Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

286 Chronology
constitutes the other major magical tradition
to influence modern Satanism and left-hand
path groups.
1897 Aurum Solis, originally a school of high
cabalistic magic, founded in England by
Charles Kingold and George Stanton.
1904 Aleister Crowley writes The Book of the Law
(said to have been dictated to Crowley by a
disembodied spirit), one of the most
important of modern magical treatises, and
the basis of all Thelemic magic.
1907 Aleister Crowley founds his own organization,
the Astrum Argentinum (“Silver Star”).
1909 Aleister Crowley begins publication of The
Equinox semiannually (until 1913) in order to
spread his ideas.
1922 Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.), a mystery
school based on the cabala, is established by
Paul Foster Case.
Dion Fortune (Violet Mary Firth) organizes
the Community of the Inner Light, later the
Fraternity of the Inner Light, one of the
organizations with a direct influence on
Gerald Gardner.
1939 In England, Gerald B. Gardner establishes the
kernel of what will become modern Wicca.
1948 Our Lady of Endor Coven, known also as the
Ophite Cultus Satanas, is founded by Herbert
Arthur Sloane of Toledo, Ohio.
1950 The legend of the Devil’s triangle—also
known as the Bermuda triangle—begins with
an associated press article calling attention to
the many ships that had mysteriously
disappeared between Florida and Bermuda.
1951 The very last British antiwitchcraft law—
which had been enacted in 1736—is repealed
because of lobbying by Spiritualist churches.
1963 The Process Church of the Final Judgement
(or The Process) is founded in England by
Robert de Grimston and his wife, Mary Anne
Maclean.
1966 Anton LaVey announces the formation of the
Church of Satan. The existence of the Church
of Satan provides a concrete target for
conservative Christians with vague fears
about the machinations of the Prince of
Darkness.
1968 Release of Rosemary’s Baby. After the Exorcist,
this was the most successful movie with a
Satanic theme of all time.
1969 Anton LaVey publishes the first and most
important of three books, The Satanic Bible,
containing the perspective of the Church of
Satan. It was followed by The Compleat Witch
(1970), and The Satanic Rituals (1972).
A young black man is murdered by members
of the Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club during
Altamont Rock Festival while the Rolling
Stones are performing “Sympathy for the
Devil.”
Charles Manson and the so-called “Manson
Family” commit a series of murders in
southern California. The most publicized
murders take place at actress Sharon Tate’s
home. Sharon Tate’s husband, Roman
Polanski, directed Rosemary’s Baby (1968)—
the most prominent devil-related horror
movie of the 1960s. The Manson family is
labeled a “Satanist” group by some observers.
1970 The Ordo Templi Astarte, Order of the Temple
of Astarte-OTA, also known as Church of
Hermetic Science, is constituted as a ritual
magic group.
Stanley Dean Baker, arrested following a traffic
violation, confesses to cannibalism. Police find
a human finger in one of Baker’s pockets and a
copy of The Satanic Bible in the other. Baker
subsequently regales authorities and fellow
prisoners with tales of his participation in a
blood-drinking devil cult.
1971 Thee Satanic Orthodox Church of Nethilum
Rite emerges into public view under the
leadership of its high priest.
1972 The Kerk van Satan, also known as the
Magistralis Grotto of the Church of Satan, is
founded by Martin Lamers as a Dutch affiliate
of Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan. Authorities
persecute the Kerk van Satan until Lamers
looses a tax evasion case in 1987 and closes
down his operation.
1973 Beginning of concern over cattle mutilations,
attributed variously to Satanists and space
aliens in Minnesota and Kansas.
The Church of Satanic Brotherhood is
founded as a result of the controversy that
developed among the Midwestern grottoes of
the Church of Satan. The Church of Satanic
Brotherhood is short-lived.
The Exorcist, the story of a dramatic exorcism,
is released. It becomes the most successful
horror movie of all time. In the film’s wake,
people begin claiming that they are possessed.