But, because the group remains small, there is never the loss of identity and individuality that can happen in a mass. In a coven, each person's individuality is extremely important. Each personality colors and helps create the group identity, and each member's energy is vital to the working of the group. Covens are separate and autonomous, and no one outside the coven has any authority over its functioning. Elder witches can and do give advice, but,only those within the coven may actually make decisions.
Covens are extremely diverse.
There are covens of hereditary witches who have practiced rites unchanged for hundreds of years, and covens who prefer to make up their own rituals and may never do the same thing twice. There are covens of gay men and covens that ust don't worry about sexual polarities. A few covens are authoritarian-with a high priestess or high priest who makes most of the decisions. Actual roles in rituals are often rotated among qualified coveners. Rituals also vary widely.