People are lonely. Honestly, that’s the root of it. In a world where we spend half our lives staring at digital interfaces, the sudden, surging interest in finding a coven of witches isn't actually about flying on broomsticks or casting movie-style fireballs. It’s about community. Real, tangible, face-to-face connection.
You’ve probably seen the aesthetic on TikTok or Instagram—candles, mossy forests, and silver jewelry. But beneath the "WitchTok" surface, there is a deep, historical, and increasingly practical movement happening. It’s a shift toward decentralized spirituality.
A coven of witches, by definition, is just a group of practitioners who gather for ritual or support. Traditionally, the number is thirteen, but that’s more of a guideline than a hard rule. Some groups have three people. Some have twenty. The point is the collective energy.
What a Coven of Witches Actually Does (Beyond the Movies)
Forget the "Hocus Pocus" tropes. If you walked into a meeting of a modern coven of witches in Salem or London today, you’d likely find people drinking herbal tea and discussing their mental health or the timing of the next lunar cycle.
Ritual work is the core. This usually involves "casting a circle," which is basically just creating a dedicated, meditative space. Within that space, the group might perform "workings." This isn't about breaking the laws of physics. It’s usually focused on manifestation, healing, or marking the "Sabbats"—the eight seasonal festivals of the year like Samhain or Beltane.
Ronald Hutton, a professor at the University of Bristol and a leading historian on British folklore and paganism, has documented how these modern structures evolved. It’s not some ancient, unbroken chain from the Stone Age. Most of what we think of as a "coven" was actually codified in the mid-20th century by people like Gerald Gardner. He’s the guy who basically founded Wicca. He claimed he found an old coven in the New Forest in England, though historians still argue about whether that group actually existed or if he just had a very vivid imagination and a love for theatricality.
The structure varies wildly. You have "lineaged" covens, which are very strict. They have degrees of initiation. You can't just walk in; you have to study for a year and a day. Then you have "eclectic" covens. These are way more chill. They’re basically just friends who read the same books and want to celebrate the full moon together.
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The Power of the "Year and a Day" Tradition
In many traditional circles, you don't just join. You wait. The "year and a day" rule is a real thing used to ensure that someone isn't just going through a phase. It’s a vetting process.
Witchcraft, as a practice, is often solitary. But humans are social animals. The coven provides a "covenstead"—a home base. It’s a place to share specialized knowledge about botany, astrology, or meditation techniques that you can’t exactly find at a standard Sunday school.
Why Everyone is Obsessed with Covens Right Now
Isolation is a plague.
Modern religion is also seeing a massive decline in participation among Gen Z and Millennials. People still want the "sacred," but they don't want the dogma. A coven of witches offers a "choose your own adventure" spirituality. It’s decentralized. There is no Pope of Witches. There is no central headquarters.
There's also a massive feminist element that can't be ignored. Historically, the word "witch" was used to control women who lived outside societal norms—midwives, healers, or just women who owned land. Reclaiming the coven is, for many, a political act. It's a way of saying, "We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn." It's a powerful narrative. It sells books. It builds communities.
The Business of Magic
Let's talk money, because even spirituality has a marketplace. In cities like Los Angeles and New York, "social covens" have become a business model. You pay a monthly membership fee to access a "temple" or a "workspace" that smells like palo santo and expensive incense. Is it a coven of witches or a high-end coworking space with a crystal habit? Sometimes the line is blurry.
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But for the purists, money shouldn't change hands for "the craft." This creates a bit of a rift in the community. You have the traditionalists who meet in backyards and the "influencer witches" who sell $80 "coven-blessed" candles.
How to Find a Real Coven Without Getting Scammed
If you’re actually looking for a coven of witches, the internet is a double-edged sword. You have sites like Mandragora Magika or local occult shops that act as community hubs.
But you have to be careful. Like any unregulated group, covens can become "cult-y." If a "High Priest" or "High Priestess" starts demanding a lot of money, or isolating you from your family, or making weird sexual demands—run. That isn't witchcraft. That’s just a garden-variety predator using a spooky aesthetic.
A healthy coven of witches should feel like a supportive book club that occasionally does weird stuff in the woods.
What to Look for in a Group:
- Transparency: They should be clear about what they believe.
- Autonomy: You should always be allowed to leave or say no to a ritual.
- Shared Responsibility: Everyone helps out; it's not just one person being worshipped.
- Consistency: They actually meet when they say they will.
The Different "Flavors" of Covens
Not all covens are created equal. You’ve got your Wiccans, who follow the "Rede" (basically: do what you want as long as it doesn't hurt anyone). Then you’ve got Traditionalist British Witchcraft (TBW), which is much more formal and ritual-heavy.
Then there are the "Chaos Magicians." They’re the punks of the occult world. They might use pop culture references in their rituals. I once heard of a coven that used the "Force" from Star Wars as a focal point for meditation. It sounds silly, but the psychological effect of ritual is real, regardless of the symbols used.
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There’s also "Kitchen Witchcraft." These covens might just meet to cook together, infusing their food with specific intentions. It’s practical. It’s grounded. It’s basically just a very intense dinner party.
The Science of Ritual
Why does sitting in a circle with a coven of witches actually make people feel better? It’s not necessarily magic in the supernatural sense. It’s psychology.
Ritual acts as a "pattern interrupt" for the brain. When we perform repetitive, symbolic actions, it lowers cortisol levels. It helps us process grief, celebrate transitions, and feel a sense of agency in a world that often feels chaotic. A study published in Scientific American noted that rituals can improve performance and reduce anxiety, even if the person performing them doesn't "believe" in the underlying mythology.
So, when a coven of witches gathers to burn "sigils" (symbols of their goals), they are essentially performing a high-level goal-setting exercise backed by communal support. It’s powerful stuff.
Practical Steps for the Curious
If this sounds like something you actually want to explore, don't just go out and buy a $500 starter kit.
- Read first. Start with authors like Margot Adler (Drawing Down the Moon) or Starhawk (The Spiral Dance). These are the "bibles" of the modern movement. They give you the historical context so you don't look like a total newbie.
- Visit your local "metaphysical" shop. Most mid-sized cities have one. It’s usually a shop that sells rocks, herbs, and books. Look at the bulletin board. That’s where the real covens post their "seekers" flyers.
- Start solitary. Most people spend a long time practicing on their own before joining a coven of witches. Figure out what you believe first. If you don't have your own foundation, you'll just get swept up in someone else's ego.
- Be skeptical. If a group claims they have "ancient secrets" passed down through a thousand years of secret bloodlines, they are probably lying. Modern witchcraft is a beautiful, reconstructed, 20th-century invention. And that’s okay. Its value comes from what it does for you now, not its fake pedigree.
- Interview them. If you find a group, ask them questions. How do they handle conflict? What’s their policy on "burning out"? A good coven is a commitment, almost like a second family.
The rise of the coven of witches in 2026 isn't a sign that we're going back to the dark ages. It’s a sign that we’re trying to find a new way to be human together. Whether you believe in the "magic" or just the power of the group, there’s no denying that the coven is a fascinating solution to the modern loneliness epidemic.
Check your local community listings or visit a reputable occult bookstore to see if there are any "open circles" in your area. Many groups host public events for the Solstices or Equinoxes, which is the perfect, low-pressure way to see if the "vibe" fits your lifestyle. Just remember to bring some tea to share. Everyone appreciates a guest who contributes to the potluck.