The Coven of the Tangled Pines
Do you live in or near the Nashville area?
Are you looking for Witchy friends to bounce ideas off of, learn from, and hang out with?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cotp_public
Visit and join our public group today!
x We can range from very relaxed to fairly formal. Therefore, if you are either a person who insists upon a strict routine, or a person who cannot embrace and respect structure, this might not be the group for you!
x We sometimes use the term “eclectic” to describe our coven, but for us that doesn’t imply that “anything goes.” We have a very clear idea of where our coven’s path is leading, and it is important that any new members are comfortable with this path. While we are excited for new members to bring in new elements, this is a secondary benefit. Any new member should be able to embrace our current practices, and shouldn’t join the coven with the hope of changing it fit their own needs.
x All of our current members do have animals…just so that those with allergies are informed!
x We are a very close group of friends, and we’re very open with each other. As you may expect from any close group of women, we share laughter and tears, and share the intimate aspects of our lives with one another. Therefore, at any given meeting, we may discuss our marriages, our sex lives, our work troubles, our family issues, etc. Of course, it will take time to develop these bonds with new people, but if you are someone who is shy, easily offended, and can’t open up with people after a reasonable amount of time, you may not be comfortable with this particular group of women for long.
x We have a very low tolerance for drama! Experience has shown several of us that nothing can kill a coven quicker than bringing in unnecessary drama and ugliness. Therefore, we try to foster an atmosphere where these things are “nipped in the bud” before they have a chance to become too widespread!
x All of our current members more or less consider themselves to be at the “Mother” stage in their lives. Some of us are physically mothers, and others are not yet, but do have motherhood in their not-to-distant plans. This in no way means that we expect all new members to either be mothers or plan to be mothers. It’s just a “heads up” about the type of energy you might expect in this group. In fact, recently our energy has started to diversify into the Crone area, with two members eagerly embracing this stage in their lives.
x Although we are an all-female coven, we are not a Dianic coven. We have equal respect and reverence for the Goddess and the God, and the God is included in our regular practices. It is expected that all of our members will either be equally comfortable working with the God as the Goddess when they join the group, or that they will be willing to work towards achieving this balance. Masculine energy is represented in this group by invoking the God’s energy, and drawing upon the masculine energy within us. We also find that we draw a lot of masculine energy and power from our connections with our significant others, which aids us in our workings and in understanding the God. The reason for keeping our membership as female only up to this point is that we felt that we functioned better and were more comfortable sharing this path with other women, as men do bring a very different energy into the circle. However, we are reaching a stage of transition in which we may open our cicrle to male Witches.
x We are not what is often referred to as a “Fluffy Bunny” coven. We work in the balance of light and dark that is naturally present in the Craft and the world around us. Those who have a hard time with the darker (not to imply “negative”) aspects of the Craft may not be comfortable with us. However, if you are someone who is prepared to both sing and dance under the full moon, go deep within yourself for the type of internal exploration that’s necessary for spiritual growth, and even call upon the warrior aspects of the Goddess, this might be the group for you!
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x We value strong bonds and deep connections between members over quantity of members, so we are very selective about those who we welcome into our group. This is only in an effort to ensure a spiritually rewarding experience for all of our members.
x We are currently open to women only, though this may change in the near future, and our members range in age from 23 to 40. Anyone outside of this age range are welcome to approach us for membership. Again, it’s just an indication of what to expect.
x It is important that new members be comfortable exploring both the light and dark aspects of the Craft, of nature, and of themselves. We feel that we are only truly empowered when we accept and embrace both elements of our own beings, and attempt to learn from the world around us through both ends of the spectrum, rather than attempting to remain constantly in the light and ignore the existence of the dark. We understand that this is not for everyone, and we are also willing to give new members time to get used to the idea. However, this does need to be part of your interest and your goal.
x We are open to those at all levels of experience. All newcomers, regardless of level of experience, will have to attend classes with us as one of the steps of membership. Though some material may be repeat information for those who are more experienced, these classes are a course in the unique perspective our coven has on many familiar topis, and so this step can’t be skipped. It also serves the purpose of easing newcomers into meeting with us, and allows us to get to know each new individual.
x We are looking for people who are interested in taking an active role in their own path, regardless of their level of experience, rather than being blindly led.
x We are looking for people who are interested in making strong, positive contributions to the group’s current energy and bonds, as well as reaping the rewards of working with a strong group of women.
x We need people who can be laid back and are willing to have fun when it’s appropriate, but who can also be focused and “on task” when it’s necessary.
x It is a definite plus if you are “Out of the Broom Closet” with the people in your immediate household. We are a partially oath-bound coven, and it is our policy not to reveal our fellow members as witches, so no one will “out” you! However, experience has shown that when people are not open about their path with the people they live with, it can make regularly attending coven events very difficult.
x We seek members who are comfortable with the practice of magic as needed, but who do not expect to be doing all spellwork at every meeting! We do enjoy spellwork, and it is a part of what we do when we have a need for it. Therefore, those with qualms about magic or very rigid magical ethics may not be comfortable with this group. However, we do not do magic frivolously or overly frequently. Our spells may be pre-planned and thoroughly prepared for, or spontaneous and improvised, but never careless and unneeded.
x If you are at least “semi” family-oriented, that’s a bonus! We typically keep our esbat meetings to members only, but children, husbands, and other family and friends will be present at our sabbat celebrations. Therefore, sabbats tend to be pretty family oriented for us, so members who can at least appreciate this are a plus.
Any individual who wishes to become a coven member must go through the following steps…
x The first step is to attend our public events. If you haven’t already, join our public yahoo group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cotp_public. This group keeps those interested informed about any public events hosted by the coven. Attendance at these events is the best way to get to know us and make a personal connection with us. Becoming friends with our coven members is the best way to figure out whether or not this coven will be for you. Also, the initiative you take in attending our public events will give us a bit of an impression of how good you’ll be at attending our coven meetings. At this time, we are not holding private meetings with those who are seeking coven membership, and will ask all seekers to attend the next public event.
x Once you have attended a few of our public events, if you feel that you would be interested in pursuing coven membership, your next step would be to apply to become a student. To do this, simply email the HPS at watertown.witch@gmail.com , or access the student application on our public group site. We will reply with a form for you to complete, which will ask several questions about your views, your interests, and your goals. Please complete this form and return it to us. Once we have received the completed form, we will review your answers and get back to you to take it from there. Depending on how well we know you from the public events, we may ask for a private meeting with you to further discuss the possibility of your becoming a student in our Sage Grove.
x The Sage Grove is Tangled Pine's thirteen month program of study for those interested in joining our group. As student, you will automatically begin being considered for coven membership, and you will have plenty of opportunity to get to know the coven members in class and when you are invited to Sabbats and some esbats, as well as at social gatherings. It is absolutely essential that you make every effort to attend all classes, and all public events that you can. This is the only way for us to get to know you better, and for you to demonstrate your commitment. As the year of study in the Sage Grove comes to an end, you will be asked to sit with the Inner Grove members and answer questions about what you've learned and if you think the coven is a good fit for you. You can then be considered for Outer Grove membership.
All new members must follow these steps during early membership. After these initial steps, membership is “At Will.” Members may leave the coven anytime they wish, and the
Some people have expressed to us that our methods seem a little exclusive or intimidating. Our response to this is that we are willing to consider anyone for membership as long as that person is will to go through this process, a process we designed over a long period time, and which was shaped by the many experiences of trial and error we had bringing new members into our group. Its purpose to to create a safe, rewarding, and fun environment for seekers and members alike to share knowledge and become comfortable with each other. The trust and love our coven members share has been hard-won, and we would never disrespect our bond by carelessly allowing someone we barely knew to threaten it. we would also never expect someone who barely knew us to immediately feel comfortable around us. It's our hope that rather than feeling intimidated by our methods, seekers perceive our wish to protect everyone involved with our group to the best of our ability.