Editing Church of Satan (section)

==Membership==
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The Church of Satan claims they do not solicit memberships nor proselytize. Individuals seeking membership must be legally defined as adults in their nation of residence. As of at least January 2023, no one "under the legal age of consent" may join the Church of Satan, with the exception those whose "parents or legal guardians are already members in good standing".<ref name="CoS Youth Communiqué">{{cite web |title=Church of Satan Youth Communiqué |url=https://www.churchofsatan.com/satanic-youth-communique/ |website=Church of Satan |access-date=7 January 2024 |quote=So, we simply cannot allow anyone under the legal age of consent to join the Church of Satan. The only exception to this rule would be if your parents or legal guardians are already members in good standing.}}</ref>

Active Members begin at the First Degree. One must apply and be approved for an Active Membership, and this is subject to one's answers to a lengthy series of questions. One cannot apply for higher Degrees, and the requirements for each degree are not open to the public. Promotion to a higher degree is by invitation only. Members of the Third through Fifth degrees constitute the Priesthood and may be addressed as "Reverend" (although the titles of "Magister/Magistra" and "Magus/Maga" are more often used when referring to members of the Fourth and Fifth Degrees, respectively). Members of the Fifth degree may also be known as "Doctor", although "The Doctor" usually refers to LaVey. Memberships may be terminated at the discretion of the ruling body of the Church of Satan consisting of the High Priest, the High Priestess and the Council of Nine.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The church emphasizes that one does not have to join the organization to consider themselves a Satanist, and that one only needs to recognize themselves in The Satanic Bible and live according to the tenets outlined therein.<ref name="CoS-membership">{{cite web |title=Join the Church of Satan |url=https://www.churchofsatan.com/join-the-cos/ |website=Church of Satan |access-date=7 January 2024 |quote=ABOUT THE MEMBERSHIP FEE. We must emphasize that you don't have to join our organization to consider yourself a Satanist, you only need to recognize yourself in The Satanic Bible and live according to the tenets outlined therein. We don't proselytize, or otherwise campaign for people to join—that is your prerogative.}}</ref>

As the Church of Satan does not publicly release membership information, it is not known how many members belong to the Church. However, according to an interview with the Church of Satan, "interest in the Church of Satan and Satanism is growing all the time if our mailboxes, answering and fax machines, and e-mail is any indication."<ref name="The Church Of Satan – Interview">{{cite web|url=http://wormgearzine.com/2009/01/04/the-church-of-satan-interview/|title=The Church Of Satan – Interview - Worm Gear|work=Worm Gear|date=5 January 2009 }}</ref> Another source (''The Washington Post'') states the church claimed to have "hundreds of thousands" of members.<ref name="Boulware-WaPo-1998"/> 
However, according to Joseph Laycock, the Church grew rapidly in its first five years before declining, and had an estimated 250 members (according to one source). According to ''The Washington Post'', up until at least 1998, Church membership was never totaled "more than 300".<ref name="Boulware-WaPo-1998">{{cite news |last1=Boulware |first1=Jack |title=A DEVIL OF A TIME |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1998/08/30/a-devil-of-a-time/da3eea5a-1b17-46db-a8f1-3cd5821247e2/ |access-date=7 January 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=30 August 1998}}</ref>

===Hierarchy===
The church follows a formulated system of degrees based on [[meritocracy]]. These degrees are not open to application or to request and are only awarded to those who demonstrate excellence in the understanding and communication of Satanic Theory coupled with personal achievements in the outside world.<ref name="hierarchy">{{cite web|url=http://www.churchofsatan.com/hierarchy.php|title=Hierarchy - churchofsatan.com|first=Peter H.|last=Gilmore|work=churchofsatan.com}}</ref>

These degrees are:
* Registered Member (no degree)
* Active Member/Satanist (first degree)
* Witch/Warlock (second degree)
* Priestess/Priest (third degree)
* Magistra/Magister (fourth degree)
* Maga/Magus (fifth degree)

Agents of the Church of Satan are individuals who have been trained to serve as contacts for local media and other interested parties.<ref name="hierarchy" />

===Priesthood of Mendes and Council of Nine===
Members of the Priesthood make up the Council of Nine, which is the ruling body of the Church of Satan, of which Magistra Templi Rex [[Blanche Barton]] is the chair-mistress. Individuals who are part of the priesthood are those who act as spokespersons of the Church of Satan. The priesthood is exclusive to third-, fourth-, and fifth-degree members. Members of the priesthood may be referred to as "reverend".<ref name="hierarchy" /> The [[High priest|High Priest]] and Priestess act as administrative chiefs and primary public representatives; each position (High Priest and High Priestess) is held by a single individual at a time. The current High Priest is [[Peter H. Gilmore]],<ref name="PeterG">{{cite web|url=http://www.churchofsatan.com/history-peter-h-gilmore.php|title=Peter H. Gilmore|website=Church of Satan|access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref> the current High Priestess is [[Peggy Nadramia]].<ref name="PeggyN">{{cite web|url=http://www.churchofsatan.com/history-peggy-nadramia.php|title=Peggy Nadramia|website=Church of Satan|access-date=16 April 2014}}</ref>

The Church of Satan evaluates active members for the Priesthood by their accomplishment in society—mastered skills and peer recognition within a profession—rather than by mastery of irrelevant occult trivia. While expected to be experts in communicating the Satanic philosophy, members of the Priesthood are not required to speak on behalf of the Church of Satan and may even choose to keep their affiliation and rank secret in order to better serve their personal goals, as well as those of the organization. Membership in the Priesthood is by invitation only.

===The Grotto System===

Within Satanism, a [[Grotto (Satanism)|Grotto]] is a [[clandestine cell system|clandestine]] association or gathering of Satanists within geographical proximity for means of social, ritual, and special interest activities.<ref>[http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.html The Church of Satan Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701104244/http://www.churchofsatan.com/home.html |date=2012-07-01 }}, under Affiliation: The Grotto System Retrieved December 3, 2010</ref> The Church of Satan no longer formally recognizes or charters grottos.<ref name=grotto/> The primary reason for the end of the Grotto system is that only a small minority of members ever participated. This was further compounded by the fact that a publicly listed Grotto defeated the ability to remain secret and unknown to the larger populace. The Grotto system was in practice replaced by social media, private online forums, and other methods for members to interact with one another outside of the need for a so-called Grotto Master and annual reports to the central office of the Church of Satan.<ref name=grotto>{{cite web|title = The Grotto System {{!}} churchofsatan.com|url = http://www.churchofsatan.com/the-grotto-system.php|website= www.churchofsatan.com|access-date= 2015-08-23|first = Peter H.|last = Gilmore}}</ref>