Research, research, research...u have the best tool at your fingertips!!!

Barbie on a Broomstick is an okay place to start to get your feet wet I guess. I'd probably go with the Complete Idiots Guide to Wicca & there is one for Paganism. Since you seem to be searching I recommend checking out lots of different pagan groups... they are out there... I think the most common ones around are Eclectic Wiccans. Read lots of books and take EVERYTHING you read on the net with a grain of salt. If the webmaster can't cite their foot notes you might want to look for corroborating evidence in a book that conveniently DOES has foot notes and a bibliography.

Find out when your local Pagan Pride day is, they are usually happening around this time of year, that would be a good way to meet individuals that might have similar interests. You might also want to check out your local Unitarian Universalist church.

How did *I* know? First off I'm not Wiccan, I am Scottish so my Celtic roots have always called to me, and I had already spent a great deal of time researching the Celts and Druids. Long story short one day it clicked that the gods I had been reading about weren't gone, they were right there waiting for me. You can probably guess I'm a hard core Polytheist, but not all pagans are.

I am member of a Druid group called Ár nDraíocht Féin (a.k.a.) meaning A Druid Fellowship. We spend a great deal of time researching archaeology, folk lore and mythology to reconstruct what was done in the past and mold it into a religion for the future. Its all about religion for me, I rarely cast spells.

OKay this is probably over load, but I'm not sure what I should omit, the top books you should probably read once you finish Barbie and the Idiots guide would be Drawing Down the Moon by Margot Adler and A Witches Bible by Janet and Stuart Farrar.

I HIGHLY recommend reading A Witches Bible, granted you probably won't be a member of a coven but I feel it is very important to know where the religion came from and why certain practices are in place.

You will know you found it when you feel like you have come home.

Skullarix - Thank you!! I will look into those books. I love reading so I don't mind always having my nose in a book

I can't wait until I do have that I'm home feeling. I just know I didn't feel it while going to Catholic church. I always felt weird and knew I didn't belong.

Hey there girly. I see you found your way back here too! How are you doing? Skullarix has some very good information and ideas. I was going to let you know that PantheaCon isnt till Feb 15th. And our local pagan pride celebration was back in May, so it wont be around for a bit. But if you want to go to PantheaCon with me, just give me a call. Hope your doing well!

I just knew that I was gifted. It took a long time for me to find the path that was for me. It ended up being a combination of a lot of different paths. I call myself elemental ecclectic pagan. I worship the elements, however I do have patrons as well, they are tied to the elements. I am a water so, my strongest tie should be to my water patron, but it is to my fire patron, Lilith.

I found researching online and reading the different sites that are out there were more helpful to me than reading the texts, although I did find Ravenwolf and Cunningham to be useful as well as Telesco. I think you just learn more when you can search such wide variety like you find on the web. Also, trust what your guardians and totems show you. If you have not found them or opened yourself to them, you will want to do that before going further.

I hope this helps!

Blessings,
Ro

NiftyTink - Yes! I would love to go!! I will put it in my phone. Is it an all week long thing? :-D

Aurora - I could read a million books I don't mind. I just find it hard to break away from what I was taught. I didn't feel it was right for me that's why I started this journey. I can't wait to find where I fit because there is so much out there - but I am happy to eliminate where I don't fit :-D

I have only found druidry what I would called recently because there is much to learn and it will take years of study but this is how I knew
I have always been very interested in religion and belief but mainly it was a hobby I never thought I would dedicate myself to any of them
I didn't feel strong connections with any of them
I had my own beliefs and even being eclectic didn't feel right to me

then one day I came across Druidry and all the things I believed were laid out in front of me some of the phrases I had used for years trying to educate others about the earth etc.
although I study I feel Im not putting in as much effort and passion as I would like to but hence this I feel i need to be at peace with my mind and body and unclutter a number of things to achieve the intensity

something you might want to try is 'synchronicity'
keep a journal and when you decide to research
take note of things, phrases, words, articles that jump out at you if they really intrigue you search them

the universe will take you to the path =]

I agree with the research and lots of book reading.
I must have at lest a dozen wicca/pagan books...and about 30 web sites I've bookmarked to read.

My mother dabbled but my grandmother was fully pagan..reading cards and everything. My mother bought my my first set of tarrot cards when I was 15...and it really sparked my intrest to do some research.

I was raised by my mexican/catholic grandmother...not that we went to church more than 4 times a year..Easter/christmas...ect. so it was a pretty large step. I did YEARS of research...and I didn't fully commit until I was 20...five years...five years later I KNOW if have a TON of things I need to learn before I can call myself a Wiccan...right now I'm "praticing"
I'm really into Herbs and such,..I dabbled by making my own teas, soaps, and candles with various herbs from a pagan wholesale web site. This is also where I bought my alter suplies and books.

Even though I've been at this seriously for about 8 or so years, I still do loads of research. This...I think...is the most important thing you can do.

I'm lucky that my BF is also strongly into the Pagan life...druid mostly. though he gleens alot of research info off of me. -_- So I didn't have to search long and far for someone to share my beliefs with.

you don't 'have' to follow any particular path
I've been a practicing pagan (of the old) pretty much my entire life. I haven't always 'called' myself that b/c it is a BIG BROAD path of many 'sub-categories' (if you will). You can explore all kinds of paths & religions & be a combo of 4 or 5 different ones. There is no right or wrong ... just explore online (legit, reputable sites), read books, research & listen to the whispers of the wind. You will know when you find your way.

My mom was Wiccan as (are my sisters) so I was around it from day one. I grew up in a tiny town and did try the local Protestant church. I loved the church itself - very old with many old pagan gods/goddesses in the architecture as most have and I loved the Bible study group - but it just didn't make sense to me. The first time everything just clicked was when I read Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. Since then I devour as many books as I can. There are MANY bad books on Wicca/Paganism out there so don't jusr stick with one author when you are learning.