I have had a wander around the forum, and TBH Im a little confused. I dont know what Im supposed to be doing (as a pagan) Goddesses and circles etc

im just enjoying the fact that I 'kinda' get that the world is more powerful and bigger than me. But I dont know what I should be doing to further that.

I guess Im a bit over whelmed. I have a sense of releif of finding this site and discovering its not just me lol

Any help with reading or things i should be aware of would be much appreciated.

Thank you

ALX

My advice? Do nothing. Just 'be' for a while

I agree with comfrey.

The only thing I would suggest you do is spend as much time outside being quiet by yourself as possible, the more time you do this the more clear things will become, there are no rules, no boundries and no set beliefs or restaraints as comfrey say just be.

There are loads of books you can read about more specific paths of paganism (druid, heathen, wiccan, saxon plus loads more) but lots of us don't follow a specific path we just meander along doing what feels right for us personally believing like you say knowing that the earth is more powerful than people etc.

When I first wanted to know more I found Cassandra Easons book 'Pagan in the City' very easy to read and its not focused on any path really just expalins about seasonal celebrations that most Pagans recognise or celebrate.

Go put the kettle on.....


Its a long road, better walked with a good book and some friends.

Thank you, i guees what i was asking is where and how do i find out about 'times' i need to be aware of, or specific events.

I cant even explain what i after lol sorry

As everyone has said - just relax and listen.

There is a saying that your teacher will come to you - unfortunately too many "teachers" on the net come bearing Paypal accounts! You couldn't have come to a better place than UKP, we are as wide ranging as you can get.

As for reading - and here I go again - I have just been given Listening People Speaking Earth by Graham Harvey. If you just read the opening chapter; he captures a few of the basic tenets of Paganism and believe me that isn't easy.
He then goes on to devote a chapter each to some of the main paths but I'm not offering a menu - its just for interest.

Many people I know started out with Marion Green's book - Witch Alone; not because they wanted to be witches but because they wanted to do something on their own.

Ask ask ask but don't swallow it all. Discern is one of the watchwords!

Good luck

Pat.

Edited to add - you posted as I was typing - Harvey's book describes the Circle of the Year and a Monthly Year Wheel as well. Are you asking about dates of celebrations or dates of moots and meetings in your area? There will be loads of traffic on this site around any of the big events.

P

Let's see if this will work:-



Edited to add - there are other names for some of the celebrations.

thank you, i was born on the 1st of may so am aware of beltain, as its always said to me, but i dont know what teh specifics of it are.

Thank you all so much x

So was I! 1/5/47

Don't sweat it - enjoy the journey. Write your own pages as you go.

One day I was buying a book on amazon + one topic lead to another, etc, and soon I'd spent £60 on several books. All pagan related + lots of different subjects. Some were second hand + only £2 or £3. Glennie Kindred is one of my favourite authors + her books are also lovely to look at.
I know books can't tell us everything we want to know, but I found the reviews on amazon really helpful.

Hope this is useful....

Loony x

Don't worry about it. Those festivals aren't relevant to all pagans, anyway.

There isn't a 'one size fits all', so there isn't anything anyone can point to and say "well, if you're a pagan, you do/celebrate/think this". Whatever most people will point you towards with a "this is paganism" will be derived from Wicca. But there is also druidry, the reconstructed religions, eclectic, atheist - you name it.

cheers ferretbear, I could have posted the same thing yesterday if I hadnt fallen asleep with the laptop and the cat.

Hi ferretbear

Your question strikes quite close to home for me, though having identified myself as 'pagan-y' for years, it's only more recently everything has started to come together... still feel somewhat of a newbie in terms of 'learning stuff'. Here are a few snippets of what I've eventually discovered for myself as personal 'golden rules' - hope it's helpful to you.

Firstly, you're not 'supposed' to be doing anything Take a step back from all the bewildering amount of info out there, and just enjoy being you! Explore your thoughts and experiences more... what do things mean to you? What aspects of yourself have drawn you towards the general area of paganism?

Don't worry what you should or shouldn't be doing, and whether it fits in exactly with so-and-so's definition or practices - it's your path and nobody else's.

A good starting point for reading is probably the celebrations of the seasons - this is generally the most common theme between all the various branches of paganism (as per Moonsmith's post). Again, think of what each season means to you personally and go with the flow.

As for god/s - first work out what you personally believe! One? Many? None? Male? Female? Any specific culture that strikes a chord with you? Roman? Norse? Celtic? Native American? There's never a 'wrong' answer, you'll find a complete mix within paganism, as it's such a broad collection of spiritualities.

Best of luck on your path

well said

ditto

I'd say, chill out, join in the conversations (if there is anything you want to say). Don't worry about appearing as if you know stuff (or don't know enough stuff). Theres no such thing really as an expert. I find that our experiences is valuable, even the mundane ones give fascinating insights in to people etc.

If I don't understand something, I generally just ask.

Exxplore the website, look at threads that interest you and with regards to your own practices at home etc, do what means something to you. for example, um, I don't celebrate the wheel of the year but I do greet the morning occasionally and I do note the passing of the seasons by just spending a few moments in a meditative state (usually walking - I am an active meditator - non of that 'om' stuff for me). On the other hand, I do read alot, especially history -local especially. I try to imagine how my ancestors would have lived because it does give me some kind of rudimentary connection to the past, I don't, however, read many of the 'spellbook' type of stuff (certainly not one of the many on offer in bookshops today) they are just meaningless drivel, to me, anyway. bbut it may work for some.

fizz

Thanks for asking the question and all the answers.
Jools

The trouble with doing nothing is that nothing comes from nothing. Look everywhere, read everything, look online at anything you can find, read the posts here and see what bells start ringing

When I first joined this site, I asked the same questions. I think we all do. I've read some stuff since joining, but by far the greatest wisdom has come to me from becoming more aware of what's around me. To do that, I had to learn to stop, look and listen - a sort of new age Green Cross Code!!!
Since doing that, I've picked up the terms and labels, but still not found a 'path' that I fully identify with. Despite that, I've become calmer, more tolerant of people from all walks of life, more respectful of nature and generally more open. I have become clearer in what I think my life should be about materially, and that has led to a greater spirituality. I've come to believe that when I do less searching, I do more finding.
I hope that makes sense!!!