Eye Harvester's #W101

Witchcraft 101 Episode #11

Groups

Almost everyone starts solitary. You find the Craft. You read, study, gain power and knowledge,
develop a relationship with gods and spirits.

But just like learning anything, it helps to have a teacher to guide you, and peers to discuss your
lessons with. This group provides that to an extent, yet there is much to be gained in personal
contact.

Groups of witches come in many varieties, but for our purposes, we will focus on three.

Study groups, prayer groups, and covens.

Study groups.

Study groups are based on learning. This could be a mentor and student, a teacher and a class, or
a group of peers sharing information. It could be informal, in a home or coffee shop, or it could
occur in a classroom.

One advantage of this arrangement is obvious, gaining knowledge and insight into the Craft. It
often has disadvantages also, in that it usually doesn't involve actual practice, and the teacher
often requires a moral code, based on her religion.

I'm involved with a few study groups, one a formal class with a teacher, on Fridays, and one with
the SotG, before ritual, in which we discuss archetypes of the God.
The right group can do you a great deal of good. It offers both learning and an association with
like minded people.

Prayer groups

These are groups, usually sharing a common religious background, which meet for rituals and
other celebrations, and for various purposes. Often they involve offerings to gods, energy work,
chanting or music, and other activities specific to the religion involved.

Advantages of this kind of group are great, because if you join one, everyone will be the same
general religion as you. It is a real community, and you can learn all kinds of things from the
people there.

Of course, they don't generally let just everyone in. It's a religious thing, and it doesn't really
work unless you are really into that tradition.

Covens

A coven combines the benefits of all of the above. New initiates are trained, both formally and
informally. Prayer, ritual and energy work are almost always involved, and spellcraft is
common. An initiate will receive direct magickal training, historical and mythological
knowledge, and participate in ritual and group spells.

They are often religiously exclusive, and sometimes require a trial period before initiation.

Some Important Advice

For a new witch, the desire to be involved may overwhelm our sense of self preservation. It's
important to check a group out for a while. If you like the people, and your views on the Craft
are similar, hang out with them for a while, then ask if you can attend a meeting.

Some covens are really freaky, even predatory. If you feel uncomfortable, or are bothered by
anything happening, just leave. Covens have required nudity, sex, taking drugs, self harm and
animal sacrafice. If your into that, fine. If not, get your ass out fast.

If you find a group agreeable, and become friends with the group members, by all means, try to
join.

. I was a solitary witch for most of my life, then in my mid twenties I began celebrating Sabbats
and esbats with the local covens. Only recently have I joined an actual coven and observing
moons in a group.

As an example, I'll describe two of my favorite groups to work with.

First, the largest local coven, the Church of Our Lady, offers metaphysical classes every Friday.
I've been attending them since 2001. They also have Sabbats and esbats open to the public,
which I've been attending since 2007. We do a seasonally appropriate ritual, followed by a
potluck dinner.

The core group members are Wiccan, with a Heathen, and I guess me.

Last year, I began joining the group for moons, with the more exclusive inner group. We draw
down the moon, do a little spell casting, and leave. I'm not a full member, more like a friend of
the family, so I don't know what they do at other times.
My absolute favorite group formed on the internet last year, in November, and began meeting in
January. The Sons of the Goddess is an all male group, based in Oklahoma City, but our
members span the entire state. We meet Friday evening nearest the New Moon.

Other than being all male, it's everything I want in a group. It's extremely eclectic, with Heathens
and Thelemics and all kinds of crazy individual paths, me, and a few quite powerful magicians.
Very knowledgeable group.

We begin with a potluck supper, and conversation. We then spend an hour discussing an
archetype of the divine masculine, and how to use it to improve ourselves as men.

Following our discussion, we hold a ritual dedicated to that month's archetype, always led by a
different member, and while we've only met three times, it's always been powerful, very intense,
and primal.

So those are the groups it took me decades to find, one of which i helped create last year. Be
careful in how you select any people or groups, but get out there. Its 2018 now. It's not like it
was when I grew up, there are millions of us here.

So get out of the broom closet. Here's a few websites just for pagan networking, just off the top
of my head.

www.witchvox.com

www.paganspace.com

So do your homework, and browse around for a teacher, or study group, or coven. Or just some
magick friends. Don't hide. Don't be a hermit.
Brightest Blessings

Eye Harvester