I've lost my way

[sanc]

Hi everyone,

I'm not entirly sure if this is the write place but here goes anyway.

I'm not exactly new to paganism, but over the past few years i've lost my way completly. Between to work demands, trying to peice together my social life and finding my new man I have lost my religion. I never lost faith as such just fell out of practise.

So now I have time to concider religion again, it has been bugging me for quite a while that I don't activly practise or learn about paganism anymore. However now I have the time I find I don't know where to start, any suggestions?

[Lunacie]

Hi Sanc, I think everyong goes through a patch like this at some time. There's lots of stuff you can do to reconnect with your own spirituality.

Read stuff around here and jump in on the discussions. A good place to start would be the Paths forum where you can read about many different Pagan paths and figure out which one(s) you'd like to learn more about.

Do a web search for a Moot or some other meet up in your area and get out and talk to people with similar beliefs.

And try spending some time outdoors to get in touch with the changing seasons and the Elements and the Life energy that is in everything.

[Meadhbh]

I agree that we all go thoug this some times. There is no reason to feel about it s ome times you need to focus on other parts of your life or you'll get burned out.

[patch]

First step- start thinking about what paths actually interest you.
You'll find the process a whole lot easier with a specific thing in mind as oppsed to the entire pagan umbrella ;)

[BlueSage]

Hi everyone,

I'm not entirly sure if this is the write place but here goes anyway.

I'm not exactly new to paganism, but over the past few years i've lost my way completly. Between to work demands, trying to peice together my social life and finding my new man I have lost my religion. I never lost faith as such just fell out of practise.

So now I have time to concider religion again, it has been bugging me for quite a while that I don't activly practise or learn about paganism anymore. However now I have the time I find I don't know where to start, any suggestions?

whatever you do, don't go electic first off. take a path and run with it, then go electic. imho.

[lamoka]

whatever you do, don't go electic first off. take a path and run with it, then go electic. imho.

Seems a bit backward to me to approach it like that... why get all "in it", time, money, energy if you find out a month or two down the road its not for you afterall.. you're gonna feel like you just wasted that time and probably limited finances (unless you are the kind of person that sees the value in everything you do, the lesson).. and it feels like to me the op already feels like time has been wasted enough..
I say view it as a smorgesboard.. go to your local barnes and nobles and sit down with a cup of java and explore your future.. make a list before you go of what you don't want in your life (hopefully its shorter than what you do want).. then go and find something that suits your fancy short term.. "hmmm hadn't heard of that, what's that, oh my god that looks just like the place in my dreams !! kinda thing..
look at the covers, read the jackets and let your spirit guide you..
this is all of course imho:woot:
aho

[Lady Aeris]

I've always been eclectic- no paths "run with" to speak of- I think, it just depends on the person- not everyone is fit for a path and i think that if someone told me to run a path and then become my own person.. i'd be.. well, very disappointed. [imho]

[Zephyrstorm]

what I do when I've gone through times like this, Sanc, I start back at the beginning. I work my way through the books that talked to me when I was younger, and I don't shy from deviating from my previous beliefs.
I don't know if it would work for you, but it works for me.

[Lilium]

I've also lost my way over the past few years. I fell out of practice, took a wrong turning into another religion and then just drifted for a while. I feel like I've really come home now but yeah, I understand the feeling lost and not knowing where to start.

I've been doing a similar thing what Zephyrstorm has mentioned....starting at the beginning, reading the books that grabbed my attention when I was younger, slowly picking up the practices I used to do (e.g tarot or a simple ritual) and basically re-acquainting myself with my previous beliefs and practices but accepting I may need to make some changes.

[la tortuga]

I've also lost my way over the past few years. I fell out of practice, took a wrong turning into another religion and then just drifted for a while. I feel like I've really come home now but yeah, I understand the feeling lost and not knowing where to start.

I've been doing a similar thing what Zephyrstorm has mentioned....starting at the beginning, reading the books that grabbed my attention when I was younger, slowly picking up the practices I used to do (e.g tarot or a simple ritual) and basically re-acquainting myself with my previous beliefs and practices but accepting I may need to make some changes.

I agree with this, I myself find myself more interested in going "back to basics", and I've been practicing Wicca my whole life...

Usually these feelings coincide with some very stressful periods in my life, where I've become so busy I've lost touch with myself, even. Path of re-discovery, it seems, is necessary in times you realize you've gotten too busy for your own life and your own beliefs, if that makes any sense...

[sanc]

Thank you all for your help, I think i'll start by going over my old books and things. Although I have the feeling that i've changed too much in the past few years to follow the path I had set myself on then. Hopfully this can act as a basis for me to move on and find my new way.

[~Elise~]

In starting at the beginning...analyze what didn't work for you and that'll give you a place to start looking for what WILL work for you.

Also...take some time...meditate. ASK the Gods-what is it I should be doing now? Then, shut up and listen to what they have to say. Never underestimate meditation.


Elise

[Zephyrstorm]

Thank you all for your help, I think i'll start by going over my old books and things. Although I have the feeling that i've changed too much in the past few years to follow the path I had set myself on then. Hopfully this can act as a basis for me to move on and find my new way.

That's exactly what I did. :)
I also meditated and took walks, did all sorts of things to stretch my wings a bit.

[Amanda Mitchell]

(((hugs))) Sanc

[RubyRose]

In the last few years (since children came along) my practice has literally fallen away. The best advice I can give you, is to start of small and keep it simple.

Good Luck :hugz:

[Shaman7]

In starting at the beginning...analyze what didn't work for you and that'll give you a place to start looking for what WILL work for you.

Also...take some time...meditate. ASK the Gods-what is it I should be doing now? Then, shut up and listen to what they have to say. Never underestimate meditation.

Combining that with Zephyr's post: Do walking meditation. I find that just taking a couple hours to walk around the woods does wonders to set me back in the right direction. Go for a walk, talk to the plants and animals and really listen to what comes back to you. Just use the time to get away from all the stresses and anticipation of where you'll be tomorrow. You'll be there soon enough.

If you have trouble rereading all the old books, just pick one at random from the shelf, flip to a random page and read for a few. I try to do this every day, because it often reminds me of the little things that I've been forgetting to think about. Even if you don't reread the whole text from the beginning, you're still revisiting your roots.

[electricpeppers]

Thank you all for your help, I think i'll start by going over my old books and things. Although I have the feeling that i've changed too much in the past few years to follow the path I had set myself on then. Hopfully this can act as a basis for me to move on and find my new way.

That should be helpful to you, also meditation and contemplation. Perhaps asking yourself what about your beliefs have changed since before.

[Selba]

I'm in exactly the same position so I'm going to um borrow everyone's suggestions.

[Toby Stimpson]

I think a really good start is to evaluate where you are coming from now and really what you believe now. I mean if it's been a long time you won't be the same... and because of that you are different from the mold you used to fit into. SO, this means that to start to become religiuous or spiriutual, or lack there of... again, you should work from the ground up.

Ask yourself questions like, what have my recent experiances taught me? How do I see the world? What role does the supernatural take in your life? how do I view the role of religion in my life? Do I really need religion? Why do I need religion?

Things like that.

[RubyRose]

whatever you do, don't go electic first off. take a path and run with it, then go electic. imho.

I find the approach of reading whatever you can get your hands on works.

Of course, it's nice to start of with the basics.

Wheel of the Year
Esbats
Spellworking
Ritual Working
Divination
etc