Founding and running a Coven  

As a Wiccan High Priest and Elder I am often asked for advice and guidance about founding and then running Covens by people who have heard the call of the Old Gods, and who seek to answer that call in ways that include other people. Many of those who seek such guidance have no one close to them to turn to for advice and support, and no one to help them become more actively Wiccan in the ways that they need. 

The ‘perfect solution’ for these folk would be if they could find, learn with and then join a good Coven sufficiently close to them geographically that they could undertake this, and sufficiently close to them spiritually and philosophically that they would feel comfortable and motivated in doing so.

Unfortunately this is not very often the case- many Covens are understandably very secretive, few publicise their existence, many don’t take in new people very often, fewer still run any kind of training and development program of any kind.

The growth of the Internet, and the wealth of books that have been published over the past 20 years or so do make a rich resource for anyone to gather such as ritual material, spells, correspondences and similar from- more than sufficient for anyone to work with on their own; but there’s actually very little reliable material available to help those who do hear the call of the Old Ones and who do feel drawn to working with others in a more organised and consistent way than is offered by attending such as public rituals, or local Pagan Moots, and who want to move to sharing such as the festival celebrations, worshipping the Old Gods and weaving the deep power of Wiccan magick at such as Full Moon Esbats.

Having worked their way through the kinds of resources that are now so widely available, some folk will inevitably come to the position of wanting to get together regularly with others- to celebrate festivals, to work magick together, to enjoy ritual feasts, mutual support and encouragement, to join with likeminded others at all the special times of the year, Full Moons, etc, etc. And inevitably some good folk will be endlessly frustrated by not being able to find existing groups of people to do this with, will have perhaps joined with a few others whom they feel spiritually in resonance with, will perhaps have been disappointed or dissatisfied with the levels of interest and involvement generally in evidence at many public moots and gatherings, and will arrive at the thought- “If you want something doing, then do it yourself”. And at that point will form-found a Coven or similar group. Is this you?…………

……………This guide to founding and then running a Coven is written for you

If you’re going to do it, then as a responsible Wiccan Elder I can do no less than help you to the best of my ability, offer you no less than the best of my guidance, and share with you no less than all of my experience. 

So what I am going to share with you is the kind of stuff that is seldom if ever mentioned in books about Wicca- I’ve had 25 years of experience of leading a Coven, and it’s that which I want to share with you- I’m a quirky, humorous kind of person, so some of this will be expressed in a quirky, humorous kind of way.

Above all else bear this in mind: I mostly learnt this as I went along- learning the hard way, and at times it has been quite hard……… but I’m still here. I’m a Witch, I enjoy ‘Covening’, I love sharing the circle with other people, I love sharing my knowledge and experience. I’d guess that if you’re reading this, then you have those loves too, and like me are prepared to accept the downs as well as the ups of Covening. So bear with my quirky humour and I hope you find this material as helpful as I would have found it- if someone had written it for me 25 years ago. 

Some thoughts first:-

Throughout this material I’m going to use the terms Witch, Witchcraft, Wicca and Craft as in ‘Craft of the Wise’ in an intertwined way- I’m fully aware that many people do distinguish between Witches and Wiccans, between various forms and definitions of Witchcraft and Wicca, etc, etc. Many of these distinctions and separating definitions have been created for what appear to me to be petty and self serving reasons- to set people apart, to try to claim qualities and validities over and above those of other people: I don’t do petty and self-serving: You are welcome to define yourself within this however you see fit- what I personally feel is important is not what label or banner you seek to be yourself under, but only that you be truly yourself.

Much has been said and written about the need to be initiated and trained before starting a Coven or even thinking about running one. This is an important issue; and we will be looking into some aspects of this further on; but for now I’ll just say this- ‘Needs must when the Old ones call sometimes’- whether you’re “properly” initiated, trained or whatever………. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can with what you have, and if you truly cannot find a Coven or teacher to train, learn and develop with…. Well, you got to do what you got to do- and if you’re going to do it, well I feel I’d be letting the Goddess and God down at the very least if I don’t help you as best I can.

See also down the end of this page for information about a well structured Induction process that you might like to use for people seeking to join your Coven. There's links with that to Word 2000 documents that you might like to download. 

Founding-starting a Coven

Before you do consider forming a Coven, do be aware of something at least of what’s involved:

There will be much joy, there will be a lot of energy flowing at times, there will be powerful rituals and celebrations celebrated and/or worked, there will be  fellowship, support, mutual encouragement, there will be love flowing, giving and receiving, there will much learnt and experience gained, there will be the Goddess and God, the ancestors, the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire and Water and of all the realms bringing you knowledge, intuition, guidance, love and joy.

There will also be petty squabbles over who did or didn’t bring food to share, there will be long waits for people who don’t turn up but don’t let you know they’re not coming, there will be frustrations, arguments, ‘atmospheres’ that will overpower all your efforts to raise the energy levels, there will be petty ego games, there will be rivalries, people seeking to ‘suck-up’ to you, people trying to appear cleverer than you, people snogging, farting, cracking “jokes”…. All at inappropriate times.

‘Still up for it?!

You’ll clearly see that there are both positive and negative aspects involved in Covens: What I’m going to do therefore is help you maximise the positive and minimise the negative. Nothing I can tell you will entirely eliminate the negative- all the time people are involved in this the negatives will happen- but then if it didn’t: If there were never any conflict to be resolved, there’d never be anything to grow and learn from….

A major key to maximising the positive and minimising the negative is ensuring that your Coven is founded- in the sense of built on a good foundation; as well as is possible.

In a nutshell, if you start from a Core-foundation group of people who are already sufficiently well in resonance with each other to work together without too much of the negatives as above, then your Coven will grow from that and will have a sufficiently strong foundation to work through conflicts and problems that some folk at least will bring with them into the Coven.

Two points from that: 

1) A Coven is very much like a musical group- it doesn’t matter what kind of music you choose to play as long as all founder-core band members are in agreement with that. It will work fine if all actually play as a group- no one getting into rivalries with anyone else, no one trying to play louder or faster so as to assert their own ego, no one ‘knocking’ or criticising others if their playing is not too good at any occasion because they’re having an ‘off time’, everyone turning up as agreed for practise sessions, etc, etc- I’m sure you’ll see how appropriate this comparison is. And this also- everyone in a band plays a different instrument: But they all play the same tune at the same time: First of all they have to practise, but after a bit of time the band just comes together.

2) If you cannot find at least one other person whom you do feel could truly fulfil this with you as a member of the Coven core, then you’re simply better off starting up with yourself as the core. And then grow the rest of the Coven around yourself- with you as leader right from the start- more on this shortly.


I would strongly advise having a core-foundation group of a maximum of four people. And best of all, have that be two couples- whether that’s hetero’ or homo’, couples do make excellent teams within a Coven core group, and personally I’d say that they are better than the same number of singles. More on that later also. Why 4 as a maximum? For the same kind of reasons as 13 is regarded as the maximum number for a Coven. More than 13 would split into a number of smaller sub-groups, and more than 4 as a core will separate into a number of rival ‘management teams’. Why?…… ‘human nature. More on this further along also!

The ‘classic’ Wiccan core group is of course the hetero’ couple of a Woman and a Man. However I do know of Covens being successfully founded and run by homo’ couples of both genders, so while I can only speak from my personal experience, there are a range of possibilities that will work in this- as long as your core are ‘together’ in the ways I’ve outlined.

Ok, let’s briefly explore some of this human nature:

No matter how motivated, idealistic or spiritual we consider ourselves to be, we are all human- with the same basic brain wiring, programming and instinctive, non-conscious behaviour that our ancestors dragged with them out of Africa a couple of million years ago. Without delving too deeply into this, let me just say that it works much better with people if you work with them as they are rather than how you want them to be or feel they ought to be- including yourself- you cannot succeed in this if you’re not honest and insightful- with yourself as equally with others.

This being so, we need to accept some of these principles- such as the number of your core group, who it should be composed of, how people act in groups, inner and social dynamics, etc. ‘Don’t believe me? ‘Have theories of your own? Try it……. Or else simply do some research into group dynamics and similar and see what others have to say.

Human beings are….. human beings, with all the quirks, peculiarities, inner conflicts and outward projections, insecurities and all the rest of the emotional imbalances and psychological baggage that being human involves. And it will all come out in the circle at times. The knack in this is to simply have your core group be as balanced, mature and ‘together’ as possible.

That all being said, that’s your core-foundation group- the foundation from which a strong, balanced and enriching Coven will grow into being.


How much do you know- ‘been doing it long?

Whether that’s just you, you and your partner, or you, your partner and another couple, all of the core group need to be reasonably well informed about the Craft, it’s basic practices, seasonal-Year Wheel festivals and meanings, full moon rituals, magickal principles and practises, and similar- you don’t have to be an expert with thirty years of experience, but you do need at least a working knowledge and some experience of the Craft.

If for no other reason than if you’re going to lead this group; and potentially take in others who will want to learn from you, well you’d best be at least one or more steps ahead of them in knowledge and experience or they’ll very quickly see themselves as better than you and either try to rival you for the leadership, or they’ll go away and tell others that you’re not very good. (Some of that human nature coming into play)

You don’t have to be an expert on all occult and esoteric subjects- there’s always going to be people who’ll know more than you on at least one such subject, but you do need to be able to both ‘play your own instrument’ (As with our band) and conduct-lead the other players. No one can be an expert ‘player of all instruments’, and it is good if individual Coveners do have skills in different areas- an astrologer, a herbalist, a Tarot reader, a craft worker, etc. That way you can all ‘play different instruments’, but all play the same tune together.

Further to that is this: That Wicca is actually very simple in its basic principles and practises.

‘All’ you need to follow this path is- 

‚ Eight seasonal festivals
‚ One Full Moon ritual
‚ One initiation/dedication ritual
‚ A basic system of correspondences for working out spells, magick, and rituals
‚ Some knowledge of basic techniques such as Skrying, path-working and similar
‚ A range of calls, invocations and similar to suit different occasions
‚ A range of candles in various colours
‚ Some basic magickal tools, maybe a robe with belt also, incenses, etc
‚ Reasonable to good visualisation and imaging skills
‚ The ‘bottle’ to actually do it….. and to then expand your skills, knowledge and experience through experience

Not much really is it? Oh, and not forgetting that if you’re going to run and lead a Coven- you need to know, and honestly acknowledge to yourself and others within the Coven- the true extent and limitations of your knowledge and experience…….

Think here in terms of learning to drive a car: As your instructor will tell you, what you’re initially learning and then demonstrating by passing the tests is that you are qualified…… to then learn fully and properly by experience. You then learn fully and properly when you get out on the road by yourself- with only you having a set of controls. 

Which is why “Wise-Craft” the Wiccan course that I run takes the committed and determined just six months to work through- the basics of Wicca really are very simple- all else thereafter is expanding your knowledge and experience- with you at the controls.

The single best approach within this though is do as much as possible of your researching, developing, learning ‘rehearsing’ and familiarising yourself with the rituals, festivals, skills, etc that you’re going to use, with your core group only until you are fully at ease and confident with what you’re doing- my advice on this is to work with your core group for a at least 3 months before you even consider bringing in another person. That way new people will be able to follow your lead- they’ll be nervous at first, but if you and your core group have been working together for a while at least, then you’ll be able to inspire new people and draw them along with your energy, enthusiasm and experience.

From within that then I’d advise not being over experimental with other members of the Coven at first- ensure that you can do the basics well, confidently and fluently before you begin experimenting:- such as by devising a Full Moon ritual, and if you’re happy with it, sticking with it and using it every month with your core group for a few months at least so that all can become fluent with it- all rituals work best if they’re relatively simply, and all involved know what they’re doing with and within it. If you need to make changes or amendments, sort that as much as you can before bringing new people into the circle so that you don’t confuse them or cause them to think that you don’t know what you’re on about.

Variety is the spice of life, but too much variety can be unsettling and too spicy for everyones taste- many people like familiarity and feel most comfortable if any variety is set within a familiar framework. So for example, if you use the same circle casting ritual every full moon, then do different things within that circle- spell casting one month, a collective cord magick another, a path-working another month, etc, you’ll have the benefits of both familiar ritual to draw everyone in with that, and also variety to avoid everything becoming ‘samey’ and over familiar.

To sum up: Have yourselves organised well in advance of taking in new people- work out basic rituals such as a circle casting, full moon ritual, etc, work out a series of suitable seasonal festivals, and ensure all of the core group are familiar and confident with all such material you use on a regular basis.

Within that keep it all fairly simple at first- as simple as possible, but no simpler is a powerful principle to work from.

Gather tools, incenses and similar. Do your best to have all of these things acquired and familiar with while you and your core group are coming together- it’s not a matter of pretending anything to new people, but of being able to inspire them and help them through them feeling confident in you and the rest of the core group.


Structures

As a gardener, unless I am prepared to have my runner beans straggle wherever they will in the garden, I’ll grow them up a bean frame. A structure in the sense we’re using it here is a framework of support and empowerment- it’s not a cage to confine people.

Many people have ‘issues’ with structures. My advice is to create a ‘bean-frame’- but not a cage. If you or other members of your core group have problems-issues concerning structures of this kind and don’t want to use them, you’ll have problems- I can promise you this, that if you don’t begin with at least a basic but clearly defined structure of responsibility, support, task allotment, and similar; and a further sub-structure of ‘rank’-responsibility within that, then as you do encounter various problems you’ll be frantically trying to create one from scratch as you run into each bunch of problems in turn. As well as that some clearly defined principles of for example when festivals are celebrated will help all things flow well- it’s far better to decide/agree right at the beginning as to whether you’re going to celebrate festivals at the exact ‘by the book’ date, or whether that will be at the nearest Saturday thereto so that you can establish a principle that all can clearly see, understand and work from.

Key words here are Planning, forethought, organisation. If you leave all to spontaneity, well it’ll largely ‘spontane’ itself into nothing much of any interest.

Some of the problems you’re likely to encounter in this way will arise no matter how well organised you are: People are people, and there’s always going to be problems, conflicts and similar. But with your bean-frame-structure well thought out and in place, you do at least have a series of yardsticks and principles to firmly bring everything back to. (More on this and related issues shortly).

Initiation

Hmm… a thorny issue here for many: If you really, truly cannot find a valid person or group with whom to be initiated, well then do it yourself- or better still, do it with the Goddess and God of Wicca, and then proceed with their blessing- you will know if you truly have this, and if you do, then you have mine also.


Degrees

Until and unless your Coven grows and the impetus of that is towards something much more ritually structured, well you won’t need them. If your Coven does grow and shape in that kind of way, well ask me for more information- and I’ll be pleased to give it.

In the meantime I do advise having/being/appointing yourself a High Priestess and/or a High Priest. If you can have both, then better still. Other than that you might find it helpful to have Coven ‘Officers’- that is people with clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

Such as a Coven Maiden- who is the HPS’s assistant and general ‘get em all moving’ person. A ‘Keeper’/Scribe: Who does the paperwork, keeps accounts, ensures candles and incense supplies are organised, etc. You may also in a larger Coven need other officers- whose roles and titles will grow out of need- if there’s a need for a separate officer, then have one and decide their title according to that need and whatever roles and responsibilities they take on.

All of these Coven Officers should be members of your core group, or possibly later on, people who have worked through the Coven structure to be able and trusted to take on these roles and responsibilities. No matter how good new people might feel though, I do advise not giving them specific roles and responsibilities as Officers until such time as they have been with you a while- “Appoint in haste, repent at leisure”, is an appropriate saying- more on this later also, but for now I’ll say- give new people time to find their own initial level, and then give them the space to shift within that if they’re going to rather than you pushing them into accepting responsibilities they may not yet really be ready for.

Having an HPS and/or an HP does create clear focus for all Coveners so that they can easily recognise who to look to for direction, guidance and similar when that’s needed within rituals, etc. Rather like being the Conductor of our band as mentioned earlier- someone has to give the cue to start, direct the ritual, etc. The HPS and HP act as representatives of the Goddess and God respectively and so also take on that responsibility. If these roles are clearly defined and fulfilled, all Coveners will take their cue from that and know when reverence, mirth, or power are most appropriate.


“Recruitment”

This has two aspects- The first is sorting out who is going to form your core group, the second concerns who else might join your Coven once you’re up and running.

The first really does take very careful thought. We’ve worked through this already so I’ll leave that there- except to stress again- get this right, and all else will follow.

Wicca does not recruit- which is why I used “ ” with the title of this section, but the word’s convenient- so I used it anyway! 

Essentially though you will find it helpful on the one hand if those seeking the Craft in your locality can find you. On the other hand, you need to ensure that the ‘fundies’ don’t harass you, and that your doorstep; or even your living room; doesn’t become a temporary home to every odd person who lives in your locality.

Let me be blunt: The energy generated by a Coven can act like an astral beacon- to which some extremely imbalanced people will be attracted as equally as will good people. I can only say here- you’ve been warned: Try to strike a balance between being sufficiently available that good folk can find you, but not so available that every imbalanced or psychologically disturbed and needy person in your locality will be ringing your doorbell.

Running a Coven

“Ask five Witches what they think about anything…. And you will hear at least seven opinions”.

“Leading Witches is like herding cats”.

Ok, your core group is organised, everyone is together and confident with what you’re doing, everyone knows the rituals and other material you are using, so from here on you’re up and running.

Well you’ve actually been up and running all the time you and your core group have been together, but if you do feel good about what you’re doing, then from here on it will all proceed at least fairly smoothly so we’ll work from this point on as if you are now ready to bring in new people and expand your Coven.

Formalising and ‘launching’

The vast majority of Covens have a name- it says who you are, what approach to the Craft you take, what sources perhaps you draw your inspiration from and essentially defines something at least of the basic personality of the Coven as a collective entity.

Spend a little time thinking this through: Seek inner guidance and the guidance of the Old Ones. Think about what your Coven name says.

When you do feel sufficiently confident to say “yes, now we’re a Coven and we’re up and running”, then I suggest doing so in a formal-ritual kind of way.

This should include all of the core group, and should involve them all ritually so that every person involved can weave their energy into this.

Use new materials as far as possible- new candles, newly blended incense and similar. Perform your ritual at a New or waxing Moon phase so as to bring as much positive, new, ‘starting’ energy into this as you possibly can.

I can’t tell you what to do- I can’t write your ritual for you, as it should proceed from your core groups own inspiration, knowledge and experience, but do formally state within the ritual- who you are- your Coven name, and possibly also the names of your core group- even if that’s just you; and something at least of what you want from your Covening. Ask the Goddess, The God, and all spirits of the elements and the ancestors to be with you, to guide and help you. Blessed Be.

More on people

‘Back now to these all too human people…………… As I said above- “Human beings are….. human beings, with all the quirks, peculiarities, inner conflicts and outward projections, insecurities and all the rest of the emotional imbalances and psychological baggage that being human involves. And it will all come out in the circle at times”.

It will- all come out in the circle at times, and spill over into your ‘ordinary life’ also. Just as families have squabbles, fallouts, off days, times of lethargy and disinterest, conflicts of interest, etc: Just as individuals have the same- and PMT, stress at work, at home, with other friends, etc, etc., just so will these things come into your circle from time to time. 

The knack is simply knowing and accepting that it will, doing your utmost to keep out people with deep psychological problems (More on that further along) so that you don’t face too much difficulty, and then being prepared and able to work your way through and resolve any and all conflicts that will arise.

I don’t want to over stress this- it occurs, but not all the time, and generally not in any way that’s any more than you’d experience in a family. But again forewarned is forearmed, and many people get into running or even becoming members of Covens thinking that everyone else is going to be a perfect spiritual being. And are then extremely put out, disappointed, and even put off at times when they discover that they’re involved with…… human beings.

Hold this in mind and you’ll be able to deal with and resolve any conflicts that may arise.

Be very, very wary of involving members of your family in your Coven- unless of course you and your spouse are partners within the Coven. Family dynamics are very similar to Coven dynamics, but the two can come into conflict at times and the relationship you have with another family member can clash with relationships within the coven.

It’s very important that all Coveners recognise themselves as being individuals with a very special kind of relationship with each other. Have a think through how ‘muddy’ that could be if you need to impose your authority on a sibling for example if they feel they can joke about just because you and they are siblings.


More on structure

The structure of your Coven will actually prevent a lot of problems arising, and will help you deal with those that do.

Again, make your structure a ‘bean frame’ rather than a cage- create and use it to provide a framework that you can all be supported by and grow up and through, rather than a cage which confines, restricts and disempowers people. 

How you do this is:-

Have some parts of your rituals be regular and used on all occasions. Create spaces within all that which can be filled and enriched with peoples magickal creativity. This way you have both regularity- which most people need to some extent at least, and also spaces in which all can be magickally creative so that they don’t feel that they are being ‘caged’ and restricted.

If/when a Coven Officer is appointed, perform a ritual to reinforce and empower this and them in their new role. From this people will gain a full sense of responsibility and involvement, and all others involved in the ritual will be a part of this- just by being there and being involved they are giving their support to someone being elevated in this way. 

Discuss all with your core group and fully involve them in the decision making process- even if it’s that you gain their input and then you actually make key decisions, as long as they’re involved and not ignored they won’t develop resentments. If they are good people, then their input will be good and welcome anyway. Don’t cut them out or waste their intelligence and creativity.


Reinforcing the structure through ritual

As above concerning the appointment of any Coven Officers, all things of this kind that you can weave into and through your Coven structure and practises will all help reinforce and strengthen Coven bonds and feelings of being fully and actively involved.

When you write rituals, wherever possible actually name people within them or create places where people can name and therefore affirm themselves as being fully involved in the ritual- for example, if in a ritual you had individuals being Bearers of the Elements, rather than just having someone say “I am the bearer of…..”, have them say “I am ‘(name)’ the bearer of…..”

A lot of this is “headology”- simply stuff to ensure as little conflict arises as possible, which creates the kind of atmosphere in which people can and will give of their best, will feel nurtured, empowered, honoured, respected, involved and committed.

So that’s that- simple principles which you can weave into all of your Coven structures and practises.

Bringing in new people

‘And then when your core group has been working together for a while, when you feel that you have a good foundation of rituals, structure and similar to work with, when you can use all of that confidently and you feel that you’ve ‘gelled’, at that point you might consider bringing in additional people.

It’s quite possible that you will have had people expressing interest already, you might well have folks orbiting around you. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to take new people in- “Initiate in haste, repent at leisure”. You really do need to get to know people well before you bring them in. There’s always a period of adjustment when new people join a Coven, and the energy- what’s known as the group mind, can become quite disjointed for a while when new people join. 

Take your time, get to know them, let them get to know you. Ensure they know basics that they’ll need to know to work, play and celebrate with you. Assess them- find out if they are receiving treatment for psychological problems- if they are I’d recommend extreme caution- are you a qualified psychologist or similar? If you are, then fine you’ll be able to deal with whatever comes up, but if you’re not,……. 

Invite them round for a chat a few times- give them information, try teaching them something- see how they react- are they able to accept your authority? Are they able to accept your way of doing things? Are they inclined to argue with what you say? No good Coven is composed of ‘yes-people’ or sheep who’ll blindly take in anything you tell them, but new people especially need to be able to listen and learn. If they can’t at this early stage, they’ll be a ‘right pain’ later on- I can guarantee it.

Have a look at other material on this website for more information about these subjects


Staying focused

If you’re running a Coven you need to stay focused on that- if it’s a Coven, well all members will be happy to offer each other support and some counselling in times of need, but a Coven is not a good place for people to do DIY therapy with others as unwilling sponges to soak up all their problems.

Neither is a Coven a good place to hide from problems.

Coveners grow to become friends: But I’d advise that you ensure that any ‘friendly’ type activities you undertake together retain at leas some magickal/Wiccan focus- don’t go to see a weepy type film together- social with no magickal correspondence; Do go see films together that have at least some ‘Witchy’ content. Let all that you do together reinforce magickal connections. If you want to go see a weepy film, go with friends from outside the Coven.

This way you’ll work together well without familiarity growing into contempt- more ‘Headology’. There’s a lot more information about this on our website also, but from this you’ll see the essential principles I’m sure.

Communicating- make no assumptions

It’s extremely important that lines of communication are fully open within a Coven, and that everyone knows all that’s going on, when, why and how.

Never assume because you know something that others will too, or that they’ll understand it if they do know- you’d be surprised! Always assume that at least one person will forget to bring the information you gave them about “tonights ritual”- someone will always forget. 

Rely for passing of information only on those who have proven themselves reliable- again, you’d be surprised at just how forgetful or neglectful at times we can all be.

In these days of modern communications and computers it’s very easy to get this right-
Email, text messaging, setting up an ‘e-group’ to share information, etc, will all help you keep in touch with everyone and ensure they have all appropriate information. These are communication tools for modern Witches. Use them and things will flow much more smoothly than if you don’t.

This is especially relevant for those newly into the circle: Mostly I think that this is due to them being new to the circle- joining or even training with a Coven can feel like a lot to take on board at the beginning, and new people will often become confused by new information. They’ll think they understand things, but until you work through it with them they may well actually have made very simple misinterpretations and will be trying to understand that which is new by comparing it with that which they know already. 

Give new people a listing of Coven Rules, 'Guidelines for beginners' and similar information. If you're ok with sharing your rituals with them, give them copies of these also. Have them buy a folder to keep all this in and ensure they're up to date with all information- again, this will ensure that all are fully informed about all relevant information. It will also ensure they have material to practice with and to do home study from- Create a 'Beginners Information Pack' perhaps. If you 'lift' any material- rituals, chants, etc from books, retype it and give everyone a copy so that they can bring that to meetings and gatherings- that way they all have just the relevant information without that being within what may for now be irrelevant.

Have people bring diaries to Coven meetings and rituals, spend time ensuring everyone is clear about what’s going on and when, write scripts for rituals- even if that’s just a set of cue notes, and ensure everyone has a copy to take home- if you give them that in advance of a ritual, be prepared to print out additional copies on the night for those who will have left theirs at home. If you are arranging something and have a meeting to discuss this, print out a set of notes for everyone to take home, or email them the information afterwards, otherwise in among the demands of their everyday lives, some at least will forget or ‘remember’ things in ‘different’ ways to what was intended.

Conflict resolution

If there’s ever conflict, don’t let it fester- bring it right out in the open as soon as possible. If you ever have a problem or issue with someone, seek to deal with it in positive ways- if you jump down peoples throats they’ll jump right back. If there’s any kind of general problem or dispute, take the initiative immediately- if you don’t, others will or the problem will fester into something much more disruptive. If in doubt call a Coven meeting- take the initiative, take charge, be fair but firm, and get it sorted. Speak out honestly, fully, clearly and assertively but not aggressively.

If you spot a ‘spat’ developing in circle, either wait until afterwards in the feasting and bring it up, or if it’s causing real problems, stop the ritual, sort it out, and then proceed. It’s absolutely no good to think “oh that’ll fade on its own”. It won’t.

The energy of a Coven is potentially extremely powerful, and many things will emerge from deep within peoples psyches or be exaggerated- Covens/rituals/magick stir up emotional, psychological, sexual and personal energy and dynamics as equally as they do magickal and psychic ones. What distinguishes those of ‘Higher Degree’ as much as anything else much of the time, is their ability to harness and ‘ride’ all of this without it pulling them with it out of control. This way all of that energy is harnessed for magickal power and spiritual growth. What often distinguishes the beginners to Witchcraft, is that they can and do become swept away with things, and sometimes cannot control themselves- it is therefore your job; and that of other core group members; to help them with this, to provide focus, direction and channels through which all of this power can creatively and productively flow.


Who does the dishes

This is an issue that will drive you nuts at times!

The Covenstead- the place where most meetings, rituals, Esbats, Sabbats, etc take place is likely to be your home more often than not. Unless you have good access to an outdoor site where you can have all your gatherings, then that means that lots of drinking, eating, movements of furniture, use of facilities and household, etc, etc is going to happen in your home.

Which means you’ll get through large amounts of soap, toilet rolls, coffee, biscuits, milk, etc, that shoes will walk backwards and forwards across your carpets, every cup, mug, glass and plate in your house will end up piled on your sink-side, and unless you get this organised, you’ll end up cleaning up before the event and then cleaning up afterwards- including doing all those dishes. It will also be your carpets that soak up the spilled wine and cake crumbs, your walls and door jambs that will be knocked about by moving furniture, and you that will discover that there’s not a drop of milk in the fridge or a piece of paper on the toilet-roll the next morning.

Because it’s your house some people will unconsciously assume that they’re guests and that hosts tidy up after guests- that’s the general principle at work in ‘ordinary’ western society, and that’s fine- if you come to my house as a guest I wouldn’t dream of asking you to wash the coffee cups before you leave and vice versa. But if your home is the Covenstead, then you’re not the host, and the Coveners aren’t guests- you’re all Witches and you are the HPS/HP.

Which is- or should be, an entirely different relationship altogether. As well as that there is the matter of differences of lifestyle among people- some people will clean their house every day and wash up and put away crockery after every meal, some will do it once a week, some will only do it when their Mum is coming round to visit. You will find all these differences among your Coveners- not that this makes anyone a bad person, a bad Witch or whatever else; It simply means that they are people. The most powerful and excellent of your Coveners may well be an utter scruff at home, and they’ll probably bring that attitude into your home at times.

Some folk may attend every ritual no matter if they’re dying of flu’, will be utterly loyal, supportive and right on cue every time: But then they’ll walk across a damp, newly cut lawn straight into your house without taking off their shoes or even thinking to wipe them off on the doormat.

Apart from the dishes, wear and tear on your house, coffee, etc, there’s also the matter of expenses such as candles and Incenses.

Ways to work through this:

1) Simply accept it, do all the cleaning up yourself and keep paying out for extra coffee, toilet rolls, candles etc.

2) Hold all your meetings, gatherings and rituals outdoors: No matter what’s going on, and no matter what the weather.

3) Have all your meetings at someone else’s house so that they do all the work

4) Rotate the Covenstead around the Coven so that the burden is shared

5) Rely on the good will of your Coveners to clear up after themselves, to bring candles, Incense, tea-bags, coffee, milk, toilet rolls and other consumables with little or perhaps even no prompting, and to treat your home as the Covenstead- with respect.

6) Create some workable solutions, determine a set of Coven rules, and collect ‘Coven dues to cover costs and expenses.

Which do you choose?…. My personal advice is to choose number 6) Number 5) would be great, if....

Workable solutions:

Some suggestions here are such as buying each person a mug to be given to them at Initiation with their name/sun sign/Totem animal or similar way of personally identifying it as their mug on it. Each person could then be responsible for their own mug- even to the extent that they should wash it out and put it away before they leave. If they don’t, then you put it out in the shed until the next time they come….
If each Covener has their own Chalice/Goblet or similar for the quaffing of Ale/Wine or other drinks during the feasting, then ensure they all take them home with them after- ‘their choice whether they wash it first. To back that up for those who’ll forget to bring their Goblets with them to Esbats and Sabbats, have a collection of silly mugs or similar for them to use- something that says “I am a selfish dork” on it perhaps………

Make this part of the post ritual fun and games- put everyones name on a piece of paper, drop all these into a Cauldron or similar, and pick them out one at a time after to sort out who does which cleaning up task. 

You could offer people a choice in this- if they don’t want to clean up/wash up or whatever straight away, then they could accept a credit for that in exchange for a forfeit if they don’t come back in the morning. Keep a note of who has credit, and of what forfeit they’ll have to undertake if they don’t honour that. A forfeit could be such as coming back and mowing your lawn in exchange for you having done their task. Forfeits could also be set for those who forget to bring things- have a box full of possible forfeits written on slips of paper- some humorous- sing a song, have to call all the women ‘Madam’ and the men ‘Sir’ all evening and similar, some more purposeful- have to learn a new chant to be recited by next Full Moon, or come round and polish the Coven brassware, for example.

Coven rules:

Think through these in the light of what I’ve written above and compile a list of these- then ensure that everyone has a copy. If you make any changes or amendments, give everyone a copy of the new rules- always communicate effectively. 

Also take a look elsewhere on this website for more information about this.

Coven dues:

This is another thorny issue for many people- a lot of people have ‘issues’ concerning money- either paying it out or collecting it in.

But really this isn’t a complicated issue, and unless you are prepared to either shoulder the real financial burden that’s involved- which can add up to considerable amounts of money over time- and include wear and tear on your carpets and furnishings, breakages of crockery, additional use of heating and lighting, etc; then you really do need to collect a reasonable amount of money from all Coveners to cover this.

Christian churches, Mosques and Temples of all kinds collect money to pay for the maintenance and upkeep that’s involved, and your Covenstead needs to do the same. As I write this in 2003, I’d say that £3- £3.50 per calendar month is a reasonable amount of money to ask from each Covener. You should adjust that to cover your own costs if they do work out differently- but I’d advise collecting no less- phone around a few places and find out what it’s going to cost you to have a great splodge of wax from a spilt candle, or a huge purple wine stain removed from your carpet by a professional cleaner when you discover that the stuff you buy from the hardware shop won’t shift it….. If that doesn’t cause you to set a reasonable Coven due……

Issues arising concerning money

First of all there’s you- many folk don’t like asking for money, especially not from people they are close to, or in situations where they feel as if they’re a host to guests- after all, if your friends spilled wine on your carpet, you wouldn’t ask them to pay for it to be cleaned up… But you’re not a host, and your Coveners aren’t guests- you’re the HPS/HP and they are Coveners, and the room in which the mess has been made is the Covenstead Temple.

Others will have issues too- some will resent paying at all, some will forget or ‘forget’ to bring change with them and want to pay 2 lots next time- if they ‘remember’, some will resent and either make silly jokes about you being a money grubber or will grumble and say it’s all too commercial and they want you to trust them to bring supplies with them.

The only effective way to deal with this is strongly. Because at the end of the day, if you’re constantly paying out and accepting damage and breakages, then eventually you’ll come to resent all that. The jokes won’t feel at all amusing, the folks who want you to trust them might or might not be trustworthy, and the stains on your carpets and the knocked off bits of wallpaper will catch your eye every time you go in the room.

Actually, this whole issue is one of respect- people of other faiths don’t begrudge putting into the collection box, and indeed most see it as an act of reverence and worship. Anyone who can’t show this kind of respect within Wicca is actually disrespecting the Goddess and Horned God. 

So…. Between you and me….. I’m inclined to use this issue as a kind of test for people now. I tell everyone straight that we collect Coven dues, how much that is and why we do so, and watch carefully to see how they react. If they react badly, or subsequently act badly or come up with whines, whinges or excuses, or ask how much I am paying in……  then given that this test runs through the time they’re training with us that will probably be as far as they go with us- I accept that people are people, but this is one of a range of people-faults that can cause terrible resentments with other Coveners- if one person doesn't properly support the Covenstead, then others will resent doing so;  so we regard it as cause for non-entry so as to ensure proper and respectful attitudes and relationships within the Coven.

Administration:

Keep records of monies paid in and collected. Keep a record of how much you have and keep it separate to any other money in your home- it’s ‘sacred funds’ after all. This way you can chase up those who are occasionally lax. Ensure you keep a reasonable float to cover any incidental expenses as they arise.

If at all possible, elect a Coven Officer- a Scribe- a member of your core group with good office skills, to look after this and collect up the dues.

Witch-Manager


Which brings us to this- there’s a lot of paper work, administration and general managing involved in Witchcraft isn’t there?!

But it isn’t really that bad- having it laid out, dissected and worked through like this makes it look as if by starting a Coven that you’re committing yourself to endless administration, shouting at people and chiding them when they don’t do the dishes or bring their ritual notes or diaries with them.

I have as far as possible worked through all the major issues involved and we’ve looked at a lot of aspects of all of that, so it looks bigger and more time consuming than it actually is- and not all of these eventualities and possibilities will arise all the time. However, forewarned is forearmed and as I said right at the beginning of this, this is the stuff of 25 years experience, and covers the whole range of possibilities that I’ve encountered in that time.

Much of this is organisation and planning to ensure that problems don’t occur in the first place- like not leaving the gas lit under a chip pan while you have a shower so to speak- prevention being better than cure, you can now potentially start and run a Coven and avoid many problems arising to start with.

More Administration:- Simple solutions to problems arising.

Most potential problems can be either avoided or forestalled using a little creative imagination- which of course is a major component of magickal work, so then we can say- 

“Most potential problems can be either avoided or forestalled using a little magick”.


How about for instance, giving each new Initiate an Initiation gift-pack of:-

‚ Mug with their name/Totem or similar on it
‚ Diary that includes lunar phases- with attached pencil for noting dates of rituals, etc
‚ Set of slips- ‘kind of “get out of jail free” cards that entitle them to avoid forfeits- a few of these can act like credits- but also teach new people valuable lessons.
‚ Other possibilities?

How about extending what I said earlier about forfeits? Make some of those painful 
(but leave no scars…..) make some ludicrous, make some humorous, make some directly helpful to the Coven, make some risqué if you’ve a mind to, but make them all magickally educational- As the Goddess says in her ‘Charge’ for us- “All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals”. I’ll guarantee that all of your Coven will enjoy and get involved in this in making people take up and fulfil whatever forfeit they pull out of the box- as long as it’s not them having to do it! But then peer pressure will make them do it- ‘headology again.

If you want to keep resentments away- include yourself in this if you forget anything- but grant yourself a greater number of credit slips to start with- you are after all the HPS/HP…………… and sometimes you need to be crafty to be a ‘Crafter….

Alcohol & Drugs

More contentious subjects for you to deal with- and these can be extremely contentious.

Alcohol first: Well I like to take a drink so I’m not going to be critical, pious or holy here- I’m a Witch, and for me Witchcraft is an earthy religion within which I’m quite happy if we wash the ritual feast down with a bottle or six of wine. What I feel is important is that people basically ‘keep it together’ if that’s what appropriate, but can get ‘smashed out of their heads’ if that’s ok- it’s all a matter of time and place- if we’ve agreed to leave the clearing up till the next day, then we can get well and truly the other side of a barrel of Mead. If we’re still in process of working a ritual, still sorting out important conflicts, or similar then waiting or just sipping along with a single glass of wine is appropriate. 

There’s a couple of key points here that are relative to both alcohol and cannabis so we’ll cover them together after this next-

Drugs: We need to distinguish here between Cannabis and other drugs first of all. Other drugs- Heroin, Amphetamines, and all else other than cannabis….. what you do is your business, and if you feel inclined to be offering counselling/therapy and support to users of hard drugs, well you have my applause. But based on what I said previously about the focus and general constitution of a Coven, I don’t personally think that Witchcraft has places or spaces for hard drug counselling. Those things are necessary, but bluntly, I wouldn’t let a user of hard drugs into my house let alone a Wiccan circle.

Cannabis: Essentially I personally have no objection to the use of this- in the same way as I described for alcohol. You may feel different. I used to smoke a fair bit of cannabis in various forms in my ‘younger days’ (hmm, I’m sounding old here…!) so again wouldn’t be pious or holier than thou’. But now alcohol is my drug of choice- I prefer the ‘buzz- and find it more communal and sharable- which brings us to our key points in this.

Key points: Which are that this all pivots around what people do with their drug of choice. By and large, people who take a few drinks together tend to get merry and have a cracking good party. People who smoke a few joints together tend to “glog out” and sit and smile at each other- each individually is having a good time, but there’s little creative flow, little banter, singing, chanting, little inclination to play games of forfeits, discuss Coven business, little of anything shared or communal- little inclination in any way.

Some of this also pivots around amounts and how people are with their chosen drug- if it’s a choice between someone who smokes some dope and plays mellow, sad guitar, and someone who gets pissed and breaks half the glasses you possess by falling over on them, or who thinks it amusing to tell sexist/racist jokes… I’ll take the dope smoker.

What I much prefer is people who know how to work magick, who flow within the circle, and who will party in a friendly- even if a little wild; way afterwards without losing control of themselves.

Which brings us neatly to our next subject


Grown-ups/Adults?

As I mentioned previously, rituals stir up emotional, sexual and psychological energy as much as psychic or magickal energy. As I also mentioned, some people have difficulty dealing with this and so some specific dynamics can emerge.

One is that sometimes Coveners have affairs or ‘flings’ with other Coveners who aren’t their spouses/partners. 'Oh boy can this cause problems- watch out for it, try to divert it- you might have to be ‘Mama/Papa’ and make people take it elsewhere. It can be incredibly disruptive- especially when the fling is over, but the people are still trying to share a sacred circle together. ‘You can imagine I’m sure.

Another is the emergence of this famous ‘Inner child’ that has been spoken of so much in recent years. Well, given the way that some of these “Inner Children” act- especially when they’ve taken a drink or two (dozen) during the feasting after festivals and Esbats, I’m surprised that they actually managed to grow into “adults” without being loudly murdered by their parents….. And I’m not talking about 17 year old people- this is about people who are chronologically 30+ - 50+…………. And I ain’t joking here. I have to say that in all of my 25 years experience within Witchcraft, that I’ve seen more childish behaviour and disrespect for other Coveners, the circle, the Old Ones and all else, from people who truly are old enough to know better. ‘Younger people- ‘no problem. ‘Strange but true’. Or perhaps, not that strange after all…….

Always see creative solutions to anything that arises for you to deal with, but sometimes accept that sometimes the ‘buck stops with you’- and sometimes you just have to be strong, take a deep breath, and do what you need to do to keep the power-magick flowing:- 

Creative, magickal thinking determines all of this, and the guidance of the Old Ones- the Goddess and God of Wicca.


Onwards through the years ahead……

And so: That’s a lot of ground covered. You’ve laid a good foundation, have a strong and reliable core group, have well worked out rituals, a good structure of support and empowerment to ensure all Coveners both give and receive the maximum possible in the way of spiritual growth and fulfilment through being a part of your Coven and all will thrive, grow and know that they are a part of something very good. Everyone within the Coven will experience joy, fulfilment, love, the guidance and wisdom of the Old ones, and you will know that you are fulfilling that which you know deep inside that you are.

‘Last words

Well they’re not and there never could be any last words on these subjects, but I want to end this material with some thoughts.

Which are that though I’ve outlined a quite organised and ordered approach to our subjects, and though it might seem as if I feel that everything has to be organised like a military campaign, I hope you’ll find that my experience is of value to you- I’d like to save you trouble and strife and help you experience the joys and benefits of Wicca, but I do realise that some folk do need to discover everything for themselves- if/when that works out for you, do refer back to this material. 

In the meantime there’s a LOT of additional information about Coven structures and dynamics on this website that you’ll find extremely useful. Have a browse through for further information to help you. And also you are welcome to seek my advice.

Blessed Be, Alan Tickhill

Email:- alan@atickhill.fslife.co.uk

RESOURCES FOR  ELDERS    

Though there are a number of books now available that offer information for those founding or leading Covens, there's still not a lot of "hands-on', based on experience but not tempered by publishers requirements" type information directly available.

This kind of information is available if you are part of such as 'British traditional Witchcraft' and learn it from your High Priestess, High Priest or other Wiccan Elders, but not really so otherwise.

So.... what I seek to offer here is hands on-based on experience, '25 years worth of nitty-gritty' type information that those who are called to found a new Coven, or are seeking to better organise running an existing Coven can use to make that all flow more smoothly and with fewer conflicts.

Here it is- this information is offered unconditionally- take it, use it as you will, change, amend or vary it as you will. It's simply a gift offered. You'll see that it's specifically shaped and worded to flow from our experience and for those seeking entry into our Coven. Obviously you'll need to reshape and reword that to reflect and express your needs, but anyone needing this kind of information should at the least find something here to help with the founding and running of a Coven.

Click on the following links to download/view each document- all are in Word 2000 format so you might need to tinker with these to access them properly.

File 1- A guide to founding/running a Coven. 'Click here'

File 2- Notes for Elders. Background/guidance material for those managing the Induction process of those seeking entry to your Coven- 'Click here' This material will tell you about the next 2 documents.

File 3- Induction material- part 1. Information to give those who seek to join  your Coven- 'Click here'

File 4- Induction material- Part 2. The second, major batch of material to give to new seekers- 'Click here'

Again- Though this material is offered unconditionally- you are free to do with it whatsoever you choose; it isn't offered unreservedly- you are also free to receive my help and support in the using of it. My email address is above- you're welcome to my support.

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