You Won't Believe This Strange Fact about Church of Satan's Anton LaVey... or Will You, You Credulous Sheep?

fraudsters and scammers, humbugging or raising the devil 18th century print

Anton LaVey, the dark lord of the Church of Satan, is one who you'd think had no time for scientific skepticism. I mean, this is the guy who codified Satanism and spread the gospel of magic and mysticism! Well, hold on to your torches and pitchforks and don't run him out of town just yet, because when we crack open the history books, we stumble upon a side of LaVey that'll make your head spin. (Was that devilish pun intended?)

Picture this: Howard Stanton Levey, born on April 11, 1930, with a penchant for the occult and a résumé that reads like a carnival thrill ride. From joining the circus to playing the piano in nightclubs, his journey led to the founding of the Church of Satan on April 30, 1966. But here's the twist — beneath that sinister exterior, LaVey had a bone to pick with the wool-pulling "occultniks" who chugged down irrational claims like it was Kool-Aid at a cult meeting. He was actually the voice of reason in a sea of supernatural chaos. Now, this may seem surprising, but think about it — many people forget that the Church of Satan is actually non-theistic. That's right, they do not believe in a literal being called Satan or the devil, and do not worship supernatural figures. Meanwhile, LaVey was flipping the script, calling out the pseudo-experts who peddled their supernatural snake oil. He saw right through their hocus pocus.

During the time when Age of Aquarius was bringing the paranormal into the mainstream, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP, now CSI) popped up, headed by Paul Kurtz and Marcello Truzzi. They were the skeptics shaking their heads at everything from UFO sightings to crystal ball predictions. And guess what? LaVey was rubbing shoulders with these guys.

But the rabbit hole goes even deeper. LaVey wasn't just talking the talk; he was strutting the walk. In the 1950s, he actually moonlighted as a paranormal investigator for the San Francisco Police Department. Whenever people phoned in for help about ghostly moans, poltergeists or eerie lights — he was on it like a bat out of hell. See, LaVey wasn't about finding demons or tormented spirits; he was simply hell-bent on finding rational explanations for the phenomena. It was Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles all over again. Worries about mysterious attic moans? Rusty cans and the wind were the culprits, not supernatural spooks. In another instance, there was a certain hotel whose employees complained that the premises were a paranormal playground. We're talking glasses moving by themselves, and lights flickering like a haunted disco. And when he looked into it, you won't believe what kind of hellish terrors LaVey unearthed. Indian burial grounds? Long-forgotten murder scenes? Nope, it was hidden alcoves, projectors, and a truckload of trickery. The owner of the hotel wasn't summoning spirits; she was putting on a theater production that would make George Méliès proud.

So there you have it. Anton LaVey, the high priest of Satanism, moonlighted as a paranormal debunker, shaking his fist at the supernatural silliness whilst flipping the bird to the occult circus. He was the unexpected champion of skepticism, who put on his detective hat to unravel the mysteries that others took at face value. If you want to read more about it, check out this article at Skeptical Inquirer.

Hoodoo Magic Herb List - Hoodoo Online's Handy Guide for DIY Spells

Acacia - keep away evil Adam and Eve root - good luck, especially in love Adam root (from an Adam and Eve) - to hold a man’s love Alfalfa leaves or seeds - to make money last Allspice – for success, money drawing and for good luck Aloeswood - good fortune, spirit contact Angelica root - protection from harm Anise seed - against evil eye Asafoetida - prevents disease and keeps away police Ash leaves - for luck in love affairs Balm of Gilead buds - reconciliation, protection from jinxes Basil - against evil; for purification, for luck-bringing, and for money drawing Bay Leaves – protection from evil; victory and success Bayberry - money drawing, luck drawing Betel nut - protection and luck Bistort - for good luck Bloodroot - protection, job-getting, luck Blue flag root - money drawing Buckeye root - success in any undertaking Buckeye/Chestnut/Horse chestnut - for good luck and protection Burdock - protection Calendula - make dreams come true, prevent nightmares Cara...

Paper-in-Shoe Spells

A popular and very traditional hoodoo spell, often used for any situation where you need to control someone with magic , is the namepaper-in-shoe spell. It's very easy: you write the target's name 3, 7, or 9 times on a paper (depending on intent and who's giving instruction) then fold it up, sometimes after dressing it with oils or powders, then put it in your shoe. This "keeps the person underfoot" or "stomps out the trouble" or "puts pressure on them" or any other number of metaphors. I have had this work several times over the years. In one instance, I was working for a very unpleasant boss, on a short-term job. It was the last day, and I only had about 3 hours of work left on the project; and I wanted him to up my pay for the day since it almost wasn't worth the trip across town for the amount he was paying me, for only 3 hours. He was very reluctant. So I wrote his name 3 times on a 5-dollar bill he'd given me, and dusted it...

Perfume, Cologne, and Its Use In Hoodoo

The original recipe for cologne was reputedly given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary by an angel -- the concoction was known as "Hungary Water" and was used primarily as a medicine, rather than just a mere fragrance. Charles Godfrey Leland remarked that it therefore was appropriate hoodoo practitioners would use such a substance for feeding their conjure bags and other talismans. The term cologne actually comes from a later preparation, Cologne Water (named for the German city.) The original Cologne Water is a spirit-citrus perfume launched in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina (1685–1766), an Italian perfume maker from Santa Maria Maggiore Valle Vigezzo, Italy. In 1708, Farina wrote to his brother Jean Baptiste: "I have found a fragrance that reminds me of an Italian spring morning, of mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain". He named his fragrance Cologne Water, in honour of his new hometown. The Original Cologne Water composed by Farina was used on...

The Intranquil Spirit

(EDIT: Up to date information about the Intranquil Sprit can be found in my book The Intranquil Spirit , available on Amazon. This post has some incomplete information which is clarified in the book.) The Intranquility spell is, unfortunately, the first resort of many a rejected lover. In some ways it makes sense -- the more unhappy and forlorn one is about a breakup, the better this idea of making the other partner feel just as much so starts to sound. Unfortunately, this spell is often not well suited to a case. The purpose of the standard Intranquility spell is to have the person be tormented by the spirit until they make contact with you, or whomever the spell is being cast for. This means that if a person is already in good contact with their ex OR if they're one of those people who cannot restrain themselves from initiating contact, then this already is probably not the right spell for that case. If you've had an Intranquility spell cast and you make contac...

Spiritual Use of Turpentine in Hoodoo and Witchcraft

I have posted in the past about the use of giving one's bedding a spiritual cleansing from time to time. I recently was laundering my pillows in the same load of laundry as some turpentine-soaked rags, with the result that the pillows emerged from the wash reeking of turpentine. From a magical perspective, this may not be a bad thing. Turpentine is used in old-time hoodoo rituals for purposes such as uncrossing, protection and sometimes as a feed for mojo bags. Its solvent powers and strong odor do indeed suggest a powerful spiritual cleansing agent, and it is still used in some modern day cleaning products on a purely practical level for these same reasons. Old time medicines sometimes included turpentine as a thing to drink, in small doses. A book from the 1850s, The Domestic Medicine Chest , recommends giving it to children in a dose of one teaspoon for killing tapeworm. Relatedly, in old time hoodoo cures for "live things" turpentine might be made into a tea...

The Spellcaster's Source Hoodoo and Voodoo Witchcraft Blog of Talia Felix

Search This Blog