I’ve been involved in a couple of established covens; however, over the years, they fell apart. As a solitary practitioner, I’ve found that I miss having a spiritual community. To remedy that, I’ve come up with something that I call the ‘flexible coven’ concept.
What is this magical ‘flexible coven?’ Is it a bunch of witches who do yoga together?
Maybe, but not necessarily.
A flexible coven is a group of friends who are pagans, polytheists, or witches. These people are all out of the broom closet with each other, and they practice magic or energy work in some form with each other.
Sometimes, your flexible coven is just you and your bestie in the woods. Other times, it’ll will be you and three hundred people at a big pagan gathering ritual. Your flexible coven can even be made of strangers in a facebook group who’ll light a candle for you or send you some healing energy if you ask for it.
Your flexible coven size will change depending on what you need, when you need it, and who can provide it. People can cycle in and out, depending on their availability and willingness to do the work.
The flexible coven concept is a good solution for solitary witches and pagans who need community just as much as people in established covens. Even if some solitaries are introverts, once they’re out and about, they often still relish the opportunity to feel something bigger than themselves with other people.
There are a few potential downsides to the flexible coven, of course! With ephemeral people, it’s possible that no lasting relationships will be formed. It’s also possible that you’ll be working with someone of a different belief system; or someone who is not as advanced as you (or way more advanced). The flexible coven has no established traditions, so there’s bound to be variability in methods and mannerisms. There will also be flakes who won’t show up because there are no ties that bind them to any group.
But there are upsides, too; the biggest of which is magical community. When two or more people get together, something changes. If everyone is earnest in their workings of the magic, the energy they share can escalate faster than by one person alone. You can also draw on the wisdom of others and learn from them. The flexible coven is also how leaders are born — leaders who see a need for someone to take the reins, and do it. It gives them informal practice so that they can decide if leadership is a path for them. Having a flexible coven removes the pressure to show up at a certain time and place, and gives people more freedom to decide what they want to do with their time.
To start up your flexible coven, add your spiritual or witchcraft work to existing friendships. It’s really easy to do some herb magic, a candle spell, or a quick banishing. Use your intuition to do whatever feels right. This not only gives you more magical support in the moment; it can also deepen a friendship into something more meaningful.
If you’re a solitary, does this concept work for you? Do you already do something like this with your friends?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below.
Bright blessings, as always!
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