Satanism

Part 25

Information for Prison Chaplains

Below you will find a compact version of the information available on this website. For complete information we suggest you read by Anton LaVey, by Peter H. Gilmore, and The Church of Satan by Blanche Barton. These books will give you a full grasp of the history of the Church of Satan and Satanism.

CHURCH HISTORY

Founded on April 30, 1966 in San Francisco by Anton Szandor LaVey, the Church of Satan is the first above-ground religious organization dedicated to the acceptance of Man's nature as an animal living in a cosmos that is indifferent to his existence. To Satanists, Satan is a symbol who represents pride, liberty, and individualism—qualities often defined as "Evil" by people who believe in and worship external deities. Satanism is thus not Devil worship. There is no belief in God, Satan, the soul, the supernatural or in any form of afterlife. LaVey had a background in the circus and carnival, playing both organ and calliope for the performers and even spent time as a lion tamer. He also worked freelance as a photographer for the San Francisco Police department and thus his earthy experiences led him to reject religions in general as being unrealistic in their beliefs. He saw existing religions as a means for controlling the masses, and since most people seem to want and need some sort of unearthly parental figure, he considered that most religions had been invented to meet that need.

To Satanists, Satan is a symbol who represents pride, liberty, and individualism..."

But LaVey noticed throughout history that there were iconoclastic men, creative thinkers who were not believers, such as Nietzsche, George Bernard Shaw, Mark Twain, Lord Byron, Charles Baudelaire and others, who saw Satan as not representing "Evil," but as a figure who embodied human resistance to authority, who championed the pleasures of life on earth, who saw through falsehoods and accepted the harsh realities of life. LaVey noted that there was no systematic philosophy that those bright rebels could embrace, so he set out to create it. He began with a "magic circle" of fellow free-thinkers in the late fifties and early sixties, and by the time he had concretized a religion which he even referred to as "Ayn Rand with trappings," it was 1966. Being an experienced showman he chose to announce the formation of his Church of Satan on April 30th, known traditionally as Walpurgisnacht, the night when supposedly the "forces of Darkness" held sway. He called 1966 the "Year One, Anno Satanas" using the Roman numeral one to designate that year. 2011 is thus known as XLVI A.S..

LaVey performed rituals - weddings, baptisms, and funerals - and invited the press, who found the voluptuous nude women who served as "altars of the flesh" to be sensational photo opportunities. He was often interviewed for men's magazines, and in 1969 he published , which codified his philosophy and presented rituals which were intended as cathartic psychodramas to release pent-up emotions, rather than as forms of worship. Membership then grew rapidly and thus the organization became international in scope. LaVey's philosophy was meant for motivated people who used their talents for artistic and material success, the movers and shakers of the world. Famous early members included actress Jayne Mansfield and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.. LaVey attracted a number of rock musicians who were proud to publicly claim affiliation, amongst whom were King Diamond, Marc Almond, and Marilyn Manson.

LaVey remained the head of his organization until his death, writing books, recording his organ playing, and being the subject of several video documentaries. These are detailed on the official home page of the Church of Satan (www.churchofsatan.com). At the time of his death on 29 October, 1997, Anton LaVey left the Church of Satan under the command of Magistra Blanche Barton—his consort, mother of his third child, Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey, and chief administrative officer of the Church for the preceding 15 years who at that time was the officially appointed High Priestess. Anton LaVey took the survival of his Church seriously, and had appointed individuals to his Priesthood who could articulate the philosophy and who also had personal success outside of Satanism. So this Priesthood—along with the administrative bodies of the Order of the Trapezoid and the Council of Nine—continued working with Magistra Barton to maintain the Church of Satan. Its mission was (and still remains) the work of transmitting the philosophy worldwide so that anyone who might be by nature a Satanist could have the chance to read the literature and discover the proper label for the type of person they are. On April 30, 2001, High Priestess Barton appointed Peter H. Gilmore as High Priest and Magus, and Peggy Nadramia as Grand Mistress of the Temple—Magistra Templi Rex. On April 30, 2002, Blanche Barton and Peggy Nadramia exchanged positions, so that Magistra Nadramia became High Priestess, and Magistra Barton Magistra Templi Rex, the chair-mistress of the Council of Nine. They all continue to hold these positions today. The headquarters for the organization moved from California to New York City in 2001.