It is a recurrent theme in groups and forums for people to say that they are new to Paganism and don’t know where to start. Paganism is a broad umbrella term for a vast array of nature based religions. Just a few of those are Wicca, Shamanism, Asatru, Kemetism, Dianic, Celtic Reconstructionist, and many more. It can be over whelming and hard to find your way. Here is some advice that I can impart as someone who’s been on the path most of her life.
The first thing you need to ask yourself is, “What draws me to Paganism?” Is it a love of nature? Are you drawn to a group of deities? Are you drawn to Goddess worship? Are you drawn to witchcraft? The answers to these questions give you a point to start from. Paganism is so broad and in order to find a place to start you need to narrow it down to a topic or two that you can begin to explore. Start out by doing some Google searches, just to get your feet wet.
The second thing is to spend time in nature. These are nature based and experiential religions. That means you’ve got to get yourself out in nature and start having your own experiences. Take a walk, read a book under a tree, or sit in your back yard. Even if you’re in the city you can find some piece of nature to commune with. If it’s hard for you to get into nature then bring nature indoors. Get some house plants, collect some rain water to set on your altar (if you have one), or place some crystals around your home as just a few examples.
Read. When you choose to walk a Pagan path you are dedicating yourself to a lifetime of reading and learning. There are books on pretty much every Pagan topic possible. As I said earlier start with a Google search and if the topic still seems like something you’re interested in then look for some books on the topic. If you’re looking for some guidance on what books to read you can check out my blog post Pagan Reading Listfor a list of books that I recommend from beginner to advanced.
Join Pagan forums and Facebook groups. As I write this blog my number one recommended resource is the Facebook group called The Pagan Way. This is the main group, they have numerous subgroups dedicated to more specific topics and you can join those that interest you. When you first join I recommend that you sit back and observe for a bit. See what’s talked about and get a feel for the group. When you’re ready start commenting. If you’ve done some reading on a topic and have questions about what you’ve read then post the question to the group. Understand the basic rule, if you ask ten witches a question you’ll get eleven different answers. Which leads me to my next piece of advice.
Know that everyone’s path is very individual. No two Pagans practice their faith in the exact same way, even ones that follow more defined traditions have differences in their practice. It’s okay that we’re all different but it can make things confusing when you’re new to Paganism and trying to get your questions answered. Here’s what you always need to remember, what rings true to you? That is probably one of the most important things I can impart to you. Always go with what rings true for you. Don’t let anyone make you think that you HAVE to do it their way. You can try it their way if you want to but in the end only keep in your practice what rings true to you. Go with your gut and what feels right. Trust your intuition.
Blessings to you in your journey.
