I was getting ready to post articles about Imbolc and Lammas but my Spirit Guides had a different idea of what I should post today.
I was asked by one of the Adept witches in our online coven to talk a little about my time as a newbie in a coven and what it was like on up to where I am today. So I will begin this journey of telling about my journey with my novices year and a day. Let me stress that all covens are different in how they treat newcomers and even established members. Some have very strict rules while others have seemingly no rules. So if you are interested in a specific coven make sure it is a good fit for you and how you want to study The Craft and you are a good fit for their group.
My instructors, as I did not consider them being mentors as we had no real personal relationship, were pretty different than how I mentor my novices. I was a novice about 40 years ago and a lot has changed. The coven I was in during the time I was a novice was Wicca not really any well know tradition just WIcca. First, of all, I was not allowed to attend any actual coven gatherings until I had studied for six months. My first six months of studies were basically reading different papers written by the elders in the coven and books they told me to read than doing written assignments for each thing I read. There were specific questions that pertained exactly to the papers or books I read and I had to basically do book reports for some of them. I was discouraged from reading anything that was not assigned reading. Secondly, my written assignments ranged from how to set up an altar to how to commune with animals (something I am still working on achieving today). I wrote nothing about spells, rituals or how to write and perform them, this was considered too advanced for a novice. I only had access to the oldest members of the coven one evening per week to call if I had a question about what I was working on that week. This made it very difficult at times for my studies to progress as fast as the coven or I would have liked. When I was finally allowed to attend coven gatherings I was not allowed to speak to anyone before the ritual started or during it. I was allowed to mingle with coven members after the ritual but not to ask questions about my studies unless I could get one of the elders aside where no one else could hear us. It was an extremely stressful year and a day for me to the point of me seriously thinking I was on the wrong spiritual and magickal path. I did make it through their novice training but when it came time to be brought into the coven as an adept I chose to try a different coven in a totally different town as I did not really want to run into any of the first coven’s members.
Please keep in mind my experiences were about 40 years ago and every coven is different in how it brings new members into it.Next time I will talk a little about my Adept year and a day which was much more pleasant than the novice level. Not just because I knew more but because the coven was a lot more welcoming and caring.
Until then dear ones try to bring something magickal into your life every day thank will bring you happiness or joy or love or caring or comfort or whatever you need that day. Much love and many blessings from me to you my dear ones.
Enchanted Circle of Witches® 