Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your
contribution is not tax-deductible.)
PayPal Acct: 
Feedback: 
Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):
| [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, [8], 9, 10 ] |
| Subject: solitary or group? | |
Author: sweetsong | [ Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
] Date Posted: 29/01/07 16:21 are any of you in groups of pagans in real life? what are the advantages of doing workings in a group versus solitary or your experiences? any good books on the subject? [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
[> Subject:  Re: solitary or group?
|
|
|
Author: paganwolf (hmmm) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 29/01/07 17:39 I used to be coven (group) and the help available was tremendous however coven is far more regimented than solitary and the coven commitment to the craft often clashed with me working nights so i left to become what was known as a lone wolf. By that i mean that although the inner chamber of the coven is closed to me, i can still request audience if needed [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: paganwolf [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 29/01/07 18:04 as far as books, I can only say about witchcraft, Rae Beth is the most predominant solitary (she's a hedgewitch) and Kate West is the foremost and most senior Coven Priestess in the UK. all their published works are easily available. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: rachel [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 1/02/07 21:49 sorry - just a slight correction here. although kate west is a respected elder witch in the uk she is not the most senior. jannet farrer and maxine sanders have all been around since the 60s. paddy slade must be in her 80s now and was working magick during the 2nd world war! my own hps is in her 80s and actively ran a coven for many years. there are a lot of others squirreled away, busy teaching and working too. then there are the other 'solitarys' still teaching and writing books, that have a longer history - marion green, seldiy bates, gordon the toad etc. sorry to be pedantic but i believe credit where credit is due. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: paganwolf (ooops) [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 3/02/07 9:21 You're not being Pedantic, If i'm mis-informed or wrong then please tell me, Blessings Wolf [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> [> [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: rachel [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 9/02/07 20:13 thanks for being so open xx [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: pilgrim [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 29/01/07 20:39 I am a solitary although I do have a group I meet with at full and new moon for meditation and chats. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Wolfsdream [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 30/01/07 0:03 Solitary for me, always has been. Though 'tis good to meet like minded folk now and again. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: whitewolf [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 30/01/07 14:27 Another solitary here :) although I have been in group rituals, workings and informal gatherings... and as Wolfie said, it is good to meet like minded folk now and then, but I am a loner for the most part lol. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
[> Subject:  Re: solitary or group?
|
|
|
Author: Wildflower [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 30/01/07 17:00 Im also a solitary, I like it, and I have no experience of covens. But I have like minded friends, we collect wildflowers and herbs, celebrates the wheel of the year. And sometimes we do some rituals. Wildflower [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Ash [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 30/01/07 17:50 I was solitary and it was fine, but now I am part of a druid order and it's all good. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sam spaniel [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 30/01/07 20:53 i am a solitary kind myself.... no one around here 'believes' or maybe just doesn't understand us i don't know.... sometimes the whole solitary thing is great... but sometimes i find myself a bit alone in the world (when the garden comes in handy!!) I'm trying to teach Snowtiger the way at the moment but he's still very much in the way of working things out with his fists (not with me lol!!!) i have told him to chill out a bit, that there are always ways around fighting, but he is set on his old ways and believes that if anyone 'kicks off at him' he can settle it with his fists!!!! AARRgGGGHHHH is there any way of explaining our ways to people?? i am most ceffo a LONER!!!! love you guys Sam xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Son of Robinswood [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 9:19 Ash,, can I ask which Druid order you belong to?. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Ash [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 17:56 Sure, I am a part of the Order of the Green Dragon. It's only a small group of us, 6 actually. But when I move back to glos I want to try and get more people to join. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Lilly from the Valley [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 11:27 Im a loner. I do have a lot of friends who feel the same way as I do when it comes to conservation, respect of all living things, karma, being healthy etc. etc. but they do not call themselves pagans. I dont blab on about my beliefs, they are mine alone and I am happy with that. Each to their own. Blessings Lil [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sweetsong [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 13:31 i still don't know whether i am a pagan or not so don't know whether to go along to a moot. i believe in karma, conservation, respect for animals and that we are all one and that the universe is a living organism but that is hinduism and sort of in buddhism too. very confusing!!!!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: siobhan [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 15:07 I to belive in what you have said Sweetsong and im very much a pagan. Im also solitary, but i have a couple of good friends who i see as often as i can, and though we dont always make magick in the conventional way,we talk, laugh, drum and talk and laugh some more. Its always good between us , it feels cleansing and puts a spark back when we have been together. There are others as well that we see form time to time during the year but on the whole im either alone or with two others. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sweetsong [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 16:02 so how is getting together in a moot different from getting together with friends who are of other spiritual traditions? what would we do differently in the moot that makes it specific to paganism rather than ecclectic spiritual folks? i know a few new age people from my reiki class and we hang out and are slowly becoming matey but i want to know what to expect from a moot. when i was exploring buddhism i went to a buddhist group we chanted a lot and did meditations and then talked about buddhism. it was quite weird to work out what to do they bowed and did lots of things and i felt silly and i wished i'd found out what to do before. i want a class to teach me paganism but am a bit nervous you see about the magic part!!! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: whitewolf [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 18:01 'moot' is just another name for a 'meeting' / gathering of like minded folk. I think, although I could be wrong, that you might be getting the whole coven and moot thing a bit muddled. A typical Pagan moot is a group of pagan (or pagan-friendly) folk meeting up to chat and socialise on a regular basis (might be monthly, fortnightly, no strict rules here). There may be some talks or a mini workshop, it all depends on the moot in question. Some groups might do a bit of drumming or similar activity (although when meeting with the specific intention of drumming it's often known as 'a drumming circle.') More often than not a moot is open to anyone to go along. I think a lot of what goes on at a moot does depend on the location - the problem I had with the majority of moots in the Cardiff region was that they were in pubs (not my prefered location, and it does restrict what you can do... drumming or chanting not gonna go down so well in a pub lol!). The people who attend a specific moot may well plan to do other activities together, they may meet up and perform rituals or celebrate the festivals together, or organise an activity such as a group outing or cleaning up litter together, something to help with the local environment... like I said, it all depends on the individual group / moot. If a group of friends chose to work together, meeting up regularly to perform rituals or just to meditate, chant or drum etc... this isn't necessarily known as a moot. Just as a moot may not involve anything more than getting together and chatting. A Coven is more like an organisation / private group (of witches), who come together regularly to perform rituals and magical workings together - often the number of members is restricted. The Coven is usually led by a High Priestess and/or a High Priest, and for the most part covens are closed to the public. (Some covens do hold 'open' rituals, usually tied in with the festivals, but the majority of their workings and gatherings would still be private). Paganwolf would be much better at describing the essentials of a coven, as I have never been a member of a coven. I just hope I haven't confused you more! lol. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: whitewolf [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 18:39 "i want a class to teach me paganism but am a bit nervous you see about the magic part!!!" Magic isn't the main focus of Paganism - you can be a Pagan without the witchcraft/magic element. You might be interested in the following site : http://www.pantheism.net/ As for books concerning solitary practice, (and involving magic) you may enjoy "A Witch Alone: Thirteen Moons to Master Natural Magic" by Marian Green http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007133235/hybridstudios-21 You may also find the following interesting - an online course in Druidry : http://druidnetwork.org/en/learning/courses/online/perennial and of course, feel free to ask questions here in the Garden (or by email if you prefer). [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Ash [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 31/01/07 23:05 Why don't we have a gaias garden moot like...once a summer and winter, so twice yearly? Hold it somewhere nice,maybe like a camp or whatnot, that would be cool. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Lilly from the Valley [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 1/02/07 8:04 That would be sooooo cool Ash. I am definately up for it but we would need to organise it off forum. Lil [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sweetsong [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 1/02/07 9:36 thanks whitewolf that is really interesting.it is seems like lots of the beliefs are simiar to hinduism and some types of buddhism such as pantheism and reveration of nature and the indigineous beliefs in the east which is what i am more familiar wtih so that is interesting. i was getting confused with moots and covens so thanks for that ww. and the stuff the lady in the new age shop was telling me on neo pagaism involving spells. so what is neo paganism really? [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Ash [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 1/02/07 14:30 Neo paganism is new paganism. Nea means new. Basically it is the concept that paganism of today is made from the shreds of historical evidence we have from ancient paganism, maybe bits of other religious beliefs and perhaps some new thought perspectives. Since Paganism is dead, neo paganism is basically it's modern child trying to follow it as best as it can with the knowledge it has. Or at least that is my interpretation of it. Personal of course, different people will percieve it differentrly and that can lead to murky waters when finding a clear definition of something so complex as this. Ash :) [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Dragonlady [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 1/02/07 22:55 I am also a member of a Druid order but am still essentially solitary, except for the occasional ritual with one of my sons and a couple of close friends. :-) Jill [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sweetsong [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 2/02/07 13:54 hi guys and hello to you rachel sounds great about the elder witches. how do you get to be taught by a high priestess. there are so many charlatans in the spiritual world i want to follow the guidance of someone with credentials. what do i need to look for? have they been apprentices and had their knowledge passed down over years by other higher priestesses? have to be careful you aren't getting involved with people who lead you down the garden path....so many cultish figures around new age circles i discovered when at uni. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: Siobhan [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 4/02/07 11:38 Sweetsong that’s a hard question to answer. It all depends on what you want from your Pagan path. If a Coven is the way to go for you, then you will be taught by the other Coven members. I’m guessing you would hold some kind of ritual that will make you a member, if perhaps a junior member and as you learn and progress more then you move up in the ranks. You can find many workshops run by women on Paganism or the female element of it, lots in the Glastonbury area but they charge lots of money for the privilege. Personally I would say that you need no one but yourself and your openness to receive the love of the Gods. For me that’s in the wind and rain, the sun, the Earth, the moon, the animals, plants, my feelings, and my belief. I see the signs of my Goddess everywhere, I also feel her walking beside me in all I do. Maybe you should take yourself out of doors have a good walk in the open country and see how you feel. Then take things from there. [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |
| [> Subject: Re: solitary or group? | |
|
Author: sweetsong [ Edit | View ] |
Date Posted: 6/02/07 10:26 thanks siobhan "Maybe you should take yourself out of doors have a good walk in the open country and see how you feel." but when i do that i feel connected to hinduism and transcendent oneness - Moksha - ultimate reality. this seems the same in buddhism too and eastern religions so am getting confused as to what is specific or different in a pagan path. i seem to be coming up with dead ends and no answers or teachers, the same happened in buddhism they kept saying 'when you are ready a teacher will appear, or life is teacher' - so bloody evasive!!!! this is why more dogmatic relgions appeal, at least they spell out the path a bit more!!!! i am not paying money. anybody charging for religion or teaching spirituality is dodgy in my book! [ Post a Reply to This Message ] |