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To: alt.satanism
From: Michael.Aquino@125-430.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Michael Aquino)
Subject: Re: 02:Temple of Set Information (Please Read) >:)
Date: 30 Aug 94 10:23:11 

I think a few facts will suffice to place Mr. Graeme Wilson's passionate 
denunciation of the Temple of Set and myself in a more objective context:

"Behind the Facade" was written by Kerry Bolton, an avowed Satanist in New 
Zealand who endeavored to create an organization of his own - the "Order of the
Left-Hand Path" - and, after an earlier membership in the post-75 "Church of 
Satan", joined the Temple of Set in 1990. During his first year as a Setian he 
wrote to me: "The Temple is obviously just the type of organization I had hoped
the CS would be when I joined it, and is head & shoulders above any other LHP 
association which I have encountered." Bolton impressed many Setians with his 
enthusiasm, and particularly his active role in defending Satanism against 
fundamentalist attacks in New Zealand, and he was eventually Recognized as an 
Adept II* and took over the Sentinelship of the Temple's Infernus Pylon 
(Australia/NZ).

During this time Bolton continued to publish his _Watcher/Heretic_ newsletter, 
and in it included an advertisement from one James Martin, a self-proclaimed 
pedophile. The Temple of Set's senior British representative, Magister David 
Austen, sent a letter to Bolton alerting him to Martin's interests and pointing
out that even though Bolton's magazine was not a Temple publication per se, it 
was inappropriate for a Setian to publicize such an individual in a "Satanic" 
context.

Bolton chose to regard this as an attack on his freedom of speech, indignantly 
resigned from the Temple, and launched into a series of tirades against Austen.
When I refused to condemn Austen, and in fact endorsed the warning he had sent 
to Bolton about Martin, I became the object of Bolton's hatred as well. Soon 
thereafter the entire Temple of Set was lumped in for good measure.

Simultaneously Bolton became enamored of the "neo-Nazi street gang" movements 
in Europe and began writing articles in his newsletters praising them as "true 
Satanism" and the wave of a magnificent, anarchic future.

As for Magister Austen: In his younger days he had his "prankish" side as an 
amateur British Satanist [prior to the 1980s hysteria] and delighted in 
spooking an occasional tabloid reporter. Certainly he broke no laws and harmed 
no one, and since joining the Temple of Set in 1987 has been the single most 
effective spokesman for legitimate Satanism in Britain, giving scores of 
interviews and lectures to confront and refute the "Satanic scare"-mongers. He 
is well-known throughout the Temple membership internationally as a wise, 
experienced, and friendly individual.

The "Order of the Nine Angles" is in fact the pen-name for a single person, 
David Myatt of England, who has written under a variety of pseudonyms. While 
many of his writings are interesting, the Temple of Set has consistently not 
recommended him because of his publication and active endorsement of a "Satanic
human sacrifice" ritual. As for Bolton's harping on the "Nine Angles 
plagiarism": an absurdly insignificant matter, as I merely mentioned to Myatt 
at one time that it would have been courteous of him to acknowledge my 
previously-published _Ceremony of the Nine Angles_ in his subsequent use of 
this unique theme.

Whoever Tani Jantsang may be, or why he/she is so rabid about the Temple of Set
& Michael Aquino, I have no idea. Certainly TJ's letter to Siira is very lively
on the subject. On the other hand, from Siira's April 28, 1993 letter to 
Bolton:

"I received the current issue of _Heretic_ a couple of weeks ago and read this 
article concerning David Austen. I would have expected a similar text from a 
gutter-press journalist, but not from you. But then I indeed know very little 
about the real Kerry Bolton.

"In the past I always thought you held high the ethos of truth and honesty. I 
wonder where those qualities of yours are nowadays. You also wondered why so 
many occult orders have patience and time to slander and fight against each 
other. Certainly there are enough 'enemies' outside the occult underground.

"I have personally had enough of all this slandering and finger-pointing. I 
think Dr. Aquino has proved all your accusations wrong, but of course you, 
Bray, et al. try to manage something new to whine about. Don't you ever think 
there would be something else to do with your life?

"Initiates of the Left-Hand Path are concerned with self-development and growth
into higher levels of Being. True LHPers are indeed like Prometheus; they 
continually steal more fire from the heavens, strengthening themselves ever 
more. ONA's concepts of 'Satanic human sacrifice', Balder's plans to herald the
'New World Order', Ordo Templi Baphe-metis' lavish sex-magic and pedophiliac 
interests, and your OLHP's efforts to recruit Black Metal youngsters certainly 
aren't what I think the true LHP is all about."

Finally I might mention that Lillian Rosoff was never in fact a member of the 
Temple of Set, and was never harassed by me. She signed a formal stipulation 
that all of her allegations were completely false, which was so ordered into 
the record by the San Mateo County Court on July 29, 1994.
--
: Fidonet:  Michael Aquino 1:125/430  .. speaking for only myself.
: Internet: Michael.Aquino@125-430.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com