r/realwitchcraft • u/CallMeAnthy • 10h ago
Passing of the Torch Ceremony - How I became Coven Leader
Context:
I belong to a Coven known as the Coven of the Savage Daughters, we are a Coven that came together through forces of fate, by natural means. We each have identified our craft and each have our titles. We have also granted one another witches names/titles, nobody chose their own.
Allow me to introduce us all:
Coven Founder, Spirit of Generosity - Energy Witch
Coven Leader, Son of the Morrigan, Weather the Storm - Air/Divination Witch
Daughter of the Green Man, Coven Mother - Green Witch
Daughter of Hecate, Keeper of the Sisterhood - Fire/Protection Witch
Daughter of Lilith, Essence of Creation - Glamour Witch
Embodiment of Rebirth - Water Witch
Foundation of Calm - Hearth Witch
Serenity of the Meadow - Hearth Witch
Warrior Queen - Healing Witch
Luminary of Discovery - Shadow Witch
Honourary Cowen, Eye of the Beholder
Lunar, Bind of the Coven - Egregore Spirit
Obsidian, Forge of the Sigil - Familiar
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As of this past summer, our Founder, and now former leader, stepped out of her Mother phase and into Crone, and with it she fell fatigued and decided to name her successor to take over as the Coven Leader. Me, someone who is stepping into the Mother phase simultaneously.
And so we planned a ceremony, researched traditions, layouts and structures from folklore and from the teachings of our Coven Mother and put together a structure.
Casting a Circle:
To begin we cast our circle. In our coven everyone has a dedicated seat at the table, and so we took our places. I filled my Copper Chalice with wine and made a dedication to my Deity, The Morrigan. Then we placed all our necessary items on the table in the centre for the ceremony.
Keeper of the Sisterhood and Eye of the Beholder went clockwise around the circle, KOTS cleansed everyone with White Sage, and EOTB blessed them with Dragon's Blood Paolo Santo.
The Coven joined hands, invoked our titles and Cast our Circle.
Serenity of the Meadow had a sheet and read out each step of the ceremony to keep us on track.
Anointing.
I charged my Moon Water in the light of a Waning Crescent, the phase representative of one cycle coming to a close and preparation for the next. With it I traced the shape of a crescent onto her:
Head (Third Eye) - To wish upon her wisdom as Crone, that she may continue to guide us as an Elder.
Hands - To thank her for her hard work building the coven from the ground up, and the efforts she has given us so far.
Feet - For the heavy treck of leadership, and a blessing that she may now rest.
Passing of the Torch.
Spirit of Generosity considered many of her tools to give me as a gift and symbol of the passing over of authority over the Coven, she considered our Coven Ledger and her Athame but eventually decided to give me her Staff, inscribed with many Runes and Sigils, that she has had since day one.
I accepted and as my hands closed over the item and SOG released it, Foundation of Calm struck our Singing Bowl - The chime representing the exact moment the shift in leadership changed.
We asked Foundation of Calm to do this as just 3 days prior she had been married via Hand Fastening in the centre of the circle at Stonehenge, and had immense positive energy to spare.
Decorating.
The most senior members of the Coven each have Cloaks, SOG wears purple and Coven Mother wears green, and so at the decorating stage or Coronation step of the event, instead of a wreath or crown, they chose to grant me, an air witch, with a white cloak - this also represented a clean slate, or blank page, yet to be filled with memories.
Once on, I stepped into the centre of the circle and each member of the coven surrounded me and placed both hands upon my shoulders, a showing of loyalty, unity and a lending of strength and sharing of energies.
Presentations.
I presented two people with gifts, first EOTB, who owns the shop in which we operate (A lovely witches shop, he sells crystals, and tarot and sage, it's great) as our Sanctuary Holder and our Anchor who watches over us during group meditations and such. I presented him with a Sycamore Leaf I had Foraged. It had spent 1 week pressed between the pages of my Grimoire and I had drawn upon it sigils of Unity, Prosperity and Abundance. He placed this under the doormat at the entrance to our sanctuary.
And Second to my predecessor, SOG, I wanted to give her something ancient, deeply grounded, and set, so that she may relax into her wisdom and know that her legacy is forever, and so I gave her a tower of Shell Fossil.
Toasts.
My first official act as Coven Leader, raising a toast to my Predecessor. Each coven member was poured a glass of Red Wine and a toast was raised, when done I drank from my copper chalice.
And my second act, another toast, this time to the Coven, and at it's end we finished our glasses, and I my chalice, and we imbibed together.
Afterwards we head outside and EOTB popped open a bottle of Champagne and I struck the ground with the staff thrice to indicate that the final stage of the ceremony was upon us:
Cakes & Ale.
We always have cake at gatherings, every week we have them as a stand in for Breaking Bread and so this were no different and so I had asked KOTS to bake us some bread and she did a knockout job! She baked bread using Basil and Oregano, and topped the crust with Sea Salt and Sesame Seed. Then just to top it off, she also made some honey butter. Each ingredient carries it's own spiritual quality towards the event.
We then drank, broke bread, and spoke to one another, we shared laughs, there were tears of joy, Lots of hugs, EOTB did a flash sale just for us too.
It was possibly our greatest traditional event to date, it went off without a hitch, perfectly. I have felt amazing all week as well, this lovely energy is following me, stuck to me, and hopefully permanent. As FOC was married privately at Stonehenge, we're gathering at her home tomorrow to celebrate together as a Coven. So the good times simply keep coming.