Texas Local Council Covenant of the Goddess
About COG
Welcome to the Web Page of the Texas Local Council Covenant of the Goddess, the local WWW home page of the Covenant of the Goddess, an international organization of cooperating,
autonomous Wiccan congregations and solo practitioners. We are just one of the Local Councils of COG in the United States. We have been incorporated in Texas since 1994 and are working to serve the Wiccan community in Texas. We hope you enjoy your visit and that you will find some useful information here; just click on any of the highlighted (this takes you to our "Content Page") areas to move around the website.
Here, you'll find information about the COG organization, as well as the religious beliefs and practices which comprise Wicca.
The Covenant of the Goddess was founded in 1975 to increase cooperation
among Witches and to secure for Witches and covens the legal protection
enjoyed by members of other religions.
The Covenant publishes a newsletter; issues ministerial credentials on
request to qualified persons; sponsors a national festival each summer;
and encourages networking nationally, as well as regionally through
local councils.
The Covenant is incorporated as a non-profit religious organization in
California, though it has grown to be an international organization.
It is a confederation of covens and solitaires of various traditions,
who share in the worship of the Goddess and the Old Gods and subscribe
to a common code of ethics. The Covenant holds a Grand Council annually
to decide matters which require deliberation by the full membership.
Decisions are usually made by consensus.
- An ye harm none, do as ye will.
- Since our religion and the arts and practices peculiar to it are the
gift of the Goddess, membership and training in a local coven or
tradition are bestowed free, as gifts, and only on those persons who
are deemed worthy to receive them. However, a coven may expect each
of its members to bear a fair share of its ordinary operating expenses.
- All persons have the right to charge reasonable fees for the services
by which they earn a living, so long as our religion is not thereby
exploited.
- Every person associated with this Covenant shall respect the autonomy
and sovereignty of each coven, as well as the right of each coven to
oversee the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical development of its
members and students in its own way, and shall exercise reasonable
caution against infringing upon that right in any way.
- All persons associated with this Covenant shall respect the
traditional secrecy of our religion.
- Members of this Covenant should ever keep in mind the underlying
unity of our religion as well as the diversity of its manifestations.
- These ethics shall be understood and interpreted in light of one
another, and especially in light of the traditional laws of our religion.
All information given to the Covenant of the Goddess or any of its
officials is considered strictly confidential, unless you indicate
otherwise. No information about members is published or given out
without explicit written permission. Direct access to the Covenant's
mailing list is limited to the Board of Directors. Maximum privacy
is assured.
At every Sabbat the Covenant publishes a newsletter of Craft and Pagan
news, original articles, poetry, humor, rituals, and announcements.
Member covens receive the newsletter automatically. Individual
coveners and non-members who donate a suitable tax-deductible gift
will also be placed on the mailing list, to receive the newsletter and
other mailings. Circulation is limited to members and friends of the
Covenant.
An annual membership tithe is set every year at the Grand Council to
cover bare expenses, based on the previous year's expenses and any
projected cost increases. The annual financial statement is published
in the newsletter. Other activities are supported by fund-raising.
All contributions to the Covenant of the Goddess are greatly
appreciated and are tax-deductible.
Any Goddess-supporting coven or solitaire can be eligible for
membership in the Covenant of the Goddess, if certain criteria and
requirements are met. All inquiries into membership should be sent
to the National
Membership Officer. If the coven or solitaire is in
an area near a Local
Council, the National Officer will forward the
inquiry to the local Membership Officer, who will respond.
- Generally focus thealogy and ritual, etc., around the worship of
the Goddess and the Old Gods (or the Goddess alone).
- Believe in and follow a code of ethics
compatible with that of the Covenant.
- Have been meeting monthly or oftener for at least six months.
- Have three or more members who have been formally accepted into
the clergy.
- Be a cohesive, self-perpetuating group
Full Membership: The applicant must be recommended without reservation
by two active members of the Covenant.
Provisional Membership: The applicant may be recommended by one member,
and then has a year and a day to obtain the required second recommendation
to achieve Full Membership status.
The appropriate Membership Officer (National or Local) shall verify
information regarding the criteria and requirements.
This is the term we use to collectively represent the Members who are
Solitaries, i.e. practicing alone. Each Local Council may devise
its own standards for admission of Solitaries, in harmony
with national guidelines.
A Local Council is a smaller branch of the Covenant, consisting of at
least three member covens of at least two different traditions, in
reasonably close geographic proximity to each other. The Local
Councils meet at least twice a year and usually more often. They
may choose to initiate independent projects, sponsor local festivals
and workshops, and generally work together for common goals close to
home. As the Covenant continues to grow, we encourage new member
covens close to one another to form their own Local Councils.
When a matter requiring a decision is presented before the Covenant
in council, it is discussed by the members in attendance until a
consensus is reached. If a consensus cannot be reached, then a
vote may be taken. A coven holding a current Full Membership is
entitled to one vote. Each such coven also holds the power to veto,
though this is exercised only in extreme cases. A coven with
Provisional Membership is entitled to one vote, but does not hold
veto power.
An Assembly of Solitaries is entitled to one vote if, and only if, three
individuals are physically present at council and unanimous in their
choice of vote.
In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as a
Priestess or Priest, a person shall:
- Be an active member of a coven which is a Full Member of the
Covenant.
- Have been "confirmed" to taking on the full commitment to the
requirements of that coven's Tradition of our religion.
- Have undergone at least a full year of active training for the
ministry of that Tradition.
These credentials shall remain valid only so long as the person
remains an active member of a coven which remains an active member
of the Covenant.
In order to be eligible to receive Ministerial Credentials as an
Elder, a person shall:
- Satisfy 2) and 3) above.
- Have undergone an additional full year of active training for
the ministry.
- Be fully able to form a coven, admit members, and train them
in the tenets and practices of that Tradition.
These credentials must be renewed each year; the National Credentials
Officer can provide more details.
The annual Grand Council or national business meeting is held as
part of MerryMeet, our
annual national festival, which is open to the whole membership as
well as Pagans and Witches who are not part of the Covenant. The
festival is usually held at a secluded campground or resort, and
moves to a different area of the country each summer. In addition to
the council meeting, the program includes workshops on aspects of the
Craft, concerts, a potluck feast, a talent show, and the opportunity
to purchase (or barter for) art, crafts, and ritual tools by Pagan
artisans. Registration information is available from the
Second Officer.
If you would like more information about COG, please refer to our
Contact Page. If you are interested in our Local Council then email us at
Texas@cog.org. Or you can write to us at: Texas Local Council, 4020 N. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 122-191, Irving, TX 75038. Please be sure and visit our
Content Page.
This information reprinted with permission by the National Net Coordinator, Covenant of the Goddess and is copyrighted in the United States of America. Please ask permission if you want to use any of the information or logos contained herein. All rights reserved. These pages were created on March 16, 1998.
This website is maintained by Chuck Peart, Texas Local Council Covenant of the Goddess. Last updated December 29, 1999.
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