The Winter Solstice is again upon we denizens of the Northern Hemisphere. Nature’s might is awesome, always to be respected, and as our days at last begin to lengthen, the gelid outdoors contrast with our cozy indoor spaces here at The Black House in the Haunted Hudson Valley. In April of 1974, Isao Tomita released his album SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING, which consisted of his arrangements of music by Claude Debussy for a Moog synthesizer and a Mellotron. Tomita’s sweeping, fanciful soundscapes captured a lush beauty that few expected could come from electronically generated sounds. The title work is a splendid means […]
the black house
15 posts
We Satanists find Halloween to be a holiday that celebrates the outsider, the other, those who are not like most. It is on this night that the “normals” tend to explore their own quirks and inner-darknesses by wearing costumes that often reveal aspects of themselves typically hidden during the rest of the year. We’ve seen that there has recently been a plethora of party-poopers publishing lists of costumes that are considered to be in poor taste, or in some way offensive to these namby-pamby nincompoops. Fie on such spoilsports! I suggest it is far wiser to find a mode of […]
Today, Christians celebrate their well-worn myth of a savior risen from the dead. Some neo-pagans esteem the relatively obscure female deity, Ēostre. Satanists note that traditions for this day stem from ancient seasonal celebrations which tend to include symbolism of the rising of dormant vegetation, and thus “rebirth” and “resurrection.” There is certainly much beauty in the early flowers now abounding here in the Haunted Hudson Valley, one of which is pictured above from our garden here at The Black House. Since we are free of any holiday obligations, we might choose to ignore this date altogether. Yet, we diabolists may […]
From Reverend Count MoriVond’s “Draconian Radio Broadcast Pulpit” – more readings of Magus Gilmore’s The Satanic Scriptures. We continue with the High Priest’s essay “Diabolus in Musica” in five parts, where various classical composers of Satanic interest are discussed. Followed by the essays “Idol Pleasures,” “Hell Of A Town,” a tribute to Satanism’s founder: Anton Szandor LaVey and finally a succinct tribute to the birthplace of the Church of Satan: The Black House on California Street in San Francisco. Diabolus in Musica I Diabolus in Musica II Diabolus in Musica III Diabolus in Musica IV Diabolus in Musica V Idol […]
The Winter Solstice is again upon we denizens of the Northern Hemisphere here on our beautiful home world. I posit that some satisfaction can be had in feeling at one with the cycling of the seasons. Tonight we can enjoy the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Nasa explains: “It’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night, as it will for 2020.” This is a rare spectacle to glimpse, reminding us of the immensity of time and the […]
“It’s said that the Devil is in the details. Enki has proven that he knows the Devil, and he certainly is a man of details. He has taken great pains to make sure his past efforts have accurately reflected The Black House, and the results were startling. Now he’s moving us into the Front Ritual Chamber, so that we can all feel what it was like to stand in that unhallowed space, the roots of which, Dr. LaVey declared, stretched all the way to Hell. “Our originating High Priest felt strongly that accurate details, stimulating aesthetics, and potent emotions resulted […]
SUPERLATIVE SOLSTICE! From our garden here at The Black House—flourishing from copious recent rainfalls, we offer Solstice greetings to all in harmony with the Earth’s seasonal changes! In the Northern Hemisphere we embrace the longest day of the year as sultry Summer begins. Those in the Southern Hemisphere mark the longest night as Winter begins its gelid dominion. Wherever on this wondrous planet you might be, it is always a delight to celebrate the glories of nature and the abundant pleasures that life offers! Here’s to a splendid new season filled with indulgence galore! —Magus Peter H. Gilmore
Halloween is a favored holiday for many Satanists. We enjoy it as a time for viewing favorite spooky films—the immortal monsters Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolf Man often as presented by Universal or Hammer, or some of the ghostly classics such as THE HAUNTING, THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, THE INNOCENTS. It may serve as the night one evokes the thrill of “fun fear” by experiencing local “haunted attractions,” be they darkly majestic or simply cobbled together with a sense of spooky fun. It has long been an occasion for wearing masks and costumes that might be sinister, amusing, heroic, or seductive—diabolically revealing […]
SUPERLATIVE SOLSTICE! From our garden here at The Black House, we offer Solstice greetings to all in harmony with the Earth’s seasonal changes! We in the Northern Hemisphere embrace the longest day of the year as sultry Summer begins. Those in the Southern Hemisphere mark the longest night as Winter begins its chill dominion. Wherever on this wondrous planet you might be, it is always a delight to celebrate the glories of nature and the abundant pleasures that life offers! Here’s to a splendid new season filled with indulgence galore! —Magus Peter H. Gilmore