Forming a coven

[Silent]

In my country tere is not much of covens,allthough Icelandics are very into MW kinda things.I have seen few covens websites 2-3 of them but one I found to be not my kind a cup of tea ans the other one I have bad feelings toward cuz they are much onto drinking and project a bad image of witches.

But little while ago I got to know one girl and after knowing her a while I found out she is into spells.I told her about MW and all.But I was thinking if I should ask her if she would want to form a coven but I am not sure how serius she is about this.She might even read this.But I need your advice so I thought what the heck if she reads this then well I wont have to ask her :hmmmmm:

[MorningDove030202]

Starting a coven from scratch is not imposible, but has it's ups and downs..... I would recomend starting a study circle first, perhapse the two of you can read a book together and discuss it, try out the techniques together, etc. Keep a journal of what you have learned. Or you can try an online school, like www.witchschool.com (www.witchschool.com) . I highly recomend the first degree they offer there, for free.

Dove

[mystical sylph]

Building a coven or choosing the right coven, I find, is not an easy thing at all. Because most people will get a false image of paganism. Actually, witches, I believe, are just a movie creation. What pagan really are is not the witches we most know of and this is why getting with people to form a serious coven with the same beliefs is so hard.

I am a solitary witch, and i find it easyer this way, but not always very motivating for making rituals through. I suggest personally to do your own coven with people you trust, and to know their position on what people seem to call magic is important. Even if new girl you met seems to like spells, she might only do spells for the hell of it and just for kidding and fun and found them in the hocus pocus book.

You must be very carefull with who you regroup in a coven, because you could very well end up in a party group who considers themselfs as witches, but are just playing an act. You don't want that right?

so my suggestion would be to talk about it, talk about the beliefs, and if it matches with her, well you can get to add new people of trust with who you spoke about these beliefs as well and do your own coven.

i don't know if i was clear there ^_^; but oh well...

[~Elise~]

Not trying to rain on your parade--but starting a coven is not as easy as just saying, "Hey, we're a coven now". You have to come up with a structure, a set of beliefs, who will be the leader, where will the covenstead be, who is responsible for buying ritual supplies, how does reimbursment happen, if it does?, if the coven doesn't make it, (and most don't), what happens with the tools, supplies, etc? What happens if someone wants to quit? How and who decides on new members? What are the requirements for initiation?
Things like this need to talked about beforehand.

Elise

[Silent]

I do realise things would need to be taken one step at a time and a structure and ''laws must be set.And that is not just as easy as saying we are a coven.

But is priestess neccesary or is it only a coven if it isthat kind of structure.Is it not ok to be a group of individual with different roles.

Perhaps it we could make a coven rule book.plz remeber have not yet asked her or even mentioned this toher.

[Fallen Angel]

I have a book about building your own coven. I decieded that I would rather join one than build one.

[Silent]

That is just it I kinda cant join a coven ,they are so few here and so far a I have not found one that I connect with.If I cant form one with some well selected other members I am afraid I will rather remain solitaire :hmmmmm:

[Ben Gruagach]

Just like there are lots of different ways that people practice witchcraft, there are lots of ways that covens form, structure themselves, practice, etc. For some people a coven is primarily about creating a group of people who are essentially a family, and in other equally valid covens people are more formal in their relationships and only get together for serious study, worship, and magick.

The trick is really to get together a group of people (it can be as few as three!) who actually are of like mind who are willing to work at making the coven successful.

I suspect the book about making a coven that Fallen Angel mentioned is Amber K's "Covencraft." I highly recommend it too. Judy Harrow's "Wicca Covens" is also excellent and worth reading. Edain McCoy's "Inside a Witches' Coven" is another. If you can get at least one of those books and read through it you'll have a good start on how to get a group going.

One other recommendation (reinforcing what MorningDove030202 wrote) is that it's wise to start the group off as a study group, learning and trying things out and basically getting to know your core group of people, and then maybe aiming to say "We're a coven now!" after at least a year of working together. There's nothing more difficult for a new coven than starting up and struggling to work as an established coven when you don't have that core of dedicated people already identified and working well together.

Something else to keep in mind too -- while it is common for covens to have formal hierarchies (high priest and high priestess, etc.) not all covens work this way. I've worked with a variety of covens over my twenty-some years as an active Wiccan, and most of the covens I've worked with were egalitarian where we didn't have formal high priests or high priestesses. Everyone shared the role of leading rituals so everyone was able to develop all the different skills involved in doing rituals. It's not for everyone, but it worked really well in the covens I've worked with.

[MorningDove030202]

Ditto! Covencrafting I think it's called, if you want to check it out.
Dove

I have a book about building your own coven. I decieded that I would rather join one than build one.

[~Elise~]

Yes--a coven can be as simple as everyone taking roles and leading rituals, but that is something that needs to be discussed amongst the other stuff, as well. It is something that needs to be set up beforehand.

I just want people to be aware that there is more than saying you're a coven to actually be one. There is lots of work and discussion going into the formation of even a casual coven.

Elise

[Fallen Angel]

W00t I foud my coven book, hidden under five books, a dictionary, perfume, air freshener, a paperbag and my games....
It's Edain McCoy Inside a witches coven.
I'm actually thinking of getting rid of it though, it's a good book but I'm not ever gonna use it.

[Silent]

I am accepting all book donations hehe :whistle: The witchy book availability here is not something to be happy about also books are exspensive here.And I have no way of ordering from the internet :hrmm: Iceland is a great place to live in but it can get such a lonely corner of the world,specially when I need something that is not available here and I cant order online. :hrmm:

[MorningDove030202]

Since you say that books are hard to come by, let me recomend that you and your friend start with www.wiccaforbeginners.com (www.wiccaforbeginners.com) and www.maidenmoon.com (www.maidenmoon.com) both of which are "book quality" web sites. Maiden Moon is actualy in PDF format which you can print out, like a book.

Dove

[Fallen Angel]

Heh, I know what you mean, I live in the middle of nowhere so gettingto buy things is difficult. That and I am brassic so I couldn't buy anything anyway...

[Ben Gruagach]

Be sure to check out the free online books etc. listed in the MysticWicks Links (there is a shortcut to the Links in the MysticWicks banner at the top of the screen.) Here's a link directly to where the online books are listed (http://www.mysticwicks.com/local_links.php?action=links&catid=7).

Only some of the online materials linked are book-quality (i.e. relatively free of spelling and grammar mistakes, and passed through at least one independent editing process) but there is a lot of stuff that could be helpful. Some of the general stuff about covens and groups could help you.

[Silent]

WOW thx for the help...I sometimes find it hard to find things here in the this wast exspanse MW is becoming even if I use search.

So great karma to you :yourock:

[MorningDove030202]

Also, you can find something in your library, like mythology. It's good to cover classical mythology or what ever your interested in. NeoPagan books make more sence when you understand the mythology behind different Gods that they might be talking about.

Dove