We chose to adopt the name “Rainbow Warriors” for our coven (and eventually our Tradition) based on the Call to the Elders & Mighty Ones used by Founding Elder Pan‘s previous coven:

Elders & Mighty Ones, Ancestors of the Land and of our Bones, we ask that you attend us in our circle and that our ritual finds favor in thine eyes; for we are the Rainbow Warriors of the Lord and Lady and Great Spirit. We meet to invoke thee into this the land between.

This call was originally borrowed from Native American shamanic practices and so it may be tied to the propechies; however we chose to adopt the name Rainbow Warriors for other reasons. For us the ‘rainbow’ represents the myriad of ways that Spirit chooses to manifest. As such we honor all expressions of identity and love. As Pan always says, “we don’t get hung up on plumbing!” As for the ‘warriors’ aspect, one definition of the word indicates that a warrior is “a person who has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness” and this is probably closer than the conventional militaristic sense of the word. We believe that to walk the Path of Witchcraft is not for the faint of heart, nor is the inherent mental, emotional, spiritual growth that accompanies a true seeker. Of course, we are not averse to defending ourselves, our loved ones, or those who cannot protect themselves.

For more information about the various Native American prophecies, check out this site.

No. While we like to have fun and not take ourselves too seriously; we don’t believe in playing games. 🙂

For information about the University of Hawaii sports teams’ usage of the name Rainbow Warriors, please see the Wikipedia article.

This is perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about the group. Even though our founding members were gay and bisexual men, we have always been open to any who are able to embrace a sense of community, love, and common purpose. We are a family and over the years that family (both the immediate family comprised of actual coven members and the extended family of celebrants) has included those whose expressions of love and self are as varied as the rainbow for which we took our name.

Again, as Pan says, “we don’t get hung up on plumbing.” In fact, Founding Elders Pan & Braggwynn created a unique version of the traditional symbolic Great Rite (cakes and wine) that honors not only the union of opposites but recognizes that creative power manifested through the joining of the same.

This question is a little bit tricky because it isn’t completely clear as to what is being asked. Please see our response to the following questions:

Do you offer training?
Are you currently accepting new members?
Can I attend a Rainbow Warrior ritual?

Yes; but please read on for clarification.

We are a training coven and teach in the Rainbow Warrior Tradition of Witchcraft. All are welcome to apply to take part in our training program; however, due to its intensity and the amount of work that we invest in each student, we do not accept applicants lightly. Our training program is ultimately geared towards those seeking eventual membership & initiation into the coven and tradition. It is not intended to act as a general Wicca 101 class or similar.

That being said, we do occasionally offer public classes on topics such as divination and healing. These are typically taught through various metaphysical bookstores, conventions, and festivals; though some are taught to small groups at the covenstead for a fee. We keep a list of all upcoming “public” classes on our homepage and our Facebook page.

Our Training Program is currently being updated, so we are not actually accepting applicants.

No. We are in the process of revising our Training Program and therefore cannot accept any new members at this time.

There are two categories of rituals that the Rainbow Warriors lead:

Open-by-Invite – The majority of the rituals that we present that allow non-coven members to attend fall into this category. We are particular with who we invite. Please understand that this does not come from a sense of elitism or in an effort to be exclusionary; rather, because these rituals are hosted in our homes size is a concern. We also have to strike a balance between the desire to serve the community and the importance of safety/privacy for ourselves and our guests. This is particularly important with our Esbats (Full Moons) which are performed skyclad (nude). We hold 4 Sabbats and strive for least 4 Esbats per year.

If you would like to us to consider adding you to our invite list, please drop us a line through our contact form so that we can start the process of getting to know you.

Public – We occasionally present fully public rituals at venues such as the Green Man store in North Hollywood, CA or festivals such as PantheaCon or Pagan Pride LA.