First Steps to Learning Magic?

[Zephyrstorm]

I figure since there are often folks in here who aren't that familiar with how to get started on learning magic, I'd offer up a question to those of us who have experience...


What do you think a person should learn or practice on first if a person wants to learn magic?


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In my own opinion, the first lesson should be the old stand-by of meditation. Sitting still and just being can be such a gift. And it leads to other practices that can greatly help - visualization, focus, relaxation, self-knowledge.
These things are greatly improved by the simple practice of sitting quietly and just breathing.
And it's really that simple - and that hard. ;)

Sitting still causes the brain to babble if you aren't used to it, but with time, you can learn to detach yourself from the extraneous thoughts and push them aside. The effort is so worth it.
Z

[Mesektet]

I figure since there are often folks in here who aren't that familiar with how to get started on learning magic, I'd offer up a question to those of us who have experience...


What do you think a person should learn or practice on first if a person wants to learn magic?


------
In my own opinion, the first lesson should be the old stand-by of meditation. Sitting still and just being can be such a gift. And it leads to other practices that can greatly help - visualization, focus, relaxation, self-knowledge.
These things are greatly improved by the simple practice of sitting quietly and just breathing.
And it's really that simple - and that hard. ;)

Sitting still causes the brain to babble if you aren't used to it, but with time, you can learn to detach yourself from the extraneous thoughts and push them aside. The effort is so worth it.
Z

First step? Patience.

[Windsmith]

I think visualization would be a great starting place. It exercises creativity, attention to detail, and concentration.

[Amelserru_halqu]

I figure meditation, or really sitting motionless is the first step, I still can't do it to my satisfaction though...

[sari0009]

What do you think a person should learn or practice on first if a person wants to learn magic?



Know yourself and your craft/disciplines.

I started with knowing my purpose, desire (this was tough for me), and associations/conditioning...apart and in contexts of visualizations, meditation, and theory challenged by action.

[Tabbykitty]

I know that some might disagree with me, but I honestly believe that the very first thing one should do when the idea of wanting to learn magic or learning to cast spells arises is asking the following questions:

"Is it appropriate for me to learn magic?"
"Will learning magic / to cast spells assist me on my own personal spiritual evolution?"
"Will learning magic / to cast spells hinder my personal growth?"


having said that, when I talk about magic, I am usually referring to "a system or methodology of manifestation or manipulation of energies to create an effect using some form of incantation, symbols, circles or props, that is usually linked to or associated with some recognised tradition."

I used to believe that it was no big deal for just about anyone to learn how to cast spells. However, experience has taught me otherwise.

I believe that there is an appropriate time and season for learning everything, magic included. For instance, if I were to ask myself 10 years ago, is it appropriate for me to learn magic? The answer would likely be a big NO. Reason? Well, 10 years ago I was an emotionally unstable and very angsty teenager who really wanted revenge against the whole world because I felt everyone else was to blame for my own miserable life. The idea of personal responsibility had not even popped up in my mind.

Unfortunately, during that time, I have met quite a lot of individuals who have taken to learning magic without asking that most important question. The result has been that quite a lot of them lost themselves and their friends and family in the process. I had friends, many of them who dabbled in magic, who are now either mentally unstable, lost in their own world or have isolated themselves from others.

Magic is after all a process that stirs up a lot of energetic interactions. It may in some cases, depending on the person's karma, attract all kinds of undesirable entities. It is only logical that one takes the right precautions and preparations before doing any form of magical work. And that means being strong in mind, body, emotion and spirit, and knowing the consequences of every spell that you cast. If I had undertaken to learn magic at that age 10 years ago, I would surely have landed up in the loony bin or worse.

These days, I seldom talk about magic to anyone other than my friend Wendell, whom I sometimes mention in these posts. If we ever do meet up with a young person who wants to do magic, well, we usually try to get the person to think seriously about this decision before embarking on it. After all, it is possible to walk a spiritual path, experience personal growth and offer worship to various deities without actually doing any magic.

my two cents.

[Infinite Grey]

First step should be an understanding of what is real and what is what you want to be real... and more importantly the distinction between the two

[RunningRiot]

Meditation is usually hard for my students because they need something to keep their attention, so I teach them spirit speak instead. Once they've enteracted with other beings, they are very interested in controlling themselves to meditate.

[Xander67]

what im stuck with,

ok, Ive been doing the meditations to "Pop the GLock" as UFFIE puts it
(Open the 3rd eye)
and according to Kelly Howel, you would know if it is open because of the blinding light and the onslought of info rushing in, which eventually levels out over time........

still havent gotten to where it opens, I can deffinately feel the pressure between my eybrows,

my question...
How do I make it stop hurting :(

the pressure is with me most of the time... even when I am not meditating,
its quite annoying... and I am tempted to take tylenol but I know it isnt a headache...

[Mesektet]

I would try balancing the meditation, or just current rountine with a sincere catharsis of some kind. Your choice. I would normally move for a physical type. Just an idea.

[BlackMagicalCat]

Well,what do I know.

I think its more than learning to practice magic,its a whole lifestyle,and it begins with the touch from the Goddess,at least it did for me.

With her guidance,comfort,and help,I have learned a great deal,and have been forever changed.

She blessed me with a beautifull black cat,Tabitha,,who was born in my apartment when a cat walked in and gave birth to one single black kitten.

This same cat gave birth twice,once on the sabbat Ostara,and once on a New Moon.She is magical and my familiar,and I love my gift from the Goddess.

So,to start,I thing one needs to look to thier deity for assistance in making that connection,they seem to go hand in hand for me.And that starts with prayers,meditations,and researching and studing the thing that is pulling on your heart.So it starts in your heart I guess.

But I guess some dont believe in any deitys,but thats how I see it.

[Rhisiart]

In my own opinion, the first lesson should be the old stand-by of meditation. Sitting still and just being can be such a gift. And it leads to other practices that can greatly help - visualization, focus, relaxation, self-knowledge.
These things are greatly improved by the simple practice of sitting quietly and just breathing.
And it's really that simple - and that hard. ;)

Sitting still causes the brain to babble if you aren't used to it, but with time, you can learn to detach yourself from the extraneous thoughts and push them aside. The effort is so worth it.
Z

Im right with you here. Visualization and concentration are so important in a craft where much of the experience will be perceived in your mind. Learning how to visualize and hold these visualizations thruout as well as keep concentration and focus during inturruptions, noise, etc., will greatly affect your works outcome.

The beginner wants to experience and feel what they have been reading or hearing about from other practitioners and usually most of their first experiences alone are deemed rather lame or uneventful because of lack of experience and preperation.

So along with Meditation(and relaxation), Visualization and Concentration, the first steps into ritual or spell work are Centering, Grounding and Sheilding. Whats great about all these lessons are that non really require any other materials that just the student and a nice quiet area where they can be uninterrupted for an hour or so. Candles can help focus as well as music and incense mood, which is also important, but a nice comfortable spot out in nature beats the confines of a dark room any day!

An easy place that has some great ideas on Centering, Grounding and Shielding is right here:
http://www.cantrap.net/technique/shield.html

Now i dont subscribe to the D&D spells, but there are many good short passages of info for basic magick lessons and exercises. Just my 4 cents...inflation...

[adrianne]

I started with symbolism. Symbolism is all about replacing a non-physical item (and sometimes an unattainable physical item), such as an idea or an emotion, with a physical object. These can be used as components for spells. A red rose physical objects can be used to symbolise loving feelings, a candle can be used to symbolise the flame of inspiration, an image of an owl might represent wisdom, a single coin can represent a mountain of riches. This type of thinking, symbolist thinking, is very valuable to anyone using magic, because magic is at its base two things: a recipe to elicit a change, and the art of replacement.

There is traditional symbolism, which will vary from culture to culture (for instance, in Hoodoo symbolism, the color black is often associated with malevolent things and feelings, while in Kemetic symbolism, the very same color represents regeneration and germination). There is also personal symbolism, which differs from person to person. Two people can look at a smooth stone, or a tree, or a dove, and get two very different impressions from any one of these things. I believe that understanding both universal interpretations and personal interpretations is very important.

Symbolism provides a solid foundation for the practice of magic, or so I've discovered. I've studied symbolism and gained my own ideas about what things represent, and my spellwork has become all the better for it. For those having trouble crafting their own spells, it can be especially helpful. Once you're comfortable with symbols, you may never have to check a book again.

Sorry about the novel, but I thought this would be helpful. Of course there are many other things that important in the practice of magic, but this is the one that has helped me the most.

[Ulatek]

There are many different ways many different people have/would go about it.. as everyone is different..

But, Imo .. Id advise you to stay away from any books, at least until you have enough of your own basic beliefs and foundations of the workings of the universe that your confident a person or groups belief system wouldnt take hold completely..

Start by defining magic for yourself.. Try to see how it is a natural part of everything rather than some outside or unnatural thing.(not suggesting you think that). Meditation is definately a good idea,you dont have to sit crosslegged going "ohhmm" .. just kick back in an easy chair, close your eyes (or not) and spend some time alone with your mind, contemplate deeply or release the grip on your thoughts and watch the fireworks.. either way it will show you plenty. Learn not to dismiss the things you may instinctively feel,see,or hear.. no matter how subtle they may be.. that small noise in the background, random phrases in your head, maybe the things your eyes pick up but your logical mind tells you isnt important..Learn to look, listen and feel past the obvious. Tune in your senses to every detail, every notion, every hunch and every gut feeling. Look for synchronicity and "coincidence" and follow it.. where something in your head goes *click*, take it further. I guarantee you that will be an eye opening experience. Do something based totally on a hunch or instinct without any physical knowledge telling you that you are correct.. I once hopped a bus to mexico city with 20$ in my pocket to see a friend who i havent talked to in years, armed with only their cellphone # wich was disconnected for the last 8 months.. after a 16 hour ride, i crossed the border.. hungry and tired i decided id try their number 1 more time b4 i took the 10 hour+ trip the rest of the way, pumping money into the payphone, on my last coin she answered.. about 2 minutes after re-activating her cellphone, that is what started a chain of events that opened me up to something i couldve never imagined.. And it was all based off my gut, that is how i learned to completely trust my instincts and my subconcious without question, and that alone is probably one of the most valuable tools you can gain in this pursuit.. establishing trust in your own instincts.

Aside from all that, just learn to play with your mind.. Mental masturbation? While in a crowded theatre or parking lot at a concert, find someone far away from you with their backs turned to you.. look at them and focus soley on them for a moment..imagine how they must be getting the feeling someone is watching them,imagine the hairs on the back of their neck beginning to stand up.. work up your concentration and release it all toward them with a "HEY!" in your mind.. watch as they turn around completely and stare dead at you, then just smile at them and turn to walk away... now feel them looking at you..Or maybe while someone who talks entirely too much is going on and on to you, with a long story of how their cousins brothers uncle did this or that... try to tune in to their thoughts and insert words or phrases like "dogs dogs dogs dogs" , see if they suddenly begintalkin about a dog.. or better yet try to trip them up with confusing banter " 1 2 3 4 5 6 sparkling tophats cornchips sweatbands and custardpies beep" , watch them start to stutter or pause ... lol anyways, you get the idea. you really dont NEED any book or anyone to teach you anything..we all have the ability, and we have all used it.. wether we realize it or not, the difference between the magician and the mundane is the magician realizes this ability and hones it to some point of having control of it.. the mundane persons ability is controlled simply by his instinct.

Once you feel you have done that enough to read someone elses take on it as someone elses take on it and not words written in stone by a master.. then go pick up a book or 2, there is definately much to learn from other peoples takes on it.. mind you there are many books out there wich are very careful not to let you believe it must be one way or the other, but IMO your better off finding it yourself first..

but no worries however you decide to pursue, because im confident that as long as you pursue it, and continue to PURSUE it relentlessly...well, if you look hard enough.. you will find.

i wish you all the best, good luck

[goDez]

I'd say that you first need some basic understanding of the energies you are working with; define for yourself what you want to gain through your magical workings. Then get some book on physic self-defense before anything else (any form of this includes all the abovementioned 'basic' techniques - in my opinion It's just a matter of exploring these techniques to the fullest so that you make full use of your own magical potential which is inherent in every living being).

[Tanya]

meditation.

[BlueWaves]

what im stuck with,

ok, Ive been doing the meditations to "Pop the GLock" as UFFIE puts it
(Open the 3rd eye)
and according to Kelly Howel, you would know if it is open because of the blinding light and the onslought of info rushing in, which eventually levels out over time........

still havent gotten to where it opens, I can deffinately feel the pressure between my eybrows,

my question...
How do I make it stop hurting :(

the pressure is with me most of the time... even when I am not meditating,
its quite annoying... and I am tempted to take tylenol but I know it isnt a headache...

are you seirous...this happens to you as well? :spaceman: 8O and i thougth i was either going mentally ill over the ordeal or found something "interesting" to work on...

[Vigdisdotter]

What do you think a person should learn or practice on first if a person wants to learn magic?


What energy FEELS like, first and foremost. if they don't know that, then they will be fumbling their way through things at the best of time. Once they know what it feels like you can look at some basic skills of how to use it: grounding, centering, shielding, meditation, visualization, etc. But knowing that they energy is there and how to touch it has to come first in my mind, or the rest is hollow.

[Vigdisdotter]

my question...
How do I make it stop hurting :(

You engage in basic chakra work to clear the blockage.

[Mahren]

How many believe that a teacher is a good idea in learning magic? I personally am not looking for a teacher, I was just wondering. A teacher would be able to answer questions and offer guidance I supose, but you always hear about those "teachers" who rip their students off and the like.

Or should a person look for a teacher after they have gained some experience in mediation, grounding ect?

[Vigdisdotter]

How many believe that a teacher is a good idea in learning magic?

I sure do :) having someone you can talk to over coffee and how can relate to what you're dealing is is a real bonus. Most teachers wont' clean up your messes for you but they will show you how to do so for yourself. And that alone makes a big difference.

Then there is the fact that a teach (in meat life as opposed to cyber space) can demonstrate things for you that can't be put into words. Again, it makes a huge difference.


but you always hear about those "teachers" who rip their students off and the like.

Oh they exist, I've dealt with more then a few in my town. So like anything else, it's up to the student to be careful and check things out.


Or should a person look for a teacher after they have gained some experience in mediation, grounding ect?

Yes. They may not be successful in finding someone, but I definitely think it's something to be looking for.

[Tabbykitty]

How many believe that a teacher is a good idea in learning magic?

Or should a person look for a teacher after they have gained some experience in mediation, grounding ect?

Although having a teacher is useful, one should never ever place the teacher, whoever that may be on a pedestal. Use ur own logic and question everything you are told. A good teacher will nurture the inquiring mind and not give pat answers like, "This is just the way things are done." or "This is the only interpretation..."

I think it is a good idea to do a little bit of groundwork (ie. meditating, grounding... etc) before considering a teacher. At least you will be able to spot people who know their stuff. But honestly if you ask me, if it is in your karma and purpose to do magic, you likely don't really need a teacher. You just need to be patient, hardworking and brutally honest with yourself.

[Zephyrstorm]

Mahren,

Another tip with finding a teacher is that you should always be able to ask a decent teacher for references - former students, etc. Ask around. If you get the feeling that something is wrong with the person, don't do it. It may be that the two of you just aren't meshing, or it may be that the teacher is a fraud. Better safe than sorry.

I'm glad there's such a variety of responses here. :D Gives people a chance to see a variety of approaches to starting. I think there are a lot of good points - some are easier to do with teachers than without (i.e. sensing energy can be a challenge without a guide at first, but it can be done.)

Z

[Mahren]

Thank you all for your responses. The very different perspectives offer alot for me to think about if and when I decide to find a teacher. Though, that probably won't be for a while. Baby steps.

[Windsmith]

How many believe that a teacher is a good idea in learning magic? I personally am not looking for a teacher, I was just wondering. A teacher would be able to answer questions and offer guidance I supose, but you always hear about those "teachers" who rip their students off and the like.

Or should a person look for a teacher after they have gained some experience in mediation, grounding ect?There's the saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." When I first decided I was ready do "real magic" (no more of this visualization and meditation crap! Oh, I was so silly....), I started looking for a teacher to help me out. That got me nowhere. Not ripped off, but I found a lot of teachers who seemed insistent that I move my magic and beliefs in directions I had no intention of taking them. So I backed off, went back to solitary work, focusing more on improving the skills I already had, rather than being so hot to learn new ones. Less than a year later I'd found several amazing teachers and the group I call "home."

So, yeah, a teacher might be a good idea, but you never want to force it.

[Teresa]

I think the person should take the time to think and write down their beliefs first. Keep a ledger and as they go forth and there are changes make note of it. This may help the person to find a mentor with similar beliefs. As far as starting to try and practice magic. I agree with meditation and visualization as starting points.

[PaTheorem]

take an in depth comparative religion class, check out western and eastern mysticism, myths and rituals and shamanism and linguistics and the very basic ideas behind general semantics before it gets all wishy-washy and cultlike.

[Teresa]

take an in depth comparative religion class, check out western and eastern mysticism, myths and rituals and shamanism and linguistics and the very basic ideas behind general semantics before it gets all wishy-washy and cultlike.

Excellent Advice! I did look into other religions and magical practices during my journey back to my roots from my grandparents.

[Aleannah]

I think meditation and visualization are two key elements in beginning practice. I also agree that having "someone" whether it's a teacher or a mentor, or whoever - someone that you trust to help show you the way when you are ready to move forward. I was stuck for the longest time when I first started actually practicing, because I didn't really know anyone, certainly no one I could trust enough to answer my questions, and the only things I had were books, which weren't explaining at all what I needed to know. Finally, I ran across a lady I worked with who was an actual teacher, and agreed to teach me and a friend the basics, and I have been going good ever since. Now, in repayment, I try to share my knowledge as much as I can with others who are stuck in their studies. :)

[ModernKnight]

Meditation and visualization are of course very important. After that, I think energy work needs to come next. I see too many people thinking visualization is everything.