Grotto (Satanism)

Not to be confused with a Coven, a gathering of Wiccan witches.

Within the Church of Satan, a Grotto (from Italian grotta, a type of cave) is a clandestine association or gathering of Satanists within geographical proximity for means of social, ritual, and special interest activities.[1] The Black House, the founding place and headquarters of the Church of Satan from 1966 to 1997, was effectively the first grotto, and was for a time referred to as the "Central Grotto".[2][3] Grottos existed for a time in various parts of the United States; these included the Babylon Grotto in Detroit, the Stygian Grotto in Dayton, and the Lilith Grotto in New York.[4] In 1975, LaVey disbanded all grottos ,[5] then reinstated them in the 1980's.[6] The Church of Satan no longer formally recognizes or charters grottos.[7]

References

  1. ↑ The Church of Satan Website, under Affiliation: The Grotto System Retrieved December 3, 2010
  2. ↑ Religious Requirements and Practices: A Handbook for Chaplains & U. S. Department of the Army 1978.
  3. ↑ World Religions & Warren Matthews 2007.
  4. ↑ Baddeley 2010, p. 74.
  5. ↑ Lewis 2002, p. 7; Lap 2013, p. 84.
  6. ↑ Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, Van Gorden Kurt The Kingdom of the Occult; 2013.
  7. ↑ High Priest, Magus Peter H. Gilmore. "The Grotto System". churchofsatan.com.
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