Peggy Nadramia
USAPeggy Nadramia: High Priestess of the Church of Satan, Editor, and Publicist
Peggy Nadramia, also known as Magistra Nadramia in the Church of Satan, is the High Priestess, editor, and publicist of the organization. She was bestowed with the title of Magistra Templi Rex of the Church of Satan in May 2001. On April 30, 2002, she became the High Priestess when the previous holder of the title, Blanche Barton, invited her to join the organization's administration.
Early Life and Background
Born in New York, Peggy Nadramia grew up in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. In the 1970s, her parents, concerned about the high crime rate in the city, moved her to the suburbs. It was during her high school years that she met Peter Gilmore, who introduced her to the "Satanic Bible," and she has considered herself a Satanist since then.
Nadramia and Gilmore moved back to New York to attend college. In the 1980s, while pursuing her postgraduate education, they got married and officially joined the Church of Satan. In 1985, Nadramia founded the literary horror magazine "Grue," which she co-edits with Gilmore. She was awarded a special prize from the World Fantasy Awards in 1990.
Contributions to the Church of Satan
In 1989, Nadramia and Gilmore founded the Satanic magazine "The Black Flame," which became the de facto official periodical of the Church of Satan. Nadramia wrote the introduction to the final edition of Anton LaVey's book, "The Satanic Witch." She also practices Hatha Yoga.
Nadramia on Satanism
"We will define who is a Satanist, not Bob Larson or any other person from outside, whether they are Christian or not. We are the first community in human history to gather together under this name and embrace it for ourselves; we are the archivists of Satanic history and the keepers of Satanic philosophy, and we will not allow anyone else to define, restrict, or categorize Satanists or Satanism." [Peggy Nadramia, "The Black Flame," (Volume 5, Numbers 1 & 2)]
Bibliography
- "Narcopolis & Other Poems" edited by Peggy Nadramia (Hell's Kitchen Productions, ISBN 0-9623286-1-8, Nov 1989) - an anthology of poetry dedicated to death, featuring illustrations by various artists.
