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Confusion About 'Covens' - Intersting article |
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Confusion About 'Covens'
Author: Pagan Education Network
It has, more often than not, come to my attention that there are many of us in the pagan world who have a serious aversion to the word "Coven". I have seen people crawl in their skin, turn white and even abruptly walk away at the mention of the word. On the other hand I have also seen people use the word "coven" as a forum to tear groups apart for even using the word to describe their group.
I am not sure where the fear of the word started for each of us as individuals; however I know where it started for most of the people I have spoken with. Its first origins appear to stem back to the various organized religions that we each grew up in or belonged to once upon a time. While practicing those religions we were taught to fear the organization of "the witches".
Next we have our own history, which included such infamous events as the Salem Witch Trials and the Burning Times. This is further compounded for some of us by literary works such as the Malleus Maleficarum (Latin for "The Hammer of Witches" wink a work written by Heinrich Krameron on the proper persecution of witches; see Wikipedia). Within each of these genres it was taught to us that the witches met in secret places under the guise of midnight to do unspeakable deeds, have orgies and cast spells against others.
To further complicate matters for most witches, upon entering the training programs of our respective traditions, paths and craft workings they were then taught that a "Coven" was a place reserved for one of two types of people; the first being elitists the second being egomaniacs. According to some teachers in the craft "Covens" are meant for only the select few who were in some way more worthy than the rest of the solitary witches and small groups.
Otherwise it is sometimes taught that Covens are made up of egomaniacs on a crusade to vanquish and destroy all the other witches who are unworthy of such an honor. It is disturbing when we consider that those within the craft itself teach the most ghastly of falsehoods, from a place of fear.
At least in part because of this practice of teaching many practitioners of the craft to this day steer clear of the Big Bad Coven. These hardworking practitioners of the craft do not want any part of the self-centeredness of ego, power trips and the putting down of others. Though these types of covens do exist they are not the majority. Still it would be wrong of me to discuss the fear of the word coven and deny that there are some people who believe themselves "elite" and who fit this description.
However harboring this fear of "Covens" only serves to strengthen these supposed elite crafters, leaving the rest of us with only outspoken groups to represent Covens as a whole. These groups do believe that to be part of a coven makes them special, above others, elite and "holier than thou"; to borrow a well coined phrase. And yet it is these same people who ruin the basket of apples for the bunch of us who are not practicing egomaniacs.
I have met several of this type and only a scant few of them actually had any idea what it meant to be part of a coven. I have met very few "elitists" in my time that understand that just because you are a member of a coven does not make you better than anyone else at anything magickal or otherwise.
While it should be obvious to each of us after having spent even a short amount of time in the craft that none of the things listed above are really true about "Covens" as a whole, the fear within us still lingers. Why is that? Why can’t we let go of that fear? The answer is simple.
"Covens" as they are known that are established remain largely hidden from public view. This feeds our fear of them. Many true covens do still exist and they are not made up of egomaniacs on a power trip to become the most famous pagan of them all.
They are quiet groups of people who, respect each other, enjoy each other’s company and call each other family. We don’t know they exist because they wish to be anonymous to avoid power trips, egomaniacs and the like. They want to build positive supportive learning environments not hate and fear.
Our ancestors never intended the "Coven" to get a bad rap. They never wanted egomaniacs in a position of power that run ramped in the name of fame. They did not; I am sure even fathom that Covens themselves would war against each other and slander each other for the sake of saving face. I do believe our ancestors would be turning in their graves if they knew the truth of what has become of the "Coven".
So what is a coven really? How is it defined? How do we get over our fear of them? How do your get in touch with one? These answers are less obscure than one might think. A coven, as defined by Amber K in her book "Covencraft", is any group of people three or more who are practicing together on a regular basis. Though there are all kinds of laws and situations regarding the specifics of a coven within each its own tradition, this does generally hold true. A coven need not have a high anything to be a living, breathing, working coven. There are many covens that are egalitarian, which means they mutually share the responsibilities of the coven.
The only real requirement of a coven is to have at least one person who is learned to guide the group, a set course of study and that they practice their craft on a regular basis. Finally a good group should have regular meetings and a mutual respect for each other and the hierarchy of the coven, should one exist. A coven’s specific belief system is governed largely by the tradition (s) the coven chooses to practice.
In most cases we witches, by design, are largely solitary and because of this most covens never reach the desired goal of thirteen. The most important thing to realize here is that is fine. In most cases it is better than fine. The more people you have the more complex human dynamics and design become. Within these close-knit structures however lies a world of learning, caring, sharing and love.
Most of us are well versed in the law of "perfect love and perfect trust". Well this is what you find in a true coven full of real people and real magick. A "Coven" really is a group of people who come together as a family to share holidays, moon workings, spells, learning experiences, families, support and fun. They care about each other on a personal level as well as a spiritual level. They laugh together, cry together and get upset with each other, fight and makeup.
Covens generally spend a fair amount of time together. They are most importantly real people, not egomaniacs. They are not interested in fame, saving face, being publicly recognized or scrutinized or even becoming a larger than life organization. If they are public they usually only take on a few members at a time and do this as a service to the community not for them selves, the hope being that these members will learn and no longer fear the "Coven" structure.
The most impeding factor for practitioners seeking a coven is that those "recovering (fill in your mainstream religion here) " are inclined to two positions of fear when it comes to "Covens". The first of which being fear of the organizational structure of a coven and the second being fear of a "Grand Puba" telling them what to do and when to do it. Let’s face it, most of us have spent our lives doing one or the other in our other religious lives and it is like oil and water to get us to believe that a "Coven" would be any different, or could be a good thing for us.
Though it is not for everyone it can be for some. Let’s face it being a solitary is fine, you can read till the cows come home about our religious and spiritual beliefs. You are in charge of your own religious practices and you can do for yourself all the things you will ever need; right? But there is one key element missing: companionship and guidance. The reason most of us continued to go to church or mass or prayer circle was because we enjoyed conversing with others, spending time with those that shared our interests and to know we were not alone in our beliefs.
Though no one leading a coven should have a "holier than thou" attitude, there are many who are well educated in the craft that have a wealth of knowledge to share and want to raise others up to see them grow. These individuals are normal people who are humble in their status and know their place comes with great responsibility and trust. They hold themselves as one with as opposed to one over others. They make themselves available and approachable to everyone they meet within or outside of the coven stead.
These true leaders and teachers should be respected and acknowledged for what they know and do. If you have ever had an instructor, teacher or craft mate such as this count yourself lucky. They should not be feared, made intimidating or ignored. They are our guides and our teachers. They have so much to give if we can just get past our own fears to ask their guidance.
Unlike our previous experiences these teachers of the craft do not look to dominate us, shove their beliefs down our throats or even make us fear them. They go by the names of High Priest/ess, Guru, Elder, Bard, Druid, Mage and many others. They wish to embrace us, to teach and learn from us. They are where we will find reality for they are real people, with real feelings and real life situations just like the rest of us. So it is of our own makings of fear that we disrespect them and their covens fearing what they have to offer us. It is up to each of us to make our own choices, destroy our fears and embrace the small groups and organizations that have reached out to the community to aid us in reconnecting to the lost art of magickal companionship.
This all sounds great but how do you find a group? They go under many names and live in many new incarnations. Most of these are alterations of the word "Coven" because they have been adapted to get rid of the previous negative connotations. These groups believe that it will make them more approachable. They go under the names of coven, circle, group, grove, learning hearth and more.
They are reachable through friends, networking and the like. They can be found in message boards and on places like Pagan My Space and Witches Voice. However they should not be confused with organizations, large churches or large fair like groups that put on lots of open workings and holiday celebrations. These later groups are organizations for the public and those first emerging into the craft, though they have their place and a close one to my heart they are not the place for deeper Craft learning.
If you find a true "Coven" don’t fear them, they are just people like you and I, they are fallible and they will make mistakes like you do. By all means be cautious but listen to what they have to say, ask the questions you have for them, find out about their practices and what they believe, and then take your time. There is always a learning process, a "covening" process (in which they get to know you and you get to know them) and then an acceptance process. If it works out and you both accept each other then wonderful - relax, settle in and begin to learn all they have to offer you. Revel in the family that you have just been adopted into and be joyful.
If you and the group do not get along that is fine too, it needs not be the end of the world or even a bad experience. Look at it this way; you met some people and you learned some things that helped you further define what your needs are individually and in a group setting. It was worth the effort.
Most mature covens will accept this without badmouthing you or having any issues. You can simply move on or ask if they could help you to locate a group better suited to your needs. In either case know that no matter what your have gained in experiences, you have learned and you have grown from your time with them. This is sometimes exactly what the lesson was that we were supposed to learn.
I hope in reading this article that I have served to dispel some of the many myths and falsehoods about covens. If I have been successful then you now have a better understanding of what it is to be part of a coven and you will have less fear when approached with the word. If I have not then in the very least you have been given information that will serve to further your education of what a coven is and should be. In either case I hope for the crafts sake that in the future we see more covens form and come out of hiding.
Reclaiming the word "Coven" for the proud heritage it holds can only foster a greater understanding of the truth of our witchcraft families. Covens now and in the future hold the key to providing accurate educational experiences of the oral traditions. Knowing and carrying on these oral traditions is what makes the craft the lively and fantastic spiritual practice it was always meant to be.
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