Occulture: Anton LaVey – Magical Innovator

Already in The Satanic Bible, Anton LaVey had shown considerable creativity. Concepts like “Psychic Vampire” and “The Balance Factor” soon became household terms in America and the rest of the world. His description of the ritual space as an “Intellectual Decompression Chamber” also hit home outside the strictly Satanic perimeters. As did the slightly later term “Occultnik”, signifying a person who is lost within old structures of occultism without being able to see what’s really of use on a practical, material level. LaVey’s initial key works, The Satanic Bible and The Satanic Rituals, are great examples of creative appropriation and reformulation. But the two volumes of essays and maxims that followed much later, ie The Devil’s Notebook and Satan Speaks, genuinely contain the essence of LaVey’s wit and creativity. In these books, we find many fascinating topics: the integration of emotionally resonant music, stressing the ego, encouraging a sense of humour, artificial human companions, the total environment, the archetype of the villain, the third side of truth and much more. Join me for a darkside trip into the Satanic mind of Anton LaVey – magical innovator!

—Carl Abrahamsson