Best Practices of Magic. Magik. MAGICK!
No matter how you say it, spell it or practice it… you can DEFINITELY DO IT! Whatever IT is to you, I can say that right now I am not in a good place. I don't say it to invoke pity. I say it because it’s the truth. A family is hard man. Loving is harder. Accepting people for exactly who they are and loving them anyway? Being comfortable in your own skin, with your own merits and your perceived faults? Just being chill with yourself and the world around you???
That is some top level shit right there!
Because really, it’s easy to say fucked up stuff. It is far easier to judge another and talk about them, than it is to roll your sleeves up and get in there when the going gets tough. Wading through water is hard when you are covered in muck. It’s even harder when the water is murky and filed with all kinds of infestations, filth and bile.
When you put it that way, it sort of makes you think. So, with that being said, let’s take a look at our personal world and the world around us and try to find a happy medium.
Moving Forward and Finding Your “Happy Place”
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Over the next few weeks I would like to get into some good practices that can be applied to the new or seasoned witch, occultist and magician. I would like to discuss the practices that we can use to improve our world, hopefully cut out a few that aren’t beneficial and then improve on the positive methods in order to make life a little easier for all of us. Part of this is simply remembering to be present and aware. Taking the time to give space to our soul. The other part is understanding exactly where our place is in the world.
To start, I would like to go over some “Best Practices”.
- Create a Vocabulary
More than anything else, the biggest thing that I have seen as a teacher is a need for vocabulary. Once upon a time, we were all strict and stringent. The craft and otherwise occult practices were secret and you had to earn your degree as well as prove that you were worthy of the knowledge. I know this isn’t a popular thought anymore and I can’t deny that there is something to be said for secrecy in plain sight…
BUT….
(Yes, there is always a but… However, who doesn’t like a nice butt?)
BUT there is a problem that seems to accumulate in the community as far as I can see. There is the breeding of superiority and misunderstanding because people are not required to learn anything really, if they don’t want to. Words are said one way and with one intent by one practitioner and then another by a different practitioner. This creates confusion and needless competition at times in the community.
Develop a vocabulary consisting of information you collect, know your references and understand that different traditions have different ways to say things. Be mindful of other practices that aren’t your own without looking down on them. Be accountable for your practices. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone, but you do need to have your facts straight if you choose to discuss or debate practices. This means you need to know your history, influences and do practices more than just what that one book said.
- Brush Up on History
I don’t know how many times I have been asked why history is important. Seriously. Where you came from, where your beliefs stem from and how they are practiced now as compared to a hundred or even a thousand years ago makes an impact on how you will perform, how you will believe and how you will interact with others.
If you have to ask, I don’t think you should know. Then again, I have been told as a teacher, I am a hardass. I also have been called doormat and bad ass, which is proof in point towards perception right there!
Get Used To the Fact that You Know Nothing
I don’t care what you think you know, that you have read a hundred magick and occult books or that you have practiced for 20 years… you still are on a path of learning and knowledge. There is nothing wrong with mentoring, there is a problem with knowing it all. When you think you are in the know, chances are, you’re missing out.Know Yourself… Better
This should be number one, but the reason I hesitate is because when you tell someone right off the bat to know themselves, especially in this world of available witchiness everywhere on the internet and bookstores is that someone already has usually read something by the time they start practicing. In my experience, and this isn’t towards everyone but, in my experience, when you tell someone that they need to know or find themselves they instantly get this sort of defense.
The truth is, we all have an inkling at least of who we are. We know what we like (sometimes) or have goals and dreams that are unique to us. That being said, when practicing magick, the name of the game (or one of them anyway) is being able to adapt to the environment in which we are trying to manipulate in order to manifest.
If you want to ask the universe (God, Goddess, Element, Dragonkin, Dragon Reborn... Whatever ;)for something, then you should always be willing to do what you can for yourself first. Additionally, you want to be willing and able to do what you are asking of the universe. In this case, it means be bendy.
- Practice, Be Active and Know Your Shit
The only way to know what you're doing is to practice what you'redoing. You can never really perfect anything, because there is always something more in the world. This means that to be a good magician or witch, you need to be involved. Yes, this means also that if you want to be good or even effective at magick, you need to not be lazy, you need to be dedicated and above all else... you need routine and structure.
There's a Starting Point...
And we are off. Always learning, always growing, I am a rock that keeps on rolling.
Next... mantras and talking shit to ourselves :) See ya next time!