Introduction
Three years ago, I published a video titled ‘How to Start Practicing Magick.’ Laying the foundation of daily magickal practice, the video covers some basics, plus a few perks I found crucial on my journey. While it still holds value, the more I practiced, the more I found I’d do some things differently if I were starting now. So, in this, I’ll share what I think is the fastest and the most efficient way to begin practicing Magick.
Disclaimer
Using the method of creating for the ‘former self’, these are the suggestions I’d give him after five years of practicing. The provided information focuses on the practical side of things. It isn’t to be taken as dogma but tested and adjusted to one’s liking and goals. Everything said is based on using ritual for self-improvement, approaching things like a Chaos magician and a biohacker. Hence, it aims to help others with a similar perspective.
Goals of Magick
There are really three goals: learning to evoke/invoke, direct, tolerate, and avail of a magickal force. The first means utilizing techniques and correspondences to attune yourself to a particular current, increasing awareness of its presence. The second is directing it while having tolerance, so this doesn’t bring any side effects due to suppressed emotions and unresolved issues. And three, maximally availing of the astral images and ‘probability shifts,’ or the likelihood of something happening/manifesting.
Mindfulness and Meditation
Devoting daily time to meditation is the starting point of any magickal practice. This means finding a quiet place to remain perfectly still, breathing rhythmically, and observing bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts. As magickal books stress, the key isn’t to judge but to observe and accept those for what they are. And as Ikigai scholars advocate to (even) invite them. Tim Tamashiro defines mindfulness as:
“the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going around us.”(…)
“Mindfulness meditation rewires your brain to understand each moment as it happens in a clearer way…”
You can practice mindfulness in an ‘asana’ or merely sitting still or lying on your back. Besides all its benefits, mindfulness meditation teaches you to accept your totality. This is crucial for magick, as it increases awareness of aspects of you you weren’t previously aware of. Controlling your breath is the first step toward successful magick and self-control.
By teaching you to accept your totality, mindfulness meditation prepares you for and goes hand in hand with Magick, as magick increases awareness of aspects of you you weren’t previously aware of.
Journaling
Usually, you are told to have two journals: for dreams and rituals. While these are important, as discussed in the previous video, in this one, I suggest stepping things further and starting some sort of Bullet Journaling. Also called BUJU and popularized by Ryder Carroll, Bullet Journaling is a mindfulness practice designed as a productivity system. Bullet journaling declutters the mind, increasing awareness of how your days go. It lets you live with full intention, which is essential to magick.
Intentional Living
Marcus Aurelius said eliminating the non-essential doubles the impact of the essential. Gurdjieff advocated living each day with a peculiar intent you write down. Bullet journaling is just that. It reduces the chances of mechanicalness and being a victim of internal and external conditioning.
IMHO, BUJU is one of the best things to do for your practice and life. It is indispensable for rituals and self-improvement as it allows tracking how much your magick actually contributes to personal growth and accomplishing goals. It helps you take ownership and prevents using the work for wrong reasons like entertainment and distraction. Magick increases clarity, and BUJU facilitates that, though this post isn’t sponsored.
Knowing the Difference
Suppose you are a writer or coder. By increasing the ability to stay focused, a simple daily meditation helps with either. On the contrary, how different is it to add working with Mercury for a week or two? In the same way, meditation will help you if you are a calligraphist or designer, but what if you hit most Venus hours for two weeks?
Comment
Tying workings to actual life progress (and not just the 30 minutes around the working) is something no book told me, and one of the things I regret not starting earlier. It is how you find attributions’ (actual) utility and remove the non-essential from the essential.
The Weaker Hand
Speaking of Gurdjieff, start utilizing your weaker hand in your daily life. This increases ‘right’ hemisphere activity associated with everything holistic, intuitive, and mystical. Besides writing, drawing, or playing an instrument, this can be daily chores, cleaning, etc. Plus, using your weaker hand (regularly) boosts willpower, which, as we know, is limited and mostly unreliable.
The Tree of Life
Next comes the Middle Pillar. Based on the Elevenfold Seal, the Middle Pillar resembles a Chakrah meditation. Though essential, I suggest learning it as fast as possible and transitioning to its more elaborate Three Pillars version. Following the Lighting Flash, the last works with (almost) the entire diagram. The reasons it’s so appropriate are two. (1) Unlike the Yogi, the practical magician doesn’t necessarily seek the Middle Way; they primarily operate with the side pillars of function. (2) You utilize information from the get-go by taking time and mastering the exercise. Mark Stavish mentions going throughout the whole Tree before starting a practice. Experimenting with that, I follow my ‘workings’ with meditation, beginning with the Three Pillars technique. Based on personal experience, this further infuses the psyche with the current.
The Three Pillars teach you the process of creation, the YHVH formula, etc. It lets you go through all four worlds for each sephirah and perhaps work with different scales. You can add cards, letters, and sigils for the Lighting Flash paths. And while this may not seem like much, it’s information you’ll use as long as you work with the Tree.
Fields of Operation
Adopting the ‘Operant Model‘ is another I regret not doing earlier. Popularized by Scott Stenwick and found in Crowley’s books, the Operant Model follows a Lesser Pentagram Ritual with a Lesser Hexagram one. Thus far, nothing new. Yet, unlike the traditional ‘banishing banishing,’ this enables versatility. It uses combinations of the mentioned to set different ‘magickal environments.’ Based on personal experience, these are filters through which magick runs. And the reason is that they (more or less) determine how the subsequent rites impact your sphere of being.
LRP and LRH
A key to remember from the get-go is that ‘Lesser’ doesn’t mean less cool than ‘Greater’ and ‘Supreme.’ It implies general, not specific. Working with microcosmic influences, LRP impacts the aspects of your self related to yourself, i.e., your inner world. LRH deals with macrocosmic forces: the peculiarities of your being associated with the external. Given that, there are four different Fields of Operation to utilize based on goals and situations.
- Banishing field. Stressed by most magickal books, this one shuts down all (ongoing) spells and operations. You can think of it as a magickal EMP. It follows LBRP with LBRH.
- Centering field. This keeps magick purely internal, holding outer influences at bay. It follows LIRP with LBRH.
- Operant Field. This provides higher probability shifts by purifying the microcosm while invoking the external. It follows LBRP with LIRH.
- Invoking Field. Having the most significant impact by engaging all aspects of your being, this follows the invoking forms of the LRP and LRH.
General Guidelines
While these have their purpose, discovering those with the most utility in your life is critical. Based on my and others’ experiences, hard-core introverts don’t benefit from too many banishings, which tend to produce ‘encapsulating effects.’ Sometimes, this makes one’s goals and aspirations distant and inaccessible. In other cases, it can bring inadequate apathy and wanting to retreat from the world, which, as we know from Dion Fortune, isn’t healthy. To master the ‘Fields of Operation,’ I suggest my cheat sheet.
Doing Things Your Way
On the other hand, the same approach may be the go-to for an extrovert who’s permanently distracted and all over the place. People doing a single daily practice can opt for the more balanced operant field. Others wanting maximum impact all the time go with ‘invoking’ in the morning and ‘operant’ in the evening. That is with occasional banishings when the case calls for it.
Besides giving the highest probability shifts, the third lets to disconnect from the thought and spiritual forms without shutting down ongoing operations. A fourth group does either of those but switches the directions, using the tablets’ ordering, the density, or other models. You do what works best after experimenting and finding it yourself.
Elements
After mastering the mentioned, it comes time to start working with the Elements. IMHO, the best technique for it is SIRP. Unlike some claims you may encounter, SIRP is nothing like LIRP. Sure, it can bring the four elements in a balanced way. Yet it also incorporates Egyptian Godforms, Zodiac Signs, and higher Sephirotic names. The Supreme Pentagram also employs the ‘three god names’ from the elemental tablets, such as those from the one of ‘Union.’ Lastly, SIRP renders the veil in four quarters (though it has different variations). And while incorporating Enochian, SIRP is not Enochian Magick, as it works with the ‘Veil of Paroketh.’
The Veil of Paroketh
The Veil of Paroketh sits between Tiphereth and Netzach and Hod. Based on personal experience, rendering it doesn’t only cause an elemental influx. It also lets the following hexagram ritual have a more significant impact on Yesod. Meaning that the probability shift doesn’t necessarily become ‘greater.’ Instead, it increases its effects on the personal subconscious. And you can think of it as increasing sensitivity. While some prefer including SIRP four elements before invoking a planet or zodiac sign, others don’t, keeping it strictly for the elements. As with everything, the key is to find what suits you. To master SIRP, I suggest my cheat sheet and video on the rite.
OBW
After practicing SIRP, you may prefer to replace its 4 Elements version with OBW. That’s a more souped-up version incorporating the tablets and the weapons. In theory, OBW produces more potent effects; to some, it adds nothing to an invoking or operant field, with or without SIRP. IMHO, the traditional OBW is highly cumbersome, diminishing the excitement and energy. Also, more demanding as it requires weapons.
The Rites You Love
For such reasons, I adopted and tweaked a version invented by J. Alan More. The same is a fusion of SIRP and OBW, and besides links in the description, I’ll soon have a cheat sheet on it. If you need tablets, visit my Etsy store. Something I needed to learn earlier is that the more you enjoy doing a rite, the more you’ll get out of it, and vice versa. And while the selection of rites varies from person to person, you should make yours.
GIRP and Vel Reguli
As covered, the ‘Lesser’ rituals are general. The ‘Greater’ and ‘Supreme’ are specific and peculiar. This means that they attune your ‘Field’ to a particular force. In the case of the elements, you can also do that with the Greater Pentagram and Crowley’s Liber Vel Reguli. Think of the first a less souped-up version of SIRP. According to some, they produce identical results. IMHO, they don’t, though, they both can be used for working with the four Elemental Kings.
Vel Reguli attunes you to the Thelemic current. It may be more appropriate if wanting to align yourself entirely with that. Vel Reguli it’s an ingenious rite elevating the operator above Tiphereth. On the contrary, it is a ceremony in and of itself, and to me, that’s too much. It also has different directions, which may confuse a beginner.
Declaration of Intent
It is crucial to start formulating clear charges of intent. They are just as essential as the preceding-them techniques. Such declarations must combine the characteristics of the force(s) you are working with and your goal(s), which must be maximally aligned with those characteristics. Perceive those as cyphered keywords for your subconscious. Perceive achieving your goal as an extension of your True Will. To formulate proper charges of intent, start learning correspondences. Luckily, you’ll have a good foundation because of doing your best with the Three Pillars technique.
Correspondences
The previous video advocates learning correspondences. Since this can be a daunting task, the following is the approach I’d follow if I were starting now.
- Invoke one element via SIRP daily for an extended period.
- Meanwhile, learn about it and declare your intent based on your studies, using devices like Anki and journaling for better retention.
- Practice mindfulness as much as possible to recognize how the attributions translate into actual life… as very few things in Magick are literal.
- Declaring your charges of intent based on a combination of that and your goals.
- Apply the same for planets and Zodiac signs.
Practical Knowledge
The bare minimum to know includes the Hebrew Alphabet, the basics of the elements, zodiac and alchemical, signs, paths, the Sephiroth, and the Tarot. Also, the rites’ directions, mapping on the Tree. On the other hand, this is not ‘school’ or the ‘Academia,’ rewarding passively memorizing for the sake of it. Practical magick is about practicing, i.e., doing and experiencing. Even more so in humanity’s development current stage, which is about fire and force, and thus taking action. In that sense, magick is like science, life, art, music, self-improvement, entrepreneurship, biohacking, and other practical skills. You get better by practicing.
Real Education
In his self-help classic, the One Year Manual, Israel Regardie explains, ‘reading does very little to bring one to their divine nature.’ Henry Ford and Napoleon Hill agree: ‘A truly educated person does not memorize all the information, but can obtain the right one when needed…’ And apparently, Modern Magick supports a similar statement regarding attributions. The book also states that the only way to figure out deeper secrets is by accessing the deeper realms. And that is done through practicing… though getting into flow states (also) provides insights.
Planets and Zodiac Signs
This leads us to the last rite to add to your practice. In traditional Golden Dawn style, that would be SRH. Based on LRH, SRH uses different geomantic shapes. On the contrary, many find these confusing and tedious for all sephiroth. In such cases, I offer Crowley’s GRH for two reasons.
- It’s exceedingly more accessible due to employing nothing but Earth hexagrams… which, purely based on intuition, seems more suitable for getting results in the world of action.
- It feels far more intentional as it utilizes an identical hexagram in all directions.
I suggest starting by working with the Choirs of Angels. Then, get more specific with the names of the four worlds as you increase proficiency. Luckily, you already know many due to the Three Pillars rite.
The Planets of the Week
Initially, it is recommended to work with each planet on its day. After that, I suggest determining which forces you have excess and emphasizing the opposites. Besides balancing your psyche, you may find such an approach helps improve your life the most. Let me know if it does.
Apps
Doing SRH or GRH requires two free apps. Being a landing page, the first is Planetary Hours. Tracking your region, Planetary Hours gives you all planetary hours. The second is Star Walk 2. Also available for iOS and Android, Star Walk 2 provides the planet’s or constellation’s direction based on your current location.
It’s All You
Although magickal books use terms like ‘micro’ and ‘macrocosm’ (or ‘subjective’ and ‘objective’), they all represent different aspects of your being. Eventually, you may find that the last extends beyond what you are typically used to. The Setian pentagram is an excellent symbol to keep yourself grounded in this truth. While the traditional pentagram conveys ‘Spirit ruling Elements,’ employed from Thelema, this one stands for — Spirit descending into Matter, the fusion of macro and microcosm, also expressed by the Rose Cross. In the same symbol, the alchemical process/change doesn’t touch the circle, i.e., the outer world, collective objective. It is for the person to decide what to do with it. And for that, one has to be a vessel for the light.
A Vessel For The Light
Magick brings energies from the higher to the lower worlds. One should be a vessel for the light to carry those and obtain results in Assiah. The first part is recognizing the astral images, shifts, and synchronicities when they start happening. The second, which, though massive, seems vastly underrated, is helping your magick with rigorous self-improvement. Turning your enabling yourself into a being capable of transforming the light into proper action, producing the desired results. The story’s moral with the person praying to god to win the lottery applies here.
Get Healthy
For many of us, this started with basic stuff like taking care of one’s health, quitting addictions like drugs, booze, porn, and sugar, etc., adopting a proper diet, fasting, resting, and daily exercise. Also, taking ownership of your information diet and time on social media. Bullet Journaling can help with all these. Magick, too, as long as you use it accordingly.
The Nephesh
Qabalistically, this is getting your Nephesh under control. It further aligns your whole day with who you want to be through habits, systems, and routines, carrying the light through the world of action. The more you achieve that, the more you can take advantage of Magick’s effects. Research the latest psychology and behavioral science studies, and you’ll be better prepared for potentially resurfacing conflicts, obstacles, uncomfortable truths, etc.
Natural Law
Magick follows natural law. So make sure you don’t try to oppose but align yourself with that. This doesn’t imply waiting to build the perfect lifestyle and discipline to start practicing. And neither to first get ‘enlightened,’ so you can do practical work. Quite the opposite. View Magick and Self-Help as the two aspects of the same thing: your personal development. Avail of them to build the identity of someone who possesses what you want. Utilizing magick increases the probability of building habits and systems aligned with your future self, especially when you find your True Will (Ikigai). Besides joy and personal growth, the latter should provide value to others, expressing your true self as an individual in (likely digital) society.
Unlike what some want you to believe, waking up early won’t make you rich. On the contrary, it will give you access to all planetary hours, so you can use the suitable planet to increase the probability of making the most out of your writing, coding, or creating, leading to financial gain. If you don’t have those, it will help you build skills that earn money. And while you practice those attuned to the energy, the law of attraction may suddenly land you on an idea, leading to new opportunities.
The same is true with finding a partner. A successful operation with such a goal wouldn’t be someone hot knocking on your door. It would increase the likelihood of building an attractive personality, i.e., getting in shape, prospering, working on yourself, studying culture, philosophy, etc. And then attracting another such person, with similar interests.
Compounding Effects
Like habits and focused work, well-intended and structured rituals have compounding effects. Yet, as I like to say, with or without magick, extraordinary results require extraordinary efforts. Magick works on what’s already there. Use it to continually put yourself in a better position, (perhaps) climbing Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and eventually achieving self-transcendence. Also, document your journey so others can benefit from it.
