While the idea of belonging to a coven is attractive to some, every Wiccan must first and foremost be a good Solitary practitioner. A Solitary Wiccan is one who has confidence in his or her own abilities and does not need others to achieve their magickal and spiritual goals. Each Wiccan is considered to be a Priest or Priestess and perfectly capable of contacting the gods him or herself, celebrating Sabbats and Esbats and working spells alone.

Many Wiccans spend years as Solitaries before joining a coven while some never join and others join shortly after discovering Wicca. Some may go from one coven or group to another before finding one that is just right for them.

There are many types of covens but they can generally be broken down into two major groups:

A traditional coven is generally one where rituals and stories are handed down through a process of initiation and there are fairly rigid rules on how the rituals are performed, what students must study and how students progress from one level to the next.

Non-traditional covens may be run in a more democratic fashion, where people take turns leading the group, and rituals may be borrowed from a variety of traditions or written by the group.

Other differences in covens are found in their choice of god and goddess pantheons, whether they admit men, women or both, and the degree to which they are public or “out of the broom closet”.

Never consider joining a coven without understanding these major points. You should never have to compromise your own beliefs to join a group.

In Circle of the Moonlit Sea