How to start?

[Observer232]

Hello, I am very, very, new to the occult topics.

I have talked to one or two people of the subject but it always seems like I am talking to a scientist who can’t put things in layman terms.

I would simply like to know where is a good place for me to learn and start (a guide/book)
That will teach me how to

-meditate correctly (something I can never do it seems)
- reach the astral realm (still unclean on this one)
- teach me the basics in terminology used and what a ritual and pentagram really is.

Mostly a Magic-for-dummies kind of starting place, because in honestly I don’t have any clue what I am doing or where I am heading.

But I do know I want to learn and am willing to put the time and effort into it, if I am simply show how to do so. Once I get the most basic of basics down I think I will better be able to determine a path for myself within the arts.

Thank you for your time!

[ZeldaFitz]

What are you interested in?

[Observer232]

The basics in meditation and astral realm projection

along with just the raw newbi basics

[Gazeeboh]

Perfecting meditation and astral projection are not newbie techniques.
Those are both very difficult areas to make any progress in.

Start with very simple mental exercises. Focus on a color, then a shape, then a colored shape. Do it until you can really see it. Later you can focus on nothing, achieve no mind. You can have honest to god visions!

Now for the astral.... Good luck. This is extremely hard to pin down. Lucid dreams, sure, thats a bit easier. I would start there. And all these guys saying the astral isn't dangerous are full of crap so please be careful out there should you make it.

Seriously though I don't really meditate that often or astrally project. You can do other things. You might play with some spells, some sigils, some spirits. Go walk around your neighborhood and find places of power. Enchant and divine! Whatever.

The most important thing for you to master, in my opinion, is your level of mind. Find different levels of consciousness and how to get to them. Up and down, find the subtleties of them, how easily the flow into another. Get into a trance, get into a slushie, then stop and play a video game (another mind set). Have fun with it and think and live on purpose.

[ZeldaFitz]

I would start with a simple meditation, staring at a candle.

[Jburton104]

A simple period of 20 minutes of meditation in the morning and afternoon, along with a lot of prayer is a good place to start. I'm starting to practice Asanas for an hour when I get the chance, but I'm not doing it daily yet. There is no such thing as perfecting meditation when you first establish your will to be a magician. Just establish a time to sit and concentrate on your breath and soon you will be able to watch the going-ons of your mind without being involved.

In my opinion visualization practices are useless because when you need to visualize something in your minds eye, you will be perfectly able to. But that's ONLY my opinion.

[Veritas_Requiem]

initiation to hermetics.. bardon. Read through and practice the exercises up to like 4 or so... once you get a decent amount of discipline, try astral dynamics by Robert Bruce, which is a fairly thorough introduction to astral travel... i found that a lot of his techniques have strong roots, but i had trouble figuring it out at first. Once you get fairly decent at visualization, i would try imagining yourself completely in a different place. By this i mean, actually feeling like you are, for example, in a field looking from a first person perspective, hearing the sounds around you, scent of summer, etc. This is not actually astral travel, but makes for a good trial run. I found that my biggest problem in the beginning was, for lack of a better word, "separation anxiety". I couldn't really let go of the concept that my spirit was not my body, so i would just shut down, right before the actual projection. The above exercise seemed to help...
Good Luck!!!:D

Truth and Wisdom,
~Veritas

[kid kunjer]

the one book i wish i'd read earlier is visual magic by jan fries. a couple of chapters are a little hippytrippy.
the thing is that there are as many flavours of magic as there are jelly beans. some people favour a disciplined aproach as may be found under thelema, some the glory of the golden dawn, some the reckless punk of chaos magic, some the christianised wicca, the proud heathenry, the caberet of the church of satan, the earthy taste of hoodoo...
i think all of them if used with full passion (if that's the right word) can be equally effective and fun.
what flavour interests you, then i think people can answer more specifically.
most include some form of "meditation and astral realm projection".

[Spencer455446]

Well a good strat would be to read on the theroy of astral projection my personal choice was a collection of E-Books. after you have alittle knowledge under your belt you should get Robert Bruces Mastering Astral Projection in 90 days. it could take less or more days but it has good concepts and goes over a good plan to learn to focus and go to the astral plane

[captainrackham]

Hello, I am very, very, new to the occult topics.

I have talked to one or two people of the subject but it always seems like I am talking to a scientist who can’t put things in layman terms.

I would simply like to know where is a good place for me to learn and start (a guide/book)
That will teach me how to

-meditate correctly (something I can never do it seems)
- reach the astral realm (still unclean on this one)
- teach me the basics in terminology used and what a ritual and pentagram really is.

Mostly a Magic-for-dummies kind of starting place, because in honestly I don’t have any clue what I am doing or where I am heading.

But I do know I want to learn and am willing to put the time and effort into it, if I am simply show how to do so. Once I get the most basic of basics down I think I will better be able to determine a path for myself within the arts.

Thank you for your time!


Wow!! What an amazing start you're off to!!

I don't know how you figured it out, or if someone told you or what -- but meditation is a wonderful way to explore these things.

The only thing I have to say is -- there are so many beliefs to what something is, or how to do it, that it's difficult to chalk it up to one thing.

I can tell you that the pentagram is the occult symbol for 'mankind' our relation to the 'microcosm' ... our world -- everything it comprises of -- the elements within mankind.

It's buddy symbol is what most people recognize is the 'Jewish star of David', or the hexagram -- symbolizing the 'macrocosm' the universe -- everything it comprises of -- the duality of existance -- yin and yang, good and evil, knowledge and oblivion, everything and nothing.

They both go hand in hand. The pentagram is not the only symbol, basically.

There's great wisdom to find in what these symbols contain -- what old tomes explain about them.

You'll find that many things relate and come full circle!

*Do not be afraid to research all religions and theologies and their lore and practices!!* -- remember what I said about full circle.
Most if not all religions came from one another.

They all seem so different don't they? You will find the tie that binds.

I recommend researching Buddhism, it's morals, stories, and methods. You'll learn ALOT about meditation from it's teachings.

It's an all around philosophy and Buddhism can go with almost any other teaching.

Research ancient Jewish lore... Jews have a stigma to this day and history has been unkind to this group of people... ever wonder truly why? Their religion has many secrets...

particularly the sect of Kabbalah -- which goes on to explain our evolution through our world, and essentially, returning to the universal power.

When you're ready, also read Aleister Crowley's autobiography. There's plenty of useful information in there. -- relate the information you find, and how he found what he found. But don't just stop there, move on to other sources too.


True spirituality is something that comes from within too! So remember that you can't take my word for it.

Try to listen more to the information than the personal views, how does it all make you feel?

The second you feel like you're getting on the right track with the things you read -- you know you've got it!

One last bit of advice... people will dismiss a lot of teachings/books/videos... et et as work of charlatans.
There's going to be a lot of doubt where your curiosity points you -- and the best thing you can do is ignore the stigmas and other people's opinions.


Last but not least -- you notice that people don't point you DIRECTLY to certain books and information...

Most books that contain all the important information are very complicated, thought provoking reading material. It's impossible to take it lightly, because it's not something you can just skim through...

And all sources will recommend that when a person is truly ready -- through researching the starting points, they'll be led to the proper methods and next steps.

Good luck! :D