I am most definitely a novice, but my teacher knows his theory and some is starting to make sense. Here's my two cents...

Music wants to go in a circle. The whole E-A-B (1/4/5) progression has a buildup, and a return to the root (E).

So when people are throwing modes and stuff at you just break it down. Just to make it a bit less daunting, all the modes and their scary names are just ways to classify a pattern of notes.

So if you take an A major scale and start it on the second note, you're still playing the A major scale, but they'll call it another MODE, because you go from B to B instead of A to A. You still complete the CIRCLE, and follow the same NOTES that you play in the A major, just starting in a different place. Each of the modes is just a major scale starting from a different place. Exact same scales!

I could have take some liberties there, as my knowledge isn't all there, but I sure found that little simplification helpful. Feel free to correct me, as well!