Choose Your Focus

Most spiritual traditions have a goal, and a direction: “Reach Enlightenment”, “be worthy of heaven”, “spread the gospel”, “serve Jesus by doing good deeds for the unfortunate”. Knowing your direction helps you develop a daily practice, understanding why you are doing what you do, and refining it to better meet that goal. For example, in many ceremonial paths, the goal is self-improvement, hermetic alchemy that turns the base human spirit into gold.

However, when developing in the faith is expressed in terms of gaining skills and grades, there’s a community-wide problem of too many priests and not enough laymembers. The witch’s relationship is to the village, not the other witches: the sole keeper of secrets and spirits. What does it mean when we all read tarot? Where can we progress, if we can’t all be high priest? It’s instructive to look at other world faiths, in which it is *not* normal for everyone to aspire to the priesthood. Most people are just participants. To become a priest, one needs a calling – and that calling is assessed through a system and training. So too is the gaining of certain abilities: for example, reading divinatory cards in Vodou is only possible for certain priest initiates, not everybody.

These systems are hierarchical, in ways which don’t fit well with the pagan spirit – we are usually of a bold and anti-establishment bent. We don’t want to replicate the flaws in such systems, where power becomes easily concentrated in the hands of gatekeepers, whom one must trust are ethical and strong in faith. And yet, the reality of our scattered religion is that we are too few and far between, and you will frequently need to be your own priest. You can’t just show up on a Sunday. And so, this creates problems for how we relate to one another as a pagan community – how do we assess elder status or priesthood? How do we judge who is worthy of teaching? How do we organise ourselves into working groups, where everyone is included, and their talents used?

With that in mind, here’s a number of FOCUSES. What is a Focus? It’s a way to focus your path in a certain direction, and identify some goals. I find that helpful: I’m so delighted by the pagan world that it helps to slow down and say “for this season, I will focus on this”, or alternatively, “looking back, over the last six months I’ve really progressed at that”. You can pick one Focus at a time, or have a couple; you can pick a focus for a few months, or for a lifetime. A Focus helps us know that we’re advancing in something – without having a hierarchical grade structure. You can also use the label of a Focus to tell others who you are: “Fencraft – Lunar path (Lorekeeper)”. Each Focus tends to have particular spirits watching over it.

It recognises that we are all good at various things. The traditional role of High Priest or Adept combines teaching, leading ritual, running a community of humans in practical terms – at the very least – as well as knowledge of your lore and magical ability. Few are fit for that. In contrast a Focus system allows you to assert your ability and advancement in a specific field – there’s always some niche which you can specialise in and excel at.

Fencraft is an underlying cosmology, but within that map there are many ways to go. We do not have a formal grade system or priesthood and, for the most part, we assume you’ll be working alone. One of the benefits of this system is that when we do meet, it encourages an atmosphere of collaboration. Fencraft’s vision of magic and the land is broad enough that it is possible – even preferable – for covens to be made up of specialists in different disciplines. At minimum, having one Solar, one Lunar and one Stellar focused person is a great foundation for vibrant magic and worship.

Here’s some ideas (you may, of course, think of more!) which are a good fit for Fencraft

To Do

If you do a weekly or monthly check in for your craft, include an area to write down your current Focus. Or you could write it on an index card, and use a library card pocket or tack so it is visible in your Magical Book (and can be changed). Writing it on an index card and pinning it in your ritual space may assist if you are very forgetful.

Then, when you are planning what you want to do across the next period of time - skills, reading, walking, ritual or magic - you can consider 'How does this help my Focus?'

Solar

Forager/Herbalist/Green Witch/Kitchen Witch/Hearth Witch

You know the names and the purposes of the plants around you – being green-fingered enough to make them grow, or skilled in spotting them in the hedge. Perhaps you are a specialist in mushrooms, in weeds, in dye plants, or in vegetables; or in training as a healer, a basket-maker, or even a florist. Others are skilled at cooking and preparing food, and the little magics of the hearth: be it baking, hearty dinners, or fancy treats.

Life Role Magic/Sacred Job/ Guardian

By Life Role Magic, we are talking about the role of – say – the mother, maiden and crone in Wicca, where the life role of “motherhood” is made sacred. The Solar is the magic of the everyday, the making sacred of that which you do – this could include paid or unpaid work, your life’s vocation, your gender, a particular part of your experience and so forth. Think the magic of fishermen, the magic of grandfathers, the magic of the law, and know each has its Guardian.

Community Leader

Any meeting of groups always has a touch of the Solar to it - especially when part of a broader human establishment, like an official State or village religion. See more on community focuses.

Lunar

Librarian / Loremaster / Lorekeeper

You are a specialist in Reading. In a community, you may be chosen to maintain and grow the collection of sacred texts. In your personal practice, you might be dedicated to seeking out new Landweird, and becoming an expert on our lore.

Historian / Folklorist

You know the history of this land: perhaps you are a specialist in a particular period, or in a particular area like food history or religion. Some historians choose to focus on the history of the local area. Snippets of old verse and half-remembered old wives tales may be your stock in trade. Many of our finest early pagans went under the cover of being a “interested in folklore”.

Bard

You know the ancient words, and remember them well. You lift up your voice in song – performing for the coven during rites. Perhaps you write your own verse. You know riddles and poems, and old walking songs. Our Reading List comes alive when performed.

Lunar-Solar

Warrior

You are a protector of the people. Your daily practice might include a martial art, such as tai chi, sword-practice; or an energetic martial practice, like shielding. Perhaps the spiritual helps empower your everyday role: as a soldier, or more abstractly, as say a street medic. Or, perhaps you specialise in esoteric defence: exorcisms, placing wards, deterring and bargaining with local fae, defeating things if necessary.

Artisan/Craftsman/Enchanter

You encounter the sacred through your art. Perhaps you turn your skill to staff-making, robe-making or other sacred tasks, or by weaving magic into your work; but knitting and doing calligraphy for the fun of it are equally beautiful. Your “theme” does not need to be religious – the act of creation is itself a spiritual one.

Wanderer

You make the rite of Walking your sacred art, rambling around the byways and knowing every part - mortal, wild and ancient

Stellar

Mystic/Hermit

Focusing heavily on Disconnection, these Focuses are about being as far from man and as close to the divine as one can. I’m told that if you visit the cave in which St John wrote the book of Revelations, you’re not allowed to drink the water because it’s filled with psychedelic mushrooms. Spending long periods in isolation, or in repetitive ritual, are two traditional ways to become strange.

Far-Walker

We revere both the climbing of mountains and the descent under the sea. Sacred scuba diving? Why not. What better way to encounter and honour the fathomless wild than by (respectfully) training to seek it.

Solar-Stellar

Ranger / Naturalist

You are an expert in the land around you. You can recognise the tracks of beasts, the calls of birds and the shapes of flowers. You know where the weather patterns form, and are confident in the wild-places with survival skills.

Land Protector

You rip out invasive species wherever they occur. You coppice trees to let light through the canopy to the undergrowth. You pick up litter. You write letters to the local newspaper. You’re considering gluing yourself to something. You tend your little area of the wild, as if it was a garden, helping the wildlife and plantlife flourish.

Servant of the Spirits

What is a priest? Someone who serves the people and the spirits. In Fencraft, we split those two roles out – in part, because we are so frequently solitary workers. So, a servant of the spirits is one who is focused on devotional work towards a particular entity or pantheon. Priest; Fae-Touched/Fairy Doctor; Landspeaker – there are many names, but a single purpose, which is to serve the will of that spirit first and foremost. This could be worship, offerings, or mediating between these spirits and humans. It can also be profoundly private – just between you and the mystery.

Spellworkers

Healer

You specialise in the making of spells, potions or rituals to aid the sick - be it through cool water and the pure light of stars, or down in the mud and the blood of treating directly with disease and death

Witch / Mage / Wizard

You are an all-purpose magic user, and your daily practice is geared towards enhancing your magical skills and knowledge. Or – perhaps – you are a specialist, in a certain kind of magic (weather, time, plants); or using a certain kind of ritual form (for example, traditional witchcraft, or thelemic magic).

Gate-Opener

You are focused on the opening of the ways, and the opening of crossroads – passing through them to journey, and pulling things back with you.

Wanderer in Time

You can pull place and people forwards and backwards, listening to old things and old stonework and more ancient still the mountains. You have been known to go missing.

Seer

Your practice is focused on seeing the future and the past, and revealing the mystery of that which has been hidden.

Community

Though Community is inherently Solar, Community roles can appear anywhere on the map: high priestess of the coven, say, or leader of the mystic hunt.

Priest: Ritual Leader

You have learnt and practiced the skill of creating and leading ritual. Magical ability and performance skills help participants to change state and pass through the veil – as well as the organisational skills to bring spare matches and ensure rites are accessible.

Priest: Pastoral

You know the secrets of living and dying, and the human heart. You can put our lore into context for people going through difficult times. Counselling the troubled, and being there for members of the community who need guidance – and strength – from faith.

Teacher

Your gift is for mentoring, leading lessons, and writing educational material. Perhaps you have a role in your community of training novices, or creating and sharing what you know online.

Organiser

Communities are work: they need somebody to book the hall, update the calendar, and organise volunteers at their tasks. A good organiser never works alone – figuring out what needs to be done, and then delegating it among others, is essential. This is a difficult, often rather thankless focus – but it is the bedrock on which community is built. It’s healthy to try and have more than one person with this Focus in your moot, to prevent burnout.

One of the Wise

Insight, ethical guidance, and understanding the purpose of the spirits has always been a traditional role of a “priest”. Your daily practice is focused around cultivating your own ability to be calm, patient, compassionate, and insightful. Pretentious? Kindness is a choice. We’ve all met people who have a wisdom and a grace, but we can work towards accomplishing these qualities in ourselves through our behaviour. We can learn how to listen better, how to manage our own emotions better, and in time perhaps, be thought of as one of the wise.

More on Community Roles

Here is an additional essay on sharing the work of pagan leadership within a social community, which I wrote at a different time.

Prophet

Channels wisdom from the beyond and sets the spiritual direction. The Great Beast. Gerald Gardener.

Organiser

Decides on what's happening, puts it on facebook, files the taxes, attends the planning meetings, assigns tasks, books the function room; indistinguishable from people in mundane contexts with these skills, but perhaps with some special abilities at navigating the law and everyday world as a stigmatised subculture

Probably the most essential person of all these subtypes, if we're honest.

Emcee

Makes everybody feel welcome, super social, chilled out, life of the party, brings enthusiasm (and models it), makes others feel chilled out and included just by being there. Everyone's friend. The Courferyac. They turn groups of people into communities, and communities into homes. Makes everyone want to come back next time. Mom friend.

In good communities, as many people should be like this as a baseline, and yet you will meet people who seem Leaderlike to you without being wholly sure what thing it is they do, because they are the heart. Greeting people, texting people who haven't shown up for a while, remembering who has allergies and being able to mediate in a quarrel.

Ritual Facilitator

Able to deliver meaningful ritual experiences for others, in both a spiritual and aesthetic-theatrical sense. Shauna Aura Knight has some wonderful books on learning this skill in particular. Affectionately, but I have been to far too many pagan events led by someone who is more dry than the C of E on a Sunday.

Specialist

Really good at spells, divination, making altar cloths, drawing down, potions, hermits/monastics. Others come to consult you to do your specific thing, on which you are known as an expert.

Can often seem quite separate from covens and communities as a whole - most often encountered as a small business owner. But that's a depressing model: in the future, I'd like to see more Specialists within networks. When training up pupils for a coven or collective, one could ask: what skills do we not already have? Could this person fill that gap?

Teacher

Specifically good at breaking down concepts, sharing them with others, being encouraging and a safe person to learn with - strengthens your groups by building other people's confidence and skill. Teachers are judged not by their own skills, but by the skills of their students - you can be bad at magic and good at teaching.

Librarian/Loremaster

You've picked up a lot of general knowledge, links, community networks and book recommendations, and are great at signposting others. In ritual design, they might know how to fish out the best prayer snippets, have the tough theological questions mastered, or be the repository of memory for the tradition overall.

In Amber K's Covencraft, she lists Bard or Minstrel as a coven job, including keep a file of songs and teaching them to members ahead of time. I'd see this as a Librarian role, whereas composing or performing would be in the next subtype.

Influencer

Talented at writing, photography, videography in a way that inspires others indirectly. As is often snarkily observered, being an influencer is different from being an expert at what you do - influencing takes up so much time and focus you have less left over for the magic. But they still have an important function, widening communities and access to ideas - inspiration is no small thing. I would include Pagan musicians in this category.

Caretaker

Focuses on the pastoral roles - prison ministry, giving advice, hospital visits, listening.

Quartermaster

Has stuff. Usually, has a generous living room and a couple of acres of woodland, a boon which tends to give someone a more prominent voice due to their usefulness; but in other contexts, it could be someone with a big garage for storing ritual objects, a wealthier member who can chip in more for essentials; or indispensable practical skills - like knowing how to deliver food for 40, can set up a PA system, or really good at putting up tents. You might also imagine the person who does the fire plan for the hall, or is your de facto security fellow.

Some overlap with the Organizer here, but while the Organiser is essential for providing overall direction and impetus and momentum, the Quartermaster is more of a contributor - but also in charge of their one logistics thing, which is so useful you can't do without her.

In activism, it is well known that undercover police officers will make Guy With A Big Van You Can Borrow part of his persona. Guy With Big Van is a useful guy to have around!

Lay member

Honestly an underrated part of communities - I'm brewing a post about How To Be Laity, I think it is a skill. Indeed, a lot of my Fencraft writings are about filling in that gap - how to be a day-to-day pagan, doing nothing in particular except seeing and knowing the weird.

Brings the numbers, makes it all worthwhile, bring their voice and movement and energy, challenge teacher-types with their questions, being an active participant, not being a dick, challenge caretaker-types with expanding their capacity to care, brings money and resources, and where communities are functional, are being prepared towards taking on one of these roles in future.

In many ways, I identify most closely with being a lay member. I know this sounds daft, but what I really want from my massive wordcount website and Radio Astercote and all my films is the sense of another person telling me what to do. What I want for my own religious life is to be a casual participant - I like to pray and walk in the woods and celebrate Solar sabbats, all food and a bit of a party. I do the work with one hand and benefit by it on the other; I am forgetful and fractured, stepping between these roles work perfectly for me.

I find it useful to break it down in this way because being qualified and skilled at some of these things doesn't necessary qualify you at all of them - and that is normal and human.

Trying to do them all leads to burnout - as well as overstating one's competence at at least some of them. One should aim at networks, building links to people who are strong at your weaknesses, and more importantly - practicing saying no, practicing saying 'this is not my area, but I know who you should talk to'. And the learning and personal characteristics you need for each are different. It goes without saying that none of these roles are immune from basic requirements to be a generally decent person.

My vision for sustainable pagan communities is always one where people step in and out of lay roles, where the leadership is not a hierarchy. A coven of ten where each person has one of the ten leadership roles ought not to be a too-many-witches-spoil-the-brew situation, as everyone is given trust and respect in their own area while also ceding control in others.

My general observation of small communities is that all power truly does corrupt, and abuse is a normal part of human behaviour, a capacity most people have; the only way to limit its harm is to limit personal power. Where someone's influence is balanced out by others and no one person has make-or-break control within a group, it puts the brakes on how much harm a person can do. Environments make abusers. This is echoed on the level of societal privilege (men aren't inherently more likely to be abusers, but under patriarchy, they are vastly more likely to be in a position to act on a desire to abuse, do the most harm and then get away with it).

I'd also note that essentially all these roles are in service to others - other coven members and the Powers. Seeing leadership as service is one of those Christian concepts I hold dear, just to counterbalance the tendency of power to become domination - to keep asking oneself 'whenever leadership is beneficial to me, am I doing at least as much for others as I am receiving myself?'. & that can be a tough one because we're talking about intangible things here, pride and satisfaction and acknowledgement.

And the flipside, which is 'as leadership is service to others, am I also making time to take that hat off and do the things for myself so I am developing also'. This too is a reason to be in a network - you can put all your effort into facilitating someone else's experiences, knowing there is someone there ready to help facilitate yours.

Is there anything important I missed?