Immediately this suggests a few critical elements of what divination is:

• It is about seeking. Looking. Searching. It is not just being given answers.
• Not just about fortune telling – not just about the future but about anything unknown
• It is about seeing the unseen. Knowing the unknown. Exactly the work of the witch.
• It involves the supernatural. This is not just a cold process or formula. It involved something more than human.

All of this comes together to start giving us a picture of what divination is, and why its such a useful skill for a witch to have. When we divinate we seek information which is not readily available by other means. We use divination to see beyond the obvious. To see beyond the mask of the mundane world.

We can use divination to better under the situation or issue we face.

It can help to illuminate the potential options ahead of us. We all have blind spots – about ourselves and about our lives – and we might not be able to see all the possibilities ahead of us. Divination can show you the paths you cannot see, helping increase your options, and therefore your chances of achieving the result you want.

What Divination is Not

Divination is not a system for producing immutable prophecies.

It gives information for you to make decisions – better informed decisions – and take appropriate actions. Those actions can change the situation and therefore the outcome.

Divination can show you the easy path of least resistance, and the result that will produce. It cannot tell you whether or not you will choose to take this path!

It can show you the challenges of the harder roads, ways these can be faced, and the potential gains if you overcome them. But it cannot make you do the work!

Divination shows you a map of the landscape, and describes the possibilities laid out upon it. But it requires you to use its results to empower you.  If you allow it to be a prophecy and continue the current path unchanged then it will be a prophecy.

Types of Divination

It seems almost obligatory these days that we all learn tarot. I say this with no judgement – I’m currently taking a tarot course and I own several different decks!

But there is so much more to divination.

I very rarely make proclamations of what someone should or shouldn’t do. And I’m not about to say you are not a ‘real witch’ if you don’t learn divination. Or indeed if you don’t use it.

Because that would be B******t!

There is no set of rules for what makes a real witch. And even if there was I wouldn’t pretend to be the grand high poohbar who knew what they were.

But if you are going to use divination in your magic, you really need to learn how to do it. You need to do the work. Because there are going to be things in your magic that only you can read. Things that spirits YOU work with will only tell YOU.

And why would you want to give up your agency to someone else anyway?

This is your life and your magical path so grab it with both hands.

Take responsibility for it.

 And that advice goes for so much more than just divination.  

Divination is a lot easier to master than many fear. Relax and trust your intuition and your spirit team or guides (even if you don’t feel you yet have them).

That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for having others read for you.

When you have a situation in your life where you know you have a big blind spot, then an independent reader you trust can help bring a new perspective.  Someone talented in a different form of reading to you can help you expand the knowledge of a situation.

There is a time and place for readings from others – but I’m willing to bet at least one reason for using them is a lack of confidence. And we can work on that. We are witches. We got this!

How do I learn?

There are literally hundreds of books and thousands of articles online covering every form of divination you can think of. Do a bit of initial reading and see what resonates.

See which authors you vibe with.

The same goes for choosing your tarot pack, or your rune set, or your bones. What matters is that you connect with them – not which pack follows some arbitrary rules set by a random expert.

Everyone has a slightly different style – so the best book on runes is the one which teaches you to read in a way you resonate with for example. And the best tarot pack is the one which sings to you when you hold it.

So you have a book. You have a set of pretty ogham sticks.

But then, pretty quickly, you need to start just doing it.

Ask a question and throw your lot. Pull your card. Gaze into the cauldron fire. See what it says.  You will be surprised how quickly you get good results.

Once you have a bit of confidence start to read for other people. Start with open minded family and friends. Or take your kit along to your local moot or witchy meet up.

Or there are lots of online forums you can join to swap practice readings.

Then stick with it!

Keep going.

Divination gives results almost straight away, but the results get much better and much stronger with consistent practice over many weeks and months and years.

This week I am continuing the witchcraft A to Z with Covens. Specifically – why you might like to join a coven, how to join a coven, and what to watch out for if you decide that joining a coven is right for you.

First question – What is a Coven?

Well that’s actually quite a difficult question! But a simple answer, which I think works quite well is that it is a gathering of witches who come together to do magic and witchy things.

The term coven can cover a wide range of groups and approaches. Every tradition does things a little differently. And one blog post can never hope to be a definitive guide to what modern a coven is. Or is not.

In a short article its simply not possible to do justice to such BIG topics.

So in this blog I’m taking a broad brush approach and I am including any magical group of witches. They might call themselves a hearth, or a study group, or a circle, or a sanctuary or even a temple. I include anything which is a group of people, getting together and practicing witchcraft.

Why Should you Join a Coven?

Hey – don’t look at me! I never said you should join a coven!!

I’m not going to tell you if its better to join a coven or be a solitary witch. Only you can decide that.  It’s different for every witch – and you may change you mind. Sometimes more than once.

Arguing about whether being in a coven is better than not being in a coven is like arguing about whether chocolate is better than brie cheese.

Actually, that’s an argument I often have with myself………

Anyway!

Let’s dig into some of the things you need to think about before deciding to join a coven.

The Benefits of Joining a Coven

1. The Company.

The biggest benefit of joining a coven in my view is the company. The family of witches you join. Having other people learning alongside you, and people who are further on their journeys can be wonderful.

When done right group ritual and worship can really pack a punch.

Importantly, the dynamic in a small, tight knit group during ritual is entirely different from an open group ritual. A coven which works together regularly builds a power and magic which sets them aside, which transforms its people by being part of it. And you can be more open, more yourself, less restricted in a small intimate working group. More real if you like.

Conversely – just like a family – the company can be the hardest part! Families see you at your best and at your worst, and they offer advice whether you want to hear it or not. Covens are not just there for the good times. They are there for the bad. To stretch you and develop you. To tell you the uncomfortable truths. Don’t go into this expecting Love and Light at every corner. A family is a family – warts and all.

But what about the not so good Covens?

There are many reasons why a coven may not be right for you.

Some covens are just not good covens for you –a different ethos, a different path, a different fit.  Remember that every coven is different – not all covens are wiccan for a start! They are not all run by a High Priestess or offer 3 different levels of initiation. Or any initiation. They don’t even all meet for Full Moon rituals (I KNOW!! Shocking). But this doesn’t make them bad covens!  Learn about the tradition or style of coven you are considering before judging it. Most likely they are great covens, but they are wrong for you.

Other Covens are not well run covens. The leaders may not be particularly well trained or are in the early stages of learning themselves for example. Or perhaps there is just a lack of organisation.

Some are just a bit dysfunctional – personality clashes not dealt with, or excessive in fighting and cliques. Generally best avoided.

But some are dangerous. Some have very unhealthy habits. Some should be avoided like the plague.

The problem is that when you are a beginner it can be very, very difficult to know the difference. Some of the worst covens are run by the most charismatic of personalities.  Some have cult like followings which seem like positive endorsements.

And some of the very best covens are hidden in the shadows, run by slightly socially awkward people better suited to talking to spirits than humans! Many very good covens will have a long list of people they had to reject who might be feeling bitter and talk them down.

So, the hard truth is you have to use your own discernment. Which is good because you need to develop this to be a witch anyway!

To help you get started here are 5 Big Red Flags to help you know what to avoid.

1. Overly Secretive.

You should expect some level of secrecy with covens. You may be asked to never publicly name the coven you are in. You will probably be told to never name other members of the coven without their express permission. You will likely be asked not to share the training. That is all normal – and comes from a place of protecting privacy of members.

What is not acceptable is insisting that you hide membership from your family/spouse/closest friends. You should never be asked to lie about where you are or what you are doing. In my coven we have the exact opposite rule – we insist you tell them! You don’t need to share all the details. But you cannot pretend you have joined a dance class. I refuse to be complicit in you lying to people you love and live with. And we will always meet with family in a non-witchy setting if asked. We know families worry and we will do what we can to put minds at rest that we are not raving crazies. Just minor level crazy!

If a coven demands complete secrecy, ask why. And if the answer is lacking, walk away.

2 Probing questions are not well answered

You should always be allowed to ask questions in a coven. And you deserve good answers. Leaders who don’t like questions often have something to hide.

You are entitled to disagree with anything you are taught. As a witch you have a responsibility to develop discrimination and to challenge everything before accepting it as fact, just because its what you are told.

If you don’t get good answers to questions when you are enquiring about a coven, you can pretty much guarantee you won’t get good answers to questions once you join.

Of course, the flip side to this is that if you disagree with everything you are being taught then the coven might not be a good fit for you anyway! And you might be politely released if your views are totally at odds with the coven teachings. But the point is you should have an opportunity – and be encouraged – to explore the topic. To understand it. And to make informed choices.

3. Sex is a requirement of training or initiation

Sex should never be a requirement. Full Stop.

You should never feel pressured to have sex. Full Stop.

Sex has a place in witchcraft. A very consensual place.

If you feel uncomfortable walk away. And speak to someone in the community you trust. You never have to deal with it alone.

4. Very High Prices are demanded

Just because its witchcraft and magic doesn’t mean its free. I don’t buy into any of the modern new age ‘never charge for magic’ stuff. But, that said, covens are not businesses (some covens do run businesses though….).

You may well be asked to contribute to the running costs of a coven. A small monthly contribution is entirely normal. You would be surprised how quickly costs add up! You should not expect to be given everything for free (and if the coven leaders do run a business you absolutely should not expect them to provide those services for free).

But, demands for very high prices are not usual. Only you can judge how much is too much and what value you are getting back in return. Ask yourself – is it costs or profit? If you feel your main purpose as a coven member is to make the coven leader rich then you have probably spotted a red flag!

5. Your GUT tells you something is off.

If you are looking to join a coven then the chances are you’ve been doing a little bit of witchcraft. Your senses are starting to prick up. And if something feels off, or wrong, it probably is.

If a coven asks anything of you that makes you feel uncomfortable, listen to that voice. Trust your instincts.

Its impossible to write a comprehensive list of things which are not acceptable in a coven – because different things are acceptable to different people.

But the general rules of living safely in society apply to witch’s covens as much as they do to knitting groups.

Witchcraft is in the shadows, but not so much so that you are not capable of judging what’s right and wrong. Sometimes it can all feel very mysterious – and sometimes that veil of mystery can be used to trick or mislead. But remember you are an intelligent adult that manages to get through life every single day and you shouldn’t go too far wrong!

 Alternatives to Joining a Coven

Once people decide they want to learn witchcraft from another person, joining a coven seems to be the default first option.

Why? Because the idea of covens and witchcraft go hand in hand.

These days we tend to think that to learn from someone else you have to join a coven.

You don’t.

There are a million different options. [Yes that’s an exaggeration, there are probably 10-20 options.]

Off the top of my head you could attend a local moot. You could find a witch locally to chat with regularly. You could find a witch mentor online. You could join one of the better Facebooks groups and hang out and listen.

Such as this one. 

Or this one.

You could take a good online course. Something like this

NOT something which claims to be a degree, or a diploma or any other grand claims. Remember witchcraft is about DOING not about certificates and exams…….

You could attend workshops and conferences. You could do all of the above.

Or you could just keep reading my blog!!

(Actually don’t just do that!! Thats terrible advice. Do other things too. Diversity is key)

But whatever you do, make sure it works for you and for your witchcraft.

It should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever met me that I LOVE Walking the Tides. Its one of those books that completely changed me and my practices.

Perhaps it was the time of my life during which I first read it. When I was questioning everything and looking for something which better aligned my head and heart.

Perhaps it was because it spoke a deep resonating truth which reflected what I was feeling in the land around me in words way more elequant than my thoughts could hope to be.

But whatever it was I opened this book and knew I had found something special.

Actually I only needed to read the introduction to Walking the Tides to know how important this book was going to be to my developing practice of Traditional Witchcraft.

The 8 pages which comprise the introduction to the first and second editions where absolutely the most important 8 pages of the book.

I’d go as far as to say you only need to read those and then put them into practice and your golden.

You are set on your path of working with the seasonal energies and rhythms.

The rest is your own hard work.

And even if you read the rest of the book (which I do recommend) you still need to do that hard work.

The opening line of the Preface sets us up perfectly for the journey ahead:

“Behind the seasonal calendar celebrated by most modern pagans is an ebb and flow of natural energies that is seldom mentioned and whose meaning is very little understood.”

Walking the Tides requires us to pull away the covers and dig underneath to feel and to sense and to experience the natural energies.

It very cleverly manages a difficult balance – a criticism of blind following of a sanitised calendar of seasonal festivals without coming across as preachy or rude. I like that.

He educates us, expands our knowledge and understanding in a simple and gentle way. But with a very ungentle effect!

In giving us instruction to celebrate the changing season when we “feel it” though there is an important caveat.

This is not a modern, laize faire, fluffy, ‘I’ll do it when I feel like it’ type of sentiment.

It’s a highly honed skill to feel the energies of the season. He goes a little deeper into this in the summer tide chapters, where he cautions us against mistaking the physical attributes of summer – the heat for example – for the esoteric and magical energies. And this is the trap the beginner can easily fall into.

My own view is that  it does not matter hugely if we fall into this trap as long as we recognise the trap. If we know we are tracking the physical seasons alone but strive to feel the undercurrents we will eventually grow and perceive a wider range of magical energies. As with all aspects of the craft PRACTICE and ACTION reward us.

Overall Walking the Tides gives us an overview of the seasonal cycles – the tides of energy – which are present throughout the year.

I love the description of tides. Of Walking the Tides. It sets up the perfect imagery in the head.

The energies of the land don’t build up and up in a liner manner for 6 months and then Ebb away in an equally straight line for another six months. Or simply move through 4 different seasonal energies in a nice orderly fashion.

They are up and down constantly. Some tides higher than others. Every high inevitably followed by a low.

And to Walk these Tides we must tread the liminal between the land and the other. Exactly the path of the witch.

But I digress.

The structure of the book is one of its greatest strengths.

It is not necessary to start at the beginning of Walking the Tides and read it cover to cover. You can dip in to match the point of the year you are currently in.

The best way to read this book in my opinion is to make it a monthly ritual.

To read the appropriate chapter at the beginning of every month and then to let it guide you through the month. Maybe try out a couple of its recipes or charms. Watch out for some of the folklore it mentions (this month I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the weather on July 15^th in case it rains!)

The monthly chapters are further subdivided – covering the ‘Times and Tides’ (the traditional customs and festivals), the fauna, the astronomy of the season, the flora and ‘Hearth and Home’ (domestic traditions, and my favourite addition, recipes!)

Its an incredibly user friendly book in this way, whilst still maintaining a constant narrative that guides your naturally through the story of the energies of the year. There is a real practical feel to the whole book. Little nuggets of practice, small ritual suggestions and so on peppered throughout.

It’s a very easy read in many respects.

The language is clear and not overly complicated and it peaks the interest enough that you want to keep consuming the information. But the concepts may not be easy to swallow for some readers…..

One of the criticisms I’ve seen of this book, is in my opinion one of its strengths. It pushes you to throw away the pagan calender. To stop celebrating summer on X day, and instead celebrate seasonal changes as and when they happen. In today’s busy world many people find that concept too hard. Too inconvenient.

But when was magic supposed to be convenient?

When did you ever grow from comfort? From routine? Or from easy?

Its something to reflect on.

Another point to note is that this is very much a British book. It’s a book about the traditions here in Britain, and will not necessarily translate if you live elsewhere.

Of course a number of bits will be relevant – the seasonal skies will not massively differ for other parts of Northern Europe for example, but will not work at all for readers in Australia! You may still get a lot out of the book – especially if you are prepared to take this approach and do the hard work to apply it to your part of the world – but its something to note.

So, in summary, Walking the Tides is an excellent book.

Its not path specific. It can appeal to the traditionalist witch, the druid or the general pagan alike. Its easy to read and I guarantee you will learn a huge amount of information no matter what point of your path you are on.

The Hearth of Brighid Magical Book Club

This is my initial review of the book ahead of our month of discussion and study. If you would like to read along with members of the Hearth of Brighid then please join us over in our facebook group. 

JOIN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP!

What exactly is Pagan Bling?

Now I promised this would be non judgemental – I am as guilty of collecting magical bling as the next witch! But I’m making a conscious effort to reduce it.

Bling can take many shapes – it might be the perfect witch tool. A silver chalice, a beautiful athame, a crystal toped carved wand…..  It might be decorations for the house….. it might be endless herbs and resins for spells and incenses you just know you will need…one day!

It might be robes and dresses with long floaty sleeves that you will inevitably set on fire during your first serious ritual. With the current popularity of “traditional” witchcraft it might well be shop bought bones and skulls. It might be pre-made spell bags or a monthly spell subscription box.

Its #allthewitchthings

In fact I’ve put together a list of the Top 10 Bling Things that the beginner witch  just doesn’t need!

For me its books. Yes. Books are bling too!

Sorry to burst that particular virtuous bubble.

Mostly my problem with bling is fuelled by the Instagram hashtag generation of witchcraft (which is not necessarily the younger witches amongst us) and the pinterest perfect guides to beginning witchcraft. Recently I’ve been confronted by endless lists of ‘new witch essentials’ and the pages and pages of things you absolutely have to have before you can start magic or call yourself a witch.

So What Exactly is the Problem with Bling?

In and of itself nothing!

If you know what you are doing magically and you have the cash to spare I have no problems with people supporting other pagan businesses who are making beautiful products and providing great services to the community.

If your heart is set on a beautiful semi-precious necklace or your head is turned at a festival by a stunning plate that would be **perfect** for ritual cake and you can afford it, and you love it, then there is seriously zero judgement from me.

But when our focus is on amassing the perfect accessories, for the sake of perfect accessories, it is not on developing our personal magic. It is not on being a better, stronger, more magical witch.

Its on what everyone else thinks of you. On worrying how you look. Its on doubting that you are good enough.

The levels of bling crime range from the innocent posting a photo of your spell on Instagram because you are excited about what you just did.

Through to a whole altar designed, concocted and specially lit with professional lighting in order to share it on Instagram and gain yourself 100 new followers, proving you are the realest most authentic witch out there.

Of course there is a place for posting your photos online – education for one. I post photos myself to help raise awareness of what I do.

But too often I feel like the pictures shared on social media are to show off. Or because you are worried you are not doing it right and are desperately seeking validation. It’s the start of ‘a keeping up with the witches’ slippery slope.

And I promise you. If you are actually doing it. You are probably doing it right.

So seriously witches. Spells and rituals are private. Stop posting them on Instagram.

This is good advice even if you are only sharing because you are excited. When the spell is done FORGET it. Let it go to the universe – everything on this plane keeps it anchored in the physical and doesn’t allow space for it to bring about change on the spiritual levels. Do you want your spell anchored in the slightly toxic world of Instagram or Facebook?

And don’t try and copy the altars you see on those same hashtag feeds.

I guarantee you those spells altars and rituals are completely impractical.

Or stuffed full of contradictory symbolism just because it looks pretty. 14 different crystals scatted in a random pattern wherever there is a bit of space which might have been useful for putting your glasses after they got steamed up during the dancing.

And its SO expensive. Google Money Altar Spells and let your mind bogle at how much you are supposed to spend to attract a bit of money into your life. Do yourself a favour and spend that money on what you actually need. Put it towards your gas bill instead.

(Or you know. Learn to do magic without bling. And don’t do money spells anyway. You NEVER actually want money….but that’s a subject of an entirely different blog about cutting out the magical middle man.)

When we buy everything we value nothing.

When we think a mass produced pewter chalice with a pentagram electronically etched on the side of it will make our spells work better than a mug which we have drunk out of every day for a decade then we entirely miss the point.

You don’t NEED the bling. You can find everything you need to do witchcraft inside yourself. If you want a few tools you will find almost everything you could need already in your home.

And as you learn and become a bit more confident you can invest in a few really good quality tools.

In this blog post I name 10 non essential tools, but then I go on to talk about 5 things I really do believe can be worth the investment.

I wouldn’t be without my knife, my stick, my bag and my field guide.

My knife cuts everything. Sacred space. Herbs. Cake.

My stick I use to balance. To tread a compass. To store and direct energy. To hook things I cant reach.

My bag carries stuff I find like herbs for spells, roadkill and litter. And my house keys.

And my field guide means I properly identify plants I might eat. But its getting replaced more and more with excellent free apps on the mobile phone.

Oh and my books. Please let me keep my books.

So the Moral of this mini rant – and the serious takeaway point?

Please don’t allow the desire to own everything you can find related to witchcraft and paganism stand in the way of getting on with your witchcraft. Don’t allow yourself the excuse that you’ll start meditating when you find the perfect cystal to balance your chakras. And don’t allow ANYONE to convince you that their magic is better than your magic because they have all these cool trappings and props.

Because thats what they are – PROPS. In a stage show called witchcraft.

Instead get started today.

On the other side of the coin don’t allow yourself to feel any guilt if you love all the bling. That’s your call! I urge you to understand the purpose and correspondences of every single item you use, to have a reason for it being in your ritual or spell. But beyond that do what works for you. As long as you know you don’t NEED it I’ll keep my noise out of your magic!

(Next Time: C is for Covens)