The topic for today's post was suggested by something the author Kate West said at the International Witchfest. Kate is a well known author of the 'Real Witch...' series of books, and this was apparently going to be the last time she gave a public talk for the foreseeable future.

She mentioned that she had recently gone to the US where she was struck by the differences of direction taken by wiccans there and those back at home on this side of the water. Basically, while people here seem to prefer to watch others performing rituals, in the US they prefer to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

Now regular members of this blog will probably hopefully remember that I am not a wiccan. Rather I would describe myself as a solitary pagan witch. A small difference perhaps, but it matters to me. And there are a great number of solitaries, ie. pagans/witches/wiccans/whatever out there, people working alone, inching their way along their own personal path, finding their feet.

I think it is very sad if people regard these rituals as some sort of performance given by others... one of paganism's greatest strengths is the wide variety of belief and ritual at our fingertips, and I for one wouldn't like to just pass that on for others to act out on my behalf.

My rituals might be a bit haphazard - even half-baked, according to some :roll: - but they're mine. If I make mistakes, then they're my mistakes, and if I get it right I go round with a big smile on my face for the remainder of the day!

But what do you think? Should we watch - or should we do? Does it make any difference to the power of a ritual if it is performed by one person or thirteen?