https://www.facebook.com/andy.j.cagliostrosinyard
SOLITARY PRACTITIONER: is a term used to describe an individual who chooses to practice their spiritual faith in the privacy of his or her home or other designated space, without the need to participate in a group such as that of a Wiccan coven; although it’s not uncommon for solitaries to participate in some communal activities(e.g. Most often th
e term solitary practitioner is ascribed to those within the Neo-Pagan community, a diverse group of spiritual paths that include various forms of Wicca, Traditional Reconstructionism and Traditional British Witchcraft among others; about half of all pagans are self-ascribed solitary practitioners. While formal training is not a necessary component of solitary practice as it is in more organized groups, it is nevertheless a supported recommendation and practitioners can find a myriad of workshops, seminars and classes, in their local communities and online, that help to provide a more well-rounded approach to their spiritual practice; In most cases books are the primary means of education to the solitary practitioner, along with CDs and instructional videos. Furthermore, the Internet has provided for innumerable avenues of personal education in several spiritual faiths (this page), Neo-Pagan or otherwise, making it possible for an individual to learn all he or she can about a particular path. In addition, that individual may decide to merge the various beliefs, legends and rituals they’ve researched from differing paths into a diverse, yet coherent whole known as being 'Eclectic'. Of course decisions for choosing solitary practice over community gatherings are as individual as the practitioners themselves, but a few common reasons are often cited. The reason most often given is that of fear, in that the practitioner is concerned he or she might be the subject of harassment or abuse, whether physically, emotionally and/or socially, should the individual publicly express his or her beliefs, especially when those beliefs are in direct contrast to those of their local community; this mentality is often referred by those in the Neo-Pagan community by the slang phrase, 'still in the broom closet'. However, another reason is mere personal preference: the individual simply feels more comfortable practicing alone, rather than with others, by entering into sacred communion with his or her deities on a one-to-one basis in private. In fact, History speaks to the traditional nature of the solitary path through the existence of wise women, oracles, shamans and the like who practiced their craft alone and offered essential services to their communities, choosing a select few to inherit their knowledge (most often members of their family or people they were particularly close with.) The claim could be made that such exclusivity contributed to the targeting of Witches, genuine or not, whose secret arts engendered fear and suspicion in the minds of the general public and jealousy in medieval doctors, whose practices were woefully ineffective. (This last statement is inferred from historical premise and opinion and should not be treated as fact.) Yet, solitary practice has been the subject of scrutiny within the Neo-Pagan community by those who feel that the practice is uncommitted, or in some way insincere, especially within the Wiccan community who consider a Witch’s power to be transferred/bestowed upon an individual by the leading authority of a group, for instance a High Priest of Priestess. Regardless of public opinion, several proponents of solitary practice, such as Doreen Valiente and Raymond Buckland, have advocated and promoted the act of 'self-initiation', a process by which an individual professes in private (usually through a ritual of some kind) their commitment to and worship of a particular deity or pantheon. In this way a practitioner may acquire in his or her own way a feeling of authenticity, with the added benefit of remaining exclusive, and an extensive amount of self-initiating rituals have been written and published for the general public by popular New Age authors like Silver RavenWolf and the late Scott Cunningham, both of whom have excellent and educational guides for the solitary practitioner. Page admins own personal beliefs:
Stregheria is Italian witchcraft known as the 'Old Religion' (La Vecchia Religione). A 'Strega' is a female Witch and a 'Stregone'
Stregheria is an archaic Italian word meaning 'witchcraft', to refer to an Italian-based tradition of witchcraft. It is sometimes called La Vecchia Religione (the Old Religion). The word for 'witchcraft' in modern Italian is stregoneria. A Witch / Wiccan / Pagan lives by a code of ethics which is built upon the Laws of Nature. Our behavior is not regulated by a fear of what awaits us in the 'Afterlife', but a respect for what awaits us in this Life. Everything, and everyone, is connected. What we do to one another, and to our World, we do to ourselves. For me, like most others, my path IS my religion. Just to practice it once in a while does not give you the benefit of actually 'knowing' your religion. You must practice it DAILY. It must become second nature to you. To give thanks to the God and Goddess for another day to learn, to meditate, to celebrate the festivals according to our Ways, to give proper respect to each other. These are just a few of the basics, and most of what I say about them may come under scrutiny of another (or others). That being said....there is no one in this world that owns the copyright on my path and I have have as much right to express them, in any form, how I see fit and I'm sure you may feel just the same way that I do about your own path. The Stregherian calendar acknowledges Eight Treguendas. During this time, we undergo 13 Full Moon phases, one every 28 1/4 days. It was once believed that the shadowed areas of the Moon were forests where the Goddess Diana hunted. In Italy, witches do not use the word Sabbat for their seasonal rites. The Italian word is Treguenda (Tray-gwen-dah). In modern Italian the word Treguenda means 'quarterly or every three months'. In the Stregherian tradition there are eight Treguendas: four major and four minor. The major festivals occur in October, February, May and August and these are the Spiritual rites. The minor festivals occur on the Spring and Autumn Equinox and on the Summer and Winter Solstice. These are the Earth festivals and are seasonal and agriculture-related in nature. The Old Religion of Italy first began to form around the beliefs of early, pre-Etruscan Italians. The mystery teachings and the magickal practices were further developed and refined by the Etruscans, who appeared in Italy around 1000 B.C.E., establishing the great Etruscan Empire. The Etruscans were known historically for their great magickal and mystical knowledge. With the rise of the Roman Empire, other factors began to influence Italian religion. What we call the Lare today, were, in early Etruscan times called the Lasa. In Stregheria, the Lare represent not only ancient family ties, but the spirits who protect and preserve the Old Religion and its followers. The Lasa were the spirits of the West (ancestral ties) and the Lare were spirits of the East (preservation of Ways). Lasa was the name the Etruscans gave nature spirits, those which had once been human, now moving on through their spiritual evolution. So there was a connection to the people from the past, an ancestral connection. Now, when we say 'Lasa', we mean these nature spirits. The Romans called them the Lare and emphasized even more their ancestral nature, connecting specifically with the collective consciousness of all their familial predecessors. The streghe families kept this concept alive, gaining strength and aid from staying linked with the streghe that had gone before. The Lare are centered on the family and its doings and have strong ties to actual ancestors. The Lasa are less 'domestic' and their roots are in all of humanity. Once the Lare shrine has been established, you have a presence in your home. So you would approach the shrine with the awareness that you are going to speak to a respected elder. Light a candle and incense as a focusing act, and place a nectar offering. Then ask for their help in the same way you would a person, clearly stating what you need assistance with and then respectfully request their aid. Thank them at the end of this. It's important to interact with them not only when you need help. They should be included in birthdays and other family events, just as you would another family member. If you read up on Roman practices regarding the Lare and ancestral spirits, it's pretty obvious that this was an extremely important feature of the culture. Witchcraft (Stregoneria) broadly means the practice of, and belief in, magical skills and abilities that are able to be exercised individually, by designated social groups, or by persons with the necessary esoteric secret knowledge. Additional (from various sources):
The term witchcraft comes from the Latin word Strix, that really means Striga, a nocturnal bird found in ancient fairy tales, that sucked the blood of children in the cradle and instilled them their poisoned milk. It is mentioned by various Latin authors, such as Ovid, Plautus and Pliny the Elder. The Witch (Strega) is manifested in various forms and names and assumes different characteristics depending on the locality in which he lives. Each region of Italy has its own folklore and so gives witch many different names, helping to create a family for these creatures populous and diverse.
