The Satanic Bible is a collection of essays, observations, and rituals published by
Anton LaVey in 1969. It contains the core principles of
LaVeyan Satanism, and is considered the foundation of its philosophy and
dogma. It has been described as the most important document to influence contemporary LaVeyan Satanism. Though
The Satanic Bible is not considered to be sacred scripture in the way the
Christian Bible is to
Christianity, the Satanist community regards it as an authoritative text. It extols the virtues of exploring one's own nature and instincts. Believers have been described as "atheistic Satanists" because they believe that God is not an external entity, but rather something that each person creates as a projection of his or her own personality—a benevolent and stabilizing force in his or her life. There have been twenty-eight printings of
The Satanic Bible, through which it has sold over a million copies
There are multiple stories of the birth of
The Satanic Bible. In the introduction to the 2005–present edition, High Priest
Peter H. Gilmore describes LaVey as having compiled
The Satanic Bible on his own from
monographs he had written about the Church of Satan and its rituals. Gilmore lists a number of people who influenced LaVey's writings:
Ayn Rand,
Friedrich Nietzsche,
H. L. Mencken, the members of the carnival with whom LaVey had supposedly worked in his youth,
P. T. Barnum,
Mark Twain,
John Milton, and
Lord Byron.
LaVey's estranged daughter
Zeena Schreck, in an exposé about both her father's religion and past, attributes the birth of
The Satanic Bible to a suggestion by Peter Mayer, a publisher for
Avon. According to Schreck, Mayer proposed that LaVey author a Satanic bible to draw from the popularity of 1968 horror film
Rosemary's Baby, which had caused a recent rise in public interest in both
Satanism and the
occult.
[10] Schreck states that, aided by
Diane Hegarty, LaVey compiled a number of writings he had already been distributing: an introduction to Satanism, a number of short essays, a guide to ritual magic, and articles he had previously published in a
Church of Satan newsletter called
The Cloven Hoof.
Either to meet length requirements set by the publisher or out of agreement with the ideas, LaVey and Hegarty
plagiarized writings by other authors. These included a
social Darwinist book published in 1890 entitled
Might is Right, as well as
John Dee's
Enochian keys from
Aleister Crowley's
The Equinox, modified to replace references to Christianity with those to Satan. Some accuse LaVey of
paraphrasing the "Nine Satanic Statements" from Ayn Rand's
Atlas Shrugged without acknowledgement, though others maintain that LaVey simply was drawing inspiration from the novel. LaVey later affirmed the connection with Rand's ideas by stating that LaVeyan Satanism was "just Ayn Rand's philosophy, with ceremony and ritual added."
[edit] Content
[edit] Dedication
Though it is no longer included in current printings of
The Satanic Bible, early printings included an extensive dedication to various people whom LaVey recognized as influences. LaVey's primary dedication was to
Bernardino Nogara (misprinted as "Logara"),
Karl Haushofer,
Grigori Rasputin,
Basil Zaharoff,
Alessandro Cagliostro,
Barnabas, Ragnar Redbeard,
William Mortensen, Hans Brick,
Max Reinhardt, Orrin Klapp,
Fritz Lang,
Friedrich Nietzsche,
W. C. Fields,
P. T. Barnum,
Hans Poelzig,
Reginald Marsh,
Wilhelm Reich, and
Mark Twain. The secondary dedication named
Howard Hughes, James Moody,
Marcello Truzzi, Adrian‐Claude Frazier,
Marilyn Monroe, Wesley Mather,
William Lindsay Gresham,
Hugo Zacchini,
Jayne Mansfield, Frederick Goerner, C. Huntley,
Nathanael West,
Horatio Alger, Jr.,
Robert E. Howard,
George Orwell,
H. P. Lovecraft,
Tuesday Weld,
H. G. Wells, Sister Marie Koven,
Harry Houdini, Togare (LaVey's pet lion), and the Nine Unknown Men from
The Nine Unknown.
[edit] Introductions
Throughout the various printings of
The Satanic Bible, it has included introductions by various authors. The first edition (in print from 1969 to 1972) included an excerpt from an article by Burton H. Wolfe, an
investigative journalist and biographer of LaVey, entitled "The Church that Worships Satan". Wolfe provides an extensive biography of LaVey and a history of the Church of Satan. He mentions
Rosemary's Baby as contributing to the popularity of Satanism, though he does not claim LaVeyan Satanism to have directly influenced its creation. From 1972 until 1976, the introduction to
The Satanic Bible was a piece by Michael A. Aquino, who later went on to found the
Temple of Set with a number of members of the Church of Satan. He gives a detailed analysis of the Satanic philosophies, and dispels myths about LaVeyan Satanism. He explains that it is not "devil worship", and that LaVeyan Satanists in fact reject the worship of external gods completely. He too provides a brief background on LaVey, explaining how LaVey brought some of the knowledge he had acquired while working with the circus to his religion. Burton H. Wolfe again wrote the introduction for the 1976 to 2005 editions of
The Satanic Bible. It included some of the same content as the 1969 version, with an expanded biography of LaVey and more information on the various conflicts between other religions and LaVeyan Satanism. Since 2005,
The Satanic Bible has contained an introduction written by Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan. In this introduction, he discusses his discovery of LaVeyan Satanism and his relationship with Anton LaVey. He then goes on to provide a detailed biography of Anton LaVey and addresses allegations that LaVey falsified much of the story of his past. The introduction also provides a history of
The Satanic Bible itself, as well as that of two other books by LaVey:
The Satanic Witch and
The Satanic Rituals.
[edit] Preface
The book contains a short preface by LaVey in which he explains why he wrote it. He describes other publications that discuss magic as "nothing more than sanctimonious fraud" and "volumes of hoary misinformation and false prophecy." He complains that other authors do no more than confuse the subject. He also notes that many of the existing writings on Satanic magic and ideology were created by "
right-hand path" authors.
[edit] Prologue
The prologue to
The Satanic Bible begins by discussing the concept of gods, good and evil, and human nature. It includes the Nine Satanic Statements:
- Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence!
- Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams!
- Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit!
- Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates!
- Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek!
- Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires!
- Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all-fours, who, because of his "divine spiritual and intellectual development," has become the most vicious animal of all!
- Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification!
- Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years!
The Nine Satanic Statements outline the basic ideology of LaVeyan Satanism, and have become some of the guiding principles of LaVeyan Satanism. They also served as a template for later publications by LaVey, such as his 1987 "Nine Satanic Sins". Ayn Rand's influence on LaVeyan Satanism is very apparent in the Nine Satanic Statements, to the point where some, including Zeena Schreck, assert that the Statements are simply unacknowledged paraphrase of Rand's thoughts.
[edit] The Book of Satan
Much of the first book of
The Satanic Bible is taken from Ragnar Redbeard's
Might is Right. It challenges both the
Ten Commandments and the
Golden Rule, advocating instead a tooth-for-tooth philosophy. It suggests a
hedonistic outlook, saying, "I break away from all conventions that do not lead to my earthly happiness." Religion is criticized as a man-made construct, and the reader is urged to question everything and eradicate any lies that he or she uncovers.
[edit] The Book of Lucifer
The Book of Lucifer contains the majority of the philosophy of
The Satanic Bible. It details how Christianity has taught that God is good and
Satan is evil, and presents an alternate view. It describes that the concept of "God" is different to each Satanist, but that to all it represents a good and steadying force in his or her life. LaVey then questions why, if God is described by Christian scripture to be benign and all-powerful, He allows death of loved ones. LaVey points at deaths that have been explained as being "God's will" as simply excusing the Christian God's mercilessness. Satan is seen to LaVeyan Satanists not as "an anthropomorphic being with cloven hooves, a barbed tail, and horns", but as a force of nature that has only been described as evil by other religions.
LaVey rejects the idea of prayer, instead urging Satanists to take action to fix a situation instead of asking for a solution. The
seven deadly sins are advocated, on the basis that they all lead to personal pleasure. LaVey explains this:
greed and
envy simply drive
ambition;
pride is human nature that is practiced by anyone who wears any clothing more than is necessary for warmth;
gluttony is a common sin that is regulated by pride in one's appearance;
sloth is present in anyone who is hesitant to get out of bed in the morning; and
lust is a human instinct secondary only to self-preservation. He says that Satanism is a form of "controlled selfishness", in the sense that doing something to help another will in turn make one happy. The Golden Rule is again mentioned, and LaVey suggests altering it from "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" to "Do unto others as they do unto you" so that if someone is treated poorly, he or she can respond viciously. He also claims that organized religions, in their attempts to make themselves more attractive to less conservative audiences, have changed so much that they no longer resemble their origins. They have become more
humanist and, according to LaVey, more like LaVeyan Satanism itself. He cites the acceptance of
birth control by some religions, shorter
habits worn by younger nuns, spirited and sensual music (inspired by Satan), church picnics (indicative of gluttony), and church carnivals (harkening back to
Pagan ceremonies). LaVey describes Satanism as existing "between religion and
psychiatry". He addresses the question of why he created the religion at all, if LaVeyan Satanism's philosophies come so naturally: the psychiatric components of Satanism provide self-enlightenment while the religious components provide the dogma and ritual that man needs.
The Book of Lucifer also contains a list of "The Four Crown Princes of Hell" (Satan,
Lucifer,
Belial, and
Leviathan) and of seventy-seven "
Infernal Names", representations of Satan from various cultures and religions. They are the names that, according to LaVey, are most useful in Satanic rituals.
The Book of Lucifer contains a long chapter titled "Satanic Sex", discussing Satanism's view on sexual activity as well as misconceptions surrounding these views. He denies the belief that sex is the most important element in LaVeyan Satanism, and that participation in
orgies or other promiscuous behavior is forced. He explains that sexual freedom is encouraged, but only in the sense that believers should be free to explore their own
sexualities as they please. He also goes to lengths to explain that this encouragement comes with the stipulation that practicers do not hurt anyone else exploring their own sexualities and
fetishes. He makes two exceptions to this stipulation: the "unintentional hurt" caused to people who disagree with the practicer's views and sexual morality, and pain inflicted on those who enjoy being hurt (
masochists). LaVey goes on:
Aside from the foregoing exceptions, the Satanist would not intentionally hurt others by violating their sexual rights. If you attempt to impose your sexual desires upon others who do not welcome your advances, you are infringing upon their sexual freedom. Therefore, Satanism does not advocate rape, child molesting, sexual defilement of animals, or any form of sexual activity which entails the participation of those who are unwilling or whose innocence or naïveté would allow them to be intimidated or misguided into doing something against their wishes.
He goes on to discuss relationships, and the existence of both "spiritual love" and "sexual love" in relationships, and that the two are not always compatible. He also accepts the need for "supplemental" sexual activity in the form of an
open relationship or
masturbation, if two partners in a relationship are not entirely sexually compatible. He discourages any guilt associated with masturbation, and recognizes it as a completely normal and healthy practice.
Along with the rumors regarding Satanic views on sex, LaVey also addresses those about animal and human
sacrifice. He explains that the only time a LaVeyan Satanist would perform a
human sacrifice would be to accomplish two goals: to "release the magician's wrath" as he or she performed a curse, and to kill someone who was deserving of death. He explains that those who intentionally mistreat or hurt the person or people close to the person performing the curse would be considered "deserving". He considers the action of hurting another person a request to be destroyed, and explains that the Satanist is morally required to grant this request in the form of a curse. LaVey also says that a Satanist would never sacrifice a baby or an animal, as they are pure carnal beings and considered to be sacred.
LaVey rejects the acceptance of what he terms "psychic vampires": people who subtly pressure others into helping them or performing favors. He urges people to say no to those who try to use others for their own personal gain, and without reciprocation. Another chapter of
The Book of Lucifer describes the Satanist philosophy of indulgence. LaVey writes that "The most simplified description of the Satanic belief is: indulgence instead of abstinence." He advocates indulging one's desires so that they do not become
compulsions. He blames frustration stemming from suppressing one's desires as the cause of
psychosomatic illnesses which, he claims, constitute the majority of illnesses.
In
The Book of Lucifer, LaVey outlines LaVeyan Satanism's views on death. He explains that one who has lived a full life will dread death, and that this is the way it should be. He also does not agree with the idea of
reincarnation. He encourages a strong will to live, comparing it to animals' instincts to fight viciously for their lives. Suicide is discouraged except in cases of
euthanasia, where it would end extreme suffering.
Because the Satanist is considered his or her own god, birthdays are celebrated as the most important holidays. Following one's birthday in importance are
Walpurgisnacht and
Halloween.
Solstices and
equinoxes are also celebrated.
The Book of Lucifer contains a chapter called "The Black Mass", which begins with a heavily sarcastic description of the stereotypes surrounding Satanic masses. He explains that the black mass is different from Satanic ceremonies in that it is a "form of
psychodrama." He gives a history of these black masses, starting in 1666 with
La Voisin. He discusses "pseudo-Satanists", who he considers a product of the propaganda intended to discredit Satanism.
[edit] The Book of Belial
The third book of
The Satanic Bible describes rituals and magic.
The Satanic Rituals, published by LaVey in 1972, outlines the rituals more precisely, and contains the entire text of the Black Mass. LaVey begins
The Book of Belial by defining magic as "The change in situations or events in accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted methods, be unchangeable." He explains that some of the rituals are simply applied psychology or science, but that some contain parts with no scientific basis.
LaVey explains that, in order to control a person, one must first attract his or her attention. He gives three qualities that can be employed for this purpose: sex appeal, sentiment (cuteness or innocence), and wonder. He also advocates the use of odor. In the
Book of Belial, he discusses three types of rituals: those for sex, compassion, and destruction. Sex rituals work to entice another person; compassion rituals work to improve health, intelligence, success, etc.; destruction rituals work to destroy another person. LaVey advocates finding others with whom to practice Satanic rituals in order to reaffirm one's faith and avoid antisocial behavior. He particularly advocates group participation for destruction rituals, as compassion and sex rituals are more private in nature. LaVey goes on to list the key components to successful ritual: desire, timing, imagery, direction, and "The Balance Factor" (awareness of one's own limitations). Details for the various Satanic rituals are explained in
The Book of Belial, and lists of necessary objects (such as clothing, altars, and the symbol of Baphomet) are given.
[edit] The Book of Leviathan
The final book of
The Satanic Bible emphasizes the importance of spoken word to effective magic. An "Invocation to Satan" as well as three invocations for the three types of ritual are given. The rest of
The Book of Leviathan is composed of the Enochian Keys, which LaVey adapted from John Dee's original work. They are given in
Enochian and also translated into English.
[edit] Influence
In Gilmore's introduction, he lists a number of novels and films supposedly influenced by
The Satanic Bible and LaVeyan Satanism. These include novels
Rosemary's Baby by
Ira Levin and
Our Lady of Darkness by
Fritz Leiber, as well as films such as
Rosemary's Baby,
The Devil's Rain,
The Car, and
Dr. Dracula.
[edit] Reception
LaVey's daughter, Zeena Schreck, has criticized
The Satanic Bible as a financial endeavor suggested by Avon publisher Peter Mayer. She maintains that it contains large amounts of falsified information about LaVey's past, and that much of the book is plagiarized from Ragnar Redbeard's
Might is Right, John Dee's Enochian Keys, and Ayn Rand's
Atlas Shrugged. Chris Mathews, in
Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture, describes
The Satanic Bible as "hastily prepared" and cynical. Both Mathews and a 1971 article in
Newsweek compare the ideologies presented in
The Satanic Bible to
Nazism: containing "unremitting focus on social elitism, appeals to force, and scorn for egalitarian principles".
Israel Regardie criticized LaVey's alteration of the Enochian Keys in
The Book of Leviathan as stupid and of lower quality than the Keys themselves. Critics have also accused
The Satanic Bible of encouraging violence and murder, particularly in young people considered to be impressionable
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