Thursday, May 7, 2015

Tips For Young Occultists, part II

In my last post, I addressed a recent controversy that, as usual online, brought out the absolute worst in the people involved in the conversations.

Mr. Farrell's post addressed a lot of the attitudinal and interpersonal aspects of being a young occultist. But at the end of his own post, Mr. Hillier at BLOGOS made a more practical list that addresses the “how” of starting out. I have my own, similar list that I unapologetically janked from Mr. Hillier's a few times.

OCEAN DELANO'S PRACTICE TIPS FOR YOUNG OCCULTISTS

#1 - Meditate. Seriously, everyday, at least 10-20 minutes, meditate. You're welcome.
#2 - Develop your relationship with the spiritual world around you through the giving of offerings and, if you feel called to do so, through devotional practices.
#3 - Keep a diary. Magical practices, dreams, divinations, daily life stuff...all of these, if you can. You will be able to look back and see your progress, and it is valuable!
#4 - Establish a daily practice. Just as physical muscles need regular use to stay strong, so do your magical ones. My own daily practice consists of meditation, invocation of my higher being, general offering, and some basic energy work.
#5 - Don't neglect your body. All the spiritual power and occult expertise in the world won't help you if you end up, at 65, bed-ridden and unable to walk due to obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease that could have been prevented to some extent by practicing healthful living.
#6 - Study source texts first, and THEN commentaries and works based off the source.
#7 - Stay grounded in the world. Study old texts, conjure old spirits, but pay attention to the warnings in the old grimoires when doing so. Also, keep relationships with your non-magical friends strong. Go out, see concerts, see movies, have good food and good laughs.
#8 - Engage with the spiritual worlds. Explore them with astral projection, skrying, etc and see how this benefits your daily life.
#9 - Connect with other people respectfully, regardless of their age, seniority, or fame.
#10 - Remember that you are still a student, even if you also end up becoming a teacher.

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