The Importance of the Right Coven

Tags

covens, Craft, finding a coven, first degree, initiation, oaths

By Sunblade1500 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
The Witches Cottage, a hut in Bricket Wood, England, used by Gerald Gardner and his Bricket Wood Coven to perform rituals during the mid-20th century.

Among Gardnerian/Alexandrian Wiccans, it is said that first degree is an initiation into the coven but second is an initiation into all covens.

A good coven should create a good first initiation. And that is important. Thought must go into it, for it is the entry into lineaged Wicca. Done well, it is a birth; and it feels like one. Done well, it is an entry into mysteries, which enables the initiand to experience understanding. Done badly, it offers nothing. Everything is left to the individual and the gods to rectify the situation. Lineaged Wiccans tend towards a fatalistic attitude that whether the initiate remains in Wicca, or returns to it if s/he walks, is a sign of whether the initiation worked. But this is not an excuse for a coven to mess up the initiation.

This is why it’s so important to find the right coven.

First degree brings someone into lineaged Wicca. It gives them access to the rituals, to the coven’s Book of Shadows (which should record rituals going back to those who began the Craft), and to all those things which do not get published online because they are not written down. Of course, they should never be divulged, because Wiccans are bound by oaths to keep them secret. And what is done for the first degree initiate would never be written down, because it will be tailored for that person.

But so many new pagans think that Wicca is “it”, and rush towards it without exploring the vast variety of pagan religions and beliefs. Part of that rush is an eagerness to find a Wiccan coven. Various sites and fora are littered with “where can I find a coven?” posts. Wiccans on forums or at moots may find they are pestered by requests. That eagerness means that many new pagans searching to be Wiccans will join any coven willing to give them a place.

Leaving to one side (that’s another blog!) the confidence tricksters who lie in order to take advantage of such people, any real coven worth its salt will spend time assessing those who seek initiation, long before eiether admitting someone to the coven, or to first degree. Many Wiccan covens will meet a seeker once or more times, and perhaps invite them to a meeting with some other coven members, before letting them attend any rituals. Even then, many (most) covens will hold separate outer court rituals for those seeking first degree initiation, in which the seeker is given teaching and practice, without being exposed to oath-bound material or rituals. The HP and HPs will determine how long this goes on gor, and it may involve a lot of reading and homework by the initiand. That, itself, will put many off.

But there is more than that. As I said, the first initiation is into the coven. So the coven will want to feel certain they wish to circle with this seeker. That they wish to share their craft names and their personal information. After all, the first hurdle is high: “perfect love and perfect trust”.

And what of the seeker? It’s tough to be given the advice “if it feels wrong; if it doesn’t fit well – walk away. Find another coven.” Many might have spent a long time finding the present coven. But that’s what happens. It can take years. Or you might be initiated into a coven that doesn’t fit well. If that happens, it’s a bad sign, as it probably means that the HP and HPs are not tuned in to the seeker and his/her needs. And that means the initiation won’t be tuned in, either. And that takes us back to the earlier point about some initiations having to be redone by the individual or the gods. Where that happens, the seeker may not stay with that coven, anyway. And may not stay with Wicca.

So it isn’t enough to find a coven. Any coven. To feel good in the circle; to feel good about spending time with your fellow covenees, it has to be a good fit for everyone. And if that means spending a lot of time searching… believe me, it is worth it.