Although many of our covens go back, well far too long to be accurately be able to tell the earliest point, and many more are built on traditional families or others who have joined us, over the last few years we have, like many of the pagan areas, received a considerable number of new members and set up many new study groups and covens.
Rather than grow by splitting covens or requiring some people to leave covens in order to start new ones we have chosen another route that has worked very well.
We first put a new group of people together as a study group. The objective being for them to find out all about the craft, and to look at various practices, ceremonies, craft skills and more, to advise them when they ask and to provide a level of leadership in terms of suggesting topics and options to consider.
When the group are ready, they can decide to convert either the whole group or a part of the group into a coven, at which point, with only a skeleton laid down, they develop all their own coven practices, ceremonies, dress code, and decide the role each will take. The product is a coven where its members own all the decisions, and ceremonies, as well as much more. Not all groups will choose to be Water Witches, in some cases another of the traditional or new age groups may appeal more, and we are happy that you find a path that suits you.
From this point they develop as a family unit, supporting each other, experimenting, seeking advice when they need to but independently growing in confidence and craft skills.
These groups or covens, may seek advice from Aqua, who is the leader of our order or any other that he should suggest, and will listen to what he has to say on every matter, will offer him the respect and honor he is due, but are free to make their own decisions and to learn from their own mistakes should they wish.
Covens pay no fee to any other group, or administration, but are expected to be self supporting, and to repay any individual or coven that has been involved with helping them get started.
Firstly you need to find a group of people who are interested, and this is far easier than you might imagine, you could put a newspaper advert in asking anyone interested in joining such a group to contact you, or you could choose to put a series of cards in shop windows all around the area you wish to cover.
Once you have the enquires the next stage is to contact people and either invite them to see you or fix a date and time to visit them. See them individually not as a group, so that you can find out the experience and interest of each. You may find you have more people than you can get into a single group and be able to identify another from amongst them who could run another group as well as your group.
At some point you will need to decide if you are going to lead the group or if you have found someone who you would prefer to lead, perhaps because they have experience already or because they would make a good leader, as you are the person setting up the group you get to make this initial decision.
You also need to decide where the group is to meet, and if the whole group will meet, or if you are going initially to have a number of smaller groups, where people may feel more inclined to play an active part.
At the first meeting you need to explain the basis of the group,. its objectives and what you hope will happen. Then get each person starting with you, to say who they are and what your interests are, why for example you want to become a part of this group.
You need a discussion programme and we will provide you with one although you can change anything about you like or create your own.
We suggest that if possible we have an experienced Water Witch visit your group at the third or forth meeting, by this point you have got to know each other, and have discussed the bare bones and will have already have come up with some questions. The objective at this meeting should be to get an overview of what being a Water Witch entails, and gain far more insight into what your group will be able to do. The Water Witch will not tell you what to do or set a timetable for you, that is your decision. The Water Witch will require no fee, but it would be nice if you were to treat them as an honored guest, cover any costs necessary in staying near you, food and travel costs or invite them to stay in one of your homes.
Your study group are free to choose any path, or tradition, or of course none at all. You do not have to become a Water Witch coven. You may find that only a part of your group wish to become a coven, and you have the freedom to do what you wish.
Should you choose to then, you go on and develop your coven book, often referred to as the book of shadows that sets down what your coven believes, its ceremonies and more. Being developed by your own group it is both relevant to you and owned by your group.
From here you can, between you, collect or make the various items you want to use from costume to tools. At no point do you buy anything from us or make any payments to us.
As you move forward you are a completely self governing coven, making your own mistakes and learning along the way. You can of course ask for advice and may be able to have either joint meetings with some other covens or visitors from them to speak to you.
Aqua, the High King of the Water Witches, tries where he can to visit some covens, and to share his wisdom with you, but although few would not follow his advice, he always gives guidance and never instructs you in what you should do.
In practice although covens have independence, and have each formed their own ceremonies and beliefs, there is in practice very little between them, and where differences do exist it tends to be in what we could call the circus bit, ceremonials, costumes and the like.
The section of this site under our craft, should give you a fairly good idea as to what we believe in and how most covens work.
Living in a society where so many people will see an evil where none was intended many covens across all paths and traditions do limit the age of entering a coven to 18 to avoid potential problems. In most cases once established many of our covens also follow this, however it is usual for people from 14 to be able join the study group and take part in all discussions as equal partners. Younger people who have a very strong interest or where the rest of their family are involved can be included if within your group this can be arranged in a sensitive way. It might for example be possible on occasions that they are asked to help an adult to get refreshments ready where you have a topic to discuss that you do not want them to be present for. When a coven is formed from the study group these younger people would be able to join, but depending on the type of ceremonies and other rituals you develop and dress code you use, you may have to impose some limits on the meetings young people can attend. You should however as far as you can develop your group so as to include any younger people rather than to exclude them, and it may be that with some, some covens develop an inner and outer circle, where new members and young members have to first spend some time in the outer circle, which may not be so fully involved or take part in only some coven meetings, or split from the main coven to have a study meeting for some of the time.
From a philosophical viewpoint we see no reason why a young person should be able to attend a Christian service but not a pagan one, or to learn about Christianity but not about other beliefs. The answer has to be to progress with caution where young people are involved.
Where a group of young people have themselves set up a study group and move on to form a coven, then they will set it up so that it is right for them at this stage, recognizing they can modify the coven to involve a wider range of activities, ceremonies and magic later.