Merry meet @takemetomars and @Probablymagrat! Good to see other newcomers here: I'm one too, having only found my way here a couple of weeks ago after around 5 years' (very) solitary practice; solitary to the point that only two of my 'real life' people know about it. I still consider myself very much a novice, and am trying and experimenting with all kinds of practices.
There is a wealth of wisdom as well as a lovely energy on these threads. I've been backreading the other 16 of them and the level of knowledge here is incredible. @speakout gives wise advice and I'm particularly interested in what she has to say about Wicca because her recommendation is precisely the way I used it (I'm not Wiccan) when I started out on my own path. Some of its more rigid laws made me feel safer when I began tapping into energies I hadn't even begun to understand. The threefold law was especially beneficial: the idea that whatever energy you put out to the universe would come back to you multiplied, makes you mindful of what you do. It's this, together with a great love of nature, the elements and their balance and harmony that has fostered within me a deep respect for the workings of magic. It's helpful always to be mindful of this, ie. never performing rites/spells intended to interfere with others' free will, and to be very explicitly clear about intentions when doing any type of work. Intentions can be misconstrued.
Other than this, as I've continued down my path I find Wicca and its traditions quite prescriptive and some of its key concepts overly straightforward. The rigid divide it claims between good and bad, in particular, is problematic and I found myself many times on reading their doctrines: 'if only it were this easy to judge!' This is why I started out cautiously, maintaining a respect for the powerful energies I'm engaging with, but also remaining critical about what I read. My practice is eclectic: I work with candles and crystals, tarot, and am particularly in tune with the moon and elements: the moon guides everything I do and I only do particular work at particular phases. I've always grown a herb-garden and had a lavender patch. I have an interest in pantheism. I never set out to find 'my' deities, and don't follow a god and goddess the way Wiccans do, but I did feel the powerful call of one particular deity and am fostering a bond with her.
Lisa Chamberlain is an accessible Wiccan author - I'm currently using her tarot guide and have her volume about runes, which I know little about at present but am trying to pick up. Another tip I've picked up is that I started out by replicating others' spell recipes, which is good to begin with until you're surer of what you're doing. But as I've developed I've learned it's always much better to formulate your own. You can learn the basics: different symbolisms, components and their correspondences, then create your own blends and intentions. To me, it's important to put as much of my own energy into my workings as possible.
It's useful to keep a journal so you can track your own development, too. I haven't developed a proper spell book - was wondering if others have and how valuable they find it?
Wishing you brightest blessings on your magical journey. Mine has been transformative, and I hope yours will too.