Teen Covens

[Tari_Leralonde]

what are the pros and cons of them? Have you ever been in one? Metaphorically speaking, what would you tell a teenager who wants to create a coven, because of a lack of covens in their area?  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Tari_Leralonde

what are the pros and cons of them? Have you ever been in one? Metaphorically speaking, what would you tell a teenager who wants to create a coven, because of a lack of covens in their area?

Mmm...it would depend on what kind of coven.
A coven of witches? I would have to question if a teenager is able to handle the responsibilities and duties that come with being the head of a coven. I also question if a teenager will have enough experience to lead a coven and take care of potential problems (real life and magical) that arise. The same issues are in place if it's coven of eclectic Pagans.

I shouldn't need to explain why a "Wiccan" coven of teenagers is totally not possible xd  

[mechanical kitsy]

Ultraviolett1127

Tari_Leralonde

what are the pros and cons of them? Have you ever been in one? Metaphorically speaking, what would you tell a teenager who wants to create a coven, because of a lack of covens in their area?

Mmm...it would depend on what kind of coven.
A coven of witches? I would have to question if a teenager is able to handle the responsibilities and duties that come with being the head of a coven. I also question if a teenager will have enough experience to lead a coven and take care of potential problems (real life and magical) that arise. The same issues are in place if it's coven of eclectic Pagans.

I shouldn't need to explain why a "Wiccan" coven of teenagers is totally not possible xd

you can have a sort of teenage wiccan study group thing, but not a real coven. you kinda have to have a person from another coven that has the authority to make a new coven.
its just... not possible. i know, there's eclectic and all that, but half or three quarters of what people consider eclectic is not wiccan...  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

A religious coven, Wicca or not, is still a very structured thing. It is a formal worship group involving rules, laws, standard rituals, etc. You can't just throw a number of people together and call it a coven. It's hard work forming one.

Call it a "circle" and you get more respect. *shrug*

Of course, technically a coven is just a group of witches, so any number of witches who are particularly close might technically qualify. But I think it has particular implications nowadays.  

[doistu]

The idea of a study group or open circle would seem much safer.
You would be able to learn and study with the aid of equally capable peers and you'd avoid the stigma attached to a fluffy bunny coven.  

[Starlock]

In general, not being part of a larger religious community has its shortcomings. For better or worse, there is a general lack of easily accessible or well-organized Neopagan communities in most parts of the US. Major downsides? No place you can take your kids to raise them in the faith. No place you can go constantly for workshops and worship. No place you can go easily to meet like-minded people and feel like you belong to something greater. No place those outside of your faith can go if they want to ask questions. No place to represent Neopaganism to the mainstream in general.

Yeah. I'm a bit of an advocate for more organization. sweatdrop I find it a bit amusing how frightened many Neopagans are of organizing. If we did, we'd probably be quite similar to UU; the pros of having organization without the cons of demanding the same creeds.  

[Mirenithil]

I agree with what everyone else in this thread has said re: the amount of work and responsibility running a coven is.

A possibility for finding groups in your area is to do some reasearch at Witchvox.com. Look through the listings for groups in your state. Ya don't need me to tell you to be careful when you go pay any group of people you don't already know your first visit. XD  

[RubyLight]

Honestly, I think a study group would be better for a teenager. Also, I think teenagers in general have too much going on at that point in their lives to take on the challenges and responsibilities of a coven.  

[Clair Fay]

I'm actually the high priestess of a "teen" coven (only two of us are under eighteen, but no one is yet over nineteen or twenty) and like everyone has said--yes, it is difficult and yes, it does take a bit of self-dicsipline to keep myself going sometimes, especially with petty teenage drama. It's even harder concidering all of us either go to high school still or college and then all but two of us (and there are eight of us) have jobs and then our social lives. I have to make up "lesson plans" as I call them twice a week. We're all of different paths as well. One is a Celtic Recondtructionalist, one is completely Egyptian-based, I'm primarily Greek/Roman-based and then two are Wiccan... it just goes on and on.

Even now there is some petty teenage drama going on between two of the members and I'm helping deal with that. But all in all, I find it very rewarding.  

[The Amazing Jabels]

Well, there is only one other Pagan where I live, so I cannot really offer any advice here. I have no experience with covens.  

[Aryain Flames]

Ultraviolett1127

Tari_Leralonde

what are the pros and cons of them? Have you ever been in one? Metaphorically speaking, what would you tell a teenager who wants to create a coven, because of a lack of covens in their area?

Mmm...it would depend on what kind of coven.
A coven of witches? I would have to question if a teenager is able to handle the responsibilities and duties that come with being the head of a coven. I also question if a teenager will have enough experience to lead a coven and take care of potential problems (real life and magical) that arise. The same issues are in place if it's coven of eclectic Pagans.

I shouldn't need to explain why a "Wiccan" coven of teenagers is totally not possible xd

indeed. a pagan friend of mine and i do our esbat ceremonies together occasionaly, but it is certainly not a real coven. while i wouldnt mind being in a coven, im happy staying solitary, meeting occosionaly with a friend to study and share view points.  

[Equiriaum circlet]

Aryain Flames

Ultraviolett1127

Tari_Leralonde

what are the pros and cons of them? Have you ever been in one? Metaphorically speaking, what would you tell a teenager who wants to create a coven, because of a lack of covens in their area?

Mmm...it would depend on what kind of coven.
A coven of witches? I would have to question if a teenager is able to handle the responsibilities and duties that come with being the head of a coven. I also question if a teenager will have enough experience to lead a coven and take care of potential problems (real life and magical) that arise. The same issues are in place if it's coven of eclectic Pagans.

I shouldn't need to explain why a "Wiccan" coven of teenagers is totally not possible xd

indeed. a pagan friend of mine and i do our esbat ceremonies together occasionaly, but it is certainly not a real coven. while i wouldnt mind being in a coven, im happy staying solitary, meeting occosionaly with a friend to study and share view points.

Well, even though some teens arent very responsible doesnt mean that they cant be head of the coven, they have to learn how to handle situations liks this to help them later in life.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Equiriaum circlet

Well, even though some teens arent very responsible doesnt mean that they cant be head of the coven, they have to learn how to handle situations liks this to help them later in life.

Erm, no offense, but I'd rather not some teenager learn their life experiences at my expense confused
Some life experience is best learned first hand, not helping someone else through it.
And I'm wondering what expertise you feel a teenager would have in leading a coven?