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Strange History

40 Facts about the Church of Satan

Anton Szandor LaVey - Church of Satan

29. And, atheist or not, the Church teaches magic…

A concerned man with a pentagram, NB the wrong way up for Satanism, in a 1995 law enforcement video ‘explaining’ Satanic crime. Vox

Here’s another baffling aspect of the Church with a relatively cogent explanation: magic plays an important role in the atheist Church of Satan. LaVey defines magic as ‘the change in situations or events in accordance to one’s will’. Again, this uses weird images and rituals derived from all manner of esoteric lore, but in reality, is a mixture of stage magic and psychology playing upon what is known about the human brain. For example, when performing ‘magic’ to achieve a goal, the ‘magician’ is effectively meditating, and ‘cursing’ someone simply involves exploiting their existing beliefs or subconscious mind.

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I am a freelance historical and literary writer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I read for a funded PhD in English at the University of Oxford (Magdalen College) and graduated in 2016. I am a former lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London. My publications include peer-reviewed articles in academic publications, and pieces in mainstream magazines such as History Today and Fortean Times. For more information, please see www.drflight.co.uk

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