Dowsing for Divinity

These are suggested guidelines for a coven or working group. Please feel free to adapt them for your group as you see fit.

• We do not charge money for training or initiation. 
• We may ask members to contribute to costs for incense, candles, and photocopying/printing.
• We do ask members to bring food to share.
• We never require sexual intercourse as part of any ritual or initiation.
• Senior members of the coven (i.e. high priestess, high priest, high priestix) should not enter into a sexual relationship with a junior member of the coven (i.e. dedicant, neophyte, or initiate). If two people of different degrees enter into a relationship, it may be best if one of them joins another group.
• Existing couples may join the coven together.
• We do not limit social contact between coveners outside of meetings.
• We do not limit members’ social contact with other Wiccans. 
• We do not disparage the practice of legitimate members of the initiatory Craft.
• We prefer first degree coveners to ask coven leaders’ advice before circling with another group. This is partly for coveners’ own safety, and partly to keep them focused on one magical system.  
• We may recommend books to read, but we will never tell coveners not to read certain books. We may advise members not to read chapters in books which reveal details of initiations, as most people want the content of initiations to be a surprise.
• We encourage our members to read widely and critically about Wicca.
• We will take seriously any concerns you have about something that makes you uncomfortable.
• We seek consent for coven activities, and there is always a pass option.
• We work from various resources and encourage questions and critical thinking.
• We encourage seekers to ask around before joining us to check that we are a legitimate group.
• In group activities (discussions and rituals), we treat each other’s ideas, feelings, and experiences with respect.
• We are inclusive of different sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, ethnicities, racialized groups, and other demographic differences.

Suggestions from other people

• We do not tolerate abuse in any form, be it emotional, physical, or mental. This includes things like deception, spreading of private information, bullying, threats of exclusion, manipulation, and gaslighting.
• We do not expect members to compromise their own personal principles and integrity. (For example, in situations where they might feel obliged to do something because the rest of the group is doing it.)