Solitary practitioner

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Solitary practitioner is the term used in the Wiccan community for a person who practices their religion alone, without a Coven or group. Some solitary practitioners have formal training but may have moved away from their original group or have some other reason for practicing alone, but many solitary practitioners are self-taught from books. Self-taught Witches may also be self initiated. Solitary practitioners don't have to be alone all of the time; they may attend Pagan festivals and public rituals.

Solitary practice and especially self-initiation is controversial in Wicca. Some Wiccans maintain that solitary practice is not true Wicca, or that power is transferred at initiation from the priest/ess to the initiate; others argue that true initiation comes from the deities. Early proponents of self-initiation include Doreen Valiente and Raymond Buckland, both of whom wrote self-initiation and other solitary rituals. Buckland's Seax-Wica tradition provides for self-initiation. The term "Self-dedicate" is more acceptable to some Wiccans whether solitary or not. The writings of Silver RavenWolf and the late Scott Cunningham are especially popular among modern solitaries, although for some Ms. Ravenwolf is a controversial figure ^[1].

[edit] References

1. ^ Noble, Catherine. Why We Despise Silver Ravenwolf. 'Wicca for the Rest of us' website, accessed 31 October 2007.

• Cunningham, Scott (1988). Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul MN: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 0-87542-118-0. 
• Cunningham, Scott (1993). Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. St. Paul MN: Llewellyn Publications. ISBN 0-87542-184-9. 
• Pike, Sarah M. (2001). Earthly Bodies, Magical Selves: Contemporary Pagans and the Search for Community. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22086-2. 
• Starhawk (1999 (originally published 1979)). The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Goddess: 20th Anniversary Edition. SanFrancisco: HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 0-06-251632-9. 

[edit] Further reading

• The Wiccan Path: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Rae Beth
• The Wiccan Prayer Book: Daily Meditations, Inspirations, Rituals, and Incantations by Mark Ventimiglia
• A Witch Alone: Thirteen Moons to Master Natural Magic by Marian Green
• Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch: Attaining Higher Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System by Shanddaramon
• Solitary Wicca for Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own by Arin Murphy-Hiscock