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. 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". Grottos existed for a time in various parts of the United States; these included the Babylon Grotto in
Detroit, the Stygian Grotto in
Dayton
Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...
, and the Lilith Grotto in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
. In 1975,
LaVey disbanded all ''grottos'', then reinstated them in the 1980s. The Church of Satan no longer formally recognizes or charters grottos.
See also
*
Cell group – a form of church organization that is used in many Christian churches
*
Coven
A coven () is a group or gathering of witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promote ...
– a group or gathering of witches
References
{{LaVeyan Satanism
Satanism in the United States
Grouping