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If you would like discuss further some of the ideas above,
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Perhaps it was an unusual book someone lent or gave you, or a lucid dream or an unusual experience has aroused your curiosity about magick. There are many definitions of magick. One of the most widely respected comes from the almost legendary Aleister Crowley. Before going on, does that name, Aleister Crowley, ring any alarm bells? He is the most famous of this century’s practitioners of magick and perhaps for this reason he was widely vilified by the press. You will have to find out for yourself, whether or not his notorious reputation is really justified. Crowley wrote that ‘magick was the science and art of causing change in conformity with will.’ Magick is a set of techniques, some of them very ancient, that help us humans change our consciousness at will. It is an axiom of magical belief that human consciousness and reality are mysteriously linked. By changing consciousness it is also possible to change the world in which we live. Here is a simple example - if I want to make the people listening to me feel excited about what I am saying, I speak in a special voice, perhaps louder than normal and certainly faster. So if I am describing a football match, the listener may begin to feel as if they are actually there, they become excited, their heartbeat may actually speed up and they generally enjoy the experience. Word alone have been used to invoke a mood in the listener, and physical changes have taken place e.g. heart rate etc.
There are two basic purposes why the magician trains to manipulate and change his or her consciousness in these ways. The first, most common aim or use of magick is called results magick. For example a witch’s spell is often a piece of results magick. As a magician, I get about one request a month to work such a spell on someone’s behalf, but I very rarely can agree to do so. One example of results magick which I would be willing to participate in would be the finding of a lost person, actually a very traditional part of the magical art and arguable one in which the techniques of results magick are most effective. It may surprise you to learn that most magical people regard spells etc. as the least important part of the magical life, although this does not mean they take up least time. Results magick and spells are in fact a side line.
The real core of magick is an individual spiritual quest undertaken by every magician worth his or her salt. The practitioner of magic passes though a number of distinct stages as follows: foundation year practice, during which the basic vocabulary and techniques of magick are learned, either alone from books, from a teacher or as part of a magical group, coven or order. During this foundation year a start must be made on the acquisition of the various skills such as: divination, visualisation, raising power, trance, astrology, invocation and symbol manipulation (kabbalah). The training magician will try to spend a part of each day during this crucial foundation year, in his or her temple, exploring the 'astral world' and discovering the nature of the magical elements. At the end of this period the magician may be shown a glimpse of what is to come. What they see, has a traditional name that may seem odd to the uninitiated - it is almost universally know as the Holy Guardian Angel (HGA).
Several years may pass and much training and sometimes ordeals may come to the magician as he or she develops. But always the magician retains a memory of that initial special experience. Later in the magician's career, as they gain maturity, they will attempt to recreate that moment and to know fully, in vision and voice their Holy Guardian Angel. This is the spiritual guiding principle of all genuine magick. Perhaps another way of putting it is that the magician, through the traditional formulas and techniques of the art, gradually changes his or her consciousness until a new mind arises. That mind can be called the 'ritual' or 'magical mind' and it sees and experiences things differently to the mind we all use in mundane matters. In our modern age full of ever increasing laws and restrictions, experimentation with your own consciousness is perhaps one of the few remaining areas where you can still truly be free. If you would like to travel down this road, the section below on 'magical people' should help you get started.
Another important way in which to practice magick is as part of a group. Finding a good group is not easy, however the benefits of joining one can be immense. Most magicians agree that they learn more from other magicians than from almost any other source. There is no need for strict hierarchies or bureaucracies. The mere coming together on an equal basis is the real function of a group. Furthermore there are many rituals that cannot really be accomplished without the participation of several magicians. There is, if you like, a special energy, that can manifest when a people work together. The ‘B’ side of this, is that group dynamics can sometimes bring out the worst in some people, such as power hunger, manipulation and megalomania. All these things present an interesting challenge to be worked through by a mature group. Experience shows that it may take as long as two years before a group of magicians is really happy working together, and some reformations may be necessary after the initial period. Another aspect of this is the challenge of forming a group for yourself. This may be a necessity if there is no ready made group in your area and could be viewed as a magical task of some value both to yourself and the community. Before pursuing this option, take some free advice from a well run pagan group first.
There are many groups and styles of magick. The main division seems to be between Hermeticism and Wicca. Before going further, it is a good idea to read one or two introductory books. David Conway’s Magick A Occult Primer, especially the first few chapters, is not a bad introduction to the Hermetic side. But no one book can really hope to deal with all aspects of the wide tapestry of hermeticism. Conway's book is at its weakest when dealing with the practical ritual work of magick. Indeed, whatever style of magick interests you, is best learnt from a practising magician on a one to one basis. You could also look at John Symond's biography of Aleister Crowley entitled King of the Shadow Realm. Symonds is quite hostile to Crowley's magick but nevertheless manages to write an exciting and at times inspiring account of one man's magical quest.
For Wicca, have a look at Starhawk’s The Spiral Dance, and perhaps Doreen Valient’s Witchcraft For Tomorrow. For a primer of some of the other elementary techniques of magick, including visualisation, see Jan Fries Visual Magick.
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If you would like discuss further some of the ideas above,
before moving then you can do so by email here