The Witch and Famous Coven, located in Tamarac, Florida was officially founded Imbolc, 1994, and follows
the Celtic Pantheisic path.
Our group is descended directly through Lady Nokomis from Sacred Grove in Columbus, Ohio, a group that has spanned several decades and hived off many covens, making Lady Nokomis a "witch queen" many times over.
We seek to keep alive the old ways, and to nurture
our spiritual selves in the worship of the old Gods and Goddesses. We are
led by Lady Bridget, and Lord Riekin, and we honor both
aspects of diety, male and female.
We are a teaching coven, and from time to time, we offer classes in Basic Wicca to those serious seekers who wish to study with us. The classes last for about three lunar cycles, after which time, some students will be invited to stay on, become dedicated, and study for the required minimum of a year and a day. All our first degree initiations take place at Imbolc. At this time we are not taking on new members, but much of the outer court class material is here on this website so feel free to browse and ask questions.
In addition to teaching others, those who join our group are usually people who see themselves as being called to become teachers in the future. This requires a dedication and commitment that few people may have time for in today's busy society. However, as the allure of the Craft continues to grow and to draw to it those who wish to study with a teacher, more and more reliable and trained ones will be needed. The internet is wonderful, but as Wicca is an experiential religion it is advisable to have someone to help guide and direct these experiences.
This past year we have chosen to focus on our music. As a singer and songwriter, Lady Bridget has two albums out: "In Her Sacred Space" and "Voices of the Goddess" - for ordering information see the Music Page. Working together with Sirona, Lady Morrigan, Inanna, and Troy, the second album was recently created. Our group is called "Bella Donnas" and this album was released in 2002. There is a lot of Pagan music that is being lost due to the small areas of distribution for most Pagan tapes, and we are hoping to preserve much of that as well.
We believe in the Wiccan Rede, "An It Harm None" and we teach the threefold law of return. We call ourselves Witches, knowing that this word has negative connotations to many people, but we believe this word has power for us both as individuals and as a group. Our Coven Name was chosen to remind us that we must always keep our senses of humor, and our motto is "Reverence and Mirth". Others may mistake our name to mean that we are frivolous and self seeking, and to that we say there is a lesson here about judging quickly and relying on labels. There are many groups today with pretty sounding names that have no spiritual life in them. Don't rely on labels!
Our Tradition is noticably different from many books you may read in the placement of the Watchtowers and Elements. In our circles, the element of Water is in the East, since all life began in the water and that is how we are born, out of the water of the Mother's Womb. In the South, we have Air, since after our birth as water creatures, we are now air-breathers, and air also represents our higher minds. In the West is the element of Fire, indicative of the setting Sun, the passions of youth, and also of the departed souls whom we believe journey to the Summerland by the Western portals. Cremation is a traditional form of burial. Even those cultures who set their dead afloat to sail away, often set the ships of the dead aflame prior to launching them. North is the element of Earth, which is common to other traditions as well. Earth is our lesson on the physical plane, how to live with Her without destroying Her in our greed, and how to nurture, as She does, as we learn to give and pass on life in our maturity.
We are legally ordained ministers and we are able to perform handfastings and weddings, as well as give spiritual counseling. We understand that other faiths view ministerial credentials as a necessary step in recognizing the trained clergy from the lay practitioner. With this in mind, we will continue our tradition of obtaining ministerial credentials for our initiates and members who desire them.
We celebrate the wheel of the year in 8 Sabbats, the 4 Major and the 4 Minor, as they occur astrologically. Many of our outer court Sabbats are "open" to the craft community. We celebrate 13 Full Moon rituals as a group, and we keep the New Moons and Dark Moons as individuals. Our inner court rituals are not generally open, but if you plan to be in the area around the time of Full Moon, or a Sabbat, we can usually direct you to an open ritual in the community, if we ourselves are not doing one. We have contacts for open rituals in the Fort Lauderdale and Melbourne areas of Florida.
One of our former High Priestesses, Lady Therese, has moved to Berea, KY, where she has started a new "branch" of the Witch and Famous family tree. Her coven, the Cauldron of the Ancients, teaches and hosts Esbats in the KY area. Together with other covens and groups, they have formed the Celtic Clans, to host festivals and Sabbats. Contact her for more information.
In September, 1997, we were honored to become members of the Covenant of the Goddess which is a national organization for Wiccans/Pagans, recognized as a religious affiliation by the U.S.Government. They offer Ministerial Credentials, and many other benefits, to coven groups and to solitaries. Being voted into membership with this organization which has existed for over 25 years now, was a major step in the growth and maturity of our coven. In order to apply, a group or solitary member must have two letters of recommendation from two other existing members. We were honored to have been given glowing recommendations by Lady Circe and by Lord Arawn . These letters can be read on line by clicking on one of the above names. Both Lady Bridget and Lord Riekin are very active in the Everglades Moon Local Council here in Florida. We hope to continue to grow, and evolve spiritually with each other's help, and the help of the Gods.
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