So you want to be a Priest or Priestess? Maybe you even aspire to the status of High Priest or High Priestess. Before you go too far, you may want to ask yourself what these titles mean to you and why you want them. But first of all, you may want to know how other Pagans see these titles.

In many traditions of Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism, and most often in the British-based traditions, you may find a degree system. The First Degree is when you have proven yourself a devoted practitioner, the Second Degree is able to lead and may be considered an Elder, and the Third Degree is when the person (or pair) teaches and has reached the point where he/she/they hive off and form a new coven. A coven may also consist of various stages of seekers and newbies that have not yet earned their First Degree. Each tradition or coven may have different requirements to earn each degree, and it is normal for there to be more differences between the First and Second Degree then between the Second and Third. Also, in such covens, there are rarely more than one pair of Third Degree practitioners…when a person or pair has reached the Third Degree, they earn the title of High Priest or High Priestess and move on because the HP/HPS who initiated them has no more to teach them. Having more than one pair of High Priest-Priestess members within the coven may upset the balance of power and teaching.

I can never speak for anyone but myself, but this is how I define the different titles and at what stage you earn them:

For the "newbie" Pagan, I prefer to use the word "Seeker" because that is what you are doing…you are seeking more information, but you may turn to a whole different religion or practice. When you are sure that what you are doing is what you want, you may begin to call yourself "Wiccan," "Pagan," a "Witch," or whatever other path you are currently on. This does not make you ready to take on the title of "Priest" or "Priestess"…trust me on this!

I personally also prefer not to call those of First Degree-level (whether or not they use a Degree system) a Priest or Priestess. In my opinion, people at this stage are still in the process of learning. To make a comparison to the Christian church (since many of us come from Christian backgrounds) I think of people at this level are like the active congregation. They are not just visiting, they know enough about the religion to be certain why they are there, and most importantly they are *active* in their participation. In other words, they show up for almost all events and rituals, they know what the Priest/Priestess will do next and why it is done, and they can probably do a decent imitation of the ritual themselves. To top it off, they should be comfortable holding their own solitary rituals, and while they may go to others for questions on some technique, they can figure out how to do the majority of the work on their own, even if they are not yet completely sure of the exact whys and hows.

Some people will then say that, "If a person is practicing, he or she is automatically a Priest or Priestess." Perhaps that's true for them. I recognize this title at a minimum Second Degree level of proficiency. Once again, if you do not have a structured degree system, it is difficult to tell exactly when you have reached this level. This goes especially for those who work solitary! My interpretation is this: If you are at a point where you not only practice rituals, but also write them and can lead them in a group setting, field questions, do research, and can begin teaching without depending entirely on books and other sources of information, you should be able to call yourself a Priest/ess. To continue the Christian analogy, this is the level where laypeople are teaching Sunday School, helping out in the ceremonies, and aiding the priest/pastor/minister in secretary/treasurer-type positions.

It takes a VERY high level of proficiency to reach the level of High Priest/ess, in my opinion. If you think of all the training a Priest or Rabbi must go through before reaching the point where s/he is accepted by his/her community, you can see why the title must be taken seriously. Not only do you lead rituals, but also you lead people. You must be willing to be open-minded to anyone in your group and if they call you at 3 am, you have to be willing to listen. It is a full-time job that consists of more than wearing the best robes, carrying the coolest athame, and telling people what to do in circle. The robes will become stained, the jewelry will break, and the athame will rust. Worst of all, people who don't agree with your techniques will leave. I can guarantee that these instances will happen. People take the titles seriously…if they feel you are abusing the title or earned it without genuinely doing the work you can expect having a bad reaction.

These opinions go for myself as much as I tell them to you: I've spent my time writing and leading rituals. This website is a direct product of that dedication. But even in a leading position within our campus group, I know I am not yet ready for the title of High Priestess, nor do I want it. While I am confident in my own abilities and do not believe I need someone else to validate my position, I am waiting for the time when a stranger whom I look up to calls me a High Priestess before I do so myself…that means the other person has seen those abilities in me and I live up to those standards in their eyes.