Community Guidelines & Code of Conduct

Our members come from many different backgrounds, traditions, beliefs, and levels of experience.
Different spiritual paths and practices are welcome. Members are encouraged to share their experiences and knowledge without presenting their personal beliefs as the only correct path.
Thoughtful questions and respectful discussions are encouraged.
Gatekeeping, ridicule, belittling another person’s beliefs, or telling someone they are not “witch enough” has no place in our community.
We are here to learn from one another—not to become identical to one another.

Trust is essential to creating meaningful community.
Personal stories, vulnerable conversations, private member information, and information shared within members-only spaces should be treated with care.
Locations of private gatherings—especially gatherings held at members’ homes—must never be publicly posted or shared with individuals who are not registered or approved to attend.
Please ask before photographing or recording another member and before publicly posting identifiable photographs or personal information about someone else.
Content from private online groups, member areas, chats, or discussions should not be screenshot, copied, or distributed outside those spaces without permission.

Trust is essential to creating meaningful community.
Personal stories, vulnerable conversations, private member information, and information shared within members-only spaces should be treated with care.
Locations of private gatherings—especially gatherings held at members’ homes—must never be publicly posted or shared with individuals who are not registered or approved to attend.
Please ask before photographing or recording another member and before publicly posting identifiable photographs or personal information about someone else.
Content from private online groups, member areas, chats, or discussions should not be screenshot, copied, or distributed outside those spaces without permission.

What is shared in Sisterhood should be treated with respect.

We are building a community where women can develop genuine friendships and meaningful connections.
Disagreements will happen. Personalities will occasionally clash. That is part of being human.
Bullying, harassment, intimidation, malicious gossip, deliberately creating conflict, repeatedly disrupting the community, or attempting to turn members against one another is not consistent with the Sisterhood we are creating.
Members do not need to be friends with everyone.
They do need to treat one another respectfully.
When conflict occurs, members are encouraged to communicate directly and kindly when appropriate or privately reach out to Sisterhood leadership when assistance is needed.
Not every disagreement requires the entire Sisterhood to choose a side.

Personal, emotional, physical, and spiritual boundaries matter.
Do not pressure another person to participate in ritual, spellwork, divination, energy work, physical affection, drinking, personal conversations, spiritual practices, or any other activity.
A member never owes anyone an explanation for saying no.
Harassment, unwanted sexual behavior, threats, stalking, intimidation, bullying, or behavior that reasonably causes another person to fear for their safety will not be tolerated.

Rituals and spiritual activities can be deeply personal.
During rituals, circles, meditation, spellcrafting, ceremonies, classes, or other spiritual activities, please respect the facilitator and the people choosing to participate.
Disruptive behavior, mocking another person’s practice, or intentionally interfering with an activity is not acceptable.
Curiosity is always welcome.
Disrespect is not.

Participation in spiritual activities is always voluntary.
You never have to participate in a ritual, spell, meditation, divination, discussion, craft, or other activity that makes you uncomfortable.
Watching is participating.
Sitting something out is perfectly okay.
Members are encouraged to honor their own beliefs, boundaries, comfort levels, and intuition.

Our gatherings may take place in private homes, gardens, community centers, businesses, parks, rented venues, and other spaces generously made available to us.
Treat every location with care.
Follow event-specific instructions, respect property and neighboring spaces, clean up after yourself, and help us leave gathering spaces as beautiful—or better—than we found them.
When an event is held in someone’s home, remember that you are being welcomed into someone’s personal space.
Please treat that privilege accordingly.

Sisterhood of Witches is intentionally a politics-free community space.
Our members come from different backgrounds and may hold very different political beliefs. Those differences should never determine whether someone feels welcomed, respected, or safe within our Sisterhood.
Political campaigning, partisan political debates, candidate advocacy, political arguments, or attempts to persuade or pressure other members regarding their political beliefs are not permitted at Sisterhood gatherings or within our official online community spaces.
Political bullying will not be tolerated. No member should be mocked, shamed, intimidated, excluded, targeted, pressured, or treated differently because of their actual or perceived political beliefs—or because they choose not to discuss politics at all.
Members may not use Sisterhood spaces to demand that others disclose their political views, prove their political alignment, support a particular candidate or political movement, or take a position on a political issue in order to be accepted within the community.
This expectation applies regardless of political party, ideology, candidate, or viewpoint.
As a nonprofit educational organization, Sisterhood of Witches may occasionally offer educational programming that touches on history, law, culture, civic issues, or other subjects relevant to our charitable mission. Educational programming authorized by the Organization does not change our expectation that members treat one another respectfully and refrain from partisan political debate, campaigning, or political bullying within our community.
We come to the Sisterhood to connect over what brings us together—not to divide ourselves over politics.

Our community exists for connection, friendship, education, personal growth, creativity, and shared experiences.
Membership should not primarily be used to solicit customers, recruit for unrelated organizations, repeatedly promote a business, collect member information, or market products or services.
Many of our members are artists, teachers, business owners, practitioners, makers, and wonderfully creative people. Sharing what you do is part of getting to know one another.
Relationships should come before sales.
Commercial promotion, solicitation, fundraising, or recruitment within official Sisterhood spaces may require prior approval from the Organization.

The same standards that apply when we gather around a table or circle together apply when we gather online.
These guidelines apply to official Sisterhood of Witches social media groups, membership areas, chats, virtual gatherings, event discussions, and other Organization-managed digital spaces.
Disagreements online should remain respectful.
Private member information and content from members-only spaces should remain private.

The safety and wellbeing of our members, participants, volunteers, organizers, hosts, and guests is a priority.
Sisterhood of Witches may take immediate temporary action when leadership reasonably believes that someone’s conduct presents a safety concern, serious disruption, or potential threat to another person or to a Sisterhood gathering.
Temporary protective measures may include:
Asking someone to leave an event;
Denying or restricting access to a particular gathering or private location;
Temporarily restricting access to online community spaces;
Temporarily restricting participation in programs or activities; or
Temporarily suspending participation while a concern is reviewed.
These actions may be taken before a final determination regarding membership is made when reasonably necessary to protect people or the community.
Emergency services or law enforcement may be contacted when appropriate in response to an immediate safety concern.

We do not want a community where every misunderstanding becomes a formal complaint. Whenever appropriate, concerns should be addressed with communication, clarification, compassion, and an opportunity to do better.
However, members should always feel comfortable bringing forward behavior that may violate our Community Guidelines or affect the safety and wellbeing of our community.
Members who experience or witness concerning behavior may submit a Community Concern & Grievance Form through our website. Concerns may include harassment, bullying, discrimination, safety issues, privacy violations, repeated disruptive behavior, violations of these Community Guidelines, or other conduct that may negatively affect a member or the Sisterhood.

Reports will be reviewed by appropriate Sisterhood of Witches leadership and handled as respectfully and discreetly as reasonably possible.
Complete confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed. Information may need to be shared when necessary to appropriately review a concern, provide someone an opportunity to respond, protect the safety of our community, or comply with applicable law.
Retaliation against someone for raising a concern in good faith or participating in the review of a concern is not permitted.
Knowingly making false or malicious allegations against another member is also inconsistent with these Community Guidelines.
Our goal is to address concerns fairly, thoughtfully, and consistently while protecting both the wellbeing of individual members and the integrity of our Sisterhood.

Membership and participation in Sisterhood of Witches come with a shared responsibility to uphold these Community Guidelines.
Most concerns will not result in membership termination.
Depending on the nature, severity, frequency, and circumstances of the conduct, the Organization may respond with measures such as:
A conversation or reminder;
A written warning;
Temporary restrictions on participation;
Temporary suspension;
Conditions for continued participation; or
Termination of membership or participation.
Serious conduct may warrant stronger action without requiring that every lesser corrective measure be used first.
Repeated violations may also result in action when individual incidents, considered separately, might not otherwise warrant removal.

Sisterhood of Witches may suspend or terminate membership or participation when the Organization determines in good faith that a member has seriously or repeatedly violated these Community Guidelines, created a significant safety concern, substantially disrupted the community, or engaged in conduct materially inconsistent with the mission or legitimate interests of the Organization.
Except for temporary protective measures reasonably necessary to address an immediate safety or serious community concern, a member facing formal suspension or termination will be provided notice of the concern and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final decision is made.
Any suspension or termination will be handled in accordance with the Organization’s bylaws, applicable organizational policies, and applicable law.
Temporary restrictions imposed for safety or while a matter is being reviewed do not necessarily constitute a final determination regarding the member or the allegations involved.
The Organization may establish additional procedures governing complaints, investigations, appeals, or membership decisions.

Local Sisterhood of Witches circles and chapters are part of the larger Sisterhood community.
Local circles may develop traditions and community practices that reflect their individual communities, but all official circles and chapters are expected to operate consistently with the mission, organizational policies, Community Guidelines, and Code of Conduct of Sisterhood of Witches.
Local leaders are entrusted with helping create welcoming and respectful spaces and with bringing significant concerns to appropriate Organization leadership when necessary.

Not every awkward moment is malicious.
Not every disagreement is disrespect.
And not everyone communicates in exactly the same way.
We encourage our members to assume good intentions when reasonable, communicate kindly, apologize when appropriate, respect boundaries, and allow one another the opportunity to learn and grow.
Accountability and compassion can exist together.
We can have boundaries and still have grace.

Above everything else, this Sisterhood exists because something wonderful happens when women find people with whom they can laugh, learn, create, celebrate, and occasionally do wonderfully witchy things.
Come curious.
Come exactly where you are on your path.
Make friends.
Learn something new.
Try something strange.
Laugh loudly.
Celebrate the seasons.
Support your sisters.
And help us continue creating the kind of community we all hoped existed when we went looking for it.
Welcome to the Sisterhood.

Acceptance of Community Guidelines
By applying for membership or participating in Sisterhood of Witches programs, events, chapters, local circles, or official community spaces, participants acknowledge that they have read and agree to follow these Community Guidelines & Code of Conduct.
These guidelines are an organizational policy of Sisterhood of Witches and may be updated by the Organization from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to members through appropriate Organization channels.
Sisterhood of Witches
A California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation