Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner Paperback – January 1, 1989

Scott Cunningham one of the foremost experts on Wicca has written a book geared towards the beginner and solitary practitioner of Wicca. Not every practitioner of Wicca will join a coven. Another piece of good news is that Mr. Cunningham has injected a spirit of individuality and freedom into the craft that does not bind one strictly to on way as the only way.The book covers alot of ground. It covers Runes, rituals, Sabbat and different meditations. It is a good companion for Silver Ravenwolf's "Teen Wicca" What I liked about the book is that it gave you the freedom to make your own way into Wicca. Included in the book is an herbal grimoire, knowledge of Runes and what they mean, all of which In plan on photocopying before I return it to the library. I have included some notes I have taken on the book below. Excellent book.Wicca was formerly closed off to society at large. Now a days things are beginning to change. Anyone who can read has access to the knowledge of Wicca. The religion of Wicca is based on SHaminism which is one of the oldest religion around. Shamnism came before societies were formed. Shamanism enabled people to access altered states of consiousness via such tools as fasting, music, dance, herbs etc. The Shaman or person who accessed these states often kept the information to himself and shared only a bit of what he knew.The religion of Wicca is based upon the reverence of the two deities. The Goddess and God both are equal and one cannot have one without the other. The same would go with both good and evil. In nature there is this duality male and female. The Goddess has many different names across a variety of different religions as does the God. Ussually the Goddess is represented by the moon at night and the God is represented by the Sun during the day. A good time to connect to the Goddess is when viewing the moon at night and saying a little prayer. The same could also hold true for the God.The Goddess goes through three stages, as represented by the moon. First she is the maiden as young woman in the full of life. Her second stage is that of the Mother someone pregnat with life and giving birth. Finally she is the crone advanced in years, nurturing and full of wisdom. The Male God goes through three stages as well represented by the changes in the solar year. First he starts off as a young boy being birthed on December 21 the time of Yule. A young baby comes to manhood during the Beltane holiday and finally passing on dur9ng Samhain. THe cycle repeats itself on the Yule.Wicca is a religion that embraces magic. Magic is the projection of natural energies to produce a desired effect. There are three kinds of energies or power. The first type is Personal power. This is the power that exists inside each and everyone of us. The second power is natural power. Natural power is the power contained in nature. All elements in nature have power be they stones, fire or water. Finally there is divine energy an energy that comes from the God and Goddess.To perform magic one needs certain tools or at least the tools are helpful. The first on is a broom. Brooms dispel negative enrgy and protect the home from bad vibes. The next is the wand. THe wand is used for invoking deities or powers. At first a wand can be made of any material later on more specialized forms of wood produce a more beneficial efect. The next is a censer. A Censer is what burns the incence. You can take a vessel fill it with sand or salt to absorb the heat from the charcoal. Sprinkling incesnce on charcoal is the preferred way. THe next is the cauldron where many potions and things are made. It is the most important and it represent the Goddess. Your next tool is the athame or magical knife which is used to direct energies raised during your ceremony. A white handled knife of Boine is used to carve your ritual item. Other items include a pentacle, crystal ball, bell and book of shadows.Through out the year there are several days of power. Every full moon there are Esbats. There are 8 Sabbats during the Years. These are important. The first Sabbat is the Yule which occurs on December 21. This is the birth of the male god. It is said that the Persian God Mithras was born on this day and the Christians merely appropriated it. This is also tghe shortest Day of the Year.Next is Imbolc. This occurs roughly around the beginning on February. It is meant to mark the Goddesses recover after giving birth. In this Holidya the god is a young boy who fertilizes the earth. It also acts as a purification from being shut in all winter. It is known by several names and some Wiccans wear a crown of candle in celebration of this this holiday.Ostara Occurs around March 21 which is the Spring Equinox. In this Holiday te Goddess awaken from her winter rest. This is a time of expansion. Animals and people are encouraged to reproduce. It is a good time for doing spells that involve future gain or tending garden.Beltane occurs on April 30 This is symbolic of the Goddess becoming pregnatn from the God. Phallic symbol are erected mostly May poles. People would awaken at dawn gather flowers and there is dancing around the pole.Mid Summer Solstice on June 21 is when the powers reach their peak. Both God and Goddess are awash in fertility.. People leap over bonfire to encourage fertility, love health and love. This is the perfect time for all sorts of magic.Lughnasadh happens on August 1 this is the first harvest. It was when crops whiother and drop their seeds. THe male God is losing his strength and the Goddess is feeling sadness.This is also known as August Eve or Feast of bread.Mabon occurs Septemeber 21 during the Autumn equinox and the day and night are equal. Nature declines and her crop, bounty and goodness are being withdrawn. The Male god wanes while at the same time growing in her belly.Samhaim which we know as Halloween occurs October 31. This marks the death of the male God . This is ussually a time of reflection when peopl look back over the year and reflect upon what they have done and trhe concepts of life and death. During this time animals are sacrificed in oreer to gurntee food for the winter.Most Wiccans believe in reincarnation as the God is born dies and then is reborn.There are 8 step to perfroming a ritual. THe first one is purification of the self. This is usualy done by bathing and getting one self cleaned. Some can use music or allow themself to let the wind blow on them.This gets rid of the negativity.THe next step is to purify the space. This is more difficult if the ceremony is being done indoors. First one can sweep the area clean with a broom and can also sweep it symbolically using a witches broom. One can also sprinkle salt along with different herbs to help purify a space. Incense serves the same purpose.Next is to create the sacred space. This is done by creating your circle calling your corner/ Next you invoke the deities to join you, observe the ritual, raise the energy, Earth your power, Thanks the Deities and then break your circle.

Wonderful item for someone new to the craft. Very insightful about option available. An excellent beginner book for the basics.

A true classic for those who practice alone or those just starting out. You learn the basics and get a lay of the land. I do wish that it had a few more pieces of information, but excellent.

“Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner,” by Scott Cunningham is one of the best introductory books on Wicca that I’ve read so far. Cunningham goes out of his way to really explain this religion in a simple way that anyone can understand.What I really like about this author is the fact that he encourages people to “take the reins” when/if they choose this religion:“…There are rituals in this book, yes, but they’re guideposts, not holy writ. I wrote them so that others, using them as general guidelines, could create their own…” page 10Cunningham introduces readers to Wiccan religious practices and theory primarily for solitary practitioners, though this book can also be utilized for those engaging in communal worship. After reading this introductory book, I feel like I have a really solid understanding of the basics of Wicca, not just the ritualized aspects, but also regarding the Wheel of the Year—the Wiccan celebratory calendar.The author packed a lot in this book, but it was so easy to read because Cunningham was such a good writer. I was especially delighted to find his recipe for Beltane Marigold Custard because each year I grow a lot of Marigolds and am excited about tryout this recipe.This is a great beginner’s book to understanding this often misunderstood religion, and I highly recommend it.

If one is a beginner, this is an excellent resource to have. Tons of information! Just keep in mind, Scott Cunningham gives examples of how to do the rites, but nothing is to be taken as "written in stone." Wicca is an intuitive religion, this is especially true when considering you're on your own. Wiccan covens are more common nowadays,as the religion is gaining more popularity and acceptance. This wasn't always the case. When Cunningham wrote this book, covens were very hard to come by.The book is divided into three parts. The first is "theory." It contains around eight chapters. It describes the different aspects of the religion, such as magic, tools, ritual forms, etc. The first chapter goes over why one should or shouldn't practice Wicca and how one can do so without the benefit of a coven. The second part goes more into the practice. How to take what was learned in the first part and turn it into reality. The third part is an actual "Book of Shadows." You can do the rituals as prescribed, or change them as it suits your needs. Cunningham encourages you to do this, just as long as what you do (or say) causes harm to none. The book is indexed and has a glossary for definitions of Wiccan specific terms.Now, I, myself, I'm not Wiccan. I'm Vitka, which is kind of Wiccan but specific to the Norse. I have found this book very helpful. Though I don't follow this book 100%, it has given me great ideas on how to follow my path. In fact, by following the advice, seeing patterns and working with themes I read in the Edges and Sagas of the North, I was able to modify what Cunningham was saying about ritual and magic work and make it very specific to my own tradition.Might I also suggest getting the audio book along with either the Kindle version of the hardcopy. It's nice to have someone read the instructions at times AND when it comes to pronunciation of certain words,it's extremely helpful in that regard. Also, consider getting Living Wicca by the same author. It's a companion to this book and also has an audio version to it.If you're starting in Wicca or you'd like to know more about it,this is the book for you if you want to go about it alone or covens simply isn't an option.