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Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan: Infernal Wisdom from the Devil's Den
• Includes never-before-published material from LaVey, including transcripts from his never-released “Hail Satan!” video
• Shares in-depth interviews with intimate friends and collaborators, including LaVey’s partner Blanche Barton, his son Xerxes LaVey, and current heads of the Church of Satan Peter Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia
• Provides inside accounts of the Church of Satan and activities at the Black House, personal stories and anecdotes from the very colorful life of the Black Pope, and firsthand explanations of key principles of LaVey’s philosophy
With his creation of the infamous Church of Satan in 1966 and his bestselling book The Satanic Bible in 1969, Anton Szandor LaVey (1930-1997) became a controversial celebrity who basked in the attention and even made a successful career out of it. But who was Anton LaVey behind the public persona that so easily provoked Christians and others intolerant of his views?
One of privileged few who spent time with the “Black Pope” in the last decade of his life, Carl Abrahamsson met Anton LaVey in 1989, sparking an “infernally” empowering friendship. In this book Abrahamsson explores what LaVey was really about, where he came from, and how he shaped the esoteric landscape of the 1960s. The author shares in-depth interviews with the notorious Satanist’s intimate friends and collaborators, including LaVey’s partner Blanche Barton; his son, Xerxes LaVey; current heads of the Church of Satan, Peter Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia; occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger; LaVey’s personal secretary Margie Bauer; film collector Jack Stevenson; and film historian Jim Morton. Abrahamsson also shares never-before-published material from LaVey himself, including discussions between LaVey and Genesis P-Orridge and transcribed excerpts from LaVey’s never-released “Hail Satan!” video.
Providing inside accounts of the Church of Satan and activities at the Black House, this intimate exploration of Anton LaVey reveals his ongoing role in the history of culture and magic.
• Shares in-depth interviews with intimate friends and collaborators, including LaVey’s partner Blanche Barton, his son Xerxes LaVey, and current heads of the Church of Satan Peter Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia
• Provides inside accounts of the Church of Satan and activities at the Black House, personal stories and anecdotes from the very colorful life of the Black Pope, and firsthand explanations of key principles of LaVey’s philosophy
With his creation of the infamous Church of Satan in 1966 and his bestselling book The Satanic Bible in 1969, Anton Szandor LaVey (1930-1997) became a controversial celebrity who basked in the attention and even made a successful career out of it. But who was Anton LaVey behind the public persona that so easily provoked Christians and others intolerant of his views?
One of privileged few who spent time with the “Black Pope” in the last decade of his life, Carl Abrahamsson met Anton LaVey in 1989, sparking an “infernally” empowering friendship. In this book Abrahamsson explores what LaVey was really about, where he came from, and how he shaped the esoteric landscape of the 1960s. The author shares in-depth interviews with the notorious Satanist’s intimate friends and collaborators, including LaVey’s partner Blanche Barton; his son, Xerxes LaVey; current heads of the Church of Satan, Peter Gilmore and Peggy Nadramia; occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger; LaVey’s personal secretary Margie Bauer; film collector Jack Stevenson; and film historian Jim Morton. Abrahamsson also shares never-before-published material from LaVey himself, including discussions between LaVey and Genesis P-Orridge and transcribed excerpts from LaVey’s never-released “Hail Satan!” video.
Providing inside accounts of the Church of Satan and activities at the Black House, this intimate exploration of Anton LaVey reveals his ongoing role in the history of culture and magic.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2022
About the author
Carl Abrahamsson
50 books56 followersCarl Abrahamsson (b 1966) is a Swedish writer, publisher, filmmaker, photographer and musician. He has written extensively about "occulture" – how occultism and hidden ideas interact with our general culture (literature, cinema, music, art etc). Abrahamsson also writes fiction and journalism. He is the editor and publisher of the annual magico-anthropological journal The Fenris Wolf, and the founder of the publishing company Trapart Books.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 5, 2022
Most of the book are transcripts of interviews that Abrahamsson did for his documentary. Thus most of the questions are exactly the same. This gets tedious and there is lots of repetition and not everyone had great answers to all the questions. Watch the film instead.
November 26, 2024
In Wlpugis Night 1966 Anton Lavey announced th birth of the Church of Satan. Dressed in a cape and devil's horns he stormed out onto the American scene. The naked women on his alters helped attract followers to his new religion. this new religion attracted the likes of Sammy Davis Jr., Jane Mansfield, Kenneth Anger, Ruth Wyat and Larry Wessel to name a few. Anton's philosophy did not preach faith in a deity or even a reward for an afterlife what it did promise was individual freedom and responsibility. His philosophy was a philosophy of atheism or belief in no deity whatsoever. Anton Lavey was a hard materialist, he did not believe in the spirit world. Once you died that was it so you better enjoy it now. He preached indulgence in the things we liked but he warned against gluttony and he absolutely abhorred abstinence. What for ? Why deny yourself ? man is a carnal creature who is meant to enjoy theb physical pleasured of this world.
His background before founding the Church of Satan was that of an organ player at carnivals and a police photographer. this background plus his secular Jewish upbringing gve him a unique perspecive. He kew what mankind was capable of. He infused his life experiences into his magic. Modern psychology, photography and modern science infused his magicl practice. His philosophy took from Ayn rand and Nietche along with Jungian ideas. Anton mixed it together and made a creation that many could partake in so they coud embrace personal freedom. He taught out of the Black House on California Street which is locted nin San Francisco. His house embraced a concept of his called Total Environment. In this it is much like creating a ritual space but you are creating an environment that creates a fantasy scnario that is cut off from the world. He also embraced another concepts called Erotic Crystallization Initiative. This concept embraced the concept of harnessing energy of your fit erotic experience and taking it forard as an energy draw. His house had a mock bar scen with ladies, bar tenders and music. Anton loved that environment. He also kept at one point a lion and a tiger.
Anton Lavey was a spiritual innovator. He combined old ideas with his life experience and modern science like psychology, film etc. Hence he was very progressive and enlihtened for his time. He founded the Church of Satan during the 60's and that was an era of free love. Anton Lavey did not think it wise to just love everybody because. You did not have relations with people just because. You had to be epicurean or selective about who you befriended or had relations with . One did not pig out on their favorite food rather one partook of their favorie food and enjoyed it. Pigging out lead to health problems. He surrounded himself people of all races, sexual orientations and lifestyles. He was very progressive in his acceptance of homosexuals and of the transgendered. Adults were free to choose in what they indulged in as long as it did not interfere with the lives of others.
The first part of the book focuses on his life and his biography. The second part is interviews with famous and not so famous people who met him and wee influenced by him. Most of the interviews are with people who were directly involved with the Church of Satan. Individuals such as Peter Gilmore, Peggy Nedrania, Blanch Barton and Xerxes Lavey were intimately involved with the church. Other like Kenneth Anger, Robert Johnson and Ruth Wyats were celebrities who became involved with the church Many of questions ask how they came into contact with Anton Lavey and his Church, they also ask a slew of other questions that delve deeply into Anton's personality an philosophy.
His background before founding the Church of Satan was that of an organ player at carnivals and a police photographer. this background plus his secular Jewish upbringing gve him a unique perspecive. He kew what mankind was capable of. He infused his life experiences into his magic. Modern psychology, photography and modern science infused his magicl practice. His philosophy took from Ayn rand and Nietche along with Jungian ideas. Anton mixed it together and made a creation that many could partake in so they coud embrace personal freedom. He taught out of the Black House on California Street which is locted nin San Francisco. His house embraced a concept of his called Total Environment. In this it is much like creating a ritual space but you are creating an environment that creates a fantasy scnario that is cut off from the world. He also embraced another concepts called Erotic Crystallization Initiative. This concept embraced the concept of harnessing energy of your fit erotic experience and taking it forard as an energy draw. His house had a mock bar scen with ladies, bar tenders and music. Anton loved that environment. He also kept at one point a lion and a tiger.
Anton Lavey was a spiritual innovator. He combined old ideas with his life experience and modern science like psychology, film etc. Hence he was very progressive and enlihtened for his time. He founded the Church of Satan during the 60's and that was an era of free love. Anton Lavey did not think it wise to just love everybody because. You did not have relations with people just because. You had to be epicurean or selective about who you befriended or had relations with . One did not pig out on their favorite food rather one partook of their favorie food and enjoyed it. Pigging out lead to health problems. He surrounded himself people of all races, sexual orientations and lifestyles. He was very progressive in his acceptance of homosexuals and of the transgendered. Adults were free to choose in what they indulged in as long as it did not interfere with the lives of others.
The first part of the book focuses on his life and his biography. The second part is interviews with famous and not so famous people who met him and wee influenced by him. Most of the interviews are with people who were directly involved with the Church of Satan. Individuals such as Peter Gilmore, Peggy Nedrania, Blanch Barton and Xerxes Lavey were intimately involved with the church. Other like Kenneth Anger, Robert Johnson and Ruth Wyats were celebrities who became involved with the church Many of questions ask how they came into contact with Anton Lavey and his Church, they also ask a slew of other questions that delve deeply into Anton's personality an philosophy.
June 2, 2022
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet website on 06/02/2022.
Carl Abrahamsson took on the momentous task of exploring the life and times of Anton LaVey with his latest book, “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan: Infernal Wisdom from the Devil’s Den.” The topic of Satanism always stirs the pot, and no more so than when one broaches the subject of its champion showman LaVey. Abrahamsson does not hide his personal connection to LaVey, yet he does an able job of presenting an unfiltered LaVey, even if it is with obvious fondness.
Part one of “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan” is a wonderfully written biography. It’s a biography, but smattered with first-hand recollections from visits Abrahamsson made to LaVey’s famous Black House in San Francisco. It makes for fun and compelling reading.
Part two features an epic line up of interviews. Some are names you’ll recognize and some you may not. Either way, there are many insights to be gained. Who are some of these people? There’s Xerxes LaVey, Anton LaVey’s son, Peter Gilmour and Peggy Nadramia, the current heads of the Church of Satan, filmmaker Keith Anger, and more. There is Genesis P-Orridge and Anton LaVey in conversation. (If you don’t know Genesis P-Orridge, Google that shit and educate yourselves.) Also included is never before scene excerpts from the infomercial “Hail Satan!”
So, who is “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan” for? Anyone curious about LaVey and the Church of Satan will learn much from Carl Abrahamsson. I know I did. However, I can’t help but feel like there could have something to be learned from including interviews with some of LaVey’s detractors. That said, this is a fantastic book for anyone wanting insights into LaVey and his Church.
Carl Abrahamsson took on the momentous task of exploring the life and times of Anton LaVey with his latest book, “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan: Infernal Wisdom from the Devil’s Den.” The topic of Satanism always stirs the pot, and no more so than when one broaches the subject of its champion showman LaVey. Abrahamsson does not hide his personal connection to LaVey, yet he does an able job of presenting an unfiltered LaVey, even if it is with obvious fondness.
Part one of “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan” is a wonderfully written biography. It’s a biography, but smattered with first-hand recollections from visits Abrahamsson made to LaVey’s famous Black House in San Francisco. It makes for fun and compelling reading.
Part two features an epic line up of interviews. Some are names you’ll recognize and some you may not. Either way, there are many insights to be gained. Who are some of these people? There’s Xerxes LaVey, Anton LaVey’s son, Peter Gilmour and Peggy Nadramia, the current heads of the Church of Satan, filmmaker Keith Anger, and more. There is Genesis P-Orridge and Anton LaVey in conversation. (If you don’t know Genesis P-Orridge, Google that shit and educate yourselves.) Also included is never before scene excerpts from the infomercial “Hail Satan!”
So, who is “Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan” for? Anyone curious about LaVey and the Church of Satan will learn much from Carl Abrahamsson. I know I did. However, I can’t help but feel like there could have something to be learned from including interviews with some of LaVey’s detractors. That said, this is a fantastic book for anyone wanting insights into LaVey and his Church.
October 15, 2022
I wanted to like this book.
I wanted it to have more meat on its bones, but it left me unsatisfied.
The interview questions became monotonous. I think more on the history of this man could have been knitted together if the author/interviewer would have stepped away from his list of repeated questions.
I like how the portrait LaVey was painted through different voices of people who knew him personally. His humanity is often missing in his depictions, and this book gave us a look into the mundane life of someone who is held so high and with so much surrounding mystery.
I just wanted more from it.
I wanted it to have more meat on its bones, but it left me unsatisfied.
The interview questions became monotonous. I think more on the history of this man could have been knitted together if the author/interviewer would have stepped away from his list of repeated questions.
I like how the portrait LaVey was painted through different voices of people who knew him personally. His humanity is often missing in his depictions, and this book gave us a look into the mundane life of someone who is held so high and with so much surrounding mystery.
I just wanted more from it.
August 30, 2022
The first part of the book gets 4 stars, but a large bulk of the overall length is the interviews which come after. These interviews are alright, but very repetitive in content and are the exact same interviews used for Abrahamsson's documentary - so if you've seen the doc then these interviews are even more redundant. I would have preferred a more detailed biography of LaVey's entire life with a book this length. I don't go to books to read interviews, and the interviews here are generally just repeating the same things without much depth really.
May 23, 2022
A fantastic book with anecdotes, interviews, and pictures from members and others of the CoS about all things about the Church of Satan, the Black Pope, and the others close to him.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews