The Raven Wyches; a history
The coven was first created in 1999 by me and one other. We had talked about it endlessly but didn’t know if we would be able to manage the responsibilities of running a coven as well as who would join seeing as we didn’t know of any other witches at that time. We went on, practiced, did our Sabbats, learning as much as we could through books and just tuning ourselves with the Gods and Goddesses.
The co-founder and I lived on Ash Street in New Westminster, BC. We thought that was something special because Ash is a sacred tree and you will learn more about that as we continue on. We had become the Wyches of Ash and On October 31st 1999 we held a blood rite and initiation and dedication of one another into the craft and into the new found coven. That night we had also initiated two others into the coven. The four of us completed the elemental circle of fire, water, earth, and air. However this was to be short lived. The next celebration was Yule and that was pretty much the only other Sabbat the four of us had ever done together as a group. By Imbolc we had broken. The other two had gone their own way and the co-founder and I remained. That too was not to last. The co-founder had chosen to go her own way and do her own thing, leaving me with the responsibility of the coven. I was dedicated and determined however and did not feel right about turning my back on something so special. I practiced on my own for a long while, the actual coven may not have really existed but I still referred to myself as a Wych of Ash.
After the parting of ways life had taken drastic turns for all of us and eventually I moved out of the building on Ash Street. Months had gone by and the co-founder came back into my life. We practiced a little together however we really didn’t do much. I don’t know if she ever considered herself to be a Wych of Ash like I had but at least things were good. September of 2000 I found out I was pregnant so life had really become hectic for me. I had taken over guardianship and all legal rights to Terra April of 2000 and then to find out I was pregnant really left very little time for me. I would occasionally go to see my friend at her house to celebrate a Rite but that always depended on how I was feeling.
Time moved on, life continued and in March of 2001 I had given birth to Ariel, in my mind the first born into the coven. I think my friend had seen it that way as well since she mentioned it often enough. It was nice having the kids be a part of whatever her and I did, really made us feel like a tight and close family. Eventually my life wasn’t to be all sunshine and roses however and a lot of things happened. A lot of not so nice things really and to make that story short, I lost my children to the ministry due to what my now ex-husband had done. For nine months I did what I needed to do to get my girls back. During that time though the most remarkable thing happened.
My friend and I use to be regulars in an online chat forum and we would go in often and spend hours and hours there. One night we had met an amazing man from Norway. His name was Tomas, and no that is not a typo, that is how his name was spelled. We would chat with him every night for a while, and then one night he decided he was going to phone my house. Tomas and I stayed on the phone for nine hours talking. Imagine that, nine hours! That is when he had mentioned he had been having visions about a great battle that happened in the days of majikal times. The battle was with the Norse Gods against Ragnorock. Ragnorock is considered the end of days. When all time will cease to exist. We talked more about that and at the time my friend and I were starting to have visions of past lives ourselves in which we saw Tomas, on occasion there would be Odin, the great Norse God. There was a major connection there but we just didn’t understand what it could have been. Then it came to us. Remember earlier I mentioned how the Ash tree is sacred? Well, the tree of life, Yggdrasil is an Ash tree. At that time we also started noticing the amount of crows and ravens that would be around us all the time, my yard became a crow’s and raven’s playground! Wherever we went there they were. We had talked to Tomas again since then and he had seen this and new the conversation was coming. Then, I felt the pull, the draw to Odin. I knew I was one of his ravens and my friend the other. We talked further about it and decided that we would be from then on known as The Raven Wyches of Yggdrasil.
Ravens are very special to me, they’ve always been my totem animal and I knew that from the first time I laid eyes on my new born child. Ariel was born with Ravens on her temple. The hair line, the way it sat, looked like a bird flying and seeing as they were black because of her hair instantly I had thought of Ravens. Her secondary middle name is Raven as well. Although that is a name her biological father gave her, it means more to me than it ever will to him I think. Ariel is part Native and in the Coast Salish culture Ravens are the bringers of life. Which in a sense so are the Raven Wyches.
So now you see how we came to be and how important the name of Raven, the house of Ravens, and the coven is to me. Tomas was not to be with us for long. I had found out a year later that Tomas had been killed in an accident. A family member of his had found my email address and sent me a message. Needless to say I was devastated. I know though that even though he has gone to the summer lands, he is still there watching over me, as my guardian angel, a White lighter as we lovingly called him.
From 2001 to the middle of 2004 we practiced together the Sabbats and whatever else we needed to. She had a child herself in 2004, the second born into the coven. However shortly after that she chose to leave once more. July of 2004 Darkwolf walked into my life and at the time I didn’t know but he would one day go from being the Guardian and Protector of the Raven Wyches to the High Priest of the coven. I had that same year heard my calling and had been Ordained.
The Raven Wyches had seen members come and go since then. The co-founder tried to come back and be a part of the coven but it wasn’t going to work, eventually and for the last time she had left and has now started a family coven of her own. We will continue to see members come and go I’m sure but now we have a solid family unit and we have come a long way. Samhain 2007 will mark the 8th anniversary of the coven and I know there will be many more anniversaries that will be celebrated in the future.
Over the years we have evolved however. Odin may be the ruling deity of the coven, but we all individually have Gods and Goddesses that we turn to in times of need. For example, yes Odin is my God, but I also turn to the Goddess Hecate. The High Priest turns to Hecate and Astarte, so on and so forth. Odin and his ravens are a big part of the coven and he is included in all our rites and majikal doings, but we are eclectic. We honor all the Gods and Goddesses no matter what pantheon they may belong to or what they hold domain over. You will also see that we have no problems with anyone wanting to be a part of our circle if they’re not a Witch. Our Maiden is not a Witch but she has been initiated into the coven accordingly and is a Raven Wych. We have an open door policy in which anyone is welcome to observe and/or participate if he/she is willing.
I am very proud to see how far we have come in 8 years. There have been times of struggles, of pain, laughter, tears, births, deaths, but we have always been the rock and support that we each need. I know in another 8 years we will go through more changes, but at least the coven will still be standing.
One day, when I am older and too frail to handle the responsibilities, this coven will be turned over to the next generation of Raven Wyches. My hopes and dreams for this coven, is to be able to be summoned from the summer lands by my great great grandchildren to bare witness to a Rite.
Long live the Raven Wyches of Yggdrasil.
Blessed Be.
Now is the Time,
now is the hour.
Ours is the Majik,
ours is the power!
Free Forum Hosting
Important Announcement
Prev Message
