Structure
Covens of the Tangled Woods Tradition have a four-tiered membership structure that is comparable to a degree system. Each level of membership is referred to as a Grove, and each Grove has its own focus. For us, moving through the levels of membership is not a race. Rather, each Grove is a place to focus your energies on the current stage of your journey and have fun! A brief description of each Grove is given below.
Sage Grove
The Sage Grove is the student grove of the Tangled Woods Tradition. Each newcomer to the tradition must begin in the Sage Grove, regardless of their level of previous Craft experience. This time is crucial, as the student's focus is on learning about the particulars of the Tangled Woods Tradition, and making sure that it is right for them. This is also a time for students and current coven members to get to know one another, and begin developing a bond before students begin active participation in the coven. A student's involvement in the Sage Grove will last for 13 months, consisting of one class per month for 12 months, and ending with a "Trial" that must be completed before the student is considered for Outer Grove membership. Each class is both informational and very "hands on," and classes are taught by various Inner and Elder Grove members of the coven. Additionally, each Sage Grove member will be paired up with a mentor from the Inner or Elder Grove who will offer them one-on-one support and help to monitor their progress through this course of study. Sage Grove members do not regularly attend esbat meetings with the coven, but as part of the process of learning and being considered for membership, each student will be invited individually to attend one dark moon esbat and one full moon esbat during the course of their training. This will allow the coven to get a feel for how each student's energy meshes with the current group energy on an individual basis. Sage Grove members are invited to and encouraged to attend all coven sabbat gatherings in a guest capacity, and to attend any social events hosted by the coven. They will also take parts in rituals and activities that are planned just for the Sage Grove.
Outer Grove
Outer Grove
This is the level at which an individual begins active participation in their coven and the Tangled Woods Tradition. Though they are not yet initiates of their coven, and do not yet know most of their oathbound secrets, their level of active participation in the coven's activities is greatly increased. Students move from the Sage Grove into the Outer Grove by a majority vote of the current coven members, upon completion of their Sage Grove trials. Outer Grove members attend all esbats and sabbats with the coven, and while their level of active participation is not as high as that of initiates, they will begin to have assigned roles and responsibilities at many of the meetings and rituals. The focus of the Outer Grove is for coveners to demonstrate that they can commit to their own personal spiritual growth through a course of self study. Upon entering the Outer Grove, each member selects a specialty that they will focus on during their time in the Outer Grove. They will outline a project that they will complete to demonstrate their proficiency in their chosen specialty, and this project must be completed before they will be considered for initiation. Each Outer Grove member will be paired with a mentor from the Inner or Elder Grove who will provide them with guidance and accountability, but the Outer Grove member is responsible for their own study.
Inner Grove
Inner Grove
Members of the Inner Grove are the initiates of their coven and the Tangled Woods Tradition. In order to become an initiate, a member must be nominated for initiation by a current Inner or Elder Grove member, then approved by a unanimous vote by all of the current initiates. These individuals have shown their commitment to their coven family, and initiation formally welcomes them into that intimate family. The focus of the Inner Grove is to further demonstrate commitment to the coven and tradition by fulfilling a more pivotal role within the coven, and by aiding the Elder Grove in the overall leadership and guidance of the coven. They will share in the responsibility of facilitating coven events, protecting the coven dynamic, and contributing to the spiritual growth of the coven as a whole. Inner Grove members have earned the right to serve as teachers and leaders within their coven, and serving in these capacities may help them gain membership into the Elder Grove.
Elder Grove
Elder Grove
An Inner Grove member may only move into the Elder Grove upon being nominated for member by an existing Elder Grove member on the grounds of exceptional service to the Tangled Woods Tradition, and receiving a unanimous vote of approval from the other Elder Grove members of their coven. Elder Grove members are the stewards of the Tangled Woods Tradition, and their focus is the overall guidance and leadership of not only their coven, but of the Tangled Woods Tradition as a whole. These individuals are responsible for making the major decisions within their coven, and for guiding the future of the Tangled Woods Tradition. The Elder Grove is an over-arching grove that spans all covens. Therefore, though a member of the Elder Grove may leave their current coven to join another, requiring them to bond with that coven's members before they can become a part of its Inner Grove, they will still retain their position as an elder of the Tangled Woods Tradition and a member of the Elder Grove. Elder Grove members are the only members of the Tangled Woods who can serve as High Priest or Priestesses, start their own covens, and confer initiations.
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