For many, being a member of a coven is
an indispensable part of being a Wiccan. But there are many who
simply cannot be a part of a coven, or who choose not to. These
people are known as solitary practitioners. While once almost
unheard of, solitary practitioners are becoming more and more common.
Individuals may select a solitary path because of their own personality
and religious preferences. For other, joining a coven may be
difficult or impossible because of issues like distance or family/work
commitments. There are others who have naturally fallen into a
solitary practice by chance. Many people who are solitary Wiccans
will practice that way throughout their life. For others, there
may be periods of solitary practice and periods of being in a coven.
Being a solitary Wicca should not be mistaken for being anti-social or
hiding one’s religion. Solitaries often have fellow Wiccan
friends, perhaps following different paths. They may attend group
rituals or perform spells with others, but they are solitaries because
the bulk of their practice is independent and they are not a part of an
initiated group. The high priestess and/or priest act to initiate
members in a coven. Because initiation requires another person to
confer membership, a solitary Wicca cannot “self-initiate.”
Instead, they will perform a self-dedication to commit themselves to
the Wiccan faith.
There has, in recent years, been some criticism of solitary
Wicca. This is generally coming from the more conservative
branches of Wicca. This is not, however, the view of most
Wiccans, because Wicca is a constantly evolving faith. The
solitary Wicca is a development that helps more people practice Wicca,
and that is not a bad thing.
Some of the negative views that a solitary Wicca may encounter come
from the notion that those who are not in a coven are not really taking
being Wicca seriously. There are many people who call themselves
Wiccan after reading a book or two, and claim to have a solitary
practice. These people are often obeying a fad or going through a
phase. However, their lack of commitment can be very frustrating
to oath-bound Wiccans because it does in some way cheapen the religion
and taint the outsider view of it.
The best remedy for this negative opinion is for this is for those who
are committed to their solitary practice to be shining examples of how
it is not necessary to be a member of a coven in order to be fully
dedicated to the Wiccan religion.
I
want to thank you for reading this article.
Hopefully, you have learned something. I enjoy sharing what I
know with others and
welcome any comments or suggestions from you.
Love, Light &
Laughter,
Carol Lynn
Browning
PS.
I have put together a few electronic books or ebooks
that I have found very useful in my Magickal Life.
You can look at them here:
Wicca Ebook Collection
PPS.
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