The following article appeared in Volume 4, #s 3&4 of THE BLACK FLAME:


      PRETENDERS TO THE THRONE:  REGARDING THE TEMPLE OF SET
                      By PETER H. GILMORE


 Throughout the 28 years of the existence of the Church of Satan, the
 organization has continued to expand while it's character has undergone
 a number of carefully-planned developmental phases.  In the process, we
 have at times found it necessary to eject individuals who have acted in
 ways that were not in keeping with our high standards of social
 behavior.  We have also had a small number of individuals freely depart
 from us, finding our means too challenging to their false images of
 personal superiority.  Neither types are ever missed, as the true elite
 of talented, highly-motivated, productive, creative, and above all,
 independent individuals still find their way to us.

 There have been those who would attempt to imitate us, but they usually
 discover that our shoes are far too big to fill.  Short-lived spinoffs
 have included The Church of Satanic Brotherhood, Ordo Templi Satanas,
 Order of the Black Ram, Church of Lucifer, The Orthodox Satanic Church
 and so on.  None of these has prospered or even affected the course of
 Satanism, as they have quickly collapsed due to lack of energy or
 direction.  One group formed by ex-members of the Church of Satan which
 has continued to exist, albiet as a small and fairly clandestine
 "vanity" organization riding on the funds of it's "high priest" is the
 Temple of Set.  This bunch is significant only in that they continue to
 try to ride upon the coattails of the Church of Satan, and indeed even
 publicly claim to be the "successor to" and "custodian of" the Church
 of Satan.  You might have come across some advertisements or writing
 by these Setians.  Don't be fooled; they are not in any way associated
 with the Church of Satan and their tales of schism are convenient
 diversions.  Let us examine from whence this group appeared and clear
 away their false claims.

 In 1974 C.E. the Church of Satan instituted its fourth phase of
 development.  The thrust of this phase was to reorient the members at
 all levels to proceed on a far more independent course.  Previously we
 had issued charters for formal "Grottos" which were small congregations
 comprised of Satanists in specific geographical regions.  It had been
 discovered that these formal Grottos led certain members to confine
 their efforts at personal advancement to the realm of the Grottos alone,
 rather than towards the success in the outside world which is of
 paramount importance to Satanism.  Certain members were far more
 interested in trying to gain elevated rank yet were merely competing
 in the Grotto's social arena.  They neglected to develop their talents
 and forge ahead.  Many other members were strong-willed individualists
 who did not mix well with other Satanists.  Rather than functioning as
 bases for the development of Satanic strategies, these groups often
 became shields against true advancement, filled with huddlers who were
 solely interested in internecine strife.  Not everyone involved fit this
 picture, but there were enough to make it obsolete as a system of growth.

 The new phase stressed independent functioning, keeping individuals
 separated to pursue their own goals.  If Satanists used their initiative
 to find their fellows, and they wished to informally create groups for
 socialization and ritual, that was most acceptable.  But the momentum
 for the existence of these informal groups had to come from the social
 compatibility of the constituent members, not geographical proximity.

 This phase of isolation, which laid the groundwork for a much broader
 base for Satanism as a movement (seen today especially in the commercial
 acceptance of Satanic imagery in the popular Heavy Metal music business),
 was upsetting to the pen-pal and "coffe klatch conclave" members, whom
 it was basically designed to ease out of the way.  Michael A. Aquino,
 at that time the editor of _The Cloven Hoof_, had attained the IV* and
 was injecting a strongly supernaturalist bent to the 'Hoof's articles.
 Mr. Aquino had a history of creating documents which he claimed to have
 transcribed form superhuman entities.  These included the "Diabolicon"
 (1970 C.E.), a series of statements from Satan, Beelzebub, Azazel,
 Abaddon, Asmodeus, Astaroth, Belial, and Leviathan, as well as the
 "Ninth Solstice Message" (1974 C.E.) which declared Anton LaVey a
 "daimon".

 Dr. LaVey who, then as now, had a firm grasp on the Church's tiller,
 began to implement the phase which had been slowly evolving over the
 previous two years.  He had even outlined the basic concepts for this
 formal phase during the summer of 1972 C.E. in a letter to Aquino,
 stating that the "social Satanists" and their "limelight loving"
 priests contribute nothing to Satanism as a movement, and that they
 would fall by the wayside when they didn't recieve the attention they
 sought by starting their own "churches".  LaVey wrote that he had far
 more respect for his "underground clergy" who were very productive in
 the real world.  Aquino did not accept this, especially Dr. LaVey's
 awarding of priesthoods to non-esoteric, non-public achievers and thus
 he would no longer be privy to even the small amount of information
 regarding underground activities that had previously been given to him.
 LaVey was determined that the status of Church members should reflect
 their standing in the world outside of the organization.  Degrees are
 not reflective of simple book learning and esoteric knowledge, but the
 actual application of Satanic principals towards personal advancement.
 To this end, the Church would honor values given to it in kind with
 degree recognition as would be deemed appropriate by Dr. LaVey.  The
 achievement of degrees via written tests was not to be abandoned at
 this time, but this additional means of advancement was now open to
 the "above-groundo" members.  This was formalized by the new phase
 in 1974 C.E. and outlined to Aquino in May, during one of his rare
 personal meetings with Dr. LaVey.

 Aquino did not protest this policy at the meeting and later claimed
 this alternate route to advancement as a public reason to announce
 a break with the Church of Satan, accusing Dr. LaVey of "selling"
 degrees.  He wrote letters to his handfull of pen-pal cronies,
 fellow mystics who had also mourned the new phase, and they too
 resigned to go off with Aquino and form their own group.  Aquino
 had wanted to start a "Second Church of Satan" but was thwarted by
 copyright laws.  Instead, recalling his readings of Egyptian history
 and mythology, he claimed to have invoked Satan (in whom he literally
 believed as an entity) and to have been answered instead by Set, the
 "actual" Prince of Darkness who, through a series of realizations in
 Aquino's mind, caused him to record as Set's answer a document which
 he titled the "Book of Coming Forth By Night".  This "supernatural
 revelation" supposedly gives him the right to supercede the Church
 of Satan.  Doesn't that sound familiar?

 Aquino would like you to believe that the "entire priesthood" of the
 Church of Satan followed him in departing.  This is untrue, especially
 as there were many underground members, including priests and higher,
 of whom he had no knowledge.  The Church of Satan was at that time,
 and continues to be, a large and highly stratified organization with
 many discrete individuals placed in positions of power.  As Orwell had
 envisioned in his classic 1984, it is not an organization in the usual
 sense as it is held together by an idea whose time has come, which is
 indestructible.  The departure of less than 30 members can hardly be