The Importance of a Foundation

The last week has found me dealing with the joy of having back spasms. Not really sure what I did but one evening last week the spasms were so bad that they were jolting me from my bed. Of course, I went and checked in with my doctor and he brought up the importance of making my core strong so that I wouldn’t have as many issues with my back or my knees. His suggestion struck me in multiple ways, one being the importance of having a strong foundation – core – when it comes to practicing magick.

I get so many messages from new practitioners wanting to know why their magick isn’t getting them the results they are looking for. Upon further questions they let it out that they have no real background in magickal traditions, they just bought a book from a store, thumbed to the page that had what they were looking for (usually something that is more advanced than what a beginner should be working on), and then went to town. They have no idea about how to raise energy, the importance of intent and correspondences, or how to release the energy when done. They look at spell work as something that can just happen from reading a book that they bought off Amazon. I’m not saying that this approach is 100% wrong, many of us have purchased books either online or in person,and then created magick or spellwork around what is in them, but we have a firm foundation to pull from. Let’s face it, some books are written with blinds that only experienced magicians will pick up on that allows us to get the full benefit and outcome.

Magick isn’t something that can be learned in one class or in a weekend, it is something that you are constantly perfecting and eternally learning about. You can have all the books in the world, but unless you practice those books are nothing more than dust gatherers.

Take the time to learn and be humble enough to realize that there is nothing wrong with being a beginner, we have all been there. Read outside of your tradition, each approach to magick has something important to teach you. If you have honestly tried your best and are still stuck, reach out to more experienced magicians for a different point of view.

Suffice it to say, that tonight while I am sitting with my TENS unit working on my back I will be enjoying going back to basics, there is nothing wrong with going back to the beginning; and reading Franz Barton’s ‘Introduction to Hermetics’. I’m sure I will find something that I missed the last 2 times that I read it.