On April 30th of 1966 a minor San Francisco celebrity, and the ringleader of a peculiar magical circle who styled himself Anton Szandor LaVey, shaved his head in a ritual he had devised, and declared it to be the first year of the Age of Satan. This was the first time a doctrine devoted to Satanism had been codified, and a Church founded in it’s name. 

Far from worshipping the Christian devil, Satanists follow the mythical example of the Prince of Darkness by worshipping themselves. As such Satan is recognised as a powerful archetype or symbolic representative of a vital force in human nature.

The personal history of LaVey, the first Black Pope, is of course shrouded in mystery, dispute, and scandal – however on one count there is no valid disagreement: Anton LaVey was the founding figure of modern Satanism. 

Although a student of occult subjects; LaVey was often critical those he dubbed “Okkultniks,” and what we tend to recognise today as occult practice. To him, witchcraft “played the devil’s game but feared to take it’s name.” He poked fun at the western misappropriation of Yoga. He was certainly sceptical of gurus, and did not spare himself in his humour. His brand of magic was based in science, and certainly often pseudoscience – as well as the findings of his own experiments within his infamous inner circle; “The Order of the Trapezoid”. 

He was more likely to call on obscure principles from photography, hypnosis, or optimal and social psychology than he was to invoke from a medieval manuscript… and it seems he got the results he was after. He saw the power in humour, and other emotion. He saw the sacred in animality, and what the ivory towers refer to as “base” nature. He was able to see the sly benefits that priests were able to obtain from beliefs conveniently foisted onto others…

..And he was able to conjure many of his worldly desires. He lived in a kooky old house, always surrounded by beautiful and powerful women, drove bizarre classic cars, associated with the kinds of people that stimulated him … and, changed the world in “some small way.”

The Church of Satan has always been an outspoken advocate of what today we might recognise as sexual freedom, inclusiveness, rational open-mindedness. LaVey famously appeared on TV shows like the “Brother Buzz” show with his exotic pets, to educate people about having empathy with and care for all animals. He was also always publicly critical of the self-righteous, sanctimonious and hypocritical aspects of humanity – although he was always fond of a good-natured, moving, effective tall-tale.. 

Although he was never a fan of most of the kinds of music and activities the public liked to associate with Satanism (and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind about) in the face of the “Satanic Panic” – he threw subjects like extreme music, criminality and drug use back in the faces of the righteous public. He asked people; “What did you expect?” “Responsibility to the responsible,” he said, and accused Middle America and the world of living in an apocalypse of their own making. 

Today, more than 50 years later, The Church of Satan survives under the administration of Magus Peter H. Gilmore – himself a musician, speaker, and man of the world. It’s members continue to embody a worldview based on social individuality, and rational freedom. Satanism is a religion for productive misfits, prideful outcasts, and those who see uniqueness and power where the dull see only weirdness.

The Nine Satanic Statements originally appeared in The Satanic Bible in 1969. Written in ironic imitation of the Ten Commandments, these statements describe the basic attributes

1. Satan represents indulgence instead of abstinence!
2. Satan represents vital existence instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it instead of love wasted on ingrates!
5. Satan represents vengeance instead of turning the other cheek!
6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible instead of concern for psychic vampires!
7. 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!
8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
9. Satan has been the best friend the Church has ever had, as He has kept it in business all these years!

To learn more about the Church of Satan you may visit www.churchofsatan.com, or purchase a number of books superbly authored by it’s members.

Most notably, LaVey’s most famous book, written soon after the foundation of The Church of Satan: “The Satanic Bible,” are available from the Book Depository for just under $NZ12.00.