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Greater and lesser magic

Greater and lesser magic (known also as high and low magic or collectively Satanic
magic), within LaVeyan Satanism, designate types of beliefs with the term greater magic applying
to ritual practice meant as psychodramatic catharsis to focus one's emotions for a specific purpose
and lesser magic applied to the practice of manipulation by means of applied psychology and
glamour (or "wile and guile") to bend an individual or situation to one's will.[1]

Contents
Theory and definition
Greater magic
Lesser magic
Ritual and ceremonial rites
The Black Mass
Symbolism
Four Crown Princes of Hell
Phrases
See also
References

Theory and definition

Outlined in The Satanic Bible, LaVey defined magic as "the change in situations or events in
accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted methods, be unchangeable."[2]
This definition incorporates two broadly distinguished kinds of magic: greater and lesser.[3]
According to LaVey, one of the goals of ritual magic is "to isolate the otherwise dissipated adrenal
and other emotionally induced energy, and to convert it into a dynamically transmittable force."[4]
LaVey defined lesser magic as "wile and guile obtained through various devices and contrived
situations, which when utilized, can create change in accordance with one's will."[5] Within this
system of magic, the terms warlock and witch are most commonly used by, and to refer to, male
and female practitioners, respectively.

LaVey espoused the view that there was an objective reality to magic, and that it relied upon
natural forces that were yet to be discovered by science.[6] Rather than characterising these as
supernatural, LaVey expressed the view that they were part of the natural world.[7] He believed
that the successful use of magic involved the magician manipulating these natural forces using the
force of their own willpower.[6] LaVey also wrote of "the balance factor", insisting that any magical
aims should be realistic.[8] LaVey refused any division between black magic and white magic,[9]
attributing this dichotomy purely to the "smug hypocrisy and self-deceit" of those who called
themselves "white magicians".[10] Such neutrality correlates with LaVey's philosophical view of an
impersonal, and therefore amoral, universe.[11]

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LaVey explains his reasons for writing

White magic is supposedly utilized only for good or The Satanic Bible in a short preface.
unselfish purposes, and black magic, we are told, is He speaks skeptically about volumes
used only for selfish or "evil" reasons. Satanism draws written by other authors on the
no such dividing line. Magic is magic, be it used to subject of magic,[12] dismissing them
help or hinder. The Satanist, being the magician, as "nothing more than sanctimonious
should have the ability to decide what is just, and then fraud" and "volumes of hoary
apply the powers of magic to attain his goals. misinformation and false prophecy."
He complains that other authors do
no more than confuse the subject. He
Anton LaVey
mocks those who spend large
amounts of money on attempts to
follow rituals and learn about the
magic shared in other occult books. He also notes that many of the existing writings on Satanic
magic and ideology were created by "right-hand path" authors. He tells that The Satanic Bible
contains both truth and fantasy, and declares, "What you see may not always please you, but you
will see!"[13] Much of LaVey's ideas on magic and ritual are outlined in The Satanic Bible. LaVey
explains that some of the rituals are simply applied psychology or science, but that some contain
parts with no scientific basis. The Satanic Rituals, published by LaVey in 1972, outlines the rituals
more precisely.[14] The third book of The Satanic Bible describes rituals and magic.[15] According
to Joshua Gunn, these are adapted from books of ritual magic such as Crowley's Magick:
Elementary Theory.[16]

Greater magic
Greater magic is a ritual performed in order to focus one's
emotional energy for a specific purpose. These rites are based
on three major psycho-emotive themes, including compassion
(love), destruction (hate), and sex (lust).[17] These rituals are
often considered to be magical acts,[18] with LaVey's Satanism
encouraging the practice of magic to aid one's selfish ends.[19]
Much of Satanic ritual is designed for an individual to carry out
From left to right: Karla LaVey, alone; this is because concentration is seen as key to
Diane Hegarty, and Anton LaVey performing magical acts.[20] The ritual is referred to as an
ritualizing in the Black House, the "intellectual decompression chamber", where skepticism and
original headquarters of the Church disbelief are willfully suspended, thus allowing the magicians
of Satan. to fully express their mental and emotional needs, holding
back nothing regarding their deepest feelings and desires.
LaVey listed the key components to successful ritual as: desire,
timing, imagery, direction, and "The Balance Factor" (awareness of one's own limitations).[21]
LaVeyan rituals sometimes include anti-Christian blasphemies, which are intended to have a
liberating effect on the participants.[18] In some of the rituals, a naked woman serves as the altar;
in these cases it is made explicit that the woman's body itself becomes the altar, rather than have
her simply lying on an existing altar.[22] There is no place for sexual orgies in LaVeyan ritual.[22]
Neither animal nor human sacrifice takes place.[22] Children are banned from attending these
rituals, with the only exception being the Satanic Baptism, which is specifically designed to involve
infants.[22]

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.[23] LaVey described a
number of rituals in his book, The Satanic Rituals; these are "dramatic performances" with

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specific instructions surrounding the clothing to be worn, the music to be used, and the actions to
be taken.[22] This attention to detail in the design of the rituals was intentional, with their
pageantry and theatricality intending to engage the participants' senses and aesthetic senses at
various levels and enhancing the participants' willpower for magical ends.[24] LaVey prescribed
that male participants should wear black robes, while older women should wear black, and other
women should dress attractively in order to stimulate sexual feelings among many of the men.[18]
All participants are instructed to wear amulets of either the upturned pentagram or the image of
Baphomet.[18] According to LaVey's instructions, on the altar is to be placed an image of
Baphomet. This should be accompanied by various candles, all but one of which are to be black.
The lone exception is to be a white candle, used in destructive magic, which is kept to the right of
the altar.[18] Also to be included are a bell which is rung nine times at the start and end of the
ceremony, a chalice made of anything but gold, and which contains an alcoholic drink symbolizing
the "Elixir of Life", a sword that represents aggression, a model phallus used as an aspergillum, a
gong, and parchment on which requests to Satan are to be written before being burned.[18]
Although alcohol was consumed in the Church's rites, drunkenness was frowned upon and the
taking of illicit drugs was forbidden.[25]

The final book of The Satanic Bible emphasizes the importance of spoken word and emotion to
effective magic.[15] An "Invocation to Satan" as well as three invocations for the three types of
ritual are given.[26] The "Invocation to Satan" commands the dark forces to grant power to the
summoner, and lists the Infernal names for use in the invocation. The "Invocation employed
towards the conjuration of lust" is used for attracting the attentions of another. Both male and
female versions of the invocation are provided. The "Invocation employed towards the conjuration
of destruction" commands the dark forces to destroy the subject of the invocation. The "Invocation
employed towards the conjuration of compassion" requests protection, health, strength, and the
destruction of anything ailing the subject of the invocation.[26] The rest of The Book of Leviathan
is composed of the Enochian Keys, which LaVey adapted from Dee's original work. They are given
in Enochian and also translated into English.[27] LaVey provides a brief introduction that credits
Dee and explains some of the history behind the Enochian Keys and language. He maintains that
the translations provided are an "unvarnishing" of the translations performed by the Hermetic
Order of the Golden Dawn in the 1800s,[28] but others accuse LaVey of simply changing references
to Christianity with those to Satan.[29]

In designing these rituals, LaVey drew upon a variety of older sources, with scholar of Satanism
Per Faxneld noting that LaVey "assembled rituals from a hodgepodge of historical sources, literary
as well as esoteric".[30] LaVey openly toyed with the use of literature and popular culture in other
rituals and ceremonies, thus appealing to artifice, pageantry, and showmanship.[31] For instance,
he published an outline of a ritual which he termed the "Call to Cthulhu" which drew upon the
stories of the alien god Cthulhu authored by American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. In this rite,
set to take place at night in a secluded location near to a turbulent body of water, a celebrant takes
on the role of Cthulhu and appears before the assembled Satanists, signing a pact between them in
the language of Lovecraft's fictional "Old Ones".[32]

Lesser magic
Lesser magic, also referred to as "The antiquated meaning of 'glamour' is witchcraft.
"everyday" or "situational" magic, is The most important asset to the modern witch is her
the practice of manipulation by
ability to be alluring, to utilize glamour. The word
means of applied psychology. LaVey
'fascination' has a similarly occult origin. Fascination
wrote that a key concept in lesser
was the term applied the evil eye. To fix a person's
magic is the “command to look”,

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which can be accomplished by gaze, in other words, fascinate, was to curse them with
utilizing elements of “sex, sentiment, the evil eye. Therefore, if a woman had the ability to
and wonder”, [34] in addition to the fascinate men, she was regarded as a witch." - Anton
utilization of looks, body language, LaVey
scents, [35] color, patterns, and
odor. [36] LaVey wrote that the terms
Michael Moynihan, "Infernal Impact: The Command
"fascination" and "glamour" have
origins in the world of "coercive" to Look as a Formula for Satanic Success"[33]
magic. The word "fascination" comes
from the Latin word "fascinare",
which means "to cast a spell upon". [37] This system encourages a form of manipulative role-play,
wherein the practitioner may alter several elements of their physical appearance in order to aid
them in seducing or "bewitching" an object of desire.[35]

LaVey developed “The Synthesizer Clock”, the purpose of which is to divide humans into distinct
groups of people based primarily on body shape and personality traits.[35] The synthesizer is
modeled as a clock, and based on concepts of somatotypes.[38] The clock is intended to aid a witch
in identifying themselves, subsequently aiding in utilizing the “attraction of opposites” to
“spellbind” the witch's object of desire by assuming the opposite role.[35] The successful
application of lesser magic is said to be built upon one's understanding of their place on the
clock.[39] Upon finding your position on the clock, you are encouraged to adapt it as seen fit, and
perfect your type by harmonizing its element for better success.[35] 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.[40]

Dyrendal referred to LaVey's techniques as “Erving Goffman meets William Mortensen”.[41]

Drawing insights from psychology, biology, and sociology,[42] Petersen noted that lesser magic
combines occult and “rejected sciences of body analysis [and] temperaments.”[43]

Ritual and ceremonial rites

In the Book of Belial, he discusses three types of rituals: lust rituals which work to entice another
person, destruction rituals to destroy another person and compassion rituals to improve health,
intelligence, success.[44] Lust rituals are designed to attract the desired romantic or sexual partner
and can involve masturbation, with orgasm as the goal. Destruction rituals are designed to do
harm to others[18] and involve the symbolic annihilation of an enemy through the use of
"vicarious" human sacrifice often involving a customized effigy representing the intended victim
which is then put through ritual fire, smashing, or other representation of obliteration.
Compassion rituals are designed with the intent of helping people (including oneself), to evoke
overwhelming pathos or sadness, and crying is strongly encouraged.

In The Satanic Rituals, LaVey makes a distinction between the ritual and the ceremony, stating
that rituals "...are directed for a specific end that the performer desires", and that ceremonies are
"...pageants paying homage to or commemorating an event, aspect of life, admired personage, or
declaration of faith [...] a ritual is used to attain, while a ceremony serves to sustain".[45] LaVey
emphasized that in his tradition, Satanic rites came in two forms, neither of which were acts of
worship; in his terminology, "rituals" were intended to bring about change, whereas "ceremonies"
celebrated a particular occasion.[46]

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A satanic baptism is a ceremony for a child is intended to be a symbolic recognition of the infant as
being born a Satanist[35] and is only to be performed for those under the age of four, as LaVey
claimed that beyond this age, the child has already begun to be influenced by "alien" ideas.[47]
Adult baptisms serve as a declaration of "faith", where "falsehoods, hypocrisy and shame of the
past" are symbolically cast away.[48] In 1967, LaVey performed the first publicly recorded Satanic
baptism in history for his youngest daughter Zeena, which garnered worldwide publicity and was
originally recorded on The Satanic Mass LP.[49][50][51][52] The Satanic Baptisms were written by
LaVey and published in The Satanic Rituals.

In February 1967, LaVey officiated the first Satanic wedding, the much publicized marriage of
Judith Case and journalist John Raymond.[53] The first Satanic funeral was for U.S. naval
machinist-repairman, third-class, and Church of Satan member Edward Olsen. It was performed
by LaVey at the request of Olsen's wife, complete with a chrome-helmeted honor guard.[54] Both
ceremonies were written by LaVey, but were never officially published until 2007, when The
Satanic Scriptures released to the public an adapted version of them by the current High Priest of
the Church, Peter H. Gilmore.

Along with the wedding and funeral ceremonies, Gilmore's The Satanic Scriptures also published
a minor rite of dedication of ceremonial objects, which satirizes the 'cleasing' rituals of other
religions, and the Ragnarök Rite, a ritual written by Gilmore in the 1980's inspired by the ancient
Norse myth of Ragnarök intended to purge its participants from the anguish and hatred aroused
after being victim of religious fanaticism.[55]

The Black Mass

LaVey also developed his own Black Mass, which was designed as a form of deconditioning to free
the participant from any inhibitions that they developed living in Christian society.[56] He noted
that in composing the Black Mass rite, he had drawn upon the work of Charles Baudelaire and
Joris-Karl Huysmans.[57]

Symbolism

Four Crown Princes of Hell

LaVey utilized the symbolism of the Four Crown Princes of Hell in The Satanic Bible, with each
chapter of the book being named after each Prince. The Book of Satan: The Infernal Diatribe, The
Book of Lucifer: The Enlightenment, The Book of Belial: Mastery of the Earth, and The Book of
Leviathan: The Raging Sea.[58] This association was inspired by the demonic hierarchy from The
Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage.

Satan (Hebrew) "Lord of the Inferno":

The adversary, representing opposition, the element of fire, the direction of the south, and the
Sigil of Baphomet during ritual.

Lucifer (Roman) "The Morning Star":

The bringer of light, representing pride and enlightenment, the element of air, the direction of the
east, and candles during ritual.

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Belial (Hebrew) "Without a Master":

The baseness of the earth, independence and self-sufficiency, the element of earth, the direction of
the north, and the sword during ritual.

Leviathan (Hebrew) "Serpent of the Abyss":

The great dragon, representing primal secrecy, the element of water, the direction of the west, and
the chalice during ritual.

Phrases

"Hail Satan" a common greeting and ritual term in the Church of Satan, both in its English form,
Hail Satan, as well as in the original Latin version of it, Ave Satanas. When Ave Satanas is used, it
is often preceded by the term Rege Satanas ("Reign, Satan"). (Rege Satanas can be heard in the
video of a widely publicized Church of Satan wedding performed by LaVey on February 1,
1967.[59]) The combination "Rege Satanas, Ave Satanas, Hail Satan!" is found as a greeting in
early Church of Satan correspondence,[60] as well as in their 1968 recording The Satanic Mass,[61]
and ultimately in their 1969 book The Satanic Bible.[62] The phrase is used in some versions of the
Black Mass,[63] where it often accompanies the phrase Shemhamforash and is said at the end of
each prayer. This rite was performed by the Church of Satan[64]
appearing in the documentary
Satanis in 1969.[65]

See also
Psychological theories of magic
Satanic ritual abuse

References
1. Mortensen, William; Dunham, George (2014). The Command to Look: A Master
Photographer's Method for Controlling the Human Gaze. p. 203.
2. Gardell 2003, pp. 288–289; Petersen 2012, p. 95; Lap 2013, p. 96.
3. Petersen 2012, pp. 95–96; Lap 2013, p. 97.
4. The Command to Look: A Master Photographer's Method for Controlling the Human Gaze &
George Dunham 2014, p. 221.
5. Witchcraft and Magic in Europe, Volume 6: The Twentieth Century & Blecourt, Hutton,
Fontaine 1999, p. 91.
6. Lewis 2002, p. 4.
7. Lewis 2002, pp. 3–4.
8. Lap 2013, p. 98.
9. Gardell 2003, p. 289; Dyrendal 2012, p. 377.
10. Dyrendal 2012, p. 377.
11. LaVey, Anton (1969). The Satanic Bible. Avon.
12. Mathews 2009, p. 55.
13. LaVey 2005, pp. 21–22.
14. LaVey 2005, p. 110.
15. Steiger 2003, p. 301.

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16. Gunn 2005, p. 102.

17. The Invention of Satanism & Asbjorn Dyrendal, Jesper Aa. Petersen 2016, p. 86.
18. La Fontaine 1999, p. 98.
19. Medway 2001, p. 21.
20. La Fontaine 1999, pp. 98–99.
21. LaVey 2005, pp. 121–128.
22. La Fontaine 1999, p. 97.
23. LaVey 2005, pp. 130–136.
24. La Fontaine 1999, pp. 97, 98.
25. La Fontaine 1999, p. 100.
26. LaVey 2005, pp. 144–152.
27. Lavey 2005, pp. 155–272.
28. LaVey 2005, p. 155.
29. Lewis 2003, p. 112.
30. Faxneld 2013, p. 88.
31. Petersen 2012, pp. 106–107.
32. Petersen 2012, p. 106.
33. The Command to Look: A Master Photographer's Method for Controlling the Human Gaze &
Michael Moynihan 2014, p. 203.
34. Controversial New Religions & Lewis, Petersen, p. 418.
35. The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity & Faxneld, Petersen 2013, p. 97.
36. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science & Lewis, Hammer 2014, p. 90.
37. The Command to Look: A Master Photographer's Method for Controlling the Human Gaze &
George Dunham 2014, p. 203.
38. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science & Petersen 2010, p. 67.
39. Sexuality and New Religious Movements & Lewis, Bogdan 2014.
40. LaVey 2005, pp. 111–113.
41. Controversial New Religions & Lewis, Petersen 2014, p. 418.
42. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science & Lewis, Hammer 2010, p. 89.
43. Handbook of Religion and the Authority of Science & Lewis, Hammer 2010, p. 68.
44. LaVey 2005, pp. 114–117.
45. Lavey, Anton Szandor (1972). "The Satanic Rituals Spell Book" (https://books.google.com/boo
ks?id=eKiJBAAAQBAJ&q=the+satanic+rituals). google.com.
46. La Fontaine 1999, p. 98; Lap 2013, p. 97.
47. The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity & Faxneld, Petersen 2013, p. 95.
48. The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity & Faxneld, Petersen 2013, p. 95-97.
49. "The Satanic Mass/Zeena's Baptism Track A9 go to 3:42" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
s_M09vuLQAc). YouTube.
50. "The Satanic Mass, Track A9 (Zeena's Baptism)" (http://www.discogs.com/Anton-LaVey-The-S
atanic-Mass/release/1166426). Murgenstrumm, 1968 Vinly LP.
51. "Satanist Anton LaVey Baptising Daughter" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130525095013/htt
p://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U1556387/satanist-anton-lavey-baptisi
ng-daughter). San Francisco, California, USA: Bettmann/CORBIS. May 23, 1967. Archived
from the original (http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/U1556387/satanis
t-anton-lavey-baptising-daughter) on May 25, 2013. "LaVey [...] said the mystic ceremony was
the first such baptism in history."

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52. "clippings of Zeena's baptism world wide" (http://zeena.eu/index.php?option=com_content&vie

w=article&id=109%3Apress-coverage-of-zeenas-baptism-1967-1968&catid=41&Itemid=57).
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A82). September 2008.
54. Modern Satanism: Anatomy of a Radical Subculture & Chris Mathews 2009, p. 50.
55. Gilmore, Peter H. (2007). The Satanic Scriptures. Baltimore (MD): Scapegoat Publishing.
pp. 131–182.
56. Petersen 2012, pp. 96–97; Faxneld 2013, p. 76; Lap 2013, p. 98.
57. Faxneld 2013, p. 86.
58. LaVey 2005, pp. 121–140.
59. Video of 1967 Church of Satan wedding. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pwAOSwHuTQ)
60. Published in Aquino, Michael (2002). The Church of Satan..
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(https://archive.org/details/satanicbible00lave/page/75). pp. 75 (https://archive.org/details/sata
nicbible00lave/page/75). ISBN 0-380-01539-0.
63. Melech, Aubrey (1985). La Messe Noire (http://www.templeofbaphomet.com/library/LaMesseN
oire.pdf) (PDF). London: Sui Anubis. p. 52. ISBN 0-947762-03-5.
64. Barton, Blanche (1992). The Secret Life of a Satanist: The Authorized Biography of Anton
Lavey (https://books.google.com/books?id=4oKYuEQBFrUC&q=%22The+Secret+Life+of+a+S
atanist%22). Feral House. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-922915-12-5.
65. Gunn, Joshua (2005). "Prime-time Satanism: rumor-panic and the work of iconic topoi". Visual
Communication. 4 (1): 93–120. doi:10.1177/1470357205048939 (https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1
470357205048939). S2CID 144737058
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