In 1992, while travelling the world, Sheena Curtis learnt of the religion she was to become a member of for the rest of her life. Attracted by its message of taking responsibility “for one’s own actions and choices”, Curtis — a self-described introvert without any connection to the faith — read the entire writings of the founder. Nevertheless, she is not open about her faith, using private groups on Facebook to connect with other members.
On the surface, this is a well worn story of self-discovery. However, Curtis wasn’t joining a Buddhist convert in Nepal, but the Church of Satanism. And she’s one of only a handful of women to do so.
According to the 2016 Australian census, 61 per cent — or about 14 million people — have some form of religious or spiritual belief. Women are overrepresented amongst the faithful, making up 53 per cent of believers.
This is not true of Satanism, which is one of the most male dominated religions in the country. Men made up almost 70% of the 2440 self-identified Satanists in Australia in the 2016 census.
The Satanism of film and literature is one of goat-sacrificing and ‘Rosemary’s Baby’-esque antichrist birthing. In reality, most Satanists are atheists wrapped in a metal album cover, trying to shock people into rejecting religion. Satanists don’t worship Satan; they see him as a symbol of rebellion.
Satanism is not a religion many people are born into: only 69 people aged between 0–9 were Satanists in 2016. Instead, people come to Satanism later in life, rejecting mainstream religious doctrine.
So while the number of female Satanists have grown from a paltry 24 per cent in 2006, there is still a substantial gap, despite Satanic Australia, one of the largest Satanic organisations in the country, campaigning for women’s “bodily autonomy”. So why haven’t women joined?
According to Gary Bouma, Professor of Sociology at Monash University, gendered breakdowns of religion are tricky. When asked why women have not joined religions like Satanism, Bouma said that this issue “has plagued social scientists forever”. Bouma said many potential female Satanists may be attracted to other faiths, such as Wiccans, suggesting that certain religious symbolism may be more attractive to a particular gender over the other.
Leon Bael, a spokesperson and founder of Satanic Australia, doesn’t believe there is a gap at all. “I have not noticed such a sharp split between genders, and it seems to be pretty even,” Bael explained.
He said the 2,440 Satanist number is inflated, as many “who put ‘Satanist’ in the census were probably just doing it for a joke.” Satanic Australia, for example, only has 281 likes on their Facebook page.
Curtis, however, believes there is a gender gap. She says the only reason more women haven’t joined is because of “old Christian stigmas, the idiotic idea that you as a female will be treated as an object or sexually assaulted in evil rituals”.
“I believe most women are tied to an ideal of anything which appears ‘dark’ should be avoided. Only ‘bad or cheap’ girls are associated with Satanic imagery,” Curtis said.
But for now Curtis, who lists her job as ‘Demon Hunter’ for a World of Warcraft faction on Facebook, will have to celebrate the liberating spirit of Satan with a bunch of dudes.
