The College of the Sacred Mists was started in 2002 as a way to continue the work that I was doing previously with the offline Sacred Mists Coven. My goal has always been to make a place for those looking to learn about Wicca if it is something they truly seek. Today the online medium is one of the best ways to reach some of the most sincere seekers of the Craft who may not have any other way to learn and train. This is another reason why I have worked hard to recreate that personal environment within the Mists that you would get in an offline coven in so much as you can in an online format. Sacred Mists has evolved but the core of what the Mists are remains the same; it is a safe and open place for those seeking to learn the ways of Wicca, who seek the love of the Goddess and who wish to grow in the magickal arts.

The Sacred Mists Tradition is one that comes from an eclectic Wiccan stance that incorporates Celtic and Faerie Traditions as well. This is something that gives our tradition a basis and structure but also allows the college and coven members to explore and work with whatever traditions and deities that they feel pulled to. Many work within this same Celtic framework on their own, but we also have members from across the globe as part of our family that work with Norse, Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Hindu and other traditions and pantheons as well as those that also incorporate Native American and Eastern shamanic elements to their personal practice. Sacred Mists gives us all a tradition with common ground as a coven but also allows us to feel free to explore where Spirit and our hearts call us.

Sacred Mists encourages each member to be active in our Circle in order to help build confidence and help to create an environment of encouragement and community. The College of the Sacred Mists is committed to not just teaching the basics of Wicca and the Sacred Mists tradition but also to training strong, spiritual leaders in the Wiccan community who live their faith. By creating this interactive environment and through programs like our Mentoring Program and our personal approach to homework and studies, students gain more than just knowledge; students gain true experience with personal interaction. Our assignments are never automated or multiple choice, rather students work with the lessons on a personal level through both study and hands on experience and then have their work graded by someone that they can interact with and get help and advice from if needed. All assignments are graded based on both content and effort making the experience personal and different for each student.

Students are not required to initiate into the Sacred Mists coven if they do not wish to. Some students come to us for the additional community and educational experience while being part of other covens and groves of other traditions on or offline. Students may take the First and Second Degree courses, as well as all extension courses, without being an initiate of our tradition. In order to progress to Third Degree or Eldership training one does need to be a tradition initiate.

The Sacred Mists patron deities are Cerridwen and Cernnunos. In many of our rituals you will find them as our central focus when calling on the Goddess and God, though at different times of the year and during different Sabbats, other deities that are part of the Celtic pantheon are called into our ritual space. Many coming to the Sacred Mists from other groups or having had other Wiccan ritual experiences will find our rituals to be very familiar, especially our Esbat rituals, as we work with a ritual structure that is quite common, taking aspects of traditional Wiccan ritual and adding aspects more specific to Sacred Mists. Our Sabbat rituals always involve exploration of the specific point on the Wheel of the Year with deeper meaning, often delving into the Mysteries of the Goddess.

One of the images that you will see throughout our website and in most places where Sacred Mists is represented is our Sacred Mists Sigil. This image is a visual representation of our tradition. The image as shown above represents the Celtic Spiral Goddess, though here we see her winged which signified our work and connection to the Faerie realm and Faerie tradition. To her right and left we see crescent moons which represent the phases of growth as youth and wisdom as an elder, while the Goddess herself represents the fullness of adulthood. Together this also represents the three phases of the Goddess as Maiden, Mother and Crone, which we honor in our tradition’s Sabbat rituals. Above the Goddess, as she raises her arms to the sky, we see a bolt of electricity. This represents our special and unique online medium of work and communication but also represents the energy that we create and send throughout the Universe together as a group. Behind the Goddess figure is the pentacle, our sacred spiritual symbol of the four earthly elements of earth, air, fire and water and the ethereal element of Akasha or Spirit. Around the pentacle is a beautiful circle of silver Celtic knotwork beset in white and surrounded by our coven color of midnight blue. Together these images create a sigil of power that connects each and every member of our large and growing school and coven to the Goddess as well as to one another. Through the use of this sigil we are able to tap into the collective power that we generate in our rituals and as a group, including through collective magickal efforts like our Healing Guild. It is a symbol of power as well as a symbol of our tradition.

Please be sure to check out our website for more information about how to join the College of the Sacred Mists! And if you have any questions feel free to email me at raven@sacredmistsblog.com.

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