Create a Daily Plan of Study

Time and Place

Are there certain times of day that are better for you? If you're going to study regularly, try to make it at the same time each day. Some people think better in the morning, when they're fresh. Maybe you've got free time in the afternoon before the kids get home from school. How about at night, when the rest of your family has gone to bed? Think about which time of day works best for you. Also, determine how much time you can devote to studying each day. Got a half hour free? Great! Plan on not answering the phone, watching television, or doing laundry during that half hour.

You'll also want to figure out where you'd like to study. If you live with other people, you may want to escape to the library for your half hour each day. Perhaps you have a favorite chair, or a table by a window with a view. Maybe you read best curled up under a blanket in front of the fireplace. Designate one place to be your regular study area.

What to Read?

Decide whether you want to read a variety of books all at once, or whether or not you prefer to focus on one book at a time. If you're not sure where to start, consider something off of the Beginner's Reading List. You should also read What Makes a Book Worth Reading?

Obviously, many people get information on Paganism and Wicca from the Internet. If you want to use an internet resource as part of your daily course of study, be careful -- it's easy to start playing with your MySpace page instead, or clicking on links that take you away from your main objective. Next thing you know, you've played seventeen games of Scrabble, but you haven't learned a darn thing about Wicca and your half hour of study time has passed. If you're going to read Internet material, print it out ahead of time and stick it in your Book of Shadows. That way you can read it offline, without distractions.

Meditation and Prayer

Decide whether you'd like your study period to include meditation and prayer. If you do, then you'll need to add a little bit of time into your designated study period. Once you've finished your reading for the day, meditate quietly, pray to whichever gods may call to you, or simply sing out whatever words pop into your head.

Magical Journaling

Journaling can be a spiritual enterprise in itself. For many people, a chronicle of your spiritual course of study can be extremely gratifying. Write down your thoughts and ideas on what you've just read, or the meditation you've just completed. You'll be able to go back later on -- six months, a year, or two years from now -- and see how much you've grown as a person. This also allows you to be accountable to yourself. If you've decided to do your studying each day, you're more likely to do so if you have to keep track of it on paper.

Make a Commitment

Remember that if you're going to study and learn and grow on your Pagan path, it's a commitment you're making to yourself. If you stop doing it, you're not letting anyone down but yourself. Treat yourself with the same respect you would treat other people, and keep the commitment that you've made. If something comes up that prevents you from doing your daily study, that's fine -- but remember, you'll want to make it up later on.

Be Flexible

If you start to realize that the book you're reading just isn't that interesting, or that you stink at meditation even though you really want to do it each day, then consider changing things around a little. Life is too short to read boring books -- find another one on the same topic, and read that instead. If you can't meditate for twenty minutes because it makes you sleepy, then try closing your eyes and doing some deep breathing for five minutes instead. Be willing to adapt to potential obstacles.

Consider a Study Group

Finally, think about studying with other people. It's a great way to get new ideas, and to get fresh perspectives on things that you might not have considered. If there's no study group near you for people interested in Wicca or Paganism, think about starting one of your own.