Leaders of religious communities used to be chosen for their skill as a leader, communicator, councilor, arbitrator, and diplomat. They were usually knowledgeable and skilled at magic, but rarely the most experienced. There were always elders around to teach, so magickal skill was considered of less importance than their skill and wisdom as a leader. Today such concepts are still a part of what we call Woodland Celtic Wicca and are quite traditional even though many consider them modern and liberal.
Many traditions in the U.S. have a High Priestess and/or High Priest which rules for life and may even be considered infallible. This can lead to severe interpersonal problems for coven members and no real opportunity for advancement or leadership experience. Those who seek to serve as leaders may be forced to start their own coven of new initiates with little or no leadership experience to prepare them.
Cultural character flaws such as favoritism, egocentrism, and abuse of authority have caused Woodland Celtic Wicca to break away from these modern "traditions" and actually allow coven members to select a male and a female Grove Leader with an annual reaffirmation or replacement. Grove members may remove or replace a Grove leader at any time by a simple majority vote if they really feel it is necessary. Experienced leaders are encouraged to voluntarily step down (at least for a year) when a competent replacement is ready. This can give the new leaders experience at leadership surrounded by friends who are already used to working together, a fully experienced co-leader (hopefully), and the immediate presence of the priest or priestess who trained them to advise when requested. This also gives the more experienced priests and priestesses a sabbatical to focus on teaching, attend to their own studies (we always have more to learn), and to refresh their memory on such valuable lessons as humility and being a good follower. If the new priest or priestess leads well for a year, they can use that experience to meet the experience requirement when they train as an elder and they will be much more prepared to start a new grove or lead half of their current one if it gets large enough to split.
All members of a Woodland Celtic Grove have an equal vote in all matters except those pertaining only to coven. Grove members must vote unanimously to admit a new grove member, (or new coven members) and a two thirds vote is required for someone to advance in educational level, or to be removed from the group. On all other matters where a consensus cannot be reached the Grove Leaders discuss the matter and render a decision and fully explain the reasons for their choice. If the Grove Leaders cannot agree or any other active member of the grove does not consider their reasons for the decision adequate they may ask for a vote. While any subject may be brought up for discussion, and if necessary, voted on, the same subject should not be brought up for a vote more often than about once per six months. This is to prevent someone attempting to annoy others into compliance by raising an issue for a vote repeatedly until they get their way.
The Grove Leaders may request discussing the matter further and voting later with a delay for consideration of as much as one month if they wish, but Leaders cannot refuse to put any matter to a vote (unless it has been voted on in the last six months already) or insist on delaying the vote for more than one month. Otherwise they could simply postpone such a vote indefinitely and ignore the issue entirely. While the grove considers such an issue for a vote, the decision or action being debated cannot take effect. In other words, delaying a vote for one month (or less) or voting at once is the Grove leader's choice, but this cannot be used to put a contested decision into effect while the matter is being considered.
A simple majority vote is sufficient to reverse any decision or action (other than their personal vote) of any Grove Leader. In the case of a tie, the Grove Leader who is pre-emanate for that half of the year casts a deciding vote. Since tie votes are not common, the pre-eminent Grove Leader should be permitted to vote on all matters even though breaking a tie would effectively give them a second vote in that instance. To prohibit them voting on issues that do not result in a tie would prevent them from participating in the voting process on the vast majority of issues considered. The male Grove Leader is pre-emanate during the Solar half of the year from march to September, (changing at the close of the equinox rituals) and the female grove leader is pre-eminent during the other six months when the nights are longer and the moon rules the year. On matters of coven bonding or pertaining exclusively to closed (coven only) rituals, only the active coven members are consulted for a vote, but these votes occur at coven only events or a specially arranged coven only meeting.
If there is not a qualified candidate for Grove Leaders of both sexes available, one can lead the grove while they train a suitable candidate to serve as their co-leader, but each position must be reserved for a qualified member of the appropriate gender. Naturally groves operating in a Correctional facility have to work with only one gender, but all others are expected to strive to train coven leaders of both genders so that none can doubt that the sexes are respected equally.
Woodland Celtic Wicca views deity as a triple God and a triple Goddess.
They go through a life cycle from youth through old age to teach the value
of the special talents of both young and old as well as to help us stay
in tune with the cycles of life and the seasons. The names and archetypes
are ones traditionally used by Celtic people in the British Isles such
as Brigit, Danu, Cerridwen, Herne, Lugh, and the Dagda.
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