American founder of the Temple of Set and one of America's leading Satanists. Though the temple was formally incorporated in 1975, its magical and philosophical roots are ancient. Set is considered the supreme personification of evil, the Prince of Darkness and his worship can be traced to predynastic times. Images have been dated to 3200 BC with inscriptions dated to 5000 BC. A few Satanic groups have survived to carry on the tradition of Satan (Set-hen). Aquino states that through the Renaissance alone, some 13 million accused Satanists were tortured and burned to death, considered infidels and heathens. In modern day, Aleister Crowley carried on the work until his death in 1947, and in 1966 Anton Szandor LaVey founded the Church of Satan in San Francisco.
In 1975, Dr. Michael Aquino and his wife Lilith resigned from the Church of Satan and established their own group, founded as a church and incorporated as a non-profit organization with both federal and tax-exempt status. Aquino, formerly a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Army, believes his to be a more sophisticated form of Satanism. He is the author of "The Coming Forth by Night" and publishes a newsletter, "The Scroll of Set."
Rumors began to emanate from the several hundred members of the sect regarding child molestation in satanic rituals. However Aquino vehemently denied such claims, stating that they were harassment by opponents. He states on Oprah and other TV talk shows that Satan is more an energy force than a person so he is not an embodiment. He claimed that the entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. was a member of good standing in his church.
