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Infernalia
"Magister Michael Rose has always been an inspiration, a role model, and one of the most powerful voices of Satanism for nearly two decades. I am extremely pleased to see his collected writings finally available to the general public. This volume is an essential addition to the Satanic canon and is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in Satanism and the Church of Satan. Open this book, open your eyes, and let the shackles of ignorance fall from your mind."
Magister James D. Sass
Author of Essays in Satanism
"At first glance you might think the essays and articles you are about to read are just a trip down memory lane. Far from that, they are gemstones of the day, full of luster, subjects that still hold sway to this day, and give you an insight into the mind of not only a Satanist, but a high ranking member of the Priesthood of Mendes. Sharp and direct, with a no prisoners taken approach.”
Magister George Sprague
Magister James D. Sass
Author of Essays in Satanism
"At first glance you might think the essays and articles you are about to read are just a trip down memory lane. Far from that, they are gemstones of the day, full of luster, subjects that still hold sway to this day, and give you an insight into the mind of not only a Satanist, but a high ranking member of the Priesthood of Mendes. Sharp and direct, with a no prisoners taken approach.”
Magister George Sprague
172 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
1 person is currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Michael Rose
213 books18 followersMichael Rose was raised on a small family dairy farm in Upstate New York. He retired after serving in executive positions for several global multinational enterprises. He has been a non-executive director for three public companies headquartered in the US. He lives and writes in San Francisco.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 14, 2009
Not a bad collection of essays. My main problem with the book is the various editing errors. The book advertises "revised and expanded second edition" on the front cover yet is full of grammatical, spacing, and punctuation errors.
For example, the last essay of the book "W.W.A.D.," I found the following unintentionally humorous sentence: You don't, and insisting that you do only makes you "looks" foolish.
This error certainly makes this book "looks" foolish.
"'Tis The Season To Be Stupid" is my favorite essay. This essay is a vicious assault on the wacky and fantasy "holiday" of Kwanzaa.
For those interested in the Church of Satan, Infernalia is a worthy read. I recommend reading James D. Sass's "Essays in Satanism" instead however.
For example, the last essay of the book "W.W.A.D.," I found the following unintentionally humorous sentence: You don't, and insisting that you do only makes you "looks" foolish.
This error certainly makes this book "looks" foolish.
"'Tis The Season To Be Stupid" is my favorite essay. This essay is a vicious assault on the wacky and fantasy "holiday" of Kwanzaa.
For those interested in the Church of Satan, Infernalia is a worthy read. I recommend reading James D. Sass's "Essays in Satanism" instead however.
April 26, 2012
A treasure trove of Satanic thought from Magister Michael Rose is contained in this 155 page text, compiled from From The Pit, The Black Flame, The Black Pun-kin, and other esteemed Satanic publications.
Subjects covered are myriad - from politics {from a Third-Side perspective}, cinema {from the devilish to the Vampiric}, dealing with the herd {amusingly relatable misanthropic observations}, Greater Magic {interesting psychological concepts for metaphorical contemplation}, the Satanic Panic {undefiled analysis of all those misconceived notions & paranoia-mongering invented by christian propagandists}, hallmark holidays {with their arcane and current derivations}, and even the ancient philosophers, plus much more.
With a Foreword by The High Priest, Magus Peter H. Gilmore, and emblazoned with The Baphomet sigil on blackground, bestows it a sinister presentation complimenting one's diabolical bibliographic collection, both in content and aesthetic. Essential reading for The Satanist to ponder.
Subjects covered are myriad - from politics {from a Third-Side perspective}, cinema {from the devilish to the Vampiric}, dealing with the herd {amusingly relatable misanthropic observations}, Greater Magic {interesting psychological concepts for metaphorical contemplation}, the Satanic Panic {undefiled analysis of all those misconceived notions & paranoia-mongering invented by christian propagandists}, hallmark holidays {with their arcane and current derivations}, and even the ancient philosophers, plus much more.
With a Foreword by The High Priest, Magus Peter H. Gilmore, and emblazoned with The Baphomet sigil on blackground, bestows it a sinister presentation complimenting one's diabolical bibliographic collection, both in content and aesthetic. Essential reading for The Satanist to ponder.
September 12, 2015
Much better than I expected it to be, with some cracking and amusing essays. Will write a more extensive review of this in the not-too-distant future.
August 6, 2015
This is mostly a collection of essays that reads like one side of a conversation. Given the history Magister Michael Rose has witnessed (that loathsome period known as the "Satanic Panic") and his having been a publisher of magazines full of Satanic thought, it's not surprising that these essays would come from a variety of such sources, including his own "From the Pit." Especially in the days when that was being published ('92-'96, according the introduction by Magus Peter Gilmore, the current High Priest of the Church of Satan), it was of utter importance to respond to the claims that were being brought against Satanism. I never saw the news stories, articles, media pieces, etc. that Magister Rose responded to, and I arguably didn't need to. What he saw and heard back then still exists in at least residual form today, and his voice rang in my head as I read what he had to say. The tone runs from being tickled to being infuriated, and it can happen in the span of just a few pages.
Something that was really nice to see here was Magister Rose's insistence that his audience move on from trying to beat the dead horse that is Christianity. Though the virtues of the Abrahamic faiths are constantly touted in the United States - at least by name - the religion known as Christianity is effectively gone, its supposed adherents and tenets now populating other, sometimes more secular, ideologies. It's not unusual to see new discoverers of Satanism lambast Christianity, and rightfully so, but the creative aspects of Satanism ought to be balanced with its destructive aspects. It's not often I see that point brought up in the context of the greater Satanic conversation, and the point is excellently made here by being the climax to the build-up of probably at least a dozen responses to different questions about Christianity. It's as if even Magister Rose himself had finally had enough of talking about Christianity, and wanted his audience to move on to more productive ends, though reminding them that the "enemy" is still there, even if under a different name.
Something else I absolutely appreciated was a more fully fleshed-out iteration of what political ideas look like in Satanism. Now, on the website for the Church of Satan, there is a policy on politics stating that it's up to each individual to decide what stances work best for them, and that is perfectly accurate. Satanism, as applied differently by different individuals, can arrive at virtually every single political idea available. Magister Rose's discussion of politics forms, from what I can tell, the groundwork for the political ideal viewed from the Satanic perspective. I won't go into the gory details, but this is the logical conclusion reached by Satanic values such as secularism, freedom, aristocracy, meritocracy, stratification, and others. He likes to use the word "aristocracy" a lot, and though it's associated with divine right, the etymological meaning of the word betrays the accurate meaning. We probably won't see Plato's republic any time soon, but we can work with what we have to get it as close to the vision as possible in the meantime.
There's a lot to be said for Magister Rose's cultural commentary, as well. For instance, though I enjoyed Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" for what it was, Rose's angry disappointment in the direction it took is palpable. Nevertheless, I did find common ground in his thorough enjoyment of the opening scenes, in which an enraged Vlad (played to perfection by Gary Oldman) curses God for sending his beloved to Hell, vowing that he would haunt the world for all ages and live not unlike a plague. (I got chills just writing about it!) Furthermore, his commentary on Thomas Szasz and the psychiatric industry struck me as fair, but it too briefly addressed the real problem. He's right of course that psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical companies benefit richly from people firmly believing they're sick in the head, but I think a more important problem is the democratization of "normal." However, perhaps we need to be told the former point so we can get to the latter point on our own. I also really enjoyed his essay comparing/contrasting "Faust" and "Manfred," in which he shines a light on the importance of the latter, written by an author often seen as a de facto Satanist: Lord Byron. I must confess I've read neither, but I look forward to weighing these perspectives in the future. While I disagreed a few times, with Magister Rose's cultural discussions, there was one time I really thought he could have gone much deeper, and that was "Smells Like a Dead Junkie." Granted, I'm a fan of Nirvana, so I admit to the possibility of being biased here. I won't deny that I think he was generally correct in his factual assessment of Cobain & co. Hell, if I were unfamiliar with Nirvana, I'd likely make many of the same value judgments. However, in "Robert E. Howard: Satanic Skald," he comes to a very different conclusion about an artist whom I read as possessing many, if not all, of the same traits Kurt Cobain did. That said, I'm now very much interested in looking into Robert E. Howard.
Lastly, a touch on the more religious aspects of the book. I'm someone who particularly enjoys looking at Satanism in the light of its being a religion, so the opening and closing of "Infernalia" were especially fun for me. "Invocation" is a great way to open a discussion of this worldly religion, and the pages between it and "The Mass of St. Francis" really do not disappoint. That mass (written in honor of Sir Frances Dashwood, not Francis of Assisi) is beautifully rendered, and deeply stimulated the ceremonialist in me. I'd love to see both pieces performed live one day; perhaps I'll get around to performing them myself. While I'm on this topic, "Ritual to Secure Cooperation" was absolutely made to split sides. Even so, I can actually imagine someone taking it more seriously on the occasion that they breach a Satanic sin, which is enough to prolong the laughter in itself! It was also a particular pleasure reading "Satanic Brotherhood?" again, though I'd read it years ago as it's featured on the Church of Satan website. Even if I enjoy seeing Satanism as it was codified - a religion - it's valuable to remember that this religion is unorthodox in every sense of the word. In a religion founded upon the individual, community doesn't exist, and neither does an infernal family, though having friends in "low" places does help, as the cover (created by Rev. Daniel Byrd) alone boasts.
Something that was really nice to see here was Magister Rose's insistence that his audience move on from trying to beat the dead horse that is Christianity. Though the virtues of the Abrahamic faiths are constantly touted in the United States - at least by name - the religion known as Christianity is effectively gone, its supposed adherents and tenets now populating other, sometimes more secular, ideologies. It's not unusual to see new discoverers of Satanism lambast Christianity, and rightfully so, but the creative aspects of Satanism ought to be balanced with its destructive aspects. It's not often I see that point brought up in the context of the greater Satanic conversation, and the point is excellently made here by being the climax to the build-up of probably at least a dozen responses to different questions about Christianity. It's as if even Magister Rose himself had finally had enough of talking about Christianity, and wanted his audience to move on to more productive ends, though reminding them that the "enemy" is still there, even if under a different name.
Something else I absolutely appreciated was a more fully fleshed-out iteration of what political ideas look like in Satanism. Now, on the website for the Church of Satan, there is a policy on politics stating that it's up to each individual to decide what stances work best for them, and that is perfectly accurate. Satanism, as applied differently by different individuals, can arrive at virtually every single political idea available. Magister Rose's discussion of politics forms, from what I can tell, the groundwork for the political ideal viewed from the Satanic perspective. I won't go into the gory details, but this is the logical conclusion reached by Satanic values such as secularism, freedom, aristocracy, meritocracy, stratification, and others. He likes to use the word "aristocracy" a lot, and though it's associated with divine right, the etymological meaning of the word betrays the accurate meaning. We probably won't see Plato's republic any time soon, but we can work with what we have to get it as close to the vision as possible in the meantime.
There's a lot to be said for Magister Rose's cultural commentary, as well. For instance, though I enjoyed Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" for what it was, Rose's angry disappointment in the direction it took is palpable. Nevertheless, I did find common ground in his thorough enjoyment of the opening scenes, in which an enraged Vlad (played to perfection by Gary Oldman) curses God for sending his beloved to Hell, vowing that he would haunt the world for all ages and live not unlike a plague. (I got chills just writing about it!) Furthermore, his commentary on Thomas Szasz and the psychiatric industry struck me as fair, but it too briefly addressed the real problem. He's right of course that psychiatrists and the pharmaceutical companies benefit richly from people firmly believing they're sick in the head, but I think a more important problem is the democratization of "normal." However, perhaps we need to be told the former point so we can get to the latter point on our own. I also really enjoyed his essay comparing/contrasting "Faust" and "Manfred," in which he shines a light on the importance of the latter, written by an author often seen as a de facto Satanist: Lord Byron. I must confess I've read neither, but I look forward to weighing these perspectives in the future. While I disagreed a few times, with Magister Rose's cultural discussions, there was one time I really thought he could have gone much deeper, and that was "Smells Like a Dead Junkie." Granted, I'm a fan of Nirvana, so I admit to the possibility of being biased here. I won't deny that I think he was generally correct in his factual assessment of Cobain & co. Hell, if I were unfamiliar with Nirvana, I'd likely make many of the same value judgments. However, in "Robert E. Howard: Satanic Skald," he comes to a very different conclusion about an artist whom I read as possessing many, if not all, of the same traits Kurt Cobain did. That said, I'm now very much interested in looking into Robert E. Howard.
Lastly, a touch on the more religious aspects of the book. I'm someone who particularly enjoys looking at Satanism in the light of its being a religion, so the opening and closing of "Infernalia" were especially fun for me. "Invocation" is a great way to open a discussion of this worldly religion, and the pages between it and "The Mass of St. Francis" really do not disappoint. That mass (written in honor of Sir Frances Dashwood, not Francis of Assisi) is beautifully rendered, and deeply stimulated the ceremonialist in me. I'd love to see both pieces performed live one day; perhaps I'll get around to performing them myself. While I'm on this topic, "Ritual to Secure Cooperation" was absolutely made to split sides. Even so, I can actually imagine someone taking it more seriously on the occasion that they breach a Satanic sin, which is enough to prolong the laughter in itself! It was also a particular pleasure reading "Satanic Brotherhood?" again, though I'd read it years ago as it's featured on the Church of Satan website. Even if I enjoy seeing Satanism as it was codified - a religion - it's valuable to remember that this religion is unorthodox in every sense of the word. In a religion founded upon the individual, community doesn't exist, and neither does an infernal family, though having friends in "low" places does help, as the cover (created by Rev. Daniel Byrd) alone boasts.
October 23, 2024
I just finished reading the third edition of this masterpiece, and I've gotta say, I knew I'd really like it, but I had no idea I'd downright love it this much! Rose grabbed me right by the gut and throat from the get-go and at times, I just could NOT put it down! Even when I found myself disagreeing with him, which didn't happen that often, I was still enthralled by the way he expressed his ideas and argumentation. I absolutely LOVE the way he writes! He writes like a true Satanist - with FIRE! There is SO MUCH voice, erudition, wisdom and brilliance in these godlike, truly Satanic essays, which cover so much VERY important ground! It's one of those books that make me ask it, "Where have you been all my life?" And that "Ritual to Secure Cooperation" is utterly HILARIOUS!! This is a book that, as with LaVey's and Gilmore's works, I will certainly be going back to in the future, something I only do with a select few books, and I say that as a freakin' bibliophile!
Hail Satan! Hail Rose!
Hail Satan! Hail Rose!
July 26, 2016
Infernalia is one excellent, well written and no holds barred BS filter of a book. The topics are timeless and more than deserving his derision which is full of wit and undefiled wisdom...then again what do you expect from a Satanist? For those who want a "grimoire" full of mumbojumbo look elsewhere, for those who want a springboard for Satanic thought as well as some well written rants on a myriad of subjects than this volume is for you. I just hope to see more books from Mr. Rose.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews