Personalizing

I've mentioned personalizing and "doing what you feel is right" on other pages of this website. I thought I should dedicate a page to this subject because I can't stress the importance of personalizing your spiritual journey enough.
Wicca has basic beliefs that define it- a belief in a higher power that is both masculine and feminine (a triple goddess and god of the hunt), that "all gods are one god" and that the gods and goddesses are all aspects of the one god and goddess, a respect and closeness to nature, a belief that all things have spirit or energy, a love of ceremonial magick and ritual, etc. But each basic belief can be defined even further by you and by your personal likes, dislikes, and personal beliefs.

If you are drawn to the basics of Wicca, that is great. But search yourself to see how exactly you will want to honor your deity, perform your rituals, pray, perform spells, consecrate tools, what tools you will use, how you will meditate, etc.

Some examples of personalization...

CONSECRATION
You read a book that describes consecration of your tools. The author mentions that you should wash the tools and then sprinkle them with salt water during a consecration ritual. But you read once (maybe here on my website!) that some Wiccans consecrate by touching their tools to some salt in a bowl on their altar. You also may have read that the host of another website cleanses his tools with water and lemon juice. Maybe the author of another book says consecration should be done simply with fresh spring water. What feels right to you? Or what seems most convenient, what will suit you best? It's up to you. You make the decision. Or create your own method of consecration. Salt cleanses, water cleanses, lemon juice cleanses- and all three also are said to dispel negativity. So, maybe you want to include all three in your consecrations. Or, maybe nothing you have read so far seems perfect for you. Keep reading or create your own method.

CASTING THE CIRCLE
If this isn't your first visit to a Wiccan website, you most likely have read ways- other than mine- of casting the circle. My method is simple, to the point, and suits me perfectly. Maybe you are interested in a more elaborate ritual for casting the circle. Keep reading. I have read so many different ways of casting, some are so elaborate and may suit those looking for more complicated rituals. But when you find a circle casting ritual that you like, don't use it as your own. Write you own ritual. Use what you find as a guideline. Someone else's words won't have meaning to you and to your practise the way your own words might. You can personalize not only your actions, but your words as well.

SPELLS
And, by all means, don't copy spells written by others. True power comes from within you and from your own desires and needs. Yes, a spell someone else has written can work for you. But you will feel and be more successful if you create your own works.

These are just a few examples of what I mean by "personalizations." If you are a solitary or eclectic Wiccan you won't have any guidelines to follow the way a member of a coven would have. You won't be told the way to cast the circle or how to perform the rituals, spells, and celebrations. You won't be told how to view the god and goddess or how to communicate with them. You might feel, in a way, left out there all alone to choose what is right or wrong for you. My suggestion is to search yourself through meditation, pray and ask the god and goddess for guidance, and go with your gut when you personalize your path. Your journey will be much more meaningful and fulfilling if you make every aspect of it your own. If you agree with the basics of Wiccan belief, great. But use your own ideas and follow your own heart when defining the more intricate details of your path.
Your first step to creating your path is knowing what you truly believe.