Members of the Hallowed...

• respect all religions and deities equally.

• strive to walk the line between blessing and bane, light and dark, so as to hold liminal space.

• observe the idea to never intentionally harm someone who is innocent whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

• believe in honoring the divine feminine, the divine masculine, and the divine androgynous in the form of ourselves and higher powers.

• observe the seasons and cycles of nature in accordance to an adjusted wheel of the year.

• support one another within in their healing, growth, and aspirations.

• honor the Earth and all its creatures as sacred, and work to heal and protect the environment within our community, throughout our nation, and across the world.

• attend in-person circles once or twice a month and brief online meetings weekly.

• pull and learn from all open traditions and crafts in order to grow and cultivate our own.

• keep an oath of secrecy to hold the practices and members of the coven private.

Guests

• Someone who is visiting the coven, but not a seeker, initiate, or member.

• They can attend open, public meetings and rituals.

Seekers

Expectations of a Seeker:

• Actively showing a desire to learn and grow within a personal and group practice.

• Has filled out the seeker application.

• Attend a minimum of one full moon training rite.

• Attend three training courses and complete all homework/assignments.

Requirements for advancement to a Dedicant:

• Spend a minimum of three full moons as a Seeker.

• Procure a black ritual robe, or something of similar context.

• Receive a unanimous vote by all corded members for advancement to a dedicant.

Dedicants

Expectations of Dedicants:

• Attend their dedication ritual at the start of their nine full moon period.

• Dedicant time and effort to learning the ins and outs of the coven's style of witchcraft.

• Maintain regular contact with the coven outside of monthly meetings.

• Attend 1-3 meetings a month.

• Start keeping a magical diary, documenting their daily practice, rituals they attend, how the coven affects them, and the results of their personal practice.

Requirement for advancement to the rank of White Cord:

• Spend a minimum of nine full moons as a Dedicant.

• Create something to help build the circle and advance the coven in some manner. This could be written material to study or add to the coven Book of Shadows, ritual items or tools, or something entirely original.

• Have made a minimum of at least one invocation in the circle.

• Have called all four elements, cast a circle, as well as purified and consecrated at least once.

• Have acquired a set of all four elemental tools (a wand, an athame, a cauldron, and a pentacle).

• Started and maintained a magical diary.

• Receive a unanimous vote for advancement by all corded members.

White Cord [First Degree]

Expectations of White Cords:

• Attend their initiation ritual at the start of their twenty-six full moon period.

• Dedicant time and effort to learning to take an active role in the coven, ritual, and witchcraft.

• Expand their resume of spell workings and invocations.

• Maintain regular contact with the coven outside of monthly meetings.

• Attend 1-3 meetings a month.

• Continue keeping a magical diary, documenting their daily practice, rituals they attend, how the coven affects them, and the results of their personal practice.

Requirement for advancement to the rank of Red Cord:

• Spend a minimum of twenty-six full moons as a White Cord.

• Create something to help build the circle and advance the coven in some manner. This could be written material to study or add to the coven Book of Shadows, ritual items or tools, or something entirely original.

• Have made a minimum of at least three invocations in the circle.

• Have led a minimum of one ritual for the coven.

• Maintained a magical diary.

• Write a letter summarizing their thoughts and feelings about their time as a White Cord.

• Receive a unanimous vote for advancement by all Red & Black corded members.

Red Cord [Second Degree]

Expectations of Red Cords:

• Attend their initiation ritual at the start of their thirty-nine full moon period.

• Dedicate time and effort to guiding and mentoring the Dedicates & White Cords.

• Dedicate time and effort to learning and perfecting a specific focal point in their personal craft.

• Maintain regular contact with the coven outside of monthly meetings.

• Attend 1-3 meetings a month.

• Continue keeping a magical diary, documenting their daily practice, rituals they attend, how the coven affects them, and the results of their personal practice.

• Have the potential ability to hive off and form their own daughter coven under the supervision of a Black Cord.

  • Their coven would be considered a daughter coven until the Red Cord earns their Black Cord.

  • Hiving as a Red Cord must be unanimously voted on by all Black Cord members.

Requirement for advancement to the rank of Black Cord:

• Spend a minimum of thirty-nine full moons as a Red Cord.

• Create something to help build the circle and advance the coven in some manner. This could be written material to study or add to the coven Book of Shadows, ritual items or tools, or something entirely original.

• Have chosen and dedicated themself to a particular focus of study.

• Introduce an experimental magical technique to the coven during at least one meeting.

• Have maintained a magical diary.

• Write a letter about their time and experiences as a Red Cord.

• Examine and write a paper on rituals and rites from other traditions and compare the similarities and differences to this coven.

• Receive a unanimous vote for advancement by all Black Corded members.

Black Cord [Third Degree]

Expectations of Black Cordss:

• Attend their initiation ritual at the start of their indefinite full moon period.

• Dedicant time and effort to fostering a bond with the gods and goddesses (or higher and lower self).

• Explore, study, and perfect their practice of witchcraft.

• Maintain regular contact with the coven outside of monthly meetings.

• Attend 1-3 meetings a month.

• Continue keeping a magical diary, documenting their daily practice, rituals they attend, how the coven affects them, and the results of their personal practice.

• Have the ability to hive off and form their own coven within this coven's lineage.

Membership Status:

• After initiation is complete the individual is an initiate. Only initiates may vote during Coven meetings. The seeker must confirm that they want to be dedicated and initiated prior to a final Coven vote. A Coven member cannot be a member of any other Coven (excluding online covens), but all are encouraged to attend other Pagan events. The Coven may dismiss any person by a 2/3 vote of the coven.

Process of Membership:

• Membership into the Coven is a two-step process: first, the individual must be dedicated, and then they must be initiated. Requirements for both are described above. The maximum amount of members for this coven will be 13; Guests and Seekers have no limit.

Branched-off Covens:

• Any member of the Coven who has been a member for more than 3 years and has been at least a Red Cord for more than 13 full moons may wish to found their own Coven. A request should be made to the council and will be voted on by the Black Cords. A unanimous vote is required to pass.

• It is recommended for them to copy the Coven of the Hallowed Book of Shadows and use it in their new coven, however, this is not required.

Leaving the Coven:

• Any member who decides to leave the Coven must do so in writing with notice and reason and with an understanding that they will be expected to uphold vows of silence.

• All Coven supplies must be returned, and all communication via social media will be removed.

• It is asked that any member looking to leave schedules time for the Coven to complete a parting ceremony to remove any psychic links between that member and the Coven.

• Regardless of title or status, all coven members are bound by these rules. These rules may be changed only by a Black Cord of a Coven, and only after unanimous vote of all Black Cords and the council.

• All members must be at least eighteen years old unless parental/caregiver's written and verbal consent is given.

• Members are to behave in a responsible way, understanding that they are a representation of the Coven of the Hallowed as well as the Pagan community in general.

• All members, regardless of title or status, are to remain silent as to the workings, meetings, rituals, etc., of the Coven. This also applies to the identity of Coven members, as not all members may be open about their path. Members found to break the oath of silence will be placed on probation from all coven functions and be subject to be permanently banned from the coven.

• All members are to deal with disputes within the Coven in a responsible manner. They are to bring any problems to the council to be dealt with in a timely and respectful way.

• All members are to show up for meetings, Sabbats, Esbats, etc., dressed in an appropriate manner, with required materials, and prepared to work.

• Members found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at any Coven function not slated as 21+ will be asked to leave and put on a probation period where they will be banned from any Coven functions. During this probation period, Black Cords of the Coven will decide if they are to be permanently banned from the Coven or if they will be re-admitted to their previous status.

• Members who transgress any rules more than three times will be asked to leave the Coven permanently. Re-admittance may be considered on a case-by-case basis after a period of time.

• Being an eclectic tradition, we will use the umbrella terms of “Goddess” and “God” while in circle unless all members consent otherwise. This is to be inclusive of all personal deities.

• Members are expected to attend at least 75% of meetings and functions. Missing more than that will cause the member to fall behind. Exemptions will be drawn up on a case-by-case basis.

• Members are expected to study on their own time in addition to with the Coven and while at Coven functions.

• Requirement(s) for advancement may be changed or removed on a case-by-case basis by the request of either the member requesting advancement or by the suggestion of a Blackcord or Council Member.

Sabbat Meetings:

• Birth of Light [Yule]: December 19-23

• Breath of Fire [Imbolc]: February 1

• Birth of Life [Ostara]: March 19-23

• Breath of Passion [Beltane]: May 1

• Birth of Darkness [Litha]: June 19-23

• Breath of Growth [Lughnasadh]: August 1

• Birth of Blessing [Mabon]: September 20-24

• Breath of Death [Samhain]: October 31

Other Meetings:

• Other meetings may include any of the following

  • Full Moons

  • New Moons

  • Classes/Lessons [Some Optional]

  • Online Meetings [Some Optional]

Council Meetings:

• Online or in-person once a week

Absences:

• If a member is planning on being absent for a required meeting, the member must send an email, or text message, to the council detailing which meeting they will be missing and why. Only minor amounts of details are necessary.

  • Ex: My car broke down, and I can not get it fixed until after the next meeting.

• If a member was planning to attend, but an emergency occurs, the member may text a council member that they will not be attending and either explain why or state "Emergency". The member will be given a chance to explain at a later date when the emergency has passed.

  • Ex: Sudden death in the family, of a friend, or pet; sudden hospitalization of self or family member, friend, or pet; car accident; mental health crisis; physical health crisis; etc.

    • If a member is unsure if an event is classified as an emergency, either work under the assumption that it does and it will be discussed at a later date or contact a Black Cord or Council member to discuss it.

A Few Notes On Meetings:

• Meetings for sabbats and esbats may not be on the exact date of the sabbat or esbat but on a date near to it. This is to ensure that the most coven members as possible can attend. Meetings not taking place on the day of a sabbat or esbat will take place within five days of the original sabbat or esbat date.

• As long as two or more members can attend a meeting, the meeting will take place unless otherwise decided upon.

• The average length of a meeting for a sabbat or esbat will be two to four hours. This is to ensure time for catching up, ritual, instruction, communion, and merriment.

• The average length of a meeting for classes, lessons, or other outings will be approximately two to three hours. This is to ensure ample time for instruction, communion, questions, and merriment.

• The average length of online meetings will be around one to three hours, depending on the topic(s) being discussed. This is to ensure proper time for instruction, catching up, and merriment.

• The average length of council meetings will be one to two hours, depending on the number of details being discussed.

• This coven is LGBTQ+ friendly

• This cover is anti-racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.

• No hate speech is tolerated

  • Hate speech is grounds for instant termination

• This coven does not have a membership fee

  • Donations, gifts, and other monetary sums are voluntary

  • Members may be asked to pitch in for supplies for ritual occasionally

• The safety and comfort of members is of the highest priority. If a member is uncomfortable or put in an unsafe position by someone within the coven or someone attending a coven function, please contact the nearest Red or Black Cord for assistance.

  • Under the circumstances that a member of a higher degree is the perpetrator of causing discomfort or a safety violation to a member of a lower degree and said member is not comfortable being it up directly to the perpetrator, please either contact the next highest degreed member or two or more of the same or lower degree. The contacted member(s) should initiate a discussion with the perpetrator, with or without the violated member present, to resolve the issue. Members should never feel trapped or pressured by a member of a higher degree.

    • Examples of Discomfort or Safety Violations: Unwanted comments pertaining to a members life choices, clothes, hair, body, etc., the use of unsavory language such as cursing directed at a member, unsavory comments about a person's home, partner, children, pets, etc., unsafe behavior around sharp objects, fire, etc.

• If a member feels as if they are threatened or unsafe, they are welcome to bring it to a black cord or council member. If the member does not feel comfortable with this and feels as if their life is in danger, they are encouraged to call 911.

  • This includes sexual harrassment, sexual assault, and rape.