FAQ

Q: How do I get involved with Hekate’s Wheel?

A: There are several ways to join Hekate’s Wheel. Come to one of our seminars or classes and you can talk to Lady A about your interest. We love to have visitors to the coven rituals and you can see if it is right for you, and if you are right for us. Feel free to write groveofgaia@gmail .com and in the subject line note that you are interested in joining. We are worshipful of various Gods and Goddesses, but primarily we honor Hekate.

Q: I have heard that Wiccans only believe in the divinity of Goddess and God and that other paths believe in gods that are local and in the gods of the trees, rocks, etc.

A: Wiccans are a diverse lot; I have met atheistic Wiccans who affirm no divinity, for example. Most Wiccans worship Goddess and her beloved consort the Lord. Sometimes this takes the form of a particular pantheon, such as Greek, Roman, Scandinavian, Celtic, and so on. Some Wiccans honor the Goddess alone. In addition, Wiccans revere the sacred and divine within us and without.  That includes honoring and recognizing the divine in the natural world.

Q: Isn’t Wicca is a made up religion? Didn’t Gerald Gardner patch it up from other mystery traditions? I have heard that there was no “Old Dorothy” who allegedly initiated Gardner.

A: Doreen Valiente who was herself a High Priestess of Gerald Gardner finally traced Old Dorothy. Dorothy Clutterbuck was actually born in India, as her father was involved in Britain’s Indian campaign. Valiente also found Clutterbuck’s death certificate, as she died in England, and pieced together the facts that indicate that Old Dorothy Clutterbuck had left Gardner her entire library upon her death.  

We simply cannot assert that Old Dorothy was not herself initiated.  However, I know this personally that when teachers die, traditions may be lost with them. The liturgy of Wicca, much of it created by Doreen herself, such as the Charge of the Goddess is stunning and beautiful. The initiations and mysteries of Wicca are handed down.

Our path was handed down from Lady Flora of Chicago, David Cole of England, and before that, Lily Cole of England. Before that we cannot trace. How old these rites are is not the point. They are certainly connected to ancient sources in the worship of the Goddess which harkens back even to Paleolithic (stone age) communities.  Wicca as practiced is indeed a “living tradition” and is as vibrant, interesting and flexible as other neo-Pagan paths.

Wiccans do not believe all one thing, or practice all alike, though there are great similarities in the structure of Wiccan ritual across the entire globe: a sign of the resiliency and energy of our path, and of the growth of our religion.

Q: What is the difference between a grove, circle and coven?  Don’t Driuds usually call their groups groves?

A: Druids often do like to name their practice groups ‘groves.’ In Wicca, a grove generally focuses more upon teaching and education in the coven and/or community. Covens on the other hand tend to be more private practice groups, though this is not always necessarily the case. Some Wicca practice groups also like the names ‘grove’ ‘coven’ or ‘circle’ and they are a reflection of the group’s aesthetic choices for how they call themselves, often with no appreciable distinctions in practice between these names.

Q: Lady Annabelle, you say that you ‘work in love for all’. What do you mean by this?

A: This means that I work out of the spirit of love in all I do in the name of Hekate’s Wheel. Does this mean that I am loving all the time? No. I would be a robot if I could do this, or I would be so advanced that I would stop reincarnating!

This means that I hold the interests of the people in Hekate’s Wheel very dear, and I give them the best I can muster.  I do always balance the love and deep respect for the individuals with a mindfulness of what is best for the Wheel as a whole.  This is the nature of ethical and responsible leadership.

I also keep an attitude of humility. This keeps me from feeling too important. At the same time, I am the ultimate leader and so the buck stops here.

It also means that the ethical principle of power-within instead of power-over operates in Hekate’s Wheel. Power-within acknowledges the development of power in our practitioners, but it is informed by a loving world-view, not a stingy, jealous, angry, or manipulative view that is engendered by power-over magick.

It also means that we are truly inclusive to diverse practitioners and students in Hekate’s Wheel; we welcome and include people of color, people of any sexual orientation or gender expression, people who are in traditional families, and those in non-traditional arrangements; we are open to retirees, to children and grandchildren of Hekate’s Wheel members, and to teens who have reached the age of eighteen.

This commitment to inclusion is in Hekate’s Wheel spirit of “Working in Love for All.”

Q: Why work in group? Some people feel that solitary practice is the way to go. It’s freer and there is no one to answer to or please.

A: Solitary practice can be very good. Most people notice a dwindling in the amount of time that they practice when they are solitaire. There is also no one to check with if they have questions about their practice, their energy workings, which can even frighten them because they are inexperienced, and the quality of their ethics which sometimes tends to falter when they are simply testing their powers.  To be an excellent practice, solitary work is for the deeply disciplined practitioner, and it can be intensely rewarding.

I was solitary for many years. When I began my studies with my High Priest and High Priestess and her coven, new ways of working became available to me. I had community. I could learn from an experienced and talented High Priestess. I learned the Mysteries by learning and doing.  I learned much of my own Priestessing style from her. I learned about group mind and group energy which are synergistic and in a good coven is very powerful.

Groups ask that members get along with each other, that they are committed to the group, that they honor their commitments as well as their priestess and/or priest.  These are subtle skills and involve responsibilities. Sometimes people don’t get along; sometimes people are not truly committed to the practice and prefer to spend their time doing other activities; there are power struggles; sometimes a member wishes to divide a group or destroy it, or take it over.

This is where strong leadership comes in, setting the tone and controlling it. An empowered leader will stop issues before they snowball through direct and careful engagement of the problematic individual or persons. If the problem can be solved, then this is the correct course of action. If a person needs to be asked to leave, then that is the correct course of action. Only an experienced and ethical leader knows when and how to do what is right for the group, usually in consultation with wise Elders of the tradition, or with especially advanced initiates.

Q: I have read that Hekate’s Wheel is a member coven in good standing of Covenant of the Goddess. What is Covenant of the Goddess?  What is the membership process?

A: Lady A is the current First Officer of Hills and Rivers Local Council of Covenant of the Goddess. Hills and Rivers is a local group of Witches and Wiccans with seven covens and several solitaries. It covers all of PA, Western, NY and all of WVA. Covenant of the Goddess is an international organization of Witches and Wiccans which began in California in 1975 and it is one of the oldest and largest cross-traditional groups among Wiccans and Witches. CoG is a non-profit religious organization and is currently comprised of over one hundred Wiccan and Witchcraft covens plus solitary elders and associates. The aim of the organization is to increase cooperation among Witches and to secure for Witches and covens the legal protection enjoyed by members of other religions. Member covens must generally focus theology and ritual around the worship of the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone), which is general practice within Wicca. CoG respects autonomy for all members, and functions largely by consensus.

In order to gain coven membership in CoG, a coven must have been practicing monthly or oftener for at least six months with a leader or leaders who are able to train clergy in their Witchcraft tradition. A coven must apply with two letters of recommendation by persons known to CoG.  The application and letters are then published in the CoG newsletter which enables members of CoG to express any concerns about the applying coven. It takes about six months from the application to the time of membership acceptance, should it be achieved.  Because of this diligent process, CoG has some of the most distinguished covens, leaders, and solitary members in the U.S., Canada, and abroad.  For more information, visit http://www.cog.org.