For the record, incase you are not familiar with my beliefs, I will be speaking from an atheistic perspective.
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For atheistic Satanists, if you don't beleive in a higher power, what do you think is making the rituals work? Is it your own willpower?
It depends on the Satanist. Some believe that the spell is "pushed" by your own will power. Others believe ritual is only an emotional release or a way to fool yourself into another mindset that will improve the outcome of your actions. If you want Lavey's explaination,
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It will be said, by some, that these instructions and procedures are nothing more than applied psychology, or scientific fact, called by "magical" terminology--until they arrive at a passage in the text that is "based on no known scientific finding." It is for this reason that no attempt has been made to limit the explanations set forth to a set nomenclature. Magic is never totally scientifically explainable, but science has always been, at one time or another, considered magic.
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For both groups, is there a standard structure of ritual? In wicca you have your whole creating the circle, calling the spirits and so forth formula which you can write your own rituals around, is there any such formula for your own rituals?
It depends. First off, Satanists typically engage in two separate kinds of magic, Greater (ritual or ceremonial) and Lesser (manipulative.) Greater magic is the sort engaged in within a set aside area specifically setup and confined to enhance and promote the emotional "energies," if you will, that are essential to a successful working. You will sometimes hear this referred to as the "intellectual decompression chamber." This group includes solitary rituals or large ceremonies (which you could consider a Black Mass.) Lesser magic is the "wile and guile" employed upon an individual in person (or groups through your reputation) using props, mannerisms, odors, etc, to manipulate them in a manner which suits your goals.
Within Greater magic, there tends to be much more of a "formula" approach within large ceremonies than there are personal rituals. In ceremonies, robes may be used, gongs, cancles, etc. For a personal ritual, often anything goes which helps you achieve your own goals. Hell, I have performed a very enjoyable and successful ritual in which I used many trappings and mannerisms from Native American rituals. So, in a nutshell, yes, there is a lot of wiggle room within ritual.
Thought I would make a small appearence since I have been MIA, I'm sure everyone else will have plenty to add on the specifics.
wink