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From: Michael.Aquino@125-430.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Michael Aquino)
Date: 27 Jun 94 16:07:20 -0800
Newsgroups: alt.satanism
Subject: RE: Satanic Bible
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del>   Exactly what is Anton LaVey's _The Satanic Bible_ about?

Anton and Diane LaVey assembled the _Satanic Bible_ in 1969 as a polemic
regarding Satanism as it was conceived in the earliest (66-68) days of the
Church of Satan. Its first section, the "Book of Satan", was plagiarized from
a turn-of-the-century political booklet _Might is Right_ by Ragnar Redbeard.
The "Book of Lucifer" section consists of a number of essays by Anton which
had previously been distributed as handouts in a C/S study course. The
"Belial" and "Leviathan" sections consist of elementary C/S ritual magic
instructions, and the final portion of the book (its second half) consists of
a modified version of John Dee's Enochian Keys as "Satanized" by Anton from
the version "Rosicrucianized" in Aleister Crowley's _Equinox_.

Satanic philosophy, and after 1975 its Setian successor, evolved significantly 
and diversely from the time of the _SB_'s publication, so it is no longer
either "state of the art" nor the best possible introduction to Satanism as a
religious philosophy.

"Satanism" is the religion dedicated to, and deriving authenticity from the
Judaeo/Christian "Satan". The original Church of Satan eventually came to
understand that this being had been improperly caricatured and debased within
J/C iconography, and had also been oversimplified as a "cartoon god" after the 
fashion of J/C and other conventional religions. Hence the evolution of the
C/S into the Temple of Set, and the apprehension of Set in a higher sense,
analogous to the Platonic Forms or the Egyptian _neteru_. Simultaneously the
religion evolved from the more emotional/dramatic gratifications showcased in
the _SB_ to a philosophy of initiation into the realization and exploration of 
the psychecentric consciousness of the individual Setian.

For information concerning the Temple of Set, write to: Executive Director,
Temple of Set, P.O. Box 470307, San Francisco, CA 94147.
--
: Fidonet:  Michael Aquino 1:125/430  .. speaking for only myself.
: Internet: Michael.Aquino@125-430.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com