First Steps

First Steps in Finding Your Pagan Path

The first thing I would suggest is to find about three different books on the Pagan Path, from different writers. Look at books by: Kate West, Vivianne Crowley, Scott Cunningham for different views of a Wiccan or Witchcraft Path.

Then perhaps read a few things about Druidry, look for books written by: Philip Carr-Gomm who is the Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, it’s a British based Druid Order. There are many different kinds of Druid Orders, but another good web site is: www.thedruidnetwork.org The Druid Network has a great many very good articles and they are all free!

You may want to read up about Heathens also….its a path that follows Norse Gods and Goddesses.

If you feel that you want to be a Witch, and you want to start to study and find out more about the Craft, here a few firsts for you to read and to do:

1. Find a Wheel of the Year, a drawing of all eight festivals, called Sabbats and find the next one, then read up about this coming one, make notes in a book of shadows. This does not have to be a special book out of a store, nor does it have to be something you download over the web. A true book of shadows is a very personal thing, each one would be different for each person. If you study in a coven you would be given the High Priestess’s book of shadows to copy or the High Priests. You then add to this some of your own notes and drawings, spells, recipes, anything you want to remember at a later date.
2.  Elements: There are five classical elements, Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit, these are the five points of the pentagram. The colours for these classical elements are: Air = Yellow, Fire = Red, Water = =Blue, Earth = Green or Brown and Spirit = White.Learn more about these elements, then take one a month and during that month try and get into the element in as many ways as possible, make sure they are safe ways! The idea is to experience the element at first hand yourself…..get out into the fresh air, go for a walk and enjoy fresh air, wear something yellow, eat yellow drinks, put some bottled water in the sunshine for a while and they drink it…..drink in the sunshineJ Eat yellow things, if you can……a lot of breads are a yellow colour, eat eggs, so long as you are not allergic to them!Take each element in this manner and for a whole Lunar Month, experience the elements. Once you have done all of this you will understand far better how to ‘talk’ to the elements, how to call to them for a ritual.
3. Read up about the Mother Goddess in all her varies names, Mother Earth, Goddess of fertility called by many different names throughout the ages, don’t worry about which one you are going to end up working with, this will change as you grow and progress. It’s a good idea to go back to your roots a little and find out which one your ancestors would have worshiped……I’m from a Celtic back ground and my ancestors would have worshipped Anu or Danu and Bridget. Find out where you come from, where your ancestors come from and go from there!
4. After that, do the same for the Gods, to start with just have Father Sky or the Lord of the Forrest. But there are many different Gods, but get to know the Father figure……mine may have The Dagda, the Good God or it may have been Bel.
5. Once you have done all of this…….and this is going to take you about six months…..you will then be in a position to have your own little personal ritual……you will understand how to call to the elements, how to speak or call to the God and the Goddess.
6. A first personal ritual would perhaps start with making a space special or sacred, with incense perhaps? Calling to the four elements, then calling to the Mother and the Father, once you have done this you could spend some time doing simple spell work, use a candle and write someone’s name on the bottom, ask for some healing for them and light the candle…..spell candles need to be left to burn right out so do this at a time you can leave the candle to burn. Never. Ever go out and leave a lit candle in your home…..don’t go to bed and leave a candle lit! So look for little candles for spell work!Once you have done your spell work, say good bye to all you have first called by ‘bidding farewell to them’…….I think you for being with me today in my ritual, before you depart to your beautiful lands I bid you, Hail and Farewell.  (You can use the words ‘Hail and Welcome’ when you first call to the elements and to the deity.) Its just another way of saying hello and welcome or hello and good bye.
7. Keep notes of all the things you do so you can refer back to them at a later date.
8. It’s a good idea to have something to eat and drink after doing a ritual and spell work, it helps ground you and helps you get back into the real World again. If you can’t do this for some reason, stamp your feet on the ground and touch the ground as if you are ‘earthing’ yourself.

Done all of this? How long did it take you? The answer should be at least six months. If this is the case and you are still unsure on which path you feel is right for you, then get in touch.

If you live in the Greater Glasgow area of Scotland or you have wheels and feel you can travel once every six weeks, then come along and join in with the out of doors ceremonies for the Wheel of the Year.

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Not in this area? Shame, but it still means you could join the yahoo group or facebook group and download the scripts for the different ceremonies and have a go at adapting them for your own use. Its possible we may be able to put you in touch with others in your area, depending on where you are, we now have friends all over the World.