Interview with Aleister Nacht – “I respect Anton LaVey but he did not believe in Satan”

Smashwords Interview with Satanic Magus Aleister Nacht

Q: Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?

A: I grew up in Louisiana, spending most of my time in New Orleans. The culture of Voodoo and HooDoo opened the door to what later became an interest in Satanism. I learned so much from those wonderful people in the “Lower 9th”, which has seen suffering on a huge scale. The Lower Ninth Ward was destroyed by Katrina.

Q: When did you first start writing?

A: I have always had a “need” to write; just scribble thoughts, ideas or impressions. I began writing short articles for underground periodicals in the 90s……without much ado. After become a Magus in our coven, I began writing short ‘snippets’ for new members to explain the basics of Satanism. One of the coven members suggested I share my information on a larger scale and “one thing led to another”.

Q: What’s the story behind your latest book?

A: The Sanctum of Shadows series focuses on specific elements of my Satanic belief and magical practice. I wanted to limit the scope of each book in the series so Readers could easily research the desired elements without reading 500+ pages of material. The idea is to make a series of reference guides for easy use.

Q: What is the greatest joy of writing for you?

A: As an author, I love to connect with my Readers, which is by far the most rewarding part of writing. When I receive an email or someone sends a message on Facebook or Twitter saying my books and blogs have answered their questions or taught them something to improve their rituals, which ‘really’ worked, that is my greatest joy!

Q: What do your fans mean to you?

A: I consider them to be “friends” who share the same ideas and beliefs. I never forget who supports me “doing what I truly love”. My Readers are the best!

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: Aleister Crowley was a trailblazing “Searcher” who opened the door of magick to reveal the secrets that had not been, until his time, even whispered in the confines of a closet. I have read his books and other surviving material countless times. Crowley’s “The Book of the Law” is hailed as his best work even though there are other great titles. I respect Anton LaVey and appreciate his contribution to the Occult however, he did not believe in Satan, which categorizes him as an “Atheist”. He coined the term Satanism for his “Satanic” church. Anton gave the world a guided tour of his new Satanism complete with celebrities, wild animals, rituals, scandals and sex. He was a pioneer who paved the way for writers like myself to be accepted in mainstream society.

Q: When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?

A: I love the outdoors and Tampa is one of the best places to live. I am drawn to the water and sand!!! When not writing, I am on the water in my kayak or relaxing on one of the countless islands only accessible by boat. It is great!!!

Q: How do you discover the ebooks you read?

A: I read anything that piques my interest. I subscribe to RSS feeds and receive notifications based on authors I follow or books containing subject matter I like.

Q: What is your writing process?

A: Write, write, write!!! I constantly write and the volume really depends on my mood and inspiration. I believe a book “takes on a life of its own” which becomes clear during editing. For example, a 200 page book begins with 400-500 pages before editing. Sometimes it is a very painful process; best described as a “labor of love”. Not everything will make the final draft because the material does not aesthetically fit or does not support the elements and topic of the book. Once a ‘working draft’ is created, I fill the gaps and add information needed to provide better support of the individual elements. By the way, I keep everything that does not make the final cut. The material is either used in future books or becomes part of a blog post. Nothing is wasted!!

Q: What are your five favorite books?

A: #1 – The Book of the Law / Liber AL vel Legis – Aleister Crowley

#2 – The Satanic Bible – Anton Szandor LaVey

#3 – The Satanic Witch – Anton Szandor LaVey

#4 – Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand

#5 – The Confessions of Aleister Crowley : An Autohagiography – Aleister Crowley

Q: What do you read for pleasure?

A: I love blogs. I subscribe to over 65 different blog sites that are really interesting. Only a small percentage are Satanic or occult blogs; I have real diverse interests. I suppose some of the blogs do not support my Satanist persona but I enjoy them. If I told you the names of a few you would probably say “Really? Wow, I would never have guessed.”