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 1980s.[6] The Church of Satan no longer formally recognizes or charters grottos.[7]
Religious Requirements and Practices: A Handbook for Chaplains. Washington DC: U. S. Department of the Army. 1978.
Baddeley, Gavin (2010). Lucifer Rising: Sin, Devil Worship & Rock n' Roll (third ed.). London: Plexus. ISBN978-0-85965-455-5.
Lap, Amina Olander (2013). "Categorizing Modern Satanism: An Analysis of LaVey's Early Writings". In Per Faxneld; Jesper Aagaard Petersen (eds.). The Devil's Party: Satanism in Modernity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 83–102. ISBN978-0-19-977924-6.