Lynn Picknett: The Secret History of Lucifer: And the Meaning of the True Da Vinci Code

48. Lewis Spence, An Encyclopaedia of Occultism, London, 1920, p. 174.

49. Robinson, pp. 55-62, quoted in Picknett and Prince, p. 165.

50. Robert Lomas, The Invisible College, London, 2002, p. 3.

51. Thomas Spratt, A History of the Royal Society, quoted in ibid., p. 79.

52. Ibid.

53. S. Brent Morris, `Albert Pike and Lucifer: The Lie That Will Not Die', short talk Bulletin (Masonic). I am indebted to Robert Lomas for providing the text of this talk.

54. `Do Freemasons worship Satan/Lucifer?', www.geocities.com/endtime deception/worshipprint.htm, citing the alleged `Instructions to the 23 Supreme Councils of the World, July 14, 1889. Recorded by A.C. De La Rive in La Femme de l'Enfant dans la FrancMagonnerie Universelle on page 588'.

55. Jules Bois, Le monde invisible, Paris, 1902, pp 168-170. I am indebted to Clive Prince for finding and translating this for me.

56. See for example, Alec Mellor, `A Hoaxer of Genius - Leo Taxil', (Richmond, Va.,), 1964, pp. 149-55.

57. Morris.

58. H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, London, 1888, pp. 171, 225, 255, 888 (vol. II), quoted on website cited in note 54 above.

59. Helena P. Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled, London, 1876, Vol. II, p. 2.

60. Ibid., p. 292.

61. Ibid., p. 482.

62. Ibid., p. 507.

63. Private email to me from Robert Lomas, 19 November 2004, quoting Masonic ritual.

64. Ibid.

65. Ibid.

66. Ibid.

67. Ibid.

68. Chris Cranmer: he threatened to sue the Royal Navy for religious discrimination if not allowed to worship on board.

69. It must be stressed that Satanism is by no means synonymous with modern witchcraft, or Wicca - largely the nature-based pre-Christian religion, which honours both a god and a goddess. Unfortunately, Wicca as such lies outside the scope of this book.

70. Such as `The devil and the deep blue sea: Navy gives blessing to sailor Satanist' by Helen Carter in The Guardian, Monday 25 October 2004. I am indebted to the staff at the Meghna Grill NW8 for very kindly providing this article for me.

71. Ann Widdecombe, former Tory Minister and Catholic convert said: `Satanism is wrong. Obviously, the private beliefs of individuals anywhere - including the armed forces - are their own affair, but I hope it doesn't spread ... There should be no question whatsoever of allowing Satanist rituals aboard navy ships. God himself gives free will, but I would like to think if somebody applied to the navy and said they were a Satanist today it would raise its eyebrows somewhat.' Quoted in ibid.

72. Ibid.

73. Ibid.

74. Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Bible, New York, 1969, Introduction.

75. Ibid.

76. Ibid.

77. Ibid., p. 50.

78. Ibid., p. 34.

79. Ibid., p. 155.

80. Ibid., p. 103.

81. Francis X. King, (ed.), Crowley on Christ, London, 1974, Introduction.

82. Ibid.

83. Quoted in Tobias Churton, The Gnostic Philosophy, Lichfield, 2003, p. 302.

84. Taken from Crowley's Commentary on the Book of the Law, written at the Hotel du Djerid at Nefta in Tunisia, September 1923. Quoted in Churton, p. 310.

85. Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth: (Egyptian Tarot), York Beach, Maine, 1944, p. 96.

86. Ibid.

87. Ed. John Symonds and Kenneth Grant, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, London,1978.

88. Churton, p. 319.

89. Ibid.

90. Symonds and Grant.

91. Aleister Crowley, The Book of the Law, quoted in Churton, p. 318.

92. By a coincidence I have met two people whose relatives were cursed by Crowley. My agent, Jeffrey Simmons, told me that his father received a curse from the Great Beast, which fortunately had no effect except to disgust everyone who heard about it. Another cursee was Fortean Times' co-editor Paul Sieveking, whose father Lance was cursed by Crowley. Again, it failed.

93. Churton, p. 304.

94. Ibid., p. 315.

95. Crowley on Christ, p. 106.

96. It is said that when he refused, Crowley cursed him to die within two days of his own (imminent) death. The doctor duly gave up the ghost on schedule.

97. LaVey, p. 76.

98. Wilson, p. 27.

1. December 2004. It is estimated that there are about 15,000 Mandaeans left in Iraq, but they are officially classed as 'a people in danger' by the United Nations. They were largely left alone under Sadam's regime: it was only after the Invasion that their troubles really began.

2. Howard Blum, The Lucifer Principle, New York, 1995, p. 330.

3. `Mr Bean defends the right to laugh', the Daily Mail, Tuesday, 7 December 2004. The proposal would ban anyone from using language that might offend someone on the grounds of their religion. Those found guilty would face up to seven years in jail.

4. Marco Bischof, Biophotons - The Light in Our Cells (1995), quoted on www.transpersonal.de/mbischof/englisch/webbookeng.htm.

5. Surely the only truly bad science is that which is pursued by a closed mind with preconceptions and a secret agenda.

6. Colin Wilson, `Devil and the deep blue sea', Daily Mail, Tuesday, 26 October 2004.

7. For what became his book Powers of Darkness, Powers of Light.

8. Wilson/Mail.

9. Francis X. King, `The Word Made Flesh', The Unexplained, c. 1981, p. 1693.

10. `Obsessed with drugs and death, a descent into evil', by Peter Allen and Grace McLean, The Daily Mail, 22 January 2005.

11. Lucy Hughes-Hallett, `Be very afraid', The Sunday Times Culture, March 6, 2005, p. 51.

12. Ibid.

13. Erica Jong, Witches, (London) 1981, p. 172.

As usual, a great many kind, supportive and especially tolerant friends and colleagues have contributed, directly or indirectly, to the gestation and writing of this book. The following in particular have in one way or another succeeded in keeping up the authorial spirits and getting the show on the road.

Special thanks to:

Clive Prince, my friend and colleague par excellence, for his unwavering support and comfort, readiness to point out when anxieties are needless and the efficacy of Thai curries for most ills, not to mention his generous discovery and translation of various French passages and provision of elusive references. It's been the best decade ever!

Debbie Benstead, for inspiring me to write this book in the first place with her enthusiasm for the real Lucifer, and for her rightly fabled generosity as a hostess. I don't think we're there yet, though ...

Sheila and Eric Taylor, whose enduring kindness and northern hospitality know no bounds, and whose comfort in times of stress or distress puts a very different face on the world. Such true life-enhancers are few and far between.

Craig Oakley, an old and very understanding friend, who knows all about the years that led inevitably to this book.

Jeffrey Simmons, my agent and friend, for his support.

Nigel Foster, without whose kindness The Secret History of Lucifer would literally never have been produced.

Robert Lomas, for his generous contribution to the section on Freemasonry - and all at a moment's notice!

Graham Philips, for his good advice. And just for being himself.

Yvan Cartwright, for his good-natured hospitality, humour and nagging about a web site. There will be one, one day ...

At Constable, Krystyna Green, Gary Chapman and Sarah Moore. Thanks for your patience and good humour - not to mention an unusual willingness to stretch deadlines.

Charles and Annette Fowkes, old friends whose hospitality and encouragement is much appreciated.

My York friends: David Bell, Moira Hardcastle and Richard Hardcastle for always being interested and supportive, plus silly giggling and mulled wine experiences and much, much more over more years than any of us care to remember.