LaVeyan Satanism, often referred to simply as Satanism among most adherents, was founded in 1966 by Anton LaVey. Its teachings are based on individualism, self-control and "eye for an eye" morality. Drawing influences from the rituals and ceremonies of occultist Aleister Crowley and the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche and Ayn Rand. Employing Crowley's terminology, its adherents define Satanism as a "Left-Hand Path" religion and philosophy, rejecting traditional "Right-Hand Path" religions such as Christianity and Wicca for their perceived denial of life, and, as in Christianity, emphasis on abstinence and unnecessary guilt. Unlike Theistic Satanism, LaVeyan Satanism does not involve the literal worship of any being other than the self, but rather uses "Satan" as a symbol of carnality and earthly values, of man's inherent nature, and of a cosmos which Satanists perceive to be permeated and motivated by a force that has been given many names by man over the course of time. Anton LaVey established Satanism's first and largest religious organization, the Church of Satan, in 1966, and codified Satanic beliefs and practices in ''The Satanic Bible'' in 1969. The Church of Satan acknowledges that there are many Satanists around the world, including both members and non-members. It often rejects the legitimacy of any other organizations of Satanists, dubbing them reverse-Christians, pseudo-Satanists or Devil worshippers. Although exact numbers are not known, conservative estimates estimate the number of adherents to run into the thousands.

History

On Walpurgisnacht of 1966, Anton LaVey began the Church of Satan. Beforehand, he had given lectures from his home, the infamous Black House, charging two dollars for admittance. He formed a "Magic Circle" with his closest associates. It was soon suggested to LaVey that he had enough material to start an organized religion.

The Church of Satan attracted a great deal of publicity. Its use of nude women as altars, and performances of a Satanic wedding and funeral service, brought it much attention. Anton LaVey shaved his head and wore a white clerical collar, sometimes even wearing horns to complete the image of the Devil incarnate. His flamboyant personality attracted many followers and admirers.

In 1969, LaVey published ''The Satanic Bible'', which, even to this day, remains the most authoritative literature on the subject of Satanism, outlining the basic concepts, philosophy and rituals of the religion. A companion book, ''The Satanic Rituals'', published in 1972, presents an array of rituals associated with Satanism throughout the ages, but not necessarily central to the Church's belief system. LaVey also released other literature to further expand on the ideology, namely ''The Satanic Witch'' (previously published as ''The Compleat Witch''), and 2 essay anthologies: ''The Devil's Notebook'' and ''Satan Speaks!''

Since its inception, many individuals sought to recreate LaVey's success by founding comparable organizations claiming the throne of "true" Satanism, but most were short-lived and ceased within a few years. Some, however, have sustained themselves. Those departing gave reasons for their break including differences in ideology, or a rejection of a perceived commercialization of the institution as led by LaVey. One example is the Temple of Set, which, in 1975, was led by former Church of Satan member Michael Aquino, citing, among other things, disagreement with LaVey's worldly atheism. Aquino believed in a living deity, whom he called Set.

The other major organization affiliated with LaVeyan ideology is the First Satanic Church, founded in 1999 by Anton LaVey's daughter, Karla LaVey. She argues that, after her father's death, the church moved away from his original ''modus operandi'', and shifted towards a commercial money making machine. Thus, the First Satanic Church can be considered a re-founding of the original, although the leaders of the LaVeyan Church have often distanced themselves from Karla LaVey since.

Today, the Church of Satan promotes itself as the only representation of LaVeyan Satanism, and it routinely publishes materials underscoring this contention.

Beliefs

In ''The Satanic Bible'', Anton LaVey describes Satan as a motivating and balancing dark force in nature. Satan is also described as being the "Black Flame", representing a person's own inner personality and desires. Satan is seen as synonymous with the nature and even, metaphorically, with certain conceptions of a supreme deity or God.

In his most important essay, ''"Satanism: The Feared Religion"'', the Church of Satan's current leader Peter H. Gilmore states:

Satan is said to appear in mythology and literature around the world as a trickster, rebel, and classical figure seeking the destruction or slavery of man. Figures such as the Greek Prometheus are said to perfectly exemplify the qualities of Satan, the prideful rebel. Satan is seen as the powerful individual who acts regardless of what others might say. Also, the word ''satan'' is derived from the Hebrew for "adversary" or "accuser" (''ha-satan''). Thus, combining the traditional rebellious imagery associated with Satan and other relative deities, together with the etymological aspect of the word itself, Satanists claim to be adversaries of mainstream religious practices and behaviour which they define as "herd conformity", seeing it as stifling to individuality, creativity, and progress.

Satanists do not believe that Satan is a god or god-like force; rather, the function of God is performed and satisfied by the Satanist him/herself. That is, the needs of worship, ritual, and religious or spiritual focus are directed, effectively, inwards towards the Satanist, as opposed to outwards towards a God. Religious acknowledgement and spiritualism are focal to a person's developement and continued well-being, but should not be sourced from true belief in a deity.

LaVey proposes, instead, that if all gods are creations of humans, worship of an external deity is worship of its creator by proxy. He suggests, then, that the rational Satanists should instead internalize their gods and therefore worship themselves; hence the Satanic maxim, "I am my own god."

It follows that Satanism shuns the idea of belief in all other deities as well. Belief in any such externalized deities is generally considered grounds for excluding someone as a Satanist, and devil worship in particular is considered nothing more than a misguided inversion of Christianity, the practitioners of which being regarded as on par with Christians or other practitioners of the 'Right-Hand Path', instead of Satanists.

Philosophy

Fundamental individualism

Central is the idea that an individual must enforce their own meaning on life and rise above the perceived conformity of the masses. The Satanist is seen as equivalent to Friedrich Nietzsche's ''Übermensch''; LaVey claimed "Satanists are born, not made" and that "[Satanists] have a disease called independence that needs to be recognized just like alcoholism." There are progressive and libertarian elements here; diversity is encouraged, everyone is expected to discover his/her own sexuality, chart his own personality, and decide their own ambitions in life. In this stress on individuality, Satanism is considered a "Left-Hand Path" religion.

Satanism and self-transformation

Adherents to "life-denying" religions are often regarded as self-abnegating in their devotion to their own servility. LaVey's Satanic creed views religion as promoting an impersonal relationship with what the churches referred to as "God". Satanism was presented as an opportunity to self-identify with one's own concept of God. Great attention was paid to details gleaned from noir films like ''White Heat'' and ''The Big Sleep'' in creating one's ideal Self from deliberately invoked forms. Satanism encourages a follower of the religion to grow throughout their life as they see fit.

Satanic Virtue

Lex Talionis, or "The Law of Reprisal" (from the Latin ''lex''/''legis'' (f.), "law", and ''talio'', ''-onis'' (f.), "retaliation", "rejoinder") informed much of LaVey's Satanic formulation. "Do unto others as they do unto you" supplanted the directive to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", so that you are only to give compassion and sympathy to those who deserve it. It is a reactive rule, compared with the Christian proactive rule; by the rule, love, compassion, and sympathy are not to be wasted upon "ingrates"; these are to be given only to those who the practitioner feels deserves them. The religion of Satanism, as LaVey espouses it, is centered almost exclusively upon the concept of being one's own god; as such, values and attachments such as love, affection, and caring, along with opposing concepts such as hate and wrath, are to be disseminated at the discretion of the individual Satanist. As such, it is the individual's responsibility (and not that of a god, or the fault of any devil) to both justify and accept the consequences of their actions. LaVey felt that intelligent and strong people spent too much time caring for psychic vampires — weak individuals who always demanded attention and care, yet would never give any back. He taught that Satanists should strive to remove themselves as much as possible from such people in order to live in accordance to their instincts and individual wills.

The Nine Satanic Statements

# Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence # Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams # Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit # Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates # Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek # Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires # Satan represents man as just another animal (sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all fours), who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all. # Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification # Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

# Do not give opinions or advice unless you are asked. # Do not tell your troubles to others unless you are sure they want to hear them. # When in another’s home, show them respect or else do not go there. # If a guest in your home annoys you, treat them cruelly and without mercy. # Do not make sexual advances unless you are given the mating signal. # Do not take that which does not belong to you, unless it is a burden to the other person and they cry out to be relieved. # Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained. # Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself. # Do not harm young children. # Do not kill non-human animals unless you are attacked or for your food. # When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them.

The Nine Satanic Sins

1. Stupidity—The top of the list for Satanic Sins. The Cardinal Sin of Satanism. It’s too bad that stupidity isn’t painful. Ignorance is one thing, but our society thrives increasingly on stupidity. It depends on people going along with whatever they are told. The media promotes a cultivated stupidity as a posture that is not only acceptable but laudable. Satanists must learn to see through the tricks and cannot afford to be stupid.

2. Pretentiousness—Empty posturing can be most irritating and isn’t applying the cardinal rules of Lesser Magic. On equal footing with stupidity for what keeps the money in circulation these days. Everyone’s made to feel like a big shot, whether they can come up with the goods or not.

3. Solipsism—Can be very dangerous for Satanists. Projecting your reactions, responses and sensibilities onto someone who is probably far less attuned than you are. It is the mistake of expecting people to give you the same consideration, courtesy and respect that you naturally give them. They won’t. Instead, Satanists must strive to apply the dictum of “Do unto others as they do unto you.” It’s work for most of us and requires constant vigilance lest you slip into a comfortable illusion of everyone being like you. As has been said, certain utopias would be ideal in a nation of philosophers, but unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, from a Machiavellian standpoint) we are far from that point.

4. Self-deceit—It’s in the “Nine Satanic Statements” but deserves to be repeated here. Another cardinal sin. We must not pay homage to any of the sacred cows presented to us, including the roles we are expected to play ourselves. The only time self-deceit should be entered into is when it’s fun, and with awareness. But then, it’s not self-deceit!

5. Herd Conformity—That’s obvious from a Satanic stance. It’s all right to conform to a person’s wishes, if it ultimately benefits you. But only fools follow along with the herd, letting an impersonal entity dictate to you. The key is to choose a master wisely instead of being enslaved by the whims of the many.

6. Lack of Perspective—Again, this one can lead to a lot of pain for a Satanist. You must never lose sight of who and what you are, and what a threat you can be, by your very existence. We are making history right now, every day. Always keep the wider historical and social picture in mind. That is an important key to both Lesser and Greater Magic. See the patterns and fit things together as you want the pieces to fall into place. Do not be swayed by herd constraints—know that you are working on another level entirely from the rest of the world.

7. Forgetfulness of Past Orthodoxies—Be aware that this is one of the keys to brainwashing people into accepting something new and different, when in reality it’s something that was once widely accepted but is now presented in a new package. We are expected to rave about the genius of the creator and forget the original. This makes for a disposable society.

8. Counterproductive Pride—That first word is important. Pride is great up to the point you begin to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The rule of Satanism is: if it works for you, great. When it stops working for you, when you’ve painted yourself into a corner and the only way out is to say, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, I wish we could compromise somehow, then do it.

9. Lack of Aesthetics—This is the physical application of the Balance Factor. Aesthetics is important in Lesser Magic and should be cultivated. It is obvious that no one can collect any money off classical standards of beauty and form most of the time so they are discouraged in a consumer society, but an eye for beauty, for balance, is an essential Satanic tool and must be applied for greatest magical effectiveness. It’s not what’s supposed to be pleasing—it’s what is. Aesthetics is a personal thing, reflective of one’s own nature, but there are universally pleasing and harmonious configurations that should not be denied.

Magic

Magic, as practiced in LaVeyan Satanism, is defined in The Book of Belial of ''The Satanic Bible'' as "the change in situations or events in accordance with one's will, which would [sic], using normally accepted methods, be unchangeable". This definition incorporates two broadly distinguished kinds of Magic: ''Lesser'' (manipulative and situational) and ''Greater'' (ritual and ceremonial). LaVeyan Satanism, however, does not describe Magic moralistically by discerning "White" (good) or "Black" (evil) varieties. Such neutrality correlates with Anton LaVey's philosophical view of an impersonal, and therefore amoral, universe.

Lesser Magic

Lesser Magic is a system of manipulation that incorporates one or more of three main psychological themes: ''sex'', ''sentiment'', and ''wonder''. The first theme is virtually self-explanatory – sexual seduction is the main aim of the working; the term "sentiment" refers to ideas or impressions of innocence or those inspiring contentment, compassion, or even amusement; and "wonder" oftentimes denotes ideas of austerity and awe or impressions provoking fear or submissiveness on the part of the recipient. But these themes can be combined, when appropriate, to multiply psychological impact by increasing the number of complex and simultaneous emotional responses from the recipient. To build his theories concerning Lesser Magic, Anton LaVey seems to have taken inspiration, at least partly, from ''The Command to Look'' by photographer William Mortensen and to have capitalized on its strategies, thus prompting the practicing Satanist to expand on whichever of the three major themes he (or she) seems to naturally exhibit.

LaVey later expanded his system of manipulation in ''The Satanic Witch''. The book was written from the woman's perspective because LaVey believed that women could more fully apply his concepts, but much of the book can be applied by men also. He relates ideas worked out from watching the proprietors of carnival stalls and fortune tellers in their manipulation of customers. The Satanic Witch also proposes The LaVey Synthesizer Clock, a form of somatotyping that adds a fourth body type, the "feminine." The synthesizer is used in identification of personality in order to know how best to manipulate a person through traits often associated with their types and what LaVey referred to as their "demonic" personality, or their opposite on the clock.

Greater Magic

Greater Magic involves ritual and ceremony in order to focus one's emotional energy for a specific purpose. Satanic ritual is highly variable, with a basic format given in ''The Satanic Bible.'' Satanists are encouraged to use whatever props and means suit their immediate emotional and psychological needs in order to bring their workings to an exhausting and complete climax. It must be noted that the Church of Satan claims that a mastery of Lesser Magic will contribute to a mastery of Greater Magic.

The LaVeyan Satanic ritual is referred to as an "intellectual decompression chamber." Careful planning of the ritual form according to ''rational'' considerations of what means and props are most effective is executed ''before'' the rites begin, but during the ritual, skepticism and disbelief are willfully suspended, thus allowing the magicians to fully express their sexual or other emotional needs and frustrations, holding nothing back regarding their true and deep feelings. Also, it is notable that Satanism acknowledges that a Greater Magic working is much more likely to succeed with a few Satanists who are committed emotionally to and focussed on what they are doing than with a throng who may all be distracted.

Greater Magic, like Lesser, employs one or more of three major psychoemotive themes: ''lust'' (sex), ''compassion'' (sentiment), and ''destruction'' (wonder). LaVey elaborates on methods for focussing these motivations. Lust rituals can involve masturbation, with orgasm as the goal. Compassion rituals are designed to evoke overwhelming pathos or sadness, and crying is strongly encouraged. Destruction rites involve the symbolic annihilation of an enemy through the use of "vicarious" human sacrifice often involving a customized effigy representing the intended victim which is then put through ritual fire, smashing, or other representation of obliteration. Greater Magic also resembles Lesser in the possibility of combining more than one of the three broad themes of emotion, when appropriate, in order to maximize the success of the working. In any case, full and exhausting self-expression is encouraged for productive Satanic ritual.

Much emphasis is placed on evocation and music. The last part of ''The Satanic Bible'' is dedicated to invocations and the nineteen Enochian Keys, originally written by John Dee. Music is encouraged because it is said to easily manipulate one's emotions, which contributes to the overall success of the rituals.

The Black Mass

The "Black Mass", a symbolic opposition of the church used in the past, is not used in the current day by Satanists, as Anton LaVey explained in an interview with Occult America: He did not, however, go along with the dramatization of evil as performed in the original Black Mass. “Those,” he explained, “were psychodramas at a time when people needed them. They had to express their opposition, their rebellion against an established church. Our rituals are suitably modified to express the needs of our particular era."

Anton LaVey stated in ''The Satanic Bible'' (The chapter in the Book of Lucifer entitled ''The Black Mass''):

LaVey went on to call it a redundancy, and it is commonly misinterpreted that the Church of Satan has performed actual Black Masses, however using baby-fat candles and kissing the devil's buttocks (both are common practices outlined in the chapter) would be both contradictory and hypocritical for a Satanist to do. In 1966 Anton LaVey held a magic circle, or coven, at his home for a charge before shaving his head and announcing Anno Satanas. Afterwards, the prominent members of The Church of Satan held 'High Mass' on Friday nights at The Black House, as verified in the Occult America interview aforementioned.

Satanic holidays

The most important holiday in Satanism is one's own birthday, as it is the birthdate of one's own god. This is a reminder that the Satanist, committed to true "vital existence", should consider himself (or herself) the most important person in his own life. LaVey recommends that a Satanist celebrate his own birthday in any way he chooses, with as much pomp and ceremony as he sees fit. The Satanic celebration of one's birthday can thus be seen as something of a "Black Mass", by redirecting to oneself the sanctimony and celebration typically reserved for the many "high holy days" commemorating the births of key gods or saints in other religions.

Three Satanic holidays are named by Anton LaVey in ''The Satanic Bible'' but are not considered sacred.

One among these holidays is Walpurgisnacht, which in addition to the occult significance the date carries, also marks the formation of the Church of Satan in the year 1966, or I A. S. (Anno Satanas, "In the year of Satan"). This date is commonly celebrated by Satanists with private or group rituals, and private parties or family celebrations to commemorate the foundation of the Church of Satan.

LaVey also mentions the summer and winter solstices, and the spring and fall equinoxes as lesser holidays. These are likewise often celebrated by ritual or private party. However, they are sometimes also used to substitute popular holidays that Satanists wish to avoid imparting a Christian overtone to but still wish to celebrate in some form.

Halloween is very commonly celebrated by Satanists, but typically there is far less occult significance attached to the date by Satanists than the public might imagine. Halloween is a popular date for both private and group ritual ceremonies, but also a popular date for Satanists to hold private parties for no other purpose than to enjoy the dark fun that is commonly celebrated on that date by the public at large. If anything, Satanists seem to take a sense of irony and humor in the holiday.

Satanism does not specifically forbid the celebration of any holidays or festivals held by other cultures or even other religions. For example, Hispanic Satanists may celebrate Day of The Dead and Chinese Satanists may celebrate Chinese New Year. Entirely secular holidays are commonly celebrated by Satanists either for personal reasons or merely as an excuse to have a good time. It is not entirely uncommon for Satanists to even celebrate overtly Christian holidays such as Christmas, though the religious trappings are generally stripped from the holiday, secularizing it. Many Satanists, however, either transfer such holidays as Christmas to the Winter Solstice and either place a darker spin on it or secularize it entirely, or decline to celebrate such holidays altogether.

Of recent note, June 6, 2006 marked a Satanic High Mass in Hollywood, California by the Church of Satan. This celebration was by invitation only and limited to 100 attendees, and was held in large part to mock the superstitious fear of the date by the public. The date 06/06/06 does not hold special religious significance in Satanism, nor does the number 666. The event was documented, and many members of the Church of Satan were interviewed, by the BBC with permission.

See also

The Church of Satan

First Satanic Church

Anton LaVey

Peter H. Gilmore

Karla LaVey

The Satanic Bible

The Satanic Rituals

The Satanic Scriptures

Church of Satan Book

Satanism: An interview with Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore

References

External links

Official Church of Satan website

Religious Tolerance Official Page on The Church of Satan

Description, Philosophies and Justification of Satanism

An Introduction to Satanism: Theology, Philosophy, and Practice

Category:Satanism Category:Occult Category:Philosophical movements Category:Self religions

bg:Сатанизъм на Ла Вей cs:LaVeyův satanismus fr:Satanisme LaVeyen it:Satanismo di LaVey lt:LaVey satanizmas hu:LaVey-i sátánizmus nl:Modern Satanisme pl:Satanizm laveyański pt:Satanismo LaVey ru:Сатанизм Ла-Вея sv:LaVey-satanism tr:LaVeyan Satanizm

Diane HegartyBlanche Barton | partner = | children =Karla LaVey (b. 1952)Zeena LaVey (b. 1963)Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey (b. 1993) | parents = | relatives = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} Anton Szandor LaVey (April 11, 1930 – October 29, 1997), born Howard Stanton Levey, was the founder of the Church of Satan as well as a writer, occultist, and musician. He was the author of ''The Satanic Bible'' and the founder of LaVeyan Satanism, a synthesized system of his understanding of human nature and the insights of philosophers who advocated materialism and individualism, for which he claimed no supernatural or theistic inspiration.

Biography

Ancestry and early life

LaVey was born as Howard Stanton Levey in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Michael Joseph Levey, was a liquor distributor from Omaha, Nebraska. His grandfather, Leon Levy, was born in Paris, France and immigrated to Douglas County, Nebraska in 1886, where he married Louisville-native Emma Goldsmith on October 23, 1888. Anton's mother, Gertrude Augusta Coultron, was born to a Russian father and Ukrainian mother who immigrated to Ohio in 1893, and both became naturalized American citizens in 1900. According to his biography, his ancestry includes Georgian, French, Russian, Ukrainian, Alsatian, German, and Romanian.

His family soon moved to California, where he spent most of his early life in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in Globe, Arizona. His parents supported his musical development as he tried various instruments, his favorite being keyboards such as the pipe organ and the calliope. He did some covers of instrumentals like Harlem Nocturne by Earle Hagen.

LaVey's biography tells of his dropping out of Globe High School in his junior year to join a circus and carnivals, first as a roustabout and cage boy in an act with the big cats, later as a musician playing the calliope. LaVey later noted that seeing many of the same men attending both the bawdy Saturday night shows and the tent revival meetings on Sunday mornings reinforced his increasingly cynical view of religion. He later had stints as an organist in bars, lounges, and nightclubs. In the foreword to the German version of the satanic bible he cites this as the very impetus to defy Christian religion as he knows it. He accuses the church goers to be people employing double moral standards. While playing organ in Los Angeles burlesque houses, he reportedly had a brief affair with the then-unknown Marilyn Monroe as she was dancing at the Mayan Theater. This claim has been challenged by those who knew Monroe at the time, as well as the manager of the Mayan, Paul Valentine, who stated that she had never been one of his dancers, nor had the theater ever been used as a burlesque house or for "bump and grind" shows.

According to his biography, LaVey moved back to San Francisco where he worked for three years as a photographer for the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD). He dabbled as a psychic investigator, looking into "800 calls" referred to him by the police department. Later biographers questioned whether LaVey ever worked with the SFPD, as there are no records substantiating the claim. During this period La Vey was friends with a number of writers associated with ''Weird Tales'' magazine; a picture of him with George Haas, Robert Barbour Johnson (whom he had met in the circus as an animal trainer and painter of carnival scenes) and Clark Ashton Smith appears in Blanche Barton's biography ''The Secret Life of a Satanist''.

In 1950, LaVey met Carole Lansing and they married the following year. Lansing gave birth to LaVey's first daughter, Karla LaVey, born in 1952. They divorced in 1960 after LaVey became entranced by Diane Hegarty. Hegarty and LaVey never married; however, she was his companion for many years and mothered his second daughter, Zeena Galatea LaVey, in 1963. At the end of their relationship, Hegarty sued for palimony.

Beginnings as a Satanist

Becoming a local celebrity through his paranormal research and live performances as an organist, including playing the Wurlitzer at the Lost Weekend cocktail lounge, he attracted many San Francisco notables to his parties. Guests included Carin de Plessin, Michael Harner, Chester A. Arthur III, Forrest J. Ackerman, Fritz Leiber, Dr. Cecil E. Nixon, and Kenneth Anger.

In 1951 LaVey sought out a new unintentional hypocrisy branch of the 'Order of Thelema' (i.e. Ordo Templi Orientis) in Berkeley. He was reportedly disappointed to find them so mystically-minded. A few years earlier he had ordered most of hooked on phonics from his American follower John Whiteside Parsons. When John Symond's biography of Crowley, ''The Great Beast'' came out in 1952, LaVey concluded that the Thelemites founder was a druggy poseur whose greatest achievements were as a poet and a mountain-climber.

Church of Satan

LaVey began presenting Friday night lectures on occult and rituals. A member of this circle suggested that he had the basis for a new religion. On Walpurgisnacht, April 30, 1966, he ritualistically shaved his head, allegedly "in the tradition of ancient executioners", declared the founding of the Church of Satan and proclaimed 1966 as "the year One", Anno Satanas—the first year of the Age of Satan. Media attention followed the subsequent Satanic wedding ceremony of radical journalist John Raymond to New York socialite Judith Case on February 1, 1967. ''The Los Angeles Times'' and ''San Francisco Chronicle'' were among the newspapers that printed articles dubbing him "The Black Pope". LaVey performed Satanic baptisms (including one for Zeena) and Satanic funerals (including one for naval machinist-repairman third-class Edward Olsen, complete with a chrome-helmeted honor guard), and released a record album entitled ''The Satanic Mass''.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, LaVey melded ideological influences from Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand, Aleister Crowley, H.L. Mencken, and Jack London with the ideology and ritual practices of the Church of Satan. He wrote essays introduced with reworked excerpts from Ragnar Redbeard’s ''Might is Right'' and concluded with “Satanized” versions of John Dee’s Enochian Keys to create books such as ''The Satanic Bible'', ''The Compleat Witch'' (re-released in 1989 as ''The Satanic Witch''), and ''The Satanic Rituals''. The latter book also included rituals drawing on the work of H.P. Lovecraft which were actually penned by Michael A. Aquino who would later found the Temple of Set.

Due to increasing visibility through his books, LaVey was the subject of numerous articles in the news media throughout the world, including popular magazines such as ''Look'', ''McCall's'', ''Newsweek'', and ''TIME'', and men’s magazines. He also appeared on talk shows such as Joe Pyne, Phil Donahue, and Johnny Carson, and in a feature length documentary called ''Satanis: The Devil's Mass'' in 1970.

LaVey’s third and final companion was Blanche Barton. Barton and LaVey are the parents of Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey, born November 1, 1993. She succeeded him as the head of the Church after his death, and has since stepped down from that role and handed the reins of power to Magus Peter H. Gilmore.

Death

Anton LaVey died on October 29, 1997, in St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco of pulmonary edema. He was taken to St. Mary's, a Catholic hospital, because it was the closest available. For reasons open to speculation, the time and date of his death was incorrectly (by two days) listed as the morning of Halloween on his death certificate. A secret Satanic funeral, attended by invitation only, was held in Colma. LaVey's body was cremated, with his ashes eventually divided among his heirs as part of a settlement.

LaVey related books

Books by LaVey

''The Satanic Bible'' (Avon, 1969, ISBN 0-380-01539-0)

''The Compleat Witch, or, What to do When Virtue Fails'' (Dodd, Mead, 1971, ISBN 0-396-06266-0); republished as ''The Satanic Witch'' (Feral House, 1989, ISBN 0-922915-00-8); re-released with an introduction by Peggy Nadramia, and an afterword by Blanche Barton (2003, ISBN 0-922915-84-9).

''The Satanic Rituals'' (Avon, 1972, ISBN 0-380-01392-4)

''The Devil's Notebook'' (Feral House, 1992, ISBN 0-922915-11-3)

''Satan Speaks!'', introduction by Blanche Barton, foreword by Marilyn Manson (Feral House, 1998, ISBN 0-922915-66-0)

Books featuring writings by LaVey

"Misanthropia", ''Rants and Incendiary Tracts: Voices of Desperate Illuminations 1558–Present!'', edited by Bob Black and Adam Parfrey (Amok Press and Loompanics Unlimited, 1989, ISBN 0-941693-03-1)

"The Invisible War", ''Apocalypse Culture'': Expanded & revised edition, edited by Adam Parfrey (Amok Press, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-05-9)

"Forward", ''Might is Right, or The Survival of the Fittest'' by Ragnar Redbeard, LL.D., edited by Katja Lane (M.H.P. & Co., Ltd, 1996, ISBN 0-915179-12-1)(respected the book of the dead)

Books about LaVey

''The Devil's Avenger: A Biography of Anton Szandor LaVey'' by Burton H. Wolfe (Pyramid Books, 1974, ISBN 0-515-03471-1, Out of print)

''The Black Pope'' by Burton H. Wolfe (a drastically revised and updated edition of ''The Devil's Avenger''; available at http://mindopeningbooks.com/)

''The Secret Life Of A Satanist: The Authorized Biography of Anton LaVey'' by Blanche Barton (Feral House, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-12-1)

''Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth'' by Jack Fritscher ; featuring Anton LaVey (University of Wisconsin Press : Popular Press, 2004, ISBN 0-299-20300-X, hardcover, ISBN 0-299-20304-2, paperback)

The 2009 play 'Debate' by Irish author Seán Ferrick features LaVey as a character. He is one of four witnesses in a case between God and The Devil, and events from both his life and after his death are used as evidence. He was portrayed by Mark O'Brien and Fiachra MacNamara

Recordings of Anton LaVey

''The Satanic Mass'', LP (Murgenstrumm Records, 1968; re-released on CD with one bonus track, "Hymn of the Satanic Empire, or The Battle Hymn of the Apocalypse", by Amarillo Records, 1994; Mephisto Media, 2001)

''Answer Me/Honolulu Baby'', 7" single (Amarillo Records, 1993)

''Strange Music'', 10" EP (Amarillo Records, 1994; now available through Reptilian Records)

''Satan Takes A Holiday'', CD (Amarillo Records, 1995; now available through Reptilian Records)

and all of satanic shall be killed !

See also

Satanism: An interview with Church of Satan High Priest Peter Gilmore

References

External links

Writings by LaVey

The Nine Satanic Statements

The Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth

The Nine Satanic Sins

Pentagonal Revisionism: A Five-Point Program, 1988

The World’s Most Powerful Religion

Enochian Pronunciation Guide

Letters From The Devil from ''The National Insider'', Vol. 14, No. 17, April 27, 1969.

On Occultism of the Past from ''The Cloven Hoof'', September, 1971 c.e., Volume Three, Number Nine.

Interviews with LaVey

Section concerning Anton LaVey in Chapter XII (Satan in the Suburbs) of "Occult America" by John Godwin (Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1972)

Section concerning Anton LaVey in "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sorcery, But Were Afraid to Ask" by Arlene J. Fitzgerald (Manor Books, 1973)

“Anton LaVey: America’s Satanic Master of Devils, Magic, Music, and Madness” by Walt Harrington in "The Washington Post Magazine", February 23, 1986.

“Anton LaVey / The Church of Satan Interview” by Eugene Robinson in "The Birth of Tragedy", No. 4 “The God Issue”, November 1986 - January 1987

"Dinner with the Devil: An evening with Anton Szandor LaVey, the High Priest of the Church of Satan" by Reverend Bob Johnson in "High Society", August, 1994.

"The Doctor is in......" by Shane & Amy Bugbee in "MF Magazine" #3, Summer 1997.

Interview with Anton LaVey by Michelle Carr and Elvia Lahman, originally published in the September 11, 1997 Velvet Hammer souvenir programme.

About LaVey

Anton Szandor LaVey: A Biographical Sketch by Magus Peter H. Gilmore, on the Church of Satan's official website.

Anton LaVey: Legend and Reality

Anton Lavey by Alex Burns at disinformation.

Find A Grave Entry

People of Significance entry for LaVey

Anton LaVey entry on NNDB

Short biographical sketch with particular focus on his influence on Marilyn Manson, taken from "Spin magazine" (February 1998, pg. 64).

Category:1930 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American occult writers Category:American occultists Category:American organists Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Russian descent Category:American people of Ukrainian descent Category:American Satanists Category:Church of Satan Category:Deaths from lung disease Category:Disease-related deaths in California Category:Founders of religions Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from San Francisco, California Category:Satanist religious leaders

af:Anton LaVey ar:أنتون ليفي bg:Антон Шандор Ла Вей cs:Anton Szandor LaVey da:Anton LaVey de:Anton Szandor LaVey es:Anton Szandor LaVey eo:Anton Szandor LaVey fa:آنتوان لاوی fr:Anton Szandor LaVey ko:안톤 라베이 hr:Anton LaVey id:Anton LaVey it:Anton LaVey ka:ანტონ ლავეი la:Antonius Szandor LaVey lt:Anton Szandor LaVey hu:Anton Szandor LaVey nl:Anton Szandor LaVey ja:アントン・ラヴェイ no:Anton LaVey pl:Anton Szandor LaVey pt:Anton LaVey ro:Anton Szandor LaVey ru:Ла-Вей, Антон Шандор simple:Anton LaVey sk:Anton Szandor LaVey sl:Anton LaVey sh:Anton LaVey fi:Anton LaVey sv:Anton LaVey tr:Anton Szandor LaVey zh:安东·拉维

:''For the comedy album by Vaughn Meader, see The First Family (album).''

A First Family is an unofficial title for the family of the head of state or head of government of a country (usually a republic).

A First Family usually consists of:

The head of state or head of government

The First Lady or First Gentleman

Any children of the couple

Bob Newhart played an unpopular President of the United States of America in the 1980 movie " First Family".

In the comic book series Astro City, the First Family is the name of a family of super-powered adventurers. ''First Family'' is also the title of the second novel in the Amtrak Wars series.

In the series Doctor Who, in the episode Partners in Crime, the First Family commissioned Miss Foster to create the Adipose.

The First Family is also a collection of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' fossils discovered at site "333" at Hadar in Ethiopia, near the location of another famous ''A. afarensis'', Lucy. ''A. afarensis'' is believed to be the first habitual bipedal hominid and a direct ancestor of ''Homo sapiens''. This species lived between 3.9 million to 2.9 million years ago.

See also

First Family of the United States

Category:Family Category:Political people Category:Titles

ar:عائلة أولى ko:대통령 가족 zh:第一家庭