Editing Temple of Set (section)

===Later development===
[[File:Wewelsburg2010 b.jpg|thumb|Aquino established his Order of the Trapezoid at [[Wewelsburg]] in Germany (pictured in 2010)]]

Many members of the Temple had voiced their opposition to Aquino's position of power within it.{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=351}} Aquino relinquished his office of High Priest in 1979 to Ronald Keith Barrett,{{sfnm|1a1=Granholm|1y=2014|1p=89|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=351}} who produced an inspired text of his own, titled ''The Book of Opening the Way''.{{sfn|Gallagher|2014|p=80–88}} Barrett's approach was later criticized as "more mystical than magical" by Temple members.{{sfn|Granholm|2014|p=89}} Barrett's leadership was also criticized as authoritarian,{{sfnm|1a1=Gallagher|1y=2014|1pp=80–88|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=351}} resulting in a decline in the Temple's membership.{{sfn|Gallagher|2014|p=80–88}} Barrett resigned his office and severed ties with the organization in May 1982.{{sfnm|1a1=Granholm|1y=2014|1p=89|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=351}} He subsequently established his own Temple of Anubis, which he led until his 1998 death; it survived until the early 2010s.{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=351}} After Barrett's departure, Aquino retook leadership of the Temple of Set.{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=351}} During this period, the sociologist [[Gini Graham Scott]] clandestinely participated in the Temple, using her observations as the basis for her 1983 book ''The Magicians: A Study of the Use of Power in a Black Magic Group''.{{sfnm|1a1=Granholm|1y=2014|1p=89|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=353}}

After receiving his PhD in political science from the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] in 1980, Aquino worked as an [[Adjunct professors in North America|adjunct professor]] at [[Golden Gate University]] until 1986 while continuing to serve in the [[United States Army]] as an [[Active Guard Reserve]] officer at the [[Presidio of San Francisco]].{{sfn|Gardell|2003|p=389}}
He was fascinated with the connections between [[Occultism in Nazism|occultism and Nazism]],{{sfnm|1a1=Gardell|1y=2003|1p=322|2a1=Drury|2y=2003|2p=200}} resulting in some accusations that he was sympathetic to Nazi ideology.{{sfnm|1a1=Gardell|1y=2003|1p=292|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=353}} In 1983, he performed a solitary rite at Walhalla, the subterranean section of the [[Wewelsburg]] castle in Germany that was utilized as a ceremonial space by the [[Schutzstaffel]]'s [[Ahnenerbe]] group during the Nazi period. This resulted in his formation of the Order of the Trapezoid, lifting the name directly from the [[Church_of_Satan#Early_years|early governing body of the Church of Satan]] to repackage it as a Setian version whose members considered themselves a [[chivalric order]] of [[knight]]s.{{sfnm|1a1=Gardell|1y=2003|1p=292|2a1=Drury|2y=2003|2p=201|3a1=Introvigne|3y=2016|3p=351}} From 1987 through to 1995, the Grand Master of the Order of the Trapezoid was [[Stephen Flowers|Edred Thorsson]], who had joined the Temple of Set in 1984 and risen to the Fifth Degree in 1990.{{sfn|Gardell|2003|pp=321, 322}} Thorsson exerted a "discernible influence" over the Setian community through his books, in which he combined aspects of Satanic philosophy with the [[Modern Paganism|Modern Pagan]] religion of [[Heathenry (new religious movement)|Heathenry]].{{sfn|Gardell|2003|p=321}} In 1980, he founded the [[Texas]]-based Rune-Gild [[The Troth|The Ring of Troth]] which shared many of the Temple's key philosophical tenets but with a focus on the study of [[runes]] and their applications in magical practice.{{sfn|Granholm|2009|p=92}}

In the 1980s, Aquino attracted greater publicity for his Temple through appearances on television talk shows like ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' and ''[[Geraldo (TV series)|Geraldo]]''.{{sfn|Faxneld|Petersen|2013|p=7}} In 1987, during the [[Satanic ritual abuse]] hysteria, the three-year-old daughter of a Christian clergyman accused Aquino of sexually abusing her during Satanic rites held at his [[Russian Hill, San Francisco|Russian Hill]] home. Responding to the allegations, police raided Aquino's home. However, after no evidence was found to substantiate the allegation and it was revealed that Aquino was living in [[Washington D.C.]] at the time of the alleged abuse, the police dropped felony charges.{{sfnm|1a1=Medway|1y=2001|1pp=201–202|2a1=Gardell|2y=2003|2pp=290, 390|3a1=Faxneld|3a2=Petersen|3y=2013|3p=7}} Aquino attempted to bring formal charges against the chaplain and psychiatrist who had encouraged the girl's claims, although he was more successful in bringing legal action against two books—[[Carl A. Raschke]]'s ''Painted Black'' and Linda Blood's ''The New Satanists''—that had suggested that he was guilty.{{sfn|Medway|2001|pp=202–203}} He then left the Presidio and was transferred to [[St. Louis]].{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=354}} In 1994, Aquino retired from active service in the Army, being honourably transferred to the [[United States Army Reserve#Retired Reserve|Retired Reserve]] and awarded the [[Meritorious Service Medal (United States)|Meritorious Service Medal]].{{sfnm|1a1=Medway|1y=2001|1p=203|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=354}}

While the Satanic ritual abuse hysteria declined, Aquino continued to be a figure of prominence in "[[Brainwashing|mind control]]" [[conspiracy theories]] because of his career as a psychological warfare officer in the US Army.{{sfn|Dyrendal|Lewis|Petersen|2016|p=131}} In the United Kingdom during this same period, tabloids like the ''[[News of the World]]'' and ''[[Sunday Mirror]]'' published sensationalist articles about the Temple.{{sfn|Medway|2001|p=294}} In the mid-1990s, a group of British Setians approached the religious studies scholar [[Graham Harvey (religious studies scholar)|Graham Harvey]] and encouraged him to conduct research into the group so as to combat misconceptions about them.{{sfnm|1a1=Harvey|1y=1995|1p=285|2a1=Harvey|2y=2009|2p=31}} The Temple first registered a website in 1997, the same year as the Church of Satan.{{sfn|Petersen|2013|p=142}} It would also establish its own [[intranet]], allowing for communication between Setians in different parts of the world.{{sfn|Granholm|2013|p=223}}

One member of the Temple was the New Zealander [[Kerry Bolton]], who split to form his own [[Order of The Left Hand Path]] in 1990.{{sfn|Baddeley|2010|p=221}} In 1995, another couple who joined were LaVey's daughter [[Zeena Schreck]] and her husband [[Nikolas Schreck]], both of whom were vocal critics of Zeena's father.{{sfn|Baddeley|2010|p=214}}
[[File:Webb Don2.jpg|thumb|Don Webb|left]]
In 1996, [[Don Webb (writer)|Don Webb]] became the high priest of the Temple, a position that he held until 2002.{{sfnm|1a1=Drury|1y=2003|1p=199|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=355}} He was replaced by Zeena Schreck but she resigned after six weeks and was replaced by Aquino, who took charge once more.{{sfnm|1a1=Drury|1y=2003|1p=199|2a1=Introvigne|2y=2016|2p=355}} In that year, Zeena led a schism within the organization{{sfn|Petersen|2005|p=435}} establishing her own [[Berlin]]-based group, The Storm, which she later renamed the [[Zeena_Schreck#Sethian_Liberation_Movement|Sethian Liberation Movement]].{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=355}} 

Aquino stood down as High Priest again in 2004, to be replaced by Patricia Hardy who was elected to the position of High Priestess.{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=355}} Although no longer in charge of the organization, he nevertheless remained its most visible spokesperson.{{sfn|Introvigne|2016|p=355}}

Aquino died on September 1, 2019.<ref name="modernoccultism">{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Mitch |url= |title=Modern Occultism: History, Theory, and Practice |publisher=G&D Media |year=2023 |isbn=978-1-7225-0626-1 |pages=381: "According to San Francisco County records, the Temple of Set founder died at 75 on September 1, 2019."}}</ref>