3 Ways to Help Create a Group Mind

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Deborah Lipp, author of several books, including Tarot Interactions, Merry Meet Again, and the new Magical Power for Beginners.

When working in a coven, grove, or other ritual group, creating a “group mind” (sometimes called an “egregore“) empowers all the work you do. Your magic will naturally sync up, and your rituals will be more harmonious.

1. Be Choosy
   Should Paganism be exclusive or inclusive? That’s a thing Pagans have been debating for decades. There is plenty of room in our community for groups with open-door policies and groups that screen carefully. I love and celebrate the open-door groups that make Paganism accessible to all. But, if your goal is to create a group mind, you have to make strong, slow, deep connections, and that will require a certain exclusivity. If you can’t get along with someone, you can’t do this kind of magical work together, and if anyone and everyone can walk in, you can’t create the safe space necessary for true intimacy.Build your group carefully, and let membership depend, in part, on a sense of compatibility and commonality. If it feels right, your next steps will work better.
2. Start All Work Acknowledging the Group
   Many people “ground and center” at the start of every ritual. As a group, try “ground, center, and merge.” If your meditation is, “become a tree,” finish by becoming a grove of trees. If your meditation is, “become a star,” finish by becoming a constellation. Let unity of purpose be the ground from which ritual begins.I like to open ritual with a declaration: “We are here to…” or “Welcome all who…” or the like. Include the group identity in such a statement (“We, Pixie Coven, are here to…”). Let all present hear and share that identity.
3. Make Eye Contact
   Many people close their eyes when raising energy, when chanting, when doing magic, when holding hands and “om”ing. But if you want to bind your group work into a single mind and spirit, it can be counterproductive. Yes, sometimes, you’ll need your eyes closed—especially when creating and maintaining mental imagery—but open eyes let you touch one another in an intimate way. You’ll also learn each other’s little cues and signals, small exchanged smiles and nods that let you coordinate your work more closely.

These three steps are the beginning of a deep and long-lasting magical work, that can bring rich rewards for years to come. Blessed be!

Our thanks to Deborah for her guest post! For more from Deborah Lipp, read her article, “3 Ways to Make Magic Work Better.”