I'm posting this collection of some quotes from Anton LaVey for the benefit of those who have not previously encountered them. It is my desire that in the near future they generate some new discussions of Greater Magic.

"
The God You Save May be Yourself
ALL religions of a spiritual nature are inventions of man. He has created an entire
system of gods with nothing more than his carnal brain. Just because he has an ego,
and cannot accept it, he has to externalize it into some great spiritual device which he
calls "God".
God can do all the things man is forbidden to do - such as kill people, perform miracles
to gratify his will, control without any apparent responsibility, etc. If man needs such a
god and recognizes that god, then he is worshipping an entity that a human being
invented. Therefore, HE IS WORSHIPPING BY PROXY THE MAN THAT INVENTED GOD. Is it not more sensible to
worship a god that he, himself, has created, in accordance with his own emotional needs - one
that best represents the very carnal and physical being that has the idea-power to invent a god
in the first place?
If man insists on externalizing his true self in the form of "God", then why fear his true self, in
fearing "God", - why praise his true self in praising "God", - why remain externalized from
"God" IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN RITUAL AND RELIGIOUS CEREMONY IN HIS NAME?
Man needs ritual and dogma, but no law states that an externalized god is necessary in order
to engage in ritual and ceremony performed in a god's name! Could it be that when he closes
the gap between himself and his "God" he sees the demon of pride creeping forth - that very
embodiment of Lucifer appearing in his midst? He no longer can view himself in two parts,
the carnal and the spiritual, but sees them merge as one, and then to his abysmal horror,
discovers that they are only the carnal - AND ALWAYS WERE! Then he either hates himself to death,
day by day - or rejoices that he is what he is!
If he hates himself, he searches out new and more complex spiritual paths of "enlightenment"
in hopes that he may split himself up again in his quest for stronger and more externalized
"gods" to scourge his poor miserable shell. If he accepts himself, but recognizes that ritual and
ceremony are the important devices that his invented religions have utilized to sustain his
faith in a lie, then it is the SAME FORM OF RITUAL that will sustain his faith in the truth - the
primitive pageantry that will give his awareness of his own majestic being added substance.
When all religious faith in lies has waned, it is because man has become closer to himself and
farther from "God"; closer to the "Devil." If this is what the devil represents, and a man lives
his life in the devil's fane, with the sinews of Satan moving in his flesh, then he either escapes
from the cacklings and carpings of the righteous, or stands proudly in his secret places of the
earth and manipulates the folly-ridden masses through his own Satanic might, until that day
when he may come forth in splendor proclaiming "I AM A SATANIST! BOW DOWN, FOR I AM THE HIGHEST
EMBODIMENT OF HUMAN LIFE!"
-- Satanic Bible


"Most Satanists do not accept Satan as an anthropomorphic being with cloven hooves, a barbed
tail, and horns. He merely represents a force in nature - the powers of darkness which have
been named just that because no religion has taken these forces out of the darkness. Nor has
science been able to apply technical terminology to this force. It is an untapped resivoir that
few can make use of because they lack the ability use a tool without having to first break
down and label all the parts which make it run. It is this incessant need to analyze which
prohibits most people from taking advantage of this many faceted key to the unknown - which
the Satanist chooses to call "Satan". ---Satanic Bible


"If a person has been vital throughout his life and has fought to the end for his
earthly existence, it is this ego which will refuse to die, even after the expiration
of the flesh which housed it. Young children are to be admired for their driving
enthusiasm for life. This is exemplified by the small child who refuses to go to bed
when there is something exciting going on, and when once put to bed, will sneak
down the stairs to peek through the curtain and watch. It is this child-like vitality
that will allow the Satanist to peek through the curtain of darkness and death and
remain earthbound."--Satanic Bible


"THE definition of magic, as used in this book, is: "The change in situations or
events in accordance with one's will, which would, using normally accepted
methods, be unchangable." This admittedly leaves a large area for personal
interpretation. It will be said, by some, that these instructions and procedures are
nothing more than applied psychology, or scientific fact, called by "magical"
terminology - until they arrive at a passage in the text that is "based on no known
scientific finding". It is for this reason that no attempt has been made to limit the
explanations set forth to a set nomenclature. Magic is never totally scientifically
explainable, but science has always been, at one time or another, considered
magic." -- Satanic Bible


"Even in a totally personalized ritual, however, the standardized preliminary
invocations and devices should be employed before the intimate fantasies and
acting out occur. The formal part of the ritual can be performed in the same room
or chamber as the personalized working or, the formal ceremony in one place, the
personal in another. The beginning and end of the ritual must be conducted
within the confines of the ritual chamber containing the symbolic devices (altar,
chalice, etc.).
The formalized beginning and end of the ceremony acts as a dogmatic, antiintellectual
device, the purpose of which is to disassociate the activities and frame
of reference of the outside world from that of the ritual chamber, where the whole
will must be employed. This facet of the ceremony is most important to the
intellectual, as he especially requires the "decompression chamber" effect of the
chants, bells, candles, and other trappings, before he can put his pure and willful
desires to work for himself, in the projection and utilization of his imagery.
The "intellectual decompression chamber" of the Satanic temple might be
considered a training school for temporary ignorance, as are ALL religious
services! The difference is that the Satanist KNOWS he is practicing a form of
contrived ignorance in order to expand his will, whereas another religionist
doesn't -or if he does know, he practices that form of self-deceit which forbids
such recognition. His ego is already too shaky from his religious inculcation to
allow himself to admit to such a thing as self-imposed ignorance!"
-- Satanic Bible




"The essence of Satanic ritual, and Satanism itself, if taken
up out of logic rather than desperation, is to objectively enter
into a subjective state."
--Satanic Rituals

"Modern Satanism realizes man's need for an "other side,"
and has realistically accepted that polarity-at least within the
confines of a ritual chamber. Thus a Satanic chamber can serve
-depending upon the degree of embellishment and the extent
of the acts within-as a meditation chamber for the entertainment
of unspoken thoughts, or a veritable palace of perversity.

In
magic the unexpected occurs-with such regularity, in fact, that
it is safe to say that to dwell on anything too long is to consume
it.
Magic is a push/pull situation, like the universe itself.
While one is pushing, he cannot pull. The purpose in ritual is
to "push" the desired result within a unique span of time and
space, then move away and "pull" by divorcing oneself from
all thoughts and related acts previously ritualized.
The productions contained here fall into two distinct
categories: rituals, which are directed towards a specific end that
the performer desires; and ceremonies, which are pageants paying
homage to or commemorating an event, aspect of life,
admired personage, or declaration of faith.Generally, a ritual
is used to attain, while a ceremony serves to sustain.
The difference between prayer and magic can be compared
to the difference between applying for a loan and writing out a
blank check for a desired amount. A man applying for a loan
(prayer) may have nothing but a job as collateral and must
keep working and pay interest, should the loan be granted.
Otherwise he will wind up with bad credit (purgatory). The
man (magician) who writes the desired amount on the blank
check, assumes there will be delivery of the merchandise, and
he pays no interest He is indeed fortunate-but he had better
have sufficient funds (magical qualities) to cover the amount
written, or he may wind up in far worse straits, and have his
creditors (demons) out looking for him.
Magic, like any other tool, requires a skilled hand. This
does not mean that one need be a magician's magician or an
advanced scholar of occult teachings. But it requires an application
of principles-principles (earned through study and experience.
Life itself demands application of certain principles. If
one's wattage (potential) is high, and the proper principles are
applied, there is very little that cannot be accomplished. The
more readily one can apply the principles needed to effect a
proficiency in Lesser Magic, the greater one's chances of attainment
through the use of ritual-or ceremonial-magic."
--Satanic Rituals

"It is often said that magic is an impersonal tool and therefore
neither "white" nor "black," but creative or destructive,
depending upon the magician. This implies that-like a gunmagic
is as good or bad as its user's motivations. This, unfortunately,
is a half-truth. It presumes that once a magician activates
his magical weapon it will serve him according to his own
propensities.
If a magician were dealing with only two elements-himself
and his magical force-this theory could be valid. But under
most circumstances, human actions and events are influenced
and carried out by other human beings. If a magician wants to
effect a change according to his will (personal) and employs
magic as a tool (impersonal), he must often rely on a human
vehicle (personal) to carry out his will. No matter how impersonal
a force magic is, the emotional and behavioral pattern
of the human vehicle must be considered.
It is too often assumed that if a magician curses someone
the victim will meet with an accident or fall ill. This is an oversimplification.
Often the most profound magical workings are
those which engage the assistance of other unknown human
beings in order to effect the magician's will. A magician's
destructive wish toward another may be justified by all laws of
natural ethic and fair play, but the force that he summons may
be wielded by a mean, worthless person-one whom the magician
himself would despise-in order to complete the working.
Oddly enough, this manner of operations can be employed for
benevolent or amorous-rather than destructive-ends with
equal success."
--Satanic Rituals
_________________________
seeker of the mysteries ......