The Sigil of Baphomet is the official symbol of LaVeyan Satanism and the Church of Satan.
Founder
Anton Szandor LaVey
Regions with significant populations
United States
Western United States
California
Southern California
Los Angeles
Religions
Satanism
Atheism
Scriptures
The Satanic Bible
Languages
English
Website
www.churchofsatan.com
Founded 1966; 58 years ago (1966)
LaVeyan Satanism is the name given to the form of Satanism promoted by American occultist and author Anton LaVey (1930–1997). LaVey founded the Church of Satan (CoS) in 1966 in San Francisco. Although LaVey is thought to have had more impact with his Satanic aesthetics of "colourful" rituals and "scandalous" clothes that created a "gigantic media circus",[1] he also promoted his ideas in writings, such as the popular Satanic Bible. LaVeyan Satanism has been classified as a new religious movement and a form of Western esotericism by scholars of religion. LaVey's ideas have been said to weave together an array of sometimes "contradictory"[2] "thinkers and tropes",[2] combining "humanism, hedonism, aspects of pop psychology and the human potential movement", along with "a lot of showmanship",[3] His ideas were heavily influenced by the ideas and writings of Friedrich Nietzsche, Ayn Rand and Arthur Desmond.
Contrary to the popular image of Satanism as the worship of an evil supernatural entity, LaVeyan adherents do not consider Satan to be a literal being or entity, but a positive archetype representing humanity's natural instincts of pride and carnality, and of defiance against Abrahamic religions which preach suppression of these urges. The church considers humans to be animals existing in an amoral universe, and promotes a philosophy based on individualism and egoism, coupled with Social Darwinism and anti-egalitarianism. LaVey valued success, not "evil for its own sake".[4]
Church doctrines are based on materialism and philosophical naturalism, rejecting the existence of the supernatural (including Satan and God), body-soul dualism, and life after death. However, LaVey also "hinted" at the possibility of paranormal forces,[3] and believed magic could and should be used for material gain, personal influence, to harm enemies, and to gain success in love and sex.[5] "Magic" in LaVeyan Satanism involves ritual practice meant as psychodramatic catharsis to focus one's emotional energy for a specific purpose (called "greater magic" and very much resembling psychotherapy); and also psychological manipulation using applied psychology and glamour (or "wile and guile") to bend another individual or a situation to one's will (called "lesser magic").[6][7]
LaVey's followers in the Church of Satan maintain that he and the church "codified" Satanism,[8] and while some Satanic splinter groups — such as John Dewey Allee's First Church of Satan and Karla LaVey's First Satanic Church — follow LaVey's ideas, others do not. The Temple of Set embraces "Theist" supernatural Satanism, while the large and active Satanic Temple, though atheist, rejects LaVey and Ayn Rand's ideas on hierarchy and self-centeredness in favor of a "left-wing",[9] "socially engaged" Satanism,[10] agitating for separation of church and state, reproductive rights, and transgender rights.[9]
^Cite error: The named reference Andrade-Girardian-LaVey-2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abLaycock, Satanism, 1981: section 4 The Church of Satan. LaVey’s Satanism
^ abLaycock, Satanism, 1981: section 4 The Church of Satan.
^Taub & Nelson 1993, p. 528.
^van Luijk 2016, pp. 336–337.
^Dyrendal, Lewis & Petersen 2016, p. 86.
^Gardell 2003, p. 289; Petersen 2012, pp. 95–96; Lap 2013, p. 97.
^Ethan, Joel. "The Satanic Temple Fact Sheet". Church of Satan. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
^ abLaycock, Satanism, 2023: 7 Contemporary Developments in Satanism
^J. P. Laycock, Speak of the Devil: How the Satanic Temple Is Changing the Way We Talk about Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020)
LaVeyanSatanism is the name given to the form of Satanism promoted by American occultist and author Anton LaVey (1930–1997). LaVey founded the Church...
contrast with the atheistic archetype, metaphor, or symbol found in LaVeyanSatanism, who sometimes dismiss Theistic Satanist worship of devils as a "Christian...
clearly defined belief system called Satanism expounded by a worldwide organization", (i.e. LaVeyanSatanism). After LaVey's death in 1997, the Church of...
observations, and rituals published by Anton LaVey in 1969. It is the central religious text of LaVeyanSatanism, and is considered the foundation of its...
different beliefs. In theistic Satanism, Satan is considered a deity who is either worshipped or revered. In LaVeyanSatanism, Satan is a symbol of virtuous...
Ministries – "Spiritual Satanism" – is generally acknowledged by scholars as a form of western esotericism, which embraces LaVeyanSatanism with an esoteric...
ruler of Hell Anton Szandor LaVey Church of Satan LaVeyanSatanism Left-hand path and right-hand path Luciferianism Satanism The Satanic Bible The Satanic...
within LaVeyan Satanism are incongruent with game theory, reciprocal altruism, and cognitive science. He has also criticized the LaVeyan Church of Satan...
renounced LaVeyanSatanism. Her religious path eventually led to teaching Tibetan Tantric Buddhism. Zeena was born in San Francisco to Anton LaVey and Diane...
organization dedicated to the religion of Satanism as defined by Anton Szandor LaVey. Founded in San Francisco in 1966, by LaVey, it is considered the "oldest...
and when the moon is full. Some members of the Church of Satan and other LaVeyan Satanist groups celebrate Yule at the same time as the Christian holiday...
the Devil: The Canon of Anton LaVey (1993) Iconoclast (2010) An American Satan (2019) Left-hand path LaVeyanSatanism The Satanic Bible Wright, Lawrence...
Influenced by progressive rock and hard rock, and with lyrics dealing with LaVeyanSatanism (often with ironic or sardonic use of Christian themes) and the occult...
Crowley, creator of Thelema Anton Szandor LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan and creator of LaVeyanSatanism Pope Alexander VI, Pope of the Catholic...
also as high and low magic or collectively Satanic magic), within LaVeyanSatanism, designate types of beliefs with the term greater magic applying to...
Church of Satan, but the trademark was abandoned in 2000. Baphomet LaVeyanSatanism List of occult symbols List of sigils of demons Hurst, Janet (15 August...
The Authorized Biography of Anton LaVey is a biography on the life of Anton LaVey, the founder of LaVeyanSatanism and the Church of Satan, released in...
founded by Karla LaVey on October 31, 1999, in San Francisco, California. The church is dedicated to LaVeyanSatanism as codified by Anton LaVey in The Satanic...
lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times. The inverted pentagram, a symbol used in Satanism, is said to be shaped like...
have each declared an affinity for Satanism, with Ahriman and Caligula notably being practitioners of LaVeyanSatanism. In their earlier years, their lyrical...
religious rituals in Wicca, to invoke or represent the Horned god. In LaVeyanSatanism, the sign of the horns is used as a traditional salutation, either...
has thus been termed "Esoteric Satanism", a term used to contrast it with the "Rational Satanism" found in LaVeyanSatanism. Accordingly, it has been labelled...
name for several plants Sigil of Baphomet, the official symbol of LaVeyanSatanism and the Church of Satan "Goat Head", a song by Brittany Howard from...
Rosicrucian Fellowship Satanism Non-theistic SatanismLaVeyanSatanism Church of Satan First Satanic Church The Satanic Temple Theistic Satanism Joy of Satan Order...
Satanism) or use Satan as a symbol of carnality and earthly values (LaVeyanSatanism and The Satanic Temple). Scientology is a movement that has been defined...
Externism Heinlein's World as Myth Henry Rollins's Solipsist Immaterialism LaVeyanSatanism Metaphysical nihilism Mind over matter Model-dependent realism Object...
everything in between.' LaVeyanSatanism is nontheistic, rejecting belief in God and all other deities, including Satan. "Satanism begins with atheism,"...
head a crown of twelve stars." Because of a perceived association with Satanism and occultism, many United States schools in the late 1990s sought to prevent...
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