This article is meant to be a guideline for the solitary witch. I know from experience that it sometimes gets lonely practicing by yourself or sometimes you wish you had some more energy to power a spell. Even though these thoughts may sometimes fill your head, you may also know in your heart that you are not ready for a physical coven. So with that being said, here are some tips for being a solitary. Enjoy!

During Ritual Tips

Below are some tips to help enhance your rituals. I do speak of inviting entities into your circle, so if you're not comfortable with that, then please don't do it. Also, don't do all the techniques at once, unless otherwise stated. If you did, you would have way too much energy raised, and you might not be able to handle it. Better safe then sorry! :)


During ritual, invite good fairies to your circle- They are masters are raising energy and are a direct link to the astral realm which means they can carry your spells straight to the Gods. According to Edain McCoy, they can be a substitute coven for you and I agree with her. But please, do not invite fairies if you don’t know how to do it. Some fairies are not kind towards humans and you do NOT want them in your circle. I will soon have a fairy section on this site, but in the meantime please read A Witches Guide to Fairy Folk by Edain McCoy.

Ask you ancestors to join you while in ritual- To invite your ancestors, simply ask them politely after you invite the elements. Be sure to tell them why you need them as well. Ancestors can be actual family members or passed-over witches. When you invite your ancestors, you will feel their loving presence which can be a ritual booster. Be sure to have some sort of spirit communication device on hand so you may channel their wisdom. And, don’t forget to thank them with offerings before you end the ritual.

Use nature’s energy booster....fire- One of the qualities of fire is energy, which it produces a lot of, by the way. When in ritual, light extra candles (red ones are good for this) in addition to you altar and quarter candles. The extra candles not only give a nice ambience, but will produce tremendous amounts of energy to power your magickal workings. Before you start your ritual it would be a good idea to charge the candles as "energy candles" so they will know their purpose. If by chance they don’t burn down in one ritual, save them for the next one and use them in the same way. And, as always, be very safe when working with candles. Do not place them near flammable substances or curtains. Don’t allow pets or small children near them and do keep a vessel of water nearby in case of a fire.

When in doubt, drum, drum drum- Drumming is an awesome way to raise energy whether alone or in a group setting. You can never go wrong with drumming, even if you are not a master at it. You can use a drum in addition to the above mentioned guidelines, or use it alone. To use a drum for magick, start the beat nice and slow, then build up to a fast beat. When you feel the energy has peaked, cast your spell. After the spell is cast, drum one more time to send it on its way. Just so you know, fairies are very fond of drums, but the hate bells. So do not use a tambourine or bells in place of a drum if you’re working with fairies. (Some pagans do use these things instead of drums.) If you don’t have a drum, you can find usually find them for reasonable prices at various New Age shops, festivals, psychic expos, etc... But, if you're strapped for cash, then you can make a drum out of a used coffee can. Just use your imagination. If it can keep a beat, it will work as a drum. :-)

Use pre-recorded guided meditations- There are many wonderful guided meditations that can be found in books and the internet. But the problem is, it’s nearly impossible to read them while trying to meditate and it’s even more impossible to memorize a 3 page meditation for most people. In a group setting, usually one person steps out of the meditation so they may read to others, but a solitary witch does not have this option. So what do you do? Record your own of course! Just get a tape record and blank tape cassette and read the meditation aloud into the microphone. But, if you’re like me, you can’t stand hearing your own voice on tape. In such a case, ask an open-minded friend to record it for you. Another option would be to buy pre-recorded guided meditations. I recommend any guided meditation CD from Christopher Penczak. All the meditations I have experienced from him are awesome!

Web-Weaving and Networking Tips

Join pagan message boards- Message boards are an awesome way to make friends and learn a lot, without the commitment of joining a physical study group. You can come and go as you please and once you are a member, you can read through older posts that you might have missed. There are so many message boards out there that you shouldn’t have trouble finding one you like. Just do a web search on pagan messages boards, and you will find tons of them. We even have one right here at Magickalpair Realm! Feel free to take a look through our interactive book of shadows and join if you're so inclined. We do have a guest section of you would like to get to know us before you join. ;-)

Become a student at an on-line occult school- On-line pagan schools are awesome! Marlevane and I belong to two for them and we have learned so much! Most of the on-line schools offer free courses, but some do charge money for their services. In a minute, I will give you some links to these schools, but first let me tell you the benefits of becoming a student. The first and foremost benefit is that you will have a mentor, which is something you probably don’t have as a solitary. Mentors are of course, teachers and are there to answer questions and make sure that you are getting through your lessons without problems. Another benefit is knowledge and flexibility. Most of these schools offer a wide range for classes to choose from. Just register for what you are interested in and leave the rest. I recommend checking out Witch School and Pagan Online Campus. They are the schools that Marlevane and I are attending, so we can recommend them without hesitation. There is also The College of the Sacred Mists, but I cannot personally recommend it because I have never attended. But that does not mean that you shouldn’t check them out, because I’m sure it is a great school.

Attend on-line rituals or join virtual covens- I have never personally attended an online ritual, but from what I have read they are just as good as the real thing. There does seem to be a commitment factor to these virtual covens, so if commitment is not your thing, then I wouldn’t recommend that you join one. Even though there is a commitment factor, you will probably never meet the members in real life, so that could be a plus. If you do decide to join a virtual coven, play it safe and never give out your real name, address or phone number, even if you create a tight bond with someone. You just never know about people on the internet.

Go to open pagan gatherings- Open pagan gatherings are great to network in the community without a commitment. Most of these open circles offer rituals and workshops for you to enjoy free of charge or for a small fee. This is a great way to meet local pagans and perhaps form some lifetime friendships. To find an open circle, just go to the Witches Voice and search for one in your area. You can also attend Pagan Pride Day, which is a nationwide gathering that is held in most major US cities around Sept. 25th. But as always, be safe and get to know the coven leaders before you attend one of their open circles. Ask as many questions as you can. If they beat around the bush, or you don’t like their answer, then they are probably not the right gathering for you. You should also take an open-minded friend with you just to be on the safe side.

In conclusion, being a solitary can be a wonderful thing. Now as you know, there are many ways to enhance your worship and make pagan friends without joining a coven. In addition to my own tips, you should try to come up with your own. Just experiment with different things until you find the right technique. And...don’t forget to record all your experiments and findings in you Book of Shadows for future reference. I wish you many happy rituals to come!!!!