Seeker's Guide

Any working group that is an authentic Gardnerian Coven should be able to trace back their lineage to High Priestesses initiated by Garder. Some examples of these include the Long Island, Bone, Whitecroft, Sheffield, or Kentucky lines.  You will find Traditional Gardnerians in all such lines, but not all Gardnerians are Traditional Gardnerians. Some lines, but not all, have papers to verify their lineage.

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Today, Gardnerians are split between Traditional and Inclusive.  Traditional Gardnerian Wica is the closest in practice to original Gardnerian Wicca (which is considered binary) and initiates Priest and Priestesses.  Inclusive Gardnerian Wicca (which is considered non-binary) often blends in other traditions, alters some rituals, and initiates Priests, Priestesses, and Priestexs.  The seeker should be mindful of these differences and seek a form of practice that is right for them.

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It is unclear at this time whether Inclusive Gardnerian Wicca will be considered the same tradition as Traditional Gardnerian Wica in the future.  As such, some covens may not recognize lineage and initiation into Inclusive Gardnerian Wicca as legitimate.

When you begin your path as a seeker with a coven, the coven will work to vet you both as an individual and a potential initiate.  Likewise, you should assess the group you are working with for authenticity and their potential to aid your journey.

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Covens generally will not reach out to seekers inviting them to join - you must be the one to initiate the process.  Once the process is initiated, a coven may ask a few things of you, including:

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• Filling out a questionnaire to learn more about you and your interest

• Interviewing to see if the group will fit your needs and that you will fit the group

• Inviting you to meet-ups or other get-togethers in order to assess your fitness for training

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Once accepted into a training group, in most instances, you will train a year and a day before you can ask for initiation.  The year and a day training period is most common in the USA, with England and other locations perhaps being more flexible. Regardless of the length of time, this year and a day will be instructive and will be used to assess your fitness for Gardnerian Craft and the group you seek.  Initiation is never guaranteed.

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Vouches - You may seek vouches for a legitimate group, but be aware that not everyone knows everyone in the Craft.  Additionally, not everyone likes everyone in the Craft.  If you can obtain a credible vouch for a group, that is great, but the best way to see if a group is right for you is to meet them, talk with them, and, if you are comfortable, circle with and train with them.  Most importantly, and especially during training, continually assess your potential initiators and try to determine if the group feels right for you.

It is possible that you cannot or will not find a group near you to practice with.  Gardnerians rarely conduct online training, especially completely online training, as connection and experience are essential to the coven experience.

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In the past, people traveled several hours or took plane rides to get to their initiators and their circle. Thankfully, this is less and less the case as the Craft grows and thrives. It is still not unusual to travel 1-3 hours to get to your covenstead.  From the experiences of many individuals in the Craft, it is usually felt that the right group is worth the travel.

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Gardnerian Craft training is a commitment.  Your initiators will usually be committing a 5 to 10-year time to each initiate that crosses their threshold.  Gardnerian Craft is both a discipline and a way of life.  If this is what you are seeking, consider this as you consider your commitments to training, travel, and spiritual development.

As you scroll down, we have listed some red and green flags that seekers should know. We want to, however, make a special call out for alcohol and drama.

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Alcohol & Drugs

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Alcohol is often encountered in circles.  Most reasonable covens, if you have an alcohol abuse issue, will omit alcohol from the proceedings or offer an alternative. 

 

Because the Craft embraces most forms of power, you may encounter the use of alcohol, some drugs and plants, or other means of altering the mind.  We always caution the seeker to realize that alcohol and mind-altering drugs are derived from spirits.  Those spirits can and will take from you if you allow them to.  Be mindful of how you use these substances, and if you encounter a coven that relies on them heavily, consider the implications that may have on their practices of magic, their coven dynamics, and their ability to control what they do.  Many groups reliably use substances for altered states or other magical practices - this should not necessarily be a deterrent.  However, excesses should be monitored, and if you are ever uncomfortable, we recommend extricating yourself from that situation or group.

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Drama

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Although perhaps not discussed often, drama in covens is a major source of problems for coveners and leaders alike.  Drama is not avoidable in any setting - if there are people involved, there will, at some point, be drama.  However, we are talking about the propensity of some people, be they seekers, initiates, or coven leaders, to cause strife within the coven or the community at large. While some drama is unavoidable, here are some things to look for in a group that may be indicative of larger issues:

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• Coven leaders that frequently square off with other pagans (online or in-person), whether they be initiates, general pagans, or community leaders.

• Coven leaders that never seem to "have it together" - whether that be finances, personal lives/relationships, or jobs.

• Coven leaders who lean on their initiates as a primary source of love and validation or put undue burdens on their initiates, such as asking for money, labor, or intimacy.

• Initiates or seekers who do any of the above or cause constant issues with other initiates/seekers.

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Covens work with magic and power. Stability and harmony in a coven are essential to the health of the coven, of the coveners, and of their families, and the groups who are in disharmony do not effectively channel the magic and power they work with.  This can have lasting impacts on all involved. Frequent drama in and around the coven indicates groups that do not have a stable base and may be unable to provide stability to their coveners or their community.

Here are some other general red flags to be aware of:

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• Use of students for personal gain.  If a coven or coven leader is asking you to do chores around the house, asking money of you, asking for favors, etc. - this isn't indicative of a healthy coven or coven leader.  Coven leaders are guides and teachers - they are there to serve the student, not the other way around.  As you progress in the Craft, you may gain equal footing with your teacher or wish to contribute to the Craft or coven in some way. These efforts should always be freely given by the initiate or seeker, should relate to the Craft, or be in service of the Craft in some way, and should never feel coerced or be a requirement for initiation and teaching.

• Coven leaders do not appear serious or committed to their professed tradition or way.  Coven leaders are representatives of a tradition and have, at least in the case of Gardnerian Craft, progressed through degrees and experiences to get where they are today.  Along the way, a reverence for their tradition and a meaningful connection are usually developed.  If you encounter a coven leader who regularly denigrates the tradition, its founder, or other practitioners of the tradition, it is usually indicative of someone who no longer believes in the path or does not feel committed to the tradition's teaching.  It is worth assessing whether or not this leader can give you the experience you are looking for within the tradition they are trying to teach.

• Use of love, ideology, or persuasion to control students. This veers into cult territory, but some groups may use these methods to gain followers and grow their covens (and some that, perhaps unconsciously, get dangerously close to the line).  Excessive use of things like love-bombing, convincing group members that they are "found family," which is more important than actual family, reticence to allow members to drop out or leave (can come through as indignation or persuasion to stay), the use of students to fulfill the coven leaders emotional and/or sexual needs, exercise of political control, and other such flags (see also: The Advanced Bonewits' Cult Danger Frame) fall into this category.  It can sometimes be difficult to tell where and when the line has been crossed.  Use your instincts and, when in doubt, extricate yourself from the situation as soon as possible.

• Demanding sexual contact or entitlement to your body. While there are sex practices in various forms of witchcraft, sex is not an everyday part of Traditional Gardnerian Wica, and no one has the right to demand unwanted physical contact from you at any time or of any kind. If anyone should demand sexual intimacy of any kind from you as part of practice, extricate yourself from the situation immediately. If any physical contact makes you uncomfortable in a coven setting (such as hugging or saluting), let your coven leaders know as soon as possible so they can make accommodations. 

• Encouragement of the use of baneful magic.  Traditional Gardnerians are not supposed to do baneful magic. While it is not as simple as "use the three-fold law," we believe in Karma and the law of return.  We also believe there is usually a way to do protective rather than destructive magic.  Any Gardnerian actively encouraging or condoning the use of baneful spells and curses, whether in the coven setting or to the general public, is not acting within the bounds of the Gardnerian Tradition.  

• Charging money for the Craft.  Traditional Gardnerians do not charge to teach the Craft.  While coverage for things like supplies, food, ritual space, etc. may occur, it is generally at the discretion of the seeker and not asked for by the coven leader. 

Now that we've scared you a little with what you might wish to avoid let's take a quick look at some things indicative of healthy covens and leaders:

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• Coven leaders are knowledgeable and patient. A good coven leader should be knowledgeable about the tradition they are teaching, and if they don't know something, they should be willing to admit they do not know or be willing to speak with others or their upline to find out for their seeker.  Leaders do not necessarily answer ALL questions you may have, especially about oathbound materials, but they should be knowledgeable enough to answer most questions you may have as a seeker.

• Coven leaders are not possessive of students. This is your spiritual journey; at the end of the day, you have the final say on whether or not a tradition or group is right for you.  Good coven leaders will not be possessive of their students, will let them walk away when they want to go, and will usually assist you in finding other groups or resources if you ask for them.

• Coven leaders let the student set the pace in most instances.  While there might be an odd time when a coven leader may need you to speed up an activity or ask you to do something you may be nervous to start, by and large, a good coven leader will let the student set the pace for their learning and experience.  A student should never feel rushed through training or feel pushed into taking on roles that they are uncomfortable performing, especially if the student informs the leader that they are not ready. Good coven leaders are also aware that you have commitments outside of the coven and do not push you to commit more time than you can, within reason.  An understanding of the commitment expectations to the coven should be discussed and understood prior to the student taking them on.

• Coven leaders acknowledge that there are many paths to the center and are honest about what path they are offering.  Not all paths are meant for all individuals. A good coven leader acknowledges what they are teaching and why and will guide the seeker to other opportunities if they would be a better fit.