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[Nicodemus]

Hi
I am completely new to paganism. I am attracted to the freedom it permits.

Have you found that it requires a lot of your practice to be done alone or have you found that there is a community for you to practice with at least occasionally if not frequently?

[vordan]

Finding decent people to practice with is hard, I have a coven that has been around for 14 years recently it has been falling apart but we are all still friends and the High Priestess and I are still practicing together. The local pagan community has open circles on occassion. There are wonderful experiences you will have  worshiping on your own but a good group will also bring experiences that you will not get on your own. A bad coven experience can be really horrid, so until you find the right people it is better to practice alone.

[rainshadow]

I was solitary for years... moved here and found some groups, but didn't mesh well with them, although I loved practicing with another person, the group thing just wasn't my scene, or at least these groups weren't... so maybe one day I'll find another group, but I'm going back to solitary for now.

I've seen the positive and negatives in both experiences (solitary vs group working).

[dragonspring]

I have been mostly Solitary until recently.  Now I practice with my partner and occasionally attend community circles and gatherings.  We tried some clergy training and considered joining a coven for a while but it just wasn't our thing.  I will say that having relationships with other Pagans is essential for growth.  I don't know what I would have done withoutmy friends here and having local friends has been helpful as well.

[thegeekwitch]

I've been solitary for most of my practice, and continue to be, but I'm still part of a relatively large community - we have ritual at about every second Sabbat, but I find the community integral to my growth and as part of socialising it's important.  Still the majority of my practice stays at home. 

[BronwynWolf]

Solitary. I was in a training group once, but egos destroyed it. Sometimes, Hubs, the Kidling and I celebrate together, but usually I do my own thing.

[Tirya]

I started in a group, and learned a lot from them. They provided a foundation for me, and I still use much of what I learned with them. Unfortunately (as seems to happen A LOT), their idea of "what, how, and why" and my idea of "what, how, and why" ended up going in different directions, so I left the group and have been a solitary ever since. I enjoy group Sabbats when I find open ones around me (like the Lammas one that I wanted to go to this evening but missed because I overslept) but as far as "being part of a group", this Forum is as close as I get.

[Nicodemus]

Thank you all for your replies. It seems in general that groups are helpful but can become swayed by people's wills. Practicing alone seems to be what I might expect from starting in Paganism.

I don't see an issue with practising alone but it will be useful in the near future to hear more experienced members feedback on how to do that, I now think.

Thanks!

[Tirya]

The energy in a group is much different than the energy as a solitary (which is only to be expected), and I would highly recommend finding a group that you can at least attend some celebrations with - for example a CUUPS group - so you have a chance to not only experience that difference in energy, but also to expose you to different ways of looking at things and doing things. A lot of times I'll come back from a group gathering with some new ideas and things to try that simply hadn't occurred to me before. I'll also come back with things that definitely didn't resonate with me, so even though they worked for whoever designed the ritual, it's not "for me".

It doesn't mean I'm "part of the group", but similar to doing a lot of reading, having other points of view and being exposed to other ideas can help you better understand your own.

[Nicodemus]

Thanks Tirya
I can see how it would be very educational and helpful. I hadn't heard of CUUPS before, I will see if there is something similar in my area and try to go along. I have a lot to learn and I am still not familiar with the basics so I will continue reading and hopefully get involved.