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Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More
The ultimate coven handbook, Coven Craft was written by a well-known and respected Wiccan High Priestess, who guides you through the workings of covens from Altars to Zoning. Over the course of twenty-seven chapters and forty-two appendices, Amber K shares with you her vast coven know-how, with plenty of veteran insights and straight-up advice ―Finding or organizing a coven
―Tools and supplies
―Finances and incorporation
―Coven offices
―New members
―The coven calendar
―Pagan ritual
―The sabbats and esbats
―Training and intiation
―Group dynamics
―Counseling
―Elders
―Traditions
―Networking and affiliation
―Covens in the community It has been said that leading a coven is like herding cats. Whether you’re searching for fresh ways to meet those challenges or you’re thinking about joining your first magical group, consult this friendly, knowledgeable companion for guidance.
―Tools and supplies
―Finances and incorporation
―Coven offices
―New members
―The coven calendar
―Pagan ritual
―The sabbats and esbats
―Training and intiation
―Group dynamics
―Counseling
―Elders
―Traditions
―Networking and affiliation
―Covens in the community It has been said that leading a coven is like herding cats. Whether you’re searching for fresh ways to meet those challenges or you’re thinking about joining your first magical group, consult this friendly, knowledgeable companion for guidance.
528 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
About the author
Amber K.
20 books57 followersAmber K is an author of books about magick, Wicca and Neopaganism, and a third degree priestess of the Wiccan faith. She was initiated at the Temple of the Pagan Way in Chicago, Illinois and served on the Council of Elders there, and has taught the Craft throughout the United States and Europe for over 24 years. She has served as National First Officer of the Covenant of the Goddess for three terms, and is a founder of Our Lady of the Woods and the Ladywood Tradition of Wicca. She has worked with various Neopagan organizations such as Circle Sanctuary and the Re-Formed Congregation of the Goddess. She is currently is the Executive Director of Ardantane, a Wiccan/Pagan seminary is northern New Mexico.
She is handfasted to Azrael Arynn K, and has a son, Starfire, who is a Wiccan security officer. Amber’s interests include mountains and forests, dolphins, travel, science fiction, collecting large antique keys, art, reading, and all things magickal. Her role models include Doreen Valiente, Lao Tse, Xena the Warrior Princess, and Snoopy.
She is handfasted to Azrael Arynn K, and has a son, Starfire, who is a Wiccan security officer. Amber’s interests include mountains and forests, dolphins, travel, science fiction, collecting large antique keys, art, reading, and all things magickal. Her role models include Doreen Valiente, Lao Tse, Xena the Warrior Princess, and Snoopy.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 23, 2014
Wonderful, very thorough book on starting and running a coven. If that's something that interests you, absolutely buy this book. Don't just borrow it from the library, there's too much you'll want to reference later if you do decide to start or take leadership in a coven. About a third to half of this book will probably either get typed up with revisions or photocopied by me. It's THAT GOOD. Plus, Amber K's humor is witty, spot-on, and wonderfully self-aware.
However, the book was written in 1998, and it's now 2014. Everything about covencraft itself is absolutely still relevant, and most of it could have been written yesterday, but I wish they'd come out with a new edition--the section about the Internet is extremely out of date, as are the listings of websites, newsletters and editorials, events, and resources.
However, the book was written in 1998, and it's now 2014. Everything about covencraft itself is absolutely still relevant, and most of it could have been written yesterday, but I wish they'd come out with a new edition--the section about the Internet is extremely out of date, as are the listings of websites, newsletters and editorials, events, and resources.
November 3, 2017
I am not Wiccan and I knew this book would be Wiccan-oriented/assuming, so I’m not faulting it for that. I did, however, expect there to be more content about running a healthy group, rather than almost completely focused on the start-up elements only as well as Wicca 101 info. Also, I find that the majority of Llewelyn-published books have a homogenous character or tone in which they all sounds like they’re written by the same person. That’s how this one is too.
August 31, 2026
I love learning and being introduced to new spiritual concepts is delightful to me. I will often enroll in an interesting class, and my gregarious intellectual nature often leads to forming friendships with my spiritual teachers. One teacher was developing a new curriculum for pagan priest training, and I had certainly given the impression I would make an excellent test student. Wanting to support my friend’s endeavors, I purchased this book for that curriculum but ended up excusing myself from the test class. I had too much going on at that point in my life, but years later when I was recovering from an illness, I picked it up again as research for a personal passion project.
To be completely transparent, I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was how much I hated it.
Covencraft is WICCAN, period. Wicca is a valid religion, and I appreciate all of the work Wiccans have done and still do for religious equality. However, it IS a patriarchal religious tradition despite its focus on the 3-Fold Goddess. The Maiden-Mother-Crone vision of THE Goddess (because Wiccans often consider ALL goddesses as versions of an uber female goddess and ALL gods as versions of an uber male god) still INSIST that all women are mothers or at least go through some kind of “mother phase” and then become a Crone. One Wiccan woman proselytized to me that it was the Crone’s responsibility to prepare the Maiden for Motherhood. To which I say, “Hell to the no, to the no, No, NO!” and for the record, I AM a mother. I know Motherhood is a big deal, but it is NOT an integral part of what it means to be WOMAN or female. I also take issue with the Wiccan’s “Threefold Law of Return.” In my career in law enforcement, I saw that many evil people got away with literal murder and there were so many people who gave generously to their communities all the time and yet experienced trauma so egregious even hardened narcissistic police officers were weeping at the crime scenes.
I have given Wicca a fair shot. I was even a part of one of the same organizations as one of the authors. And, since the author promised to define what a coven is, “how it works, and how you can make your coven experience more effective, enjoyable and exciting,” I was motivated to put aside my bias to gain that secret knowledge. I am in the pagan minority as I have been a part of an actual coven. We met at least once a month, celebrated moon phases, and pagan holidays, and even had social gathering and field trips. I was invested and involved for over a decade; my son even attended rituals, and his adult initiation was discussed. The head priest of that coven is one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege to know. I enjoyed my time with my coven immensely, but there were problems I was hoping this book would address. It did not.
The authors give a host of reasons to turn people away from a coven which I feel strongly are just cruel judgments. A person isn’t going to say out loud that they are “in the midst of a life crisis and is grasping at straws to cope with it” by joining a pagan coven out of the blue. These authors purport professional experience in the field of organizational development, group process, volunteer management, and leadership training. Yet they continue in this vein describing all sorts of different archetypes of “difficult personalities,” in the appendix with “mean girl” labels such as: The Adoring Acolyte, The Bag Lady, The Black Hole of Neediness, and the Drama Addict among a lengthy list of others. I am all for judging people’s intentions, in fact, I highly encourage it. In my coven, the head priest was such a talented teacher he attracted a diverse collection of pagan seekers. There were two people who appeared at different times who could barely stoop to offer me and other coven members a cordial “hello” because we did not have the same social standing. Another major issue occurred when my son turned 18 and there were discussions about his initiation. One of my covenmates personally related to me that he had slept with every male member, and I had the distinct impression that my son was next on his targeted list! I knew he had inflated his success rate, because my motherly horror prompted me to ask my other male coven members about this, and they confirmed that he had at least tried to seduce them. I highly doubt the authors have ever been a part of true coven of no more than 13 people, but if they have been, it’s clear to me they are TERRIBLE friends and I would never want to be a part of coven run by them. While my own coven neglected to inform me OR MY SON of the active sexual predator in our midst, at least they tolerated my needy neurosis and flair for the dramatic for the most part.
While I have waxed on at length about my dislike of this book, I feel it is a necessity to discuss the chapter on pastoral counseling, particularly because of their “mean girl” exclusionary practices! The wording of this chapter switches to “client,” over something like covenmate, or parishioner. It suggests that these excepts were pirated from other sources for non-spiritual therapists and not people looking to be a part of a coven. This chapter more than any other made me want to scream WHO IS THIS BOOK SUPPOSED TO BE FOR? WHO IS THE AUDIENCE? The authors’ stated intention was to define “how [a coven] works, and how you can make your coven experience more effective, enjoyable and exciting.” I loathe Christianity but their clergy goes through YEARS of training to provide pastoral counseling. They also receive continuing education and are subject to a governing board (which SUCKS! But at least they HAVE one). Proposing that someone who has an initiate degree unrecognized by any governing body and can perform counseling is DANGEROUS! I suppose endangering the mental health of yourself and others can be exciting?
I am well aware of a common practice among pagan authors soliciting each other and their friends to give their books 5-star ratings WITHOUT EVEN READING THE BOOK. When I completed reading this atrocity in 2026, this book had 4 stars on GoodReads with 283 5-star ratings out of a total of 616. There were very few that included anything resembling a review. In my opinion, the authors achieved their rating in that duplicitous way.
To be completely transparent, I think the thing I enjoyed most about this book was how much I hated it.
Covencraft is WICCAN, period. Wicca is a valid religion, and I appreciate all of the work Wiccans have done and still do for religious equality. However, it IS a patriarchal religious tradition despite its focus on the 3-Fold Goddess. The Maiden-Mother-Crone vision of THE Goddess (because Wiccans often consider ALL goddesses as versions of an uber female goddess and ALL gods as versions of an uber male god) still INSIST that all women are mothers or at least go through some kind of “mother phase” and then become a Crone. One Wiccan woman proselytized to me that it was the Crone’s responsibility to prepare the Maiden for Motherhood. To which I say, “Hell to the no, to the no, No, NO!” and for the record, I AM a mother. I know Motherhood is a big deal, but it is NOT an integral part of what it means to be WOMAN or female. I also take issue with the Wiccan’s “Threefold Law of Return.” In my career in law enforcement, I saw that many evil people got away with literal murder and there were so many people who gave generously to their communities all the time and yet experienced trauma so egregious even hardened narcissistic police officers were weeping at the crime scenes.
I have given Wicca a fair shot. I was even a part of one of the same organizations as one of the authors. And, since the author promised to define what a coven is, “how it works, and how you can make your coven experience more effective, enjoyable and exciting,” I was motivated to put aside my bias to gain that secret knowledge. I am in the pagan minority as I have been a part of an actual coven. We met at least once a month, celebrated moon phases, and pagan holidays, and even had social gathering and field trips. I was invested and involved for over a decade; my son even attended rituals, and his adult initiation was discussed. The head priest of that coven is one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege to know. I enjoyed my time with my coven immensely, but there were problems I was hoping this book would address. It did not.
The authors give a host of reasons to turn people away from a coven which I feel strongly are just cruel judgments. A person isn’t going to say out loud that they are “in the midst of a life crisis and is grasping at straws to cope with it” by joining a pagan coven out of the blue. These authors purport professional experience in the field of organizational development, group process, volunteer management, and leadership training. Yet they continue in this vein describing all sorts of different archetypes of “difficult personalities,” in the appendix with “mean girl” labels such as: The Adoring Acolyte, The Bag Lady, The Black Hole of Neediness, and the Drama Addict among a lengthy list of others. I am all for judging people’s intentions, in fact, I highly encourage it. In my coven, the head priest was such a talented teacher he attracted a diverse collection of pagan seekers. There were two people who appeared at different times who could barely stoop to offer me and other coven members a cordial “hello” because we did not have the same social standing. Another major issue occurred when my son turned 18 and there were discussions about his initiation. One of my covenmates personally related to me that he had slept with every male member, and I had the distinct impression that my son was next on his targeted list! I knew he had inflated his success rate, because my motherly horror prompted me to ask my other male coven members about this, and they confirmed that he had at least tried to seduce them. I highly doubt the authors have ever been a part of true coven of no more than 13 people, but if they have been, it’s clear to me they are TERRIBLE friends and I would never want to be a part of coven run by them. While my own coven neglected to inform me OR MY SON of the active sexual predator in our midst, at least they tolerated my needy neurosis and flair for the dramatic for the most part.
While I have waxed on at length about my dislike of this book, I feel it is a necessity to discuss the chapter on pastoral counseling, particularly because of their “mean girl” exclusionary practices! The wording of this chapter switches to “client,” over something like covenmate, or parishioner. It suggests that these excepts were pirated from other sources for non-spiritual therapists and not people looking to be a part of a coven. This chapter more than any other made me want to scream WHO IS THIS BOOK SUPPOSED TO BE FOR? WHO IS THE AUDIENCE? The authors’ stated intention was to define “how [a coven] works, and how you can make your coven experience more effective, enjoyable and exciting.” I loathe Christianity but their clergy goes through YEARS of training to provide pastoral counseling. They also receive continuing education and are subject to a governing board (which SUCKS! But at least they HAVE one). Proposing that someone who has an initiate degree unrecognized by any governing body and can perform counseling is DANGEROUS! I suppose endangering the mental health of yourself and others can be exciting?
I am well aware of a common practice among pagan authors soliciting each other and their friends to give their books 5-star ratings WITHOUT EVEN READING THE BOOK. When I completed reading this atrocity in 2026, this book had 4 stars on GoodReads with 283 5-star ratings out of a total of 616. There were very few that included anything resembling a review. In my opinion, the authors achieved their rating in that duplicitous way.
August 13, 2014
If you have ever considered forming a coven and you don't come from a tradition that guides you through the process, this is an excellent book. I would caution, however, that she suggests a lot of bureaucracy that may not be necessary. She suggests a variety of approaches for different focus groups. If you're going to practice in a group, it won't hurt to read it.
August 26, 2024
I read this as a resource for a presentation I gave to my coven, along with some other books on covens. The author is Wiccan which I am not, nor is my coven, but it was still a good source for what I needed either way. I just disregarded the specifically Wiccan aspects. It is also outdated so many of the sources are not available anymore and things have changed with the social media age. If you are starting a coven or want information about them if you’re thinking of joining one then this is a good source.
March 28, 2019
Awesome
December 31, 2013
[excerpted from my blog review] It's too bad that in many ways this book is outdated because of the way the interwebs have transformed not only the way groups can organize and communicate, but also because of the way the interwebs have transformed the worldwide presence of so many fringe and minority cultures (at least those with easy access to computers).
One of my favorite parts of books is the back end, with all the appendices and indeces. Sometimes it's the only part of the book I actually pay attention too, similar to the websites I've gone to for the sole purpose of finding their page of recommended links. I enjoy reading lists, sample letters, blank forms and checklists. Amber K does, too, I can tell, because this is one zaftig backside, I tell ya.
One of my favorite parts of books is the back end, with all the appendices and indeces. Sometimes it's the only part of the book I actually pay attention too, similar to the websites I've gone to for the sole purpose of finding their page of recommended links. I enjoy reading lists, sample letters, blank forms and checklists. Amber K does, too, I can tell, because this is one zaftig backside, I tell ya.
October 31, 2015
While incredibly informative and is a good basis for starting a coven, this is incredibly Wicca-centric. I have started noticing that most witchcraft and pagan books have obvious Wiccan influences or are blatantly Wicca. For those who are under the Pagan umbrella but are not Wiccan, this is still a good book!
November 3, 2007
While it is an excellent book on starting a Coven, there is little material on continuing to run a Coven. The bits about running a Coven are few and far between, and it speaks more about starting a Coven when there is none around. All in all, though, it is an excellent primer on Coven work.
February 1, 2008
This is a great book! Every thing possible she has in it, and if not just check in the back and you'll find out how to attain the information.
February 3, 2008
It's an excellent book to read. I don't use it much.
February 14, 2008
A bit too much.
November 6, 2008
great book,love the in depth advice.
May 3, 2009
Another book worth using if you are in a coven - rituals, spells, motivation, poetry, music, and more.
February 4, 2015
Good starter book for Wiccan seekers
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews