Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch: Attaining Higher Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System

By Shanddaramon

Within modern Wicca, the urge still exists to find a particular school of study. Covens are an option for some, but they can be hard to find. Even when you find one, it may not satisfy your particular quest. In addition, many people who desire more direct access to their god or goddess choose to practice alone. This book is the solution to all of these dilemmas.

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Page Books
• Release date: May 15, 2004
• ISBN: 9781632658173

Shanddaramon

Shanddaramon is a published writer, composer, and poet and is the author of several books and articles on living and being a modern Pagan. He lives in the Boston, Massachusetts, area with his wife, daughter, dog, and 2 cats. When not writing, he is a Professor of Music and teaches classes at a local college. He has often sought ways in which to combine his interest in the arts with a growing interest in the mystical and, specifically, through Paganism. He applies these skills through his art and writing and through services such as divinatory advising, pastoral counseling and ritual work. Combining the arts with mysticism, he has created classes and workshops for others with similar interests and has led rituals for organizations and individuals.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Dedication: Beginning the Journey

1. Profess a desire to learn and study the Craft.

2. Create a Dedication ceremony.

3. Enact the ritual.

Deciding to become a seeker of spiritual knowledge and experience through a detailed system of degrees is no small undertaking. You are committing yourself to intense personal development over a long period of time. Because this will be your own system, you are free to work at your own pace and can stop anytime without the fear of humiliation from a teacher. However, this fact should not become a reason for taking on this work without conviction. You must first truly decide if you are willing to take on such intense personal study. If you are, then the next step is to engage in a physical act of Dedication that will signal to yourself (and others, if you wish) that you are serious about taking on this adventure in spiritual growth. The way to do this is through a ritual that marks the beginning of a path of study. The goal of this level is to enact a ceremony of Dedication.

Before you actually dedicate yourself to the Craft, take some time to consider why you wish to begin this work and how you will find time to do it. One important step in any spiritual journey is to keep a journal in which to record your activities and thoughts as you develop. In Wicca, this journal is often called a Book of Days. Why is a journal so important? It is an excellent way of marking your progress. It also forces you to organize your thoughts and can help you to review your day's work. Later on, you will be able to look back on all the work you did and see just how far you have progressed. Make a commitment to write in your Book of Days every day. In it you should include all your personal thoughts about your practice and progress.

The Dedication Ceremony

Your first step on the Sacred Path of Wicca is to dedicate yourself to the work to come. The Dedication ceremony does not need to be a complicated or fancy ritual. In fact, at this level, it should be a very simple and uncomplicated yet meaningful ceremony. Do not concern yourself with proper tools and fancy words unless it is your desire to do so. All these things will be introduced to you later as you progress. For now, we will keep the ceremony very simple. Later on you will learn about all the principles of constructing a detailed ritual, but that is not needed for this basic act of Dedication.

Before you actually begin writing your ceremony, think about what it will mean to you. Think about how you could represent this meaning symbolically. Remember that this is your ceremony and that you can devise it any way you wish. What is important is that it be significant and meaningful to you. Decide if you want this ceremony to take place within a circle of friends or if you want to do it just for yourself. Do you want it to take place indoors or out?

After you have thought through these details, it will be time to write down the actual ceremony. Though all Wiccans practice differently, there are some common elements to their rituals. I offer you here some of the very basic elements of ritual, but you may use as much or as little of these as you desire. Remember, what is important is that you create a ceremony that provides meaning and joy to you.

For a very basic Dedication ritual you should consider the following steps:

Prepare yourself.

Set up an altar with symbolic images and candles.

Devise carefully and announce your intention.

Create a sacred space (usually in a circle).

Invite the God, Goddess, and Child (or other deities) to the ceremony.

Make a statement of Dedication.

Thank your deities.

Undo your circle.

Ground yourself.

Begin by preparing yourself for the ritual both mentally and physically. You might want to take a ritual bath with specially selected herbs or oils, or wear special clothing. Clear your mind of daily concerns and concentrate on your task. If you are at home, make sure you will not be disturbed or interrupted. Next, set up a small table or work area as an altar. Again, we are going for simplicity here, so it need not be particularly fancy unless that is your desire. A simple card table covered with a white cloth would do just fine. Later, you may want to create a permanent altar from which you can work whenever you wish or may want to create an altar that is set up whenever the need arises.

Here are my suggestions for your altar: On the back of your altar, place three candles in holders. On the left-hand side, place a green candle for the Goddess. On the right-hand side, place a red candle for the God, and, in the center of these two but slightly forward, place a purple candle for the Child. This, of course, is how I do it and you are welcome to use any system of placement you wish. If you do not wish to work with any deities either as symbolic forces or as personifications, this is perfectly fine as well. Feel free to adorn your altar with whatever objects or symbols are meaningful to you. First, write down and then announce out loud what you intend to have happen. Doing so makes you think clearly about exactly what you mean to do. This is a very important step in all ritual work.

The next step is to claim a sacred space of your own. This can be done symbolically or through physical objects. You may draw a circle around your work area with chalk, salt, herbs, or a rope, or you can create an invisible barrier. It does not matter. Later, you will learn to create this circle through energy. It is traditional to create this circle in a clockwise fashion (usually starting in the East). When you have accomplished this, call the God, Goddess, and Child (or any other deities) to your circle to witness your ceremony. Again, this need not be complicated unless you want it to be. Light a candle for each as you do so. The burning light of the candle will represent the energy and light of each deity. After you have called in your deities, announce your dedication to study through a simple but meaningful statement. Speak from your heart about what you intend to do and all will be well. For many, a Dedication ritual is a great act of freedom. Having finally found a spiritual path that resonates deep within, some have experienced an overwhelming feeling of joy. If you experience this ecstasy, then honor those feelings and express them. If you feel like singing, dancing, or chanting, then, by all means, follow your heart and dance in the joy of renewal.

To end the ceremony, release your deities (or whatever you dedicated your worship toward). That is, thank them for witnessing your ceremony and ask them to return from whence they came. Snuff out each candle as you go. (Most Wiccans prefer not to blow out candles as this is seen as an affront to the element of Fire and prefer, instead, to use a candle snuffer.) Then, undo your circle in the opposite manner in which you created it.

The final step of doing any ritual is to ground yourself. Even though the ceremony being discussed here is very simple, it is possible that energies were raised during its enactment. (You may be more powerful than you know!) Energies raised within and around the body may be sensed. You may have felt warmth or had tingling sensations. You may have felt a presence or experienced a sensation as if there was electricity in the air. You may have become light-headed or felt a sense of renewed energy as if you had drank several cups of coffee. All of these are possible experiences of sensing energy. It is also possible that you raised energy but did not detect any noticeable change. Regardless of what you may have or have not felt, it is important that you ground those energies and return them back to the earth. Not doing so may leave you feeling restless, listless, or may cause you bodily discomforts such as headaches. One of the best ways to ground yourself is to simply place yourself close to the ground, putting as much contact with your body to the earth as is possible and comfortable. Concentrate on letting any excess energy drain back to the earth. One teacher explains it as if you are watching a glass of water that is filled with sand. Raising energies is like shaking up the glass. The sediment is stirred and whirls about in the water. When you ground yourself, it is like letting the glass sit. Slowly, the sediment slows down and settles to the bottom of the glass. This is the same for you. While touching the ground, allow the energies you have raised to settle to the bottom and back into the earth. When you feel comfortable, relaxed, and balanced, rise up and end your ceremony. The following ritual is a sample of a Dedication ceremony. Use it as an example to create your own ceremony.

Item 1: A Rite of Dedication

Purpose: Use as a guide or inspiration for creating a personal ritual.

Prepare your altar and yourself.

Make a statement of intent.

Tonight, I will perform a rite of Dedication to the path of Wicca. I confess that I am ready in mind, heart, body, and soul to begin this journey and that I am dedicated to a higher spiritual awakening.

Cast the circle.

Cast a circle around yourself and/or participants.

Now in this circle rightly spun, a sacred rite is thus begun. May I now be safe and sure for the work I here procure.

Light altar candle to the Goddess.

O great Goddess of Love, whose feminine energy is symbolized by the silver moon, accept this humble servant who yearns to be recognized as a seeker of your ways. Grant me protection, guidance, and wisdom as I walk this path.

Light altar candle to the God.

O great God of Light, whose masculine energy is symbolized by the golden sun, accept this humble servant who yearns to be recognized as a seeker of your ways. Grant me protection, guidance, and wisdom as I walk this path.

Light altar candle to the Child.

O great Child of Life, whose mysterious energy is symbolized by the twinkling stars, accept this humble servant who yearns to be recognized as a seeker of your ways. Grant me protection, guidance, and wisdom as I walk this path.

Enact the ceremony.

I hereby accept the responsibilities inherent in seeking a higher level of study by helping others both within and beyond this circle and by seeking help when it is needed. As a seeker of this path, I vow to honor this and all spiritual teachings. I vow to respect and honor all practitioners I now know or may know of this and all sacred paths. I vow to respect and honor myself as a unique and sacred being. I hereby proudly and without reservation, dedicate myself to becoming a Wiccan Practitioner. From this day hence, I proclaim that I am a Seeker in the Craft of Wicca. For the good of one and all, so mote it be!

Place a pendant with a white cord around your neck to symbolize your dedication. Dance, sing, or chant, if you feel moved to do