Devil-worship in France

<p>In <em>Devil-Worship in France</em> Waite attempts to discern what is genuine from what is fake in the evidence of 19th century Satanism. To get the answers he spends a great deal of time investigating the French Masonic echelon debunking a “conspiracy of falsehood” and determining what should be understood by Satanism and what not. Huysmans’ diabolical novel <em>Là-Bas</em> (1891) inspired Waite to write this sceptical analysis. His main motive to write this book however could very well have been its use as a lubricant for a Masonic career.</p><p>Waite took a leading role in a counterattack after French rumour spreaders had accused Golden Dawn founders William Wynn Westcott and MacGregor Mathers of being chief Lucifer-worshippers. This was much appreciated by them. In the end Waite’s <em>Devil-Worship in France</em> debunked the whole accusation affair - and this a year before Gabriel Jogand Pages (Leo Taxil in the book) admitted the allegations were indeed a hoax.</p><p>Arthur Edward Waite (1857 - 1942) was a scholarly mystic Freemason Rosicrucian and Golden Dawn member who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters mostly in academic style. A certain irony is glued to this book forever as it was Edward Arthur Waite who showed Aleister Crowley “The Way” when he advised the Beast 666 to read Eckhartshausen’s <em>Cloud upon the Sanctuary</em> about the mysterious hidden church inside the visible church when his foe in later days had just finished reading Waite’s <em>Book of Black Magic and Pacts…</em></p><p>Read more about Waite in the Post Scriptum of <em>Devil-worship in France. </em>Preview on www.vamzzz.com</p>