Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More

Written specifically for starting witchcraft covens, it's insight can also apply to starting just about any organized group of folks sharing a spiritual path. It takes you through just about everything the leader of these groups would need to think about before, during and after forming up. It spends a good deal of time on how to identify the right people for your group, how to deal with mundane issues like using someone's home as a temple or how to get a separate temple area and ideas for dealing with the inevitable financial issues associated with any group. It even gets into fun activities that the group could get together and participate in. It's a must-read for anyone planning on starting his or her own church / coven / grove.

This book is an unbeatable resource for Wiccan covens and similarly structured groups. There is some basic background on Paganism, then chapter after chapter about every conceivable aspect of finding, creating, or sustaining a healthy coven: finding people, deciding on coven activities and scheduling them, coven leadership structures, different systems of initiation, coven offices, group dynamics, activities, community relations, legal and financial matters, counseling, and more. There are multiple options for just about everything, so you can use this book regardless of the kind of coven you would prefer to develop and work with. There are sample rituals, advertisements, flyers, articles of incorporation, and liturgy. The author has decades of experience in forming and maintaining healthy covens that last more than the 2-3 years that is the national average these days. The whole thing is written in a down-to-earth style peppered with humor and fun. It really demystifies the coven and gets down to business about how good ones actually work. Whether you are seeking to establish a new coven or energize/stabilize an existing one, you'll be coming back to this book frequently for its thorough and varied treatments of virtually everything you need to give thought to. This is one you'll use.

The coven I belong to, and helped found fell apart recently, leaving us with three members, one of whom is currently on a Sabbatical.I wish I had read this book BEFORE my friend and I had started our group! I'm currently going through the book page-by-page and when I'm finished the other active member will do the same. Then we'll start to look for more members.NEVER, NEVER, start a Witch's coven without first reading this book!Particularly helpful is the section on Coven Offices and By-laws. Also the section of problem personalities is quite enlightening, having encountered the Adoring Accolate and the Drama Addict in two of our former members.There are two other excellent books which should also be part of any coven's library. They are Wicca Covens: How To Start And Organize Your Own by Judy Harrow and Inside A Witch's Coven by Edain McCoy. The title of the first book is somewhat innacurate. A better title would be Group Dynamics In Wiccan Groups And How To Handle Disputes. The second book, Inside A Witch's Coven doesn't have a lot of information that I consider useful in starting or running a coven, but it is a great book to read if you're thinking of joining a coven and helping you do decide what kind of coven to join!

Covencraft by Amber K is on my required reading list for anyone trying to establish (or join) a working group or coven. This book covers the basics of finding people, deciding if you can work with them, establishing a study group, and finally establishing a coven. It then goes on to cover some of the most common logistical issues any coven will face.The book is practical, and thorough. From how to write the flyer to put up on a bulliten board, to how to interview prospective coveners, and beyond, the book will take you through the arduous task of finding people to practice, work, and worship with. This is not a small book, it is one of the larger and weightier books in my library, but it covers a great deal.This is not a "basic Wicca" book. It does not cover the rudiments of the beliefs, the "why" of the religion. This book covers, and covers very well,the mechanics and logistics, the "how" of the religion. Of course it reflects some of the authors bias on how the coven should be set up, the heirarchy of the coven and so on, but these can be easily re-worked to suit a group with differing beliefs. While the entire focus of the book is on covens and groups, it has been of value to me and many others who have practiced as solitaries, which most of us do at some point.

Amber K's 500 page book is loaded with information related to finding a coven, founding a coven, and making sure you know what you want from a coven before you begin the process. It has numerous examples of how to implement the suggestions outlined in the chapters. . Covencraft includes chapters on finances, offices, new members, ritual, the sabbats & esbats, training & initiation, group dynamics, counseling, elders, traditions, and networking. This book is a must for any High Priest/ess, and strongly recommended for anyone interested in joining a coven.