The Satanists Next Door

[rosegold]

Okay, while I’m being completely facetious about this, it’s 100% a true story. As some of you know, I’ve been apparently cursed with an excess of bad luck (especially cat illness/injury) in the past 6 months, so I’ve decided to blame it on the Satanists next door. Kinda sounds like a TLC show, doesn’t it? I’d watch it.

Long story short, I recently discovered my next door neighbors run some kind of Satanic cult out of their apartment. Yep. I’m not making this up. They chant this low, unnerving drone every night at 1am and I can hear it easily through my walls. There’ve also been other weird things happen next door, like how I’ve seen at least 10-15 different people go in and out without knowing who actually lives there, or how I always smell something burning (probably their dinner rather than a sacrificial corpse, but y’know), or how one time I heard loud arguing and something was slammed HARD against our shared wall... then silence... then creepy laughter... then more chanting.

My friend recorded the chanting when it was really loud and showed it to her Korean friend who, as soon as he heard what they were saying, looked nervous and was like, “oh, yeah, um, so they’re worshipping 마왕. My dad is pretty religious; do you want him to get you a charm of protection for your house?”

I looked up 마왕 expecting some minor deity and, well:

Oh! Okay! Cool!

Anyway, so that’s why I’m cursed. Should I make friends with them and ask them to please withdraw the curse if I promise to make my cats stop running around like wildebeest at night?

(When you think about it, though, who truly is the worse neighbor—the chanting Satanists minding their own business or the woman with noisy cats who talks to the cats loudly in a weird voice all day long? It’s still up for debate.)

 

[RajaNMizu]

My senior year of HS I pretended to be a Satanist. I needed a lab science credit so I wound up in an Earth Science class that was mostly freshman. I tended to dress in all black and had Motley Crue's album "Shout at the Devil" drawn on my notebook. My teacher, Mr. Saia, realized that I was stringing along this gullible group when they would ask me questions like "do you own the Satanic Bible?" and he decided to play along. We set up all sorts of subtle pranks for them throughout the year...the funniest one being that he brought in his HS ring and I wore it on my necklace with my boyfriend's. When they would ask I would just say "it's Robbie's" (Mr. Saia's first name). We were on a trip once and the bus broke down. Everyone was begging to go to the deli to get snacks and he told them to remain on the bus. I stood up and said "coffee, two creams no sugar?" and he said "yep" and I just sauntered off the bus. Senior year was a blast.

Sorry about your neighbors...they kinda sound like the real deal. Perhaps a little Crue to make friends? LOL

 

[mightyboosh]

Just another group worshipping thin air.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I would move.

 

[Willowy]

Actual Satanists don't believe in Satan as a literal being, so they probably aren't that. But not everyone goes with any kind of organized observance so who knows what they're getting up to. But you can rest assured you aren't cursed, and their observances have nothing to do with you .

If they're being too noisy at night, talk to them and see if they can keep it down. If they aren't nice, talk to the landlord.

 

[rosegold]

Actual Satanists don't believe in Satan as a literal being, so they probably aren't that. But not everyone goes with any kind of organized observance so who knows what they're getting up to. But you can rest assured you aren't cursed, and their observances have nothing to do with you .

If they're being too noisy at night, talk to them and see if they can keep it down. If they aren't nice, talk to the landlord.

Yeah, you’re right. It’s some kind of minor Korean cult from what I understand. Compared to the Korean cult I ran into elsewhere that tried to scam money out of me, these “Satanists” are super nice. Like I said, I’m being pretty facetious—it really doesn’t bother me. I can deal with a little chanting if they can deal with a little meowing!

 

[rosegold]

RajaNMizu Hilarious.

 

[RajaNMizu]

Hilarious.

We had sooo much fun. Undeniably the biggest group of naive freshmen that ever existed took Earth Science that year and while I'm sure Mr. Saia couldn't have played along these days, it was harmless and hysterical that they fell for all of our little jokes and we never let on.

 

[FelisCatus]

Are you afraid for your cats (or neighbours cats) safety at all? In my city they don’t adopt black cats in October because there have been stories (whether true or not) of Satanic worshippers sacrificing them. Black cat = witches familiar apparently.

 

[Willowy]

That was a myth started during the Satanic Panic of the '80s. However, some teenagers believed it and did it anyway. But mostly it's general vandalism/cruelty, because black cats are associated with Halloween.

 

[DreamerRose]

Are you afraid for your cats (or neighbours cats) safety at all? In my city they don’t adopt black cats in October. . .

Ahem. I adopted Mingo on October 29. That old canard about black cats has run its course.

 

[Elphaba09]

I get that you are joking to some extent, however, as an Atheistic Pagan Witch with several Satanic acquaintances, I hate the perpetuated stereotypes of Satanists and witches harming animals or humans. I do not know a theist witch, Pagan, or Satanist who would ever harm an animal. The majority of them that I know are vegetarians and vegans.

The tenets/rules of both the Satanic Temple and the Church of Satan specifically denounce lack of empathy and the harming of animals. "One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason" and "Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food."(CoS) Do not worry, they do not call for the killing of humans!

Yes, there are some theistic Satanist; however, the only ones that I know of that recognize the Christian "Satan" are the Duetheistic and Polytheistic Satanists who tend to follow a more Zoroastrian based path.

Are you sure it is a cult, or is it just a group of people who get together a pray in a way that you do not understand? I know what your friend said, but the definition of a cult is pretty specific, at least where sociological characteristics are concerned. Is her very religious father falling into the same mindset that caused the witch hunts and the Satanic Panic? I know the mindset from personal experience.

Cats were hunted during the Burning Times, but they were hunted by people who were afraid of witches. Seriously! If cats are witches familiars--all nine of mine are!--why would witches kill cats? If cats are Satan's messengers, as it was once believed, why would Satanists kill their messengers?

That was a myth started during the Satanic Panic of the '80s. However, some teenagers believed it and did it anyway. But mostly it's general vandalism/cruelty, because black cats are associated with Halloween.

I grew up in a staunch, Irish Catholic family during the height of the Satanic Panic. Oh my goodness! My mother believed that everything was a Satanic symbol. I mean EVERYTHING. We had to sneak to watch The Smurfs! Needless to say, me becoming a witch was horrifying for her!

 

[Elphaba09]

Are you afraid for your cats (or neighbours cats) safety at all? In my city they don’t adopt black cats in October because there have been stories (whether true or not) of Satanic worshippers sacrificing them. Black cat = witches familiar apparently.

Why would witches kill their familiars? We would not. While I do not know anything about the nameless so-called Korean Cult, there is not a single Pagan path follower (there are many paths), witch, or Satanist who is a danger to a cat based on their religious beliefs.

 

[Maria Bayote]

Reading your post is like watching a horror movie. Lol.
I would move if I were you.

 

[Margret]

IMO, the primary "Satanist" danger is from teenagers who are making it up as they go. Those are the people who are likely to be listening to all sorts of popular nonsense about Satanism, paganism, and witches.

If your neighbors are adults I think you're safe.

Margret

 

[rosegold]

I get that you are joking to some extent, however, as an Atheistic Pagan Witch with several Satanic acquaintances, I hate the perpetuated stereotypes of Satanists and witches harming animals or humans.

I 100% agree with you on this, and I’m totally joking—I sincerely apologize if my post caused any offense! I didn’t intend to and was exaggerating but I can see how my words could’ve perpetuated those things. Sorry about that.

Are you sure it is a cult, or is it just a group of people who get together a pray in a way that you do not understand? I know what your friend said, but the definition of a cult is pretty specific, at least where sociological characteristics are concerned. Is her very religious father falling into the same mindset that caused the witch hunts and the Satanic Panic? I know the mindset from personal experience.

I really have no idea and I don’t really care either way, so I never investigated it further. My friend’s friend seemed to recognize it as a specific thing. I know there are several well-known actual cults here, but I don’t know their names and it’s definitely possible (if not probable) that the friend and/or his father are just biased in that way and overreacted. I don’t think my neighbors are “Satanists” based on any definition I’ve ever heard. I assumed it was a Buddhist chant until that guy told me otherwise.

To answer the other replies, no I’ve never felt ANY danger for me or my cats or anything else. There’s no way I would move for anything like this. On the contrary I’ve gotten smiles from one of the tenants when I had kitties in a carrier in the elevator. Whoever they are and whatever they’re chanting about, it’s fine by me. Maybe I’ll ask THEM to protect me from bad luck!

 

[Willowy]

I mean EVERYTHING. We had to sneak to watch The Smurfs!

Haha, yes! I thought that was specific to my mom or our religion. I was SO amused when I found out about the Satanic Panic and how widespread it was (just a few years ago :/). I mean, we watched the Smurfs anyway; my mom didn't have the attention span to stop us for long, but she was still of the opinion that there was something Satanic about them. . .

 

[Elphaba09]

I 100% agree with you on this, and I’m totally joking—I sincerely apologize if my post caused any offense! I didn’t intend to and was exaggerating but I can see how my words could’ve perpetuated those things. Sorry about that.


I really have no idea and I don’t really care either way, so I never investigated it further. My friend’s friend seemed to recognize it as a specific thing. I know there are several well-known actual cults here, but I don’t know their names and it’s definitely possible (if not probable) that the friend and/or his father are just biased in that way and overreacted. I don’t think my neighbors are “Satanists” based on any definition I’ve ever heard. I assumed it was a Buddhist chant until that guy told me otherwise.

To answer the other replies, no I’ve never felt ANY danger for me or my cats or anything else. There’s no way I would move for anything like this. On the contrary I’ve gotten smiles from one of the tenants when I had kitties in a carrier in the elevator. Whoever they are and whatever they’re chanting about, it’s fine by me. Maybe I’ll ask THEM to protect me from bad luck!

No worries. I highly doubt that you meant any harm. As I said, I have a great deal of personal experience dealing with the misconceptions people have about witchcraft/Paganism/Satanism, typically because people think that they are all the same and that it is reflective of the Christian view of Satan.

Haha, yes! I thought that was specific to my mom or our religion. I was SO amused when I found out about the Satanic Panic and how widespread it was (just a few years ago :/). I mean, we watched the Smurfs anyway; my mom didn't have the attention span to stop us for long, but she was still of the opinion that there was something Satanic about them. . .

Haha! Nope, our Catholic community was vigilant about snuffing out Satan. My mother was especially diligent in the task. She read "Satan Seller" and "Michelle Remembers" several times and would search our house for "Satanic infiltration."The movie "Splash"? Satan. Scooby Doo? Satan. Peace sign? Satan. To this day, she credits my childhood reading as being Satan's hand guiding me away from the nunnery. (Yes, I was supposed to become a nun.)