ...... I suppose so.

I guess a freeper type might consider my avatar satanic or diabolical. Tough shit.

[qnr]

100. Must be that Penguin Lust n/t

[elshiva]

104. Penguin Lust is beautiful! It's Penguin Lust Pride month!

[elshiva]

103. HoHo announced today that Dems are the white satanist party.

;)

[Bride of Cthulhu]

105. of course we can't forget

my husband the Great Cthulhu! :evilgrin:

[Heidi]

106. Like my avatar?

It's a scanned, then grayscaled, image of my face! Spoooooky, huh? :scared:

[TrogL]

107. Fundies think everything is satanic

including cat posts and cat avatars.

They probably consider my Linux penguin anamistic and hence satanic.

[pinniped]

109. This apple represents the evil apple Adam bit because...

the serpent made him do it.

[wickerwoman]

110. Mine actually is satanic,

but $20 says your former poster couldn't tell me why.

[NeoTraitors]

111. Only people that post 'Cubs lose! Cubs lose!'

would find my avatar satanic. But there seem to be a few of them on here.

[NMMNG]

113. Those people can find the occult/satanic in a saltine cracker

:eyes:

[Spacemom]

115. Most Likely it is in reference to all the pentagrams

More proof that we're all suppose to be Christians here in Murika!:sarcasm:

Mine is the triple Goddess. Anyone with their head outside of their asshole knows that is NOT "The Occult" or "Satanism."

[tjwmason]

117. Mine is the emblem of true religion

(That's the England cricket team in case you didn't know.)