Children of Artemis
Encyclopedia
The Children of Artemis is a UK-based Witchcraft
membership organisation that organises Witchfests; regular Wicca
n and Witchcraft
themed festivals and conferences, periodically held in London
, Glasgow
and Cardiff
. They publish the magazine Witchcraft & Wicca.
group. The CoA continued as a small group until 1995, when it was transformed into a public membership organisation. Initially it grew slowly until around 1999–2000, and then with the established of CoA's website, magazine and events, CoA quickly became market leaders.
, who are given responsibility for their areas of expertise, which includes Witchfests, the magazine, the website, and all other areas of the organisation. It has no hierarchy
, no title
s, and as there are no political positions, it holds no elections. It is a religious organisation
dedicated to Wicca and Witchcraft.
organise their conferences in 1997 and 1998. This period lasted two years, during which CoA did not develop as its resources were being fully utilised helping the other organisation. The PF president took personal control of the conference in 1999, this allowed CoA to focus back onto its own development. The first Witchfest event came three years later in November 2002.
The Coven
finding service was ceased in 2003, as there was not sufficient enough Covens accepting trainees. To attempt to address this lack of opportunity, CoA has run "Wicca Introduced" courses twice a year, and now funds a few Open Rituals.
Critics of the CoA have raised concerns about the image that their magazine puts across: the magazine "Witchcraft & Wicca" is glossier than most of the publications produced by pagan groups in the UK, and appears to be aimed at a younger target audience
, and features large quantities of crushed velvet and similar "spooky" dress. It is argued that this has a detrimental effect of the public perception of Paganism
, detracting from its status as an accepted religion, and promoting it as a lifestyle choice.
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
membership organisation that organises Witchfests; regular Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
n and Witchcraft
Witchcraft
Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...
themed festivals and conferences, periodically held in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. They publish the magazine Witchcraft & Wicca.
History
The Children of Artemis (CoA) first started out as a ritualRitual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
group. The CoA continued as a small group until 1995, when it was transformed into a public membership organisation. Initially it grew slowly until around 1999–2000, and then with the established of CoA's website, magazine and events, CoA quickly became market leaders.
Structure
CoA is staffed almost entirely by volunteersVolunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
, who are given responsibility for their areas of expertise, which includes Witchfests, the magazine, the website, and all other areas of the organisation. It has no hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
, no title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s, and as there are no political positions, it holds no elections. It is a religious organisation
Religion-supporting organization
Religious activities generally need some infrastructure to be conducted. For this reason, there generally exist religion-supporting organizations, which are some form of organization that manage:* the upkeep of places of worship, e.g...
dedicated to Wicca and Witchcraft.
Community activities
The core Children of Artemis team helped the Pagan FederationPagan Federation
The Pagan Federation is a UK-based voluntary organisation, formed in 1971, which campaigns for the religious rights of Neo-pagans and educates both civic bodies and the general public about Paganism. It is active throughout Europe and organises a large number of Pagan events. The organisation...
organise their conferences in 1997 and 1998. This period lasted two years, during which CoA did not develop as its resources were being fully utilised helping the other organisation. The PF president took personal control of the conference in 1999, this allowed CoA to focus back onto its own development. The first Witchfest event came three years later in November 2002.
The Coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
finding service was ceased in 2003, as there was not sufficient enough Covens accepting trainees. To attempt to address this lack of opportunity, CoA has run "Wicca Introduced" courses twice a year, and now funds a few Open Rituals.
Criticism
According to some members of both the Pagan and non-Pagan communities, CoA's attempts to mass market itself has not made it popular with several other pagan and Wicca or Witchcraft organisations.Aesthetic considerations
Target audience
In marketing and advertising, a target audience, is a specific group of people within the target market at which the marketing message is aimed .....
, and features large quantities of crushed velvet and similar "spooky" dress. It is argued that this has a detrimental effect of the public perception of Paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, detracting from its status as an accepted religion, and promoting it as a lifestyle choice.