Coven vs. Solitary There are many differences between working with a coven and working as a solitary. Whether these differences are good or bad is up to you to decide for yourself. When working in a coven, you more people, and can, naturally, generate more energy then when you work alone. This can have drawbacks however. When you work with a coven, the energy you get depends of the type of energy the group puts out. Say that one coven member is in a really bad mood, but goes into circle anyway without letting go of their problem. Now, when you raise energy, you have that negative energy mixed in. This is not done on purpose of course, but it is something which can happen. When it is just you raising the energy, you know how you feel, and what kind of energies you will generate. You will know what time of day you have more energy to spare, and so on. Also, working as a solitary gives you the freedom to do whatever you wish. Say you really really want to cast a love spell on someone. Many Wiccans do not agree with casting a love spell on a specific person, and you would be looked upon badly if you were to try to drag your coven into a spell of this sort. If you are a solitary, you only have to deal with yourself. With a coven, you know when you will be getting together to celebrate or work magick, which makes scheduling work shifts and such pretty easy. However, it is not always easy to call together the whole group for any emergency which might come up. As a solitary, you can cast a circle and perform a ritual whenever and whereever you want to. In a coven, you can always be sure that there will be someone for you to ask any questions you may have, and learn from other peoples experiences, while as a solitary you are limited to other sources of info, like books and the web for example. Most covens have a definite stucture of thier practices. What I mean by this is they perform the same ritual for the same holidays each year, and they honor the same gods all the time. As a solitary, you can change a ritual everytime you perform it, and change which dieties are honored. Also, as a solitary, you are not limited to the groups beliefs when creating a ritual or a spell. For example, say you are in a coven that, for whatever reason, does not acknowledge the Egyptian Gods. You have a need to do a spell involving cats, and you wish to incorporate the help of Bast, the Egyptian goddess, who is associated with cats. If you are a solitary, then you have the freedom of choosing what dieties you worship and honor. Well, I could go on for days, but I think you get the main idea. If it sounds a little like I am partial to solitaries, that is because I have been practicing as a solitary sice I began. Only recently have I found a coven which I have been attending open circles with. There are definitely some excellent qualities about working with a coven that you just cannot get as a solitary, but the purpose of this site is to help out solitaries, so that is what I am focusing on. Different Traditions There are many different types of Wicca...different denominations. These are known as traditions. Here, I will list some of them, but be sure that there are many many more than what I can list here. Alexandrian Traditions Founded in England during the 1960s, Alex Sanders referred to himself as the King of his Witchs. The rituals are said to be modified Gardenarian. British Traditional Witch A mix of Celtic and Gardenarian beliefs. Most famous organization at this time is the International Red Garters. British Traditlonals move mostly from within teh Farrar studies (the famous Witch husband and wife from England.) They too are fairly structured in their beliefs, and train through the degree process. Their covens are also co-ed. Celtic Wicca The use of a Celtic/Druidic pantheon mixed with a little ritual Gardenarian, and heavily stressing the elements, nature and the Ancient Ones. They had a vast knowledge of and respect for the healing and magickal qualities of plants and stones, flowers, trees, elemental spirits, the little people, gnomes, and faeries. Caledonii Tradition Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition, this demonination of the Craft is Scottish in origin, and still preserves the unique festivals of the Scots. Ceremonial Witchcraft Followers of this Tradition use a great deal of ceremonial Magick in their practices. Detailed rituals with a flavor of Egyptian magick are sometimes a favorite, or they may use the Qabbalistic magick. Dianic Tradition First pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in The Witch-Cult in Western Europe, this term appears to include a mixture of various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged as the feminist movement of the Craft. Eclectic Witch Look in any personals column in a Craft-oriented newsletter or journal and you will see this catch-all phrase. Basically, it indicates that the individual does not follow any particular Tradition, demonination, sect, or magickal practice. They learn and study from many magickal systems and apply to themselves what appears to work best. Gardenarian Tradition Organized by Gerald Gardener in England in the 1950s. Just why is this fellow so darned important? Gerald was one of the few people so determined that the Old Religion should not die that he took the risk of publicizing it through the media. Under all the hype, I truly believe he understood that the young needed the Craft as much as the Craft needed a new generation to survive. Hereditary Witch One who can trace the Craft through their family tree and who has been taught the Old Religion by a relative who was living at the same time. Channeling doesnt count. How far one has to go back on the family tree to meet the conditions of the first part of this definitions is debatable. Family Trades (another name for Hereditary Witches) occasionally adopt individuals into their dynasty. This decision is never a light one, and usually stems from the lack of offspring to carry on the line, or the high regard they hold for the person in question. The ceremony is intricate and important. After all, it is not every day you can pick your relatives. It is muck like the marriage of an individual into your family. Kitchen Witch You will this term every once in a while. Basically, this type is one who practices by hearth and home, dealing with the practical side of magick, religion, the earth and the elements. There are some who groan loudly at this type of terminology, viewing it as degrading or simply inappropriate. Just remember that the Old Religion started somewhere, and most likely the kitchen (or cookfire) was the hub of many charms, spells, healings, and celebrations. After all, where does everyone congregate during the holidays? Grandmas kitchen has always produced magickal memories for humanity; visions of Mother making that special something for a sick child still holds true for many of us. Pictish Witchcraft Scottish Witchcraft that attunes itself to all aspects of nature: animal, vegetable, and mineral. It is a solitary form of the Craft and mainly magickal in nature with little religion. Pow-Wow Indigenous to South Central Pennsylvania. This is a system, not a religion, based on 400-year-old Elite German magick. Pow-Wow has deteriorated to a great degree into simple faith healing. Although Pow-Wow finds its roots in German Witchcraft, few practicing Pow-Wows today in Pennsylvania follow teh Craft or even know the nature of its true birth. Satanic Witch One cannot be a satanic Witch because Witchs do not believe in satan. Seax-Wica Founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973. Although of Saxon basis, it was authored by Raymond himself without breaking his original Garderian oath. Raymond Bucklands contribution to the Craft is a significant one. Not only did he develop a Tradition that is more than acceptable to many individuals, he also has written a large volume of textbooks on different magickal aspects and practices of the Craft, thereby enhancing many lives in a positive direction. Solitary Witch One who practices alone, regardless of Tradition, denomination, or sect. Solitaries come in various forms. Some were at one time initiated into a coven and eventually chose to extricate themselves from that environment and continue practicing a particular Tradition or sect by themselves. A solitary can also be an individual who has no desire to practice with or learn from a coven structure, but still may adhere to a specific Tradition or sect through the teaching of another. For example, a member of a Hereditary Family may choose to teach a close friend the art and science of the Craft, but choose not to adopt them as a Family member for any number of reasons. And Finally, a solitary Witch can be a person who has decided to tough it out on their own, learning from books, networking, and fellow Witches of different Traditions. These people have the ability to pick themselves up and brush themselves off, and live to try again. More and more individuals are selecting the solitary path rather than that of group interaction. Another name for a solitary Witch is Natural Witch. You may hear this word from time to time as well. Strega Witches Follows a tradition seated in Italy that began around 1353 with a woman called Aradia. Of all the traditional Witches, this group appears to be the smallest in number in the United States; however, their teachings are beautiful and should not be missed. Teutonic Witch From ancient time the Teutons have been recognized as a group of people who speak the Germanic group of languages. Culturally, this included the English, Dutch, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish peoples. This is also known as the Nordic Tradition. The Wiccan Witch So far in this rundown of Witches you may have noticed that I very rarely use the terminology Wiccan, and that many of the definitions - other than individuals names and dates - are derived from my own understanding of them. I have listened to and read many arguments for and against the use of the words Wiccan and Witchcraft. I will tell you quite honestly that I have used both words when discussing my faith, depending on the recipients of my conversation. There are those who feel the term Witch is an egotistical one. Maybe so. Different words mean different things to a variety of people. Each individual must draw their own contusion as to the terms they use to describe themselves. I personally like the word Witch very much. To me, it means mystery, healing, power, special, differnet, abalance, and history. It means knowledge, secrets, the earth, and a bond with both the male and female sides of myself. The word Wiccan does not give me those feelings. It projects a different set of associations - weaving, church, New Earth, wicker furniture (dont ask me why) and the movie The Wicker Man (which although I despised, I fully understand). It also means front, a way to bring the public into accepting our belief system for what it actually is, not what their preconcieved ideas of a word dictates to them. Both words have their strong and weak points. It is simply how you view them that makes the difference. Neither definitions is better than the other; you must choose for yourself.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:45:51 +0000
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