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Coven or even covan was originally the late mediaeval Scots word (c1500) meaning a gathering of any sort based on data from a Oxford English Dictionary. It derives from either a Latin root word convenire meaning to close or even to gather, which likewise produce to the English word convene. the 1st recorded apply of it existence applied to witches comes from either a good deal late go back 1662 in the witchtrial of Isabel Gowdie which describes a coven of Baker's dozen members. Margaret Murray used this evidence to claim that a lot witches through Europe met inside groups of long dozen which it known as covens. She went inside to manipulate a numbers in more lawsuits to came to a similar number, though possibly so she can sole are higher by owning xviii sum away from the hundreds of recorded lawsuits. She besides provided there is no grounds to believe the word itself was utilized outside Scotland at a period of the witchhunts, nor how come her ancient prehistoric religion were utilizing a word which of recent date from either Latin. Fallowing Murray popularised a word in the Twenties Gerald Gardner adopted it in his works in Wicca hence its modern use in this religion.

The Coven in modern Wicca
The coven is, in short, the gathering or even association of witches. A total of souls required might deviate: although long dozen hwhen been suggested as a optimal total, any total above tierce can be a coven. 2 would normally exist as known as the working few (in any combination of sexes.) These are normally said that the coven big than 13 is unmanageable, when class action moral force tend to develop extra hard. A term has been utilized by using two caring & blackball connotations, largely depending on the speaker's learn from of witches & witchcraft.

Around Wicca and similar religions, the term coven implies the gathering similar thereto implied by congregation in Christian parlance. These are composed of the class action of believers gathered together for the ceremony of worship such as Drawing down the Moon.

Covens in literature and popular culture

An medium see is typically portrayed within fantasy stories and popular culture. Therein usage, the coven occurs as gathering of witches to operate spells tandem. Such mental imagery may be traced back to Renaissance prints depicting witches and to the deuce-ace 'weird sisters' around Shakespeare's play Macbeth. Extra orgiastic witches's meetings come as well depicted around Robert Burns's poem Tam O'Shanter and in Goethe's play Faust. Moving picture portrayals own involved, for instance The Craft and COVEN (pronounced ko ven) (documented in the movie American Movie).

Covens in a Sanguinarian context

Coven can be the term utilized to describe a class action or even community of Sanguinarians, especially those world health organization communicate just all over a net. Its origins about sure enough came from either a Wiccan usage of coven.

Coven, The
Within John Allen's REALM series, a Coven is the sister organization to the Circle. Its members, known as Collectors, attach to the theological belief that the universe is sustained by a delicate balance of life-energy, as well known as etheric or even ethereal energy. Their theory states that a universe teeters on a brink of collapse & is single saved around prevent by moderating a total of active life-energy the universe contains. Sequentially to maintain this balance a Collectors must either save spends, thereby retaining a necessary proportion of etheric energy, or even by destroying shacks, so redistributing a required total of energy. This run is typically magnified in a good deal grander shell; in which race murder is deemed necessary to preserve the balance. In a third & final installment of a 1st REALM trilogy a Home War, a prophesized revelatory war between the Circle & the Coven, upright begins & will require center stage in the 2nd trilogy. Virtually all notable members of the Coven include BLANE SUMMERS & DARIUS.

Covenant of the Meadow
Homepage of the Covenant of the Meadow, an English Witchcraft family tradition.

Lunar Stone Circle
A British Hereditary Coven that practices in Northwestern Ohio.

Dark Witches of Dragonwood Coven
Enter into the Mysteries of Dragonwood Cove. The Old Way lives here (witchcraft,magic(k),ancient study).

A Witchcraft Coven
A coven that practices and teaches the old arts of witchcraft.

Gnostic Oracle Coven
Promoting education on the tradition, with information on tarot, runes, wheel of the year, rituals.

MotherChant Coven
Founded in 1985 and meeting bi-weekly and on the Sabbats for ritual. Traditional Witches, not Wiccan, working with the magickal energies that are inherent in the physical reality of the universe; with shamanic energies that inhere in the mental reality; and directly with Divinity. A primary focus is on healing the wounds of childhood abuse using both psychological and spiritual resources and the conscious application of magick.

The WhiteStone Orders
The WhiteStone Orders practises and teaches the Old Ways to suitable novices.

SilverLight Coven
A coven of traditional witches, SilverLight is based in Wake Forest, North Carolina.

The Hagstone Coven
A working coven offering a distance learning course as an introduction to Old Craft.


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