How a Book Can Change a Life...

Ok, so I've been blogging about my new books lately and how one, specifically, changed my life. I decided to share my story on that issue. Religion and spirituality are BIG topics for me, this is part of the reason why I am the way I am. I'll start with a quote from the book "Where to Park Your Broomstick: A Teen's Guide to Witchcraft" by Lauren Manoy

"Something I found interesting in my research was the common experience among shamans of being 'called.' Many didn't want to be shamans, and many resisted. They were plagued with horrible visions and happenings until they relented and took up their path in earnest. Many Witches whom I've spoken with describe a similar experience: the harder they fought against their natural psychic abilities, the longer they tried to fit into the current Christian mold and forget their early connection to other gods, the more intense their discomfort became, until they finally found out that they weren't alone!"

This very quote is the quote that changed me forever, for I was experiencing the very same thing the author was describing. I knew the instant the tears fell from my eyes that this is what I am, that this is what I need to do, follow, practice, and become. Call me a witch, call me a heathen, call me whatever you want. But I am, first and foremost, a person, second, a Pagan. This quote is about 50 pages into the book, so I'd read about the other Pagan religions, found them interesting, but nothing else in this book struck me quite the way that did. I cried. I knew, in my heart, that I had found what I was, unknowingly, looking for.

A question you may be wanting to ask is, "Why did you even have this book?" or maybe "How did you even come across the book if you didn't know you were looking for it or weren't looking at all?" My answer is, I think, interesting. I was in high school and I truly loved reading. I was looking for something a little different and stumbled across this book. I didn't even look inside it. I read the back of it and decided it sounded entertaining. So, I took it home. One day after school I decided to read it (maybe even the same day I picked it up, I'm thinking) and browsed through it a little, found it interesting enough, so I kept reading. I had no idea what to expect to find in this book, I was just reading it. I love to learn, so even reading a book on something I find mildly interesting can be fun and entertaining for me.

I was reading the book page my page, cover to cover, and as soon as I stumbled across that quote, I knew I'd leap in and not once look back. I still haven't, 5 years later, and I doubt I will at all. This is what makes my heart swell with joy and hope and happiness and fulfilment! I began taking things VERY seriously from that point on, in regards to Paganism and Wicca. I decided if I was going to follow that path, I had best know A LOT about it! I NEVER had enough information! I poured through book after book after book, searching for information, ANY information! My grades suffered, but this is what my heart needed! What my SOUL needed! I could NOT deny myself the one thing in the world that felt truly right to me.

Just like any religious person is when they find the religion that suits them, I WAS HOOKED. I honestly can't count how many books I have read on the matter, how many more I wish to read, how much information I have, and how much I don't. Just like anyone who learns anything complicated, such as science, or history, every time I learned something new, just ONE new thing, I'd have 5 more questions that needed answering!

I am a person with an old soul and a heart of gold. I am always seeking out more information, and this is me!