TipsforSolitaryWiccanPractice

byJamesGarrison

1)Clarifyyourintent.Askyourself"WhyamIdoingthis?"Examineyour
motivationspursuinganyparticularspiritualpathisaserious
commitment.Settingouttoexplorethingsonyourownasasolitary
practitionerisnotsomethingtodoonawhim,norisita"fun"hobby.It's
work,andplentyofit.Itcanalsobeworthit.
2)Gatheryourresources.Youneedtoestablishasetofgroundrulesfor
whatyouwanttodo.Thiswillrequirereadingeverythingyoucanget.Try
toreadavarietyofauthors,anddon'treadjustaboutWitchcraft.You're
notgoingtolearnverymuchfromrestrictingyourreadingtopopWicca
booksthatgleefullyextolthevirtuesofplayingatmediocre,
misinterpretedfolktraditionsofdubiousvintage.You'resettingoutto
acquiresomewisdom,notsuperstitioustwaddleandbogushokum.Takeclasses
andgetcallusesgooutandlearnsomething,thenputittouseinyour
lifeandthecommunityaroundyou.Ifitdiesonthevineunused,it'sa
waste.
3)Ifyoufindsomethingthatyoulike,adaptit;don'tjustliftitoutof
itscontext.Onceyouhaveabasicframeworkwithin/uponwhichtowork,
rewriteeverythingtofityouremergingvision,afteryou'vetrieditout,
testedit,andgivenitachancetoteachyouwhatithastorevealonits
ownterms.
4)Draftastatementofyourcorebeliefs.Signit,dateit,andplaceitin
yourjournalorBookofShadows.Forgetaboutitforawhileandjustwork
ondoingit.Chooseatimeeachyeartoreexamineitandamenditif
desired.Sometimesthisisagoodthingtododuringthewintermonths,
perhapsCandlemas/Imbolc?Youdecide.Whenyoudocheckitout,don'tbeat
yourselfupifyou'vegoneoffinacompletelyotherdirection.Spendsome
timecontemplatingwhatyoumeantwhenyouwrotethatpieceandlookat
whatyou'velearnedinthetimesincethen.Whatwouldyouchangeaboutit,
oryourself,nowthatyouknowwhatyouknownow?
5)Ifyoudohappentofallpreytothesocialdiseaseofwriting,please
besuretomakeeveryreasonableattempttodocumentyoursources.Give
creditwherecreditisdue.Youhavenothingtogainbytryingtopretend
thatyouinventedGardner'sorCrowley'sbooks.Keepyourselfhonest.Given
time,andeffort,youwilldevelopyourownrites.Whenyoudo,youdon't
wanttodilutethemeaningfulnessofthemomentbythatnagginglittle
voicethatremindsyouthatyoudidn'treallydoit.Respectyour
creativity,maintainpersonalintegrity,andletthingsdevelopnaturally.
6)RememberthatwithinmostestablishedtraditionsoftheCraft,theterm
'degree'generallyreferstoexperience,notrank.Asasolitaryyoudon't
haveanyranktoworryabout.Ifyoudo,well,thenIhopeyou'reenjoying
yourself.Asasolitaryyougettheopportunitytofocusuponthepersonal
experienceandtodropthedistractions.It'ssimilartothemonastic
approachtomysticism,onlylessasceticandmorefun.Ifyoudowindup
creatingoradaptingsomesortofdegreesystemforyourpersonalWorkbe
suretotakeyourtimeworkingthroughthosedegrees.Learnallyoucanand
workwiththeGodsandMightyOnesasyouprogress,thedoorsof
perceptionwillopen,thewaywillbefound.Besides,ifyou'regoingto
pursueanexperientialapproachtoanalreadyexperientialpath,whydeny
yourselfthebenefitofhavingthoseveryexperiencesthatarepartand
parcelofthewholedarnthinginthefirstplace?It'sabsolutelyabout
quality,notquantity.

7)Doitfortherightreasons.Whyareyoudoingwhateveryou'redoing,
andwhyalone?Ifyou'resolitarybecauseofsomesortofinsecurityor
negativereactiontopasthappenstance...bepreparedforcircumstancesto
changeasyougrowandmature.Ifyou'vewithdrawntofocusuponcertain
aspectsofyourpersonalspiritualdevelopment,don'tlosetrackofthat,
evenifyoudodecidetotakeabreakandgohangoutwithagroupfora
while.Yoursolitarypracticeshouldserveasafirmfoundationforyourday
todaylife.Aviable,healthyspiritualpracticewillofferyouawayto
rechargeyourbatteries,copewithstress,resolvecrisesandguideyouas
yougrow.Ifyoursolitarypathdoesn'tofferyouthesethings,whatare
youdoing?
8)Solitaryworkcanbeidealforselftransformationandpersonalhealing.
Asyouprogress,ashealingoccurs,aschangestakeplace,youwillfind
yourpracticelikewisechanging.Considerthisaformofsympathetic
magick.Asyoubecomemorefullyintegratedandwhole,yourritualswill
becomemorebalancedandholisticaswell.TheCraftisahealingpath,so
whynotapproachitassuch?
9)Keepinmindthattheonlywaytogaugeprogressistochallengeitin
somemanner.Howyoudecidetochallengeyourselfisonething.Howthe
universearoundyou,letalonetheGods&Ancestors,willtestyour
progressisanothermatter.Therewillcomeapointwhereyourfocusupon
theselfchosen,selfdirectedthingswillbeintrudedupon.Youareahuman
being,notanoyster.Ifyou'regoingtoheal,thenhealandgetonwith
life.Ifyou'regoingtodealwithsomething,dealwithitandmoveon.
Lifeisinmotion.Whatevertriestoremainstaticwillencounterfriction
andeventuallywillbetornloosebythetidesofchangeortheteethofthe
trickster.
10)Wealllearnatdifferentratesandindifferentstyles.Workingalone
makesitpossibletomodifyeverythingtosuityourneeds.Creativityand
sinceritycanguideyouinmakingyourCraftpracticeaviableandvital
partofyourlife.Don'twastetimemeasuringyourprogressagainstother
people.Theydonotapproachthingsfromyourperspectiveorbackground,
nordotheyshareyourpersonalcircumstances.
11)Nomatterwhatdisabilities,hindrances,orrestrictionsyoumayhave
inyourlife,youcanpracticeWiccaifyouhonestlydesiretodoso.
Indeed,theonlythingholdinganyonebackfromtheCraftofthewiseis
theirownsenseofself.Sure,youmaynotbeabletojumparoundacircle
wavingaletteropenerorperhapsyoucan'tmumbleoutamournfuldirgeof
dubiousecstasylikesomeoftheotherfolksonthepath.Sowhat?Asyou
willandyouharmnone.Getit?
12)Evensolitariesaren'taloneanymore.Withalloftheresources
availableontheInternetgocheckoutwww.witchvox.comorwww.circle.org
orwww.avatarsearch.comorwww.twpt.comorjustdoasearchonWiccan,
Paganorwhateveryourheartdesires.There'sanincredibleamountof
informationandopportunitiestoconnectwithavastarrayoffellow
seekersoutthere.
13)Considersharingthefruitsofyourlabors,butdon'tbeinahurryto
sharethesecretsofyoursuccess.Solitaryworkisverypersonalandwhat
workedforyoumaynotworkforanother.Respectthefreedomofothersto
pursuetheirownpathintotheSilenceasyouyourselfdid.Ifyoufind
thatotherscometoyou,orthatyouareaskedtosharemoredetails,then

youarebeingconfrontedbythetaskofbecomingateacherorguideor
mentor.
Congratulations.Hopefullyyourtimespentinsolitarypracticehas
garneredyousomemeasureofwisdomthatcanhelpyoutomeetthisnew
challengewithgraceanddignity.Oratleastwithagoodheadstartasyou
runaway.