Dragon's Eye Coven

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Clan of the Laughing Dragon
…the "Feel" of Our Tradition

Many people who are drawn to our group are drawn to a specific member, or because we are close to their homes, or the idea of working in a Celtic-eclectic group, or some of the specific practices they've heard we do, or .... any number of other reasons. Before we get too far into the process of a person pursuing membership, I'd like to give prospective members an idea of the "feel" of our Tradition and Coven.

Not all Covens/Trads are created equal -- no matter what certain writers or websites claim. Now, that is not to say that any one is intrinsically better than another. But it does express our opinion that not all working groups are a right fit for every spiritual seeker. What works for us may well NOT work for you. We are okay with that. Furthermore, we are not looking to increase membership as a goal in itself. We are open to the possibility of new members -- the RIGHT new members -- but we are not actively seeking them, and we won't necessarily accept anyone who expresses interest. Does that make us elitist? I suppose it does to a certain degree. If we can't be comfortable with you (nor you with us) in a magical/ritual/spiritual setting, then the magical relationship is doomed to fail.

We require our members to take serious vows at Dedication -- vows that hold a member to the group for at least a year and a day. We hope to answer some questions here that will help potential members clarify for themselves whether or not they are truly interested in walking further down the path to Dedication.

Structure of the Clan

The Clan of the Laughing Dragon is a group of covens, organized around a family/clan structure. The covens within the Tradition are led by a priestess and/or a priest, we have a "degree" system (periods of study followed by initiations), we practice Pagan [non-Wiccan] forms of religion, and we do ethical magic on a regular basis.

Sources of Learning and Practice

The primary sources for our study and practices are based on the Celtic/Druidic forms of paganism and magical practices. However we are an eclectic discipline, drawing from any form of magic and paganism that will further our abilities to perform High Magic daily and bring us closer to understanding, worshipping, and working with the Elder Gods and Goddesses.

Some background, study and/or interest in Celtic (and especially the Druidic) religious and ritual practices would be helpful for a novice approaching this group. Along the same lines, Traditional Witchcraft practices (like those described by authors such as Robert Cochrane, Evan John Jones, Nigel Jackson, and Nigel Pennick) have been major sources of inspiration and information for our Tradition. Reading works by theses authors (or reading websites that contain similar content) would give a prospective member a clearer idea as to whether or not what we do is a good fit for that individual.

Essentially, we are interested in bringing the eldest practices forward in a way that makes sense for our contemporary lives and our specific locales. Each Coven is a allowed a little leeway to modify some of the practices (though certainly not all) in order to accommodate the needs of the specific Coven. The same is true on an individual level, though we expect our members (especially Dedicate members) to work within the structures of the Tradition as a whole. As one current prospective member put it, " There is both structure and flexibility."

Dragons, et al.

We are also very focused on working with "mythological" beings, especially Dragons. There is an entire magical system that members learn called "Walking the Dragon Path." The combination of our work with Dragons and our work with both Druidic and Traditional Witchcraft practices is part of what really sets us apart from so many other working Traditions. Each member cultivates a relationship with a specific Dragon, not as a pet but as a partner. Dragons, to us, are not mythological ideas or archetypes, but real magical beings capable of teaching us on an individual and group level. Working with Dragons and magical creatures enhances our understanding of our own abilities and limitations and lends power to our inner and outer work.

Our Purpose(s)

We meet and work and commit ourselves to walk this path for many individual reasons, but they seem to boil down to a basic core of concepts. We are here in service to ourselves, our Coven, the Gods and our communities.  We walk this path with this group of people because this is home, and they are family. We are here, first and foremost, as a part of personal, transformative spiritual practice -- one that becomes pervasive in every aspect of our lives. Without being a willing participant in the process of self-growth, personal development and inner change, one need not even approach our group with more than friendship and community fellowship in mind.

The Process

If what we have described above is appealing to you, please read further about what we require of Dedicates.

This site was last updated on Sept 7, 2008