Reply #2: You may not actually want "religion" as much as you want

[Eloriel]

spirituality -- and they can sometimes go together, but more often than not don't, IMHO.

I was raised Catholic and probably the one thing I value about that experience is that it did give me ample opportunities as a child to experience spiritual power (for want of a better term). Heartfelt prayer and the rituals, etc., can be very meaningful and powerful. It was the dogma I couldn't -- wouldn't -- take. ;-)

But this same access to spiritual feeligns is available in many, many other places -- meditation and other spiritual practices -- mantra, mindfulness, walking labyrinths, even some of the physical practices such as yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong.

It's really available right there where you are, right now, in your heart. That's the seat of it, and all you really have to do is access it with some intention.

Then there are spiritual traditions that help as well -- Wicca, Native American traditional ways, Buddhism, Sufism, on and on. Even esoteric Christianity holds a lot of promise for those who may feel drawn to that.

Or, you can just go eclectic, like me. I take a little here, a little there, like a honeybee collecting pollen.

If ritual is important to you, Wicca would be a wonderful place to look at least for inspiration. There are so many books which could help you develop your own rituals. And there's a related area referred to as Women's Spirituality (worth looking into even if you're not a woman -- some powerful stuff in some of those books).

The most important thing, other than looking within, is just start looking. Go into a metaphysical bookstore and see what "falls off the shelf into your hands."

You'll do fine.