One of the things I find so wonderful about Paganism is that there is so much room to personalize your path. If you really love divination, you can dive deep into that, but if you don't care for it you don't really have to do it at all. There are so many areas of interest that we can explore, and sometimes it can be daunting to try to figure out how to actually learn about a new subject that sounds interesting.
I think one of the first steps is to learn some basic information. If you learn about something that sounds interesting to you, before you rush out and buy a bunch of stuff, dip your toes in. Look up the topic and read some basic info online (for free!). This will allow you to gauge if you are interested enough to pursue further study....or you may find out that the bit you read satiated your curiosity and now you are content to not explore it further.
It's important to remember that deciding not to study a topic right is not only perfectly fine, but it doesn't close any doors! Not every subject is going to be interesting to you, and you may have thought something was going to be different and as you learn a bit about it, you realize it's not what you thought it was, or it just doesn't hold your interest enough. You may find yourself drawn back into the topic later, and it might be more compelling then. You can always choose to come back to things you passed by previously...and sometimes the timing just isn't right when you first learn about a topic, and later you are more suited to actually dig in and see what it's all about.
Once you have decided to look further into something, it's time to find more resources. There are often a ton of resources online, and sometimes quite a few books on the topic. But not every source is created equal, and I find it good to not only check reviews, but to ask around for other people's suggestions. Even in very public groups, asking for recommended reading can give you a lot of insight...pay attention to sources that multiple people recommend, and try to avoid the ones that people seem to tell you to stay away from.
*note: I personally like reading both good and bad books on some topics, but I keep mindful of the ones that have a bad reputation...I like knowing what types of misinformation or harmful stereotypes are out there. Your mileage may vary, but getting recommendations from the community can help you get a sense of what is generally considered useful information and what might be misleading or even downright harmful.
When asking for recommendations, it's always helpful to give a little context. If you just starting to explore a subject, ask for beginner sources! Many topics can get quite complex, and starting off with a more advanced source can be frustrating or downright impossible to make headway in. Many advanced books assume you already have a certain level of understanding on the subject, and may gloss over basic concepts, so having your foundation in place first is important! But, if you get more advanced suggestions of really good sources, it might be useful to keep a list of those, so that when you get more familiar with the subject you have some good ideas of where to look to deepen your knowledge and understanding.
I also have learned that when you are reading something and a really unique idea pops out, it can be helpful to cross-reference that idea with other books on the same subject. Pagan topics can often include a lot of UPG (unverified personal gnosis...aka people's personal experiences or ideas). The thing about UPG is that it can be amazing and thought provoking...and it can also completely contradict the generally understood information. This is another of those things where being aware of what type of information you are consuming (is it UPG, is it historically sourced, is it fiction) can allow you to decide how to handle the information.
I'm of the personal opinion that much can be gained from UPG (or fiction, or other 'non-historical, non-traditional' sources), but I do always take them with a grain of salt. There are a lot of topics that, if you take them far enough back, started out as UPG, and enough people shared the same types of experiences that eventually the ideas became tradition, and they have remained applicable throughout the years.
The thing is that we deal with a lot of stuff that can't always be scientifically observed and measured. What we experience in meditation is highly personal. Our interactions with spirits or deities is often internal. Even spellwork can be debated as to whether it's a matter of causation or correlation (aka is the result coincidence).
Ultimately, I think that no matter what you learn in a book, the value of information is how it works in your practice, so the final step for me is always "does it work for me." I think it's important to remember the "for me" part of that...because we are all different and what works for one person may not work for someone else. This is where UPG comes back in, and why I love hearing how other people do stuff. It won't always work for me, but I enjoy trying things that others have recommended.
So, no matter what you are looking to learn more about, these are a few steps to help get you on your way, and to avoid some of the major pitfalls (and mental blocks) about exploring a new fork in your path. For so many of us, there is always something new to explore and learn, and having some tips to help make the process smoother is always useful! Don't be afraid to dabble in a bunch of things until you find the one that really grabs your heart and makes you want to learn everything you can!
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