Dowsing for Divinity

Other religious traditions have formal support groups for leaders in their traditions. In Wicca, we tend to have informal support networks.

Given the potential for stress and burnout, and the occasional need to discuss issues that arise in a safe and supportive space, I think it would be a great idea to organize slightly more scheduled and formal support groups.

What would the framework for such a group look like?

Meeting outline

Each meeting would start with a check-in, where each member shares how they’re feeling and what’s on their mind.

The meeting can then focus on a specific topic agreed upon by the group, or issues that have arisen for group members.

A great way to agree on themed topics is to suggest the topic for the next meeting at the end of the current meeting, and maintain a list of suggestions to draw upon. The group can then vote on the topic of the next meeting.

Group guidelines

I would suggest guidelines such as the following, but these can and should be proposed by the group members themselves (and then the organizer can fill in any that were missed):

• Confidentiality—anything that is discussed in the group stays in the group. Unless a safeguarding issue becomes apparent.
  • Keep it confidential who said what
  • Don’t reveal personal information outside the group
  • Don’t mention coven members names when discussing issues involving them.
• Stick to I statements, such as “I feel that…” and avoid “you made me feel…”
• Equal space for sharing—make sure everyone gets a chance to share.
• Address others respectfully
  • Avoid stereotyping of other groups
  • Don’t discriminate or be judgemental
  • Focus on arguments, not people (no ad hominem attacks)
  • There are no “stupid” questions or answers
• Assume good faith by participants in discussions
• Don’t assume that you know what someone else means by what they have said
• New members are encouraged to contribute
• Try not to interrupt others.

The group should agree how often to meet, and whether it will be in person or on Zoom. It might be an idea to meet in person for the first few meetings.

Practical considerations

You might want to have some form of online group chat between meetings but it may not be necessary.

It’s probably a good idea if the participants already know each other but it shouldn’t be a requirement, as new leaders might need to join.

The ideal size of such a group is probably 5-7 people.

For ease of scheduling and having a shared cultural understanding, it is probably a good idea if the group members are in the same time zone (or only one hour different).