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Author Topic: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?  (Read 10797 times)

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Aestarel

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Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« on: October 17, 2011, 11:59:57 PM »

To preface, I am 17 years old and beginning to study Wicca. I have had an interest in paganism for more than a few years, but this is my deepest foray into it so far.
My question is, is it better to seek out a coven and learn from them, or to learn in private and then decide whether or not to join a coven? Right now I'm leaning towards solitary learning for the purposes of a. making sure it's what I want to do and b. learning a bit by myself to try to prevent making a fool of myself in front of others. However, I can definitely see reasons to seek instruction. What should I do, in your opinion?
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Crystal Dragon

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2011, 01:42:57 AM »

It's your path and that's a question you must answer ... no one can answer it for you. ;)

That said, being under the age of a legal adult (18 in most states) it is unlikely you will find a coven willing to take you on before you reach that age.
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Aestarel

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2011, 02:01:34 AM »

being under the age of a legal adult (18 in most states) it is unlikely you will find a coven willing to take you on before you reach that age.
I did not know that. Good to be aware of. I suppose I can study solitaire for the next 5 months and then decide. :) thank you for the information.
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diniesaur

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2011, 07:22:46 AM »

I'm seventeen and studying Wicca/Paganism, too! I'm doing it mostly on my own right now, but my mom and dad both let me go to pagan groups sometimes. I haven't gone to covens, though. So far, the suggested reading lists in the Library forum are helpful to me. Maybe they will be helpful to you, too.
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BronwynWolf

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2011, 08:47:01 AM »

Diniesaur, what you've attended are basically open celebrations... a little different, since there isn't much actual teaching involved.

Aestsrel (and Dinie): READ READ READ Get your basics down, come up with a code of personal ethics, then maybe....Sometimes, joining or not joining a coven is a matter of availablity. Other times, it is a choice.
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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2011, 01:34:02 PM »


Joining a coven is a serious commitment- or if it isn't, it's not much of a coven- and not necessarily something you want to jump into. Nowadays there's so many other ways to get started, you can (and probably should) delay a coven decision.

peace,
ES
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Mongo

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2011, 12:38:50 AM »

Being in a coven is a wonderful thing. There is no denying the power and joy that being in a cohesive group of like-spirited people can invoke.

However if you land yourself in a group that does not take itself seriously or even takes themselves TOO seriously then there is no joy and the power is lackluster at best.

In short, miserable.

The best thing for you at this point is to become comfortable with who you are and with your relation to the divine however you perceive it. Go it solo for a while and learn what you can from books, forums and filter that through your heart and spirit and mind to see what works for you and what doesn't.

Then when you are there you will be better able to deal with encountering a coven that is...well...crap.

I say that since I've heard of covens so bad that people have turned away from Wicca altogether and since they left other religions because they were not right for them...they felt lost with nothing.

Yes there are groups that have crushed the spirits of newcomers. The sad thing is that some actually get off on doing that.

So by being self reliant you have a cushion against if/when you encounter a group like that. You'll be better able to say "Forget this, I'm going home to my altar and holding my own ritual."

A bit of advice. The simplest ritual you can do is to ask out loud "Hey guys, do you have a few minutes?" and start talking to The Divine. It is amazing how good it feels to simply sit there and talk about things that have amused you, things that worry you, and things that you want to see happen in your life. They don't even mind if you're doing it with you being elbow-deep in a stuck-on lasagna pan from last night's dinner. But simply talk to them. They'll not talk back but after a while you'll get the feeling that they're listening and that's a very comforting thing.

They also have a sense of humor so feel free to tell an amusing anecdote. You will feel them being amused.

They also may plant ideas into your head or have you notice something you never noticed before. They are subtle but they will help you with problems that you are willing to try to fix. You have to do the leg work, but they are not above nudging you towards something that may make the task easier.
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AmberRaven

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2011, 04:09:28 PM »

Being in a coven is a wonderful thing. There is no denying the power and joy that being in a cohesive group of like-spirited people can invoke.

However if you land yourself in a group that does not take itself seriously or even takes themselves TOO seriously then there is no joy and the power is lackluster at best.

In short, miserable.

The best thing for you at this point is to become comfortable with who you are and with your relation to the divine however you perceive it. Go it solo for a while and learn what you can from books, forums and filter that through your heart and spirit and mind to see what works for you and what doesn't.

Then when you are there you will be better able to deal with encountering a coven that is...well...crap.

I say that since I've heard of covens so bad that people have turned away from Wicca altogether and since they left other religions because they were not right for them...they felt lost with nothing.

Yes there are groups that have crushed the spirits of newcomers. The sad thing is that some actually get off on doing that.

So by being self reliant you have a cushion against if/when you encounter a group like that. You'll be better able to say "Forget this, I'm going home to my altar and holding my own ritual."

A bit of advice. The simplest ritual you can do is to ask out loud "Hey guys, do you have a few minutes?" and start talking to The Divine. It is amazing how good it feels to simply sit there and talk about things that have amused you, things that worry you, and things that you want to see happen in your life. They don't even mind if you're doing it with you being elbow-deep in a stuck-on lasagna pan from last night's dinner. But simply talk to them. They'll not talk back but after a while you'll get the feeling that they're listening and that's a very comforting thing.

They also have a sense of humor so feel free to tell an amusing anecdote. You will feel them being amused.

They also may plant ideas into your head or have you notice something you never noticed before. They are subtle but they will help you with problems that you are willing to try to fix. You have to do the leg work, but they are not above nudging you towards something that may make the task easier.

This! 100%
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Zlat

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Re: Coven or Solitaire for studying Wicca?
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2011, 11:01:06 PM »

Could have sworn there was an identical thread on this in this forum...

But yeah, minors... ethics... cushions...  :D
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