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Temple of Set Reading List
"Temple of Set Reading List:
Category 6 - Satanism" (6/1/88CE)
Reprinted from: _The Crystal Tablet of Set_
© Temple of Set 1989 CE
Weirdbase file version by TS permission
by Michael A. Aquino, Ipsissimus VI* Temple of Set
Electronic mail: MCI-Mail 278-4041
Satanism is the "Blackest" of the Black Arts and until the North Solstice X
encompassed the most advanced - and the most dangerous - school of religion
and magical knowledge. Because its doctrines are intensely personal, hence
asocial, conventional societies have tended to regard it as a threat to the
docile, cooperative obedience of the citizenry. This bias against Satanism
as something "necessarily criminal" will be evident in some of the following
accounts, and it frequently resulted in persecution that drove Satanists
even farther from the social mainstream. In 1966 CE (the year I of the ~on
of Set) Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan, an institution
designed to translate the philosophy of Satanism into a socially- acceptable
form. In X A.S. the Church of Satan evolved into the Temple of Set, at which
time the philosophical inconsistencies and anti-Judaic/Christian orientation
of the older organization were eliminated. The Black Art has now been raised
to its highest form.
6A. _La-Bas_ (_Down There_) by J.K. Huysmans. NY: Dover Publications, 1972.
(TS-3) MA: "This is the classic of late 19th-century French Satanism. It
contains detailed accounts of the old 17th-century Black Mass as later
practiced in 'underground' Paris. The book evidences a strong Christian
moral bias; hence it is historically unreliable. Nevertheless it became a
model for subsequent efforts at anti-Christian ceremonies. 'Devil-worship'
sequences from most contemporary films, for example, can be recognized as
variations on the _La-Bas_ account. [Appendix 64 of #6N reprints the Black
Mass sequence from _La-Bas_.]"
6B. _The Satanic Mass_ by H.T.F. Rhodes. London: Jarrold's Publishers Ltd,
1968 [available in the U.S. from Citadel Publishers]. (CS-3) (TS-3) AL: "A
non-hysterical account by a criminologist who has researched his subject
well." MA: "This book, whose emphasis is criminological, traces Satanism
from an underground French revolutionary movement to organized crime to
decadent burlesque to modern cultural offshoots and influences [short of the
Church of Satan, which had not yet been founded when the research for this
book was completed]. Principal emphasis is on the French tradition and the
Dashwood Hell-Fire Club. This was one of the basic sourcebooks for the
Church of Satan during its formative years."
6C. _A Razor for a Goat_ by Elliot Rose. Toronto: University of Toronto
Press, 1962. (TS-3) MA: "This book was begun as a good-humored effort to
debunk the neo-witchcraft theories of Margaret Murray and Gerald Gardner
[which it does rather conclusively]. Rose went a good deal further and
straightened out many misconceptions concerning medieval witchcraft accounts
as well. Yet he argues for the essential value of the concepts of 'pure'
Satanism. This was another book of prime importance to the original design
of the Church of Satan, and it helps to explain the strong anti-
neopagan/Wiccan attitude of that institution. It says something for popular
tastes [and the memory of P.T. Barnum] that Wiccan literature continues to
flourish while #6C is usually found only in university libraries."
6D. _Seven Footprints to Satan_ by A. Merritt. NY: Avon Books #28209, 1942
[reprinted 1976]. (TS-5) MA: "Written ca. 1928, this novel contains many
passages describing the central philosophies of Satanism, as well as many
episodes exemplifying them. Since the book was ostensibly fiction, Merritt
did not have to mince words. Harmless to non-Initiates, it is a Satanic
manifesto for Adepts of the Left-Hand Path. And the character of 'Satan' in
the story bears a remarkable resemblance to Anton Szandor LaVey ~ in more
than one way."
6E. _Asimov's Annotated Paradise Lost_ by John Milton and Isaac Asimov. NY:
Doubleday, 1974. (TS-4) MA: "The creative aspects of Satanism are
beautifully portrayed in _Paradise Lost_, and this edition has the added
attraction of extensive notes by the brilliant and witty Asimov. [Missing,
sadly, are the famous Dore illustrations, which enthusiasts will have to
seek in other editions.] Milton, who lived and wrote during the Cromwellian
Commonwealth, observed due subtlety in his portrayal of the virtues of Satan
and the vices of YHVH. Asimov is under no such constraint, and he overlooks
no opportunities to identify and explain the hidden material."
6F. _The Unholy Bible_ by June K. Singer. NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1970
[Harper & Row paperback edition available]. (TS-4) MA: "This is a
psychological interpretation of the Satanism of William Blake, prepared for
the C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology. Included are plates,
quotes, and detailed commentary on _The Marriage of Heaven and Hell_ and
_The Bible of Hell_, as well as a short biography and psychological profile
of Blake himself."
6G. _The Hell-Fire Club_ by Daniel P. Mannix. NY: Ballantine Books #01625,
1959. (TS-3) MA: "This is an extensive, sensationalistic account of 18th-
century England's notorious Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe, a Satanic
society organized by Sir Francis Dashwood and including such prominent
personalities as the Prime Minister and the First Lord of the Admiralty.
Benjamin Franklin was a noted visitor from the Colonies. [The Dashwood
estate is open to visitors.] See also #6T & #6AC, which are progressively
less colorful but probably more accurate."
6H. _Witchcraft: Its Power in the World Today_ by William Seabrook. NY:
Lancer Books #78656, 1968. (CS-3) (TS-3) AL: "Witchcraft discussed in terms
of suggestive psychology." MA: "Originally published in 1940, this book was
the forerunner of the occult revival of the 1950s. Although personally a
skeptic, Seabrook admitted the psychological effectiveness of witchcraft. He
was among the close friends of Aleister Crowley at the time of the latter's
attainment of the grade of Magus. This book is now somewhat dated, but it
may be acquired for its scholarship and its value as a classic."
6I. _The Magus_ by John Fowles. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1965 [revised
edition 1977]. (TS-4) MA: "A novel of an arrogant/selfish/sensitive/
intellectual British schoolteacher who becomes enmeshed in the schemes of a
modern magician. An excellent illustration of the use of psychological magic
as a control device [as opposed to a mere research tool]. The characters of
Nicholas (the schoolteacher) and Conchis (the magus) exemplify aspects of
the _Nemo_ and _Aristos_, principles in Fowles' own brand of existentialism
as set forth in his incisive theoretical work _The Aristos_ (NY: Signet
Books #Q4280, 1964). Fowles describes the revised edition of _The Magus_ as
less fantastic/more realistic than the original edition, but after several
readings of comparing the two I am inclined to favor the revised edition as
a richer experience from which the magic has definitely not been excised.
_The Magus_ is one of those books whose every re-reading brings new
impressions and adventures. I was strongly tempted to rate it TS-1, but feel
that greatest benefit will be derived from a reading of it when the Setian
has first mastered the basics of the included philosophical concepts and of
Lesser Black Magic."
6J. _The Powers of Evil_ by Richard Cavendish. NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1975.
(TS-3) MA: "While preparing #4C and editing #4E, Cavendish was intrigued by
certain recurring themes relative to the notion of 'evil' in cross-cultural
contexts involving death, darkness, sex, disorder, etc. This book is his
effort, as an acknowledged skeptic and agnostic, to deal with these themes.
The result is not a full survey of the philosophy and theology of 'evil',
but it is a good introduction. The book's defect is that Cavendish, as a
consequence of his detachment, is forced to rely upon second-hand sources
for his data and so can only report others' direct impressions [which can be
somewhat less than objective]. Much of the book's 300 pages are weighted
down with the usual, tiresome collection of occult anecdotes and
mythological stories."
6K. _The Satanic Bible_ by Anton Szandor LaVey. NY: Avon Books #NS44, 1969
[hardcover edition from University Books, 1972]. (CS-1) (OT-1) (TS-3) MA:
"This book summarizes the social and magical philosophy of the Church of
Satan at the time of its writing, but it is not a compendium of all C/S
doctrines of subsequent years. LaVey was the founder and High Priest of the
C/S and Magus V* of the Age of Satan (1966-1975 CE). Included are
instructions for a 'basic' Satanic ritual, as well as LaVey's 'Satanic'
version of the Enochian Keys of John Dee [see category 11]. Introduction to
the hardcover edition by M.A. Aquino, then IV* C/S. Introduction to the most
recent Avon edition by Burton Wolfe, author of #6M. Chapter 4 of #6N reviews
#6K in detail."
6L. _The Satanic Rituals_ by Anton Szandor LaVey. NY: Avon Books #W359, 1972
[hardcover edition from University Books, 1972]. (CS-1) (OT-1) (TS-3) MA:
"Companion volume to #6K, this book contains a discussion of ritual theory
and a selection of rituals (French, German, Russian, Persian, and Church of
Satan) adapted and/or written by LaVey for the Church. The historical claims
for the texts are improbable, although each text does incorporate ethnic
and/or historical images of interest to the magician. A theoretical essay on
H.P. Lovecraft and two accompanying Lovecraftian rituals were contributed by
M.A. Aquino. Chapter 21 of #6N reviews #6L in detail, and #6N also contains
uncensored/original/authentic versions of some of the rituals published in
#6L. Performances of early (ca. III/1968) versions of a C/S Black Mass, the
Stifling Air, and other ritual sequences may be seen in the film _Satanis_
[see comments under #6M]. See also #6AA & #6AB."
6M. _The Devil's Avenger_ by Burton H. Wolfe. NY: Pyramid Books, 1974. (CS-
1) (TS-3) MA: "A biography of LaVey and an account of the Church of Satan's
San Francisco operations from I/1966 to III/1968, including profiles of some
early C/S members. The book brings out the impressive scope of LaVey's
exposure to the art, history, and institutions of occultism and to many
colorful personalities on the fringe of contemporary society. Unfortunately
the book is also extremely propagandistic, advancing many 'facts' which are
either questionable or known to be false - for example the chapter
recounting a supposed LaVey/Marilyn Monroe affair, and the final chapter
with several distortions concerning the post-III Church of Satan. Moreover
the personality profiles are unrepresentative of the mainstream of post-III
Satanists both within and without the San Francisco area. Specific details
may be checked with III*+ officials, or with any II*+ Setian owning a copy
of #6N. An interesting photo section is included in #6M. [See also _Satanis:
The Devil's Mass_, a commercial film of the I-III era available for mail-
rental from Budget Films, 4590 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029.
This film is a documentary of the Church in its earliest years and includes
ritual sequences, interviews with Anton, Diane, and Karla LaVey, and footage
of the premises of the original Central Grotto house on California Street in
San Francisco.] Burton Wolfe also wrote another book which is of interest,
if only as a curiosity, to collectors of C/S memorabilia: _The Devil and Dr.
Noxin_ (San Francisco: Wild West Publishing House, 1973). This paperback is
a political-satire play picking generally on Richard Nixon but incidentally
on several other political personalities of that time. Ritual sequences and
philosophical principles from the I-III Church of Satan are included as a
running theme throughout the play, and are favorably/seriously treated.
Oddly enough _The Devil and Dr. Noxin_ was not publicized nor promoted by
LaVey at the time of its publication or, as far as I know, thereafter."
6N. _The Church of Satan_ by Michael A. Aquino. San Francisco: Temple of
Set, 1983. (TS-3) (OT-1) MA: "A detailed analytical and documentary history
of the Church of Satan from I/1966 to X/1975. 34 chapters, black/white and
color photograph section, 140 appendices, and topical index, all totalling
approximately one million words [about 3/4 the length of the unabridged
Crowley Equinox (#9G)]. In order to strictly conform with copyright law
covering published material, this volume is not for sale to the public. It
is available within the Temple of Set and to legitimate research & academic
institutions only. For further information, write to: Temple of Set, Post
Office Box 4507, St. Louis, MO 63108."
6O. _Houses That Kill_ by Roger de Lafforest. NY: Berkley Medallion Books
#425-02620-125, 1972. (TS-5) (OT-5) MA: "Anton LaVey originally intended to
follow #6L with a collection of essays entitled _From the Devil's Notebook_.
Among these was to be an essay on Satanic architecture in general and the
Law of the Trapezoid in particular [discussed in #6N]. Mention of #6O was
censored from the Church of Satan's newsletter by LaVey because it appeared
to preempt the planned FTDN essay. #6O suffers from a certain amount of
sensationalism, but it is a first step into the unexplored region of
'negative architecture'. Chapters on open/closed air, types of afflictions,
cancer, waves and currents, walls, retention of memories ('haunted houses'),
and remedies & precautions. Certain infamous case studies are offered."
6P. _Hollywood Babylon_ (San Francisco: Straight Arrow Books, 1975) and
_Hollywood Babylon II_ (NY: New American Library, 1984) by Kenneth Anger.
(CS-1) (TS-3) MA: "Anger is an 'underground film maker' [whose style
anticipated today's 'music videos' by about 20 years] who became fascinated
with Aleister Crowley and with Anton LaVey during the early days of the
Church of Satan. [Anger's films _Scorpio Rising_ and _Inauguration of the
Pleasure Dome_ contain Crowley themes, while _Invocation of my Demon
Brother_ includes a cameo appearance by Anton LaVey. The most recent version
of _Lucifer Rising_, despite its title, includes no C/S themes.] Anger's
view of Hollywood is characterized by savage, decadent nostalgia - captured
to perfection in _Hollywood Babylon I/II_. Anton LaVey was gripped by many
of the same emotions in the VIII-X period, with a resultant influence on the
Church of Satan as discussed in #6N. [For a 'tourist guidebook' to many of
the sites discussed in HBI/II, see Richard Lamparski's _Lamparski's Hidden
Hollywood_ (NY: Simon & Schuster, 1981). It contains capsule biographies,
addresses, and photos of the various stars of HB vintage, among which is a
misleading account of Marilyn Monroe derived in part from Anton LaVey.] [See
also _The Movie Lover's Guide to Hollywood_ by Richard Alleman (NY: Harper &
Row/Harper Colophon Books #CN1262, 1985) for an excellent on-site guidebook
complete with addresses, descriptions, photos, and maps. Another good guide
is Ken Schessler's _This Is Hollywood_ (Los Angeles: Southern California
Book Company, 1984): 'Hundreds of exciting and unusual places to visit,
including historical sites, landmarks, murders, suicides, graves.']"
6Q. _The Second Coming: Satanism in America_ by Arthur Lyons. NY: Dodd,
Mead, 1970. (CS-3) (TS-3) AL: "Discusses our Church from an objective
standpoint, shows how the media have maligned our Order, and gives concise
comparisons with the beliefs of some of the 'Satanic cults'." MA: "A
'lightweight' historical survey of Satanism, concluding with 'magazine-
story' coverage of the Church of Satan. Lyons was a I* C/S whose active
participation in the Church was limited to San Francisco ca. IV. Lyons has
recently published an updated version of this book entitled _Satan Wants
You_, to be discussed in the next update of this list."
6R. _Rasputin_ by Colin Wilson. London: Panther Books, 1966. (CS-3) AL: "An
insight into the workings of a truly Satanic magician." MA: "Anton LaVey was
strongly impressed by Rasputin both as an individual and as a social
influence. This is most evident from the 'Russian' section of #6L."
6S. _Pedlar of Death: The Life of Sir Basil Zaharoff_ by Donald McCormick.
London: Macdonald & Co., 1965. (TS-3) MA: "Zaharoff [see photo, category 16]
was a European munitions agent from 1877 to his death in 1936. He was also a
behind-the-scenes manipulator of politics [towards war] and a British
knight. Though never included on a Church of Satan reading list, this book
was the primary source of Anton LaVey's fascination with Zaharoff as a
skilled, Machiavellian Lesser Magician. LaVey also admired Zaharoff's Howard
Hughes-like avoidance of public scrutiny - to the point of deliberate
sabotage of records concerning him. McCormick's research is careful,
exhaustive, and convincing, making this book the definitive one on the
subject. McCormick is also the author of #6T."
6T. _The Hell-Fire Club_ by Donald McCormick. London: Jarrolds Publishers
Ltd, 1958. (TS-3) MA: "McCormick (also author of #6S) argues that the long-
standing image of the Hellfire Club as an elite Satanic [in the strict,
theological sense] society is erroneous. His research leads him to the
position that the club was neither diabolist nor decadent, but simply an
example of 'rakemanship' common among British clubs of the day. His evidence
and argument are [regrettably] convincing. This thesis is explored in
greater depth in #6AC."
6U. _The Family_ by Ed Sanders. NY: E.P. Dutton, 1971. (TS-3) MA: "The
definitive study of the Manson Family, with extensive treatment of its
alleged exposure to such occult organizations as the Process Church of the
Final Judgment [see also #6AD] and the Solar Lodge of the O.T.O. While the
public was quick to brand Charles Manson a 'Satanist', his own Family
considered him Jesus Christ. To prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi, Manson's 'evil'
was easy to identify & condemn. This book is by no means an apology for
Manson; if anything, it paints him in even more horrific colors than _Helter
Skelter_. But the picture also emerges of a far more complex individual than
generally seen by the public. For Manson's own version of his life and the
development of the Family, see Nuel Emmons, _Manson in his Own Words_ (NY:
Grove Press, 1986). In this narrative Manson downplays the legends that grew
up around him and rationalizes his actions in terms of his personal
alienation from and antagonism towards society in general. [See also
'Distant Echoes of Helter Skelter' in _Runes_ #III-3.]"
6V. _Rosemary's Baby_ by Ira Levin. NY: Random House, 1967. (TS-3) MA: "In
the words of Roman Castevet: 'To 1966 - the Year One!'"
6W. _The Circus of Dr. Lao_ by Charles G. Finney. NY: Viking Press, 1935
[reprinted paperback: Avon #19190, 1974]. (CS-1) (TS-3) AL: "A tale that
tells it all; every human foible is dissected. It is the epic of man's
desire and futility: Zarathustra under canvas - an excursion to the highest
Llamasery of the Red Monks for those who can read it." MA: "This is the
story of a traveling circus which arrives suddenly in a small town in the
Arizona desert. It is a very unusual circus, including among its attractions
a satyr, Apollonius of Tyana, a Gorgon, a mermaid, a roc, a chim~ra, a sea-
serpent, and a werewolf. Its main show includes such exotica as a witches'
sabbath, complete with personal appearance by Satan. Dr. Lao, the enigmatic
Chinaman who ringmasters this show, is one minute a bumpkin, the next an
intellectual, and always a magician - in short, a kind of Chinese ASLV. No
turn back on him preeze!" [See also the film _The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao_,
available on VHS cassette.]
6X. _The Omen_ by David Seltzer. NY: New American Library, 1976. (TS-5) MA:
"Revelation 13:18."
6Y. _Damien - Omen II_ by Joseph Howard. NY: New American Library, 1978.
(TS-5) MA: "I John 4:3."
6Z. _The Final Conflict_ by Gordon McGill. NY: New American Library, 1980.
(TS-5) MA: "Revelation 13:11."
6AA. _Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidiz_ by Isya
Joseph. Boston: Richard G. Badger/The Gorham Press, 1919. (TS-3) MA: "This
rare little book was Anton LaVey's source for the Yezidi section of #6L,
including the ritual texts quoted. As noted in #6N, Joseph bases these
rituals and his own conclusions upon an 'Arabic manuscript presented to me
by my friend Daud as-Saig ~ a man of culture, in sympathy with western
thought, etc.' When Joseph's book was assessed in 1967 by Royal Asiatic
Society anthropologist C.J. Edmonds, he noted that it remained
unauthenticated. Fellow R.A.S. scholar Alphonso Mingana considered the
ritual texts offered by Joseph as simple forgeries, based upon Mingana's
analysis of their grammar & syntax. These evaluations and objections were
apparently unknown to [or ignored by] Anton LaVey when he included the
Joseph material in #6L. The Temple of Set's texts of the Yezidi rituals in
question are included as appendices to #6N, and are based upon current
doctoral papers at the University of California, Los Angeles, obtained
through the Anthropology Library at the University's Berkeley campus. At the
very least, the UCLA papers reveal Joseph's account and analysis to be
significantly incomplete and factually suspect. If you are curious about
Yezidi culture, your best starting point is #6AB."
6AB. _A Pilgrimage to Lalish_ by C.J. Edmonds. London: Royal Asiatic Society
of Great Britain and Ireland, 1967. (TS-3) MA: "This small, concisely-
written book remains the most coherent and reliable published book
concerning Yezidi culture to date. It does not contain any of the Yezidi
religious or magical texts, however. The authentic text of the Yezidi Book
of the Revelation [corrected and expanded from the Joseph version contained
in #6L] is reprinted as Appendix 65 of #6N. The other principal Yezidi text,
the _Mashaf-a Resh_ (Black Scripture), is not reprinted in #6N because of
its length, but a copy is available in the archives of the Temple of Set."
6AC. _Dashwood: The Man and the Myth_ by Eric Towers. London: Crucible
(Aquarian Press/Thorsons Publishing Group, 1986. (TS-4) MA: "This is the
definitive account of Sir Francis Dashwood and his Medmenham Abbey, complete
with extensive photo sections. This continues and reinforces the thesis of
#6T, offering evidence that Dashwood's 'occult' activities consisted largely
of revels in honor of Apollo and Bacchus in West Wycombe Park, with the only
possible Satanic element being hearsay rumors about a 'closed room/chapel'
in Dashwood's Abbey. This room was reputed to be accessible only to the
'monks' of Dashwood's group, and to be decorated with obscene/blasphemous
pictures. If, so, the decor was removed later, for the Abbey today shows no
trace of it in any room. An interesting side-note is that the Dashwood group
never called itself the 'Hellfire Club'. That name actually belonged to a
club of libertines formed in London many years earlier (1719) by the Duke of
Wharton, which became so scandalous that the crown shut it down with a
proclamation denouncing 'certain scandalous clubs or societies of young
persons who meet together, and in the most impious and blasphemous manner
insult the most sacred principles of our Holy Religion, affront Almighty God
himself, and corrupt the minds and morals of one another'. By contrast the
frolics at West Wycombe seem to have been rather less extreme. Towers' book
includes an interesting discussion of how rumors about Dashwood's doings
multiplied over the centuries until it was taken for granted that he
presided over every kind of depravity at Medmenham, to include Dennis
Wheatley-style Black Masses. Over the main entrance to Medmenham can still
be seen the inscription FAY CE QUE VOUDRAS from Dr. Francois Rabelais'
'Abbey of Theleme' in his novel _Gargantua_, which Aleister Crowley would
later borrow for his 'Do What Thou Wilt' Law and for his own Abbey in
Sicily."
6AD. _Satan's Power: A Deviant Psychotherapy Cult_ by William Sims
Bainbridge. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978. (TS-4) MA: "The
definitive account of the 'Process Church of the Final Judgment', a quasi-
Satanic movement that existed in the late 1960s-early 1970s. It was more the
product of the 'Jesus Freak' atmosphere of the time than of authentic
Satanism, as it was a 'hippie' religion that acknowledged four deities -
Jehovah, Christ, Satan, and Lucifer - in a complementary relationship.
Predictably it was the 'Satanic' component of the Process that attracted the
most attention - from aspirants and external critics alike - and the Process
proved unable to come to grips with this symbolism and its implications.
Bainbridge shows how the organization was erroneously linked to the Manson
Family in Sanders _The Family_ (#6U), and how its failure to successfully
dispute and reject this linkage resulted in the breakdown and eventual
dissolution of the group. Theologically/philosophically the Process was
ignorant of Satanism, so the primary value of this account is as an account
of the dangers faced by an unskilled group perceived by society as 'Satanic'
in the conventional/evil sense. [Principal name disguises: Process =
'Power'. Processean = 'Powerite'. DeGrimston = 'de Forest Jones'.]
Bainbridge is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of
Washington."
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