Most witches today have nothing to do with Satanism or Satanists and want the whole world to know it. They want everyone to know that they do not worship or even believe in Satan, Lucifer, or any other epithet for the Devil. However, there is a small population of Satanic Witches we shouldn't pretend don't exist. One resource that I think is severely neglected in the witchcraft communities is the book The Satanic Witch written by none other than the infamous Anton LaVey. Now, like I said above, most witches want to stay as far away from the word "Satan" as possible to avoid the many misconceptions still held about witches. I can completely understand this. If witches today would be willing to step out of their comfort zone and give LaVey's Satanic Witch a chance, they may find very useful and quite inspiring material for their Craft. I know I did. It is no secret that Anton LaVey viewed white witches, wiccans, and new agers with derision, so obviously these people aren't going to find his writings very agreeable. LaVey has the reputation for being sexist, however upon reading this book I disagree. We have to keep in mind that this book was first published in the 1970s along with his other well known works like the Satanic Bible. He was the product of his time, much like many other revered authors in the occult circles, but he was incredibly progressive in a modern sense. Maybe it is because of the controversy of Satanism that gives him a worse rep among today's witches. Since I spent some time as a LaVeyan Satanist, I'll admit I am a biased witch in regards to the author. But as a feminist, I don't see much of a problem with some of LaVey's approaches to sexuality or gender. While he does urge women to take full advantage of their femininity and bodies to get what they want via seduction, we should not write him off. I'm not asking you to abandon your feminism for the sake of this book. All I am saying is don't completely close your mind to this underrated gem because of a few outdated concepts perceived as sexism. After all, if another author, who happened to be some Wiccan high priestess, told her readers to take full advantage of their womanhood, spruced up with flowery buzzwords, we would see it as empowering instead of sexist. The magic in Satanism isn't exactly the same as magick in Wicca or other forms of modern witchcraft. Reading this book will show that Satanic magic is less about using natural universal forces to sway things in your favor and more about manifesting the magic within yourself as the main moving force. By "perfecting" yourself and learning a bit about glamour one can learn to control situations and people around you. Essentially living as a spell, but we can also just call it being a master of manipulation. In this book, LaVey stresses the importance of manipulation through type-casting and exploiting classic tropes about witchcraft. This sounds a lot more negative than what it really is. What I mean by this, is reclaiming the stereotypes commonly applied to witches and using them to our full advantage. It's a way to proudly declare "I'm a witch!" and be empowered while doing so. For example, LaVey explains that you should present yourself as a living stereotype so that people will think they have you all figured out. By doing so, you will attract certain people (according to the LaVeyan Synthesizer Clock) and appeal to their needs. Knowing these needs can be used to control the person in subtle ways, essentially having them wrapped around your pretty little finger. My personal copy of The Satanic Witch "To be a successful witch, one must learn how to recognize these things, but first she must know herself." ~Anton LaVey, The Satanic Witch Keep in mind that the main objective of this book is learning the art of manipulation and seduction. If you are looking for a resource of infernal rites and diabolical spellcraft, you might want to try some of Anton LaVey's other works like The Satanic Rituals: Companion to the Satanic Bible. I personally view LaVeyan Satanism as a philosophy rather than a religion or witchcraft tradition. Many would agree with me, but other people might see it more as a spirituality or lifestyle. Either way it is majorly nontheistic, as Satan is seen as an ideal rather than an infernal deity who craves the sacrificial blood of virgins. It amazes me that many witches, wiccans, and pagans don't know this about LaVeyan Satanism, and lump them together with edgelord Satan-worshippers. It pains me to say that the majority of the pagan and witchcraft communities are just as ignorant about Satanism as christians. A lot of the information in this book is too in-depth for me to write about in one blog post, such as the LaVey Personality Synthesizer Clock. Though it is a great tool, it is a major part of the book so here I am definitely going to tell you to read it for yourself. Some witches might find the material within this book offensive, but I insist you give it a chance, along with LaVey's other well known works. Trust me!