Pagan Coffee Talk

Start Your Own Coven?

• Life Temple and Seminary • Season 5 • Episode 10

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Ever felt stuck between practicing alone and settling for a group that doesn’t fit? We unpack a clear, workable path to build your own coven with confidence.  The theme is steady craft over flash: consistency, consent, and clean boundaries.

We talk through what leadership actually looks like day to day. We share how to design your meeting cadence around Sabbats and full moons without burning out the core team, basic bookkeeping and a simple nonprofit setup protect the work and the people who rely on it.

Conflict is inevitable, so we outline a process that keeps the temple first. We explain why an “outer court” helps screen fit, why mixing activism with worship can blur your spiritual aim, and how networking with nearby groups and public listings helps seekers find you. We also share book recommendations, tips for adapting ceremonies like weddings and funerals, and a model for second-degree specialization that turns members into teachers. If you’re ready to move from solo practice to a living, learning coven, this guide gives you the tools, the mindset, and the momentum to begin. Subscribe, share with a friend who’s searching for community, and leave a review with the one policy you’d set on day one.

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SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to Peggy and Coffee Talk. If you enjoy our content, please consider donating and following our socials.

SPEAKER_01:

So every so often we keep on getting these comments and it's nobody's in my area. Where what do I do? I can't find nobody. I can't do all right. Or there are people in their area and none of these places fit you. Right. Okay, one of the two choices. All right. So how do you start a coven? How do we do it? That's a good question. Oh Lord, it's me answering that, ain't it?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, go ahead. I was gonna say I think I think first of all, what you need to do is you if you're gonna do that, if you've come to this conclusion, okay, this is my only option.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Then the answer is yes, you start your own coven. Yes. Just to play an outside, yes, you start.

SPEAKER_02:

But I think I think one of the f one of the first places you have to look. You have to know what you believe in. Yes. If you don't, it's it's not gonna work. It's because you've got no foundation. Right. So what I'm gonna suggest you take the time and you write down what you believe in, what myths you follow, what what what ethics and what morals where do they come from and all that.

SPEAKER_01:

So and again, if you don't have all the answers to start off with, don't worry about it. At least make a note. Hey, this is what I have to do and why.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, because you've got to understand this is gonna be a long process. Oh, God. This is not gonna happen within a year's time. Well, it might, depending on how well you organize your information, but and your friend group and all that.

SPEAKER_01:

So again, because here's what I would suggest. I would start off with doing my own personal rituals. All right. I'd get comfortable with the circle casting, doing and performing rituals, writing them. Yep. The whole nine yards. All right. And then you're gonna have to start asking yourself some certain other things because you're trying to become a priest or a priestess of the religion. So that means there are gonna be certain responsibilities and duties your people who join your temple are gonna expect. Which you have to think about.

SPEAKER_02:

And that you're gonna expect them to do. Right. Uh so that kind of works both ways. So you're gonna Yeah, so you have to think about okay, what are my neophytes going to be responsible for?

SPEAKER_01:

What am I gonna be responsible for? Am I gonna have a degree system? Right. Am I even gonna do a degree system? Am I gonna teach? Are we gonna be are we gonna follow a specific tradition versus being more eclectic? Or am I gonna make up my own tradition? Whatsoever.

SPEAKER_02:

So yeah, all things to consider.

SPEAKER_01:

All these things are to consider in that rainbow. Our people expect us to be counselors. Yes. Our people expect us to be certain things to them throughout the day. So you also need to take that into account. Right. Because you're becoming a leader of people. Right. A spiritual leader of people. Like it or not. Like it or not. And I will suggest this for all those who are doing this, please remember a priest, the priesthood in all this, our job is only about your soul. Right. That's it. This is the only advice we're gonna give you. We're only giving you religious advice. Right. We're not telling you if you gotta leave your wife or husband therapy's for.

SPEAKER_02:

You need to go seek counseling. You need to go seek counseling.

SPEAKER_01:

Find yourself a marriage counselor, because I'm not touching that. Right. I deal with spiritual matters and religious matters. So here we are. And you know, when we do counsel a little, and it does sometimes get into the personal, you need to know when to go. Okay, no, that's not something I need to know. Not my field of expertise. Not my field of expertise. Please learn that. Not my field of expertise. Yes. Please learn your field of expertise. Yes. Um after that, I would just start inviting one or two people over to start doing ritual with me. And I would teach them and say, here's the circle casting we're going to use, here's how we're going to perform it. Right. And the whole nine yards. Okay, no, no, no. We're all going to cast circle together or we're not, or pick something and stick, especially when it comes to circle casting, stick with it. Stick with it. All right. Lay something down and make it concrete. Right. Because that's one less because circle casting never actually changes. All right. You can just learn one and just keep on casting circle that way if it works for you. Absolutely. How do you know if it's not working for you? You'll know. Well, the more than likely there's going to be funny stuff happening, electrical problems and other repairs that seem to be coming up in your house on a regular basis. That's this energy escaping from that circle. Right. Just to let you know. So you might want to do a different circle. And that might and that might take a while. It might. It could take. It's going to be some trial and error. It's going to be some trial and error there. That's where I would start. Okay. All right. And then once I built up my people and stuff, maybe then I would start looking into the 501c3 stuff. Yeah, I would definitely suggest looking into that. All right. Now I will sit here and tell you what Lord Minn told me that if he knew back then what he knew what he did in the future was they filed for the state first for their tax exempt status, then they filed for the federal, which made it more complicated. Right. It's easier if you do the federal first. Then get the state. Then do the state, yeah. Then do the state. Just and trust me, there are plenty of books out there on how to run a 501c3. Yes. Please buy them books. Make yourself available of these books. These aren't these aren't the majority of them aren't big books, and yes.

SPEAKER_02:

But yeah, they'll don't help you fill out the paperwork and paperwork and all that.

SPEAKER_01:

And explain the laws and stuff like that. And yes, it's a boring read, and God forbid. But you can get through it. It does tell you how to do some fundraising and how to do certain things. Um I think I still got like five in my wish list to buy and read. So yeah. Oh yeah, definitely. So I mean just to let y'all know how many I keep on reading through.

SPEAKER_02:

So But yeah, use use resources that are available to you. I mean, because you do have to kind of think of it sort of as a business. Yes. Because chances are at some point, you know, you're gonna be you're gonna have m incoming money, possibly. Possibly. You need to know how to deal with donations of varying kinds, could be food, could be money, could be whatever. But you you need to you need to know how to account for that. Right. You need to know some bookkeeping.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep. See, see, I the the farther we go down this list, you're you I think I hope people are starting to realize why in the world it takes two of us to run a temple. Yeah. Well, actually it takes about three.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. I would say it's good to have a priest, a priestess, and then one other. One other. I mean, that's you need the priest and the priestess for the balance aspect, but one other person to kind of help keep things grounded. Right. To kind of do the grunt work for a little bit. Yeah, you need a third person.

SPEAKER_01:

You need a third person. It it does help. Because I mean, because then you got to start thinking about stuff like this. Are we going to meet at the Sabbaths? Are we gonna meet at the full moons? Are we gonna do the new moons too? Mm-hmm. You know, how many times are we gonna get the times are we meeting? Yeah. I mean, like for our for our temple, we normally do all the full moons and all the sabbaths. Right. We do we do occasionally do a new moon meeting, but that's normally just first degrees and up.

SPEAKER_02:

But that's like a business meeting. Yeah, it's it's very it's very informal. There's nothing really spiritual at all in there.

SPEAKER_01:

It's mostly business. It's mostly business. So, I mean, majority of the time, and maybe a few things said about, you know, I I think we have done a few things on like uh you're in them about circle casting or um Well yeah, or how to write ritual, yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

It's a good time if you're gonna do, you know, if you're gonna do new moon meetings or any full moon meetings or whatever. It's uh it's a good time to field additional questions. Right. Um, maybe hold a little workshop or whatever. It's it's a good time for that.

SPEAKER_01:

It is a good time to do that too. So again, these are the things you gotta think about. All right. Then then there's the whole entire, okay, so we're gonna do the Sabbaths, are we gonna feast afterwards? In other words, are we gonna cook a dinner and and and how elaborate are we gonna make this?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. Is it gonna be like three-course meal, four-course meal, or is it gonna be potluck, or is it Right. You know, how are you gonna handle it? How you gonna handle it? I suggest potluck because that tends to work really well.

SPEAKER_01:

It it it does.

SPEAKER_02:

Just can just keep a keep a list of who's bringing what.

SPEAKER_01:

But yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And that way there's no duplicates.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm trying to think of anything other grand that you really need to do to actually start a temple. You know, you're gonna have to make some decisions, all right? Because there are some temples that are other things too. All right. They're they're they're not just churches, these aren't just temples and churches, sometimes they're activist groups too. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. So again, you you're gonna have to ask yourself, are we going to be that type? Now, again, I I I tend to tell people not to, because my fear is always the activist group will take over and you won't have no religion anymore.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Or your religion takes over to where in the world you don't have the activism anymore.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Personally, I think you should keep them separate.

SPEAKER_02:

I think so as well. From each other. Nothing wrong if you want to have an activist group. No. But keep it separate from the church. From the church.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Are are you with what I'm saying? So and again, so again, I'm I'm not sitting there telling you not to tell you people not to go out and be political or protest or whatever they want to do. I'm just saying you might want to look at them and go, hey, when you come here, we're not gonna Right. That's not part of what we do. That's not part of what we do. We're here to worship the God and Goddess. We're trying to build this path and this way of life for ourselves and what we believe in, become better people. Right. Because if you're following this religion and you're not and you're following these beliefs and you're not becoming a better person, what's the point?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. I think I think that's a very important side note to all of this is that it is for your growth, your personal growth. Growth. And and that's what we're talking about. That growth, that for you. I just Right. And it and whatever you're doing, it it should, in my opinion, and in yours, apparently. It should make you a better person. It should be down the woman, it should make you want to be a better person. Yeah. There should be aspects there going, no. And you know, think of it as whatever you're gonna be teaching, those are the tools to become that better person.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

So, you know, you gotta keep all that in mind as well.

SPEAKER_01:

So, I mean, there's a lot to go on in running the temple. I mean, uh hell, just how long have me and the lady been working on our first two re because we're trying to redo the first three classes.

SPEAKER_02:

That's been going on, I think, for probably close to a year now. Yeah. If not longer.

SPEAKER_01:

If not long. And this and it make it even worse was we're not writing anything. We already have the data. I mean, are you writ with me? We already have the info.

SPEAKER_02:

This is just us trying to consolidate, remove out some unnecessary stuff, the repetitive information.

SPEAKER_01:

And so, and the reason I the reason I'm bringing this up is when we talk about all this stuff you got to build up and everything, sometimes we have to go back and redo again.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, absolutely. At some point, you're gonna wind up with so much information in your books, right, if you will.

SPEAKER_01:

Because each person you bring in, each person you bring in is a new stream of information being brought into your temple. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

And it should influence to some extent of what's going on. Yeah, of what's going on, and hopefully those people are contributing to the information that you're putting out and helping you grow.

SPEAKER_01:

So again, right, don't think of this as you doing it completely by yourself. No. All right. You may may start out that way.

SPEAKER_02:

It might, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, and don't get me wrong, people showing up at first might not be quite as helpful, but over time, over time they will be, they will become more helpful the more they're around, the more that they do, the more that they interact.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and part of that comes from you being comfortable in that position. Right. So the more you may start out, and you if you start out just teaching, you may be a little awkward. It's natural.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

The more you do it, the more comfortable you get with it, the more natural it feels. Right. The more you become familiar with the information and and once that happens, it puts people more at ease.

SPEAKER_01:

Mm-hmm. It makes this process move a whole lot faster.

SPEAKER_02:

It makes it move faster, makes it move more fluid, and it encourages them to contribute.

SPEAKER_01:

I will give you, I would give anyone starting their first temple one more piece of advice, at least. You are not their friends. No, no, the priesthood is not your friend. You cannot I why why there are people I love them to death in temple. They're not my friends. I have to be honest with them. Right. I'm not gonna sit there and just pat them on the back because whether they're my friend, I want them to feel good and be happy and all that. Right. So, yeah, there are gonna be times you're gonna be having conversations with people that are very uncomfortable, some of them are might be very personal, and some other stuff. Are you willing to put up with that? Right now, let's talk about what happens. So you're you're starting to temple. What happens when a doll blows up in your face? And because that stuff happens too.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, it does. Personalities. Yep. How are you gonna handle disputes? How are you gonna handle arguments? How are you gonna handle the drama?

SPEAKER_01:

Drama. Now, in our temple, here's how we normally do it. All right, our high priestess always works as or always basically fills in as the judge. And me and you fill in as the prosecuting and defense to some degree. To some degree, yes. Right. But the first thing we do is we actually pull out the laws from Lady Sheep, or at least the new book of the laws from Lady Sheep and start going through them, talking about the situation, the whole nine yards. Well, especially if we're dealing with initiates, especially if we're dealing with initiate. And to make it even worse. People who are bound by the laws. Right, because again, we're not, and again, we're not having this conversation in front of the lady. No. We're just getting our stuff together. Right. That's it. Then we actually meet with the lady, and there's normally a process to where both offending parties, because you've got to at least have two, or if not one, I guess one could be possible, and you bring them in and you hear their side of the story. Right. Then that person leaves, and then me and you start in on our spill where we basically recite the laws and say, this is where this law is, this is what it looks like to me, blah, blah, blah. And the whole nine yards, then the lady makes her decision. Right. All right. Now I'm going to tell you right now, the majority of times if we have two people that are fighting and they will not fix the problem themselves, normally the solution is to ask both parties to leave. Right. Because again, by picking one over the other, you're now picking a side and you've just become you've just stepped into friendship zone. Right. And you're no longer the priest. The priest or the priestess, yes. All right. Because again, your duty and responsibility is to the temple. Right. Right. You have to think about the greater good. All right. And again, when you're when you're sitting there and you're doing this stuff and you got a room full of 13 people and two of them don't want to get along, you got to do something.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and you know, that's another thing. When you're bringing people in, you need to have some type of interview process. You need to have, and I think this is the reason why a lot of covens, like especially, I think especially in Gardnarian covens and Alexandrian covens, they have what's referred to as an inner court and an outer court. The outer court is a chance for to see how these people are going to interact, interact with each other. Right. And from that you can kind of see how they're going to act with the people who are already on the inner court.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, because because to some degree, we are starting to implement this type of process at our pimple. To some degree we are, yeah. Because again, here's where here's where we have problems, all right, is I will get a phone call. Hey, I want to take classes.

SPEAKER_02:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

I meet up, I meet with the person, whatever, and finally get their first class set up, do the first class the very next day, hey, I'd like to take what couldn't you call it a week ago?

SPEAKER_02:

Right. And sometimes it's you know, like a month down the road where this person's already had two classes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes.

SPEAKER_02:

And so now it's okay. You have to start another class, do I try to get this person caught up?

SPEAKER_01:

The decision you need to make is a, do I need to do that? Do I need to get them called up? How many, how many class how many different classes do I want running it concurrently with one another? Right. Because I'm sorry, keeping up with three or four different people. It's not easy. It's not easy.

SPEAKER_02:

We've done that, and it's not easy. You know? That's even that's even putting it in the calendar with reminders that pop up. It's not easy. Because sometimes it's like, oh God, what class was this?

SPEAKER_01:

What were we talking about? Who's coming today? Oh, okay. Never mind. I realize that I I I no longer have my weekends free because I've scheduled classes from now until the end of the year. Right.

SPEAKER_02:

For every weekend.

SPEAKER_01:

For every weekend. How far are you willing to go with this? So again, these really think about it. Again, I know we're getting a little bit bizarre here, but again, these are questions you've got to ask yourself. Yeah, because it does happen. Right. Don't get me wrong. There's a lot of books out there that sort of help you. There are. All right. Let me see if I can recommend a few. Um, A Witch's Bible or The Witch's Bible complete. Uh that and that has some good info in there. It's a little difficult to read. Yeah, it can be difficult to read. It can be difficult to read. I would suggest there's a lot of footnotes.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. And a lot of references to things that happen in other parts of the book.

SPEAKER_01:

The Spiral Dance, she's got a few good frameworks on how to run some temples. I'm I'm there's a few others out there.

SPEAKER_02:

I I think there's actually one that says how to start a coven.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. And I don't know how good it is.

SPEAKER_02:

I don't I don't think I've read it, or it's been a while since I have read it.

SPEAKER_01:

But there are a few good books out there on how to create a coven. Yeah, absolutely. All right. And again, like I said, you the main things you gotta ask yourself is these things. Right. And you and again, utilize your resources. Utilize them. All right. I mean, listen to the podcast, listen to other podcasts. Matter of fact, go ask other people, other podcasts this same question and see if you get a different answer than what we're giving you. Right. You know, so again, a lot of questions here and a lot of things you have to decide on what in the world to do. But I'm still back to yes, start it, do it. Nobody said you couldn't. Right. Because here's my honest belief. You you can believe me if you want. I truly believe if you're if somebody does this and they start, somehow the gods will make it to where in the world a more well-trained traditionalist will somehow come into this person's life going, oh here I can help you with all that. Oh, here, this is a piece of cake. Hold on, let me just cause I've been doing it 15 freaking years. Right. And I believe that does happen. Because I mean, we've had that throughout why in the world, we would have been running temple. That strange person that just shows up and Yeah. I don't know how to explain that.

SPEAKER_02:

But you know it is difficult to explain. Explain, you know, it's just it's kind of odd.

SPEAKER_01:

It's kind of odd. You know, it's just all of a sudden these people show up and you're like, Well, where were you when I was hunting? Oh, I just moved to the area and I saw your temple. I just Where were you 15 years ago? I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm not gonna sit here and say we weren't lucky because Lord Mean had already done a lot of this work. He did a lot of the groundwork, yes, he did. All right. So again, I'm counting my blessings there. Uh oh, absolutely. All right. So again, get mad at me if you won't, but again, somebody still had to do this work.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, and then too, just because he laid the groundwork doesn't mean that you didn't make it your own.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Or contribute and do everything out of the way. Right.

SPEAKER_02:

Again, it's people contributing and you know, changing information, adding information.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, because well, in our temple, for example, first degrees, everybody gets pretty much the same general teaching. Second degrees, we require you to pick a specialty. Herbalism, folklore, don't care. Pick something. Right. That's where you're gonna get more of that information in, is when you have those people that come in with that specialty set. When that woman comes in and goes, Oh yeah, I've been practicing herbalism for really because now you have real-world practical experience that's not necessarily in a book. Right. Well, I can follow a recipe in a book if I've done the recipe a few times. I I can kind of play with it a little bit. Right. You with me? So these are all the things I think you anything else.

SPEAKER_02:

God, I don't know. We've covered so much. Oh, God. And you know, and and I apologize because it's been like an onslaught of information, but and you can always go back and listen and stop and take notes.

SPEAKER_01:

God, I s I sort of think we should have at least made a checkoff list. I know, right? That might have been a good idea for this episode. Maybe. Oops. Oh well. As far as now now getting members and stuff like that. I there's the um well, there used to be Witch Vox, but there's a few places out there.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, there's there's a place where we're listed. Um, it's called Mandragora Magica, and they have listings. Um they kind of took over the Witch Vox listing because um uh whoever this guy is or the people, um, I think it's only like one or two people running the site, they saw the need.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And so they kind of stepped up to the plate. And I think it's a wonderful thing. So uh yeah, we'll kind of put a link to that as well. But yeah, you can absolutely list your group there. Yeah. Um there are I think he's also listing shops. Yeah. Like uh metaphysical shops and things like that. Yeah, that's there's a few there. Those are probably some good resources for you.

SPEAKER_01:

You can see I think they even list some podcasts and some other things. And they I believe they do, yeah. There's a lot of there's there are a good bit of r resources. So um, yeah, that's that's a good place to go. You know, I did I would even go as far as if you really wanted to, and you do have some covens in your area, even though you might not be interested in them, I would still reach out to them and talk to them.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And ask them what they did and how they did it. And again, those connections are gonna help.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, and understand there's probably some things they're not gonna talk about. Right. But um, I think overall, that's a great idea.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, because occasionally we get people and I'm kind of like, uh, this might not be the best fit for you, but hey, there's this group over here. Um you might be more up your alley and suit you.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely, yeah. You know I mean you you want to have that in your back pocket, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

So again, cutting yourself off from them is not necessarily a good thing. So again, might not agree with them on everything, but just kind of like take your what is that, your your your stone face, I guess, and just go, uh-huh, really? Okay. Yeah, yeah. And that's what you're doing, all right. Right. Now again, there's a lot of and again, as far as finding rituals and stuff, I mean, there's but I've there's a bunch of weddings out there. Oh yeah. Pagan weddings and funerals and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, look, probably one of the easiest things to do. Find you a book that has like the typical wedding. Yeah. And just modify it. That's all. Modify it to make it pagan. Modifying modify it to make it to to do what in the world you believe. Right. But I'm just saying that's that's like the it's because it's already it's already got a format.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. I mean, because look, that's all we're doing. We're just going around and telling we're just literally going around telling people this is what we believe. This is how we practice the whole nine yards, and either you do it or you don't.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. Now I think you can probably find them online, but I know there's a there's a minister's handbook that has things like weddings and funerals.

SPEAKER_01:

Um I I think that I think that's the book you're talking about. I think that's part of the Catholic tradition.

SPEAKER_02:

Um I don't know. My mother had one. Um I think we have a copy of it here. Here somewhere. Um, but yeah, it's I think it's just called the minister's handbook.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

And it's got some of those ceremonies in it. Grab me a copy of that.

SPEAKER_01:

And it does, it does have other resources for you in there. Absolutely. Can be used. Do not throw things. Don't turn, don't snub your nose up at any religion when you're trying to do this. You're gonna want all right.

SPEAKER_02:

You can pull from anywhere. Right? Just saying. Don't don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

SPEAKER_01:

Please. So so so that now this person, this fan's gonna be like, okay, no, I'm not doing this. That was way more information. I've changed my mind. Well, in that case, we're gonna go have coffee and you go have another glass of tea. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02:

Thanks for listening. Join us next week for another episode. Pegan Coffee Talk is brought to you by Life Temple and Seminary. Please visit us at life templeseminary.org for more information, as well as links to our social media: Facebook, Discord, Twitter, YouTube, and Reddit.

SPEAKER_00:

We travel down this trodden path, the maze of stone and mire. Just hold my hand as we pass by a steel blazing pyres, and so it is the end of our days, to walk with me till morning breaks, and so it is the end of our days to walk with me till morning breaks.

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Lord Night

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Lord Oswyn

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