A coven is a gathering of witches. The group consists of like-minded individuals, usually women, who engage in the practice of some manner of pagan religious observance, or witchcraft. Tradition has it that a coven usually consists of thirteen witches. The number 13 is considered a mystical number in various folklore and the convention of a thirteen-member coven was first promoted by anthropologist Margaret Alice Murray, who was a proponent of the Wicca tradition.
Depending upon it's faith or spiritual belief system, a coven will observe any number of traditions including mystical incantations, ritualism and astrology, including the Wheel of the Year, which is a series of festivals or Sabbaths, held every quarter year on the solstices and equinoxes.
In supernatural fiction, a coven often serves to enhance the mystical power of an individual witch. This has been demonstrated in TV shows such as The Secret Circle, in which the coven, or circle, consisted of six witches, both male and female, whose mystical empowerment and control was made stronger through the connection each one brought to the circle. On the FX Network TV series American Horror Story, a school of witches from New Orleans exists where they are led by an authoritative figure known as the Supreme.
Covens of note[]
| Character | Source |
|---|---|
| Charmed Ones | Charmed |
| Marnie Stonebrook's coven | True Blood |
| Nightcomers | Penny Dreadful |
| Witches of New Salem | Marvel Universe |