Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in nineteen sixty-six, dramatically shaving his head and donning a sweeping black cape to perform heavily stylized rituals in a house painted entirely black in San Francisco.

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Anton LaVey founded the Church of Satan in nineteen sixty-six, dramatically shaving his head and donning a sweeping black cape to perform heavily stylized rituals in a house painted entirely black in San Francisco. He completely rejected the literal belief in a supernatural devil, instead using Satan strictly as a powerful metaphorical symbol for human rebellion, carnal desire, and a blatant rejection of traditional Christian morality. He filled his provocative ceremonies with naked women acting as altars and enthusiastically invited the press, turning what was essentially an atheistic philosophy club into a highly lucrative media circus designed to terrify suburban housewives. The supposed terrifying leader of the ultimate evil cult was actually just a former carnival worker who figured out that monetizing theatrical angst was way more profitable than working a regular nine to five job