To Dissolve or Disband a Coven or Hive

A rite to unbind a coven, sever magical and spiritual ties, and dissolve the circle of power. Gather: a central fire or large candle; a cord (preferably a cord that was used in the ritual t create the coven, but if one was not used, any cord will do); a bowl of salt and water; a cup of wine or other drink; graveyard dirt or blessed dirt; and a written pact representing the coven’s name and purpose.

Gather at a place of power appropriate for your practice, such as a crossroads, a liminal space, or the coven’s traditional gathering ground. If indoors, open a window or door to the night. All members should stand in a ring, hands joined or linked by the cord. The leader/speaker should light the central fire or candle, saying:

By road and root, by oath and art,
Gather once more, as we now part.
The ring was cast, the bonds were made,
But now we sunder what once we laid.

All members should hold the cord between them, each with a hand laid upon it as they speak a vow of release in unison, saying:

Once bound by craft and kin,
Now unmade, we leave again.
No claim, no debt, no bolted chain,
The path divides, none shall remain.

The leader should cut the cord, and drop the pieces into the bowl of saltwater; then take the written pact and hold it for all to see. They say:

No name, no fire, no promise drawn,
No whispered call at dusk or dawn.
This house is empty, this place is bare,
The spirits take what once was there.

The ritual leader should burn the paper carefully in the fire of the candle, laying it upon the graveyard dirt to burn out. Once it has burned and cooled, the ashes should be mixed with the dirt and scattered over the center of the space. Alternatively, it can be released to the wind, saying:

What was raised, we lay back down,
What was called, we send to ground.
No spirit lingers, no tether stays,
The winds shall scatter, the past decays.

Pour the wine or drink into shared cup. Each member takes a sip (or pours a drop on the earth). Each member should say:

As this cup is drained, so is our bond.

The ritual leader takes the final sip and then pours the remaining liquid onto the ground as a final offering as all the members say together:

The work is ended, the door is closed,
We part as free folk upon the road.

The ritual leader should put out the fire or candle, saying:

The light is out, the thread unwinds,
No step returns, no fate rebinds.
The pact dissolved, the spell unspun.
The work is ended. It is done.

All members should leave in silence, walking separate paths. Do not return to this place for a full cycle of the moon if possible. Avoid all former coven tools, sigils, or rites for at least one lunar cycle. If any spirits remain restless, perform a personal banishing or cleansing. If needed, each member can perform a private severance ritual to fully dissolve any residual energies or obligations.