Agreement of Membership
Crafters & Followers
of the Old
Religion as
brought down
to the
Earth
from the Queen
of Heaven
Diana herself.
Honouring, Venerating & Serving
Diana and
Apollo as their Priestesses and Priests!!!
While some may regard the agreement as sarcastic or without merit, this is the Law of the Traditional and Continental Craft. We are bound by Oath and Silence and this protects us all.
Neophyte Agreement
This will be kept by the Coven as your signed and sworn word.
As a member of the Temple of Diana, Inc., I, ______________________, agree to abide by the Code of the Streghe, and do my best to uphold the Coven Rules and Guidelines which follow.
Membership in the Hounds of Artemis is limited to those of legal age. Exception is made for those who are children of Coven members, who may apply for membership when they come of age AND with the written permission of ALL parents/legal guardians.
All members of the Coven shall treat each other with the utmost honesty, respect, loyalty, and integrity, as befitting the Key Words of PERFECT LOVE and PERFECT TRUST.
No member of the Coven shall, at any time, divulge material bound by Oath, the identities of the Coven fellows, the business of the Coven, and/or the personal affairs of any Coven member, to any outside of the Coven, except in those rare situations approved by the Coven Officers. This respect of privacy and secrecy applies to those who leave the Coven for ANY REASON.
It should always be born in mind and in heart that our Coven is an initiatory Priesthood of the Goddesses and Gods. As such, it behooves each member to live in an ethical, moral, and responsible manner, as befits the standards of a proper person. Bearing in mind that, as human beings, we are each imperfect – if anyone does wrong, they are obligated to make apology to the person they have wronged.
The TRUE rulers of the Coven are the Gods and Goddesses, with an especial focus upon our Lady Diana. As such, the functions of Sacerodos or Saceredotessa (S), assisted by the Coven Officers, include:
To serve as stewards of the Immortals in caring for the Coven Family
To advise the Coven and its members
Where necessary, to preserve the integrity of the Tradition in whatever way necessary
The S serves as Head of the Family. This entails that they not only are the Brother/Sister to their Covenmates, but also a Mother or Father. Their authority does NOT extend beyond matters of the Coven. In ritual, his/her word is law. In all other matters, save it be where security or integrity is compromised, their word is advisory. The S ritually represents the Gods to the Coven, and the Coven to the Gods. S/he also generally serves as the representative of the Goddess. S/he is assisted in this by the Officers (La Capinera and La Guardia).
La Capinera (Ca) serves as messenger (between members and, also, between the Coven and the greater community). S/he also may represent, at the S’ discretion, the Coven to the greater Pagan community or as part of public relations. In ritual, La Capinera generally represents the God Apollo.
La Guardia (G)is responsible for Coven safety, safety of individual coven members, and the screening of potential new members. Their identity is oath bound.
All Coven members (i.e. those anointed into the Coven) form the Council, which handles most (if not all) Coven business. Council meetings will always include moments of prayer and meditation, so that the Gods may guide the Coven. The S maintains a complete right to veto any Council decision that would threaten the Coven’s integrity.
Those accepted as Coven Members on Probationary Status (i.e. Neophytes) are welcome to attend Council meetings. While they are encouraged to share their thoughts, opinions, and insights, they are denied a right to vote until such a time as their probation period is over.
Before the Gods, all are equal. The system of Officers is, unfortunately, necessary, to contribute to the group’s running as smoothly as possible. It is meant to support the work of our Priesthood, NOT get in the way.
Our Coven, in tandem to being a Lineage of Priestesses and Priests, is also a family, with all the pros and cons of family life. To that end, common sense application of love, trust, and honor are expected of all.
If there is a problem between two (or more) Coven members, the parties involved should make a good faith effort to resolve the issue on their own, with honesty, compassion, and utmost integrity. Throughout, the Coven Officers may be asked to observe and/or mediate…and should be kept informed as to the developments.
If these attempts to resolve the problem do not work, then the Officers will bring the situation to the floor at the next meeting of the Coven Council. An emergency meeting of said Council may be called to focus specifically on the issue at hand. The S chairs the meeting and is responsible for the final judgment. The remaining Officers represent the parties involved. Each party has the floor to present the Truth as they see it – obscene language, accusations, and insinuations are forbidden! When all have had their say, others from the Council – if they have anything pertinent to add – may do so, briefly and succinctly. The S, weighing all aspects and after a period of prayer, will give their Judgment.
If all attempts, up to and including the Council meeting, fail, then one or both of the parties will have to leave the Coven.
If any issue is such that the Sacred Bond of Love and Trust is broken, then the parties involved should cease to work with each other until that Bond is restored. However, all should work to avoid this.
Members are free to leave the Coven at any time, provided the Coven Officers are notified in BOTH writing and face-to-face. Again, once they leave, they are expected to keep sacred their Oaths and the confidence of private/Coven matters.
If the member leaving has completed their training, is ordained or is close to being ordained, and would like to maintain the thread of our lineage and Tradition, they are welcome to hive off.
If they member leaving has not completed their training, and the leave is amicable, the Officers will – at the request of said party – help them find another group with which to worship, work, and grow.
All members are expected to keep regular attendance at all Coven events – the only exceptions are in cases of family emergency, sickness, injury, and similar situations. However, if these situations arise frequently, the member may request a sabbatical from Coven duties or the Coven may advise them to do so, as well as offer support and aid when feasible. If excessive absence continues, the Coven Officers will ask the member to step down, get their life in order, and only then approach the Coven for re-admission.
The spreading of malicious gossip is heavily frowned upon. If you are found to be spreading stories and hearsay, a Coven Council will be called. Before said Council, the storyteller must provide proof of their allegations. If such proof is not forthcoming, the one responsible for the gossip will be given a chance to make amends (if applicable), begging pardon, and will be required to take a sabbatical for up to 3 turns of the moon. If it continues, the guilty party will be excised from the Coven Family and banished.
The use of illegal drugs is expressively FORBIDDEN in any context. Violators will, upon the discovery of fact and not hearsay, be excised from the Coven Family and banished. Alcohol is generally used for rituals – however, fruit juice or water may be substituted to accommodate those with alcohol allergies or issues of addiction. Prescription drugs are allowed for those who legitimately need them, provided their use allows the member full use of their senses and mental faculties.
The carrying on of any criminal act will result in the guilty party being excised from the Coven family and banished.
Each Coven member is expected to take pride in their selves, maintaining the highest ideals of personal hygiene. Officially, the Coven works robed, though – with outdoor ceremonies, so as not to attract undo attention, ‘street clothes’ may be worn, provided they are clean and respectful to the event.
Each Coven member is expected to contribute to the Coven’s work, be it through monetary contributions (to cover costs), donations of goods (candles, wine, bread, etc…), or volunteering time/energy.
Spouses and Children of members are considered extended family to the Coven – as such, they may attend most (but not all) of the Festivals as guests, provided the S or Ca is notified a week in advance. However, our Lunar rituals are limited only to Coven membership.
Any Coven member may volunteer to work center for rituals or to fulfill a particular role in the rite in question. The S may also delegate roles in ritual (or working center itself) to a member or members.
For the Lunar Rites, members are expected to contribute a light snack to share afterwards, or otherwise contribute something (a story, poem, or song) during the ritual itself.
For Festivals, members are expected to contribute to a potluck meal. The Coven Council will decide beforehand if the meal is to follow a menu, or if everyone brings what he or she can.
Each member will be provided with a copy of these Rules and Guidelines before being accepted as a Neophyte.
Each member, upon undergoing their rite of passage, will sign the Master Copy of these Rules and Guidelines, as a testament that they agree to follow and adhere, as closely as possible, said Rules and Guidelines.
____________________________________________________________
Signed and dated
Layout
by Elysium Designs
