Beginner is All About Practice, Practice, Practice!

Updated 11/19/2014

I got to thinking about the beginners with interest in the occult.  The beginner needs the right instruction - in either the form of books, journals or on-line blogs.  Hopefully, this blog can show the beginner the right types of books to purchase or secure from a library to learn the field.  The intermediate person, who has studied more, needs to perform the right actions in order to accomplish goals.  Studying isn’t as important as applying the knowledge to real life.   Lastly, the master should be applying the right thinking so as to design rituals himself or herself to train others with his/her knowledge.   Many beginners can benefit from the right teacher.   Everyone is different.  I do believe that students benefit from a teacher that is similar to their thought processes.   Teachers, with a birth sign of Scorpio, may get the message out more efficiently to those students who are also under the sign of Scorpio.  I have a different sign than my wife and I can see our differences in our thinking.
 
I meant to make this entry in an earlier part of this blog.  I have always debated on the best way to get better in my exercises.  Practice exercises are boring and slow going; I am not one to stick with things too long.  I think it is best to stick with practice by doing.   Instead of sticking to exercises to improve visualization use real images for your goal in mind.  That will make it fun and a person will stick with the exercises longer.  Make it a practice, but also make it a real exercise.   I noticed I always could stick with my real magical Avatar Power rituals years ago.  My procrastination was committing to a practice of daily visualization.  Now, when I can't sleep I use this as time to practice visualization even if it is at  3 AM.  It is up to you to find what really works for you.   I use a lot of hindsight these days and admit I wish I had better powers of visualization. Start today to practice something!  If you can start working with Tarot cards, magic, or exercising with Astral Projection - do it.  It comes with a commitment to start.  Don't plan too much each day.  If it is too overwhelming you won't start an exercise.  I have started thinking that I might be able to deal with my own procrastination with some magical work.   When I started I worked with Shakti Gawain's book on visualization, and Silva Mind Control.  Later I started with the I Ching to practice divination.  Whatever you can start today and if you stay interested you can stick with it.  Make it fun.

For example, if you have an interest in the I Ching for divination do it.  Just like an hobby don't burn yourself out.  Do a little bit each day.  Read the books about it, explore the internet for the subject and practice the I Ching.  Find out what you should or shouldn't be doing in life.  Even if you don't completely believe in it, it can steer you in a different path in life.  Many of us have made the wrong decisions in life and this can be a fresh new start.  If you are into visualization and can't make time for it - don't do it.  If you have an interest in magic try out a magical system such as Wicca and work your visualization as part of the Wicca rituals.  You may find you keep up a habit of performing the rituals, also increasing your powers of visualization at the same time as well as accomplishing your goals.

I started with Silva Mind Control and found a real interest in the power of the mind.  Later, I joined a philosophical organization that taught me more about the powers of mind and telepathy.   Now, I design my own experiments of mind control - cloud busting.  I try to use mind control to break clouds up in the sky when the opportunity presents itself.  As a security officer, I can spend large amounts of time looking out entrance doors with nothing to do.  I can use this new exercise to increase my mental mind power. 

Read! Practice Exercises! Practice Spells and Magic

Updated 11/2/13

Whenever I had trouble sleeping at night, I'd meditate.  That includes visualization exercises.  Besides, you are really relaxed at night in bed unless you've been tossing and turning to try to fall asleep.  Take that annoying sleepless night to try to visualization of some object, person or animal.  The skill will pay off later.  You never know.  The boredom might put you back to sleep!

I wanted to really help the beginner to get started in the occult.  Just like I had done: start reading early.   You should have a zest or earnest desire to study this field.  If you only have a passing fancy go read some ghost stories and then do what you really want with your life.  This may not be what you really want to get into.  I used to go to my local library to read the whole section of occult books.  Everything from magic, divination or psychic fields.  Find what interests you.  Try not to hire those in the field to do things for you.  Practice magic rather than hiring someone for a single magic spell for $50.  If you have a good question about your life try out a legitimate psychic.  Watch out for psychics that might say you need to get another $200 to her or you might die next week.  Many of those in the field may not like my words, but you have to learn somewhere.  Try to do some things yourself.  If Tarot or the I Ching is your thing work with that and do it everyday for divination.  You may not feel you can predict what's going to happen tomorrow, but the reading might help you to be more creative in finding out which path you should choose.   It can take less than 1/2 hour out of your day to do some occult practice and plenty of time to do something else.  A little bit everyday.  My real start in this field was a book from Geof Gray-Cobb on Avatar Power.  I worked it every morning as much as much as possible.  I learned a lot just by working the magic.  If your thing is the psychic field try to work with psychic exercises or an astral projection.  Try to devote a small part of your time each to either reading, doing exercises and real occult work such as a ritual.  It isn't important to devote lots of time, but just try to do something everyday consistently for results.  With hindsight, I wished I could have developed my visualization skills to a greater degree.  I wished I had read more occult books by now.  The skills and knowledge help one to get better results for tomorrow.

My biggest drawback was bad habits - wasting time.  Watching TV, reading books that don't matter, shopping at stores that are not a priority in my life only deter me from carrying on with my life goals.

Draw up a plan for yourself.  Don't give all the fun things up, but bargain with yourself.  Tell yourself you will practice visualization for 10 minutes and than you can watch TV!  It is just like a person watching what she or he eats.   You might tell yourself you can eat your dessert as long as you eat your vegetables first.   Start today.  Once you get the ball rolling things get easier.   It's that first step that matters.