Magical Wisdom for the Day: Where To Start

I feel since I am writing a Pagan blog I should also including some awesome wisdom for all you out there, so here is the first edition of my daily wisdom. Today I thought I'd share a little advice on starting out. So, you are a little curious about Paganism or Wicca or Druidism (for simplicity and laziness in typing, I will refer to the three together as Paganism) but you have no idea where to start. My first advice is DO NOT use the Internet to search. Not only is it very questionable, you usually end up in either porn sites or really, really creepy sites that could not be farther from what Paganism really is. The best way to start your journey is to read. Yes, read. Go to a local bookstore (I recommend Barnes & Noble or Borders, in my town they tend to have the best selections) and actually read a few books. I would go so far as to purchase a couple. For beginners the two must haves for anyone even curious on Paganism would be Scott Cunningham's Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner and Silver Ravenwolf's To Ride a Silver Broomstick. They are geared to those new to the Craft and those simply curious about what it truly is, easy to understand, and rather cheap. I bought both my copies second hand at deep discounts. If you cannot find a copy at the store, just order it online, FedEx delivers everywhere now a days. Another good book to read would be Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft by Raymond Buckland. It is more expensive than the other two (Cunningham is $15 and Ravenwolf is at $16) but it is very, very in depth, however, if you dislike nudity be cautious, there is some in there. If you like what you have read and decide it feels right for you then you can start on your journey of study which you should complete before calling yourself a witch, but I will go into that tomorrow.The best piece of advice I can give you is if the book gives you bad vibes, then listen to your guy. When I began my study I was fortunate enough to have Mummy (my surrogate mother and confidante) looking out for me and double checking the books I was picking to make sure nothing strayed into the darker arts, but not everyone has a Mummy of their own. If you are truly a newbie with no idea what's going on, stick with books published by Llewellyn just to be on the safe side as I find them to be the most reliable and least questionable of the Pagan publishers out there. Remember, be careful and do not begin looking into this as a way to get back at parents or to do cool magic. Do it because you need to find something and maybe that something is the God and Goddess. Blessed be my brothers and sisters, blessed be.


Have I left out something you think others should know? Comment on this or e-mail me at sakura.chef@yahoo.com. I do answer e-mails and comments, and also not omnipotent, so advice is not only welcomed but loved.