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Note: For readers unfamiliar with Reiki, a basic FAQ page can be found here.

There were five people gathered in our teachers living room for the Reiki Level I class: my girlfriend and myself, a middle aged woman and her former daughter in law, and a thirty-something male lawyer.

Hey everyone!

Another question has come up that I thought I would address as a blog post. Curt asks:

"I find my crystal work is more effective in assisting others than it is when I assist myself. What do you advise?"

That's a really great question, and one I have often asked myself over the years. Why is it that most healing modalities seem more effective when we apply them to others than when we work on ourselves?

When we work on ourselves, many different factors come into play:

Everyone comes to the healing path in a different way. This is the first post in my "Steps on the Healing Path" series, in which I'll share some of the pivotal moments of my journey.

A slightly different version of this post appeared on my personal blog in 2012.

Being Solitary is a defining part of who I am as a Pagan.  I meet so many other Solitaries in my journeys and often find them feeling disconnected from the greater Pagan Community.  That is why I write this blog and speak on this topic whenever I can.  The specific topic I write about today applies to every segment of the Community because, when it comes right down to it, each of us are Solitary within our own minds, and that’s important to remember.  Even Traditional Pagans often feel disenfranchised or isolated, (and most practice away from their Covens as well as with them) so this article is really for everyone in the Community.

A few of you might be aware that I was involved in a very serious (and very stupid) accident in mid-December.  I quickly sent out a call to my friends asking for healing energy directly from my hospital bed.  I was in extraordinary pain when I sent that request and was badly broken.  One aspect of my life as a Solitary has been to shield myself from the energy of others in most instances.  Bad experiences from my past have made me very cautious about the energies I take in and (generally speaking) I never open myself to energy from people I’ve never met.