Here begins the first lesson...

I am afraid that there is nothing glamorous in the first part of lesson one.  And it probably is not what you were expecting.  But, saying that, it is arguably the most important lesson in the whole course.  The subject?  You!  The most important thing you need to do when setting out on your journey is to look at who you are, where you have come from, what motivated you to set out on your current path, and what you expect to discover along the way.  Only you can know what talents and skills you may already have and what your interests are.  You need to look very hard at what you desire to achieve and possibly learn some hard lessons about what you think you really want or need and what is just greed.  In this way, you will come to know what magick can help you to achieve and where a more mundane approach will bring you to your goal.

Yes of course you can dabble with magick and spells, but that is not what this course is about.  And neither is it what paganism is about.  Both are about spiritual growth and I hope that will become clearer as you work through the lessons.  If you are seeking anything other than spiritual growth, then I suggest you quietly exit this course now.

Are You Ready?

Ah good, I see you are still here.  So, you now have to answer a further question with complete honesty.  That is, are you ready to step out a path of magickal and occult training?  Are your circumstances such that you can devote the time and effort required?  It is not some sort of hobby which you can pick up when are bored or have nothing else to do.  If you wish to become proficient in, say, sport, then you need to practice day in and day out; both in getting yourself fit and training in the sport itself.  And so it is with the occult and magick. 

Dion Fortune talked about the 'Path of the Hearth Fire' where the seeker, after acknowledging the power of the Mysteries, is expected to turn his or her back on that path for this lifetime at least.  It is a difficult choice that has to be made, but sometimes that is the best option, particularly if you have many other commitments on your time and energy.  Bringing up a young family, holding down a powerful job, teaching, or many kinds of activities which take most , if not all, of your effort will, for the time being, mean that the occult path should be left alone.

Another reason for leaving the occult path is in the sad event that a student of the occult is suffering from any kind of mental disorder.  Magickal practices will seldom be the cause of such a breakdown, although anyone who deliberately tries to work against the Laws of Order may find mental instability is one of the side-effects.  Because most magickal acts have at least half of their power in the realms of the mind and controlled consciousness it should be obvious that if the mind is disturbed then that essential control is lost, and no magickal act can be performed safely.  Mental distress also unbalances the patient's judgment, and he may feel he is under psychic attack, because the smooth responses achieved from meditation are no longer there, and disturbing images and sensations take their place.  If any sort of mental disorder should happen to affect you during your training, it is important firstly to stop all magickal work, meditation and particularly any kind of banishing rituals or psychic defence work.  You should stay away from anything to do with occult for six months to a year so that you can become totally stabilised, and perhaps even then you may not be ready to continue.  This is in no way a failing, just plain old common sense.

If you are involved in any kind of magickal training or work then you should avoid taking any kind of drug unless it is essential to treat a medical condition.  You may also want to consider consulting an alternative therapist who may be able to relieve your complaint by non-drug methods, or use forms of healing which restore your control over your body or mind, gently and fully.  It is important to remain in good health during magickal training, giving up bad habits like smoking and any kind of drug-taking, and restricting the amount of alcohol you drink.  In journey, you will come across those who advocate drug taking both for magickal and recreational purposes.  I will return to this in a later lesson but, suffice for now, cannot emphasis more strongly how important it is to never attempt any magickal or occult work while drunk or under the influence of drugs.  If you do, then be prepared to take responsibility for the outcome.  Remember the golden rule: there are no shortcuts to enlightenment!  The work is hard and requires those sensitive areas of your perception and sensations to be fully under your control.  Sometimes it is necessary to turn aside from the desirable occult road until you have completed your life's work in the world. 

The allocation of time and energy to magickal work is another art.  Quite a lot of it goes on all the time, and it is imperative to recognise that esoteric work, witchcraft, or any path of this nature is not a hobby, to be taken up now and again when there is nothing good on television.  Your commitment is total, for those who play at being witches or occultists are like children running races along a freeway.  Sooner or later the forces with which they are interacting will get in their way, and they will be spiritually flattened, just as they would if they fell under a truck.  This is not the work of evil forces, but is a constant law, like gravity. 

It certainly might be the case that having discovered what is really required to study and train in the occult and turn you into a successful witch or magician you decide that the commitment is too much, that the time, the effort and the dedication required are more than you can reasonably spare at the moment.  Be strong enough to admit this, if only to yourself.  It will never be too late to begin your training, when you have more time, and if you have tried some of the exercises, like meditation, the calmness that it produces will always be useful, and the ability to concentrate is a valuable asset in any walk of life.  There are many aspects of occultism which can reasonably be fitted into a crowded life, even if you only allow yourself one evening a month to study.

The other approach is to acknowledge your continuing desire to come to an understanding of the Mysteries, and accept that you will have a twin path in life.  This is the situation for the greatest percentage of all students and more experienced practitioners.  Each of us has a home and family, a full-time, mundane, job, all the ordinary commitments of mortgages, ongoing education and the social interaction of the rest of the population.  On top of that we have our esoteric practices.

© Tony Singleton 2005-2006

All rights reserved.  No part of the Starting Out and Going Beyond course may be reproduced or utilised in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing of Tony Singleton.