Reddit reviews Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner
We found 26 Reddit comments about Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Cunningham’s classic introduction to Wicca is about how to live life magically, spiritually, and wholly attuned with nature.
Here are some good “starter” books to go through. Starter in the sense that they give a good overview of generalized modern western Witchcraft along with a basis for Wicca is that so interest you. It also has some supplementary guides for those interested in alchemy, mirror work, spirit work and the like.
Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft and Buckland's Book of Spirit Communications are good books for getting a decent understanding of what could be (subjectively speaking) considered “traditional” witchcraft. I myself am NOT a fan of the Llewellyn branch of magick, as it is heavily based around forming structured groups and covens and much of the information seems more ceremonial than anything. That being said, these books give a great basic rundown into alot of different styles and tools you will most likely be using or want to use.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner is great if you want to go down the Wicca path AND it’s made specifically for solitary practitioners along with having some of Scott Cunninghams own spells in it as well.
Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs is a good rundown of many common and uncommon reagents used in witchcraft along with their metaphysical uses. Reader's Digest Magic and Medicine of Plants despite the name is a more practical and scientifically written book on the historical and medicinal used of many N. American plants.
Inside the Mirror Box: Spells and Theory for All Practitioners was actually written by a friend of mine. His book gives alot of information on actual spellwork, along with a large selection of Mirror Box spells and a short section on other uses for mirrors (such as divination).
And finally the Encyclopedia of Spirits is a great reference guide for those of us who want to work with specific entities. The author covers the full gamut of spirits and deities from the ancient gods to christian saints and archangels to lesser known spirits.
Hi, not Wiccan, but eclectic druid, which is also a subset of Paganism. There are loads of online communities to check out! Firstly, I'd say browse the r/wicca, r/pagan, and r/druidism (shameless plug lol) subreddits, as they're filled with loads of info and opinions. Be warned on r/pagan, since there are LOADS of different types of pagans, you'll get some wildly different opinions. There's plenty of other subreddits (r/witchcraft, for example), but those were the ones I started with.
I also love the Pagan channel on Patheos, which if you haven't browsed before, is a really interesting conglomeration of religious blogs. While I don't use it very often, WitchVox is also referenced as a really good online hub for finding local groups.
For books, this one is a fucking fantastic introduction to Paganism as a whole. It was my first real read on the topic. For Wicca in particular, Scott Cunningham is typically the one people point to for learning how to practice solitary. I also found Wicca for Beginners to be a super quick but useful intro. If you want a more general history of witchy goddess nature-worshipy religions, I am currently reading Drawing Down the Moon and love it.
Finally, if you have any Unitarian churches in your area, reach out-- they frequently have pagan or earth-centered study groups you can always visit!
Like I said before, I'm way more druidy, so if you want suggestions for learning about that (or just want to talk pagan-y things to admittedly a baby pagan), lemme know! :)
It is very possible, and there are a lot of people who practice as solitaries.
There are also a ton of books out about it. My favorites include:
What you are doing, though, is a fantastic start.
I commend you for exploring different paths. Examining other religions is a very valuable process for self-exploration.
My favorite "Wicca 101" book is Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. A lot of people here will recommend that one as well, but that's certainly not the only good one out there.
Two things that I want to emphasize: You do NOT need to arbitrarily choose dieties and paths, and you really shouldn't. Do your research. Wiccans and pagans are frequently self-proclaimed life-learners and meditating on what you truly believe will help you filter out some of the paths that don't work for you at all.
Give yourself some alone time, go on a walk, meditate. Your dieties will come. Just make sure you're not randomly picking out of impatience. It may take you a while to really get it right, and there's nothing wrong with not getting it right the first time. Don't feel "locked in" to your gods if you decide they are not correct for you. (Important: don't perform ANY kind of dedication ceremonies until you're absolutely sure. Then you might actually kind of be locked in :P)
Second, and I mention this only because it's a big part of your post, absolutely no one is going to take you seriously if you're just in it for the "witchcraft." Believe me: every person on this subreddit has seen people who pretty much just want to pretend they're on Charmed. I very rarely perform any sort of magic myself. It's not just for funsies. It's serious stuff. Everyone has to learn and if you're interested in more than just "witchcraft," magic definitely has its uses. As far as learning goes, there are plenty of books that will help you with basic rituals but most of it is grounding, raising energy, and focusing those energies on a specific outcome. But please educate yourself first.
As a caveat to that, I just want to say that I was absolutely one of those dabblers who was attracted to the religion by "magic" nine years ago. However, I discovered a spiritual path that really called to me and magic factors into my spiritual pracatices very infrequently at this point. If this is sort of the case with you, it does not mean you can't grow from this learning experience and it definitely doesn't mean that the pagan/Wiccan community won't want you. We'll just be glad you learned!
https://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Solitary-Practitioner-Scott-Cunningham/dp/0875421180/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1542770876&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=wicca&dpPl=1&dpID=51j%2BwKpACML&ref=plSrch
This book has been my bible! I love the freedom it gives me and there’s just so much love in here. I was doing most of these things before I even knew people had been doing them for a long time lol. It opened the door to a lot for me:) also look on Meetup.com. I found a spell discussion at an apothecary. Was truly amazing.
I really suggest this book by Scott Cunningham. Wicca A guide for the solitary practitioner. A wonderful book! Very informative!
http://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Solitary-Practitioner-Scott-Cunningham/dp/0875421180
I'm a fan of Cunningham's A guide for the solitary practitioner which seems to have a nice starting point for most people, solitary or not.
This is what I started with. It gave me a nice base to develop from.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875421180/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl_nodl?ie=UTF8&tag=wiccaliving08-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0875421180&linkId=86753d633c25959ecf4da6d42d6aa919
If your just looking for basic descriptions of the philosophies and rituals, a few good google searches would be suggested as well before you spend money on books.
Best of luck and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.
This site has a home page for each state and lists events and resources available Witchvox.com.
This is a great book for learning the basics. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0875421180?pc_redir=1396628049&robot_redir=1
I've also found this site to be informative http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/faq/f/GetStarted.htm
Good luck on your path. Blessed be.
Wicca for Beginners: Fundamentals of Philosophy & Practice https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738707511/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_GDiRCbZM2GR98
And of course Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner https://www.amazon.com/dp/0875421180/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_JEiRCbRB1D0XX
I would suggest going to "The Witches Voice". This is where I went when I first started learning about the Craft about 9 years ago. On the main page, there are new articles published every Sunday, with a lot of wonderful resources all over the site. Their facebook page is also fun and informative to follow!
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner is a wonderful and inexpensive resource to consider! Scott Cunningham is so experienced and informative, and he has authored a whole library of great books. I am also quite fond of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, though I do not fully agree with everything it teaches. And that's okay! Remember that a resource is just another tool. Read all that you can, but don't follow things just because you are told that you have to. Wicca is a very personal faith, though some may claim that there is more dogma. Maybe dogma is right for them, but it could be different for you. Or maybe it isn't. Either is just fine. And like the others have been supporting, tools are just there to focus your energies and to encourage ritual consciousness. You are the most magickal tool of all. And I understand not having the funds. The library and google are both the best suggestions anyone could give! I can't tell you how many hours I spent hiding in a corner of the library, reading anything I could get my hands on regarding the subject!
Anyway, I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, just post here and I'm sure that one of us will be right there to try and help you out as soon as we can! I've never posted on here before, but I've been following the subreddit for a while! I would love to welcome you fully, but I feel that as this is my first post, it may sound oddly pretentious to do such. Let's just feel welcomed together! Blessed be, Merry Beltane, and happy seeking!
I came from a similar background like you did. I had the whole falling out thing happen to me. And like you I existed, just living life. And then I found Wicca, and it really called to me. I feel more connected then ever before. I never felt anything when I went o church (Roman Catholic and later Methodist Church).
To put it simply, religion (no matter what kind) will always be viewed differently by everyone. Just like free thought people have their own opinions. And you're right when you said that there seems to be no set rule book. And that's true, there are basic guidelines but you are free to follow what works for you and change things to better suit your needs.
I do ritual work by myself to help cleanse myself and my surroundings. I use it to help ground me to the earth and nature to make me feel whole again. We tend to lose sight of what Mother Earth provides for us and not thank her enough. Now this is strictly my belief. Others do things for different reasons and use different methods.
I am curious what books you have picked up on the matter. And from what I understand you are doing just some R&D on Wicca. I would highly recommend Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, he did an amazing job with that book. In my opinion it is a great book to start with!
If you have any questions please feel free to PM me and I will get back to you accordingly.
Blessed Be )0(
First: Not every wiccan is a witch (though most are) and not every witch is wiccan.
Next: For more detailed and objective explanations, see the resources in the sidebar.
____
Now, to answer your questions. Wicca belief on the afterlife varies based on the tradition. To my knowledge, most believe in reincarnation of some kind.
For this, I'll define rituals as the entire process of magic work, and spells as simply the words spoken during the ritual. Think of rituals as a more involved form of prayer. In prayer, you ask a higher power for help with your problems. In magic, you perform a ritual in which you do the same thing. Rituals, however, often involve herbs, crystals, physical motions, invocations, etc. Same concept, just more involved.
Magic is not required to be wiccan, but is a large part of the beliefs and practices.
Human sacrifice is not involved in Wicca. Wiccans follow a Rede (think The Golden Rule). It says "An' ye harm none' do as ye will." That means you can do whatever you want as long as you harm no one in the process (including yourself). Believe it or not, this is actually quite difficult to do and takes a lot of mental discipline.
For reading materials, I will assume (based on your upbringing) that you are starting off solitary. Wiccans often join covens. they are like a church group, but generally smaller (less than 10 members) but fuction in much the same fashion. I recommend this book by Scott Cunningham. While Mr. Cunningham can be a but of a controversial topic here, this book will give you a brief overview of the views of Wicca. If you like what you see and want to continue, we can provide numerous other readings.
If you are interested in Wicca because of the magic aspect, may I suggest you also look into other forms of witchcraft. Some a theistic (wicca is generally duotheistic), and some are secular. It is all about finding what calls to you, and we are more than happy to help.
I recently fell into the Occult world as well. A was given a deck of tarot cards. It was the Rider-Waite deck. I started reading about it and a spark lit. Now I am consuming everything I can get my hands on.
I like MindandMagick as well. Also, I found this video on the Hermetic Principles very helpful and well explained.
As for reading, I have started reading the Liber Null by Peter Carroll and Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine. Recommend both if you're interested in Chaos Magick.
Some of the seminal works on Wicca are Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. by Scott Cunningham and Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland.
Good luck on your journey. Personally, I am starting small by working on my meditation, mindfulness and single-pointed thought. Also, studying the tarot a few cards at a time.
If you are interested in paganism, I recommend Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner. Goes into the reasons and rituals of it, without going crazy. (Some Wicca/Pagan books? Absolutely cuckoo!)
If you just like saying prayers, Celtic Devotional is also good.
Source: atheist who likes looking at the world in a pagan way.
Buckland's book is huge and essentially reads like an encyclopedia. You might not subscribe to a subset of the material, but it's great to get ideas.
I can attest that Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham is a good read. That might have been the one you read. Also, Wicca for Beginners is pretty good if you're still looking for intro material.
I've also found Full Contact Magick to be useful, though there isn't really anything about altars in there.
I have heard excellent things about this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Solitary-Practitioner-Scott-Cunningham/dp/0875421180/ref=sr_1_1_twi_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425214607&sr=1-1&keywords=wicca+solitary+practitioner
There is solitary wicca - Scott Cunningham
Just the average beginner kit xD This amongst others.
Here is a link to arguably the best introduction to wicca that there is.
https://www.amazon.com/Wicca-Solitary-Practitioner-Scott-Cunningham/dp/0875421180/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1519634712&sr=8-3&keywords=wicca+guide&dpID=51j%252BwKpACML&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
This was the first "occult" book i have ever purchsed/read. I am not a wiccan but that book "opened the doors" for me so to speak. Once I realized that i was interested in much more than just wicca the following book by peter j carrol steered me in the right direction based on the practical exercises in an almost textbook like format.
https://www.amazon.com/Liber-Null-Psychonaut-Introduction-Chaos/dp/0877286396/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519634960&sr=1-1&keywords=liber+null&dpID=516TsWggnKL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch
The best books on witchcraft I know of are Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft and Cunningham's Wicca guide. Keep in mind, there are different flavors of Wicca, and it actually incorporates a decent amount of ritual.
Alternatively, I can't recommend Christopher Penczak enough, his writing is easy to understand, he knows his stuff, and he doesn't push particular deities or belief systems as superior to others.
Im just starting too. I went to The labyrinth in Dallas and they pointed me in the direction of these books. So far they are really helping me progress. I converted from Atheism recently. I have always been into mind expansion of every kind, and religion was never a cup of tea. The values of Wicca are quite amazing. Treating nature as sacred instead of taking it for granted rings true to me.
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner (Scott Cunningham)
Look, I'll recommend you what I did. It's worth a try and it's a solo attempt. If it doesn't work and you don't come in contact with anything or feel anything, then that's fine. Wiccans have no hell. Basically as an atheist you're only losing out on a cool experience.
Try this book. A lot of free PDFs on the web, but whatevs you prefer. I found it for 6$ at my local library and got it paperback. You can probably find it somewhere near you at the same price.
So in our craft, thing is you try the initiatory ritual Scott talks about and the meditation practice that goes before it to clear your head. Again, it's only about yourself, nobody else will give a shit. Costs close to nothing, too. You put in a little work to make an theological experiment.
And, most of us who are in this, we're here because we tried it, got to experience what I described, found our chill place in the world from a religious pov, got our answers and that's all there is to it.
Life's good, you know? Pity not to try and make it as good for you as you can.
If you don't want to try, that's fine too. Whoever wants to try, you're welcome. Religions with no centralised structure are awesome.
My wife liked this one.
http://www.amazon.com/Wicca-A-Guide-Solitary-Practitioner/dp/0875421180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342732133&sr=8-1&keywords=wicca
:-) all https://www.amazon.com/We-Learn-Nothing-Tim-Kreider/dp/1439198713 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0796QV121/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 https://www.amazon.com/Complex-PTSD-Workbook-Mind-Body-Regaining/dp/1623158249/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?keywords=ptsd&qid=1550856112&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Gillian-Flynn/dp/0307588378/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=gone+girl&qid=1550856163&s=gateway&sr=8-2 https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Unleashed-Unapologetic-Lisa-Lister/dp/178180754X/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?keywords=wicca&qid=1550856223&s=gateway&sr=8-10-spons&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Unleashed-Unapologetic-Lisa-Lister/dp/178180754X/ref=mp_s_a_1_10_sspa?keywords=wicca&qid=1550856223&s=gateway&sr=8-10-spons&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0875421180/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8 https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Diary-Laura-Palmer-Peaks/dp/1543643256 https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Peaks-Dossier-Mark-Frost/dp/1250163307 https://www.amazon.com/Secret-History-Twin-Peaks-Novel/dp/1250075580 offering 8USD via PayPal invoice. Please pm!