COS Handbook, Section 5




Section FiveLeadership: Strength and StrategyMany of the
pitfalls described in the previous section can be avoided through deft
leadership. Your grotto members will respect you because you are presumed to be
further along your Magical Path than they are. You prove that through concrete
demonstration- you must be able to come up with the goods in order to invoke
trust and respect from your group. Satanism and the activities of your grotto
should be an adjunct to your successful life, not a meager substitute for the
real dominance or authority you long for in the outside world.If you
applied for Grotto Master status because you are impotent and felt the Church of
Satan would be an artificial system in which you could assert authority by
passing the right tests or achieving the right degrees, you came to the wrong
place. You will be quickly frustrated and discarded.The majority of
people who apply for Grotto Master status, do so out of sincere dedication to
the principles of Satanism. They want to come forward to do something, to make
sure Dr. Lavey's ideas are communicated and enacted accurately, and to allow
others to have a local gathering point to energize and focus us all. It takes a
Hell of a lot of energy to lead a group well, and at the same time, advance in
your chosen professional field, and juggle family responsibilities. But you have
been Called to this course, for better or wdrse, or you would never have
applied. You are promised an overwhelming magical experience, one way or
another. Hang on tight and enjoy the ride.If leadership can be said to
consist of strength and strategy, you have the strength - first by dint of being
a Satanist, second by the authority of being a member of the Church of Satan,
and further by being an approved Grotto Master of the Church of Satan. You
should communicate this strength in every move. Stand straight, lower your
voice, speak at a measured pace. Eye contact should be used as a weapon. Don't
blink constantly - it communicates dishonesty and nervousness. Look over the
head of the person you're talking to, or beyond him, until the time is right for
you to look directly at him - then skewer him with your eyes, as if you can see
into his very soul.Strategy comes from clear- headed observation,
experience in projecting anticipated moves and acting to counter or utilize
those anticipated moves. Observe, anticipate, act. Never telegraph your actions
to an enemy; surprise is stimulating to friends and enemies alike. Success will
come to you only if you build momentum in a particular direction, anticipating
and funneling the energy to conform to your will. This is where strategy (as it
applies to magical workings) can best be seen.There are dozens of books
you can look to and seminars you can attend to help you develop leadership
skills and help in conflict resolution. You may find many of these useful. As a
Satanist, you can put your magical imagination to work for you. Align yourself
with a metaphor of leadership that motivates you best: a movie or stage
director, an orchestra conductor, a business maven, a ship's captain, a military
general or political leader.... You are all of these and can draw strength from
focusing on such images. Your most obvious example of a stimulating, responsible
leader is Satan himself. Let your actions and advice reflect him. Attempt to
evoke and engender a sense of nobility, of measure, an elegant union of purpose
and metaphorical context.Counsel but don't dictate. We expect our Grotto
Masters to provide direction, to offer accurate and caring advice based on
greater experience and wisdom. As Dr. Lavey has instructed in the Eleven Rules,
advise when asked but don't allow yourself to be drained by constant demands. If
an individual is a clear drain on your time, you should suggest the person go
elsewhere if he persists in vampirizing you and your group. You are responsible
for recognizing and weeding out disruptive elements at a grassroots level.
Forestall problems if you can before they harm the cohesion of the group. Again,
experience will be your best teacher. We all make mistakes in judgment and
you'll learn very quickly more about people and group dynamics than you probably
ever wanted to know.Leaders must be decisive and reassuring in order to
engender loyalty in your grotto members. Respect for you and camaraderie with
one another cannot be imposed or dictated; it must be earned and nurtured. The
Church of Satan can grant you permission to be a Grotto Master and give you the
right tools - but you will earn the title when other Church of Satan members
call you "Master" freely and without prompting.In making decisions or
plans, use rational decision-making skills, but also depend on intuition. This
is where your magical training comes to the fore. Know when to jump, when to go
forward, when to pull back and let a situation mellow for awhile. Timing is
everything. Scare your members once in a while. Perform some cold readings and
some stage magic. Baffle them. They need to be assured that you know more than
they do and are capable of leading them. They'll be thrilled and impressed. You
will, eventually, engender a sense of trust and security in your grotto members.
No matter what happens, no matter how weird or wild things get, your people have
to have faith in you, trust that you'll make fair decisions, have confidence
that you'll direct them competently and lead them through to safety. This only
comes with time and proving your competence to them again and
again.Ultimately, these tasks you've undertaken should be a magical
learning expedition for you. To get the most from your grotto work, examine your
own motives ruthlessly. This position demands you look in the mirror and ask
yourself hard questions: Why did I want to be a Grotto Master? What do I expect
to get out of it? Am I achieving what I expected I would? Am I fulfilling my
greater purpose?Your primary emphasis should always be on you. The
Church of Satan has granted endorsement to you as a Satanist; we don't assign
Grotto Charters, per se. The moment grotto activities begin to drain you, drop
them. In the language of the Elements, groups can be quite transient - very
liquid, or airy. You must be fire and earth-immutable and steadfast. Don't
despair or be discouraged if your grotto disintegrates. It may not be a
reflection on your leadership abilities. Quite the contrary. Grotto activities
ultimately have to take a backseat to your personal success in the outside
world. They are meant as an adjunct to an already thriving life, not as your
sole identity. Fulfill your dreams in the real world. That's how you can best
serve yourself, best act as a role model for your group and other members, and
can eventually serve the best interests of the Church of Satan.




Chapter 4

Chapter
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