Tips for Solitary Wiccan Practice 
 by James Garrison


 There are many more self-initiated Wiccans and Witches out there
 than
 practically any other variety of Pagan. While a valid and
 legitimate 
 spiritual path, self-initiation and working solitary pose a few 
 unique challenges to those who would follow this particular path
 to 
 the Old Gods. By its very nature, the solitary path doesn't have
 a 
 lot of guidance available--usually you strike out on your own to 
 discover it all for yourself.

 So why self-initiate? Why be a solitary practitioner? These are 
 questions you have to answer for yourself. No one has a monopoly
 upon 
 wisdom, nor on the Mysteries--these are not things that you can
 own, 
 only experience on your own terms, and even then they keep
 moving, 
 changing and growing. Anyone who approaches the Gods with
 sincerity, 
 respect, and integrity can and will discover their own way to
 commune 
 with these essential forces of Nature. It means hard work,
 requires 
 creativity, persistence and determination--it is a challenging
 path 
 to take.

 If you decide to pursue self-initiation and build your own
 version of 
 spiritual practice based upon the Wiccan model, here are some
 tips to 
 help make the process go a bit more smoothly:

 1) Clarify your intent. Ask yourself "Why am I doing this?"
 Examine 
 your motivations--pursuing any particular spiritual path is a
 serious 
 commitment. Setting out to explore things on your own as a
 solitary 
 practitioner is not something to do on a whim, nor is it a "fun" 
 hobby. It's work, and plenty of it. It can also be worth it.

 2) Gather your resources. You need to establish a set of ground
 rules 
 for what you want to do. This will require reading everything
 you can 
 get. Try to read a variety of authors, and don't read just about 
 Witchcraft. You're not going to learn very much from restricting
 your 
 reading to pop-Wicca books that gleefully extol the virtues of 
 playing at mediocre, misinterpreted folk traditions of dubious 
 vintage. You're setting out to acquire some wisdom, not
 superstitious
 twaddle and bogus hokum. Take classes and get calluses--go out
 and 
 learn something, then put it to use in your life and the
 community 
 around you. If it dies on the vine unused, it's a waste.

 3) If you find something that you like, adapt it; don't just
 lift it 
 out of its context. Once you have a basic framework within/upon
 which 
 to work, rewrite everything to fit your emerging vision, after
 you've 
 tried it out, tested it, and given it a chance to teach you what
 it 
 has to reveal on its own terms. 

 4) Draft a statement of your core beliefs. Sign it, date it, and 
 place it in your journal or Book of Shadows. Forget about it for
 a 
 while and just work on doing it. Choose a time each year to re- 
 examine it and amend it if desired. Sometimes this is a good
 thing to 
 do during the winter months, perhaps Candlemas/Imbolc? You
 decide. 
 When you do check it out, don't beat yourself up if you've gone
 off 
 in a completely other direction. Spend some time contemplating
 what 
 you meant when you wrote that piece and look at what you've
 learned 
 in the time since then. What would you change about it, or
 yourself,
 now that you know what you know now?

 5) If you do happen to fall prey to the social disease of
 writing, 
 please be sure to make every reasonable attempt to document your 
 sources. Give credit where credit is due. You have nothing to
 gain by 
 trying to pretend that you invented Gardner's or Crowley's
 books. 
 Keep yourself honest. Given time, and effort, you will develop
 your 
 own rites. When you do, you don't want to dilute the
 meaningfulness 
 of the moment by that nagging little voice that reminds you that
 you 
 didn't really do it. Respect your creativity, maintain personal
 integrity, and let things develop naturally.

 6) Remember that within most established traditions of the
 Craft, the 
 term 'degree' generally refers to experience, not rank. As a
 solitary 
 you don't have any rank to worry about. If you do, well, then I
 hope 
 you're enjoying yourself. As a solitary you get the opportunity
 to 
 focus upon the personal experience and to drop the distractions.
 It's 
 similar to the monastic approach to mysticism, only less ascetic
 and 
 more fun.

 If you do wind up creating or adapting some sort of degree
 system for 
 your personal Work be sure to take your time working through
 those 
 degrees. Learn all you can and work with the Gods and Mighty
 Ones--as 
 you progress, the doors of perception will open, the way will be 
 found. Besides, if you're going to pursue an experiential
 approach to 
 an already experiential path, why deny yourself the benefit of
 having 
 those very experiences that are part and parcel of the whole
 darn 
 thing in the first place? It's absolutely about quality, not
 quantity.

 7) Do it for the right reasons. Why are you doing whatever
 you're 
 doing, and why alone? If you're solitary because of some sort of 
 insecurity or negative reaction to past happenstance...be
 prepared 
 for circumstances to change as you grow and mature. If you've 
 withdrawn to focus upon certain aspects of your personal
 spiritual 
 development, don't lose track of that, even if you do decide to
 take 
 a break and go hang out with a group for a while. Your solitary
 practice should serve as a firm foundation for your day-to-day
 life. 
 A viable, healthy spiritual practice will offer you a way to
 recharge 
 your batteries, cope with stress, resolve crises and guide you
 as you 
 grow. If your solitary path doesn't offer you these things, what
 are 
 you doing?

 8) Solitary work can be ideal for self-transformation and
 personal 
 healing. As you progress, as healing occurs, as changes take
 place, 
 you will find your practice likewise changing. Consider this a
 form 
 of sympathetic magick. As you become more fully integrated and
 whole, 
 your rituals will become more balanced and holistic as well. The 
 Craft is a healing path, so why not approach it as such?

 9) Keep in mind that the only way to gauge progress is to
 challenge 
 it in some manner. How you decide to challenge yourself is one
 thing. 
 How the universe around you, let alone the Gods & Ancestors,
 will 
 test your progress is another matter. There will come a point
 where 
 your focus upon the self-chosen, self-directed things will be 
 intruded upon. You are a human being, not an oyster. If you're
 going 
 to heal, then heal and get on with life. If you're going to deal
 with 
 something, deal with it and move on. Life is in motion.Whatever
 tries 
 to remain static will encounter friction and eventually will be
 torn loose by the tides of change or the teeth of the trickster.

 10) We all learn at different rates and in different styles.
 Working 
 alone makes it possible to modify everything to suit your needs. 
 Creativity and sincerity can guide you in making your Craft
 practice 
 a viable and vital part of your life. Don't waste time measuring
 your 
 progress against other people. They do not approach things from
 your 
 perspective or background, nor do they share your personal 
 circumstances.

 11) No matter what disabilities, hindrances, or restrictions you
 may 
 have in your life, you can practice Wicca--if you honestly
 desire to 
 do so. Indeed, the only thing holding anyone back from the Craft
 of 
 the wise is their own sense of self. Sure, you may not be able
 to 
 jump around a circle waving a letter-opener or perhaps you can't 
 mumble out a mournful dirge of dubious ecstasy like some of the
 other 
 folks on the path. So what? As you will and you harm none. Get
 it?

 12) Even solitaries aren't alone anymore. With all of the
 resources 
 available on the Internet--go check out www.witchvox.com  or 
 www.circle.org  or www.avatarsearch.com  or www.twpt.com  or
 just do 
 a search on Wiccan, Pagan or whatever your heart desires.
 There's an 
 incredible amount of information and opportunities to connect
 with a 
 vast array of fellow seekers out there. 

 13) Consider sharing the fruits of your labors, but don't be in
 a 
 hurry to share the secrets of your success. Solitary work is
 very 
 personal and what worked for you may not work for another.
 Respect 
 the freedom of others to pursue their own path into the Silence
 as 
 you yourself did. If you find that others come to you, or that
 you 
 are asked to share more details, then you are being confronted
 by the 
 task of becoming a teacher or guide or mentor. 

 Congratulations. Hopefully your time spent in solitary practice
 has 
 garnered you some measure of wisdom that can help you to meet
 this 
 new challenge with grace and dignity. Or at least with a good
 head 
 start as you run away.