To Part Ways with a Member who Wishes to Leave a Coven or Hive

This ritual commemorates the voluntary departure of a coven member, ensuring their peaceful transition while dissolving any spiritual, energetic or magical ties that may exist between the member and the group. It honors the bonds that have been formed and grants the departing member freedom from any lingering spiritual or social obligations. The group should gather in a place of power[1] or any agreed upon ritual space. Prepare the ritual area with: a black or red cord; a bowl of spring water infused with rosemary or some other cleansing herb; two candles—one for the departing member and one for the coven; a container of soil; a pair of shears, scissors or a knife; a piece of parchment with the departing member’s name inscribed along with any spirit ties and relationships they wish to leave behind during the transition; and incense in a suitable container[2].

The coven gathers in a circle, forming an opening by which the departing member will leave. You may want to choose to have the departing member leave in a direction that is significant to the areas of change, transitions and resolutions.

The coven-candle and the member-candle are placed at the center and lit with the parchment between them. The incense is lit, and a moment of silence is observed during which the leader of the group or ritual may ring a bell nine times or all members may clap nine times. The leader/speaker calls upon the place spirits, familiar allies, and guiding ancestors to bear witness, saying:

Spirits of this circle, Spirits of this space,
Guides and ancestors who guard our way,
 hear us now and hold our words.
By blood, by breath, and by bone,
by pact and by promise,
we gather to honor what was
and to sever what must be.

The departing member steps forward and holds the cord while the coven leader holds the shears/scissors/knife. Each coven member, in turn, speaks a word of gratitude or farewell to the departing member. The leader/speaker then says:

Once bound by will, now freed by choice.

 As the thread is cut, so too are all ties that hold thee here.

May your path be clear, and may no chain linger where none is wished.

The cord is cut in half. Half is placed in the bowl of water, and half in the vessel of soil. The departing member washes their hands in the water, then dries them over the flame of the member-candle, as a sign of purification and personal sovereignty. The parchment with their name and any ties they wish to dissolve is burned and placed upon the vessel of dirt (a safe distance away from the cord). The coven says a final blessing:

Go forth in peace, untethered and unbound.

May the spirits guide you well,

may your magic be strong,

and may your path be ever your own.

The departing members leave the area, taking their candle with them, signifying the light of their own way. The remaining coven members adjust position to fill the space that was left, closing the circle. The leader picks up the coven-candle and everyone present says together:

Though the path has split, the roots remain deep.

This circle stands unbroken, our spirits strong, our magic sure.

No ill will lingers, only the echo of what was and the promise of what shall be.

We move forward in unity, holding no shadow in our hearts.

The ritual can be ended here or move on to other workings if necessary. The tool (shears, scissors, knife) used in the severing should be cleansed in running water to remove residual ties.

[1] If possible, this ritual is best done at the same location in which the member was initiated.

[2] The type of container and how it should be prepared depends on the type of incense. Stick incense should be used in an incense holder that has the correct sized hole and enough of “fall zone” protection that any live embers that fall from the stick will be caught by the holder. Cone incense and charcoal discs should be burned in a flame-resistant contained on a bed of heat-absorbing material such as sand. Cast iron and other flame-resistant materials are not immune to heat and, unless lined with a bed of some heat absorbent material can still scorch your altar, cause injury, or cause the objects around it to catch fire.