Magus Anton Szandor LaVey (1930-1997), Founder
Magus Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest
Magistra Peggy Nadramia, High Priestess
Magistra Blanche Barton, Magistra Templi Rex
Central Administrative
Office:
Church of Satan, P.O. Box 499, Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101-0499
USA
The Cloven
Hoof:
Magistra Blanche Barton, P.O. Box 210666, Chula Vista, CA 91921-0666 USA
Contact:
administration@churchofsatan.com
[Phone calls are NOT accepted or returned]
Welcome to the official website of the Church of Satan. Founded on April 30, 1966 c.e. by Anton Szandor LaVey, we are the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man’s true nature—that of a carnal beast, living in a cosmos that is indifferent to our existence. To us, Satan is the symbol that best suits the nature of we who are carnal by birth—people who feel no battles raging between our thoughts and feelings, we who do not embrace the concept of a soul imprisoned in a body. He represents pride, liberty, and individualism—qualities often defined as Evil by those who worship external deities, who feel there is a war between their minds and emotions. As Anton LaVey explained in his classic work The Satanic Bible, Man—using his brain—invented all the Gods, doing so because many of our species cannot accept or control their personal egos, feeling compelled to conjure up one or a multiplicity of characters who can act without hindrance or guilt upon whims and desires. All Gods are thus externalized forms, magnified projections of the true nature of their creators, personifying aspects of the universe or personal temperaments which many of their followers find to be troubling. Worshipping any God is thus worshipping by proxy those who invented that God. Since the Satanist understands that all Gods are fiction, instead of bending a knee in worship to—or seeking friendship or unity with—such mythical entities, he places himself at the center of his own subjective universe as his own highest value. We Satanists are thus our own “Gods,” and as beneficent “deities” we can offer love to those who deserve it and deliver our wrath (within reasonable limits) upon those who seek to cause us—or that which we cherish—harm. Magus Gilmore’s essay “What, The Devil?” from The Satanic Scriptures discusses this in greater detail.
But such self-deification is not for everyone, since it requires total responsibility for one’s choices and actions, and the realization of a social contract which makes for a civilized state of being. So Satanism is not meant to be “The Way” for all people, since we consider it a sad truth that only a small percentage of our species has the intelligence, adherence to reason, and self-discipline to handle our perspective.
Today, we continue to uphold our legacy by building on the solid foundation created by Anton LaVey, and set forth in his writings, recordings, and videos. Since we were the first organization dedicated to Satan, we have had extensive media coverage and have been referred to by several names over the course of over four decades: The First Church of Satan, The Satanic Church, as well as The Satanic Church of America, yet we maintain the simplest and boldest moniker, embodied in the words Church of Satan.
There are others who would try to mislead you into thinking that they are in some way connected to us, have “evolved” from us, or are in some way taking our place. They are liars. At the time of his death on 29 October, 1997 c.e., Anton LaVey left the Church of Satan under the command of Magistra Blanche Barton—his consort, mother of his third child, Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey, and chief administrative officer of the Church for the preceding 15 years and, at that time, the officially appointed High Priestess. Anton LaVey took the preservation of his Church seriously, and thus appointed many individuals to the Priesthood of Mendes to be his Devil’s Advocates, and this Priesthood—along with the Order of the Trapezoid and the Council of Nine—continued working with Magistra Barton to forward the iconoclastic philosophy synthesized by LaVey. On Walpurgisnacht of XXXVI, High Priestess Barton appointed Peter H. Gilmore as High Priest, and Peggy Nadramia as Grand Mistress of the Temple—Magistra Templi Rex. On Walpurgisnacht of XXXVII, Blanche Barton and Peggy Nadramia exchanged positions, so that Magistra Nadramia is the new High Priestess, and Magistra Barton is Magistra Templi Rex, the chairmistress of the Council of Nine.
This site serves as a gateway into our philosophy, a resource for further exploration, a celebration of our past achievements, and a forum for ground-breaking new developments by Satanists who move with fury and grace through this current culture of rampant mediocrity.
At left you will find a guide to navigate you through our labyrinth. Herein you will find both wonder and mystery, as well as the bedrock of fact. You might also come across some hidden links—treasures for the diligent.
Please begin with the welcoming statement from Magistra Templi Rex Blanche Barton, which will prime you for your journey into our realm of magic and logic, mystery and wisdom. Next, it is imperative that you read our Affiliation page, as that explains the structure and procedures of our organization in detail, so that even if you are simply curious, or doing research for an article or paper (journalists, producers, and students, take note!), this will give you a basic understanding of what the Church of Satan is, as well as how to approach us if you so desire, for whatever reason prompted you to visit our web site. Do not start asking us questions until you’ve taken the time to read the Affiliation page completely and with care. We will not spoon-feed you answers and will only direct you back there to do this basic reading. Since you are approaching us first via the Internet, it is also worth your time to read “The Myth of the ‘Satanic Community’ ” since it provides a solid critique of what you might have been encountering while you’ve been surfing the web.
Enjoy your time here, and if you find that you are one of our tribe, then it is a simple matter to affiliate and begin your journey with others who share your clarity.
We ask that you read our basic texts as well as the majority of this web site before asking questions, and there is much information here as well as directions to the detailed writings which will give you a full account of our philosophy and practices. We suggest that if you wish to learn more, you follow your reading here with The Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey followed by The Satanic Scriptures by Peter H. Gilmore. If you do reach a point of misunderstanding, you may encounter some of our officials on the web, or you may contact our online representative, Magistra Peggy Nadramia at HPNadramia@churchofsatan.com.
Journalists seeking media representation may also contact Magistra Nadramia, and we will consider your project.
If you find our philosophy to be of interest you might enjoy our comments and bulletins on Twitter. Our News page is now here: news.churchofsatan.com/. Our YouTube site is here. Our Vimeo page is here. We do not have official page on Myspace. If you spot any, they are unauthorized.
Facebook currently has a number of fraudulent pages, so beware. Our official presence is here.
The adamantine Gates of Hell are hereby thrown open—boldly stride within and learn about the “Feared Religion,” or slink away and sustain your ignorance. The choice is yours—let the games begin!
NOTE: The Church of Satan does not send out postal mail or e-mail to individuals who have not previously contacted us themselves. If you receive any postal mail with our New York City return address but a postmark showing it was not sent from New York City or e-mail which by studying the headers clearly has not come from the Central Office in New York City, then you are the victim of someone committing fraud. Please inform us as well as your local postal authorities and action will be taken.
There are no branches of the Church of Satan.
All official correspondence and membership procedures go through our headquarters in New York City. If someone claims that they are a local branch or a certain country’s office of the Church of Satan, they are liars. Do not be fooled!
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| This site is designed and maintained by Magus Peter H. Gilmore, with eternal thanks to Magister Alexander Frost for his diligent assistance. It was last updated on 27 July, XLVII A.S. |