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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Examination of the Leo Taxil Satanism Hoax., July 12, 2008
This book _Devil Worship in France with Diana Vaughan and the Question of Modern Palladism_, published here by Weiser Books, is a republication of two important books by the 19th century occultist Arthur Edward Waite dealing with the question of the Leo Taxil hoax and the surrounding mystery that accompanied it as well as a defense of freemasonry against various allegations made against it. A. E. Waite (1857 - 1942) was an important figure in the occult revival and a prolific author who wrote on such subjects as poetry, fairy tales, the tarot, translations of the works of Eliphas Levi, freemasonry, and the esoteric sciences. Waite is a unique individual in that he had connections to both Roman Catholicism (being raised a Roman Catholic) and freemasonry as well as being an important figure in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This book which is really two books attempts to defend freemasonry from charges made against it and thoroughly investigates the Leo Taxil hoax. The first book _Devil Worship in France or The Question of Lucifer: A Record of Things Seen and Heard in the Secret Societies According to the Evidence of Initiates_ was published in 1896 by A. E. Waite to defend freemasonry from assaults made upon it, to unveil the Leo Taxil hoax, and to obtain the truth about the Palladium and was very well received even in Catholic circles. The second book _Diana Vaughan and the Question of Modern Palladism: A Sequel to "Devil-Worship in France"_ was written as a sequel after the Leo Taxil hoax had been revealed. As R. A. Gilbert, the author of the Introduction to both books, explains, Leo Taxil appeared before an audience on the evening of 19 April 1897 and explained that his allegations of Satanism made against freemasonry had been a hoax in an effort to undermine the Catholic Church. Taxil also maintained that Dr. Bataille author of _The Devil in the Nineteenth Century_ had been himself writing under a pseudonym and further that Diana Vaughan (an alleged descendant of alchemist Thomas Vaughan) had also been a hoax. As it turns out, many Catholic anti-masons had bought into this hoax at the time and it continued to enjoy favor among a whole slew of people hostile to freemasonry. This book offers two important works by Waite which attempt to refute these charges made against freemasonry.
The first book _Devil-Worship in France_.
Waite begins with a Preface in which he explains the role of Modern Satanism and its alleged relationship to freemasonry. He explains the troubled relationship between freemasons and the Roman Catholic Church and discusses Black Magic and other occultists such as Papus. The first chapter is entitled "Satanism in the Nineteenth Century" and deals with the question of Modern Diabolism and the Question of Lucifer. This chapter discusses the Black Mass and the disappearance of the consecrated host from the sanctuaries of Roman Catholic churches indicating the belief of the Satanist in the Real Presence. The author also discusses the relationship between "transcendentalism" and mysticism and the churches as well as the Satanic writings of M. Huysmans. The second chapter is entitled "The Mask of Masonry" and discusses the possibility of a Satanic infiltration into freemasonry. The author discusses such individuals as Albert Pike who allegedly proclaimed that "Lucifer is God" and his involvement with freemasonry located at Charleston. The author discusses also the Templar Baphomet and the skull of Jacques de Molay which allegedly was sent to Charleston at the freemasonic headquarters there. The third chapter is entitled "The First Witnesses of Lucifer" and discusses various anti-masonic sources including Robison and the New and Reformed Palladium. The fourth chapter is entitled "Ex Ore Leonis" and discusses the role of Leo Taxil and the New and Reformed Palladium. The fifth chapter is entitled "The Discovery of M. Ricoux" and discusses the discovery of Female Freemasonry by M. Ricoux and his relationship to Leo Taxil. The sixth chapter is entitled "Art Sacerdotal" and discusses Black Magic, Freemasonry, and the Jewish Kabbalah. The seventh chapter is entitled "The Devil and the Doctor" (including sections entitled "Le Diable Au XIXe Siecle", "Why Signor Carbuccia Was Damned", "A Priestess of Lucifer", "A House of Rotteness", "The Seven Temples and a Sabbath in Sheol", "A Palladian Invitation", "The San-Ho-Hei", "The Great City of Lucifer", "Transcendental Toxicology", and "The Doctor and Diana") and discusses the encounters of Dr. Bataille with various Satanists including fakirs and other magicians and eventually meeting with Diana Vaughan and the Palladians in a manner similar to the adventures of Baron von Munchausen. The eighth chapter is entitled "Dealings with Diana" and includes discussion of the history of Diana Vaughan, her alleged mythical parentage, and her involvement with Palladianism and Satanism. The ninth chapter is entitled "How Lucifer is Unmasked" and discusses M. Jean Kostka and the Martinists and the Gnostics. The tenth chapter is entitled "The Vendetta of Signor Margiotta" and explains the compact between Mazzini and Albert Pike. The eleventh chapter is entitled "Female Freemasonry" and discusses allegations of female freemasonry and other diabolisms. The twelfth chapter is entitled "The Passing of Doctor Bataille"and discusses how Dr. Bataille's accusations and wild tales do not stand up to reason (including an examination of the miraculous element within these tales). The thirteenth chapter is entitled "Diana Unveiled" and discusses the witness Diana Vaughan attempting to cast doubt on many of her claims. The fourteenth chapter is entitled "The Radix of Modern Diabolism" and discusses the role of the secret societies and Eliphas Levi as a source of information about modern diabolism. The book ends with a "Conclusion" which highlights the results obtained by the author from his examination of the problematic claims made by Leo Taxil.
The second book _Diana Vaughan and the Question of Modern Palladism_.
This book begins with a Preface in which the author explains the Leo Taxil hoax and conspiracy. The first chapter is entitled "The Conspiracy in Outline" and explains how Leo Taxil began as an anti-Catholic pamphleteer who soon became an anti-masonic pamphleteer making allegations of Satanism. The second chapter is entitled "The Railleries of Dr. Bataille" and explains the role of the Trent Congress as well as the falsehood that is Dr. Bataille (nothing more than a pseudonym of Leo Taxil). The third chapter is entitled "The Margiotta Embroilment" and discusses the relationship of Margiotta and Leo Taxil. The fourth chapter is entitled "The Trent Congress and Diana Vaughan" and discusses the Anti-Masonic Trent Congress and its opinion of Diana Vaughan. The fifth chapter is entitled "The Secret Doctrine of Albert Pike" and explains the Lucifereanism of Albert Pike as well as the papal encyclicals against masonry (but Waite attempts to defend both masonry and the papacy from allegations made against each). The sixth chapter is entitled "Women and Freemasonry" and discusses the allegations made concerning female freemasonry. The seventh chapter is entitled "Who is Diana Vaughan?" and discusses the magnitude of the Leo Taxil conspiracy and the possibility that Diana Vaughan does not exist or is merely a "female clerk" employed by Leo Taxil. The eighth chapter is entitled "Some Consequences of the Conspiracy" and discusses the charges made against freemasonry, the role of the Roman Catholic Church, and the relationship between the two. This book ends with a "Conclusion" which explains the collapse of the French conspiracy, reiterates the author's point about freeing freemasonry from allegations made against it, and discusses Modern Diabolism. This book includes an Appendix entitled "Some Opinions of the Press" which offers up some of the positive reception received from the press (including the Catholic press) for Waite's first book on the Taxil hoax.
This book offers an interesting study of a stupendous hoax, but also explores allegations of Satanism made against various institutions. Ultimately, Waite appears to be defending both the institutions embodied in freemasonry from the charges made against them, but also the Roman Catholic Church from various charges made against the popes. This study is an interesting account that has appealed to many readers in the occult since it first appeared.
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0 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
1800s Occultism, July 27, 2007
This book is misleading. If you can't tell by the Rider Waite Tarot, Arthur E. Waite was a Christian. This primitive technology still exists today. Just like Aleister Crowley is a branch of Catholic, Waite was Catholic. He baits you like a fisherman into thinking it's occultism for the would be devil worshipper, and bingo you nailed for heresy or treason. This book was written when pilgrim was it its peak; don't be fooled by Little House on the Prairy- the 1800s was supposed to be the future. It was something like the American Purity Act- they didn't put one house right next to the other it was the frontier. This is deliberately poorly written book priced to make the would be devil worshipper think it's expensive and high class. I was in the O.T.O. for 3 years- it's a secret order busy killing Indians, etc. Don't mess around with this unless you want to get nailed for heresy and put on trial as a witch! The Bible says zero tolerance for heretics. They're not stoned, they're put on trial as a witch, stripped naked and tortured. No one has ever gotten away with the unspeakable acts presented here. It's bait!
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