Spawn Far Coven - Some Basic Information
Spawn Far Coven - Some Basic Information
One of the sources of our regular ritual material or liturgy is the British school of Wicca: the writings of Janet and Stewart Farrar, two British Witches of the Alexandrian tradition, of Gerald Gardner, generally acknowledged father of 20th century Wicca, and of Doreen Valiente, Gardner's initiate who wrote some of the best ritual poetry of Gardnerian Wicca.
Another major source is the Cycle of Return, a year-long set of rituals honoring agrarian-based deities and their (and the crops') yearly cycle of life/death/rebirth: this is a rewriting of the Provider Cycle compiled by Lucifer of the Order of Ganymede/Coven Chthonioi of Boston.
Yet another source is the work of Dion Fortune, an early 20th century Ceremonial Magician and author whose works of fiction contained some fantastic ritual poetry! Given these source materials you could say truthfully that we practice an amalgam of modern Wicca and ritual magick, with some of our own rewriting and items of personal interest (members of Spawn Far occasionally write rituals for group use).
We honor and worship both a Goddess and a God. We most frequently call them Gaia and Pan, but we honor them by other names. The Goddess is seen variously by us as the Great Mother of the Earth, as the Moon Goddess in Her 3 phases Maiden, Mother and Crone, and as Persephone, caretaker of the souls of the dead; the God is seen variously as the Horned God of the Woods and the Hunt, ancient consort of the Moon Goddess; and as the Lord of the Land of the Dead himself, to which Persephone journeys each year. We also like Isis and Osiris.
We tend to view the Craft (Wicca) as a religious or mystical practice that puts one in touch with the unseen forces of Nature, deepens one's sense of connectedness in the world, and heightens one's appreciation of the inherent beauty of life. Through the practice of Magick, one can reach an understanding of one's deepest self and make positive changes therein, as well as tap into the current of "all that can become" to bring about healing and betterment. The magickal work we do together as a coven is for healing of ourselves and our loved ones, and for betterment on a larger scale.
We are unique, as are all covens. Although we may follow a tradition or honor deities similar to other groups in the area or that you might have read or heard about, we have our own flavor primarily because of the makeup of the people in our group.
It is possible to attend Spawn Far open Sabbats for years (or even just now and then) and not become a trainee in the coven. Some regular guests at opens are already elders in the community and they do not seek more training; others who may not already have training do not wish to train to become Wiccan clergy because of lack of time or interest. For many people, simply being part of a community of Witches and Pagans where they can meet other likeminded folk is satisfying.
We do not recommend joining the first coven you encounter, since in our experience most newcomers to Wicca and Paganism find the variety of groups overwhelming and need time to decide what they do and don't like. We recommend visiting other groups and organizations first.
Training in our coven involves (in the first two years of study) two meetings per month plus attendance at the open Sabbats, plus outside reading and occasional individual magical awareness exercises (homework). The two meetings per month are combined teaching and ritual.
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