Soo... What now?

[Little Raven Girl]

I've been studying Paganism for a while now.
And I've done my share of researching.
But now I feel like I need more instruction.
So, I was wondering how to go about doing that.
I feel like I can only learn so much by doing research and that I need to be taught by someone who is experienced.
If you could please send me some advice on how to reach out, or tell me what you did when you reached this point in your learning, it would be much appreciated.

 

[Esiris]

If you're looking for a mentor, it might help to know what you want to be mentored in. Paganism covers a lot of stuff.  

[Little Raven Girl]

I want to learn more about the ritualistic aspects of Paganism.
And I also want to get a feel for the different sects of Paganism.
I believe I'm eclectic, so I would like to learn as much as I can about the different branches in order to pick up certain things that I feel fit my own personal beliefs.

 

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Little Raven Girl

I want to learn more about the ritualistic aspects of Paganism.
And I also want to get a feel for the different sects of Paganism.
I believe I'm eclectic, so I would like to learn as much as I can about the different branches in order to pick up certain things that I feel fit my own personal beliefs.

This is sort of your issue - as an eclectic, there are no rites specific to you. So you have to learn about a variety of different religions, and see what different gods and cultures prefer, and then discover what chimes with you and the gods you worship and the manner in which you work. A mentor can't really help you with that - at least, not any more than we can as a guild. We come from a variety of religious paths so chances are, there's someone here who practices a particular religion or knows enough about it to give you a few links or book recommendations.

I remember being where you are. I'd read all these "Wicca 101" books and couldn't work out why there wasn't a "201" or more advanced stuff. (The reason for why there isn't is a different story.) So I decided to research other religions instead, to give myself more of a knowledge base and more things to draw from. And then I fell into Heathenry. At this point you want to move onto the next step, but you've actually reached a plateau. There isn't a next step as such. You have to start exploring different paths, to get more specific.

To start with, what have you researched so far? Is there a particular culture or pantheon you feel drawn to? Is your practice ceremonial, or more unstructured? Do you practice magic? In researching a path, what sorts of things would you like to read about?  

[Esiris]

I think Sanguina Cruenta hit the nail on the head, but there is one small thing I disagree with.

There is Eclectic Neo-Paganism, but there is not a religion that is The Eclectic Neo-Paganism. Lots of authors have books (sometimes series) that are basically their ENP path. So it's possible to find these and make your own ENP path.

I don't think Paganism has sects or denominations because Paganism isn't a religion, it's a type of religion. Religions make up paganism, lots of religions make up paganism.

When you're searching to fill in your beliefs, try and be careful. I'm eclectic, but I'm also a seeker under a Kingstone coven. One of the things I have learned about is that religions and gods don't have to give us something just because we want it. Somethings are gifts, and it's rude to take it- no matter how much we might want it.  

[Scorpy-Sue]

Sanguina Cruenta

To start with, what have you researched so far? Is there a particular culture or pantheon you feel drawn to? Is your practice ceremonial, or more unstructured? Do you practice magic? In researching a path, what sorts of things would you like to read about?

As someone else who is currently searching for a path, I can't agree more with these questions. Research research research. I recommend The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm; start with a pantheon and move out from there. It's a great jumping point.  

[kage no neko]

I think the most frustrating part of it all was the uncertainty once I reached that point. Now what? Where do I go from here, what am I supposed to do now?

But it's the part that gives you the most options, and you don't have any rush to choose anything.
Now could you choose to continue along your own path and try to establish it and fill it out with your own ideas and see what you can come up with. And there's always some new idea to discover..
Or you could look into other paths and religions..  

[Brass Bell Doll]

Some guilds have forums devoted to people's paths. These could be useful because they sometimes talk about their religions, but also about their struggle to find them.  

[Ritual at Dusk]

Hon I had the same feeling for a while, but part of learning is practice and personal experience. Also, you are probably searching in a relatively narrow range of topics if you are out of things to research because paganism is such an astronomically huge subject. First I started studying specifically Wicca, then general Paganism and then the occult in general, getting a feel for other sides of the occult and seeing what kinds of beliefs other people have. Try coming up with new designs for rituals ,trying some new authors and sources and new excercises and practice the ones you already know. good luck!