HISTORY [OCCult, 70s (70-3)]

[_Witchcraft and Sorcery_, edited by Max Marwick, Penguin Books,
  1970; contains no references to 'Satan' or 'Satanism', though
  it mentions 'the Devil' a few times.  the bulk of its many
  anthropological essays presume that no Pagan remnant survived
  to present day and characterizes 'the witch' as troublemaker
  or evil-doer (as seen by the societies in question, not
  absolutely)]

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[_Modern Witchcraft_, by Frank Smyth, Castle Books, (1970) 1973;
 pp. 84-96; this text is mostly about Witchcraft, especially that of
 Gardnerians and Alexandrians (last chapter on Alex 'King of the
 Witches' Saunders);  sensationalist writing style, probably very
 poorly researched]

...if these modern witches are sincere, the charge of 
worshipping the Judeo-Christian Satan cannot be laid 
at their door.  In fact, modern 'Satanists' and
'Luciferians', whose cults are fairly evenly spread
throughout Britain, France, Germany, and the United
States, are united in their patronising, rather
contemptuous attitude to the 'Gardnerian' type of
witch.

Although both witches and 'Satanists' share the
belief that magic can be used to achieve actual
physical results, witches reject all Biblical
teaching out of hand, while the Satanists, through
the very nature of their beliefs, accept both God
-- 'Yahwe' -- and Satan, as with other superhuman
beings.

The term Satanist, curiously enough, was first used
to denote those who believed nothing at all.  John
Aylmer, Bishop of London under Queen Elizabeth I,
described the atheists of his day as Satanists in his
pamphlet *An Harbour for Faithful and Truth Subjects*
published in 1559.  'Satanists' of the modern type --
literally worshippers of Satan -- appear to have come
into being in France some two hundred years before
Aylmer wrote his pamphlet, when the first 'black
masses' were celebrated.  These were parodies of the
Christian mass.  Some, such as the 'Mass of St Secaire'
which was practised in Gascony and Brittany, actually
had this efficacy of the Catholic mass -- although it
was a requiem mass said for the living.  By this means
it was believed that the person named during the
celebration of the ritual could be brought to an
untimely death.  Other forms of 'mass' used a toad or
piece of turnip instead of the Host, and a filthy
mixture of blood, urine, and feces in place of the
sacramental wine.  For sociological and political
reasons these early forms of black mass were popular
throughout the Middle Ages.  In many cases a hated
political figure would be represented by the toad
which, after being baptised in his name, was sacrificed
painfully by the officiant -- thus wishing the same
fate on the enemy, and at the same time allowing some
vicarious relief to the feelings of the oppressed
congregation [note that Crowley performed one of these
toad-crucifixions! -- nocT].  

[skipping the usual Mme. Le Voisin story. -- nocT]

The 18th century probably marked the peak of
Satanism, when rich young 'bucks' in every capital
of Europe indulged in orgies of sacrifice to Satan,
perverted sexual activities, and gluttonous hedonism
of all kinds.  La Voisin's impieties had found
followers in Germany, Italy, and Britain, and in the
first twenty years of the 18th century bodies of
young aristocrats baned themselves together for the
purpose of blasphemy and total sensual excess.  The
'Hell Fire Clubs', as they were called, knew no
frontiers and certainly no limitations....

The *Gazette*, on April 29, 1721, commented: 'The
members of these clubs meet and in the most impious
and blasphemous manner insult the most sacred
Principles of our Holy Religion and affront Almighty
God Himself.'...

It was discovered that the principle Hell Fire Club
in Britain had various headquarters; at Somerset
House in Strand, in Westminster, and in a house in
Conduit Street near Hanover Square.  The President
of the club was named 'King of Hell' and before long
it became common knowledge that the 'King of Hell'
in this case was Philip, Lord Wharton.

The most famous of all British Hell Fire Clubs was
that which met at Medmenham Abbey on the banks of
the River Thames and went under the title of the
'Medmenhan Monks'.

No one knows exactly the date of the foundation of
this unholy 'order' but the figure most closely
tied in with it was Sir Francis Dashwood, Baron Le
Despencer, Chancellor of the Exchequer and landowner
at West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.  Dashwood had a 
propensity for dressing in a monk's habit; the
painter Knapton depicted him in 1742 dressed in
monkish attire adoring the naked figure of Venus.
Ten years later the Medmenham Monks were in full
swing, with Sir Francis at their head and a membership
comprising many of the most influential men of the
day: John Wilkes, Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, John
Churchill, Lord Melcombe, and George Selwyn were a
few of them.  Many stories are told of the wild
and perverse activities of the 'Monks'.  Defrocked
priests officiated at obscene ceremonies, women and
men were sexually assaulted, and the resulting
scandal shocked every court in Europe.  And yet
Dashwood's best -- or worst -- efforts were 
exceeded by those of his counterparts in Ireland....

[specifics about various Hell Fire Club exploits
 omitted in favor of direct Satanism references.]

But the perverse emotions which had caused the
debauches of the old Hell Fire Clubs did not die
out so quickly.  Satan continues to be worshipped
and -- as the brutal murder of American actress
Sharon Tate at the hands of a 'Satanist' cult
shows - his followers are still capable of vicious-
ness and cruelty.  More often than not, however,
the modern Satan worshipper is after sexual thrills
rather than murderous ones.  Rome, according to
many occultists, has long been the centre for Black
Masses in Italy, while Paris also caters for Satan's
brood.  It is interesting that both cities possess
a high proportion of Roman Catholics, and it is
tempting to speculate on whether this fact adds an
element of extra spice to the proceedings....

[description of a Black Mass omitted]

The evening ended with drunken dancing, drug taking,
and general sexual activity, the partners circulated
freely.  Kordeiv, nauseated and frightened by what
he had seen, left early and never returned.

He was fortunate; few Satanists would risk a member
leaving their clutches and telling the police of what
he had witnessed, and apart from physical violence
they often use blackmail to prevent such an event.
During the orgy a series of pictures are taken and
the newly initiated member is solemnly warned that
they will be made public should he not do as he is
told.  In any case Satanist cults often blackmail
the new initiate to raise money for their organisa-
tion.  In all, Satanists groups appear to be
extremely unpleasant at best.  At worst they are
highly dangerous and, as author Denis Wheatley
[popular occult thriller writer; wrote a cute
English story formulaic of horror-Satanism called
_The Satanist_, which I recommend -- nocT] has
often pointed out, are never to be lightly dallied
with by anyone who values his freedom.

The Continental Satanists, such as the ones
described above, are now widely imitated in America.
The parody of the Mass is not hard for anyone to
perform, black candles, robes, and the rest of the
paraphenalia are obtainable by most people who
desire to set up in practice on their own and --
perhaps most important of all -- the 'permissive
society' in its boredom with normal sex readily
yields up would-be participants in the obscene
ceremonies.

It is perhaps typical that only in England, in stolid,
down to earth Manchester, self-confessed Satanists
attempt to give their beliefs a gloss of respect-
ability.  Here, in suburban homes, an extraordinary
group who call themselves the 'Order of Satanic
Templars' meet on several nights a week to worship
Satan, who to them is still a glorious Prince of
Heaven.

The Order of Satanic Templars is led by a 
bespectacled, dark suited man who refers to himself
as 'Ramon'.  A plasterer by trade, 'Ramon' has
dabbled in most religions during the last twenty
or so years, and, dissatisfied with them all,
finally decided to organise his own particular
branch of Satanism.  He refers to his group as a
'coven' and claims that affiliated 'covens' and
claims that affiliated 'covens' exist throughout
East Lancashire and Cheshire.  Ramon's principle
labour of love at the moment is his three volume
'Bible' which he refers to as the 'Black Book of
Satan'.  It contains a history of occultism, 
a list of rules for members attempting services at
the Order's 'temple', several Satanic hymns -- two
or three of which are adapted versions of Christian
hymns -- and an account of his own philosophy.

'We believe,' says Ramon, 'that Satan, although
thrown out of heaven, was reinstated as the son of
God and is directly in contact with him.  We are
a bit evil now and again -- if any of our coven
members offends he is either reprimanded, given
corporeal punishment, or is expelled from his coven 
and cursed.  But we only do this sort of thing for
our members' own good.  We really believe in love,
the sanctity of woman as the child bearer and
procreator of life, and in worshipping Satan our
master.  We don't go in for Black Masses or public
intercourse or anything like that.'

Ramon has worked out a highly complex hierarchy
with which to rule his little empire.  He, as
Head of the 'Order' is aided by a council composed
of chosen members of the other covens, and
together they decide on policy and business matters.
They wear black gowns -- Ramon insisted on his wife
re-designing the ones worn by male members as they
were, he says, 'too effeminate' -- and even children
are allowed to attend meetings.  'We have the
greatest reverence for children, and we would never
go about naked in front of them, or do anything to
harm them.'

To give him his due, Ramon's organisation seems very
far removed from the wild and dangerous Satanists
of other countries.  Nonetheless, the ordinary
people of Manchester apparently give him a wide berth.

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