Try to arrange your ritual for a time where it is quiet and you will be undisturbed. If you can unhook the phone, tell your family to leave you alone, and shut the door that's wonderful! Otherwise rituals done late at night or the middle of the day are perfectly fine. Many Wiccans enjoy a ritual bath or shower. Adding some relaxing herbs such as lavender, chamomile, or some sea salt to the bath can add to its cleansing power and increase your awareness and perception. Put your herbs in a clean, natural cloth, tie it up with a string, and toss it into the tub as it's filling. Even a quick jump in the shower, visualizing the water washing negativity away, can be very rejuvenating and effective.

RITUAL DRESS...

 is very much up to the individual. Some Wiccans go with the traditional robe. These can easily be made on a sewing machine. Natural fabrics such as cotton are best as they breathe and allow a better energy flow. Others prefer practicing nude, otherwise known as "skyclad". This can be an empowering experience, climate and company permitting. Contrary to some rumors it is NOT EVER required. A specific nightdress, shirt and pants, or other such outfit set aside only for ritual works very well. You can also bless different colored scarves to wear according to the nature of your ritual. Some people feel no need for special dress, or special dress only on certain occasions. Go with your intuition and comfort level.

COLORS...

 have their own vibrations and can add to the power and atmosphere of your ritual. Robes, scarves, or cords can be made to wear for specific rituals. Scott Cunningham provides basic color correspondences, but of course go with whatever you feel is appropriate.

YELLOW - divination

PURPLE - pure divine power/working to deepen a relationship with the God/Goddess.

BLUE - healing, psychic awareness, working with the Goddess.

GREEN - herbal work, ecology, earth magick.

BROWN - work with animals

WHITE - purification and spirituality, meditation and cleansing, Full Moon Celebrations, attuning with the Goddess.

ORANGE - creativity, inspiration

ORANGE or RED - Sabbats, protection, attuning with the God (particularly in his Sun aspect)

BLACK - protection, symbolizes the universe and lack of falsehood.

SILVER - The Goddess

GOLD - The God

RITUAL JEWELRY...

 is also very common in Wicca. Practitioners have everything from vast collections of various kinds of jewelry, each with a specific purpose, to one simple amulet or talisman worn all the time, deep with meaning and value. Scott Cunningham defines an AMULET as an object ritually charged to repel negative energy, a TALISMAN is an object charged to attract positive energy. If you are interested in ritual jewelry find one or two pieces that interest and attract you to start out with. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, anklets, whatever you like is fine. The pieces need not be elaborate nor expensive, only attractive and meaningful to you.

PENTACLES AND PENTAGRAMS...

 are common choices for Wiccans, but endless possibilities abound. You could use spirals, suns, moons, animal totems, goddess or god likenesses, globes or circles, runes, Egyptian imagery, whatever appeals to you. It is recommended that you study the meaning behind any symbol you choose before using it in ritual.

It is important to note that although objects, particularly natural objects, hold their own energy and power and can be very helpful in ritual they are NOT necessary. All you truly need for a ritual is you. Robes, candles, incense, jewelry and other accoutrements can be valuable additions, but none are so valuable that should they be lost you will have no ritual power. Power objects are fine, but should not be relied on exclusively.

WORSHIPPING ALONE VS. WITH OTHERS

Both forms of worship are equally acceptable. Again it all comes down to compatibility and your comfort level. If you are more comfortable doing rituals alone, especially as a beginner, than by all means do your rituals solitary. If you enjoy the company of others and prefer rituals with one or more companions there are few things to keep in mind. Try to do rituals with those who share your mindset and truly respect your beliefs and feelings about Wicca. Inviting those who are merely curious or prone to condescending is guaranteed to inhibit your personal power and enjoyment of the ritual. Be conscientious about asking your SO to participate. If they are truly interested and want to be involved the rituals can be wonderful and magickal indeed. However if they are doing it out of a sense of obligation or humoring you, they will get little, if anything, out of it and so will you.

To join or not to join a coven is a very personal decision many Wiccans struggle with. Working in and with a coven can be a wonderful experience, bringing you together with lifelong friends who become like family. Unfortunately, like any group experience, some covens are fraught with politics, in-fighting, or an oppressing sense of tradition. If you get the opportunity to join a coven, or you seek one out, keep a few things in mind. Be aware of your own comfort level and what you are willing to do or not do. If skyclad is the norm for that group but not for you, their initiation schedule seems rigid, they are unorganized, expect too much of you, give you too little attention, or otherwise make you feel uncomfortable and out of place this is not the group for you. A coven should be a group of people you feel very safe working with closely and intimately. If that feeling of safety and trust is low or absent, find another group. Find a group with similar interests if you can. If your interests and previous study lie in Gardnerian Wicca, than a Dianic coven may not be for you. Find out what pantheons/paths the coven follows and see if it holds meaning for you. Keep in mind the size of the group. The traditional number is 13, but that is only a guide. Smaller groups allow for more interaction, more attention to each member, but you may be asked to carry more responsibility and weight than you are ready for. Larger covens can spread the work around and allow for more diverse people and relationships, but you may get lost in the shuffle with little guidance and too many hands in the pot.

There is absolutely no shame or inferiority in practicing solitary, either by choice or necessity. The enhancement of your relationship with the Goddess and God requires only one participant, you. Lack of a "formal" initiation, identification with a coven or even a specific branch of Wicca in no way makes you any less Wiccan. That is a decision that you make for yourself.

**Most of this information was taken from Scott Cunningham’s "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner". It is only a guide and is not THE way nor written in stone.