The following is a list of suggested topics for teen (or adult) study in a very open environment. If your parents are likely to throw away all of your materials on these topics, please try studying Conservative or New Age topics first. Trust me, there is plenty to learn that will enrich your experience of Witchcraft as you grow older.
Meditation and Journaling
Daily mediation and record keeping (journaling) are often the changes many students find most difficult to get used to, therefore, I recommend dedicating the first few months of study to developing these habits.
Neo-Pagan History and Movements
Basically, read Margot Adler’s Drawing Down the Moon. It’s thick and somewhat heavy, but it is a wonderful book which will illuminate the many paths that exist under the Neo-Pagan umbrella. Ms. Adler has made a number of updates since DDTM’s initial release, so do try to lay your hands on a recent edition. If you choose to study with a coven when you are older, you will almost certainly be asked to read this book, so why not go ahead and do so now?
Eclectic Wicca and Witchcraft
The interest from teens in the Craft has unleashed a craze amongst pagan booksellers. Some people will tell you not to read so-and-so’s book or whatever, but I think it’s important to get as much information as you can, and compare and contrast it to determine what rings true for you. Don’t go out and buy one book and think it is the Bible of Witchcraft. (Yes, this includes the Farrar’s A Witch’s Bible Compleat! It’s just a name!) Work through several books by diverse authors and publishing companies. You will see pretty quickly that there are many different ideas about the Craft out there.
There are any number of easy to understand books on Craft basics. I thoroughly enjoyed Complete Idiot’s Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft by Denise Zimmermann, Katherine Gleason. It’s easy to read and straightforward, although it isn’t the last word on the Craft, by any means. Another fantastic primer is Wicca: A Year & a Day: 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise
Solitary Study Program: Wicca
This solitary study program was developed by a Traditional Wiccan of the High Priesthood whom I truly admire and respect. Working through this program, and the associated class material will give you a strong foundation in Wicca.
Please note that this program is specifically Wiccan and will therefore contain many religious elements.
Wheel of the Year
Studying the Pagan holidays and traditions surrounding them will help you get in tune with the Earth’s cycles. Mike Nichols’ excellent website The Witches’ Sabbats is filled with intriguing articles. (Near the end of the month, this site is often inaccessible as it is so popular he overruns his allotted bandwidth regularly.) The excellent Campinelli studies Ancient Ways and Wheel of the Year are good starts as well.
Practice
If you are in an open environment, then beginning regular daily practice (as suggested in some of the above mentioned books) shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Get into the habit of daily meditations, regular prayer and honoring practices, etc. Set up a simple altar that you can begin to work with energy at, and can hone to be a “hot spot” for your work.