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Starting In Magic
This chapter will explore some "prerequisites" to working with magic. Some stuff you should be familiar with before attempting
anything major. You wouldn't be reading this if you weren't already trying to find your way. Your search, and the inner work
incolved in your search, are what matter. Not whether your path leads to Wicca in the end. Walk in the light and you will
never go astray.
The journey to magic starts with an inner journey, a journey to
yourself. It begins with the hand mirror of Venus:  The Venus symbol doesn't represent vanity, it means "Know Thyself."
You've been living
with yourself all your life. You probably think that you know yourself pretty well. You probably don't know that there are
two ways of knowing, two ways of experiencing the world. Magic will open you to the other way of knowing. Reality has layers.
Ordinary life takes place on the surface, or maybe a little deeper if you've got psychic gifts. Magic will teach you how to
get through the layers of reality. Magic deals in ultimate truth.
Your inner journey
is neverending. We can all learn something about ourselves and about magic.
Some parts
of this inner journey are astrology, dream work, and past-life work. Each of these are huge subjects, however, so this chapter
will provide a quick overview of each topic.
Astrology
Most witches
believe in astrology. As above, so below. We know that that the position of the planets at the time of our birth influences
what our lives will be like and how we will be. This isn't the only factor, though, free will, genetics, chance, and synchronicity
are also factors. Astrology is worth studying for witches and people who would be witches.
Your birth chart is a good place to start. It's a chart cast specifically for you, based on the date, time, and place you
were born. It shows in which astrological house each planet was and their relationships to each other at your time of birth.
An astrologer can interpret your chart and tell you many things about yourself.
If
you don't want to spend the money on a professional astrologer, you can cast your own chart with a book. A good astrology
book can make you feel like someone has read your diary or been looking into your very soul. You could also cast your birth
chart online.
A birth chart can help determine if you have lived before. A lack of
karma in your chart shows that you may be a new soul. Old souls have heavy accumulations of karma. Casting and interpreting
your natal (birth) chart is very useful in your inner journey.
Mythology
Myth deals with findamental issues in human life, as is pointed put by Arthur Cotterell in The Encyclopedia of Mythology
-The power of love; its attendant anxiety and jealousy
-The conflict between generations, between old and new
-The
violence of men
-The mystery of death
-The mischief of troublemakers
-The sadness of illness and accidental injury
-The
possibility of an afterlife/ reincarnation
-The effect of enchantment on mind and body
-The challenge of the unknown
-The
sadness of betrayal and treachery
-The cycle of fertility in humans, plants, and animals
-The horror of madness
-Luck
and fate
-The nature of the universe
-The creation of the world
-The relationship between humans and the godhead
As you get more familiar with the gods and goddesses of the world, you'll be drawn
to particular cultures or deities. You may also be attracted to a particular type of deity. This is another way to learn more
about yourself.
Meditiation
To meditate,
you have to get comfortable in a place where you won't be interrupted or disturbed, then enter a state of deep relaxation.
Just a step away from sleep. Clear your mind and set it free to wander. Wherever your mind goeswill teach you more about yourself.
Regular meditiation can support all the other inner work you do on your journey.
Meditating
can help you in other ways as well. To work magic, you need to be centered, balanced, and focused. Meditation is a calming
activity and teaches mental discipline. Most witches meditate. Some like to do it out in nature, others do it at home. Turn
off the phones if you're meditating at home, or try meditating before you go to bed. Meditation devices like incense, candles,
recordings of drumming, chanting, quiet music, or nature sounds can be helpful. By repeating the use of a certain device,
you can condition your mind to enter a meditative state.
Past-Life Work
Old souls are people who have lived before. Finding out about your past lives can be fascinating. An attraction to magic in
this life may mean that you were previously a witch, priest/ess, mage, or shaman.
There are hypnotists who reveal past lives. Some people claim to read past lives in your aura. If either of these are true,
thay would prove very satisfactory. Be cautious, however, there are many people out there who would love to con you out of
your money by telling you that you used to be Cleopatra.
In order to do past-life
work, you must have a fearless soul. You may learn some very disturbing information. How you died is usually the first memory
to surface, especially if it was violent. Happy memories are less likely to be recovered than the traumatic memories. If you
were a bad person in a past life, it does not make you a bad person in this one. We're all working on our karma.
Learning about past lives is a process. It may take a lifetime. Meditation (especially trances) is a method that works for
some people. Carnelian is a useful stone to hole while meditating. You can try guided meditation, using tapes and/or books.
Hanging out with other witches can trigger past life memories, especially if you've done psychic work together. Fire of Azrael,
kindled with juniper, cedar, and sandalwood, supposedly shows your past as you gaze into the flames.
Look for clues in your childhood. Talk to people who had a lot of contact with you. Ask if you ever said or did anything strange
or something that didn't make sense.
Eastern religions teach that enlightenment brings
escape from the Wheel, freedom from the cycle of reincarnation. Wicca doesn't agree with that. Witches welcome this return
because we find life joyful.
Dream Work
A
dream about your past lives are more vivid and life-like than normal dreams. Dreams can reveal many things, like future events,
directions, and unresolved personal issues. The universe sometimes communicates with us through our dreams.
Dream work is done by keeping a notebook near your bed. Write down your dreams as soon as you're awake. You can choose whether
you'd like to write down every dream or just the ones that seem important or particularly meaningful. Reviewing your dreams
can reveal patterns and issues, and can validate premonitions and predictions.
Confronting
Your Dark Side
We all have a dark side. We have to confront our dark sides before
we can trust ourselves with magic. This meanss that you have to be honest with yourself. You have to deal with your demons
(agression, jealousy, addiction, depression, compulsion, etc.) Each person has a different solution.
Magic has a dark side. The black arts. The dark side of magic can be seductive, but if you choose the left-hand path, you
will ultimately destroy yourself. Protect yourself from the black arts. Steer clear of Satanism, blakc magic, demonology,
blood sacrifice, or any other negative activity. Avoid books written by people who practice or advocate black magic. You can
develop your psychic radar to alert you when evil is near.
Getting Started
When you are ready, a teacher will come. Until you get your teacher, you can study witchcraft and magic on your own. Read
books, surf the web, attend lectures. You can seek out a coven, study group, or another new witch who is learning about the
Craft. You can meet pagans at New Age shops or online. Experienced witches sometimes take on students as a part of their service
to the Craft.
No one is going to just spoon feed you magic. You have to work to learn
it. You'll need to master a divination technique, erect an altar, start your Book of Shadows, learn how to make sacred space,
and learn about the gods and goddesses. You have to be responsible for yourself, study witchcraft, and establish your own
personal ethical code.
Divination
Every
witch needs to learn a method of divination. Runes, tarot, scrying, I Ching, or other methods are all good. Divination is
a way for the universe to speak through and to us. Investigate whatever form of divination sparks your interest.
Altar
An altar is a place for worship and casting spells. You
should erect an altar if you can. It can be formal, or simply a table, bookshelf, or anything you have available for the purpose
of an altar. Typical furnishings for your altar:
-Candles
-Tools
-Statues, other deity representations
-Incense
-Crystals
-Offerings
such as fruit or flowers
It's your altar. You can put whatever you like on it.
Do whatever feels right to you. You do not absolutely have to have one. You can erect a temporary altar and then disassemble
it when you're done with your ritual or spell. It's possible to manage without an altar, though it is a convenient place to
work and a good spiritual center.
Sacred Space
Your sacred space is a space set apart for magic, rituals, meditation, work, or worship. Some witches are lucky enough to
have a permanent place like a garden as their sacred space. Most of us have to make sacred space when we need it. Light some
candles, burn some incense, play music you consider sacred..then mentally define the area you are making sacred.
Magic
Magic
is real, and it affects reality. It is something serious and should not be messed with until you know what you're doing.
T.S. Eliot said, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" You have to ask yourself the same thing.
Magic is a tool. It disturbs the universe, so save magic for the big stuff. You get from magic what you put into magic.
It takes time and study to become an adept at magic. You have to be realistic with your magical expectations. It is
not the answer to everything. Be reasonable and think things through before acting. If someone is bleeding, give them
a band-aid and some neosporin before you do a stop-bleeding spell.
Magic is natural. It is the manipulation of energy to get a desired result. Physicists have discovered that particles
under study alter their movements. You can change something by concentrating on it. That's how magic works. Learning
to successfully cast spells is the least of magic. Your ultimate goal should be to experience life itself as something
magical. Buddha taught that life is suffering, and witches beg to differ.
Magic is powerful, but should not be used for power over others. Magic is not about control. It is about empowerment. Power
over yourself and your life is real power. Use magic to change your life, not everyone else's. Battle your demons.
Magic has limitless forms. Knot magic, kitchen magic, candle magic, crystal magic, and necromancy are just a few of the many
types of magic out there ready to be studied.
Knowledge is power. Magical power comes
with study, experience, practive, and inner work. That inner journey mentioned earlier? Important! Don't try to prove your
power to anyone else. The only one you have to prove anything to is yourself.
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