If your talking here on the site its generally up to the coven members and the priest and priestess. They set their own standards as to age and experience requirments ect.
Each coven here has their own rules. Mine, for example, you have to be 18 or over, as we don't want young kids in there. We do take beginners though. Read on each, then decide which one, if any, you want to join.
In real life, if you live in the USA there is no age requirement if the coven is ligament and falls under a religious structure. All are considered churches by the federal government even if they are covens temple etc. I grew up in a small coven, we have our own number and are registered with the county. We don't have to pay taxes, but we don't take donations so there are no taxes. We get help from a coven a few towns over that are also registered and there kids range from 3-15 or 16. They have the ability to accept money and more active in the community. A registered church, is a registered church and anything that applies to Christian churches also applies to ones that are non Christian. A person is legally able to make a choice of religion at age 18 by law unless the person is mentally unfit. Satanic churches have preformed open baptisms of children and are protected under religious freedom.
Again, that's in the USA.
I will note that no reputable coven in the USA will accept a member under the age of 18 unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. That is because it is illegal to interfere in the religious upbringing of a minor without the parent's consent. Any group that takes minors as members is open to lawsuit and even prison should the parents object...and that's true even if they supposedly have permission from the minor's parents.
Some Traditions, such as the Gardnerians and Alexandrians will not accept members who are not over 21 years of age.
That's true. Yes all the minors I can think of in the covens in this area are there with there parents or other family members. I don't think we have things like Alexandrian around here or they are just not known. We are recognized as a "Wicca church" and the other one I believe is as well. The odd part is, I don't see either of the legal groups I know of as being Wicca.
I have to look into that, now that I think about it, it doesn't really make sense. Any thoughts about that?
all the covens have different requirements on how to become a member. some are open to every member here, and some you have to meet their requirements and send the priest/ priestess a mail message saying that you want to join. they might ask you why you want to join by doing a questionnaire thing. it depends on the coven you want to join.
