Many Wiccans and Witches choose to work alone either before or after initiation for a huge variety of reasons and that’s quite legitimate. But, what if you work alone at home yet now and again want to attend the Sabbat of a local coven? Can you do that and if so how?

Just like a party, a wedding or any other celebration of people you don’t know, it would be pretty bad form if you gate crashed, even if you really loved weddings or birthday parties, or even if you did actually know someone there. The same is true of the Sabbats held by covens. Many covens hold what’s called ‘open’ festivals or Sabbats where local Pagan friendly people are welcome to attend either through invitation or because they know someone in the coven already. Just a quick point of clarification here. The Sabbats are the festivals that celebrate the eight Wiccan liturgical events throughout the year, a bit like Christmas and Easter for Christians which are two of their annual liturgical festivals. Esbats by comparison are the regular rituals, often held on a full or new moon, and that are usually only held for coven members.

If you want to strike up a relationship with a coven that holds open festivals but not actually become a member of the group, then you need to do your homework and be up front. Some covens simply won’t allow this unless you’re committed to their tradition or their way of doing things. Other covens will welcome you with open arms but will want to know a little about you first, maybe meet you before a festival to make sure you ‘fit’ with them and they with you. The final decision on attendance at a festival by an ‘outsider’ belongs to the coven leadership so you need to be on your best behaviour and make a good impression or they’ll never invite you. Just like that wedding or party invite, you don’t get one unless the wedding or party organiser thinks you’ll fit in and should be there.

So how do you find a coven that might let you attend their festivals? This is where your homework comes in. Check out local web sites, Pagan supply shops and the local Pagan related organisations to see what covens are in your area. Witchvox is a really good start. www.witchvox.com  They’re a great resource for locating covens and groups in your area no matter where you are in the world. When you do this, make sure you know what style or tradition of Wicca you’re akin to. It’s no good approaching a fundamental Gardnerian coven if your preference is for an eclectic Egyptian sympathetic style. Similarly, if the group you approach is Asatru and you love a more traditional Alexandrian focus, then you’re just not going to fit. Make sure you can explain what you want, what you feel is important and what style of Wicca appeals to you so that when asked (and you will be!) you can be clear, articulate and up front.

Your next step is to simply to ask. Email, or telephone the coven contact if a number is provided, and politely ask if you would be able to attend any open festivals the coven might hold in the future. Explain that you prefer solitary work and why and talk through how you’d like some community feel to your practice on occasions. The coven leadership will probably ask to meet you first, probably over a cuppa in a public place somewhere before they offer you an invite. If you can offer a reference from a past Wiccan teacher or a local practicing Wiccan the coven leadership might know of, they may be a little more accommodating to your request especially if that reference is someone they respect. Be prepared for questions and to be ‘on probation’ for a few months. Wiccans are notorious for being a little hesitant to allow newbies into the fold and that’s not necessarily because they think you’re a nasty kind of person but because they’ve heard it all before from people who declare they want to be a part of something and who then never turn up!

Finally, when you do get an invitation, do two things. Accept or respectfully decline giving a reason why you can’t attend and secondly, be polite when you get there. A coven leader takes a risk inviting a new person to a festival because they never really know how things will pan out so please respect their trust. If you can’t attend, let them know in good time and explain why. Ask if you could attend the next festival instead.

Before you do attend, make sure you’ve asked beforehand if you need to bring anything with you. Most festival attendees will bring a plate of food to share and they might also be required to bring items for the ritual as well. If you’re requested to contribute with something like this, please do. Coven leaders usually don’t charge to teach and they cover allot of the ritual and coven costs themselves out of pure dedication so blatant freeloaders won’t be appreciated for too long. Check also if robes are required or if the ritual will be done in street clothing.

Finally, when you get there, it’s a case of ‘When in Rome…’ Show respect for the ritual, for those present and follow instructions. Unless the ritual involves something that makes you feel particularly uncomfortable or is simply immoral or illegal, it’s good manners to ‘follow the leader’ and do what everyone else does. If all that goes according to plan, then hopefully they’ll invite you back again and you’ll have started a warm and friendly relationship of Wiccan community support.

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst