How do Covens Work?

Question

Im thinking of making one but im not sure how to do it is there like an age thing or can it be all ages and where would you meet

Answer 1

I recommend that you read "coven craft" by amber k. Different covens run differently. Some are "collectives" where it is run by consensus, others run via secret ballot with a 2-3 majority. Others are totalitarian run by the HP or HPS who is on an insane ego trip. You can guess which ones will be more succesfull.

Covens are not a social group, they are put together to offer service to the community as a whole, Via teaching, open rituals, charity work etc. Most covens have an extensive training program already worked out in order to bring it's members up to speed. (do you have a training program?) Not only so that they understand what they are doing but also so that they dont look a fool when out in the community. Covens often have private rituals for both the full & new moon as well as all the sabbats, (Are you an adept ritualist? If not it may be best to seek out a teacher to help you get there)Some covens even offer open rituals in addition to the private group functions. If a coven is going to be effective in a community it needs to provide something to that community, be it "wicca 101 classes" open rituals, food or clothing banks, organization for events such as pagan pride day etc...Most covens do not accept members that are under the age of 18 (for legal reasons). Covens meet at the "covenstead" or the home of one of the members or the HP or HPS.

If you would like to organize a group, perhaps it would be best to organize a study group or a book club that focuses on an area of the craft which you would like to lean more about. See if you can't break into the "outer court" of an existing group, so that you can seek training. Perhaps with enough training you will be accepted into the inner court, recieve initiation & elevation, with a vetted lineage, so that when you are ready (3rd degree) you can hive off & form your own group... that is the normal way in which serious groups are formed.

Answer 2

It would probably be very helpful to actually have been in one before you try to start your own. In fact, it would be even better if you had experience with several.

There is A LOT of variation in the way covens work. In fact, I doubt there are any two that are exactly the same.

The way the coven works depends a lot on who the members are. If a coven is a bunch of students at a college, it will be a lot different from a group of middle-aged people with kids.

If you and a bunch of other kids your age actually try to start your own coven, I doubt it will work out real well or last long. It will probably also result in some bad feelings here and there.

It can be hard for experienced adults to keep a coven together and functioning in a useful fashion.

Most covens I've seen tend to have a mixture of ages and they tended to meet in the leader's houses or in a room in a New Age bookstore. Some college based ones use facilities that the college has available for use by various student organizations.

If you did try to start your own, you may want to take into account the attitudes of all the parents of the other kids that would want to be in it. It would be very likely that some parent will hear one of their kids say something about a coven and then the parent would have a conniption. It would probably be unpleasant in the end.

Also, you would have a special danger of having people want to join who know absolutely nothing about real witchcraft and expect your group to be like something out of a Charmed episode. There would be kids that would go around bragging that they are in a coven and threatening to "cast spells" at people. In short, a few idiots can easily make the whole thing worthless and embarrassing.

Running a successful and useful coven can be a lot of work sometimes. Especially if you want it to be a serious religious entity that will be able to fulfill people's spiritual needs.

Nightwind's idea of an informal study group would probably be a much better choice.

If you want to form a coven just because it sounds cool, do yourself and everyone else a favor and just start a roleplaying club that doesn't claim to be in any way authentic practitioners of witchcraft. That would probably be more fun and less likely to result in unpleasantness.

Answer 3

Well for starters you would need to make a decision on an age limit all ages don't always work out.
The next step would really should be the first step but once you start a group you can change this that is the tradition you wish to follow.
The next step is to find people who are worthy to join in such a close nit environment remember this is like a second family and you don't want it to be a dysfunctional family. Meeting the right people I think is the hardest part.
The next part would be to share all duties as a group and get some rituals either copied from various books or write your own.
then just have fun with it and never feel you can't experiment.

Answer 4

Hon, why do you want to form a coven if you aren't even sure how they work? What are you expecting will come from this endeavor?

Covens are a tightly knit group of likeminded Wiccans dedicated to working together. It is not a club or a hang out. It's a serious time and emotional commitment. They are generally led by people who have had a lot of experience in Wicca. most covens do not accept anyone under the age of 18, and I would not recommend any that do. Many Traditional covens do not accept anyone under the age of 28 because they do not consider someone mature enough for the commitment until then.

I suspect what you're looking for is a study group, something that you and your friends can get together and study and discuss things within. My suggestion is to figure out what you're actually wanting to accomplish and then form something that addresses those goals. That will be far more fulfilling.

Answer 5

Um... you may want to consider JOINING one first and learning more about them before trying to MAKE one on your own. There's a lot to them that can't be summed up in Yahoo (or even necessarily via text)...

Considering that you're only 13, I don't think there is a coven out there that will accept you for another five years. So in the meantime, worry less about the "coven" and more about learning about Wicca and strengthening your relationship with the God and Goddess.

Answer 6

I recommend you join one for awhile to get to know and understand how a coven works from the inside.

Make sure to talk to the High Priest/ess for your answers.

Answer 7

It would be best for you to Join one as a Novice and learn from a priestess, then start your own coven! One must learn to walk before they can run!

Blessings