Anton shander lavey. Biography of LaVey Anton Shandor

Anton Sandor LaVey (April 11, 1930 – October 29, 1997) was the founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan, author of The Satanic Bible, who formulated the philosophy known as Satanism.

The biography of Anton LaVey is still often the subject of debate. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a liquor dealer. It is widely believed that the name "Anton Sandor LaVey" was taken by him in more later years, because he probably liked it more than the name his parents gave him.

So bad that stupidity doesn't hurt.

LaVey Anton Shandor

According to LaVey's daughter Zina and her husband Nicholas Schreck, LaVey's birth certificate, issued in Cook County, Illinois, lists the name Howard Stanton Levey; The parents' names were Michael and Gertrude Levey. However, many of the testimonies of Zina, who had been feuding with her father for many years, have been disputed by Blanche Barton, LaVey's last companion and the author of his authorized biography. Secret life Satanist”, in the famous open letter “The Georges Montalba Mystery”, in which the article by Zina and Nicholas Schreck was directly called a forgery (see below).

In particular, Barton claims that LaVey's Social Security card read "Howard Stanton LaVey" and not "Howard Stanton Levey" as his daughter claims. Barton says:

I also saw his children’s books, signed by a child’s hand: “Anton Szandor LaVey.” His father wrote his last name as "LeVey", Anton's uncle wrote his last name as "LaVey". Their original surname was "Boehm", which was changed to "LeVey" on Ellis Island when Anton's grandfather came to the country from LeVey, France. As far as I know, LaVey's birth name could well have been "Howard Stanton LeVey." (Barton Blanche, "The Georges Montalba Mystery")

Soon his parents moved to California, where LaVey spent most own life. His family was a mixture of French, Alsatian, German and Romanian blood. Some sources mention Jewish and Ukrainian roots.

LaVey's parents strongly supported his development musical abilities, thanks to which he learned to play many musical instruments. He especially liked keyboard instruments, such as the organ and calliope. One of his extraordinary abilities was that he could play almost any melody by ear.

Anton LaVey himself believed that his development was greatly influenced by dark literature and legends, magazines science fiction and horror, books by Jack London, film noir, German expressionism and historical figures such as Cagliostro, Rasputin and Vasily Zaharoff.

Anton Sandor LaVey (April 11, 1930 – October 29, 1997) was the founder and High Priest of the Church of Satan, author of The Satanic Bible, who formulated the philosophy known as Satanism.

The biography of Anton LaVey is still often the subject of debate. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a liquor dealer. It is widely believed that he took the name "Anton Szandor LaVey" in later years because it probably appealed to him more than the name his parents had given him.

According to LaVey's daughter Zina and her husband Nicholas Schreck, LaVey's birth certificate, issued in Cook County, Illinois, lists the name Howard Stanton Levey; The parents' names were Michael and Gertrude Levey. However, many of the testimonies of Zina, who had been feuding with her father for many years, were disputed by Blanche Barton, LaVey's last companion and author of his authorized biography, The Secret Life of a Satanist, in the famous open letter "The Georges Montalba Mystery", in which Zina's article and Nicholas Schreck was directly called a forgery (see below).

In particular, Barton claims that LaVey's Social Security card read "Howard Stanton LaVey" and not "Howard Stanton Levey" as his daughter claims. Barton says:

Soon his parents moved to California, where LaVey spent most of his life in San Francisco. His family was a mixture of French, Alsatian, German and Romanian blood. Some sources mention Jewish and Ukrainian roots.

LaVey's parents strongly supported the development of his musical abilities, thanks to which he learned to play many musical instruments. He especially liked keyboard instruments, such as the organ and calliope. One of his extraordinary abilities was that he could play almost any melody by ear.

Anton LaVey himself believed that his development was greatly influenced by dark literature and tales, science fiction and horror magazines, books by Jack London, film noir, German expressionism and historical figures such as Cagliostro, Rasputin and Vasily Zaharoff.

According to his official biography, LaVey dropped out of school during his final years to join the touring band. circus show, first as a simple circus worker and assistant in performances with wild cats, then as a musician playing the calliope. LaVey would later note that observing the same people attending both strip shows on Saturday nights and church tents on Sunday mornings contributed to his increasingly cynical attitude toward religion.

He then worked for some time as an organist in various bars and nightclubs. During the period when LaVey played the organ in Los Angeles music venues, he said, he had a short-term affair with the then unknown Marilyn Monroe - one of those events in his biography that some of his opponents later questioned.

Upon returning to San Francisco from Los Angeles, LaVey worked for some time as a photographer for the police department. He also worked as a paranormal investigator. During this period he is alleged to have been involved with underground Zionist groups in San Francisco that helped supply weapons to the Irgun during the Israeli War of Independence.

In 1952, LaVey met and married Carol Lansing, who became the mother of his first daughter, Karla Maritza LaVey. They divorced in 1960 after LaVey became involved with Diana Hegarty. LaVey and Hegarty never formalized their relationship, although their affair continued for many years and she gave birth to his second daughter, Zeena Galatea LaVey, in 1964.

Having become a local celebrity for his paranormal studies and live performances as an organist (including playing the Wurlitzer organ at Lost Weekend), LaVey attracted many of San Francisco's biggest names to the evenings, including a famous author. science fiction writer Fritz Leiber, as well as Dr. Cecil Nixon, Forest Ackerman, Kenneth Anger, Chester Arthur III, Karine de Plessin and others.

LaVey began giving lectures on Friday evenings on occult topics to what he called the “Magic Circle” of acquaintances who shared his interests. As one of the members of this circle told him, LaVey had the basis for a whole new religion. On Walpurgis Night, April 30, 1966, Anton LaVey ritually shaved his head and proclaimed 1966 as the founding of the Church of Satan and the first year of the Age of Satan.

The media turned their attention to LaVey after the satanic wedding ceremony of radical journalist John Raymond and the New York socialite Judith Case, which took place on February 1, 1967. The photographer at this wedding was the famous Joe Rosenthal, the author of the now iconic photograph of the flag raising by American troops on Mount Suribachi during World War II.

LaVey performed satanic baptism rituals (including for Zina LaVey), satanic funerals (including for US Navy officer Edward Olsen, who was awarded a medal for bravery), and also released music record entitled "The Satanic Mass".

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, LaVey synthesized the philosophies of Ayn Rand (born Alisa Zinovievna Rosenbaum), Friedrich Nietzsche, Henry Mencken, and Jack London with the philosophy and ritual practices of the Church of Satan, embodying the resulting mix in several essays, including they contain excerpts from the social Darwinist work “Might is Right” by Ragnar Redbeard.

Adding to this a "satanized" version of John Dee's Enochian Keys, LaVey expressed his philosophy in his most famous work, The Satanic Bible. Subsequently, he wrote a number of books revealing the psychological, social, philosophical and other aspects of Satanism.

A list of LaVey's three most famous works is as follows:
"The Satanic Bible"
"The Perfect Witch" (republished in 1988 as "The Satanic Witch")
"Satanic Rituals"

LaVey received numerous articles in the media around the world. Articles about him appeared in such popular magazines as Look, McCall's, Newsweek, TIME and Playboy, and he appeared on the television talk shows of Phil Donahue, Joe Pine and Johnny Carson. LaVey also participated in the documentary film Satanis: The Devil's Mass (1969).

Hegarty and LaVey separated in the mid-1980s, and Hegarty sued LaVey for alimony, but the case was settled out of court. LaVey's next and last partner was Blanche Barton, who became the mother of LaVey's only son, Satan Xerxes Carnacki LaVey (born November 1, 1993).

With a naturally eclectic personality, LaVey loved classical music, painting, antique cars, firearms and animals (especially wild cats). LaVey played musical instruments and wrote music, using his keyboard synthesizers for this purpose. He also painted as a hobby.

In his philosophy, he paid special attention to the practice of magic within the framework of satanic rituals. He adhered to the principle of "responsibility to those in charge" rather than wasting his goodwill on irresponsible "psychic vampires." Over the course of his life, LaVey attracted many allies and supporters, including such famous figures as Jayne Mansfield, Sammy Davis Jr., Robert Fuest, Jacques Vali, Aime Mikel, Marc Almond, Boyd Rice, King Diamond and Marilyn Manson.

Anton Szandor LaVey died on October 29, 1997 at St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco from pulmonary edema (he was brought to this Catholic hospital only because it was the closest). Due to unclear circumstances, a myth was born that LaVey died on Halloween night. There is a version that the remnants of LaVey's retinue deliberately changed the date of death to make it appear as if the Black Pope died exactly on October 31st.

LaVey's secret, invite-only Satanic funeral was held in the small town of Colma in San Mateo County, California; LaVey's body was cremated. His ashes were not buried, but were given to his successors for safekeeping.

Having cut off contact with her father, Zina Schreck (nee Zina Galatea LaVey) and her husband Nicholas Schreck in 1998 published a document entitled “Anton LaVey: Legend and Reality” (“Anton LaVey: Myth and Reality”), which states that LaVey deliberately mystified some of the facts of his life. Blanche Barton, LaVey's companion and personal biographer, responded to these accusations in a letter known as "The Georges Montalba Mystery."

Among the accusations against LaVey:
Diana, ex-wife LaVey, stated that she forged Marilyn Monroe's autograph and signature, which he used as evidence of his affair. According to Shreks, Harry Lipton (Marilyn Monroe's agent) also denied any possibility of a meeting between Monroe and LaVey.

The San Francisco Police Department has no record of Anton LaVey ever working there in the 1940s, but some critics have pointed out that such old records are far from complete and may simply not contain the necessary information. LaVey's work in the circus is also questioned by the Shreks.

Zina questions LaVey's claims that he played organ music on the Georges Montalba record in the 1950s, but provides no evidence for her accusations.

Anton LaVey stated that the Church of Satan included "hundreds of thousands" of people at the height of its popularity. Zina insists that “the number of members of the Church of Satan has never exceeded 300 people.” Blanche Barton argues that both numbers were exaggerations, but that LaVey's claim is much closer to the truth.

The Schrecks claim that several domestic violence and sexual abuse suits were filed against LaVey, citing the San Francisco Police records as their source, but the recordings never appeared in print. , nor on the Internet to accompany the accusation.

Most of the allegations published by the Schrecks against LaVey were taken from an article by Lorence Wright in Rolling Stone magazine (1996). Both Schrecki and Wright provide no evidence to support their claims. Blanche Barton and other critics of Zeena Schreck point to Zeena's incongruous intensity in undermining her father's reputation and challenging virtually everything he ever said.

Quote from Barton's open letter to SF Weekly

Like many celebrity children, she [Zina Shrek] asserted herself by portraying her father as a cruel, untalented, self-righteous son of a bitch.<…>She finds great joy and satisfaction in trying to discredit her father and, in doing so, receives praise from all the dishonest people to whom she gives fodder for their own plans. However, when it came to dividing up LaVey's estate after his death, she was more than willing to acknowledge him as the father, even though she refused to speak to him for the last seven years of his life and claimed responsibility for his murder. using a "ritual curse".

Filmography

"The Awakening of My Demon Brother" / "Invocation of my Demon Brother" (performer of the role of Satan, 1969)
"Satanis: The Devil's Mass" (participant, 1970; film released on DVD by Something Weird Video, 2003)
"The Devil's Rain" (technical consultant, role of the High Priest, 1975)
"The Car" (creative consultant, 1977)
"Doctor Dracula", or "Svengali" in the US box office (technical consultant, 1981)
"Charles Manson Superstar" (research consultant, 1989)
"Death Scenes" (narrator/host, 1989)
"Speak of the Devil" (member, 1995)

LaVey's music

The Satanic Mass, LP (Murgenstrumm Records, 1968; reissued on CD with one additional track, "Hymn of the Satanic Empire, or The Battle Hymn of the Apocalypse", by Amarillo Records, 1994; Mephisto Media, 2001)
Answer Me/Honolulu Baby, 7" single (Amarillo Records, 1993)
Strange Music, 10" EP (Amarillo Records, 1994; now available through Reptilian Records)
Satan Takes A Holiday, CD (Amarillo Records, 1995; now available through Reptilian Records)

Bibliography

Books by A. S. LaVey
The Satanic Bible (Avon, 1969, ISBN 0-380-01539-0)
The Complete Witch, or, What to do When Virtue Fails (Dodd, Mead, 1971, ISBN 0-396-06266-0); republished as The Satanic Witch (Feral House, 1989, ISBN 0-922915-00-8); re-released with an introduction by Peggy Nadramia, and an afterword by Blanche Barton (2003, ISBN 0-922915-84-9).
The Satanic Rituals (Avon, 1972, ISBN 0-380-01392-4)
The Devil's Notebook (Feral House, 1992, ISBN 0-922915-11-3)
Satan Speaks!, introduction by Blanche Barton, foreword by Marilyn Manson (Feral House, 1998, ISBN 0-922915-66-0)

Books that include the works of A. S. LaVey

"Misanthropia," Rants and Incendiary Tracts: Voices of Desperate Illuminations 1558-Present, edited by Bob Black and Adam Parfrey (Amok Press and Loompanics Unlimited, 1989, ISBN 0-941693-03-1)
"The Invisible War," Apocalypse Culture: Expanded & revised edition, edited by Adam Parfrey (Amok Press, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-05-9)
"Foreward," Might is Right, or The Survival of the Fittest by Ragnar Redbeard, LL.D., edited by Katja Lane (M.H.P. & Co., Ltd, 1996, ISBN 0-915179-12-1)

Books dedicated to A. S. LaVey

The Devil's Avenger: A Biography of Anton Szandor LaVey by Burton H. Wolfe (Pyramid Books, 1974, ISBN 0-515-03471-1, Out of print)
The Secret Life Of A Satanist: The Authorized Biography of Anton LaVey by Blanche Barton (Feral House, 1990, ISBN 0-922915-12-1)
Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch's Mouth by Jack Fritscher; featuring Anton LaVey (University of Wisconsin Press: Popular Press, 2004, ISBN 0-299-20300-X, hardcover, ISBN 0-299-20304-2, paperback)

Bibliography in Russian

Books by A. S. LaVey
LaVey A. Sh. The Satanic Bible. M.: Unholy Words, Inc. (RCS), 1996.
LaVey A. Sh. The Devil's Notebook. M.: Unholy Words, Inc. (RCS), 1996.
LaVey A. Sh. Satanic rituals. M.: Unholy Words, Inc. (RCS), 1997.

On October 29, 1997, Anton Szandor LaVey, (Howard Stanton Levy) founder of the Church of Satan, died in San Francisco. The certificate about LaVey has a different date - October 31st - the devilry holiday Halloween, and the public was announced about his death only a week later - November 7th. This leapfrog with dates became the final chord of what has been going on for thirty years. extra years a sophisticated game, which some consider a scam and a hoax, while others consider it a prototype of the mass game of the future millennium. Satanism, in the opinion of most, is dark blood cult, accompanied by human sacrifices, child molestation and unbridled orgies. The Church of Anton LaVey uses (known mainly from horror films) ritual elements of worship of the Prince of Darkness, but at the same time claims that there is no devil with horns and a tail, and the only deity for a person should be himself. In fact, this is a philosophy of absolute egoism. One of the modern hierarchs of the Satanic Church defines Satanism as follows: atheism, self-absorption and interest in magic. LaVey put it more succinctly: “Satanism is free-thinking.”

Anton LaVey created a unique organization, underground and at the same time open, terrifying and funny, attractive to commoners and the powerful. His Church, like no other, had a serious impact on popular culture and show business.

Satanic Madonna

Marilyn Monroe. Shooting for Playboy magazine.

In 1948, LaVey meets the girl of his dreams - at that time an unknown dancer. A few years later, the whole world will recognize her name - Marilyn Monroe.

At that time, LaVey worked as a performer (he changed many professions - from a lion tamer to a police photographer); Monroe, who dreamed of a Hollywood career and had already starred in several episodes, made her living in strip clubs. Fate brought them together in one of the seedy “theaters for men” in Los Angeles. Anton accompanied Monroe's striptease show. In professional jargon, this act was called “pulling the chain” - Monroe undressed very slowly (some visitors were annoyed by this, others were excited). “First there is lust, and only then love,” LaVey admitted, “I felt that I was in love when I saw her snow-white thighs.”

On the very first evening of their acquaintance, Monroe and LaVey become lovers. Marilyn always wanted sex to have an element of risk; she preferred to make love in unexpected places: in a train car, an abandoned house, in a cemetery. She shared Anton's passion for magic and. She often dreamed of the devil. One day, Monroe, a bad driver, hit a priest on the road; Anton was inclined to consider this incident fulfilled hidden meaning. LaVey had an amazing ability for "unintentional revenge" that served him well in the early years of the Satanic Church. The people who harmed him suffered as if the devil had really taken charge of them. But in the case of Monroe, there was no one to take revenge on, and the romance died out on its own. In an article written a few years after the actress, LaVey proclaimed his former lover "the Satanic Madonna of the 21st century." LaVey's biographer, Blanche Burton, writes: "Monroe's transformation into a goddess has already occurred. The child of a crazy mother and an unknown father, she appeared before us, devoid of a past, and instantly disappeared into the darkness that gave birth to her. A Satanic goddess - passionate, vicious, seductive, beautiful." .

Walpurgis Night

Anton LaVey announced the birth of the Church of Satan on the night of April 31 to May 1, 1966. (Walpurgis Night). Since the year 66, Satanists have been keeping a new calendar. 1998 is the 32nd year of the Satanic calendar (32 Anno Satani). Main work LaVey, explaining the foundations of the new book, The Satanic Bible, was published only in 1969; In the early years of its existence, the Church of Satan existed without any specific theoretical basis. This, however, did not prevent her from enjoying enormous success. More than ten thousand people have applied for life membership. More journalists from all over the world gathered for the first Satanic wedding, on February 1, 1967, than for one of the largest events in the history of San Francisco - the opening of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The scenery of a classic satanic ritual

There are many attractions that attract reporters - a satanic baptism, a satanic funeral, public prayers (the altar is depicted by a naked beauty), the revue "The Witch Without a Bra". Suzanne Atkins acted as one of the “satanic witches”. In a few years, her name will become known throughout America: together with the maniac, she will kill Roman Polanski’s wife, actress Sharon Tate.

Meetings and seminars at LaVey's house were extravagant. After one of the lectures on cannibalism, those gathered were treated to a baked female thigh (a gift from a Satanist surgeon) with a garnish of caterpillars. The dish was considered very tasty.

IN unusual house(the main temple of the Church became a former brothel) unusual animals also settled in. Even before the proclamation of the Church, LaVey kept a Burmese leopard, then he was replaced by the Nubian lion Togar. When LaVey's house became one of the main attractions in San Francisco, disgruntled neighbors decided to take revenge by filing a complaint that the lion was gnawing on huge bones and "making strange noises." LaVey's official biography states that after this, many of the neighbors who signed the letter died suddenly, and some went missing. The lion still had to be given to the city zoo. The zoo director took a dislike to Togar and sent him to a sanctuary for elderly lions in Southern California. There Togar died on Walpurgis Night 1981. Needless to say, the evil zoo director did not go unpunished - he was maimed by an enraged monkey.

Severed head

Becoming one of Shador LaVey's most diligent students Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield. After Monroe, it was Mansfield who took the vacant seat of sexy America. The busty faux blonde would probably be considered vulgar today. But in the 60s, the image fully corresponded to ideas about the ideal of sex appeal. At that time, Jane, who had already replaced three men, lived with her lawyer Sam Brodie. The news that Jane was interested in Satanism shocked her lover. Brody did his best to prevent Jane from meeting Anton and forbade her to wear the medallion with the head of Baphomet, a gift from LaVey. Reporters captured the moment at the San Francisco Film Festival when Brody attacked the actress and tried to tear off the locket. Unfazed by Brody's antics, LaVey ordains Mansfield as a High Priestess. She performs a specially invented ritual of compassion and lust. Brody's jealousy was not groundless: Jane becomes Anton's mistress.

Witnesses to this affair say that Mansfield was literally obsessed with LaVey. She claimed that the Satanist was sending them. She calls LaVey dozens of times a day, and if the number is busy, she demands that the telephone operator interrupt the call. Jane's confidence in LaVey's magical abilities is strengthened when he appeals to Satan to save her son, injured after a lion attack at the zoo, and the boy, whose condition was considered hopeless, recovers.

Maddened with jealousy, Brody decides to desperate step: He breaks into LaVey's house in the absence of the owner and causes a riot in the ritual room. LaVey discovers that Brody has lit a skull-shaped curse candle and begs Jane to leave Brody, convincing her that her lover is now cursed and is dangerous to be around. However, Jane does not dare to make a final break, although Anton’s words are confirmed: Brody gets into car accidents twice in a row.

On June 29, 1967, the car in which Mansfield and Brodie are traveling gets caught in the fog and collides with a truck. The lovers and the driver die on the spot. Blanche Burton writes that at the time of the car accident, the church founder cut out a photograph from a newspaper of him laying flowers on Marilyn Monroe's grave. On the back of the newspaper page was a portrait of Mansfield. LaVey's scissors went across the actress's neck. The next day the newspapers came out with headlines: "Jayne Mansfield is dead. Her body is found with its head cut off."

Devil in Hollywood

Back in the thirties, there was a group of actors and directors in Hollywood who worshiped the devil and staged satanic orgies. In Beverly Hills mansions, the “Church of Satan” instantly became fashionable. In the early 70s, LaVey moved to Los Angeles for a while; Jayne Mansfield's heir, also a Satanist, puts at his disposal the so-called "Pink House" that belonged to the actress.

The author of the scandalous book “Hollywood Babylon” and avant-garde director Kenneth Anger became a member of the Church; A photograph went around the world of him in a suit attending a satanic funeral ceremony. LaVey's closest friends include 1940s star Sally Forrest and her husband, director Will Foler. The famous black singer and actor Semmy Davis was also a secret Satanist.

Rosemary's Baby. Movie poster

The name of Anton LaVey can also be found in American acting directories. In 1968, he starred as the devil in Roman Polanski's film Rosemary's Baby. Before the film appeared on screens, advertising agents handed out wafers to the public with the inscription “Pray for Anton LaVey.” The audience was indignant when at the end it turned out that the Satanists did not intend to kill the child, but only wanted to honor him as the son of Satan. “Many people were outraged by this ending,” LaVey recalled, “the audience started stamping their feet and loudly expressing dissatisfaction. Sometimes the reality of Satanism infuriates people much more than their idea of it. This was the first time the Devil struck back at them. “Rosemary's Baby” "did for the Satanic Church what The Birth of a Nation did for the Ku Klux Klan."

"Rosemary's Baby" is not LaVey's only film role. In the image of the devil, he appears in Kenneth Anger's film "Waking My Brother", in 1975 he played the role of the leader of Satanists in the horror film "The Devil's Rain"; Critics call the documentary "Satanis" dedicated to LaVey one of the scariest films in the history of American cinema. "Not a single person influenced the image dark forces in the cinema of such an influence as Anton LaVey,” says American sociologist K. Sanders.

The founder of the Church of Satan was an avid movie buff. He collected a colossal collection of rare films, giving preference to detective stories of the 40s. He adored film noir, considered Batman and Shadow Man to be Satanic heroes, and Todd Browning's Freaks and John Huston's Wise Blood to be Satanic films.

LaVey's ideas have become an integral part of mass culture. Satanic symbols and characters have conquered not only cinema, but also computer games. The creators of one of the most advanced shooters to date, Quake, even had to explain in the instructions that they are not devil worshipers.

Annton LaVey and Marilyn Manson

Almost all black metal bands can be suspected of Satanism. In addition to those who use Satanic symbols for fun, there are musicians who declare themselves followers of LaVey - the bands Deicide, Napalm Death, Cannibal Corpse and, of course, Marilyn Manson, who really occupies a high position in the hierarchy of the Church of Satan. Satanists with more sophisticated tastes consider Marilyn Manson's music plebeian and prefer to go to Diamanda Galas' concerts. However, the Church also has its own “home” group - Archeron.

LaVey, who believed that all this had nothing to do with his teaching, could not stand metalheads. He considered sentimental songs of the 30s and 40s to be Satanic music. He is convinced that the demonic is hidden in the hits of previous years, once super popular, but now forgotten by everyone. The founder of the Church of Satan instructed his flock: “If you want to find occult music, go to the section of the music store where there are fewer customers.”

Artificial companions

Since the mid-70s, the appearance of the Church of Satan begins to change dramatically. LaVey ceases to hold seminars that anyone can attend, and his home in San Francisco ceases to be a temple open to the public. Numerous walkers, madmen of all stripes, and annoying reporters cause the founder of the Church of Satan more and more irritation. The creators of one of the highest-grossing horror films, The Omen, begged LaVey to allow them to film in his house, offered large sums, but were refused. "There are many books that I want to read, musical compositions the films I want to play, the pictures I want to create. Unwanted people are depriving me of this opportunity,” LaVey raged in his essay “Misanthropy.”

A schism begins in the Church. Numerous satanic sects (usually asserting something completely different from what LaVey preached - worship of Hitler, for example) began to arise all over the world. More and more people, dissatisfied that the period of permanent entertainment was over, left the Church of Satan. LaVey announced that the phase of “playing Satanism” was ending and the phase of practical action was beginning. “Our Church,” he asserted, “is a Kabbalistic underground, and not a pen-pal club of Satan.” In 1979, LaVey’s article, which finally confused the flock, appeared in the Church’s printed organ, the magazine Cloven Hoof (“Cloven Hoof”), in which he declared important task Satanists - the creation of "artificial human companions." These companions were supposed to be a cross between a mannequin, a robot and a doll (like those sold in sex shops). LaVey himself designed several of these humanoid dolls, which, in his opinion, should replace sexual partners. He argued that if people order the perfect sex robots that look like movie stars, we can forget about the demographic crisis.

LaVey's hobbies became increasingly strange. He identifies buildings with incorrectly oriented walls, which, in his opinion, bring misfortune to their inhabitants, develops a technique for turning people into vampires, and composes manuals for women on improving their sexual image. Rumors spread that he had gone mad. In 1984, LaVey's wife left him, starting a noisy divorce proceeding. His son, who converted to Christianity, fled from home. In recent years, LaVey practically did not appear in public and categorically refused to meet with journalists. He often wandered alone through the streets of San Francisco, and in the evenings neighbors heard the sounds of an organ coming from his house.

La Vey on his album cover

At the insistence of friends, he recorded two CDs, “Black Mass” and “Satan’s Holiday.” In recent years, his daughters, Karla and Zina, have been involved in the affairs of the Church. The rare visitors that LaVey allowed in spoke of him as a very respectable elderly gentleman, extremely conservative in his views, cut off from the world and easily irritated. The times of naked beauties, demonic orgies and cannibalism are forever a thing of the past.

And today to the Church of Satan, exact number whose members are not disclosed, anyone can join. Is it true this organization Today it is highly decentralized. For example, the Russian Church of Satan does not officially exist.

You can get a pink lifetime membership card for just two hundred dollars. There is no need to sell your soul or sign a contract in blood. LaVey, however, did not call on his like-minded people to necessarily become full members of the Church. "Every schoolchild who buys The Satanic Bible for $3.95 is already a potential Satanist."

It's bad that stupidity doesn't cause pain.
Ignorance is one thing, but our society is increasingly
degree thrives on stupidity. It relies on people
who agree with everything they are told. Mass media
information cultivate stupidity as an attitude,
which is not only acceptable, but also commendable

Anton Sandor LaVey

So, my dear readers, as many of you have realized from the articles over the past few months, the magazine is moving into an era of different narratives and different questions. And this time, which surrounds us and dictates its laws to us, can be called that same Aeon, so passionately implanted by the darkest mystic last decades- Edward Alexander Crowley. The creation of this new world, the Aeon, occurs during the change of two zodiac eras - the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius. And, what is fundamentally important, can this change bring us? Firstly, according to astrologers of all times, any change of eras is accompanied by military or social upheavals. At this very junction, many new theories appear, the human masses seethe and bubble. The rulers are becoming tougher and, at the same time, more indestructible. And the boiling point, which is no longer rising even hourly, but every minute - through live communication or articles on the Internet, can no longer be reduced by ordinary television news. This fermentation of information every new era, undoubtedly, gives us new moralists and philosophers. Talents.

By the way, it was during the end of the Age of Aries and the beginning of the Age of Pisces that the Orthodox son of God, Jesus Christ, was born. He followed the latest trends of his time and was more than revolutionary in relation not only to state, but also to world orders. Only this revolution was spiritual and carried a different tone from all subsequent revolutions. But, if at each boundary of a change of eras another messiah is born, then one more than logical question already arises in your heads... And you go through everything possible options, the names and faces of these geniuses and monsters that space has endowed our world with in the recent past. And damn it, you can’t decide - after all, everyone has their own disadvantages... But let’s leave this mysterious and more than blasphemous question for a while and move directly to our today’s character.

One of the most immoral people of his time, the ideologist of the most inhumane, but, at the same time, the simplest of applied theories of the New Time, which contains nothing more than the unspoken laws of society. And when did that very turning point occur that turned moral norms into norms for the development of fairy-tale plots that are valid only on paper? Of course, no one will answer this question. And, looking at our territory today, you must leave all your prejudices somewhere at the door, because the conversation will be conducted in a more than masculine language - the language not of emotions, but of facts. And what other language can you speak when life dictates conditions in which law and reality are completely different things? Conditions in which the crosses on the domes of churches look more like advertising posters for the next McDonald's, and the only spiritual thing left in cathedrals is the smell of incense. And how could such a magnificent religion be lost? Behind the clink of coins, perhaps. Well, am I wrong? And how can one take seriously that same Holy Church that is afraid to make its income and expenses public? But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves, because everything has its time. Our hero today is Anton Sandor LaVey .

And here in front of us are the streets of Chicago. In the family of an alcohol dealer - not the rarest business at that time, a son is already born. The son is named Howard. And only then, Howard Stanton Levy will put on a mask that will completely erase all the extra colors that only distort the desired image, as you understand. And by and large, why do we need a pseudonym at all, if not to erase from our face that unconscious information that we, without thinking, accepted and digested, let into our lives in the form of television talk shows, drugs, new, often absolutely vile, acquaintances And meanness is invariably a vice. The only thing worse than that is stupidity, perhaps. After all, a person born as a thinking being simply should not, and has no right, turn off his brain. After all, with the same success one could have been born a trained sofa dog or a disgusting toad, which the wheel of fate is already thinly smearing on the asphalt of life.

But little Howard is already in San Francisco, where his parents are moving. Since childhood, he surprises everyone with his seriousness and observation. No unnecessary emotions, no worries, only observation and calculation. And, perhaps, the very cocktail of the blood of our ancestors is to blame. It mixed French, German, Alsatian and the most incredible - Romanian roots. LaVey's appearance will always smack of devilry because of the blood of this particular, more than amazing, national group.

The family of the boy, who in the future will become almost the deputy of the Antichrist on Earth, has everything a developing child needs, however, most of all, Howard loves to spend time playing keyboard instruments. He, a little boy with serious musical promise, likes the organ and the caliope. Their wonderful music can simply trample, split consciousness, in the end, undoubtedly, collecting it into a new form. This is how the phoenix rises from the fire. And this process of self-assembly, as you understand, already fascinates Howard, making music his main hobby. It should be noted that the boy has a unique gift - after listening to one piece from beginning to end, he can reproduce it on his instrument. And this seems to be a clear hint that he should be sent to a music school. But literature attracts Howard no less - for the most part these are ancient legends and tales, of course. However, the gifted young man never finishes school. And what can happen that, with such strong potential, a person decides to bury his talents alive?

After leaving school, Howard works in the circus. And events turned out as if it was for the sake of the circus that he abandoned this useless occupation. Tents, acrobats, gypsy tricks and wild animals made a dream come true young man. And here is the eternal children's question - what happens during the Show there, behind the curtain? What is it like to be privy to all the tricks, to see menacing circus animals in cages, to touch the ancient art of a booth? And we can only think out and complete it. Our hero saw all this. Moreover, in the future he will not be afraid to tell this impudent, obscene crowd what it is. This is undoubtedly a more hellish agony than the Circus. And when you go out into the street, regularly noticing the same faces near strip bars and temples, the thought of forgiveness, as a planned act, already comes into your head. And the unspoken agreement between the church and similar organizations is already manifesting itself on the surface of reality. And why would faith be needed if there simply was no sin? And where do all these wonderful people come from - pedophile priests and other religious perverts?

And the path of a person whose destiny begins so unusually can no longer be insipid, as you understand. Howard, by this time, was working in nightclubs in the City of Angels as an organist. Around this time, our main character meets Marilyn Monroe. This will happen when she is not yet one of the most popular women in America.

And this is truly a magical time when night falls on the dirty streets of Los Angeles, and neon replaces the usual daylight. It is at night that all those crazy people who hide themselves from civilized daytime society come out onto the streets - scammers and drug addicts, prostitutes and drug dealers. The sacred salt of the earth, and, without a doubt, the basis of our society, its lowest level, and therefore its foundation. And what could a society be like that stands on such a foundation?

Upon returning to San Francisco, Howard works as a paranormal investigator and collaborates with local Zionist societies. Mysticism, literally, surrounds him on all sides. And this always happens - when you come to the question “What the hell is life?”, then the tools close to you for understanding this really difficult to interpret process appear practically out of nowhere.

And here is this “Magic Circle”, which is already being formed under the influence of the charismatic and more than infernal Howard. It is this moment that I urge you to consider the beginning of the life of the great occultist - the moment of the formation of his own world, when Anton understands that all those thoughts accumulated by him throughout his life can already be synthesized into one good, coherent mystical theory. Moreover, his ideas are supported by like-minded people from a number of adherents of occult research and those who listened in the evenings organ music unsurpassed Master. Already at that time, the idea of that very work was ripening in LaVey’s head, which, despite its immorality and the complete absence of humanism in the text, society would never completely ban. And this book, containing full analysis modern human life, will be released in 1969 - three years after LaVey founded the Church of Satan. However, the ideas themselves were formulated somewhat earlier - in 1967, when Anton analyzed and combined the work of such titans of his time as Friedrich Nietzsche, Nicollo Machiavelli and Alessandro Cagliosto.

As a result, this titanic work already appears before us - “The Satanic Bible”. And to all those who intend to faint from one definition - Satanism, I ask you to close this article altogether and never return to it. But now, through the fog of causeless panic, this preface, as they say, from the author: “Satan is a symbol, nothing more. Satan symbolizes our love for everything earthly and the denial of the pale, disembodied image of Christ on the cross.” . And some of you already understand that you are dealing not with mystical work and fictitious fairy tales, but with a guide to our earthly human life. Deals with a universal constitution for all times, never fully formulated in his works by the great Machiavelli. The author, meanwhile, continues: “The devil was attacked by the people of God mercilessly and unconditionally.<…>For all those centuries of incessant screaming addressed to the Devil, he never responded in kind to his detractors. At all times he remained a gentleman,<…>but now he feels it's time to shout back.". Or this, this piece from the second section of this Bible - “The Book of Lucifer”: “The Satanist realizes that man and the actions and reactions of the universe are responsible for everything, and does not lead himself into the false path of thinking that someone cares. We will no longer sit and accept our “fate” with folded hands just because it says so in such and such a Chapter of such and such a Psalm...”. But you, of course, went through all this, you saw it all, I assure you. It’s just that not many were able to take up the theory, engaging exclusively in such practices. And so, later, you already see in this work practical ways to subjugate the material world and the most effective, but extremely specific methods of the so-called “ritual magic”. However, more on this a little later.

Society is simply shocked by the rituals carried out by the main priest of the Church of Satan - baptisms, funerals and even satanic weddings. Among the participants in such ceremonies are war heroes and famous journalists, socialites and others, more than, famous people. And over them, completely identical to the surrounding reality, our main character is already bending, who, it seems, has found that very red thread of life and intertwined with it in a tight knot. And this knot can no longer be untied. A talented musician and decadent, a great lover of snakes and wild cats of prey, from whose pen this philosophy is already emerging. Philosophy of higher knowledge. Philosophy new school Satan:

Do not express your point of view or give advice unless asked to do so.
Don't talk about your troubles to others unless you are sure that they want to listen to you.
In someone else's den, show respect, or don't appear there at all.
If a guest in your den annoys you, treat him cruelly and mercilessly.
Do not attempt sexual intimacy unless you receive an inviting signal.
Do not take a thing that does not belong to you, unless it is a burden for its owner, and he does not ask to be freed from this burden.
Recognize the power of magic if it has been successfully used by you to achieve your goals. If you deny the power of magic after using it successfully, you will lose everything you have achieved.
Don't express your dissatisfaction with something that has nothing to do with you.
Don't hurt small children.
Do not kill animals except for food and to protect yourself from their attacks.
When in an open area, do not disturb anyone. If someone is bothering you, ask them to stop. If it doesn't stop, destroy it.

And, as they say, raise your hand, those who consider such a set of laws to be absolute nonsense? And no matter how pious it may be to turn the other cheek, victory has always accompanied those on whose side it was and will be concentrated greater strength. Therefore, our today’s hero is already declaring that in a world where you are all absolutely lost and no one needs you, it is foolish to hope for help and support. And in any case, only you can help yourself, albeit at the instigation of people who are authoritative to you. But I implore you - distinguish between dependence and advice! In this complex process, your only ally is your mind. Stupidity, by the way, from LaVey’s point of view is one of the most serious sins on this earth. Among such sins he will also include solipsism, pretentiousness, herd conformism, self-deception, lack of open-mindedness, ignorance of the experience of generations, counterproductive pride and the lack of an aesthetic principle in a person.

The corner of his systematized Satanism is based on power. And this is also quite difficult to argue with, because in human history there simply was no moment when justice was achieved only through compassion and nobility. Look at the world around us, the real world, and not those metaphorical or spiritual paradise gardens. Initially, only strength, power and authority were the most powerful levers of influence. And it’s not so important - within the family or on a national scale. The only important thing is that justice without teeth is a sacrifice. And it is always easier to kill the prey that voluntarily goes to the slaughter. But now think about it: is it worth destroying the seeds of justice, corroding them with the virus of humility? Who needs justice, which will be destroyed due to the lack of a defensive position? And how can you defeat injustice without lifting that very sword and cutting off the head of a monstrous chimera?

And here is LaVey, already a recognized Priest of Satan. The man, according to legend, who contributed to the rise of Marilyn Monroe's career. A man whose value system could be called more than applied, if not for one BUT - his philosophy provides for education and enlightenment, honest use of force and the absence of hypocrisy. But such a “Code of Honor,” unfortunately, is alien to modern society. Yes, LaVey’s texts are more than selfish, but meanwhile, they perfectly describe the entire system of action modern society, from which the very backbone - knowledge and self-control - has already been pulled out. And all that remains is a crazy emptiness, in which power is not restrained by anything, and Christian morality has simply died along with the authority of the modern church.

Moving further in his research, LaVey is already deciphering the messages, better known as the Enochian keys. These keys represent a certain text that in 1583 Edward Kelly will receive from “angel-like beings” when, according to the method of John Dee - a famous mathematician, astrologer, alchemist, geographer and hermeticist of his time - he will establish contact with invisible entities. These keys will be deciphered using the alphabet obtained through the same rituals using the polyhedral trapeziohedron. The work of translating and parsing the Enochian alphabet itself is not a new activity. Aleister Crowley had already worked on it at one time, but LaVey decided to remove the “gilding” from the translation, which he believed was wrongly applied to it by the Order of the Golden Dawn. The resulting text of the keys was rougher and more unambiguous, it talks about the fact that humanity on Earth is constantly in the power of Satan, as the Prince of This World, about the cyclical spiral of centuries, about the fact that everything modern churches and religions exist on earth for only one purpose - to confuse the initially pure consciousness of a person, to push him into the abyss of pseudoscience and false teachings, which will simplify control and allow the Priests to easily manage a huge obedient herd. The keys also indicate prohibitions on intoxicating drugs calling on the path " false values". And all these sets of laws are already assessed by the society of Satanists and adopted, as you see. But the point is not even in the texts, interpretations or, what is completely incomprehensible, not in the fact that they were proclaimed by none other than angels, but in the fact that The entire population of the Earth is already swallowing this bitter pill, inside of which there is, of course, poison. And is it in medicinal doses?

Comparing LaVey's texts with the texts of modern constitutions, you will find many similarities, except for one thing - the constitutions do not provide for the spiritual freedom of the individual, the constitution is full of tolerance and, often, obvious loopholes for offenders “in the law.” And I don’t want to make any comparisons, I don’t want to talk about which law is more honest, but I want to return to the question that I posed at the beginning of the article.

So, as you and I already know, each new change of eras is determined by the emergence of a new messiah - powerful, more than necessary for systematizing and processing everything that happens in human society. And, considering the situation from this point of view, our today's hero undoubtedly fits this description. A more than talented mystic who organized the most famous Temple of Satan on given time, who claimed that Satan was best friend Church at all times, supporting her business all these years , who earned a lot of money, preaching so-called reasonable egoism. And if you take to the streets of your cities right now, you will definitely note the justice of these works and statements. But how unbearable it can be to accept the world this way. And still you have to do it. If only because the Earth will never become a paradise. It will always remain a planet where injustice is the order of the day. But imagine what potential we have for changing these injustices, how much material there is for modeling. And, perhaps, our today’s hero was indeed right about something when he stated that The god you worship could be you. However, each of you will understand this phrase in your own way. And, as usual, you have the rest of your life to think and act.

Anton Sandor LaVey is a pseudonym. There is a version that LaVey's real name is Howard Stanton Levey. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a liquor dealer. Soon his parents moved to California, where, in San Francisco, LaVey spent most of his life. His family was a mixture of French, Alsatian, German, Russian and Romanian blood. LaVey's parents strongly supported the development of his musical abilities, thanks to which he learned to play many musical instruments. He especially liked keyboard instruments, such as the organ and calliope. One of his extraordinary abilities was that he could play almost any melody by ear.

Anton LaVey himself believed that his development was strongly influenced by dark literature and tales, science fiction and horror magazines, books by Jack London, film noir, German expressionism and such historical figures as Cagliostro, Rasputin and Vasily Zaharoff.

According to his official biography, LaVey dropped out of school in his final years to join a touring circus show, first as a circus worker and wildcat assistant, then as a calliope player. LaVey would later note that observing the same people attending both strip shows on Saturday nights and church tents on Sunday mornings contributed to his increasingly cynical attitude toward religion. He then worked for some time as an organist in various bars and nightclubs. During the period when LaVey played the organ in Los Angeles music venues, he said, he had a short-term affair with the then unknown Marilyn Monroe - one of those events in his biography that some of his opponents later questioned.

LaVey began giving lectures on Friday evenings on occult topics to what he called the "Magic Circle" of acquaintances who shared his interests. As one of the members of this circle told him, LaVey had the basis for a whole new religion. On Walpurgis Night, April 30, 1966, Anton LaVey ritually shaved his head and proclaimed 1966 as the founding of the Church of Satan and the first year of the Age of Satan.

The media turned their attention to LaVey after the satanic wedding ceremony of radical journalist John Raymond and New York socialite Judith Case, which took place on February 1, 1967. The photographer at this wedding was the famous Joe Rosenthal, the author of the now iconic photograph of the raising of the flag by American troops on Mount Suribachi during World War II. Among the publications that published articles calling LaVey the "Black Pope" were The San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times.

LaVey performed satanic baptism rituals (including for Zeena LaVey), satanic funerals (including for US Navy officer Edward Olsen, who was awarded the Medal of Valor), and also released a music record called “The Satanic Mass.” ("Satanic Mass").

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, LaVey synthesized the philosophies of Ayn Rand (born Alisa Zinovievna Rosenbaum), Friedrich Nietzsche, Henry Menkel, and Jack London with the philosophy and ritual practices of the Church of Satan, embodying the resulting mix in several essays, including they contain excerpts from the social Darwinist work “Might is Right” by Ragnar Redbeard. Adding to this a "satanized" version of John Dee's Enochian Keys, LaVey expressed his philosophy in his most famous work, The Satanic Bible. Subsequently, he wrote a number of books revealing the psychological, social, philosophical and other aspects of Satanism.

A list of LaVey's three most famous works is as follows:

"The Satanic Bible"
"The Perfect Witch" (republished in 1988 as "The Satanic Witch")
"Satanic Rituals"

LaVey received numerous articles in the media around the world. Articles about him have appeared in such popular magazines as Look, McCall's, Newsweek, TIME and Playboy, and he has appeared on the television talk shows of Phil Donahue, Joe Pine and Johnny Carson. participated in the filming of the documentary "Satanis: The Devil's Mass" (1969).

With a naturally eclectic personality, LaVey loved classical music, painting, antique cars, firearms, and animals (especially wild cats). LaVey played musical instruments and wrote music, using his keyboard synthesizers for this purpose. He also painted as a hobby. In his philosophy, he paid special attention to the practice of magic within the framework of satanic rituals. He can also be considered a proponent of the principle of "responsibility for those responsible." Over the course of his life, LaVey attracted many allies and supporters, including such famous figures as Jayne Mansfield, Sammy Davis Jr., Robert Fuest, Jacques Vali, Aime Mikel, Marc Almond, Boyd Rice, King Diamond and Marilyn Manson.

Anton Szandor LaVey died on October 29, 1997 in St. Mary's Hospital in San Francisco from pulmonary edema (he was brought to this Catholic hospital only because it was the closest). Due to circumstances that were not fully understood, a myth was born that LaVey died on Halloween night. LaVey's secret satanic funeral, were held in the small town of Colma in San Mateo County, California, LaVey's body was cremated and his ashes were not buried but given to his successors for safekeeping.