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A coven (/ k ʌ v ən /) is a group or gathering of witches.The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman covent, cuvent, from Old French covent, from Latin conventum = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promoted the idea that all witches across Europe met in groups of thirteen which they called "covens".
An esbat / ˈ ɛ s b æ t / is a coven meeting or ritual at a time other than one of the Sabbats [1] within Wicca and other Wiccan-influenced forms of contemporary Paganism.. Esbats can span a wide range of purposes from coven business meetings and initiation ceremonies [2] to social gatherings, times of merriment, and opportunities to commune with the divine. [3]
An example of a ritual that can take place in a covenstead is an esbat rite. This rite involves the process of the priest or priestess initiating the proceedings, members of the circle giving their thanks, making requests to their gods and goddesses followed by the ringing of a bell. The ritual can also involve music, song and chanting. [2]
The Covenant of the Goddess (CoG) is a cross-traditional Wiccan group of solitary Wiccan practitioners and over one hundred affiliated covens (or congregations). [1] It was founded in 1975 in order to increase co-operation among witches and to secure for witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions. [2]
In 1953, Doreen Valiente joined Gardner's Bricket Wood coven, and soon rose to become its High Priestess.She noticed how much of the material in his Book of Shadows was taken not from ancient sources as Gardner had initially claimed, but from the works of the occultist Aleister Crowley, from Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, from the Key of Solomon and also from the rituals of Freemasonry. [8]
The ritual drawing of the boundary of the magic circle – also known as "casting the circle" – is usually done with either a ritual sword or an athame, in traditional coven practice. For open rituals in public places, this is sometimes done with a ritual wand or staff instead, since there may be legal complications involved with swords and ...
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The history of Wicca documents the rise of the Neopagan religion of Wicca and related witchcraft-based Neopagan religions. [a] Wicca originated in the early 20th century, when it developed amongst secretive covens in England who were basing their religious beliefs and practices upon what they read of the historical witch-cult in the works of such writers as Margaret Murray.