You’re in the right place if you want to…

• learn about what it means to be a solitary witch

• learn tips for your solitary practice

• understand how skeptical thinking is helpful

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Let’s start by talking about what it actually means to be a solitary witch. The most simple definition is a practitioner of magic who chooses to work alone. There are many reasons for this.

Maybe you live too far away from other people who practice so it would be impractical to attend meetings. Maybe you find that connecting with your practice is easier when you are by yourself. Maybe you had an unpleasant experience with another witch in the past or with a coven. Or maybe you’ve been forced to become solitary due to a global pandemic.

There are many benefits to being a solitary witch but something that makes it challenging is that your magical education is in your own hands. You are required to plan your own rituals, know what information to trust, and be your own motivating force all by yourself.
Solitary witchcraft can be super rewarding especially if you have the right foundation.

For this reason, I have collected some tips to help you build that foundation for your solitary practice.

You Are Not Alone

The first thing you remember is that you are not alone. Even though you work alone as a solitary witch, doesn’t mean you are alone. 

You may find yourself becoming lonely on this solitary path, and I want you know that this is common among solitary witches. 

Many of us start learning witchcraft on our own, and there comes a point when you want a second opinion about the results of your spell, or the way you interpreted your Tarot cards, or you want to discuss witchcraft with others who really get you and know what you’re talking about (besides your cat), or you want to learn new techniques and methods for manifesting your desires and removing limiting beliefs from people you know.

Unfortunately it’s not always easy to find others like us, who share our interests in magic, herbs, crystals, astrology, the tarot and other occult topics. In fact, it can even be harmful to admit that you are passionate (or even curious) about witchcraft.

Many witches (and I’ve spent time with thousands) tell me that they’ve felt judged or excluded at some point, simply because they practice witchcraft.

Whether by choice or by circumstance, the vast majority of modern witches are isolated and solitary in their craft.

But being among like-minded individuals builds bonds with other witches and gives you the support and encouragement you need to stay connected with your witchcraft practice on a daily basis.

And that’s why I created the Mumbles Academy Membership Program, or what we affectionately call the Mumbleship

You are invited to join us in a coven of modern witches who are seeking to improve their witchcraft practice and manifesting skills, and to connect more deeply to their intuition in their everyday lives. 

Inside the Mumbleship, you’ll have access to 25+ magic topics and masterclasses, 50+ witchcraft resources including spells, charts, and worksheets, and our member-led discussion forum. It’s all designed to help you boost your manifesting confidence and connect you with your witchy circle.

All you need to do to join us is go to mumblesacademy.com

You can also share yourself, your practice, and what you know with other people here. You can have conversations and discussion about witchcraft topics.

Of course, solitary work is very personal so it is totally valid to keep your work to yourself. Besides, what works for you might not work for other people. But if it does feel right to you, and you think you can help someone, then you can take that opportunity to share some of your successes and guide them. 

The main point here is that being solitary doesn’t mean you have to be alone.

And I hope you join us in the Mumbleship and be part of that community, but if not with us, I hope that you can find people that you can share yourself with.

Clarify Your Intentions and Beliefs

Another important step to take in your solitary witchcraft practice is to clarify your intention for practicing.

Ask yourself this question: “Why am I interested in self-initiation and a solitary practice?” 

There is more than one correct answer to this, and whatever you answer is correct. This answer will come to you by looking into your own experiences, hard work, creativity, persistence, determination, and wisdom.

Remember that whatever you answer today might not be the answer to this question tomorrow. Your answer will likely change and grow as you do. Continue to check back in with yourself with this question so that you don’t lose track of your original intent. And make sure you adjust your answer periodically to reflect the changes in yourself.

Along these lines, you’ll also want to document your core beliefs.

Once you’ve written down what you believe about witchcraft, spirituality, the universe we live in, etc., sign it, date it, and place it in your journal, grimoire, or Book of Shadows. 

And then it’s a really good idea to re-evaluate this every year. Choose a time each year to re- examine it.

A good time to do this may be the start of the witches year at Samhain (October 31st in the northern hemisphere), the start of the astrological year when the sun moves into Aries (March 21st), or New Years Day of the Gregorian Calendar (January 1st). You decide what feels right to you. 

When you look at this document again, think about what you meant when you wrote it and what you've learned since then. Your mindset might not have changed at all over the year or you may find that you have taken your practice in a completely new direction.

At this point to want to re-evaluate whether you’ve taken it in a direction you want to go or if you need to redirect yourself. So, take this time when you re-evaluate your core beliefs to rewrite and review everything that you believe about witchcraft, your motivations, your beliefs, your values, and what your concerns are. Everything that goes into your witchcraft practice.

How to Research and Take Notes

The next series of tips have to do with the actual research and note-taking process.

CHECK YOUR SOURCES

First, make sure you check your information, especially when it comes from the internet. The internet is a wonderful place. It gives us the opportunity to learn almost anything with the click of a button.

This also means that there is an overwhelming amount of information available to us, and this can be really challenging especially if you’re not sure where to start.

As you research you may find contradictory information between two sources. This often occurs when witches write about magical use for certain materials based on their experience.

It’s okay to ask the writer questions about their choices. Many witch bloggers and authors do this because we love talking about witchcraft and we’re more than happy to discuss our choices with you.

Discrepancies also happen because some cultures have different uses for different materials or call different practices by the same name. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, and you may find that as you go along, some materials or practices work better for you in another setting than how you originally learn it. 

So, as you’re researching—and you’re going to do a lot of reading—make sure you cross-reference the information you find online with at least one other source. Just as you would with any other research you would do. Diversify your sources so that you’re not following just one teacher or author. Look for sources written by people who belong to the culture the practice, material, etc. comes from. Try to mix in traditional texts with modern witchcraft so you don’t miss out on the origin of the folk traditions. 

CITE YOUR SOURCES

And don’t forget to keep track of your sources. Whether you are sharing information publicly or keeping it private just for yourself, write down the source in your notes. It’s important to give credit to the author, because they have done a considerable amount of work to create these resources for you, and they deserve to have credit for that work. Respect their creativity and maintain your personal integrity by keeping track of who wrote this original work.

Another reason to keep track of your sources is because you may need to come back to it later to clarify something. Perhaps you wrote something down incorrectly or your writing got smudged in some way. If you haven’t written the source you won’t know where to look to find it again. 

Above all, you’ll want to trust your intuition. If something nudges you to try something different from what’s written in the book, experiment. And if something doesn’t feel right to you, just steer clear of it, and that’s totally okay. 

USE IT OR LOSE IT

Finally, whenever you learn something new that aligns with your vision for your witchcraft practice, try it for yourself as soon as possible. This is a use it or lose it journey. If you’re not using what you learn, you’ll probably forget. So, make sure you use what you found anytime you learn something new and give the experience the chance to teach you.

Skepticism and Witchcraft

The last thing I want to share with you in this episode is the importance of skepticism in witchcraft, especially for the solitary witch. Without skepticism it’s impossible to separate the magic we see in Hollywood from the real life magic we can actually experience.

Skepticism is how we keep ourselves safe from following authors and leaders blindly. It’s how we help ourselves and others before falling too deep into unhealthy delusions. Blind faith is not true belief. Blind faith is an unwillingness to remedy your beliefs when presented with objective realities. 

Skepticism is the reminder that one cannot be 100% certain about any knowledge and an invitation to ask questions. Skepticism leads us to more knowledge. If humanity knew all the answers, there would be no more questions. 

Modern magic tends to walk a paradoxical line of belief and reason. We know things as certain that the ancients did not, and technology provides tools some old dreamers could never dream. But there is also a need for imagination, and things that are sacred and mysterious.

As a witch you walk this line between sacred and secular: what is known and what is unknown. As a witch you study things that are both material and immaterial, so it’s only natural to be a skeptic.

When you worry and doubt plague your magic, ask why you have these fears. Ask why you wish to believe in magic or practice it at all.

I've spent almost a decade practicing witchcraft, and I go through the ups and downs of rejoicing in the divine and doubting my magic. But I keep going, I keep studying, I keep listening. There’s no reason to be afraid of my skeptical thoughts or doubts. I acknowledge them. I give them space. I incorporate them into an ongoing discourse between myself and the universe.

There’s no reason for you to fear your inner skeptic either. Embrace them and their critical eye.

A witch does best when they're discerning with their studies and practices. Keep praying. Tell your gods, the universe, and your spirit about your doubts. Cast spells in spite of internal critics and be open to answers that aren't conventional.

Witches can be open minded to seek knowledge that others, perhaps, deemed impossible. And if you wonder if that knowledge is truly impossible, all the better; you just need to keep possibility in mind.

Summary

Thank you so much for reading. Let’s review what we learned today. I talked about solitary witchcraft and what that means. I reminded you that solitary doesn’t mean alone and about the importance of community. I shared the importance of documenting your intentions and your core beliefs as well as some tips for researching spiritual and witchcraft practices. Finally, I gave you some information about skepticism in witchcraft.

Join us in the Talk Witchcraft Facebook group to chat about this episode with other witchy folks.

Wait, don’t go yet!

Thanks for hanging out with me today. If you’ve enjoyed this post of Talk Witchcraft, I invite you to check out mumblesacademy.com.

Mumbles Academy is the place to be for intuitive souls at any stage on their WitchPath. Whether you are a Wildling at the very beginning of witchcraft journey and looking for a safe learning environment, a Creator who is already committed to their practice and wants to develop their witchcraft skills even more, or a Sage who full of wisdom already and is ready to share that with others, Mumbles Academy was designed for you.

With monthly masterclasses and live Q&As, an extensive archive of courses and training, and a supportive community to help you along the way with encouragement and advice, Mumbles Academy is the perfect place for you to be as you as you continue on your WitchPath.

Now it’s your turn!

Share the spell you wrote, or the spell you analyzed and what you learned from this process in a comment below.