In continuing with my pledge to King Belial,
I thought about a topic that can help newcomers
to sorcery….
What are your thoughts on going from theory to practice in magic?
How much theory is enough?
Does it depend on the area of magic?
In my view, one needs a basic foundation in theory and couple of solid beginners’ practices before
Going towards more elaborate workings…
At least, I think one needs to learn basic banishing, like LBRP and cleansing, planetary correspondences, basic psychic self-defense and basic energy manipulation…
What are the bare minimum requirements to start practicing any sort of magic?
Can theory be learned from practice, or must precede it?
Read a book, read 2 maybe. And then sit down and figure some shit out yourself. And then, when you know who you are as a person and as a practitioner, go read some more and acquire more theory knowledge if you want. Bonus if you can find some that overlaps with your practice and thoughts. But in and of itself, only knowing theory and principles, absolutely useless if you want magick to work in your life. Aside from the (rare in the mundane world) person that attracts what they want to them nearly unintentionally, only “knowing” never practicing is getting no one anywhere.
I’ve never done LBRP in my whole life, much less in the 8+ years I’ve been actively practicing.
I have minimal knowledge on planatary correspondences—something I’m trying to learn more on now that I have a good feel for my magick though.
Basic psychic defense— learned after that one time where I saw a giant astral eel/dragon thing come out of no where and threaten me the same day I felt like a spirit had reached into my chest and grabbed my heart with thorns for a few moments. This was years into my practice.
On energy manipulation, yeah that was early on for me in terms of when I learned and started actively practicing it. That said, have yet to read a single book on it.
None. It’s my firm belief that one needs absolutely no theory at all to learn and to practice magick. Just the idea that they can have if they want and the motivation to sit down, or stand, and call it to them.
Being a person who feels comfortable making their own choices and following through with them.
I agree, but can we also agree that some magicians had experiences we didn’t have and so we can learn from them?
I largely agree the best test for any skill is real life. An an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory.
But, let’s take reading the tarot cards as an example. Of course reading the cards is vital but also learning about their traditional meanings and the different available spreads is also important.
Also, learning about the planetary correspondences of the cards can add to one’s readings.
I learned as I read cards. Reading and not practicing with tarot—I think personally—is absolutely useless. Because if you aren’t using them, be it online or with a physical deck, then what are you accomplishing other than potentially rote memorization? That seems even worse because then you’re fucking yourself up when you do read and all you can do is recite what a pamphlet or the internet says.
Also, I have extremely minimal knowledge of planetary correspondences with cards and I read okay.
Edit: I guess I’ve amended my initial view. I think theory without practice, except light learning of theory, has a great potential to influence the practice of magick negatively.
I had all the (rhp) theory – running out of my eyeballs – but it only made sense after Peter James Carroll’s Liber Null & Psychonaut. Then I started practicing!
I tend to banish before I work, just to get rid of the parasitic entities around and ensure a clean workspace.
Taro cards: Throw away the shitty little booklet that comes will the deck. Use the cards and record in your Magickal Journal, then read books. I strongly recommend both staring at a card until you can close your eyes and see it – then walk through, plus Alfred Douglas – The Tarot.
Magickal weapons are extremely important to begin with – then these become internalised. I very rarely use these now, but a Wand or Dagger is handy to have on standby.
I couldn’t care any less about planetary correspondences, except the Moon, maybe. I just revolted against all those fucking tables and correspondences and incense and special hours and trying to convert northern hemisphere times to Sydney, Land of Oz times and correct colour schemes - so I just ditched the lot.
And I appreciate that it’s heretical to many, but I’m a living God, so a lot of that stuff doesn’t concern me anymore. (Sorry!)