The Solitary Path? Okay, I'm human. I find it amusing that since my book Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, was released, I've been receiving more invitations to attend group rituals than ever. When I'm asked, I usually decline, gently reminding the inviter of the nature of my book—solitary practice. As I've started elsewhere, I'm a Solitary Wiccan. I don't meet with others. I don't belong to a coven. I occasionally participate in group rituals but these are rare occurrences. During the past two years I've met thousands of solitary practitioners in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Nevada, Arizona and throughout California. Wherever I go, yet more solitary practitioners pop out from the woodwork. Many are happy with solo working. Others are seeking a coven. Some alternate between the two, attending Sabbats as a coven guest and also working alone. But many Solitaries sense that something's looking in their rituals, so I feel it's time I made a statement. There is no such thing as a Solitary Wicca. Think about it for a minute. Any person who has decided that Wicca is right for them, who practices our rites and who has nourished a personal relationship with the Goddess and the God, isn't and can't be alone during ritual. A Wiccan who meets with Them in the middle of a forest 100 miles from the nearest human being isn't alone. Wiccans who never participate in group rituals aren't truly solitary in their rites. Wicca is designed to facilitate communication with the Goddess and God. Once we've accomplished this we're never alone—especially during ritual. Bereft of human company? Perhaps. On our own? Definitely. But solitary? Never! Wiccans view the Earth as the domain of the Goddess and God. It is she who blankets the land with wildflowers, towering oaks and shimmering lakes. It is He who causes the animals to roam freely; the crops to germinate and to bear fruit. We're surrounded by the manifested essence of the Goddess and God, and They're here too, just out of sight. The wind is Their breath. The moon is Her love. The sun is His love. Whenever we perform a ritual, They're there with us. When we're upset, angry, nervous, hopelessly in love or scared—They're there. Despite our ecological blundering, no place on Earth is completely divorced from Them. A Solitary Wiccan isn't one who performs rituals alone. It's a person who meets with the Goddess and God alone. (There's a big difference.) This triple relationship is quite real. Any Wiccan who has experienced it can't doubt this. So perhaps the term Solitary Wicca is misleading. It might cause some to believe that such Wiccans are lonely. But the word Wicca, referring to our religion, contains within its five letters the potentiality of communication between the Wiccan and the Goddess and God. Effective solitary rituals truly can't be solitary. You're never alone in the circle. You're not alone when chanting, raising your athame to the sky or spilling sacred wine onto the ground. The very fact you're doing these things shows the truth of this statement. Though we may walk with no human company on the Solitary Path, others are present. Hear Them joining in your chats. Smell Them in the smoke rising from smoldering incense. See Them in the flickering candle flames. Taste Them in the ruby-red wine. Finally, feel Them in the warmth that envelops you at the close of a successful ritual. There is truly no such thing as a Solitary Wiccan. —1988, Llewellyn; St. Paul.
—or double, if the Wiccan attunes solely with Goddess Energy. | 
