A Little Lost and Confused

[Armelle]

Hello Everyone

I have only recently come to terms with the fact that I am Pagan and am finding it very difficult to find a starting point at which to be able to work from (if you know what I mean). So far the only aspect that I have looked into is Tarot cards, which I have been doing for about a year. I enjoy doing this as the tend to relax me, and most of the time I tend to sit there looking through them for no reason at all.

The problem that I am facing at the minute is that I was first introduced to this by two friends of mine that have moved away and I don't have very much contact with anymore. I have felt at a loss without their help as I have no idea what I am doing. I would just like to know if anyone has any suggestions for a new pagan as a way to start out, for example any suggestions on good books. Also, someone suggested that I start a book of shadows, I was wondering if this would help and if so what do they usually entail.

Thank you for helping

[Xirian]

Well, this is your path, so really, you can start anywhere you'd like. I have been on my path for about 6 years and I have just started once again, trying to study tarot divination. It is so much more understandable and clear to me now than it was years ago. I feel as though I have a point of reference and an excellent teacher too.

I was just discussing with someone using tarot during or as a ritual. I have yet to try it, but this might be something you could check into. I don't know what sort of path you're headed down, but my first book was "Hedgewitch: A guide to Solitary Practice" by Rae Beth, simply because I knew right off the bat, that I was going to be solitary. It was a very good book for me and whatever terms or questions I had, I asked on forums like these. It's really difficult to ask questions, when you don't know what questions to form, so finding out some information first is a good idea. The internet has been very helpful in answering many of my questions, as well.

I know there are probably reading lists on this forum for new pagans. I would recommend looking for some of those and looking through the posts here to trying find others with posts similar to yours that have received comments from other members here. Maybe do a search for "new pagan", "newbie questions", "reading suggestions", etc...

Because you've only mentioned a form of divination, which is something non-pagans do as well, you haven't given me much to go on to help direct you to some information that would be useful for you. Do you know what you're interested in, when it comes to your spirituality? Do you have an idea of what you want to learn about yourself and about religion? Have you thought about what exactly you want to gain from being a pagan? I found that books and the internet helped me find these questions and many more, but I had to answer them on my own.

Good Luck!!!

[Tranquility]

Very good advice given by Xirian. Since you seem to be a little hazy with the term 'Pagan', maybe you should research more into it and see if it really is for you. As Xirian said, many non-Pagans do Tarot cards, so don't feel like you have to become Pagan just to do them. Go to a bookstore and just browse through the spirituality or New Age section.. see if some of topics in the books interest you. Worst comes to worst, you don't have to call yourself anything (my personal favorite) and can simply pick and choose interesting things to study - as a more eclectic style.
On the other hand, most relative beginners feel lost at the start (As I did too). My problem was that there is so much out there I want to learn.. and had no idea where to start. Well, here is where books come in handy again :). Scott Cunningham's books are very good on Wicca, if that's where you want to start. It seems like Wicca is the gateway drug of Paganism, so it could be a nice place to start. Otherwise, i'd try doing a google search of 'Pagan Paths' or something of the sort to see the large variety that are out there. I personally started with Wicca, but found it wasn't overall what I was looking for. For one, It seemed to (Yes, i'm going to say it) New Age to me.. at least the books I were reading. It didn't seem like it had that ancient feeling to me. I then branched out to Druidry and Shamanism, so this is what i'm studying now. It makes much more sense to me, because Druidry is helping to connect me with the ancestors. Perhaps you might want to look through family genealogy? Check out where your ancestors came from and what indigenous religions or ways of life were there. Regardless of what you do, good luck!

[RainInanna]

Welcome Armelle. Feel free to ask questions, we like helping newbies :)

In each subforum here you will find threads stuck to the top, usually they are the most helpful ones and can give you a good start. We even have a New Pagans Frequently Asked Questions section at http://mysticwicks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=155

You can read the community Recommended Reading List at http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=3733

Here is a lesson from one of the MW classes on how to start a Book of Shadows http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php and here's a thread on how people do their Book of Shadows http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=16673

[Xirian]

Tranquility gave excellent advice as well, and I wish when I was starting out that I could have read something like this. Great post!!!

[RainInanna]

Also, if you're searching for info on a specific topic you can use the MW search function. Look near the top of the page on the green bar below the header graphic. The word "Search" is a little more than halfway across. You can click it and a box will pop up where you can type some words and click "Go", or click "Advanced Search" if you want to search specific forums or for posts by specific members etc.

Another place I like to browse for info is Yahoo!'s directory - you can find the Pagan Traditions and Paths section at http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Religion_and_Spirituality/Faiths_and_Practices/Paganism/Traditions_and_Paths/ From there you can browse and find websites for all sorts of Pagans. Another good way to get an overview of some of the available Pagan paths is on Witchvox at http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=trads There you will find info covering the history, beliefs, worship, holidays, standards of conduct, and more on lots of different forms of Paganism.

Please feel welcome and free to post any questions you might have. There are lots of people here who are happy to share suggestions and give you guidance. There is even a New Pagans mentoring program around here, if you're interested you can check that in the subforum at http://mysticwicks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=251

[Theres]

I have only recently come to terms with the fact that I am Pagan and am finding it very difficult to find a starting point at which to be able to work from (if you know what I mean). So far the only aspect that I have looked into is Tarot cards, which I have been doing for about a year. I enjoy doing this as the tend to relax me, and most of the time I tend to sit there looking through them for no reason at all.

it's common to confuse Pagan with 'occult'.
the two overlap in many areas, but there is nothing inherently occult in Paganism.

[Harmony Aurore]

i completely agree with Tranquility. Actually, it is exactly what I was going to say. If you are looking into the religion, wicca is the gateway drug. Alot of people get a little taste of what paganism is through it, and then move on from there depending on their needs. I started off with Wicca a while ago and decided it wasn't for me either (funny that you said it, Tranquility, because I found it to "new age"y too). I moved on to study the religion of Ancient Egypt, Kemet, and this suits me much better.

The method I find most helpful, if you have a little money to spend or a great new age section in your library, is checking out random books that seem interesting to you. There's always ebay if you don't like what you got... but also you are narrowing down what you like and what you don't like.

There is one site that I found helpful in my search of books... and that is Daven's Journal. He reviews many pagan books.
http://davensjournal.com/review.xhtml

also, i found that looking in the paths forum of MW was very helpful. It gives you a good flavour of different paths, and set me straight onto my path (with the help of some good books, ofcourse).

ANyways, good luck on your quest!
Senebty

[Armelle]

Thank you, you have all given me some great ideas for starting points. I will look more deeply into researching around areas that are interesting to me and see where that takes me. As was suggested these might not be the path that I choose to take, but at least I will have discovered that for myself rather than narrowing myself down to one thing. All your suggestions for books are going to be a great help, and I have today discovered a shop near to my home that sells a great stock of books.

Thank you all again, you have all made me feel really welcome.