Hello hello! I’m Selen, and I’m very new to the craft.
I’ve always had an interest in Wicca and witchcraft, but only recently have I started to actually practice. Though self-exploration and reading, I’ve concluded that my affinity falls more in line with the stars and the moon. Thusly, cosmic witchcraft.
I’m still new, and I know I have a lot to learn! So please bear with me. If anyone has any tips or suggestions, please let me know! I’m already making steps to get involved with my local coven, although admittedly, I’m still pretty intimidated. How long did it take the rest of you to join a coven? Have you found that it’s helped or hindered your spiritual journey?
Thank you for reading! I look forward to participating in this community!
This site/coven is a good place to learn. Books by Silver Ravenwolf are informative and I like her writing style. For more in-depth knowledge of Wicca (Wicca is a religion) you may want to explore books by Scott Cunningham or Gerald Gardener. Stewart and Janet Farrar have some interesting books as well. I have read dozens of good suggestions in other posts here.
I may not be the best person to provide information on coven membership, as I have certain old-school beliefs that are written in stone, so what I say here is strictly “my opinion”. I am solitary now since I had to leave my coven in Alaska - 5,000 miles would be a bit of a commute . Any IRL coven that allows you to just walk in a become a member isn’t worth joining, as they obviously have no respect for the importance of tradition in the Art, and in truly understanding and appreciating what it means to be a witch. I had to: find and connect with a coven member; convince her that I was sincere and serious about finding a coven (at first, I didn’t know she was in a coven); talk with the coven members; do a rite of dedication; actively participate and study for a year and a day; and be initiated into the coven, including a blood oath of secrecy.
I love my brothers and sisters of the coven (and the Craft), and I miss them and coven activities very much. I think that coven is rather unique in that they continue certain practices that many modern groups seem to have discarded. That said, you will find that as with any group of more than one human, there are sometimes tense situations in a coven, and those times will define the maturity, if not value of that coven.
Any group of people can call themselves a coven. Make sure you understand what it is you are seeking and whether or not that group of people can facilitate your growth. Brightest Blessings!
I love this path you’ve chosen! Something tells me you may be quite talented in the studies of metaphysical cosmology, astrology and star-based divination!
I’ve never actually joined an in-person coven, though I also don’t consider myself a witch. Why am I here? I’m an occultist! (We’re cousins! lol)
We start in a way that’s often quite different from modern Wiccans & witches. I was born into an occult heritage and began my studies through a metaphysical school for children at age 8, while continuing to learn at home via my parents & extended family. I branched out onto my own path, which included dabbling in witchcraft, at 22. As a result I’m a kind of hybrid witch-occultist.
And yes, you read all of that correctly. I don’t share my full origin story often because I don’t ever expect to be believed. Like in covens, talking too much about families and schools like mine is heavily discouraged, and some have oaths of secrecy too.
Don’t be afraid to ask anything here! This forum covers a wide variety of subjects, and there are plenty of helpful people, from many walks of life! I second Marcus’ book recommendations on Wicca, and I’ll also add Margot Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon - a great book on the history of modern American witchcraft & occultism, including some on the largest covens in America.
I just wanted to clarify that when I was ranting about coven membership, I was speaking about closed covens, not open covens such as this, or open meetings of other covens. Blessed Be!
To anyone thinking of joining a coven, I highly recommend reading a copy of “The Witches Coven” by Edain McCoy.
Make a list of red flags either for the practices of the coven, or the way members say or act. If there are no safety measures for all members of the coven, then think long and hard. Is your desire to be in a coven worth ignoring some red flags?
A coven should have red flags when interviewing potential members too. Not everyone is compatible with the coven.
With today’s technology, an online coven is another option, but having everyone meet based on time zones can be difficult, especially if the members are world wide. An online one in the same time zone would be easier to manage.
I did have my own coven. between harsh covid lock downs in Victoria, Australia (we have the proud record of the harshest lock down in the world ) and stupid game played by members who wanted to turn the coven into their personal social gathering that had nothing to do with witchcraft, and some death threats, I made the hard discussion to put the coven into hiatus.
I miss practicing with a group, and hope one day to do so again, but safety of the coven and its members is a priority for me.
@StillwaterWitch If you are still visiting this forum, I would love to hear how your path is going. Are you feeling less intimidated? Did you find a coven?
I look forward to participating in this community!
. Any IRL coven that allows you to just walk in a become a member isn’t worth joining, as they obviously have no respect for the importance of tradition in the Art, and in truly understanding and appreciating what it means to be a witch. I had to: find and connect with a coven member; convince her that I was sincere and serious about finding a coven (at first, I didn’t know she was in a coven); talk with the coven members; do a rite of dedication; actively participate and study for a year and a day; and be initiated into the coven, including a blood oath of secrecy.
) and stupid game played by members who wanted to turn the coven into their personal social gathering that had nothing to do with witchcraft, and some death threats, I made the hard discussion to put the coven into hiatus.