Ok, as some of you know, I live in Albuquerque, NM. Right now we're in the midst of Hatch Chili season, and I've been working my tail off since the end of June preparing for all of this.
Never any rest for the wicked you know.
Those beautiful strands of chilies that are icons of southwestern life, well those things are a pain in my ass. I've seen nothing but strands upon strands of them. People are buying them in droves. So, I'm seeing red almost all day. LOL.
I've been up to my ears in listening to other people's drama too. Seriously. I now remember why I stay a solitary and don't practice with others.
I was brought up,magickally speaking, in a very strict coven. We couldn't talk about coven outside of coven meetings and rituals, we were not allowed to go to other rituals or festivals until after we'd completed our third degree, and, if something as mundane as a drum circle started delving into a discussion of magickal practice, we had to leave. Immediately.
Punishment for breaking these rules was swift and immediate. You were thrown out of the coven, without even so much as a by-your-leave. Done.
However, I really do appreciate that sort of old school mentality that I see returning to so many covens. With these rules comes a true bonding of the coven structure. You learn rituals the way your HP and HPS want you to, based in the traditions of your coven. You bond with that coven and are ingrained in its traditions and practices without coming in from an open circle saying, "Well at XYZ coven's ritual WE didn't call the quarters like THAT!" or being ballsy enough to tell your HP or HPS, "Well, I saw TYQ coven doing xyz and I think YOU'RE WRONG!"
Hang on. Hang on. OMG, pull your broomstick OUT OF YOUR ASS. Let me explain.
I believe that if ANYONE feels uncomfortable in coven, they should be able to say, "I don't like this, I don't feel comfortable."
I also believe that they should be able to offer a solution to something they don't feel comfortable with. And it is up to the SOLE DISCRETION of coven leadership whether or not to act upon it.
For example. The coven I learned in had a scourging ritual for initiates. It involved being struck across the back with a cat of nine tails. One covener was ADAMANT that to be struck like that would trigger some PTSD type issues. Our HP and HPS worked with the ENTIRE COVEN to figure out a solution for this one person (and prospective people who might have the same affliction). A solution was hit upon. They were to be SCOURED with big, raw, just peeled loofah's. I mean, taken dried, off of the vine and peeled that day. No water, no softening. Still a scourging effect, and for her, not as traumatic.
HOWEVER when another covener a few months later, came into coven, hands on hips proclaiming, "Well that's not what we did at the Grove this past weekend!" (referring to a festival they'd been to), then I remember very clearly my HPS walking up to said person, cutting their cords off of them and ordering them out of circle and off of property.
Harsh? Yep. You better believe it. However my home coven has managed to keep it's traditions alive, and unaltered (mostly) for over 50 years. When those of us who have hived off go back to the home covenstead, we are quickly reminded that on her land, it is her rules. We rarely forget that.
However, because of the behaviors of our HP and HPS we've actually been told that she's really a cult leader. Having been a child of a cult, (we'll go into that another time duckies) I know all too well that these rules, this behavior is not cultish. These rules are in place for a reason. That reason being the cohesive working of magick, and keeping a magickal tradition in it's purest form.
I agree with that 110%.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm done with my coffee and there will be tourists coming any moment to throw money at me for chilies.
