I came to the Craft about 18 years ago, through a roundabout way. Having been raised Catholic, a strong background in mysticism combined with a keen interest in sword-and-sorcery fantasy novels led me to the study of Ceremonial Magic, mostly from a Christian perspective. Several events in my life at that time led me to seriously question Christianity. I continued my work with CM and Tarot, but shifted to a Pagan framework for worshipping the Deity. I began to investigate various on-line Wiccan/Pagan groups on places such as CompuServe, GEnie, the USENET, and FIDOnet, making some wonderful and interesting friends along the way. I was hesitant about joining a local coven or other face-to-face group, mainly because I was still pretty much in the "broom closet" at this time.
Around 1991, I discovered the late Scott Cunningham's most popular book, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. I was immediately hooked--his approach was exactly what I was searching for! Scott's simplification of Witchcraft made the Goddess and God very accessible for me, and enabled me to grow in the Craft.
Along the way, I picked up a tarot deck drawn by a fascinating lady named Robin Wood. At the time, I had been working almost exclusively with Chic Cicero's Golden Dawn Ritual Deck. The imagery of Robin's deck was so appealing and so totally pagan that it increased my awareness of the Goddess and God, as well as drawing me more and more into Tarot. The combination of these two teachers, along with all the people I've met and chatted with along the way, have led me to this point in my spiritual development.
I have no Wiccan lineage, pedigree, or "puppy papers." I come from no tradition save my own solitay workings. Not having the street cred of a Scott Cunningham, I prefer to call myself a "Solitary Witch," thereby avoiding direct confrontation with initiates of various traditions who see solitary practice as incompatible with Wicca.
My vocation is teaching. I currently practice that vocation in the computer field, teaching classes for several companies as well as doing consulting work. While I have not felt it was the right time for me to accept students in the Craft, the vocation is calling me and that may be changing.
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