_CHURCH OF SATAN_ Box 210082 San Francisco, CA 94121 ... [Anton] LaVey is the author of three books -- _The Satanic Bible_, _The Satanic Rituals_, and _The Compleat Witch_ [later renamed _The Satanic Witch_ -- tn]. Each contains the teachings of the Satanic Church. The basic themes of LaVey's brand of Satanism are self-assertion, antiestablishmentarianism and the gratification of man's physical or mental nature. Satan is a Promethean figure, representing indulgence, vital existence, indefiled wisdom, kindness to the deserving, vengeance, responsibility to the responsible, the notion that man is just another animal, and so-called sin which lead to physical or mental gratification. It is LaVey's opinion that Satan represents the source of these values. Rituals are conceived both as psychodramas and as magical acts that focus psychokinetic force, as in the ritual magick tradition. Satanic philosophy is very close to the teachings of Aleister Crowley in _The Book of the Law_. Each person is seen as living according to his own set of rules. However, the Church of Satan opposes illegal acts at variance with laws established for the common good. Sex is viewed as the strongest instinct (next to self preservation) and natural. Drugs are viewed as escapist and contrary to the realistic view of life as preached by the church. Ritually, the church celebrates three main holidays. For individuals, the most important day is their birthday. For the group, Walpurgisnacht and Halloween are the major days. Both have sexual implications as the spring rebirth of nature and the harvest festivals. Baptism is a ceremony of glorification of the one baptized. There are various rituals for different magical and celebratory purposes. The Enochian language, which first appeared in print in 1659 in a biography of John Dee (and was later used by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn) is employed in rituals. The text used for the traditional Black Mass ritual, "Le Mess Noir," is found in _The Satanic Rituals_ (published in 1972). As performed by the church, it is meant to be not simply a blasphemous pageant against the Catholic church, but a purging ritual, making full use of psychodrama to rid individuals of the influence of any sacred cow. Operating from the San Francisco headquarters, the Satanic Church spread to urban centers across the United States, surfacing in Miami, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana; New York City; and through- out the Midwest. By 1977, one spokesperson claimed more than 10,000 members for the church (lifetime membership is available for a $100.00 donation). In the mid-1970s, administratively centralized grottos were deemed counterproductive and were disbanded. A more cabalistic underground structure was instituted and continues today. Over the years groups have emerged which use LaVeyan ritual and philosophy, but which may or may not give LaVey credit or be affiliated in any way with the Church of Satan. _Membership:_ Not reported. Church membership statistics are considered confidential. Church membership is granted for life to new members, and there is no count on active members (estimated to be several thousand). Internationally, the church reports concentrations of members in England, Holland and Denmark. _The Satanic Bible_ has recently been translated into Danish. _Periodicals:_ *The Cloven Hoof* Box 210082, San Francisco, CA 94121. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- _Encyclopedia of American Religions_, Volume III, by J. Gordon Melton, Triumph Books, 1991; pp. 141-2. _________________________________ _ORDER OF THE BLACK RAM_ Current address not obtained for this edition. The Order of the Black Ram is a Satanic organization based on the belief in Aryan racial superiority and closely associated with the National Renaissance Party, a neo-Nazi organization. Adherents believe that each race is the embodiment of a racial soul which is expressed in its culture and phiosophy. Individuality is stressed. The Order of the Black Ram is eclectic, drawing on the writings of Anton LaVey (founder of the Church of Satan); Robert Heinlein's novel, _Stranger in a Strange Land_; and Neo-Paganism. It was headquartered in suburban Detroit, Michigan, where its grand magister, the Rev. Seth-Klippoth, resided. *Liber Venifica* was an irregular periodical. ... _TEMPLE OF SET_ Box 29271 San Francisco, CA 94129 The Temple of Set was founded in 1975 by members of the international priesthood of the Church of Satan who had resigned from that institution because of what they considered to be its over commercialism.... The temple describes itself as an initiatory institution dedicated to Set, an ancient Egyptian deity, the corrupted legends of whom became the basis for the Christian Satan. Temple initiates ... do not consider Set an evil figure, nor do they consider the temple merely a refutation of conventional religion. According to temple philosophy, the universe is a nonconscious environment possessed of mechanical consistency. In contrast to the universe, and occasionally violating its laws, is Set. Set has, over a period of millenia, altered the genetic makeup of humans in order to create a species possessing an enhanced, nonnatural intelligence. The techniques and teachings of the temple are designed to identify and develop this higher evolutionary potential in appropriate individuals. The temple is governed by the Council of Nine, which appoints the high priest of Set and the executive director. There are six initiatory degrees: Setian, Adept, Priest(ess) of Set, Master of the Temple, Magus, and Ipsissimus. The program is designed principally for individuals, although there are local Pylons of the Temple in several parts of the United States. International conclaves for the entire temple are held annually. The temple provides an annotated reading list containing material on a wide range of occult, scientific, and religious subjects. Topics covered include ancient Egypt, historical and contemporary occultism, psychology, ethics, and experimental science. _Membership:_ In 1984 the temple had approximately 500 members. _Periodicals:_ *Scroll of Set*, Box 29271, San Francisco, CA 94129. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ibid., pp. 143-4. _________________ EOF I WOULD LIKE TO THANK http://www.hollyfeld.org/heaven/Text/Satanism/History/hist.acad.80sG FOR THERE WEB PAGE THAT I JUST PRESENTED TO YOU. THANK YOU..... GOD