Asks: “When you first discovered paganism how did you first start out?”

To be honest I’ve been pagan my whole life (except a brief period when I was 11 and wanted to be a Nazarene Christian to get into this specific group of kids that went to my parents church). Thanks to shows like Hercules and Xena, I knew more about Greek mythology than my parents Christian faith, and routinely prayed to the Greeks (especially Apollo). When I was 12 this fascination led to a fictional series called Sweep by Cate Tiernan and voila! But because I was so young there wasn’t much I could do. I wasn’t allowed candles or incense in my room. And I hadn’t told my parents about my change in faith, so it was difficult to get books on the subject, and at the time our family computer was located in their room. Luckily two of my good friends’ mothers were Witches and were able to help me. I spent a long time trying to follow “the rules” of Wicca before realizing that some of what one author said was taboo was revered by another and I needed to trust my instincts and what the gods were telling me. I struggled with trying to choose a single pantheon to work with. I was familiar to the Greeks and they’d felt like family since I was young, but the Irish gods were the gods of my ancestors. Both pantheons, as well as their respective cultures, felt like home. I finally came to the conclusion that I didn’t need to choose. The first half of my path was really just spent experimenting with what felt right and what worked. I never hesitated to change my method for anything, although if a spell or method of divination worked the first time (which for me is definitely true of all my spells. I’ve never had a spell not work). And I often experimented with taboo subjects to get my own take on it. Such as my work with athames and blood magick and starting a coven at such a young age. All such taboo things, but I’m that much wiser for it. The single most important tool during that period was my book of shadows. Many witches and pagans simply enter spells, rituals, correspondences if colors, elements, prayers etc. but at each entry, either before or after the main information, I add a small journal entry either about why I added what I did or detailing a divination, or a dream or whatever. It really helped pinpoint what worked and what didn’t. I guess what I really just want to say is experiment. Take other peoples advice and cautions, but never hesitate to find out for yourself. Never take anything for face value. If a god/dess tells you something, it’s probably important. Keep a record of what works and doesn’t. And never be afraid or ashamed to have a taboo belief or opinion.