A virtual representation of the Ghostnuts Podcast #50 which can be found at https://ghostnutspodcast.com
Anton Szandor LaVey was an American author, musician, and occultist. He was the founder of the Church of Satan and the religion of Satanism. He authored several books, including The Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals, The Satanic Witch, The Devil's Notebook, and Satan Speaks! Now who is this man, who decided to usher in a Church of Satan?
Around 1940 he explored the writings of Alesiter Crowley and in 1951 he met some Thelemites (People who follow the path of Thelema, a religion created in 1904 by Aleister Crowley) and was unimpressed by them, he stated “they were more spiritual and less “wicked” than he supposed they should be for disciples of Crowley’s libertine creed”. If you look at the early life pre satan inspired Anton Lavey, there seems to be some discrepancies and even lies before he even started looking into the Church of Satan movement. Things such as he used to work at a circus after he left school at 16 or even worked as a musician at nightclubs and burlesque houses, where he hooked up with Marilyn Monroe ‘before she was famous’. But we can confirm that he worked as a photographer for the San Fran Police. During this time he married a chick who was 15 at the time and birthed his child. He then became a psychic investigator where he would receive calls referred by the San Fran Police. Actually there are no records that state he even worked for the police so it seems his life was a lie from early on. But while meeting people in regards to his psychic work he became somewhat of a celebrity in the paranormal scene. Becoming a “ghost buster” helped him realise that romanticising the supernatural for people looking for an exotic cause to their problems made them feel better and gave him insight as to how religion can function in people’s lives.
LaVey formed a group called the Order of the Trapezoid, which later evolved into the governing body of the Church of Satan. On 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 (it was later demonstrated that LaVey in fact shaved his head because he lost a bet and made up the "ancient executioners" story after the fact).
Anton Lavey had 10 strong years where his ‘church’ was thriving however in 1975 there was a divide in the where one Michael Acquino ex military intelligence in psychological warfare decided that the church had lost its touch with the truth about the occult and had become a frat house for ‘oddballs and loons’ and was just about cocktail parties and card games, also Lavey didn’t care because he was making money on new members and tax exemptions. So alas, Michael Acquino leaves and creates the Temple of Set.
The Church of Satan, or LaVeyan Satanism, was created not to worship Satan. Actually, LaVey didn’t believe he existed. But he uses his name to represent their values: rejecting the idea that religion is key to the world, and letting science and fact rule.
Magic described in the Satanic Bible. Part of the psychodrama is based in less understood psychological phenomena not unlike a placebo effect. The idea is that by manipulating your own emotions and mindset, you increase your chances of causing things to happen in your favor. This is achieved through emotional catharsis and following through with action, both conscious planned action and subconscious changes in your own behavior.
Think of some of the specific ways Anton LaVey defined magic:
The change in situations or events in accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted methods, be unchangeable.
Ritual magic consists of the performance of a formal ceremony, taking place, at least in part, within the confines of an area set aside for such purposes and at a specific time. It's main function is the isolate the otherwise dissipating adrenal and other emotionally induced energy, and convert it into a dynamically transmittable force. It is purely an emotional, rather than intellectual, act. Any and all intellectual activity must take place before the ceremony, not during it. This type of magic is sometimes known as "GREATER MAGIC". Non ritual or manipulative magic, sometimes called "LESSER MAGIC", consists of the wile and guile obtained through various devices and contrived situations, which when utilized, can create "change in accordance with one's will". In olden times this would be called "fascination", "glamor", or the "evil eye".
DISCLAIMER: All topics discussed are hypothetical and may or may not be true, it is just a couple of friend's take on the subjects brought up. We advise you to please do your own research and don't just take what we say as gospel. This is all for fun and entertainment. Godspeed everyone.
