I came to paganism, as many people do, through Wicca, but from the very beginning I was attracted by the information I found about the solitary pagan, the hedgewitch. In this article I want to give just a brief outline of some of my personal practices and thoughts on being a hedgewitch, as opposed to being part of a coven.

I hope other wiccans and other hedgewitches will contribute articles about their practices and experiences.

Firstly, a little about why I find this path the most fulfilling. Having experienced Christianity I was distrustful of highly ritualised religion that involved hierarchies and set rules and texts. On reading about Wicca I found that the highly ritualised workings and the politics of a coven off putting. For some people, this path is the most rewarding as it provides the witch with a strong framework and support from other witches. It just wasn't for me. The solitary path allows me to make my rituals and observances as complicated or as simple as I like, using materials I have at hand. Also, I feel much more comfortable observing the sabbat in my own small way, with my own personal altar and offerings to the Goddess and God. So, a little more on that.

In my small flat (I'm only a student after all!) I have my humble altar (on my bookshelf!) with my candles (fire), a bowl of water (water!), my incense (air) and an earthen chalice filled with sand from Scotland (earth). These elements remain, but depending on the season and the sabbat I decorate the altar with appropriately coloured beads, flowers and nuts. I find this is the best, and simplest, way of observing the sabbat and offering thanks to the Goddess for the earth's unending cycle. Even if I don't always perform a working, this altar makes me feel like I am partaking in the Wheel of the Year in my own small way.

As for ritual, I find space limiting, so tend to create a mental sacred space and conduct simple visualisations, with my altar at the north of the circle. If I want to splash out, I make myself more room and place a symbol of each element at the appropriate quarter. The ritual itself is not usually greatly planned before hand, and the words I say are often what comes to mind as I meditate on the season and its personal meaning to me. Offerings take the form of poems, or pictures I have composed, or food I have baked. A communion will usually end the rite, and I'm working on brewing some moonshine for this very purpose! But, as you can see, my rituals fluctuate in form and complexity, depending on mood and circumstances. Also, I tend to do a more complex working at the Solstices and at new year (Samhain), but each witch will have their own favourite festivals that mean something particular to them.

I enjoy cooking and making things, and have made this a part of my practice, cooking something seasonal for each sabbat, and making herb charms. In ritual, my main tool is the athame. This is again, small and simple, with a wooden handle and a small, rough blade. Other witches use larger, more ornate athames. I use this for channelling energy in rituals and in visualisation. There are many different athames and some witches even use a wand, (not the type you get with a fairy costume, but one made out of twigs bunched together!). If you are a hedgewitch, the choice is yours.

And that is really the main attraction of the solitary path for me. I also feel it offers a simple pagan path that a family can join in with, as you can get children involved in making things like Bride Dolls, or painting eggs for Eostar.

Books that I have found useful in my study are 'Hedgewitch' by Rae Beth, 'The Wheel of the Year' by Theresa Moorey, 'The Real Witches Kitchen' by Rae Beth and you also may want to look at Marian Green's 'A Witch Alone' or Elen Hawke's 'The Sacred Round'. Also, invest in a good magical herb book and a sturdy notebook for recipes, crafts and poems you want to collect.