American Satanist who lived in a black cottage, had a black cat and entertained guests in a living room with a tombstone for a coffee table. At the height of his career in the early ’70s, he was a sought-after and interesting public speaker and a psychic who was booked up for months ahead. His notoriety carried him to guest spots on such shows as Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin and even to lectures in churches and community groups.
Ted grew up in Worcester with his parents and his siblings: brother Kenny and his sisters, Charlotte, Shirley and Polly. Unfortunately, his alcoholic parents both passed away when he was just eighteen, forcing him to drop out of school to take care of his siblings. Because the responsibility of raising his family fell on Ted, he had no choice but to get a job and put his own life on hold.
When Ted was very young he was extremely religious. He even set up a Catholic altar on the dresser in his bedroom. He idolized Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and wanted to become a Catholic priest himself. But because he was homosexual, he was denied membership to the church. According to his sister Charlotte, Ted was crushed by this and turned to the Church of Wicca to practice his beliefs. He relates that his life unfolded easily and he got everything he wanted as long as he was subservient to the devil. He was just starting in witchcraft when the movie “Rosemary’s Baby” was released. Then “The Exorcist” brought more publicity to his chosen field. As a practicing Satanist, he felt privileged to descend into drugs and alcohol. He dyed his hair white-blond and wore contact lens that were a brilliant azure, but in the early ’80s, he began to feel that he was being a bad warlock. He was casting spells that were not part of a nature religion but were evil and causing harm. He said that “It was no longer a joke. I was beginning to believe in my power and all I wanted was fame and notoriety. I was close to not having any morals, values or standards.”
In 1970 Rabouin wrote a cookbook titled, “Witchery in the Kitchen.” It had all sorts of recipes including ones for Devil Dogs and Love Potions; only 500 cookbooks were published.
As a famed clairvoyant, Rabouin was called in to help solve the Prouty-Hammond murder mystery that took place in the town of Spencer in 1899. The book “Deliver Us From Evil,?Spencer’s Hidden Secret,” published in 1997, is an account of the six mysterious deaths, which took place in Spencer in 1899 and it revealed that Rabouin was called in to see if he had any “insight” into the case. The book claimed that through his “powers,” he found a gun hidden in the walls.
Perhaps a strange view for a Satanist, but Ted’s drinking was affecting his life badly and he was aging and feeling ill. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous. The meetings had a profound effect on him. He was still attending covens but the impression of God began to overwhelm his former beliefs.
After about a year of inner struggle, Ted gathered all his satanic paraphernalia and burned it. Scheduled for a radio interview, he phoned them and said, “Hi ho, the witch is dead.”
Life became difficult. He worked as a janitor but went on disability when he became diabetic and suffered from thyroid problems. He wrote his autobiography and is trying to interest a publisher. He still does psychic readings but casts spells no longer. He wears a salt-and-pepper hairpiece on his bald head and looks like a rather pleasant average citizen, a bit heavy set. He says “I still believe in God and the devil. I’ve just changed sides.”
Rabouin passed away at home in 2004 from complications related to diabetes. He was 70 years old. His home has since been sold and torn down and a new house sits on the site.
(The text includes quotes from [1].)