Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More [Paperback]

Amber K (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 8, 2002

The ultimate coven handbook, Coven Craft was written by a well-known and respected Wiccan High Priestess, who guides you through the workings of covens from Altars to Zoning. Over the course of twenty-seven chapters and forty-two appendices, Amber K shares with you her vast coven know-how, with plenty of veteran insights and straight-up advice on:

—Finding or organizing a coven
—Tools and supplies
—Finances and incorporation
—Coven offices
—New members
—The coven calendar
—Pagan ritual
—The sabbats and esbats
—Training and intiation
—Group dynamics
—Counseling
—Elders
—Traditions
—Networking and affiliation
—Covens in the community

It has been said that leading a coven is like herding cats. Whether you’re searching for fresh ways to meet those challenges or you’re thinking about joining your first magical group, consult this friendly, knowledgeable companion for guidance.

 

 

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Covencraft is the most complete book on creating and maintaining a coven written to date, with solid advice on networking, group dynamics, the possibilities of incorporation, community service, open rituals, and so much more. The sheer amount of information in one book is staggering, but the truly amazing part is that all this information is indispensable. One would be hard-pressed to find something that Amber K has missed, but if there is something lacking, she has included enough contact information and reference material to answer any questions that may arise. If you are thinking of starting a coven, Covencraft will smooth the way and point out potential troubles before they can wreck your projects. If your coven is already established, you will wonder how you ever got along without Covencraft. --Brian Patterson

From the Publisher

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Wicca was limited to groups known as covens. While powerful, they were also limiting, because there weren't enough to go around. Wicca exploded when it expanded to include solitary paths as part of the religion. Now the Craft is rapidly growing in numbers and many people are looking for the community which was previously part of the Craft. I am very glad that Llewellyn has now published the ultimate guide to Witchcraft for three or more people, Covencraft by Amber K.

Virtually every aspect of the coven experience is included in Covencraft. Do you want to find a coven? This book shows you how. Do you want to organize a coven? Covencraft gives you the techniques.

You'll learn how to get new members, how to take care of business and finance, and how the leaders should serve the group. Included are initiation rituals, handfasting rituals, child blessing rituals, and more. You'll even discover information on how to incorporate.

Amber K. has written several books and numerous articles about Wicca and Witchcraft. She has served as National First Officer and National Publications Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess, a federation of more than one hundred covens. Her two decades of experience make Covencraft the book you must read.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; 1st edition (September 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567180183
• ISBN-13: 978-1567180183
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A working covens handbook, December 23, 2001

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More (Paperback)

There are many new Wiccans/Pagans/Witches out there forming new groups and covens. Not many are from older, established covens. Amber K has written a collective of Coven protocol and wisdom in her new book CovenCraft - Witchcraft for Three or More.

Although I am now a solitary, I was coven trained, and I found allot of this material realistic and dealing with real life coven experiences.

Covering such vaired topics as beginning a Coven, finances and personalitys, the book is easy to follow. She leaves no stone unturned and presents the information in a well organized manner.

For the beginning Coven, the book outlines understanding what a Coven is, what the basic needs are, how to decide what kind of Coven, how many members and how to deal with each individual, just to mention a few.

For the established Coven, Amber K covers the challenges of growth, possible conflicts and offers wonderful ideas for Coven activities, teaching Covens and Mission Statements for the established modern Coven.

Which brings me to another point. Though called CovenCraft, and is subtitled Witchcraft, the information in this book can be used by any group of three or more Pagans/Wiccan/Witches who are organizing for collective worship or social groupings. This book should not be overlooked because the title implies Coven or Witchcraft only.

I would include this book in any Coven library and use it on a regular basis. If you are an eclectic group considering gatherings, or Solitary's meeting for Sabbat group worship, this book offers a good foundation to work from.

No "Fluff Bunny" stuff here, Amber K may have written one of her most important contributions to Pagan reference material.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for starting a coven or working group, November 7, 2000

By 

Kirsten M. Houseknecht "Practice is the midwi... (philadelphia, pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More (Paperback)

<I reviewed this book briefly at an earlier date, and I am finally writing a thorough review>

Covencraft by Amber K is on my required reading list for anyone trying to establish (or join) a working group or coven. This book covers the basics of finding people, deciding if you can work with them, establishing a study group, and finally establishing a coven. It then goes on to cover some of the most common logistical issues any coven will face.

The book is practical, and thorough. From how to write the flyer to put up on a bulliten board, to how to interview prospective coveners, and beyond, the book will take you through the arduous task of finding people to practice, work, and worship with. This is not a small book, it is one of the larger and weightier books in my library, but it covers a great deal.

This is not a "basic Wicca" book. It does not cover the rudiments of the beliefs, the "why" of the religion. This book covers, and covers very well,the mechanics and logistics, the "how" of the religion. Of course it reflects some of the authors bias on how the coven should be set up, the heirarchy of the coven and so on, but these can be easily re-worked to suit a group with differing beliefs.

While the entire focus of the book is on covens and groups, it has been of value to me and many others who have practiced as solitaries, which most of us do at some point.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive guide to running a healthy coven, March 23, 2004

By 

Tom L. Waters (Tesuque, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More (Paperback)

This book is an unbeatable resource for Wiccan covens and similarly structured groups. There is some basic background on Paganism, then chapter after chapter about every conceivable aspect of finding, creating, or sustaining a healthy coven: finding people, deciding on coven activities and scheduling them, coven leadership structures, different systems of initiation, coven offices, group dynamics, activities, community relations, legal and financial matters, counseling, and more. There are multiple options for just about everything, so you can use this book regardless of the kind of coven you would prefer to develop and work with. There are sample rituals, advertisements, flyers, articles of incorporation, and liturgy. The author has decades of experience in forming and maintaining healthy covens that last more than the 2-3 years that is the national average these days. The whole thing is written in a down-to-earth style peppered with humor and fun. It really demystifies the coven and gets down to business about how good ones actually work. Whether you are seeking to establish a new coven or energize/stabilize an existing one, you'll be coming back to this book frequently for its thorough and varied treatments of virtually everything you need to give thought to. This is one you'll use.