A question for more experienced wiccans?

Question

I am a beginning wiccan, as are my friends. we have no experienced wiccan friends anywhere nearby, so we are trying to start our own coven. I want to perform our first ritual on the winter solstice, but am worried about the consiquences of screwing it up. Can anyone suggest a simple and SAFE ritual/spell that we can perform and provide a place to find detailed guidelines of said ritual?

I am not really looking for a way to celebrate Yule, i know how to do that. I am just looking for a spell of some kind that we can perform, and i think the solstice is a good time to start. I originally looked into summoning a spirit, untill i found out about the dangers involved with beginners. I do not want to bring anything into this realm without being able to banish it. I must seem like a complete idiot who does not know what he is doing, but if i dont ask, how will i learn?

Answer 1

Not to be rude, but... do you know what a coven IS?

It is an initiatory group, bound together by shared knowledge (usually exclusive to that group) and shared oaths. It is a worship group where the members are interwoven in spirit, with connections of love and trust, and usually long experience with each other in a ritual and personal context. If you are all beginners, starting an initiatory group would be rather like a group of high school students trying to perform open heart surgery.

For a simple Yule ritual, look to the book "Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practiioner", by Scott Cunningham. He has rituals for all of the sabbats, and also tips on how to practice the religion on a day-to-day basis. It is a very basic beginner's text and appropriate for your current level of experience.

Best of luck to you and your friends. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to email me.

EDITED TO ADD: Here's a page with a whole bunch of Yule ritual links, including a version of Cunningham's ritual:

http://www.tryskelion.com/tryskelion/yule7.htm

Answer 2

First off, read Prairecrow's advice. There isn't anything wrong with creating your own group - many people have done it, but you might be better off forming a study group rather than a coven at this point.

But.... on the subject of a spell. I'm having a hard time understanding what it is you're wanting to do. From what you're asking it sounds like you want to do a spell but don't have a real need. That's not really how it works. That's like cooking a big lobster dinner, but nobody wants lobster or is even hungry. It isn't really a problem, but it's pointless. You do a spell when there is a very real and specific need. If no one in your group has a specific need, you don't need to do a spell. You'll have just as much fun doing a nice ritual celebrating Yule.

If you are dead set on performing a spell, look for something you actually need to accomplish. If you are just starting out surely there are some new tools that need consecrating. If not that, maybe a spell of encourage your journey of learning and discovery together. Before you go summoning a spirit, think about why you want to do that. What would you be wanting to accomplish and how would that help you in your goals? Spellwork is about indentifying an area of need or a desire, figuring out the best way to go about it, applying your will, petitioning the gods and then doing any follow up work that must be done. At least that is the short version. I might recommend Amber K's True Magick (2006 edition) and Isaac Bonewits' Real Magic if you are interested in some good solid advice.

Answer 3

This is wonderful! Starting your own Coven is a great thing. My suggestion is find one book and stick with it's rituals. The easiest is probably Scott Cunningham's book "Wicca: a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner." They're simple Sabbat and Esbat rituals that can be done throughout the year. However, they're more designed for the individual rather than coven. Since you're doing the Coven thing, I suggest following "The Witches Bible" by Janet and Stuart Farrar. These are some of the most traditional Wicca rituals out there, and while they may be a little more difficult, you'll gain a lot by working through them. (And get better with each one)

Answer 4

This is a good question. Maybe I can help.

You seem confused about the difference between a spell and a ritual. What you are wanting to do is to mark the formation of your coven. This does not require magic--only an acknowledgment.

When we formed the Fourth Quarter, we simply cast a circle and asked the Lord and Lady to bless and recognize us as a unit. We passed around a cup of mead, and that was pretty much it. There''s nothing to screw up with a ritual like that; and it's probably better that you get together and write your own words for the blessing rather than use someone else's anyway.

You're not an idiot for wanting to ask questions; I commend you for asking. But there's no need to make it any more difficult than necessary.

Answer 5

keep it simple. remember, intent is the main thing. my healing circle does a very basic ritual. we call quarters, welcome the lord and lady, and then do our work. we have a meditation or a 'class' where somebody will teach us some sort of technique or introduce a new concept. then we go around the circle and talk about how we want to send the healing energy we will raise. the energy raising can take one of many forms, but usually incorporates sound, and we send it out to the universe. for a dedication, you can hold it in the circle to bond the coven. i would recommend having a libation or totem that you can put the energy into to offer it back to the earth. we do cakes and ale and open the circle, then hang out and enjoy a potluck.

if you're in a fairly large city, you might be able to find an online community. here, we have a dozen or so yahoo groups, a yearly pagan picnic, a bi-weekly coffee social, a men's kilt night once a month, and a witch hat society where we wear our hats in public. we also have a 'church' that holds public rituals and a mysteries group that operates as a branch of a nearby rural sanctuary and offers classes to the public. you might be surprised what's going on around you, and the resources that are available right in your back yard.

there are also a number of nation-wide listserves that can offer you a base of support as you continue with your work. good luck.

Answer 6

The first commenter makes a good point. If we found Wicca to be bad, or even useless, we'd be unlikely to continue with it. I've been Wiccan for 15 years, and I would say all of my experiences have been either good or neutral (usually nothing happening at all.) I can't think of a spiritual experience that I've had that I would call bad. Certainly nothing like letting in bad spirits. Honestly, I only hear that kind of stuff from two kids of people. The first are people who are against Wicca, generally conservative Christians who don't have a clue what Wicca even is. Someone's friend's brother's cousin saw someone on the Internet claim it, and now they're repeating it as fact. The other kind of person is a Wiccan lacking a firm grip on reality. They're usually more interested in magic than spirituality, and they think they're going to be some kick-butt witch, and they don't learn to fly as they expect and then something minorly bad happens in their life and suddenly they're convinced they're cursed, their house is hexed, whatever. My good experiences are just that: experiences. It's stuff I could feel or sense or be nudged in a direction. I've never had a vision of a flaming goddess offering me a crown of sparkly magicness. I've never had the horned God enter to the tune of Carmina Burana.

Answer 7

I think you and your friends need to identify the purpose of this Yule ceremony and then design a ritual that fits your purpose. If you're just celebrating Yule, there's really no issue of safety or "screwing it up." That would be like screwing up a Christmas service. (Can you imagine one Christian saying to another "You didn't light the right candles! Jesus isn't going to listen to us!)

A ritual is not the same as a spell. A spell works magic for a particular purpose. Just handing you a random spell is like handing you a random hammer. Kind of pointless. Spells don't work unless you understand the principles behind them anyway. They aren't recipes.

Wicca is a religion. It is about growing closer to your deities. Published rituals are, at best, suggested means of doing such. It's not about making the correct gestures or saying the correct words...its about understanding the means of gestures and words and using them effectively toward your larger purpose.

Answer 8

Why are you so eager to work a spell? You should only do them for very important things. If you don't NEED anything then don't worry about casting a spell. Most Wiccans I know don't work magick on the Sabbats, but instead, focus on worship and fellowship. Since this will be your groups first ritual, why not focus on establishing the group's energy/connections? A few others suggested Scott Cunningham books and I totally agree. You pretty much can't go wrong with one of his beginner books. You might also want to check out WitchVox.com.

Answer 9

Whoa! Don't listen to Adolph. Try purchasing a book by Scott Cunnigham called Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner . He will explain the religion and has some nice rituals that would be appropriate for each sabbat. Basically, do some research on Yule. Connect with God/Goddess and they will guide you as to what you should share. Keep a notebook handy, and when an idea comes to you, write it down. I'm sure whatever you choose, it will turn out wonderful. Make sure to obey the golden rule, and if it harms none, do as you will. Make sure to go into the ritual with a perfect love, perfect trust mindset and all will be fine. BB! :)

Answer 10

Trust me - the gods smile when you mess up as long as YOU maintain your sense of humor.

Check out some of the on-line Wiccan sites - there's some rituals on them - check pagan rituals for Yule or Solstice. I'm going to star this for my Wiccan friends to catch.

Added: some divination might be good starts until you can get some good books (Scott Cunningham is a good place to start). Or do some basic energy raising for a healing of the earth (always a good thing) and don't forget to ground!