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Hello! I'm going to try to answer your questions as best I can. I started out as an eclectic (choosing from different sources) solitary Wiccan. I now am an eclectic Pagan, but more specifically I consider myself a Druid. I've been Pagan for a decade now, since I was in my early teens.
The first thing is to ask yourself why you're drawn to Wicca and what about it do you like. Are you interested in spells and witchcraft, crystals, herbs, perhaps a specific ancient culture (Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Greek, etc). This will help narrow down what your focus will be as a beginner. It's good to do this because as you know, there's a lot of information out there.
It's also good to decide if you feel all deities are aspects of one or if they are individual. This will help with how you approach your deities and how you work with them. Take your time with this, do some soul searching, and don't worry about changing your mind later. Your path and beliefs will change, that's part of your life path.
Wicca is a subset of Paganism. Imagine Paganism to be an umbrella, underneath it faiths that have similarities but are all distinct in themselves. You don't have to stick to one though. You can be an eclectic Pagan and draw your inspiration and beliefs from different sources so long as you do so with respect. Wicca is more structured and believes in a god and a goddess as the main two deities. It also has a set of guidelines, the Rede. Eclectic Pagans and other types of Paganism does not have that. So if you're finding Wicca to be too rigid, you may want to take what you like from it and form your own beliefs as an eclectic Pagan. But for now I'd say stick with Wicca as it will help give you the structure needed to begin a more spiritually eclectic path.
No you don't need to be in a coven to be an eclectic/solitary Wiccan. Traditional Wicca though you do need to be in a coven as the information is passed on directly through coven members.
Some say it takes a year and a day of study to call yourself a Wiccan, but there's no Wicca-police to enforce who calls themselves one. You never stop learning on this path so you never will know everything.
As for books, try Amazon. Read the reviews of the books before you buy, it will help you decide what books are best for you.
You also do not need to do rituals outside. A lot of Wicca is based on nature, the seasons, etc so getting outside when you can is important, but doing anything that you're uncomfortable with is a big no-no. Safety and comfort are the most important things.
As to finding your deities, this goes back to if you believe they're all aspects of one or individual. Research deities you're drawn to, the stories about them, how they were worshiped originally, what offerings they may like. Google is your friend here. If you believe they are separate beings, you'll treat them separately. If you believe they're aspects of one divine being, then you would revere and worship them with that in mind, knowing that a deity may appeal to you based on what is going on in your life at that time. You absolutely could and should talk to your deities/the universe and ask them to give you a sign if they show interest. But don't be discouraged if you don't get a clear answer, you're new to this and not as spiritually sensitive as those who've been in this for years.
If you have any other questions or if I missed one, just let me know :) I hope I was able to clear things up for you. Paganism is a "Go with your heart/gut/intuition" path. No Pagan or even Wiccan is the same as the other or follows the exact same path.
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