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Temple of Set: Pretenders to the Throne
PRETENDERS TO THE THRONE: REGARDING THE TEMPLE OF SET
by Magister Peter H. Gilmore,
Order of the Trapezoid,
Church of Satan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Throughout the thirty years of its existence, the Church of Satan
has continued to expand while its character has undergone a
number of carefully-planned developmental phases. In the process,
we have at times found it necessary to eject individuals who have
acted in ways that were not in keeping with our high standards for
social behavior. We have also had a small number of individuals
freely depart from us, finding our means too challenging to their
false images of personal superiority. Neither types are ever missed,
as the true elite of talented, highly-motivated, productive, creative,
and above all independent individuals still find their way to us.
There have been those who would attempt to imitate us, but they
usually discover that our shoes are far too big to fill. Short-lived
spinoffs have included The Church of Satanic Brotherhood, Ordo
Templi Satanas, Order of the Black Ram, Church of Lucifer, Thee
Orthodox Satanic Church and so on. None of these has prospered
or even affected the course of Satanism, as they have quickly
collapsed due to the lack of energy or direction. One group formed
by ex-members of the Church of Satan which has continued to
exist, albeit as a small and fairly clandestine vanity organization
riding on the funds provided by its high priest, is the Temple of
Set. This bunch is significant only in that they continue to try to
ride upon the coattails of the Church of Satan, and indeed even
publicly claim to be the successor to and custodian of the Church
of Satan. You might have come across some advertisements or
writing influenced by these Setians. Don't be fooled; they are not in
any way associated with the Church of Satan and their tales of
schism are convenient diversions. Let us examine from whence this
group appeared and clear away their false claims.
In 1974 C.E. the Church of Satan instituted its fourth phase of
development. The thrust of this phase was to reorient the members
at all levels to proceed on a far more independent course.
Previously we had issued charters for formal Grottos which were
small congregations comprised of Satanists in specific geographical
regions. It had been discovered that these formal Grottos led certain
members to confine their efforts at personal advancement to the
realm of the Grotto alone, rather than towards the success in the
outside world which is of paramount importance to Satanism.
Certain members were far more interested in trying to gain elevated
rank yet were merely competing in the Grotto's social arena. They
neglected to develop their talents and forge ahead. Many other
members were strong-willed individualists who did not mix well
with other Satanists. Rather than functioning as bases for the
development of Satanic strategies, these groups often became
shields against true advancement, filled with huddlers who were
solely interested in internecine strife. Not everyone involved fit this
picture, but there were enough to make it obsolete as a system of
growth.
The new phase stressed independent functioning, keeping
individuals separated to pursue their own goals. If Satanists used
their initiative to find their fellows and wished to informally create
groups for socialization and ritual, that was most acceptable. But
the momentum for the existence of these informal groups had to
come from the social compatability of the constituent members, not
geographical proximity.
This phase of isolation, which laid the groundwork for a much
broader base for Satanism as a movement (seen today especially in
the commercial acceptance of Satanic imagery in the popular Heavy
Metal music business), was upsetting to the pen-pal and coffee
klatsch conclave members, whom it was basically designed to ease
out of the way. Michael A. Aquino, at that time the editor of The
Cloven Hoof, had attained the IV and was injecting a strongly
supernaturalist bent to the Hoof's articles. Mr. Aquino had a history
of creating documents which he claimed to have transcribed from
superhuman entities. These include the Diabolicon (1970 C.E.), a
series of statements from Satan, Beelzebub, Azazel, Abaddon,
Asmodeus, Astaroth, Belial, and Leviathan, as well as the Ninth
Solstice Message (1974 C.E.) which declared Anton LaVey a
daimon.
Dr. LaVey who, then as now, had a firm grasp on the Church's
tiller, began to implement the phase which had slowly been
evolving over the previous two years. He had even outlined the
basic concepts for this formal phase during the summer of 1972
C.E. in a letter to Aquino, stating that the social Satanists and their
limelight loving priests contribute nothing to Satanism as a
movement, and that they would fall by the wayside when they didn't
receive the attention they sought by starting their own churches.
LaVey wrote that he had far more respect for his underground
clergy who were very productive in the real world. Aquino did not
accept this, especially Dr. LaVey's awarding of priesthoods to non-
esoteric, non-public achievers and thus he would no longer be privy
to even the small amount of information regarding underground
activities that had previously been given to him. LaVey was
determined that the status of Church members should reflect their
standing in the world outside of the organization. Degrees are not
reflective of simple book learning and esoteric knowledge, but the
actual application of Satanic principles towards personal
advancement. To this end, the Church would honor values given to
it in kind with degree recognition as would be deemed appropriate
by Dr. LaVey. The achievement of degrees via written tests was not
to be abandoned at this time, but this additional means of
advancement was now open to the above-ground members. This
was formalized by the new phase in 1974 C.E. and outlined to
Aquino in May, during one of his rare personal meetings with Dr.
LaVey.
Aquino did not protest this policy at the meeting and later claimed
this alternate route to advancement as a public reason to announce
a break with the Church of Satan, accusing Dr. LaVey of selling
degrees. He wrote letters to his handful of pen-pal cronies, fellow
mystics who had also mourned the new phase, and they too
resigned to go off with Aquino and form their own group. Aquino
had wanted to start a Second Church of Satan but was thwarted by
copyright laws. Instead, recalling his readings of Egyptian history
and mythology, he claimed to have invoked Satan (in whom he
literally believed as an entity) and to have been answered instead by
Set, the actual Prince of Darkness who, through a series of
realizations in Aquino's mind, caused him to record as Set's answer
a document which he titled the Book of Coming Forth by Night.
This supernatural revelation supposedly gives him the right to
supercede the Church of Satan. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Aquino would like you to believe that the entire priesthood of the
Church of Satan followed him in departing. This is untrue,
especially as there were many underground members, including
priests and higher, of whom he had no knowledge. The Church of
Satan was at that time, and still continues to be, a large and highly
stratified organization with many discreet individuals placed in
positions of power. As Orwell had envisioned in his classic 1984, it
is not an organization in the usual sense as it is held together by an
idea whose time has come, which is indestructible. The departure of
less than thirty members can hardly be called a schism. This was
instead a welcome housecleaning of an element that had become
less than desirable to the future development of the Church of
Satan. And thus the fourth phase functioned as planned and
Aquino became one of those who, as predicted in 1972 C.E., fell by
the wayside.
The ex-Satanists who formed the Temple of Set follow a path quite
different from that of the Church of Satan, which has never veered
from its dedication to rational self-interest, indulgence, and a
glorification of the carnal and material. The belief in Set as an
actual entity with whom followers may commune is in marked
contrast to our disbelief in any external diety figures. They have a
consuming preoccupation with rank and status within their
organization, thus titles and medallions of degree level are eagerly
sought by members to affirm their position in the pecking order of
the temple's internal world (particularly evident at their conclaves).
This is not surprising considering Aquino's background -- a
boyhood steeped in military academies and in pursuit of Boy Scout
merit badges. The Church of Satan retains its right to grant degrees,
but these are still based on an individual's achievements in the
outside world and his level of freedom from herd conformity and
independence from forced interaction with the masses. Striving for
fancy titles and rankings is not a part of Satanism. The literature of
the Church of Satan is published and distributed worldwide to any
interested individuals. The Temple of Set prints private literature
available only to members, and some of it is limited to those of the
correct rank. To further learn about these ex-Satanists, you might
choose to contact them for information, but be forewarned that real
Satanism is not hiding underneath their academic exterior. A
worthwhile and informative study by an anthropologist who joined
the Temple of Set is The Magicians, by Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D.
(New World Books, 308 Spruce St., San Francisco, CA 94118).
This will give you insights into their beliefs, practices, and social
interactions.
We have dealt here at length with the Temple of Set to lay to rest
their propaganda. They are not associated with the Church of Satan
in any manner. We do not see them as being in any way significant
to the future of Satanism. Dr. LaVey still proudly stands at the
helm of the Church of Satan, the flagship of the movement he
launched in 1966 C.E., and shall continue to oversee the forces he
has put into motion. The Church of Satan is the foundry, forging
the iron Will that shall continue to move the minds and hearts of
humanity's elite who are even now reaching out to claim the future
as their domain. They shall be the inheritors of our legacy as well
as the writers of our history for the next thirty years, and far
beyond.
[This article, in a slightly different form, appeared in Dark Lily #13
as a response to the misinformation being spread by TOS in
England at that time. This file was occasioned by questions
received by our various contacts regarding TOS and its curious, and
dubious, claims.]
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