Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
Relationships and Religion
No One Owns A Witch

No One Owns A Witch

Last updated on: November 4, 2023 at 7:17 am by Laura Tempest Zakroff

0 Comments

No One Owns A Witch 2023-11-04T07:17:09-08:00 Laura Tempest Zakroff

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

No one owns a Witch. The topic of this post may seem a bit dramatic or obvious to some, but unfortunately it’s referring to a problem that shows up far more often than it should. And so we’re going to talk about it. (There’s also a video version linked below).

I received a message from a younger practitioner I had met at event a few years ago, asking for advice. They had found a local group to join and had been so excited. (Which is natural – it’s exciting to find others interested in the same things as you!) But after a while, they began to feel that this group wasn’t for them. They met with the coven leaders to discuss their concerns and thoughts about moving on.

At that point, one would think that the leaders would say, “Thank you for coming to us, good luck on your path.” But no. Instead they told this person that if they left the coven, they would never be able to join any other coven or group in their area and possibly even beyond that. They were basically insinuating that the coven would make life difficult for them if they left.

Y’all, as I read their message, I went from astonished to full of seething anger on their behalf. Who the fuck plays these sort of games TODAY? Like, I know it went down in the 80’s and 90’s, but TODAY? Like who the fuck do they think they are?

So I made a video about it:

6 Minutes of Witchcraft: No One Owns A Witch

Behold the red flags…. Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

Basically there are two main things I address in the video:

1. If you are on the receiving end of this sort of nonsense, please realize that these are MAJOR red flags and that you need to exit the situation ASAP. You WILL find the right folks eventually somewhere, somewhere. Don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Any group that threatens you on any level if you try to leave is giving serious cult vibes. Doesn’t matter whether we’re talking Witches, Wiccans, Druids, Thelemites, or Christians. They are basically telling you they value numbers and control over crafting effective magic and spiritual growth. You are a sovereign being and you need to take care of your emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical well-being.

2. If you are the one telling people this, you seriously need to reexamine why you are running a group. (Also, stop taking directions cues from The Craft.) If someone doesn’t feel like your group is a good fit for them, then it’s detrimental to the whole health of the group (in addition to the individual) if you believe that synergy, connection, and trust are all part of the magical process. Because they are. You don’t own the people in your group. And don’t give me the “they may take our secrets and tell others” bullshit. And if they do, so what? Take a look at the history of Modern Witchcraft (in particularly Wicca) and tell me how that exact same thing has never happened before. When it does, things go on – that’s because “the secrets” are in the personal revelation of the experience.

See other warnings to watch for on covens here.

In my books and on here I’ve talked about how I don’t think that covens are the most natural state for Witches. As beginners we tend to see joining a coven as a goal to being the actual deal – but it’s just one way. Years ago, it could be very hard to find a group – but now there’s many more possibilities ranging from in person to online. Regardless, take care of yourself, exercise caution, and never believe that anyone is your only option on this path. There are always options.

Relationships and Religion

laura tempest zakroff

witch

witchcraft

About Laura Tempest Zakroff

Laura Tempest Zakroff is a professional artist, author, performer, and Modern Traditional Witch based in New England. She holds a BFA from RISD (the Rhode Island School of Design), and her artwork has received awards and honors worldwide. Her work embodies myth and the esoteric through her drawings and paintings, jewelry, talismans, and other designs. Laura is the author of the bestselling Llewellyn books Weave the Liminal, Sigil Witchery, Anatomy of a Witch, and Visual Alchemy as well as the Liminal Spirits Oracle (artist/author) and the Anatomy of a Witch Oracle, The Witch’s Cauldron, and co-author of The Witch’s Altar with Jason Mankey. Laura edited The New Aradia: A Witch’s Handbook to Magical Resistance and The Gorgon's Guide to Magical Resistance (Revelore Press). She is the creative force behind several community events and teaches workshops online and worldwide You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

October 30, 2023

This Samhain, Let the Witch Guide You

Next Post

December 13, 2023 The Winter Prep Sigil: For Getting Through Dark Days

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"A great read, thank you! I'm so obsessed with KDH it's basically my personality now. ..."

Timber Paris

Cuddling the Universe: The Joy of ..."

"Thank you for sharing these thoughts. Loved reading about your morning routine. Mine is near ..."

"Love this."

"It's very important to avoid knee-jerk reactions. It's good to be angry but you have ..."

WildestSea

Welcome to the Resistance: Raise Your ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Books cats cauldron month community contest Events home Metaphysics Modern Practice Movement Myth & Folklore satire sigils Tradition travel Uncategorized video

Select a Month May 2026 March 2026 January 2026 September 2025 August 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 June 2024 May 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 February 2023 December 2022 November 2022 September 2022 July 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz