Covens: Pros, Cons & Thoughts
Witchcraft is a journey of self-discovery, self being the key word. This path is often one walked alone, or within you. It can be hard to even know how to open up about aspects of your craft, or how much. Some simply won’t understand, especially if your family and close friends don’t practice. With the advancements of technology, there are more communities available for witches and practitioners to come together with their collective experiences, but a coven is something else entirely.
While coven members gather regularly, they vary in size, type, initiation rights, and more. Some witches may be a dedicated member of their covens, while others may practice with them for major holidays, but do the majority of their work alone. Some covens offer invitations to outsiders of any faith for certain holy days, while others are very secretive, for the safety of its members or the magic they practice. For a beginner witch, covens are as daunting as they are intriguing, and the sheer volume of covens that are open to new members can be overwhelming. However, before you jump into online chat rooms and drive out to the local gathering, there are some pros and cons about witchcraft covens that are important to know.
PROS OF COVENS:
– This might be obvious, but energy is often heightened and has a much farther reach in group spell work. You might notice this during the rituals themselves, the shift in the air around you or the reaction of nature and your fellow coven members, or you may see it in the way your spell or ritual manifests.
– If covens place an age limit on members, it is usually 18+, which means that your coven may consist of both brand new and very experienced witches. This is a great way to get first hand experience, wisdom, and refreshing ideas from your coven. It may be an ever greater resource to speak to someone who has years of experience in the craft rather than reading a book on the subject!
– Covens can be led in a number of ways, one of which is by a high priest/ess. If done right, authority shifts around the most established members of the coven, depending on the spell or time of year, so there is no imbalance of power, and there is the opportunity for newer members to learn from them if they desire to step into a similar role.This means there is someone to lead the rituals, which can be a great opportunity for all witches to learn spells from different practitioners, which can help shape or re-invent your style, as well as promote a safe community.
-Covens can be a great place to celebrate sabbats. My wheel of the year looks vastly different these days, but when I began, I started by celebrating the eight wiccan sabbats. While I’d gathered plenty of ideas for activities, doing them alone was frustrating and, well…lonely. Many covens- even those who aren’t Wiccan, celebrate at least some of these holidays including Beltane, the solstices and equinoxes. In recent years, I’ve spent Beltane upstate with their local coven, and got the chance to dance around a Maypole, which I haven’t done since I was a kid! It truly makes the holidays feel a bit more special when you’re spending it with others.
CONS OF COVENS
– Beware of cults, power dynamics, and abusive behavior! Any kind of bullying or manipulation, such as hazing and covens that randomly take your money without reason should be a red flag to steer clear! Please note that some covens may organize trips or rituals, and they may ask for you to chip in on ritual supplies or travel fare for your participation and benefit. This is vastly different than a coven veering into ‘monthly membership’ territory simply to secure your spot, or ‘initiation’ rites that feel exploitative, invasive, or dangerous. When in doubt, take a step back, and if you think they are pressuring you, move on.
– Covens with friends. This is something that is not talked about as often, but is very important to mention. To me, there is a difference between friends that are witches that cast spells together occasionally, and a dedicated coven amongst friends. Any coven, no matter who is involved, NEEDS power shifting and harmony to function and flourish. This evenly distributes the spells and workload, and cultivates a healthy and respectful relationship amongst your fellow members. On one hand, having your coven members be your best friend seems innocent enough, but without strong communication and trust, it can straight up turn into mean girls with magic…yikes.
– Commitment: I’m putting this as a con because as a solo practitioner, there is more freedom to take things at your own pace. Covens, containers, and classes can put a certain restraint on you to get up to speed very quickly with certain topics. This could just be so you can participate in rituals or advance your craft, which can be a pro if you need something to hold you accountable to your witchcraft studies, or even if you want to work on your time management. But this can also be a personal con for me, because if I feel rushed to get through a particular topic, I don’t savor the knowledge like I would if I took my time. Mostly, this aspect is all about balance, and what you think you can handle.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON COVENS
You can cast spells with other witches without forming a coven
I wanted to start off with this one after sharing in a recent spell I posted that I performed a ritual with two other friends. Now given that they live states away, I don’t see them often enough nor do we cast spells together enough to call ourselves a coven (ironically one of them isn’t even a witch, she was just down for the vibes that night). My witchy friend and I have also come together for the occasional spell or ritual, but she is my friend first and foremost, not a coven member.
I personally do not think coven members should be composed of ONLY friends. I have had bad experiences with this personally, but on a logical level, though it seems natural, especially if your friends are also witches, it can lead to disastrous consequences if the friendship begins to crumble. Of course, the upside is that you know you match with the energies of the people you are casting with, but I am personally of the mindset that there are some things in your practice that are for your eyes only.
This is not to say that you can’t make friends with your coven members–YOU ABSOLUTELY SHOULD– but if you join a group that is slightly separated from your daily life, you do not have to untangle as many energetic and literal ties if gods forbid things go awry.
Make sure the coven you join has rules
While the nature of witches and witchcraft can be very wild and free, most well-established covens have a strict set of by-laws, rules, or some other community guidelines they follow to keep all of their members accountable and inspire a positive space among its members.
Additional red flags
I also really liked the points from this video made several years ago by HearthWitch on Youtube
Egotistical Leaders
This touches back to why it’s important for members to shift and share power. If you notice someone in a high position of the coven abusing their power, belittling, or puffing themselves up a god-like status- run.
Paying for a membership
If you are required to give a sum of money periodically with no benefits and no idea where your money is going, this is drifting into scheme/ MLM territory- avoid at all costs.
Any gender/ sexuality restrictions
There are some caveats to this. For example, I know of Dianic Wiccan covens that keep their members restricted to female or female identifying for comfort and safety as many of them are victims of abuse or DV.
Hazing/ Coercion/ ETC
Any kind of abuse amongst other coven members or leaders. If you feel you are in danger, being pressured to so something you do not want to, or are being mistreated in any way, you have to put your physical safety first.
Immediate initiations
You need to see if your energies and ideals match before being able to cast proper spell work as a group, and a legitimate coven will want to know the same, and give you the freedom to choose.
No age restrictions
Covens of members of 18 or older should not be initiating anyone underage. Regardless of if the minor is already a practicing witch, it is best for their safety, so covens taking in any age is a red flag.
Telling you to stop taking medication
A coven is a gathering for spiritual practice. No one should be telling you how to take care of your physical and mental health besides a licensed professional. You may receive advice from coven members, spell bags to help with anxiety or teas for restlessness, etc. but if you are being pressured to stop taking vital medication from the belief that it ‘limits your spiritual ability’, you are not in the right place.
Trying to alter your belief system
Many covens follow a loose structure, its members practicing completely different paths, but still coming together for sabbats and spellwork. Through these gatherings, your knowledge and beliefs may expand and change on their own, but these changes should never be forced upon you by anyone else in the coven.
Distancing you
Making you avoid your friends and loved ones, saying they are bad for you, stifling your magic etc. Isolation tactics of any kind are a serious #1, red flag, cult alert. Get out as fast as you can.
With all this said, the choice to join a coven ultimately lies with what you feel comfortable with. I have found that gatherings and performing spells with other witches and spiritual practitioners are very much appreciated, and often a lot of fun. But the current nature of my craft is highly personal. To this day, whenever I share spellwork it’s often very vague, and I encourage you to take what I share and make it your own, to use your own experiences and explore more resources than what I provide. Covens are a great way to expand your craft, but it is important to be aware of the pros and cons that come with sharing your magic with others.
Have you ever been part of or participated in rituals with a coven? Tell me your experience in the comments below, and I’ll sea you soon!
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