A DEVIL OF A TIME — Summary
1. The Scene: Satanic Aesthetics vs. Satanic Reality
The article opens with a vivid contrast:
San Francisco’s nightlife is full of theatrical satanic imagery — metal bands, pentagrams, goat heads, and death‑rock culture — yet the actual Church of Satan, founded by Anton LaVey in 1966, is in disarray after his death.
2. LaVey’s Death and the Collapse of His Legacy
Anton LaVey died in 1997 at age 67.
What followed was chaos, not infernal power:
A bitter legal battle erupted between his daughter Karla LaVey and his partner Blanche Barton over his estate.
The famous Black House, the church’s headquarters, is deteriorating and likely to be demolished.
LaVey’s estate turned out to be shockingly small — about $60,000, despite decades of mythmaking about wealth, mansions, and ships.
3. The Myth of Anton LaVey
Much of LaVey’s legendary biography was fabricated:
Claims of being a lion tamer, police photographer, psychic investigator, or Marilyn Monroe’s lover were debunked.
His “Satanic Bible” borrowed heavily from earlier works (Crowley, Ayn Rand, Might Is Right).
Membership numbers were wildly inflated; the church never had more than 300 members.
Journalist Lawrence Wright and LaVey’s daughter Zeena (now a critic and member of the rival Temple of Set) exposed these inconsistencies.
4. Internal Schisms and Rivalries
The Church of Satan has long been fractured:
Michael Aquino, once a high-ranking priest, left in 1975 to form the Temple of Set, accusing LaVey of selling priesthoods and not believing in a literal Satan.
Zeena LaVey publicly denounced her father, accusing him of cruelty, manipulation, and abuse.
After LaVey’s death, Zeena even claimed she had placed a death curse on him.
These conflicts have severely damaged the church’s credibility.
5. The Church’s Decline
Despite the cultural rise of satanic imagery in music and media, the actual Church of Satan is fading:
Financial ruin
Leadership disputes
Loss of its headquarters
Public debunking of its founder
Even supporters admit the church may not survive without a charismatic successor.
6. Blanche Barton: The Last Hope?
LaVey’s partner and biographer, Blanche Barton, still lives in the Black House and insists the church will endure.
She is seen by remaining members as the likely successor, though the organization’s future is uncertain.
7. The Final Note
The article closes with a reflection:
Despite the church’s collapse, society will always keep the idea of the Devil alive — whether as scapegoat, symbol, or cultural fascination.
Concise Takeaway
The Church of Satan, once a flamboyant countercultural spectacle led by the myth‑making Anton LaVey, is now unraveling after his death — plagued by legal battles, exposed fabrications, internal schisms, and the impending destruction of its iconic headquarters. Its future is doubtful, sustained mostly by LaVey’s books and a handful of loyalists.
If you want, I can also produce:
A shorter summary
A thematic analysis (mythmaking, American counterculture, religious spectacle)
A character map of LaVey, Barton, Karla, Zeena, Aquino
A timeline of the Church of Satan’s rise and decline
Just tell me what format you prefer.
