A coven in witchcraft is a gathering or group of witches who come together to practice their craft. The size of a coven can vary greatly, as there is no set number of witches that make up a coven. It can range from just two or three witches to a larger group of 13 or more. Traditionally, a coven would consist of 13 witches, with one witch as the leader or high priestess, and 12 others as members. This number is often associated with the lunar cycles and the year, as there are typically 13 full moons in a year. However, not all covens follow this tradition.

Prepare To Be Scared By 'Amish Witches'

Halloweekend is coming up, and that means you're going to need something seriously spooky to watch for your frightening TV marathon or to get you prepared for whatever other festivities you have planned for the holiday. Well, does Lifetime have the movie for you! The network will be premiering the film Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. ET. But is Amish Witches a true story, as its title suggests?

That's actually kind of a tricky question to answer. Yes, the words "true story" are in the title of the movie and a preview clip says it's "based on real events," but there doesn't seem to be any evidence that anything similar to what will happen in the film actually occurred in real life. Here's the synopsis of the movie via Lifetime's website:

When a reality TV crew comes to Holmes County, Ohio to document the lives of an isolated sect of Amish, production is halted by the death of a Brauchau [an Amish witch]. Following her unconsecrated funeral, a small group of young Amish women solicit the TV crew's help in attempting to document the inexplicable events plaguing them. But as everyone soon discovers, the powerful malevolent force haunting them has deadly intentions.

So this description of the movie then made me think, as one blogger on Amish365.com has also pointed out, that Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County is actually the title of the fake reality TV show featured in the film, so what happens in the show is the "true story," not what the movie is based upon. It kind of seems like this film could be in the tradition of found footage horror movies, such as The Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity , where it's made to look like a documentary but is really just pure fiction.

Reading the synopsis of Amish Witches, of course, made me immediately think of all of those reality shows featuring the Amish that have come out in the past few years, particularly Breaking Amish since it not only documented young men and women in the Amish community but also featured witchcraft as a major topic of conversation among the cast members. In Season 1 in New York, Kate was accused of being a witch, and in Season 2 in Los Angeles, Betsy openly practiced witchcraft and even claimed she put a hex on her castmates.

While all of this was going down during their respective seasons, most of the Breaking Amish cast members stated that witchcraft is not generally accepted by the Amish people, who practice a very strict form of Christianity. However, witchcraft has still been linked to the Amish in a sense in brauche or powwowing, a spiritual healing practice, according to anthropologist David W. Kriebel. It has been practiced by the Amish ever since the first German-speaking Protestant settlers arrived in Pennsylvania in the 18th century.

There has been one popular legend of an Amish witch known as the Chesterville Witch. As the story goes, there's a grave in Chesterville, Illinois said to belong to a young woman who was thought to be a witch and was banished by her Amish community, according to the book Weird Illinois . She disappeared, and her body was later found in a farmer's field. She was buried in Chesterville Cemetery, and a tree was planted on her gravesite in an effort to trap her spirit. Some people believe that if the tree ever dies or is removed, the witch's spirit will escape and wreak havoc on the town. There have also been reported sightings of the Chesterville Witch at the gravesite. It's unclear if there's any truth to this tale, but this story certainly does give you the chills.

So clearly, Amish Witches is rooted in a lot of history and folklore. But even if you didn't know about all of that, you would still probably have a scary good time watching this film.

Image: Lifetime

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Unfinished Business

As a person who likes to finish what he starts, it’s pretty unusual for me to walk out of a movie. When I say “walk out” I really mean “click away,” since streaming is how we watch movies these days. Since I’ve been writing and publishing on horror movies and religion, I try to watch what I can without breaking the bank (which is pretty fragile these days with inflation and whatnot). There have been, however, three movies, or television series converted to movies, that I have walked out in the last couple of months, all of them free. I want credit for watching them, but sometimes I just can’t claim it. The first one was for health reasons. Amish Witches: The True Story of Holmes County is not a true story, but a television movie cashing in on current interest in isolationist religious movements. I had to stop watching because the hand-held camera movement was making me extremely nauseous and time off work is too precious to waste being sick. It wasn’t that good anyway.

Then some weeks later I started to watch Legends of Sleepy Hollow. If you’re a regular reader you know that I’ve been on a Sleepy Hollow kick lately. This series, about which the internet is mostly silent, is an Amazon Prime original. It may be set in the upstate New York region around Tarrytown, but the vignettes I made it through had nothing to do with Sleepy Hollow and were thoroughly depressing rather than scary. I decided this series, formatted somewhat like a movie, was something I just couldn’t finish. I don’t have time for watching things that aren’t what they seem to be.

In addition to Sleepy Hollow, I’ve also been interested in holiday horror. This is the theme of my forthcoming Wicker Man book, and I’d toyed with the idea of writing a book on the topic in general. I knew there was a movie called Happy Horror Days, which I felt compelled to watch for any scrap of academic respectability. (If a title tells you it’s directly on your topic, well, you investigate.) I managed to make it to the Fourth of July before this truly execrable film just clearly became a waste of time. The stories feel incomplete and the racist undertones (which may have been an attempt at social commentary) or that final episode left such a bad taste in my mouth that I had to walk away. I’m not such a horror fan that I’ll watch just anything, but I don’t like to read spoilers before I watch movies. It’s a dilemma, but to make good use of limited time I may start walking out more often. Especially if it’s free.

However, not all covens follow this tradition. Some covens may have a smaller number of members, while others may have a larger number. The size of a coven often depends on the preferences and dynamics of the group.

Some witches may prefer to work in smaller, intimate groups, while others may enjoy the energy and power that comes from larger gatherings. Regardless of the size, covens are typically tight-knit communities that provide support, guidance, and a space for practicing magic. They often have their own rituals, traditions, and hierarchy. The members of a coven work together to learn and strengthen their magical abilities, and to support each other in their spiritual journeys. In conclusion, the number of witches in a coven can vary, and there is no set number that defines a coven. It can be as small as two or three witches, or as large as 13 or more. The size of a coven often depends on the preferences and dynamics of the group..

Reviews for "Growth and Evolution: Adapting Coven Size in Modern Witchery"

1. Samantha - 2 stars

I found "How many witches in a coven witchery" to be a disappointment. The writing style was clunky and poorly executed, making it difficult to follow the storyline. The characters lacked depth and were underdeveloped, making it hard to connect or care about their fates. Additionally, the plot was predictable and lacked any real surprises or twists. Overall, I was hoping for a captivating and engaging read, but unfortunately, this book fell short of my expectations.

2. Jacob - 1 star

I regret wasting my time reading "How many witches in a coven witchery." The author seemed to have no mastery over the language, as the dialogue felt unnatural and the descriptions were dull and uninspired. The story lacked originality and failed to offer anything new or interesting in terms of witchcraft or supernatural elements. The pacing was off, with the narrative dragging in some parts and rushing through others. Overall, this book lacked the depth, creativity, and polish needed to create an enjoyable reading experience.

3. Emily - 2 stars

"How many witches in a coven witchery" was a letdown. The plot was convoluted and confusing, with too many characters introduced without proper development or purpose. The writing felt amateurish, with numerous grammatical errors and inconsistent sentence structures. It was difficult to engage with the story when the prose constantly pulled me out of the narrative. While the concept had potential, the execution fell flat, resulting in a disappointing reading experience that I wouldn't recommend to others.

4. Joseph - 2 stars

I was highly disappointed by "How many witches in a coven witchery." The plot lacked cohesion, jumping from one idea to another without properly exploring or connecting them. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth, making it hard to invest in their struggles or motivations. The world-building was also lackluster, with shallow descriptions of magical elements that left me wanting more. Overall, this book failed to meet the expectations I had for a captivating witchery tale and left me feeling unfulfilled.

Breaking the Mold: Challenging Traditional Coven Size in Witchery