Some of us who’ve been involved in witchery for a long time, particularly those of us who practice solitary, get to a stage where we feel a bit guilty that we’re not ‘doing it’ as much as we used to, or think we should. We feel we’ve let it lapse and are not ‘good’ followers of the Goddess any more.
I’ve come to the conclusion this is, in many cases, an illusion. I look at my life, and those of some people I’ve known closely for years, and perceive that we haven’t actually stopped – we’ve just incorporated that aspect into our lives in regular ways: habits which become routine and unremarkable, no big deal.
If you think your practice has lapsed, think again. I bet you still take affectionate note of the full moon, if only for a moment. I bet you have guides and/or guardians you call on mentally if ever you feel the need, and whom you afterwards thank. Don’t you still send out a burst of love to trees you see, or mountains, or rivers, or birds … and to anyone you know who needs healing? In the latter case, perhaps you also take the time to light a candle, send a blessing, think a quick spell. When someone close to you dies, don’t you utter a prayer for their easy transition? On the great Sabbats, perhaps you don’t do a full ritual, but surely at Samhain you take some moments to remember your dear dead, and at Beltane at least hug your beloved (or, if there’s no-one who fits the bill, pleasure yourself by eating chocolate)?
Personally, I see that I’ve dropped the elaborate and formal (most of the time) but I still do all sorts of little things that come so naturally I forget not everyone does them. For instance, words are my thing so I like word spells, and for me it’s very quick and easy to think a word spell when need arises, and then just get on with the rest of my life again.
If a friend is sick, as a Reiki Master I have quick ways to send them some healing. (I actually liken Reiki in my mind to an order of magic, though I’m not sure too many other Reiki Masters would agree.)
When someone dear dies, I light a candle and say my favourite Pagan prayer for the dead.
I do a quick morning ritual, largely for cleansing and protection, and definitely including gratitude. Also I call on my guides and guardians for help when I feel the need – e.g. every time I start my car, so several times a week at least. Then, trusting that the help will come, I continue about my business.
The things I do as a matter of course work for me. And they’re subjective. I suggest you need to find the things that work for you, the things you feel an affinity with. I further suggest that, if you’ve been involved with magic for some time, you’ve probably already arrived at those practices, whatever they are. Just because you’re not going about it in any big, fancy way, or as part of a group, doesn’t mean you’ve fallen down on the job or failed Witchcraft 101.
(The big fancy ways can be great too, of course, as can working with a group. To each their own – and that ‘own’ may vary over the course of a lifetime … or even a month.)
