When we speak of magical group work, we typically have an idea of what that means. We may think of a coven that regularly works together, or it might be a festival where strangers gather and do ritual together. But almost always it is a physical space where multiple people work together towards a common goal.
And it makes sense that this is the traditional model for group work. I started my spiritual journey a quarter of a century ago, right at the start of the internet (okay, technically the internet had been around for a handful of years before that, but it wasn't really a thing, and in the early days occult stuff on the internet was really sketchy), so everything was done in meatspace.
In fact, distance learning of any kind just wasn't done. I often heard things like, "if it was really important to you, you'd find a way to travel to the group you want to work with," or stuff like that. It was basically accepted that 'making it to meetings' was part of your responsibility as a witch, and that not being able to drive an hour or more each way for every coven gathering meant you weren't dedicated.
But, in the time since then (and especially over the past year or two, with the pandemic forcing people to find new ways of doing things), our ability to gather digitally has exploded. Where we used to have emails and message boards (yes, I'm dating myself), now we have a million options for live chats, for live video streams and video calls.
Now, if you have been hanging out with online magical communities you will know that digital group work isn't a new thing. Worldwide planned rituals and spells have been going on pretty much as long as there has been internet (probably before that, but it's much easier now)! The fantastic thing about working this way is that you aren't constrained by space (or even time), and everyone who wants to participate can.
But in many ways, this is still a form of solitary work. Each participant will do their own ritual (either following a set form or really making their own), and mostly just the focus of the work is shared. While the benefit of having many people working towards the same goal is there, the sense of community isn't as present.
However, doing rituals in real time takes things to a whole other level. It creates a sense of interaction and community that is missing from previous ways of working together remotely. Being able to call and respond or to see what other people are doing makes it feel as if you aren't just doing your own thing.
But community and group work isn't always just about one-off rituals. Many groups have formed entirely online, building true bonds of friendship and connection that people used to get from covens and other local groups.
A lot of people still struggle with the idea of 'online friends', people who you have never met in person but who are real and true friends. Speaking as someone who has quite a few, really awesome and long term online friends, I know that they can be just as real and important as people you have met face too face.
In the same way, people you work with and discuss magical things with can be just as important to our paths and practices, even if we only know them online. We can work closely with people, share our insights, breakthroughs and concerns. Our online groups can be just as supportive and nourishing as physical groups.
Plus, you have the added convenience of being able to work around the other parts of your life. One of the greatest things (in my opinion) about online communication is that it doesn't have to happen in real time. I can message someone or make a post, and other people can respond when they are able. I can 'talk' with people in very different time zones, and a conversation may take a bit longer, but it expands your circle, it lets you share ideas with people who have very different daily experiences.
Even planning real-time virtual events is often easier than trying to plan a physical meetup. It removes travel, which can add a lot of time to an event (and might exclude some people straight off, if they don't have reliable transportation or child care or the like). It is much easier to fit in a half hour video call than it is to try to carve out a five hour block of time to cover travel, socialization, setup and clean up...and actually doing the thing.
As a magical community, we've changed our attitudes towards solitary work, and it is no longer seen as something that people do because they can't find (or be accepted by) a group. Being self-taught and eclectic doesn't have the stigma that it used to have. It is high time we start adjusting our views on group work in the same way. Groups come in all types, and working with others can be done in many ways to fit many different people. It make take some getting used to, especially if you aren't that tech savvy, but it is well worth the effort to try different groups and find one that works for you!
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