BRIAGA COVEN

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A new Coven of the 'Bright Fire' tradition of Witchcraft
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Briaga Coven is starting up to provide a training, development and working Coven especially for those who are new or even very new to Witchcraft.

This is a brand new Coven, starting right now: Those who join will be part of a bright new wisdom-stream within the Circles of the Wise.

We recognise the Goddess as being primary, with her Consort the Horned God supporting and reflecting her power and mystery within our world.

The Coven will meet each Full Moon and at the eight seasonal festivals to be inspired and energised by,  and to attune with the Goddess and Horned God of Wicca and to gather in sacred space so as to enable all Coveners to grow, learn and develop at all levels- Psychically, psychologically, emotionally, magickally and spiritually- what we do and learn within the Circle grows out to illuminate, enrich and empower our lives every day.

Training and learning circles and well presented teaching materials will be available for all Coveners to ensure that all can participate fully at all levels and without feeling left out through lack of knowledge or experience. This will include full transcripts of all rituals, magickal workings and other ceremonies that we use so that all will have clear material to work from at all times.

There will be additional training and development sessions for those who want them- if you seek to learn, develop and truly walk the path of the wise we will help you to the best of our ability and will provide the best resources we can. Within these sessions we will explore Runes, Tarot, Skrying, Herbalism, Tree-lore, magickal crafts, trance-work, spells and magick and a wide range of other Wiccan subjects.

Briaga Coven will have a full three degree initiatory system, a Council of Elders, and a full training and development structure for those who want to advance within the Craft of Wicca.

For some circles we will gather 'In the Temple' and at others we will gather outdoors. Including at Sacred sites at times. We will also organise Coven trips to Public festivals, Gatherings, Conferences, Fayres and similar. There will be lots of regular activity for those who want that, and all Coveners will be able to discuss anything with their HP's and HP when they need to, as well as learning the Craft on a one-to-one basis with us.

The Coven will gather in the Deal, Kent area of Britain but is potentially also open to those who are prepared to travel to join us on a regular basis. Even if you cannot make every circle, if you are in tune with the spirit of Briaga Coven we will welcome you.

Minimum age: Due to the social pressures that exist in our society we can only accept applications for membership from those who are 17 years old or older. We have set this at as low a limit as we reasonably can- potentially, if your parents or guardians are in full agreement, we might be able to flex that a little. Talk with us about this.

Briaga Coven is equally open to those of all predilections- our circle welcomes our gay brothers and sisters as equally as our hetero' ones."All" we ask is that all within our circle be open, tolerant and prepared to stretch both their boundaries and their personal horizons- that's "all" we ask!

We will balance at all times between sufficient formal structure to ensure all our rituals flow well, and creative inspiration and inner guidance so that we work within a framework that supports and enhances individual creativity and inspiration.

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Further information:
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Briaga is a completely 'face-to-face' Coven that will meet/gather in real-space-time. It will not have any kind of cyber-coven aspects, neither will it be any kind of discussion list or other similar email/web based or other cyber-group. 

The Coven will gather for 8 festivals and up to 12 full moon circles a year. That's 20 gatherings plus training/development/induction/initiation events.

We accept that not all can make that kind of committment all the time, but really every Covener will need to attend at least 75% of all events.

Keen and committed folk will of course be more than happy to attend that often- the 'properly' committed will want to attend at every possible opportunity- the truly 'proper' will probably need prising out of our house on occasions....


Briaga Covenstead is located in Deal, Kent, South East England. 

I love to hear from pagan and Wiccan people from all around the world, but obviously distances involved mean that with the very best will in the world, you're not going to make it to Coven gatherings, Esbats, Sabbats, etc 20+ times a year if you live any further away from us than North Kent- London- home counties- Essex- Sussex or that kind of distance. It's possible to drive down to Deal from about the distance of Leicester away in about three and a half hours- but would you really be able to do that 20+ times a year.... 


Anyone truly interested in joining this Coven needs to get in touch, let us know at least their name- the name you were born with including surname rather than a Craft/Magickal name; and some information about yourself- age, location, gender, marital or other status and previous experience or knowledge of the Craft.

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Why we need this from you:
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Craft/Magickal names are good, but they don't translate in 'real-time' into getting to know a real person very well. Being a member of a Coven is like a web of close relationships- family. It can get intense at times, it takes comittment to be a member of a Coven, and you can only do this in real, meaningful ways with real people.

Personal information- we simply need to know who's knocking at our door.

Experience/Knowledge level. We need to know what foundation you are starting from to help you most.

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What Briaga Coven will be like
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Have a good browse through the main Galdraheim Coven website- Briaga' will be like that, but with the exception that it is starting exclusively with/for people who are new to the Craft. At least in terms of experience, and/or direct Coven experience.

We have a well grounded induction, training and development process: Every one who joins a Coven needs to know the practicalities- such as the mechanics of magickal symbolism that is used, which way around is Deosil/widdershins, the meanings of magickal tools used, basic chants and similar.

All need to know Coven basics- Coven etiquette, foundation principles, Wiccan belief systems, the Coven structure, organisation, format of events, etc.

All of this is worked through, through the induction, training and development process so that all 'Briagans' will develop a full range of Wiccan skills, knowledge and practical experience so that they can fully participate in all Coven activites in full confidence.

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First steps
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If you do live close enough, have read through the material on the Galdraheim Coven website and are sufficiently comfortable and happy with that to want to proceed, ask any questions you like, seek further information about anything you're not sure about, clarify any issue that isn't fully clear.

Then follow these steps.

1) Get in touch 

2) Let us know the information we need from you.

3) Discuss anything with us- absolutely anything; that you're not clear about or which you need further information about.

4) We will then arrange a date-time for you to come meet us personally- 'can be scary, but things like this are hurdles that all who seek the circles of the wise need to pass over.

5) Once all applications are in we'll arrange a first Induction session for all to attend together.


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Briaga Coven-Galdraheim Coven
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Galdraheim Coven is continuing- Briaga will run alongside it as a separate training and development Coven. Briaga will do everything that Galdraheim does, but allowing for that its members will be 'novices' and will need help and encouragement.

Quite possibly some who would fit into that circle well will shift over into Galdraheim Coven at some point.

Others will be best suited to the Briaga circle, and so we'll run that as a strong, proper Coven in its own right.

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Costs/Money- those dirty words!
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Every Coven or similar group incurs some overheads. Incenses, candles, and similar Temple consumables, photocopying and printing costs of teaching materials, bikkies, tea, coffee, toilet rolls, etc that are consumed at teaching/training circles and similar, once in a while hiring a steamer to get the candle wax/wine/food out of the carpet and removal of blood from the walls after initiations- only joking about that last one!

We will therefore require that all who start into the Induction program for Briaga Coven make a Temple donation of £3.00 at each occasion they attend. Those who work through the Induction and are initiated into the Coven will just need to make that donation at each Full Moon.

Other than that there are no fees, no one will be asking you to sign over your life-savings, or charging you for anything. 

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Further hurdles- Tests, challenges, and 'proper people'
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Through challenges we grow- there's a question asked at a significant point for all who seek to join the circles of the wise- "Are you willing to suffer to learn"?

So there are tests, challenges and hurdles various within all of this process.

If you are interested in finding out more or in joining Briaga Coven just contact us at this email address:

alantickhill@hotmail.com

Blessed be,

Pauline & Alan Tickhill
Briaga Coven

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