Wicca for One: The Path of Solitary Witchcraft

by Raymond Buckland

A comprehensive guide to the solitary practice of Wicca through every season of life, from becoming a witch to improving your life through magic to mastering spells, rites, traditions, and celebrations. Original.

Genres: Wicca, Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Paganism, Religion, Magic

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Raymond Buckland was a highly influential figure in the development of modern Wicca and the occult in the United States. Born in London, he became interested in the supernatural at an early age and was initiated into the Gardnerian Wiccan tradition in 1963 by Monique Wilson, a high priestess appointed by Gerald Gardner. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1962, Buckland introduced Gardnerian Wicca to the country, founding its first coven in New York in 1964. He later developed his own tradition, Seax-Wica, inspired by Anglo-Saxon paganism, and published The Tree: Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft to make it accessible to all.
In 1968, he established the first Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in the U.S., which helped normalize and educate the public about Wicca. Over the course of his career, Buckland wrote more than sixty books on Wicca, divination, and the occult, including Witchcraft from the Inside and Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft, both regarded as essential texts in Neopaganism.
Throughout his life, Buckland remained a prolific teacher, writer, and practitioner. He continued to write and teach until his death in 2017, leaving behind a lasting legacy that shaped the spiritual practices of countless Wiccans and Pagans worldwide.

Reviews

[ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a few books on Wicca and have enjoyed this the most. Buckland is considered one of the best writers concerning American Wicca and is certainly the most popular. Having written probably a dozen books, I would choose this one because it is aimed at the individual, emphasizing practices that can be employed without a coven or a president initiator.

Anyone interested in WHAT wicca is, in simple terms and practices, would enjoy this book. Much more so than the Wicca mainstay "Wicca Today", by Gerald Gardner. Where Gardner leaves you asking more questions, Buckland answers some and provides some interim levity - as can be found through practice - while your curiosity takes you futher in your exploration.

Lastly - if you think a spell has been cast on you, this book is a MUST. It will provide you with the information you need to fight back. In some cases however you will learn that fighting back comes at a price you might not want to pay. Kind of a, "Cure the disease by killing the patient," sort of thing.

[Indigo Crow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh boy... Okay, hear me out. I like this book, but also, I don't. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but hopefully by the time I finish this review it will.

I like Buckland's writing style. I do not personally think of myself as Wiccan. For one thing, because most Wiccans keep to the fluffy "harm none" rule of that path, in many cases I CAN'T be accepted as such by Wiccans, whether or not I say so myself, and given the nature of neo-paganism, that doesn't make any sense, either, since even Buckland seems to suggest in this book (and others I've read by him) that a solitary witch doesn't have to care what anybody else thinks of her. So it's actually rather moot what I decide to call myself, but as you can see, I have digressed. Anyway, Buckland has an easy style that makes reading his material fast and pleasant, so even if you, like me, don't describe yourself as Wiccan, you can still enjoy books like this.

The book has a lot of very useful information in it. Rituals are easily explained, some with pictures to help those of us that are more visual learners. There are some brief descriptions of tools, herbs, and other witchy implements and how to use them and what their properties are. I was pleased by these things, and therefore I find this book useful to me in the future, unlike others similar to it that I have read by other authors.

HOWEVER!

Buckland has a bit of a chip on his shoulder about what a witch is and does. He is unapologetically Wiccan and I applaud him for his dedication to his chosen path, but he tends to almost sneer at any other witch whose path is not his. He actually contradicts himself in this way, since he makes it appear that he does not hold judgements against other witches whose paths are not Wiccan. By this I mean that he straight out says that anyone that is NOT Wiccan is NOT a witch, period, and that such person just "do magic". That is absolutely not true and he ought to be ashamed of himself for being so full of himself. The term "witch" has been used for those who used magic and held pagan traditions far before the term "Wicca" was ever created. People were persecuted as WITCHES long before there was a religion called Wicca. That he would suggest that someone is not a witch simply because they decided the Wiccan path did not suit them is self righteous. As you can probably tell, this very much rubbed me the wrong way.

He also seems too caught up in ceremony. A witch in the old days wouldn't have been able to get candles of a specific color. Such things wouldn't have been so easy to produce, and even when, say, a gold colored candled was available, it would likely have been too expensive for the peasantry to afford to buy for use in magic or ritual. Still, Buckland is incredibly stuck on colors as if you MUST have something with just the right color or you're going to fail. He also, though he might not even know it, sows seeds of doubt in his readers. I say this because he explains that rituals and spells must be done in very specific ways or they will fail. Not everybody has enough mobility or energy to "raise power" in the manner in which he seems to suggest is absolutely key to the success of a spell.

Regardless, even if you, like me, don't call yourself Wiccan, I still suggest this book for the information that IS useful for anybody of any path. You don't have to do it Buckland's way. You really don't. I just wish he wasn't so stuck on himself and his own path as to act as though his is completely superior to all others. But nevertheless, even with that, the book is useful and I suggest it to any witch looking to gain more knowledge about the Craft.

Blessed Be.

[Erik Akre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Raymond Buckland; he has a strong sense of what will appeal to Wiccans just starting out on their path. This book is definitely for beginners; it offers an exciting survey of all the things beginning Wiccans are thinking about: magick, circles, ritual, tools, deities, spells, arcane lore... The downside is, of course, the same downside that all such books have: It's pretty shallow. There is no deep address of pagan ways, of nature worship, or true and meaningful spiritual practice.

As a dabbler, I loved the book. It inspired me and provided an interesting way to spend my reading time. It opened me up to possibilities and encouraged me on my path. What it did not do is nudge me toward a truly deep understanding of the Pagan Way, or toward a practice that could ultimately sustain me in spirit.

I rate this book based almost on entertainment value. I admit it. It is compassionately written; Buckland is a friend to witches. Wicca for One is perhaps intended as a gateway; the reader is meant to discover the deeper truths of the religion on his or her own, after jumping in at Buckland's prompting.

If you're just getting interested, pick up this book for a thrill!

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good lesson book for beginners. More modern than some of them, and I quite liked it. I would highly, highly recommend this one to anyone just starting out.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read about Wicca, and while I'll definitely be looking for some more books and resources, this book definitely made me more interested in possibly pursuing this path. It's a great overview of beliefs and rituals that is decently affective at giving you a feel for what this religion is about. Very interested to read more and I'm glad I picked this as my first book.

[Opal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckland has a wonderful change of perspective in the realm of Wicca. He's well respected and finally gave in and wrote us the book that Cunningham had been trying to also master for years.

The only reason this book didn't get 5 stars for me was the very thin section encompassing beliefs. Not much was covered in the neighborhood of Wiccan beliefs and subsets of Wicca such as Dianic, Gardenian, Alexandrian, etc. The book is a great mid-level book for solitary practitioners with some gray areas, we are able to see that Buckland is more keen on certain forms of magic and divination but that's to be expected, so don't expect fine details about the inner workings of certain skills or subsets.

Overall, great coverage of Sabbats, Goals of the witch, self dedication, and the actual practicing of ritual and magic. I wish there was more mention of meditation, prayer and beleifs/ morals but we're again left in the dark as Wicca can be a broad subject and too much detail can cause readers to detach or feel unwelcome. Either way, I'd recommend the book highly but it's not the best book for me personally.

[J.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still working my way through this one. Like most of Buckland's works, there's a wealth of wisdom here. It's another good introduction to the Craft.

[Anna Katherina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly this book is exhausting to read- starting first with its poor organization.

The book begins right out the door with a long and... Honestly, incredibly boring lecture about largely mythological figures who've been "solitary practitioners" of magic. Buckland then goes on to give a strange history of "how covens formed" before making a small case for being solitary in the modern craft. All of which is incredibly weird.

What is weirder is that the book then, with such a random feeling, jumps immediately into describing "what Wiccans believe". Information about which covers the God and Goddess, Spirits, the Earth, reincarnation, and the like; I did find it interesting that during all this there's no mention of The All. This unified aspect of Divinity is left out Buckland's theology entirely despite being integral to Wiccan concept of Divinity as a whole- and despite Buckland making vague references to it later on.

The next section is labeled "Solitary Practice" for some strange reason, and covers Tools, Temple (Sacred Space), Ritual, Esabats and Sabbats, and everything else that makes up the rest of the beliefs and practices of Wicca... Or, rather, what he is actually teaching his readers: A warped form of NeoWicca; all of the information here is fairly standard, and he doesn't actually do a very good job of making anything particularly relevant to the Solitary. It's less a legitimate book about adapting NeoWicca to solitary practice, and more a standard 101 book used at a foundation for a lot of his own personal peacocking. But I'll get into some of that later.

Back to the point: Throughout this section, too, the organization is odd; tools and consecrations together make sense, though it's weird they're two different chapters. But learning consecration before you even learn about ritual at all is always a bit strange to me. And sacred Space before Ritual is always well and good, but consecrating a tool during a self dedication (which he conflates with an Initiation, but which are not at all the same things)? Then to have a chapter on Esabats followed by a chapter on Rites of Passage, then the chapter on Sabbats, makes no sense at all. And the chapter on Solitary Ethics really should have been included all the way back in the section on "Wiccan Beliefs"- but the real travesty of organization is that it doesn't even make an appearance until near the end of the book in the first place, in chapter 17 of the Solitary section.

While the organization is abysmal, however... Content wise, I admit I'm weirdly split on my opinion of Buckland's work here... Mostly I'm of the opinion that it's bad, and rather annoying. But there are some bits here and there that make me not hate it quite so much as I'd like to.

On one hand, I find all of his arguments incredibly shallow, poorly informed, and absolutely ridiculous. Especially his argument for why one should be a solitary in the first place; he uses near entirely all mythological figures to (in his mind at least) "prove" that "solitary practitioners came first" before covens ever even existed- which makes them (again, in his mind- and which he very vocally expresses in the most childish manner throughout the entirety of the book) superior to Covened practitioners. And while the initial argument that Covens may be a later "invention" may have some merit, it's so absurdly argued here it's absolutely insane; he becomes the ultimate joke.

There's also the fact that he contradicts not only himself repeatedly, but also contradicts established Traditional NeoWiccan practice of the time just about as often- both in some of the most annoying ways.

Take, for instance, his section on the Esabats wherein, within the very first paragraph, he informs the reader that Esabats are 1. Worship rituals of thanksgiving, during which we give thanks to the Divinity and ask for what we need from them either in the form of prayers, or by doing spellwork and divination at this time (correct); and 2. Are held on the Full Moon each month- though you can hold them more often (Esabats are specifically the Full Moon celebrations of Wicca). He then goes on to give the reader an outline of a simple Esabat ritual wherein a section of the ritual changes based on whether one is holding it on the Full Moon (as is appropriate as an Esabat) or the New Moon (inappropriate). But when you look more closely at the prescribed New and Full Moon additions, both are centered entirely on the Goddess, skewing the ritual in her favor (which contradicts the assertion it's supposed to be a ritual of thanksgiving to Both / All).

The tone, however, is quite possibly the worst thing about the book; as noted earlier, the whole book through, Buckland makes regular mention of how superior Solitary practitioners are, and how much more historically correct they are. He also makes it ell known how nothing matters, really, because Solitaries can really do as they please, rules and tradition be damned. Which is ironic, given his regular assertions that religion is to be take seriously. It winds up being petulant, and childish, and teeth grinding to the very end.

As a necessary reminder: Wicca and NeoWicca are both religions with rules that cannot simply be discarded at random just because you want to; if you do so, then whether you like it or not, past a certain point you cease to be Wiccan or NeoWiccan; for all the crowing otherwise, the fact of the matter is that the rules are what make the Witch- or, at least, the label the Witch my call themself by. And words do indeed mean things, and those meanings should be taken seriously.

Buckland also goes about all of your usual anti-christian, anti-dogmatic "we don't have rules in Wicca" nonsense, all while giving you plenty of rules to abide by. There's also your standard "we don't worship or even believe in Satan!" blathering, as in most books. He also asserts your usual love and light bits of puritanism that's typical- complete with the "we don't do drugs" spiel. But all of that's frankly to be expected with this kind of material and is par for the beliefs. Although I will say he takes it to a bit of an extreme, more so than even Cunningham did- going so far in his "it's only love and light here and you're not a True Witch™ if you do anything negative at all" ridiculousness as to assert such things as grounding aren't necessary because "any power that has been raised is extremely positive energy" (both of which are real claims he makes during the section talking about Magic- though the former statement is a bit of a facetious tongue and cheek rendition of what he actually said).

That being said, some of the stuff he gives the reader does have some good bones to it. And because he tends to take the more ceremonialist approach, and use the more ceremonialist language common of people like Isreal Regardie, the information he presents does tend to fill in some minor gaps that people like Scott Cunningham left. My Gods, the tone and all the other nonsense, though... It almost makes me want to pull my hair out as I read through it.

This being my first introduction to Buckland's work, frankly I'm not impressed in the slightest. I'm not sure what little there is of actual use here makes the rest of the ridiculousness of the book worth recommending to anyone. And if this is the regular quality of what he presents, I really can't fathom why he comes so highly recommended.

[Albalba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It’s a great way of learning the first steps on how to become and act as a wiccan (or witch). I am not particularly into wicca but I learned massive about it’s philosophy, steps, rituals etc.
The only thing I missed is more information but, since it’s a book to learn the basics, I believe it’s a great tool to be aware of what other things you can learn about like skrying, tarot, aura reading, etc. And then you can keep looking for more specific books about that issues.
The author is a very open minded person and you can see it through the whole book because he always gives you other options to choose when explaining the rituals, believing in the god and goddess, etc. This gives me a great feeling because now I know witchcraft is a very personal path that you can adapt to your own beliefs and feelings.
I encourage everyone who’s interested in learning about inner energies, meditation, mind developement, etc. to read this easy-to-read book because it will help you find many answers to your questions.

[Angy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a modern classic in the field of Wicca, and I appreciate how it promotes solitary witchcraft as compared to coven witchcraft, despite what elitists may say. I'm not a pure wiccan, so I don't always agree with Raymond Buckland's takes, though I respect them and how he explains everything. Buckland is a good writer and knows what he is talking about. Unfortunately, a lot of the information was too basic for me in my current path of witchcraft, and I wanted to read less about the basics of Wicca such as celebrating the Wheel of the Year, and more about further developing my own path and practice as a solitary witch. However, this is definitely worth a read for anyone in their early stages of following magick.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started reading this book to see, firstly, what this Wicca business was all about and secondly, whether it was for me. I am quite sure after reading more about it that it isn't the religion for me. I respect it and admire people who practice it. But I genuinely don't have the interest in experiencing it. My review reflects that very selfish insight and isn't a commentary on the worth or value of the content. For me, I found the book interesting but I felt none of the personal pull that would have turned the book from a 3 into a 4 or 5 star read.

[B. Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its organization is all over the place. If this is a practical book in your practice, beware that information is spread out in an inconvenient way. It feels like each proceeding chapter expands on the idea of the previous chapter. Its quite repetitive and some information is unnecessary to Wicca which can confuse new witches. For instance, it says that negativity in witchcraft is not true witchcraft. Thats flat out wrong. Witchcraft is neither good or bad, its dependent on how you use it. I think harming others has no place in Wicca but witchcraft and wicca are not interchangeable terms.

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part one of this book, The Case for Solitaries, is short but gives a brief background of the religion, covens, and solitaries. Part two is the rest of the book and deals with solitary practice. It discusses tools, consecration of tools, rituals, sabbats, divination, solitary ethics, and a few other key things.

This is a great resource for people new to witchcraft. It covers a little bit of all the basics and will continue to be a great reference in future studies.

[Leon Laffredo · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative and pleasant read. This is not the first book from Mr. Buckland I have read but it is the only one I have in the library. The other was many years ago and over the years and multiple moves, it has been lost along the way.

Not sure if I am cut out for solitary practice or practice at all, but there is certainly interest and all knowledge is power, if unrealized.

More to read though, before I make any decisions.

[AMarie Frankenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic. Every time I think back to the first time it was read, I find myself in the right state of mind. It has been a pleasure and something I would love to rekinder.

Wishes only acknowledge the longing, the potential for weakness or knowledge that has yet been tapped.
It's a piece of me I find missing

10/31

[Tiffany Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book. It was thoughtfully written and researched very well. I gained a plethora of knowledge. It was easy to read and the book touched so many different aspects of modern witchcraft. There is a ton of great reference materials. I really enjoyed reading this book and will be reading it again. Very well written!.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was THE book that lead me on the path I'm on today. Wicca For One is an excellent book for beginning to the path of Wicca. I purchased this back in 2004 and read it from cover to cover and have re-read it several times since then. It's an excellent book for anyone interested in Wicca. It remains my favorite Wicca book.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

a review of many different aspects of witchcraft. I just did not completely connect to the authors vision of Wicca. A bit of a general reference although because it tries to cover so much it does not get deep into any of the areas.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wanting to learn more about the paganism of my roots, so I spent the weekend listening to this book. It was very informative, straightforward and uncomplicated. I learned a lot and would like to know more. Recommend.

[Gem Blackthorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, but comprehensive, overview of how a solitary witch can practice by themself.

[Zusu]

Sweet introductory read

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great work from a great Wiccan author. Brilliant read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative for those who know nothing of wicca. It includes a small dictionary a list of herbs and their uses as well as crystals in the back

[Leisurely Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A newer version of Scott Cunningham's Wicca for the Solitary Practitioner.

[Yolanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I doscovered this years after I started in the craft. This book is a surprising treasure filled with valuable information that anyone in any level can learn from. I highly recommend.

[jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

very informative on witchcraft/wicca as a whole and on practices used by witches today. definitely would recommend to anyone looking to learn about witchcraft or become a witch themselves.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first reading on this topic. This seems like a good but basic covering of Wicca, and touches on most aspects. This was a good first read/introduction. I'll save it as a reference and I expect that I'll be returning to it. This was plenty enough to "get started" along the path.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really great book for beginners. It explains the basics in great detail. There is no talking down, or thinking his way is better. I highly recommend it for anyone just getting into the craft, or someone who wants to refresh their memory.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book ,he managed to throw a little bit of everything into it and made it all run together so smooth. I also liked the appendix he added to the back of all the important words and tools such as herbs,the colors and so on. He is definitely a great author.