targeting of witches, genuine or not, whose secret arts caused fear and suspicion in the minds of the general public and jealousy in medieval doctors, whose practices were ineffective. (This last statement is inferred from historical premise and opinion and should not be treated as fact). 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 or bestowed upon an individual by the leading authority of a group, for instance a High Priest or 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 their 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 having written educational guides for the solitary practitioner. References Further reading Paganism: An Introduction to Earth-Centered Religions by Joyce & River Higginbotham The Wiccan Path: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Rae Beth White Magic: A Book of Transformation, Spells and Mind Magic by Marian Green Solitary Wicca for Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own by Arin Murphy-Hiscock Self-Initiation for the Solitary Witch: Attaining Higher Spirituality Through a Five-Degree System by Shanddaramon Earth Power: Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham Wiccan terminology