Recently in Solitary Wicca Category

Ernest Butler is one of my favorite occult authors. He was a Christian occultist, Ceremonial Magician, and contemporary of Dione Fortune. In his book Lords of Light (which is a collection of lectures delivered by Butler, he talks about solitary occult practice:

There is that within you which can give you guidance; there is that inner intuition which can give you the light you seek so long as you're prepared not to jump the gun, so long as you don't try to force your ideas forward, but rely on that inner tradition. You can use a system of meditation and work on it; it enables you to check things for yourself. Or you can take a simple code of ethics and work with that. Try your best to follow that light. If you do this in all sincerity and truth, after a time (it may be a short time; it may take longer) someone or something will come to you. It may be a book you're reading when suddenly a light flashes in your mind and you see the way in front of you. Sometimes it's a person who comes to you and gives you the same instructions. It happened twice in my lifetime. There was a certain point when I needed to go further, and someone came to me and acted as my teacher. That can happen to you. It can happen to anyone because there's none of us favored, none of us with a hot line to heaven. But if we really work in sincerity and truth and have as much patience as a snake has tail, then ultimately you get started. And once you get started, you proceed by putting one foot in front of the other. Just that. There's no elevator to heaven.

The Western Mystery Tradition's focus through most of its history is on "lodges" and "societies," such as the Servants of the Light, the Society of the Inner Light, or Butler's own Ibis Fraternity. Like other esoteric traditions, as more and more is published about the WMT, more and more of us study and follow it on our own. Mr. Butler does an excellent job of expounding on the cliche, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." It's more than that--to prepare for the teacher's apperance, the student has to be on the right path.

Intuition is indeed the most important part of that path. We all have a good sense of right and wrong, and we must use that intuition, in conjunction with meditation and study, to keep on the path.

One of the reasons people are attracted to Solitary Wicca as a path is that it's easy to get started. All the seeker needs to do is declare their intentions and step onto the path. In a way, it's almost too easy a thing to do.

Switching from one church congregation to another can be complicated on a social level. You might be able to blend into the crowd at a big church, but if you're considering a switch to a smaller group, you're going to have to be sociable from day one.

Getting involved with a coven or pagan group has similar complications. Many groups have open ceremonies and gatherings that are good opportunities to meet local pagans. These gatherings can lead invitations to other functions and rituals. This all requires a lot more work on the part of the seeker than going to church. While Wiccan and pagan groups who have open functions are interested new members, they're going to want more from the newcomer than simply sitting in the back pew.

That extra bit of work can be an obstacle to many seekers. It's much easier to simply declare your intention to follow a Wiccan path as a solitary. What's important at this point is that the seeker truly discern their reasons for being solitary.

Whether as part of a coven or as a solitary, the new seeker will be reading and learning about Wicca. While it's easier for the solitary to get started, the path is ultimately more difficult because there is nobody right behind you to give you the occasional nudge, keeping you moving along the path. The solitary must nudge herself, reading, questioning, learning. The solitary must also reward herself as well; with no group to recognize her efforts, she has to be satisfied that her work is pleasing to the Goddess and God.

That's not such a bad thing, to be sure.