THE CHURCH OF SATAN

by Blanche Barton. A History of the World's Most Notorious Religion! Available from HELL'S KITCHEN PRODUCTIONS INC. P.O. Box 370, Times Square Station, New York. NY 10108-0370, USA.

Twenty-five years ago, on April 30, Walpurgisnacht, 1966ev, Anton Szandor LaVey shaved his head and declared the beginning of the Age of Satan. From that moment on, both the famous and the infamous have found their way through the doors of the Church of Satan, with LaVey as its diabolical "Black Pope".

Blanche Barton, Anton LaVey's authorised biographer, gives a straight-from-the-shoulder account of the many strange and sensational events (some heavily documented by a media blitz, others related for the first time anywhere) that surrounded LaVey and his thousands of followers as they ushered in a new era of indulgence and carnality, based on pleasure instead of self-denial. Miss Barton

details the evenings spent with LaVey's Magic Circle, peopled with artists, writers and film-makers whose names will be familiar, and points out de-facto Satanists throughout history, such as Benjamin Franklin, who would, LaVey is sure, have been in favour of a "United Satanic America".

In addition, Miss Barton outlines the direction this ever-growing organisation is taking today, in her chapter "Satan's Master Plan". And she lays it on the line with what every reader will want to know: "How To Perform Satanic Rituals" Clearly, no topic has ever been so hot; can you afford not to own this book?

Taken from the Dark Lily Journal No 11, Society of Dark Lily (London 1990).