Fieldhaven Coven offers a variety of classes on Pagan and related topics. These include lecture-discussion classes and hands-on workshops. We have a standard set for novices and some other options for intermediate or advanced practitioners.
Paganism 101: Year-and-a-Day Classes
Fieldhaven: A Greenhaven Coven offers a cycle of traditional Year-and-a-Day classes for those seeking knowledge of what it is to be Pagan. Attendance is open to those 18 and older, to minors only if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. When class is in session, meetings are typically held once a month at the Fieldhaven covenstead. We have offered several rounds of this course, and it's available whenever there is enough student interest.
Students may join at any point during the cycle, although it is easiest to begin with the first class. Joining in the middle simply requires going past the twelfth class and continuing to pick up the early classes from the next round. We encourage students to commit to attending all the classes, making up absences if necessary. Those who complete the whole Year-and-a-Day process will be recognized in a ritual at the end of the cycle. Previous cycles have run with the first class in November, concluding with October and allowing the recognition to happen as part of our Samhain celebration. We're open to the possibility of restarting these classes at whatever time sufficient interest arises.
This course draws its inspiration and much of its material from a column that Elizabeth Barrette wrote for SageWoman magazine. “Into the Green” ran for several years and provided an introduction to Pagan beliefs and practices. Both the column and the class include a variety of online and hardcopy references recommended for further exploration. One outstanding book that touches on just about every topic in the course is Amber K’s Covencraft: Witchcraft for Three or More (Llewellyn Publications, 1998).
The Year-and-a-Day program includes actual work. Students are expected to read at least four new books on Paganism or related topics during the year’s cycle, and write a one-page report on each, preferably one book per season. Everyone attending a class needs to come prepared to discuss that month's topic.
Completion of our Year-and-a-Day Class, or demonstration of equivalent knowledge from elsewhere, is required for people wishing to serve in the Inner Circle of a coven in the Greenhaven Tradition. The process includes attending classes and turning in all the assignments. (The homework isn't part of the excerpts posted online; it appears in the actual class handouts provided to students.) This ensures that our coven leaders know what they're doing and share a common foundation of material.
This is an excerpt of the introduction to the class materials, 2003-2009.
Paganism 201: Classes on Intermediate Topics
Learning does not stop once you've mastered the basics! In the past we've offered a variety of individual classes and workshops on subjects such as bodywork, drum making, stone magic, and trance. Currently we are running a series on topics that go beyond the basics. So for instance, there's a three-part set on knot magic that deals with thread, cord, and rope techniques. These are designed for people who have been practicing Paganism for a while and already understand the foundations of magic and spirituality.
For an example of a class focusing on a specific branch of magic, see the "Stone Magic Class."