Covens and types of Witches

Covens are a group of people that come together to practice the art of Wicca, to participate in ritual and festivals. Each coven generally has a High Priest and Priestess, these people are responsible for the well fare of the Coven, teaching the ways of Wicca and organising events for the Coven to come together.

The Priest and Priestess are Witches that have gained enough wisdom deemed adequate to run a Coven. Traditionally, they have come from another Coven and have broken away after having permission from their teachers to leave. To become an official member of a Coven, depending on the traditions of that Coven, you may be required to take an Initiation/Dedication. A traditional Coven is not meant for everyone, many people may not feel comfortable practising with other people and they may prefer to practice in solitude. 

If joining a Coven is not for you, there are many different types of Witches that practice in Solitude, these people tend to be Eclectic and they prefer to teach themselves about The Craft. There are more specific types of Witches such as, Hedge Witches, these Witches practice their magic in the Kitchen more than anything else, they are known as healers and Herbalists. There are many more types of witches, please feel free to research into it. I would call myself an Eclectic Witch and I prefer to practice in Solitude.

Sabbats and the Wheel of the year

There are eight seasonal festivals and thirteen full moons. Over the year you can create eight Seasonal rites, this way you feel harmonized with nature and the Divine. Each festival can be dedicated to a specific God or Goddess, they each have their own individual rituals and they are great ways to celebrate the Seasons with the ones you love. Below I have listed the Seasonal festivals starting with the first of the year.

Samhain (31st October) - Also known as Halloween, Samhain is the most important Sabbat of the Witch's year. It marks the beginning and end of the Wheel of the year. The time when the Goddess returns as the Grandmother, she is past her bearing time but she can still pass on her wisdom through Spirit; for that reason, Samhain is a perfect time for you to practice your Divination skills.
In the Celtic calender, Samhain is considered to be a day outside the normal year, when a veil between the worlds of the living and dead were thinnest. For this reason, Samhain is also a day to commemorate you Loved ones, however, we do not summon the Spirits as it is not right to disturb the peace of those that have gone.
It is traditional to light a candle in the window, to welcome home the spirits and repel the bad ones. Another tradition is to honour the Horned one and go on 'The Wild Hunt'. The Wild Hunt is when the Horned one collects up lost souls, some covens enact the Hunt by setting a course and running though the woods.

Yule (21st December) - Yule marks the Winter Solstice, days begin to lengthen and the rebirth of the sun is celebrated. It is traditional to bring evergreen plants into the house, to give a reminder of life returning. Holly represents the God and Goddess as the berries signify the Mother returning and the green leaves symbolize the Holly King, he reigns until this time. On Yule, it is traditional to make a Yule log, this is not the eating kind. The Yule log is a wooden log with candles lit inside it, each member of the family would light one and express a wish for the oncoming Season.

Imbolg (2nd February) - The first signs of Spring are appearing at this time, it signifies the return of the Goddess as the Maiden and the God is reborn as a young man. Imbolg means 'in belly', which can be interpreted to mean the land and animals are pregnant. Now can be a good time to plant seeds in your garden.

Oestara (21st March) Oestara marks the Spring Equinox, a time when day and night are equal, it is also the time for balance and for throwing out the old to bring in the new. This Sabbat is celebrated as a Spring Festival, as you can see the leaves, first buds and shoots of the corn. Oestara is also a brilliant time for 'Spring cleaning'

Beltane (1st May) - Beltane is the second most important Witch's festival, it is the marriage of the God and Goddess, the Goddess becomes the Mother and the God returns to reign beside her. Again, it is a day when the veil between our worlds are thin, so be very careful when working magic at this time, as the spirits are at their most mischievous and your results will not be as accurate. Due to the Great Marriage, this festival is also linked to fertility. Traditionally at a May Day festival, you would find a partner if you did not have one. Beltane is a time for Witches to Handfast (get married), they would make their promises to eachother, a gold and silver cord is fastened around their hands to symbolize their union.

Litha (21st June) - Litha marks the Summer Solstice, it represents the height of the Sun Kings power, after this day his power decreases as the days shorten. Now is a good time to have an outdoor barbecue or picnic with your family, as the hot and green days are at their most delightful. The Goddess is still in her phase of the Mother, with the coming harvest she is full of promise.

Lammas (1st August) - The harvest is brought in, this festival is often related to sacrifice and death as we have to repay what we have been given. A great feast would be made with the new harvest to celebrate the blessing of the land. Small cakes would be made in the shape of men to honour the Corn King, this is the origin of the Gingerbread man. Bread can also be made in the shape of a sheaf of wheat, this is the Lammas bread. Lammas is a good time for considering the positives in your life.

Madron (21st September) - Madron marks the Autumn Equinox, day and night are equal and again this is the time for balance. Madron is also at its height of Harvest, it is the time for returning things to the way they should be. This is a time for forgiveness and to make up for regrets, it is the festival of Healing.

And so the Sabbats continue on to Samhain, that is the Wheel of the Year.

The God and Goddess

In Wicca the divine is both male and female. The God and Goddess appear to everyone in the form that an individual wishes to see them in. In history, there have been many stories of different God and Goddesses from all kinds of cultures. It is easy to think that they are each different deities, but they are actually the same Divine with a different face. It is difficult to list all the God and Goddesses from each culture, but I will list a few that are popular in the Wiccan religion.

The God - The male side to the Divine has often been depicted as the Great Hunter, God of the Forest and Lord of the Animals. He represents life, death and rebirth. This is seen in the cycle of the Seasons. To honour the God, there are yearly festivals for the harvest and Seasons. Below are a list of popular Gods:

Cernunnos - 'The Horned God', he is often depicted with horns or antlers, he is associated with particular animals such as the stag and ram-horned serpent. He has been described as a peaceful God of nature and fruitfulness, but also as the Lord of Wild things. He has Celtic origin and has been referenced to in some form since the earliest times of the Upper Palaeolithic; the first evidence of this is seen in Lascaux Cave in France. Throughout history, there has been reference to the 'Horned one', for example on an archaeological site called Star Carr in England; large amounts of antlers were uncovered, it was thought that the site was used for Seasonal Festivals and the people wore the antlers on their heads. Cernunnos can also go by the name of Herne the hunter, although Herne has his own story, if you are interested in learning more about the Gods please feel free to research.

The Goddess - The triple Goddess or Mother Goddess is a universal deity with a strong Lunar depiction, at different phases of the moon, she is called the maiden, mother and grandmother. She represents nature, fertility, the powers of healing and death. The Goddess has been present since our earliest ancestors, an example would be the 'Venus figurines', their shape and fertility was emphasized because it was essential to the life of the people. The Goddess has an overwhelming number of forms, as does the God throughout human history. She has appeared in the Greek legends as Aphrodite and Persephone. In the Celtic religion, she can be known as The Morrighan and Cerridwen.

Studying both sides to the divine is essential for you to fully understand Wiccan Worship, it may also help you to pick a specific face of the Divine to worship. I find that if you pick one image of the God and Goddess, it makes it easier to picture the Divine in your mind. For example you may choose Cernunnos and Cerridwen. It is your choice entirely, and you may decide to worship a particular face of the Divine for each season or Sabbat.

The Elements and Zodiacs

All of nature is made up of four Elements, Witches believe that these Elements together with the fifth Element make up ourselves and the world.

The Elements are real energies, which can be accessed by understanding the way they work around us. They represent different aspects of our being, Air are our thoughts, Earth is our physical body, Fire is our passion, Water our emotions and Spirit is the force which is ourselves.

The Five energies are represented in the Pentagram, this symbol is worn by many Witches and appears on the alter at rituals. During a ritual, you can also invoke the pentagram of a specific Element if you wish to cast a spell that requires the strengths of that Element.

Elements are also linked to the seasons, astronomy and the zodiacs. Below are some definitions of the Elements and their relation to the Zodiacs.

Air - The place of mind and body, source of logic and thought. This is the part of us that wants to learn, it is also the curious and youthful side to us. Air signs are good at making a point and starting anew. Although, Air signs can also seem detached and impersonal with their approach. The zodiacs associated with Air are: Aquarius, Libra and Gemini.


Fire - Fire heats the blood and is the source of sexuality. It is active, exciting and makes things happen. It is also renewing and purifying, as fire transforms, changes and destroys the ground for new growth. The passion from fire can bring love, life and creativity, it is also freedom and courage. However, those associated with fire are hot-tempered and argumentative. While fire is passionate, its intensity can also consume, it is impatient and never stops unless it is has burned itself out. The zodiacs associated with Fire are: Sagittarius, Aries and Leo.


Water - Accepting and tolerant, Water overcomes difficulties instead of confronting them head-on. It brings sorrow, love, compassion and empathy. It also brings fear and can overwhelm. Water is the well of information, it brings knowledge from meditation and knowing one's self. The zodiacs associated with Water are: Scorpio, Cancer and Pisces.

Earth - Earth is the physical body, its qualities are dependability, endurance and protection. It has a pleasurable side as it governs the source of life through sensuality. Earth can also be greedy and it can demand things in excess. It is important to appreciate both Earth's sense of peace and destruction. The zodiacs associated with Earth are: Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.


Not everyone will feel linked to their Element, but some people find aspects of themselves within another. However, it is important not to deny your Element as it still holds a part of you.

The Art of Magic and becoming a Witch

Witches believe in the practice of magic, it is a real force that can make changes to your life by the force of will. To continue down the path of Wicca, you must understand that it involves the development of magic and psychic powers but also the wisdom to use them. It requires you to understand that magic is not to be used mildly, but with respect and understanding.

If Wicca is indeed the path you have chosen, then studying all you can about the Craft is essential before you can become a 'Witch'. The basics you need to know are as follows:

The Gods and Goddesses, Sabbats, Candle magic, Divination, knowledge on the Elements, Herbalism, creating an alter, communing with nature, Environmental awareness and Spiritual awareness.

Only after you have learnt about these things, can you fully understand the art of Wicca. After you feel you know all you can know, you may then perform the Self-Initiation to officially enter into the Craft as a Witch. I will post about Self-Initiation in a later post.