True many people started their own covens. Knowledgable or not, the emotional IQ to run a group is it’s own trial.

Initiatory traditions, creates by magic and or ceremony an impression that a person has to progress spiritually and magically, but it is framed in a context of that tradition. This is true from gurus, shaman, and many traditional and or indigenous spiritual societies. The frame work of experiences, the leaders and their social context understand what a person goes through. The trial by fire is managed. The last trial is the grouip and the dynamic. It tends to create a group with dynamics that patterned off the ones before it. the Elders selecting initiates by the dynamic and fit.

This is a blind, and also good framework. People become blind to other traditions or seeing others who go through their trials and ordeals and it doesn’t fit their experiences, processes and methodologies.

So yes many are afraid and or allergic to authority figures and organized heirarchical anything. So you have groups of traumatized empaths, and some abuser coming in finding people ripe for picking. This forces people to be more solitary.

Today many are becoming more secular. Consumers of philosophy of pagan beliefs, and ceremonies like christmas and easter christians. (other issues of modern christianity, I’m not getting into).

So there is the philosophy aspect. Some people joing groups for that and ritual. Some for spirituality and others for magic. All 4 of these aspects, people fall in different places in these sliding scales.

So old timers, coveners and traditionalist believe they have what is to be what it is. Few recognize anyone outside of their circles to be knowledgeable or respected. Occasionally they do. It is pretty inconsistent.

My spiritual experiences doesn’t fit most traditions of any kind. Marcia Pickands who had her own coven, and became a warden for the Sangreal Sodality, told me I don’t fit any of these initiatory paradigms or paths. I had too many personal experiences that are initiatory in their own right. She suggested I should start teaching. Took another 15 years going to Ecumenicon, where I was treated like an elder by many. I teach spirituality, thaumaturgic magic, energy work, and comparative metaphysics of traditions. The last one sparingly. Between Gerald who exposed to a whole world of experiences, and worked a witch group and exposed to Crowley, created a framework that most Wiccans use. Hermetic lodges of many kinds, started doing their own thing.

I could follow anyone of these, studied most of them, or understand the basics.

Many dedicate themselves to a god, a goddess or a pantheon, and they should certainly go through the trials by fire, or ordeals given to them.

At 14 I did something similar, trials, ordeals, tested by fire and the river Huber, All would gain say me. And I would be lumped in with a bunch pretenders or those who follow fictional fabricated beliefs and practices. Not so much in the last 10 years.

So one can have their blind cliquish viewpoints, opinions, or too open of a mind for things. Rarely do you have people can mature to have their high degree experiences and see the similarities in the rare others.

As to people, groups and social dynamics, I have gone to great lengths to understand the problem and the hurdles to overcome them. People have to trust and organize instead of going totally anarchic in their viewpoints.

https://archonstone.com/…/tribes-for-the-future-a…

As an outsider I have a unique view. Was part of a group, and people’s egos and fear blew it up. I joined the OTO, it is a lodge system versus a magical one. I practice, wrote a book, and create my own methodologies. Not unlike many of the grimoires of many from the middle ages, but with better references today.

Yes, a lot of books in the past 30 years are derivatives from their own point of view. If it strikes a positive cord with people to get them started great. Many traditional groups are exclusive and not inclusionary. Inclusiveness is needed today, and that creates even more interesting group dynamics.

For paganism or witchcraft that was supposed to be empowering, many get revictimized and become more solitary. There has to be a medium between traditionalism and solitary pathways out of necessity, to treat people with recognition, care and dignity and the same time not support, sad to say, a lot of the crazy.

Be real, true and authentic from where you are. Instead of walling ourselves off, help where you can and learn more.

BTW Raymond Buckland was okay. For me I started with Tibetan Yoga and Franz Bardon, while looking at everything I could my hands on.

Your mileage may vary.