“When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning or in rain?” - The First Witch, Macbeth (Act 1, Scene 1), Shakespeare
I am both a coven Witch and a solitary Witch. I practise in both contexts and I find that they are complementary and create a beautiful synthesis. I find my wild-way illumined by celebrating with my coveners in our group several times a week whilst simultaneously maintaining a dedicated discipline of observation, reflection, meditation and ritual – and Life – on my own. A Witch’s work is never done and this is because our ‘work’ does not tire or exert us, but enhances and revitalises our innate connections with the world around us. Our ‘work’ is also of the Great Mystery – which by its very nature is unborn, undying and very much alive.
If you find yourself at the crossroads and you are yearning for like-spirited peers to share your spirituality with please refer to the Covencraft chapter (pg 201 – chapter 10) in my book Spirited: Taking Paganism Beyond the Circle (Llewellyn, 2009). In this chapter I provide a series of Question & Answer sections which may help to guide you in your choices. However this article isn’t necessarily about deciding to join a coven, but what I feel the advantages are of belonging to an intimate, magickal family. I also believe (it is true for me) that maintaining a Craft of solitude is equally as important After all we are all highly individualistic (and this is amplified in the magickal community). Ultimately however humans depend on one another for quality in survival. Thrive and flourish in perfect love and perfect trust.
The first advantage of belonging to a coven/circle/grove/whatever, in my humble opinion, is that groups form networks of support through compassion, love and trust. This is why the traditional password in swearing an oath in modern Craft traditions is “perfect love and perfect trust”. A good group will become a spiritual family. For instance I live in a beautiful old Queenslander with two other members of our inner court and one of our Wildkin. Our home is called the ‘Witch House’ by some in the coven and currently we meet three days a week at my home for various training sessions. We also have our celebratory circles (the Esbats and the Sabbats) and they are held in a local park where the public can join in if they wish. All of this means that the members of the Coven of the WildWood tend to see each other quite a lot, and often we will also get together outside of ‘coven stuff’ to merely be social as we are all close friends. We are able to be as open and honest as we can be with each other as there is no fear of judgement and we are all able to understand and empathise as we are all magickally-aware.
This leads me into the next ‘advantage’ of covencraft and that is the innate magick of belonging to an intimate spiritual group. When unique individuals willingly dedicate themselves to a group and its underlying practice or tradition each person becomes fused with the overarching egregore – the group mind/soul which is essentially more than the sum of its parts. In doing so each person becomes a receptacle for the wisdom and experience that is part of all that has been, is and will be connected to the group. Witchcraft is a magickal tradition and Witches by their nature are intrinsically aware of their own personal connection with this universal life-force. When in the presence of others who have ‘awoken’ this awareness is heightened and enhanced. I know that when I attend large Pagan gatherings, festivals and retreats my Sight goes into over-drive! Often while conversing I get so inspired and impassioned that I find myself having to sit down to catch my breath or leave the space so that I don’t alarm anyone with the whoops of joy that I feel building inside. This is all part of the coven experience!
The third benefit of covencraft is embodied within the principle of knowledge shared is power shared; power shared becomes a community resource. Whenever I speak on or think on ‘power and privilege’ Starhawk comes to mind. Her articulation of the various relationships with power helps to clarify what exactly we do with power. In the case of Pagans it is ‘power-from-within’ and ‘power-with’ that guide us on our journeys. ‘Power-over’ is an authoritarian, subduing and ultimately disempowering exertion of one’s power over another being. Pagans are generally inspired by the ideals of egalitarian community in which peace, compassion, understanding and honour (among other key principles) underlie the convictions of each member.
A coven is a family and a home. It is that ‘place’ in the hearts of the coveners where all may reside without fear or stress. It is to this place we can retire and be received by open arms and loving smiles and lay down to be stroked and cared for. When others of our kindred are down those who are standing in that moment will share the burdens and help to carry the fallen through the hard times; the same courtesy and token of love and compassion will be repaid you in your times of need. In a true coven all are the closest of friends. The sign of a healthy group is how much it laughs and whether or not it can make fun of itself.
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