Online Groups, Covens and Moots, Oh My!
So I have been a solitary practitioner for 12 of my 15 years of practicing mostly. I got into paganism at a young age - an age where I was still living with my parents who mocked those sorts of beliefs, still in school where doing, saying, or believing anything against the norm would get you bullied and beaten up, and still finding my feet in my religion. Then I went to University, where there was a lot more freedom, but still paganism was quite an 'underground' thing. I found a couple of friends who also practiced, but other than talking about it, visiting the local pagan shop and attending a Witchfest event, it didn't really transpire into anything.
Several years later, I realised that I wanted a bit more - I had been practicing for several years, researched and tried a whole host of different belief systems and rituals styles, and was comfortable with who I was and what I wanted out of my religion. I wanted to find a coven.
Finding a coven is a very personal thing, and if there is one thing that I've learnt it is that if you don't engage in the beliefs they are practicing, or gel with the people who are also members of that coven, it won't work for you. Some people are quite happy to practice solitary. With the rise of the internet and social media, it is possible to find and interact with people who share the same beliefs as you, via Facebook groups or forums, without necessarily subscribing to a particular belief system. Yet some people want more, even if it is just to give it a go and say 'no thank you, not for me' at the end of it.
Some people try online covens. I have to admit, I tried a few of them. However, most of these are large, can be quite impersonal, and will let pretty much anybody in despite their beliefs. This can be both a good and a bad thing - on the one hand you can interact with a lot more people, get a wide range of practices and new ideas at your fingertips, and have the flexibility to just log in and out whenever it suits you. However, for some those can be negatives; the size of the groups can make it very impersonal, and you may come across or have to deal with beliefs that are so different from yours, that even with an open mind you may not be able to tolerate them.
Online 'schools' and programs can also be included, and most often are, within the online coven setting. I've tried quite a few - there were a couple that was very much 'read this text them answer this simple, multiple choice answer quiz'. Whilst these can be great, especially for a beginner, again it just raises a bit of 'wariness' in my eyes; you don't necessarily HAVE to try the exercises they recommend, or even read the text, you can just skim and scan the text when taking the test and pass first time. Obviously, if you do that you are only cheating yourself, but when you are in that sort of environment and you come across someone in a chat room or on the forum who tells you they're already on their second degree and therefore they MUST be a knowledgeable, all - knowing pagan, well....chances are you will get very sick of that attitude, and it will have a demeaning affect on you, who would actually be putting the hard work in and following all the lessons. In short, there is very little accountability.
One of the best online covens I have come across is the Kitchen Witches - www.kitchenwitchhearth.com. If you are looking for an online coven and courses, I would seriously recommend them. The lessons are in depth, and to 'pass' each module you need to answer some essay-style questions, demonstrate that you have practiced the exercises, and it is then sent to a teacher to 'mark'. And by mark, I don't mean you get an A, B, C or whatever, they literally just want to make sure you have done the exercises and grasped what it is you are being taught before you move on. They offer the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, as well as lots of other courses you can take at your leisure, and it is very interactive - students are encouraged to share their homework, do divination readings for one another and create courses. They also perform online rituals in the chat room, which is great for anyone who wants to practice with other people but for various reasons can't make actual meet ups. The two ladies who run it are both very experienced, one being a successful pagan author, and are both extremely lovely.
I have also been a part of a coven which held open rituals. This is essentially what I wanted, a group I could physically meet and practice with. So, I would meet up with them, perform rituals, and sometimes they would hold workshops. At first, before it really took off, it was fantastic - a small group, beautiful rituals, we all got to participate and I really got to know and trust the people attending. However, as the coven gained more popularity, things changed. We would see upwards of 30 people attending the open rituals, there wasn't enough space, and it all became very informal with people bringing dogs and children they just couldn't control and caused havoc. Now, i'm all for lightheartedness, and one of my favourite ways of honoring the divine is by having fun and enjoying life! But this got to much. For some people, again, that is great, but I wanted a small, personal group, where I could really get to know the people, and trust working with them - my religion is very special to me. It can empower me, yet it can also leave you feeling vulnerable at times, and so I want to know I can trust the people around me when we are performing rituals, I don't feel comfortable doing something which is so personal to me with a bunch of strangers.
I have recently moved away, and so have been looking for another coven. I have found a group, a small group, which seems to be just that. They have an online presence, but unlike most modern-day covens I have been with, they don't have much of an online presence - they have a site where they advertise the meet ups, and that's about it. Otherwise it is very physical, and with quite 'strict' criteria for becoming a member. It's not exclusive - it is ensuring that the people within that coven can work and explore their spirituality together in a safe and positive environment.
On that note, there is a difference between covens and open rituals and moots - moots are again, more open, a group of pagans getting together but mostly with no specific magickal intent in mind. They may decide to read some tarot, or have a guest speaker, but on the whole most moots I have been to consisted of a bunch of pagans getting drunk and not really touching on anything pagan. Again, fine if you want the social thing, but if you are looking for a group to really practice with, moots may not be for you.
It can be a scary decision, when you have been solitary for so long, to find a coven or a group of people to share your practices and beliefs with. Online is great, as it allows you to be flexible, but be aware of those courses that people can complete easily just for the sake of being able to say they are a first degree wiccan or whatever, as you may end up feeling cheated. Be aware of covens and groups, online and offline, which charge you a ridiculous amount of money, claim they can give you power beyond your wildest dreams, or insist you perform naked rituals via Skype (trust me, it happens!). Decide what you want to be part of a large, sociable group? Because then the online community, or moots, may be your thing. Do you want a small, personal group to share your experiences and learn with? Then a physical coven, or small, closed forum or online group may be more your thing.
Or maybe you want to stay solitary! With the number of resources readily available, the solitary route is definitely one which is becoming more and more appealing to a large number of pagans. As always with paganism, do what makes you happy!
Several years later, I realised that I wanted a bit more - I had been practicing for several years, researched and tried a whole host of different belief systems and rituals styles, and was comfortable with who I was and what I wanted out of my religion. I wanted to find a coven.
Finding a coven is a very personal thing, and if there is one thing that I've learnt it is that if you don't engage in the beliefs they are practicing, or gel with the people who are also members of that coven, it won't work for you. Some people are quite happy to practice solitary. With the rise of the internet and social media, it is possible to find and interact with people who share the same beliefs as you, via Facebook groups or forums, without necessarily subscribing to a particular belief system. Yet some people want more, even if it is just to give it a go and say 'no thank you, not for me' at the end of it.
Some people try online covens. I have to admit, I tried a few of them. However, most of these are large, can be quite impersonal, and will let pretty much anybody in despite their beliefs. This can be both a good and a bad thing - on the one hand you can interact with a lot more people, get a wide range of practices and new ideas at your fingertips, and have the flexibility to just log in and out whenever it suits you. However, for some those can be negatives; the size of the groups can make it very impersonal, and you may come across or have to deal with beliefs that are so different from yours, that even with an open mind you may not be able to tolerate them.
Online 'schools' and programs can also be included, and most often are, within the online coven setting. I've tried quite a few - there were a couple that was very much 'read this text them answer this simple, multiple choice answer quiz'. Whilst these can be great, especially for a beginner, again it just raises a bit of 'wariness' in my eyes; you don't necessarily HAVE to try the exercises they recommend, or even read the text, you can just skim and scan the text when taking the test and pass first time. Obviously, if you do that you are only cheating yourself, but when you are in that sort of environment and you come across someone in a chat room or on the forum who tells you they're already on their second degree and therefore they MUST be a knowledgeable, all - knowing pagan, well....chances are you will get very sick of that attitude, and it will have a demeaning affect on you, who would actually be putting the hard work in and following all the lessons. In short, there is very little accountability.
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One of the best online covens I have come across is the Kitchen Witches - www.kitchenwitchhearth.com. If you are looking for an online coven and courses, I would seriously recommend them. The lessons are in depth, and to 'pass' each module you need to answer some essay-style questions, demonstrate that you have practiced the exercises, and it is then sent to a teacher to 'mark'. And by mark, I don't mean you get an A, B, C or whatever, they literally just want to make sure you have done the exercises and grasped what it is you are being taught before you move on. They offer the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, as well as lots of other courses you can take at your leisure, and it is very interactive - students are encouraged to share their homework, do divination readings for one another and create courses. They also perform online rituals in the chat room, which is great for anyone who wants to practice with other people but for various reasons can't make actual meet ups. The two ladies who run it are both very experienced, one being a successful pagan author, and are both extremely lovely.
I have also been a part of a coven which held open rituals. This is essentially what I wanted, a group I could physically meet and practice with. So, I would meet up with them, perform rituals, and sometimes they would hold workshops. At first, before it really took off, it was fantastic - a small group, beautiful rituals, we all got to participate and I really got to know and trust the people attending. However, as the coven gained more popularity, things changed. We would see upwards of 30 people attending the open rituals, there wasn't enough space, and it all became very informal with people bringing dogs and children they just couldn't control and caused havoc. Now, i'm all for lightheartedness, and one of my favourite ways of honoring the divine is by having fun and enjoying life! But this got to much. For some people, again, that is great, but I wanted a small, personal group, where I could really get to know the people, and trust working with them - my religion is very special to me. It can empower me, yet it can also leave you feeling vulnerable at times, and so I want to know I can trust the people around me when we are performing rituals, I don't feel comfortable doing something which is so personal to me with a bunch of strangers.
I have recently moved away, and so have been looking for another coven. I have found a group, a small group, which seems to be just that. They have an online presence, but unlike most modern-day covens I have been with, they don't have much of an online presence - they have a site where they advertise the meet ups, and that's about it. Otherwise it is very physical, and with quite 'strict' criteria for becoming a member. It's not exclusive - it is ensuring that the people within that coven can work and explore their spirituality together in a safe and positive environment.
On that note, there is a difference between covens and open rituals and moots - moots are again, more open, a group of pagans getting together but mostly with no specific magickal intent in mind. They may decide to read some tarot, or have a guest speaker, but on the whole most moots I have been to consisted of a bunch of pagans getting drunk and not really touching on anything pagan. Again, fine if you want the social thing, but if you are looking for a group to really practice with, moots may not be for you.
It can be a scary decision, when you have been solitary for so long, to find a coven or a group of people to share your practices and beliefs with. Online is great, as it allows you to be flexible, but be aware of those courses that people can complete easily just for the sake of being able to say they are a first degree wiccan or whatever, as you may end up feeling cheated. Be aware of covens and groups, online and offline, which charge you a ridiculous amount of money, claim they can give you power beyond your wildest dreams, or insist you perform naked rituals via Skype (trust me, it happens!). Decide what you want to be part of a large, sociable group? Because then the online community, or moots, may be your thing. Do you want a small, personal group to share your experiences and learn with? Then a physical coven, or small, closed forum or online group may be more your thing.
Or maybe you want to stay solitary! With the number of resources readily available, the solitary route is definitely one which is becoming more and more appealing to a large number of pagans. As always with paganism, do what makes you happy!
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