r/Wicca

Hello. I have already emailed many covens nearby, but I am making this post just in case I missed a few.

I am a seeker looking for a coven. I live in south eastern Illinois. I have been practicing solitary for over 15 years. I have also studied ceremonial magick via Damien Echols and his books.

Please feel free to DM me to ask for specific details about my level of experience and myself. I am also in the discord and Facebook group for seekers already.

Additionally, I do apologize if this is not the right space for this, but i have made a similar post in r/covenfinder just to be safe.

I'm not an initiate, but I've been studying British Traditional Wicca for quite some time. From what I understand, Esbats are generally centered on the Goddess, while Sabbats tend to place greater emphasis on the Horned God and the seasonal cycle.

Since I'm not oathbound, I only have access to published material. One thing I've always wondered about is the Horned God's role during Esbat rituals.

Many published Esbat rituals include texts such as the Charge of the Goddess, invocations to the Goddess, and other lunar devotions. However, I don't recall ever seeing a comparable invocation to the Horned God or something like a Charge of the God being used within the Esbat itself.

So my question for initiates (or those who are oathbound and able to answer within their obligations) is:

Is the Horned God also invoked into the circle during an Esbat? If so, what role does He traditionally play in the ritual? Or is the focus intentionally almost entirely on the Goddess during Esbats?

I'm not asking for oathbound material or ritual text, only for a general explanation of the theological and ritual structure. I'd really appreciate any insights you're able to share.

I am curious about foraging for herbs and plants to use in my practice, but don't know where to start. Any suggestions? Also, how do you forage ethically and responsibly? TYIA

Eu sempre gostei da prática Wicca, gostaria de aprender mais sobre e melhorar minha mediunidade e entrar realmente nessa comunidade. Por onde começar?

For context, I kind of have daily / weekly check ins dedicated to my connection and request of relationship per se with Lilith. Should I be having offerings for her everytime I wish to do that? Is it rude to not have any offerings for her potential time or acknowledgment? I’m so scared of being perceived as rude or disrespectful purely just from having lack of knowledge or experience even though I am actively trying to learn. My intentions are always pure and in the right place but to further the bond I would just like some info or input if anyone has any.
I’m going through a lot mentally and I find it hard to leave my house. I’m in a dv women’s refuge and have limited everything. Otherwise I would just have these offerings or signs of respect and or dedication to her, there already. But I don’t have anything at the moment and don’t know when I’ll be able to get anything.
Thankyou and blessings 🩷🖤

https://preview.redd.it/ik3lgumcf1bh1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea87feb46cf5dac7d94679f44fc0585c5a7007d7

A fun pic I took of the rising "Strawberry Moon". I usually take pretty good pics, but this was snapped before I had things set and without a tripod, and it seems to have given it a very mystical or even eerie look.

I’ve lost 3 bracelets(1 being tigers eye and 1 being jade) and had another 3 bracelets snap broken(2 of them were metal/silver with clasp) within the past year.
All worn on my left hand only.

I can’t help but think this is ominous.
Not sure if this is the right Reddit but I’ve also been having like 20+ crows and ravens in my backyard patio as well as a darn fly infestation out of nowhere.

I just need something to clear the energy or whatever this is.

Well we reached the end of the week, thankfully! Feel free to post whatever you want here. Plans for the weekend, wierd stuff happening. Go nuts.

So, I did a “fertility spell.” It was a waxing gibbous moon, which is always a high energy time for my own personal spell work. I was on my period, created a salt circle, wrote “I will welcome a healthy baby” on a bay leaf, and burned the leaf with a green candle. A few days later, around 1am on the waning moon, which apparently was also Crone Day (symbolic for the Triple Goddess - Maiden, Mother, Crone) I was sitting in the same spot that I casted the spell. I wasn’t doing spells at this time, I was just in that same area. I then heard music. I thought it was an ice cream truck, until it kept going and didn’t sound like it was passing by or getting further away. It got louder. I realized it was very much a lullaby to the tune of twinkle twinkle little star and sounded like I was standing in a baby nursery. It lasted a few seconds. I felt a heavy presence. Then I heard a child laugh, a quick “hehehe” then it all suddenly stopped and I was just sitting there, in shock. I didn’t feel scared or like anything was there to harm me, but it was very surreal. I think I have a ghost child now lol.
Edit: “spirit baby” probably isn’t the right wording. I just felt and heard something like a baby around me. Thank you to everyone sharing insights and possibilities:)

It's your daily chat thread, for all your random needs!

I suppose this would be primarily for "ecclectics" or "solitaries", or those initiated into covens without BTW lineage or Gardnerian/Alexandrian.

Secrecy: Keeping quiet the details of the coven and its membership.
Silence: Keeping quiet the teachings, rites, lore, and maxims of the tradition.

Eliphas Levi named the Fourth Pillar "To keep silent". Trad Wicca covens (the "older" ones) are all oath-bound. In the Lady Sheeba (modified Alexandrian) books there is The Old Laws speak of Secrecy, and "The Charge to New Initiates" spells out the "importance" of Silence with the prosaic:

[In discussion regarding] "thy belief in the Gods so do thou, for the most part, keep silent. For there is a great risk of those who straightaway vomit up that which they hast not digested... And as sheep do not bring their food to the shepherd to show how much they have eaten but digesting inwardly their provender do bear outwardly wool and milk, even so, do not display the maxims to the vulgar, but rather the works that flow when they are digested."

What do you think of Secrecy and Silence?

I was walking down the street on my way home when I saw that these feathers formed a strange shape. There are a lot of pigeons and crows near my house, so it's not unusual to see lots of feathers on the sidewalk all the time, but I'd never seen anything like this. Nobody else seemed to be paying any attention to it except me.

Do you have any ideas what this could mean?

https://preview.redd.it/gqns8u5ymnah1.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b504c73ab7fd27532792462db8f18baf06dbba98