The First Steps

The First Steps

So you don’t know where to begin the journey in life that is the study of magic, eh? Then this article is directed at you, written in a way that should be understandable for the aspirant not even learned enough to be considered a novice. In this article, my aim shall be to present to you, the reader and aspiring magician, a few of the basic concepts of magic. In specific, I shall try to point you in the right direction, if you agree with the term, so that you no longer have to confuse yourself over where to begin your studies in magic. In addition, there is also a short F.A.Q, to answer some questions you may have before you ask them, and therein save some repetition in the forums.

Before Beginning: Things to Consider
   Before a profitable traveler goes somewhere, he must first decide two things: Firstly, where he is going, and why he is going there. Secondly, how he plans to get there at all. Likewise, we find these same preliminary ideas to have value to the potential aspirant who is considering the path of magic.

   Where do you wish to go, and why? To what end to you wish to practice magic? Look within yourself, and find the answers to these two questions. Many a magician wishes to climb to the top of the ladder in terms of power, others could care less for how powerful they are, and instead seek wisdom. Others yet seek only understanding, and some only virtue. There are those who study and practice magic only to see if its possible, or to test the limits of what a human can really do when not confined to the conformed mind-set of the masses. To throw in a few more prospects, you may wish to study magic to develop a level of harmony with the world around you, or even a degree of union with your godhead. Some aspirants even set off into this adventure with the intent of attaining notable power only so that they can show the world what can be done outside of the box.

   So which of these is it? Or is your intention not in the list at all? Whatever it is, grasp it and contemplate it. Think long about where it may take you. If you seek power, remember that it comes at a great price. If you seek harmony, do not forget that great power may therein become past your reach. If you seek wisdom, remember that wisdom is only intellect that has been applied, and that knowledge without application is only a waste. If you seek to prove yourself to the world, remember that the people of this world fear change and challenge, and shall see you as a threat, forever persecuting you once you have presented yourself to the public. However, if you have no reason to study this art, then do not. Dabblers shall be destroyed of their own accord.

   I mentioned earlier that I original goals have somewhat changed, most significantly was the change from the desire of power to the desire of harmony. Allow me to elaborate on the dynamics of this change: Throughout the course of the magician’s journey, he shall both see and learn things that shall forever imprint, taint or scar the way he sees the world. There are walls along the path, each one impossible to see through(though you may guess as to what is on the other side), and which must be broken through if the magician is to proceed from the level of understanding he has at that point attained. However, sometimes we see that what that wall hid from us could, and very well may, destroy everything we thought we knew up until that point. Entire viewpoints and goals, not just in magic, but in life itself, change in the coming and passing of a light breeze against your cheeks. Therefore, I tell you, choose your path and your goals now, but remember that they may not stand once you progress in wisdom.

   So you’ve thought about WHERE you’d like to get. Now how do you get there? The paths of magic are many; more complex and in greater multitude than the secret paths of the tree of life. Therefore, before you decide to go somewhere, consider how you wish to get there. The roads and highways are the systems of magic which have arisen to present themselves throughout the course of thousands of year. Some new, some old, none less efficient in its progression than the other(depending on the magician). I, for example, have chosen the path of the High Priest, trying always to come closer to my God, and have within that decided to exercise my magic via what is known as “summoning,” the hallmark skill of the High Priest. However, that I have chosen summoning, and another has chosen elementalism, does not mean that I shall arrive at power, understanding, virtue, wisdom and/or harmony before him. The best way to begin your path into magic is to sit down and research as many different types of magic as you can, if only for a brief moment, so as to learn what they are all about, and what fruits they may bare for you. I’ll even provide a small summary about a few of these systems here for you:

Chaos Magic
   Chaos magic was founded by A.O Spare, a magician in the earlier part of the 20th century, and revolves around two things: Chaos theory, and the use of any religion or belief required for the successful casting of a spell. The former is simply a theory which states that all things exist as chaos before they are organized into a state of completion. So, essentially, it is viewed(for example) that before the universe was created, all that existed was the state of being known as chaos. It is only because chaos exists that it can be organized, and therein the source of all organized existence is the chaos which existed before.

In the latter component of chaos magic, the idea is that the magician should not be restricted to any one religious belief, and therein be bound to a specific set of spells within that belief system. It is held among chaos magicians that the magician should avail himself of any religious beliefs required for the successful casting of a desired spell. So if for the successful casting of one spell you need to be Jewish, and adhere to their hierarchies and pantheon, then you shall do so, dropping that belief after the spell has been cast. If the spell requires the worship of an Egyptian deity, then the magician shall adhere to the Egyptian pantheon for the entirety of the operation, and believe in it for as long as the spell requires.

The most popular aspects of Chaos magic are sigilization and servitore creation, which are essentially the catalyzing of the magicians thoughts into some type of form, be it a symbol or a type of entity thought-form. Its contribution to modern magic has been a large part of magic theory.

Kabala
   Kabala/Qabala is a system of High Magic which adheres to the Jewish belief system. It involves both the belief in, and worship of, the Jewish Supreme Deity known as Jehova. The power of this deity, and the authority which it is believed He has given to mankind, is used to call angels and bind demons, so that they may enact those operations which the magician requires.

Typically, devils are made use of in High Magic, which is done by either calling up the master of that devil or demon, or by invoking the power of the angel which agitates the desired demon. The power of the angel is invoked either by invocation, or by its seal(usually unique amongst the archangels). Once that power has been called up, the demon is bound to adhere to the magician, lest he face a fate worse than Hell.

The constrictions of High Magic, however, are quite extreme for the modern magician, who would rather avail himself of today’s active world and lifestyle which by its nature often opposes those things which are seen as “righteous,” and therein counteractive to his studies in the Kabala, or any other system of High Magic. The magician is required to be pure by Jewish definition, so that the will of The Divine may flow more freely through him, and in turn give him more stability in the face of such pure evil as devils and demons.

There are, of course, many more facets of the Kabala, one of which is the tree of life, and the ascension thereof, that the magician may(by his practices and studies) ascend from this world, Malkuth, which is the lowest fruit on the tree of life, to Kether, which is the highest state of being, and union with The One.

Hermetics
   The broader spectrum of which Kabala is a part of, and which has already been described to some sufficient point. Once more the use of a single divine entity, which is viewed as All-Powerful, is made use of in order to enact the operations which require the command of spirits, demonic, angelic, or elemental.

Hermetics gets its named from Hermes Trismegustus, who is believed to be the founder of hermetic magic, and the writer of the mystical Emerald Tablet. Hermes Trismegustus was believed to be the greatest magician of all time, having attained the ultimate state of power in which he could create something from nothing, organization from chaos. His name alone implies his greatness, Hermes Trismegustus meaning “thrice greatest Hermes.” Being as Hermes was the messenger of the gods, it would suggest that Trismegusts was come type of conduit for “heavenly” energies, which he made use of via his magic. In some circles, it is speculated that Hermes Trismegustus was the Jewish Moses, having parallel stories in some places, having lived in the same areas at the same times, and having died in the same place. Upon his death, the Egyptians deified him as Thoth, the god of magic.

The Northern Path
   The Northern Path consists essentially consists of those things pertaining to and evolving around the use of a set of stones known as runes. Typically, this involves Runemal, which is the use of runes for divination, Seidr, which is rune-based sex magic, and the Gladr charms.

Runemal is an extremely old, and very much used system of divination which involves casting and reading the 24 runes, in which the caster deciphers the meaning of the casting by remembering the meaning of the runes when they are both normal and inverted(normal being the virtues of the rune, and inverted being its vices).

Seidr is a system of sexual magic in ways similar to Tantric magic, though culturally much different. According to Asatru mythology(Asatru being the religion of the Vikings), Odin taught Freya the Galdr charms, and after practice with them, Freya returned to teach Odin Seidr. Its goals are similar to those of tantric sex magic, and we shall discuss neither in our classes, as you will be taught other ways to gather sufficient energy for spellcasting.

The Gladr Charms are a series of charms which bring about specific effects, and of which Odin speaks in the Havamal, a poetic recording of the Allfather’s words to men. The essentially contain a combination of bind runes which will best bring about the desired effect. The proper enaction of the Galdr charms requires that one be in turn with the runes via the Oral Galdr Incantation and Vibrations.

Apart from the previously mentioned three aspects of the Northern Path, the use of what are called “bind runes” are also often employed. Bind runes are simply combinations of several runes with complimenting meanings in order to further emphasize the will of the magician, and is essentially very similar to the dynamics involved in sigilization.

Talismanic Magic
   Also called Enchantment, talismanic magic is the “blessing,” or enchanting of an item to magical ends. The operation of the enchantment may involve the vibration of divine names, the inscribing of words in magical alphabets and languages, the charging of sigils and power words upon the item, the simple infusion of energy and will, or many other approaches to the same ends, each with effectiveness which vary only with the magician’s personal preferences and attitude.

   However, Talismanic magic extends as the system of enchantment to more than simply inanimate objects. The skilled enchanter can cast what is often called a bewitchment upon a desired person, bringing love, bad luck, good luck, etc, upon that person. In this way, the dynamics learned in enchanting can be easily applied to regular magical operations.

Most commonly, talismanic magic is used to create things such as protection amulets, to guard houses and people from attack by both entites and the malicious wills of other people.

Elementalism
   The backbone of beginning magic, in my opinion. Elementalism is the use of those energies which are associated to the four elements as recognized by Plato, which are earth, fire, air, and water.

Elementalism entails not only the use of all those elements on a celestial, intellectual and manifest level, but also the conjuring of those spirits which are called “elementals,” and the use of them in order to enact our operations.


Shamanism
   Shamanism is best known as the old Indian methodology of magic, in which each tribe had a “witchdoctor,” or “medicine man” of sorts. This tribal leader was in charge of all religious rituals, making sure the tribe stayed in good favor of the gods, dealing with any diseases within the village, protecting it from outsiders and evil spirits alike.

As great as that all is, a complete system of divination, healing and summoning within itself, most modern magicians only worry themselves with the shamanic methods of certain meditations, in which the magician will learn how to induce a state of gnosis, other important states of altered mindsets, as well as induce “shamanic adventures,” in which the mind is set free, residing in some place within the depths of the soul in meditation. The difference between this and basic visualization of being in, lets say, a windy field, is that in shamanic meditation, you can actually feel the wind, hear the surrounding wildlife, and smell the grass. It is this contribution to magic which we shall focus on from the shamanic practices.

   Those are a few of the more well-known systems of magic, to give you a short head start in the research. I strongly advise examining the aforementioned systems to see if any of their dynamics appeal to you on a personal level, and seem to easily compliment your attained goals.

F.A.Q: My advice in light of certain questions

Q: Which system is the easiest to learn?
A: None of them are “easy” to learn. They all require a great deal of dedication on the part of the magician, from the time the path begins, and onwards until it ceases(death, lack of interested, etc).

Q: Which system do you think a beginner should start with?
A: Personally, I strongly advise taking up studies in the field of elementalism while a novice in the field of magic. The reasoning for this is that it will provide the aspirant some very simple, yet invaluable, magic theory, as well as get him into the habit of feeling, identifying, and ultimately working with those energies of the universe which shall be called upon time and time again by the magician in his future operations. It also, depending on how far it is studied, can pave the way into summoning and talismanic magic, as well as provide a good foundation in the energy-model paradigm for essentially every other system you are likely to find yourself studying.

Q: Is ritualism needed?
A: No. What ritualism does for the magician is focus his mind and amplify those desired energies which shall likely not only carry out his will, but also compliment them nicely in their path towards manifestation. Ultimately, however, it is unneeded, and in many cases only proves to be a hassle to the magician’s works, requiring weeks(if not months) of preparation, a change in life style, and an incredible amount of free time. Though its addition to the power of the spell can not be ignored, it is perhaps easier for the magician to become adept at calling and manipulating such energies himself, without the use of objects for focus. However, ritualistic magic is designed to very methodically take the magician from a level where he has to use intense ritual to perform a spell, to a level where he can perform the most extreme of magical feats with no ritual. Essentially, it is the transmutation of the outer temple(staff, candles, alter, incense, etc) into the inner temple, which is the individual power of the magician.

Q: You said that elementalism is a good place to begin. That’s all good, but there are four elements. Which one should I start with?
A: While this varies from person to person, I strongly advise that the aspiring magician begin his practices in the field of the element of air. Why? Air is extremely simple to manipulate, and is perhaps the most intellectually simplistic of all the elements. Furthermore, someone who has undergone descent air initiations will likely develop what I see as essential psychic skills to compliment their magic(particularly the skills which fall under clairvoyance).

Q: Do I have an element that I’m associated with?
A: No. A common misconception amongst the uninitiated is that each person has a particular element which they are most related to. The reasoning for this exists within the realm of psychoanalytics, not elemental association. You do not possess within you more of the air element than someone else, etc. However, it shall perhaps be worthy to note here that many people have a particular element which they find easiest to work with, and which resonates nicely with them. The reasoning for this is, as mentioned, not etheric, but intellectual. If your traits correspond with the intellectual manifestations of water, then you may find it easier to work with water. You are the cause of this, not the element.

Q: I’m an otherkin! Shouldn’t I be naturally more inclined towards a specific element!!!???
A: Herein exists another large misconception amongst particularly the young audience which graces the OEC(Online Energy Community) with their middle-school presence(this is not to say that all middle-school students think like this by any means). The physical vessel, which is called the human body, and furthermore the etheric vessel, which we call the soul, were created to compliment one another, and exist in both form and characteristics in a way that causes a parallel between the physical self and the etheric double. Basically, what that means is that the human body is designed for the human soul, and vice versa. Likewise, any disruption in this natural order causes an inability to manifest. In other words(once again speaking in lay-man’s terms), if the pieces of the puzzle don’t fit(the soul and the body), you have no puzzle(the existence of an individual human). I tell you, unless the earth, the sky, the fires or the waters of this world made you themselves, with no woman as a medium for birth, you are a human. Nothing less, and most CERTAINLY nothing more. Deal with it.

Q: Should I tell my parents?
A: Depends on your parents. If you have a hardcore catholic family, then most certainly not. If your mother or father studies anything occult, then of course. However, I will say this much: Eventually, your parents WILL find out. Are you going to let them do it by sneaking around your room and looking through your computer files, or are you going to come out and tell them, and therein sustain a level of suspect later on down the road. Somewhere down the line, you’ll have to come out of the closet. When that happens is up to you. My advice is that if you are going to do it on your own time, wait until you can provide some type of proof. I, for example, not only showed my mother and father the dancing flame phenomena when 15 feet away from the candle in question, but also taught my father(who was catholic) how he could do so himself(upon the achievement of which he was filled with joy).

Q: If I’m not going to do any ceremonial magic, should I still read the esoteric texts, such as the works of Solomon?
A: In my personal opinion, yes. I’ve read almost every esoteric text that is accessible to the public, and some which still aren’t. Of all the operations I’ve read how to do, I’ve probably only used about 6% of them in my own magic. However, the wisdom and insight I gained into life, the astral world, the dynamics of magic, the history of magic, and the hierarchies that rule this world shall forever prove itself invaluable in my eyes. There have been many great minds in occultism before this modern time. Why should you not benefit from them?

   Those are a few of the questions I find myself to be asked quite often. If you’ve read through them and still have more concerning starting magic, please contact me and ask. I can assure you of an answer, and if the question is particularly valuable, I will edit this article and add your question to the F.A.Q.

Conclusion
   So there you have it, my readers. Hopefully this has aided you in some way, perhaps putting a stop to any confusion you had as to where to go. The suggestions I’ve put here shall, if followed up by the aspirant, put you well on your way into this glorious path. For the sake of finality, I’ll provide a short list of things you should try to read, both books and essays, on your own time:

The Essential Skills of Magic, by Benjamin Rowe

The Gospels of the New Testament

Mysteria Magica, by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips

Aspects of Evocation, by Phil Hine

The Elemental Adept: Parts 1 and 2, by Tsuba

Initation into Hermetics, by Franz Barton

The Art and Meaning of Magick, by Israel Regardie

A Further Note: I am willing to expand this article according to suggestions, particularly the preferred reading selection there at the end(keep it relatively simple), as well as questions to be added to the F.A.Q. Please send me your suggestions via PM, as opposed to leaving them as comments here in the article section.