Mastering Solitary Pagan Witchcraft 8 Start by Exploring

One of the greatest advantages of being a Solitary Pagan Witch is having the freedom to discover your own path. However, that freedom can sometimes feel rather overwhelming. Where do you begin? Paganism and Witchcraft are enormous subjects. There are countless traditions, beliefs, magical practices, books, websites and opinions. One person tells you to begin with meditation, another recommends tarot, somebody else suggests herbs, while another insists that you must learn about the Moon, the elements or particular deities. The simple answer is this: you don’t have to know yet.

Start by Exploring

If you have managed to find only fifteen minutes for your spiritual practice, there is nothing wrong with using those fifteen minutes simply to explore. In fact, figuring out what interests you can become part of your practice. Read a few pages of a Pagan or Witchcraft book. Research the history of a subject that interests you. Sit quietly in the garden and think about what Paganism means to you. Watch the Moon. Learn about a particular plant. Pull a tarot card and consider its meaning. You don’t necessarily have to perform a spell or elaborate ritual for that time to count. You are learning.

Keep a Solitary Witch’s Journal

A journal can be particularly useful when finding your direction. Ask yourself simple questions: What originally attracted me to Paganism or Witchcraft? Do I feel particularly connected with nature? Am I interested in spellcraft? Would I like to explore herbs, divination, spirits, ancestors, folklore or deities? Do I want my Witchcraft to be magical, spiritual, practical—or a mixture of all three? Write down whatever comes to mind. There are no marks awarded and nobody else needs to read it. Over time, patterns may begin to appear.

Give Yourself Permission to Wander

You may spend several weeks studying tarot before deciding it isn’t for you. You might become fascinated by crystals and later discover that herbs and plants feel much more natural. That’s fine. Exploration isn’t wasted time. A Solitary Pagan Witch doesn’t have to follow somebody else’s syllabus or complete a set of prescribed stages. Your path can develop naturally through experience. Allow yourself a few weeks—or even several months—to get the lay of the land.

You Don’t Need to Know Everything

Perhaps the most important lesson is accepting that Witchcraft is simply too large a subject to learn everything. Nobody knows it all. Choose one small subject that genuinely interests you and explore it. When you’re ready, move on to something else or dig deeper. Your first goal doesn’t have to be casting the perfect spell, performing an impressive ritual or becoming an expert Witch. Your first goal can simply be: “I’m going to discover what kind of Pagan Witch I want to be.” For the solitary practitioner, that discovery isn’t something standing in the way of the journey. It is the beginning of the journey.