Notable figures

Notable figures

• Anton Szandor LaVey 1930–1997
  Founder; Magus 1966–1997

  American author, musician, and showman who founded the Church and wrote The Satanic Bible, The Satanic Rituals, and The Satanic Witch. His public persona drew heavily on carnival showmanship and Hammer-horror aesthetics, framings he explicitly endorsed as part of the Church’s theatrical character.

• Blanche Barton 1959–
  High Priestess; Magistra Templi Rex 1997–2001

  American author who led the Church following LaVey’s death in 1997. She continues to hold the rank of Magistra Templi Rex within the priesthood and remains a senior figure in the organisation.

• Peter H. Gilmore 1958–
  High Priest from 2001

  American composer and writer who has led the Church as High Priest since 2001. His The Satanic Scriptures (2007) is the principal twenty-first-century doctrinal collection issued under the Church’s authority.