Notes to a Neophyte

This little document is my response to the numerous requests I've seen
on Usenet and various electronic mailing lists for help in getting
started in the secretive world of magic and the occult. I've written
it in a question and answer style asking the following questions:

1. How do I get started in the study of magic?
2. What Books do you recommend for the beginner?
3. Holy smokes! There's no way I can afford all those books!
4. I'm poorer than dirt, got anything that's basically free?
5. What about on-line discussion groups?
6. Can you recommend any correspondence courses and esoteric Orders?
7. There are an awful lots of terms thrown about here. What do they
all mean?

You may disagree with my answers to these questions. That's your
right. If you think Crowley's cool or are looking to fry someone with
lightning bolts, this may not be to your tastes. If you are looking
to draw closer to God and explore the "occult" without losing your
soul. You may want to keep reading.

If this work helps you in some way, please drop me some email at
cward@think.com. If you have any constructive criticisms, I'm
interested in those as well. Flames to /dev/null.

Q1: How do I get started in the study of magic?

While this is a common question, it's not the first one you should ask
yourself. First ask yourself, "Should I take up the study of magic?",
and "Why do I want to study magic?". What is your goal?

The path you are seeking has been called "The Great Adventure" and
"The Great Work". There are many voices which will call to you to turn
left or right and even to turn back. A maze of pathways is awaiting
you. Some will take you closer to your goal, others perhaps in a more
roundabout route, still others away from your objectives and quite a
few will take you into dangerous peril. This is merely one of the
voices.

This small document is meant as a help to those True Seekers who
desire to develop in themselves the skills, attributes and knowledge
necessary to become an Initiate in the Western Mysteries. The Western
Mystery Tradition of the esoteric Orders is not the Path for the
dilettante or the dabbler! Initiation requires a serious dedication
to take your own evolution in hand and become fully responsible for
your own actions. If this is not your intention or you feel this is
not your Path then it is better for you to wait or find another Path.
As I said, there are many Paths. I can only recommend this one.

So, how do you get started? First answer these three questions:

1. What is your goal?
2. What do you want?
3. Why do you seek Initiation?

Q2: What Books do you recommend for the beginner?

The New Age Movement (NAM) has muddied the waters and flooded the area
with more paths than you can shake a stick at, however, one positive
aspect is that books on the Western Esoteric Tradition are more easily
obtainable than ever. The problem, of course, is which among the tens
of thousands of titles are worth the paper their printed on? The
following is a short list of my recommended books for beginners.
Don't let that fool you, however. These books are no easy read but
they will get you started on the Path. The list is grouped roughly by
subject for convenience.

Beginner Books

1. "Experience of the Inner Worlds", Gareth Knight
Recently reprinted in the US by Weiser (1993, ISBN 0877287872).
If you have any fondness for both the esoteric and Grail Myth,
you'll really like the approach of this book. Each chapter is
well written yet concise and concludes with easy but practical
exercises which build upon each other effectively. The approach
is more mystical than magical (which may be better for the
solitary practictioner). The author is coming from a decidedly
Christian viewpoint and the first chapter has some very interest-
ing distinctions between Christian and pagan magic and religion.
Not only is this an excellent beginner book but it also contains
insights which may be mined by those farther on the Path.

2. "Apprenticed to Magic", W. E. Butler
Another classic reprint by Aquarian Press along with "Magic &
the Qabalah" (1990, ISBN 0-85030-961-1). It is written in the
style of letters to a student beginning on the study of magic.
There are not great secrets revealed here but it helps build a
firm foundation of spirituality needed to carry out The Great
Work.

3. "First Steps In Ritual", Doloris Ashcroft-Nowicki
The revised expanded second edition was published by Aquarian
Press in 1990 (ISBN 0-85030-874-7). This is a good beginners
practical book. It details several rituals covering a range of
Western Paths.

General Occult

1. "The Esoteric Orders and Their Work", Dion Fortune
A new edition published by Aquarian Press in 1987 along with
"The Training and Work of the Initiate" (ISBN 0-85030-664-7).
This book provides an excellent insiders look at what a
balanced Order is like. This book describes the workings of
secret societies, traditionally jealously restricted to
admitted members. It is an excellent book to understand an
overview of the Inner School of the Western Esoteric Tradition
and a must to review before joining any Order.

2. "The Training and Work of an Initiate", Dion Fortune
Now republished with "Esoteric Orders and Their Work" by
Aquarian Press in 1987 (ISBN 0-85030-664-7). This book
outlines the broad principles of the Western Esoteric Systems
that have been handed down from Adept to Neophyte for
centuries. Dion Fortune attempts to illuminate obscure and
often misunderstood aspects of the Path. Even if you can't
give up your whole life to the pursuit of the esoteric
sciences, this book can give you a good idea of the esoteric
philosophy of life and what can be expected of you as you
follow the Path.

3. "Sane Occultism", Dion Fortune
Another classic, balanced work on the Western Esoteric
Tradition republished by Aquarian Press along with "Practical
Occultism". This book reviews some of the more practical
aspects of this Path, in particular, how to avoid becoming one
of those NAM flakes.

4. "The Complete Book of Spells, Ceremonies & Magic", M. Gonzalez-Wippler
Published by Llewllyn first then 1978 then updated in 1988
(ISBN 0-87542-286-1) this book gives an excellent history and
overview of magic across a wide range of traditions. It's a
kind of Reader Digest Encyclopedia of Magic, the Occult,
organized religions, secret societies, shamanism, and famous
practitioners. Besides history and theory, there's also
plenty of practical material covered as well as many samples
spells and charms from a broad range of traditions. An
excellent book if you are still looking for your particular Path.

Tarot

1. "Meditations on the Tarot" (anonymous)
This book, published by Element in 1991, is a translation of
Meditations of an anonymous French Priest released after his
death. Although the chapter topics follow the Major Arcana,
the book weaves in a vast amount of Christian Hermeticism
throughout. The book is thick and pricey, but well worth
every penny. Amazingly, it has garnered acceptance both from
the esoteric and mainstream religious.

2. "Highlights of the Tarot", Paul F. Case
This booklet comes with the BOTA Tarot deck. This deck along
with the Rider-Waite deck, is one of the most balanced decks
published and an excellent first deck for beginners studying
the Tarot.

3. "The Tarot - Key to the Wisdom of the Ages", Paul F. Case
Another BOTA publication (ISBN 0-938002-08-2), the revised
edition published in 1990, adds color plates of the cards in
the Major Arcana. Case is perhaps the best author on the
Tarot presenting it's deep mysteries with clarity and balance
while still preserving it's mystical nature. A definite must
for anyone seriously interested in the study of the Tarot.

Qabalah

1. "The Mystical Qabalah", Dion Fortune
The definitive work on the subject and usually referenced by
all other works on Qabalah. Republished in the US by Weiser in
1991 (ISBN 0-87728-596-9), it is Dion Fortune's most famous
work. This book presents the revelations of Jewish Mysticism
(Kabbalah) in its tradition as incorporated into the Western
Esoteric Tradition and as taught by Golden Dawn related Schools.

2. "A Practical Guide to Qabalistic Symbolism", Gareth Knight
The single volume set now published by Weiser (ISBN
0-87728-397-4) is an excellent addition to one's esoteric
reference library. This is more of a reference book than a
straight read but excellent none-the-less. It makes an
excellent companion to Fortune's "The Mystical Qabalah". It
covers each Sephiroth in detail as well as the mystical
attributions of the paths between them. It also details the
correspondence between the Tree of Life and the Esoteric Grade
system of the Golden Dawn. It is of special value for
developing your own personal practical Qabalistic work.

An Outside Perspective

These books present some balanced perspectives on the occult and the
broad range of NAM beliefs and groups. It's important to include
these books because popularity of the NAM has ushered in its share of
opportunists and con artists which thrive upon the secrecy of Esoteric
Traditions and the ignorance and hunger of the masses. These books
will help you put a little more caveat in your emptor...

1. "America, The Sorcerer's New Apprentice", Dave Hunt & T.A. McMahon
Published by Harvest House in 1988 (ISBN 0-89081-651-4), these
authors have reviewed a wide range of NAM cults and snake oil
in a balanced manner. Although little of the Western Esoteric
Mysteries Schools is covered, the side influences, especially
from pagan and Eastern religions, are well covered. The
authors ask probing questions and show how much of the NAM is
hype, how much is dangerous, and what positive aspects it
might hold as well.

2. "The Fringes of Reason"
This is an excellent, non-partisan debunking of many of the
major NAW myths. It provides documented, scientific evidence
showing how much of the NAM is snake oil and how much might
have merit.

3. "Straight Answers On The New Age", Bob Larson
This is a somewhat dated book published in 1986 by
Intervarsity Press (ISBN 0-8407-3032-2). It presents a
definite Fundamentalist Christian viewpoint but does a nice
job of breaking down the various NAM themes and groups into
identifiable compartments. Each chapter ends with some direct
and tough questions that you not only should ask yourself but
are likely to be asked along the way. You may not agree with
everything in the book but its light is revealing.

4. "Unmasking the New Age", Douglas Groothius
Also published by Intervarsity Press in 1986 (ISBN
0-87784-568-9), this book takes a look at the more societal
rather than specifically personal aspects of the NAM. It
references some other interesting books by authors who have
been deeply involved in one of the NAW cults or Eastern
religions and converted to Christianity. The book is not as
reactionary as the cover blurbs.

5. "The Bible", God
Various publishers, dates, and translations. I prefer the
"Jerusalem Bible" myself. A good interlinear Bible can help
you get at the heart of those sticky passages and you can
verify the translation yourself. Don't discount this book on
your Journey. It's not just for thumping on street corners.
It is perhaps the most esoteric and powerful of spiritual books.

Fiction

The magic of the Western Esoteric Tradition is not the flashy special
effects of Hollywood and most spell-slinging fiction. A few books,
however, do an excellent job of teaching esoteric mystery in the
vehicle of an entertaining story.

1. Any works by Dion Fortune.

2. "The Seed Bearers", Peter Timlett
An Atlantis story with it's facts based on esoteric teachings.

3. "The Inheritor", Marion Z. Bradley
An intriguing tale of first encounter with the occult.

4. "Lammas Night", Katherine Kurtz
A fanciful tale of how occultism played a positive role in WWII.

5. "The Adept" series, Katherine Kurtz & Deborah Harris
So far three books in the series present a modern day
occultist who also dabbles as a detective.

Q3: Holy smokes! There's no way I can afford all those books!

This is a common malady and one which I am also afflicted. I've built
up a nice library over many years of study (and no you may not borrow
any of my books). I have two answers to this question:

1. The Top Three Books.

If you could only buy three books (other than the Bible) the ones I
put at the top of my list are:

"Meditations on the Tarot" - covers both the Tarot and
esoteric Christian Hermeticism

"America: The Sorcerers New Apprentice" - for balance

"The Esoteric Orders and Their Work &
The Training and Work of the Initiate" - This 2-for-1 reprint
covers the true philosophy of the Western
Mystery Schools and will help you discern
other works.

2. Free Books

Perhaps one of the more important magical tools you will need to
obtain in your initial pursuit of magical texts is a Library Card.
You may already have one of these powerful devices. If not, proceed
to your local public library and perform their appropriate ritual.
Then check the local catalog for the books listed. Many smaller
libraries may not have most or even any other books listed above.
These books also have a high theft rate from libraries. To obtain
books your local library doesn't have, seek out the reference
librarian and ask about an interlibrary loan. Remember that anyone
can cough up a title, a dabbler can provide an author perhaps even a
publisher, but to show the librarian you are a True Adept be sure to
give the ISBN. It usually takes a week or so to locate and ship the
book. Many libraries provide this as a free service. Some may ask you
to cover the shipping cost.

Q4: I'm poorer than dirt, got anything that's basically free?

There is a wide variety of occult related material available on Usenet
and via anonymous FTP. The same warnings apply to materials found
there as in your local bookstore or only more so. Most of what I've
found are the poorly organized musings and questionable practices of
occult dabblers who are apparently neither skilled Initiates nor
accomplished writers. Still there are a few works I can recommend:

"Notes on Kabbalah", Collin Low
[/pub/magick/Qabalah/Others/collin_low.gz at ftp.lysator.liu.se]
Perhaps one of the best works on the Net. This document is about the
size of a small book so leave lots of room on your disk for it. It is
a well organized and clearly written overview of the Kabbalah. In
many ways it's a net version of Knight's book.

Here are some other FTP sites:
ftp.lysator.liu.se /pub/magick has lots of stuff. Fairly
well organized but really only a few gems.
ftp.netcom.com /pub/bota a few BOTA related files.
quartz.rutgers.edu

The references and locations I cite are the latest ones I've found.
If you have trouble locating these texts or systems, these things
occasionally move around and systems get shut down. Please let me
know via email. I will email you a copy of what I have or might be
able to cite an alternate location for anonymous FTP.

Q5: What about on-line discussion groups?

There are also some on-line groups where you can correspond with
others interested in magic.

On Usenet:
alt.magick News group free-for-all on magick. Not a great
place for beginners so browse a while before
posting. Even then, you'll get flamed.

Electronic Mailing Lists:
Fiat L.V.X. A Mailing list for discussing Magic and
Christianity, although mostly it's a forum for
discussion of the Western Mystery Tradition
similar to alt.magick without the flames, fluffy
bunnies, and satanic/pagan dweebs. Subscribe by
sending email to fiatlvx-request@think.com
"subscribe"

B.O.T.A. A list mainly for BOTA members. Subscribe by
sending email to bota-l-request@netcom.com
"subscribe"

There are others, some I just can't recommend and others I haven't had
time to check out. If you come across a good FTP site or mailing list
please drop me a line and I'll see if it's worth adding to this
document.

Q6: Can you recommend any correspondence courses and/or esoteric Orders?

There are lots of "mystery schools" out there who will gladly take
your money in exchange for telling you what you could discover with a
little patients and a good bookstore. One look through "Gnosis"
magazine will tell you that these "secret societies" are not as secret
as they used to be. The advantage of belonging to a group is that you
can network with others on a similar Journey. So, the best Order to
join would be one which is a true mystery school (a la Dion Fortune's
description in "The Esoteric Orders"), which has members locally you
can interact with directly and which work in a style acceptable to
your discernment.

There are some "schools" I would warn against but are too numerous to
mention here. Instead, I will offer two recommendations I can vouch
for:

1) My highest recommendation goes to The Fraternity of the Hidden
Light (or Fraternitas L.V.X. Occulta - FLO). Write to them at:
Fraternity of the Hidden Light
Dept. S.
PO Box 5094
Covina, CA 91723

They have the best correspondence course I've found and are the most
balanced Order of any I've come across. There are others better known
and certainly richer but none truer to the Western Esoteric Tradition.

Here's an excerpt from their informational brochure:

The Fraternity of the Hidden Light is a non-profit organization
founded a decade ago by Rev. Paul A. Clark and a handful of Initiates
of high grade. The Mother Temple was established in Southern
California (USA) with Rev. Clark as Steward of the Order.

The Fraternity was organized for the following three-fold purpose:
1) to act as a modern day repository of the Hermetic Arts as contained
within the Tarot, Qabalah, Alchemy, Astrology and Magic, as well as to
conduct on- going research into the Great Work; 2) to train its
members for unselfish service to humanity, by providing a seeding
ground for their growth and development through individual and group
applications of the Wisdom teachings; 3) to promulgate the spiritual
heritage of the Western Mystery Tradition in an effort to elevate the
thought-life of humanity at-large, and bring about the Reign of
Harmony on Earth.

The Fraternity also has the unique opportunity to blend the three
forms of expression through which the Mystery Tradition has been
revealed to the world. The three forms or "Rays" are those of Power,
Love, and Wisdom. The Order is endeavoring to unite these three great
rays into a symmetrical triangle of inter-dependent spiritual support
which will carry the Race through the next millennium. The "Hidden
Light" in the Order's name refers to that mystical, hidden Light which
is resident in all life - the Spirit within.

The curriculum of the Fraternity is personally guided and consists of
study, meditation and ritual. It's studies center primarily around
the mystical Arts of Qabalah, Alchemy, Astrology, Magic, the Tarot and
what may be called Occult Psychology. Meditation is used to bring
about an in-depth understanding of the Tradition and to create in the
Aspirant a personal communication link with the only true teacher --
one's own Higher Self. Rituals are used for numerous purposes; the
most frequent purpose is an initiatory one. The rituals are aimed at
invoking quantum changes in consciousness, leading toward a perception
of the inner realities behind outward appearances.

Since its inception, the Fraternity has experienced constant growth.
Today, the Order has students and working temples in nine countries,
spanning five continents.

2) Second on my list would be The Builders of the Adytum (BOTA). You
can write to them at:
Builders of the Adytum, Ltd.
5105 No. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90042

BOTA is very similar to FLO in its goals and teachings as you can tell
from the above FLO description. Founded by Paul Case and continued by
Ann Davies after Case's death in 1954, BOTA is a recognized and
respected Mystery School. They are the publishers of Case's Tarot
books, the BOTA Tarot deck in various sizes, as well as other books
and tapes by Ann Davies. Their correspondence course is good and
known for its excellent treatment of the Tarot. I personally don't
care much for the controlling nature or politics of the Mother Temple.
Otherwise, the folks I have encountered are genuine and sincere.

If you live near a BOTA Pronaos and not near a FLO group or temple,
then BOTA may be a better choice for you than FLO. Otherwise, the FLO
course is a better superset.

Q7: There are an awful lots of terms thrown about there. What do they
all mean?

The esoteric realm is difficult enough of a subject to deal with given
the limits of language and few definitions give complete understanding
to the concepts unless experienced firsthand. Still the following
definitions are provided though there is no guarantee that all authors
will use them the same.

Exoteric - that which is publicly taught, known and practiced.

Esoteric - that which is privately or secretly taught, known or
practiced. Can also refer to knowledge or meaning hidden
within something exoteric.

Hermeticism - relating to the teachings of Hermes Trigestes.

Kabbalah - the esoteric system of Jewish mysticism and basis for
much of the Western Esoteric Tradition.

Magic - there are many definitions. The dictionary includes stage
magic (i.e. magic tricks) and uses more skeptical language in
its definition but that is not the context here. Here are the
opinions of some experts:

"the art of causing changes in consciousness at will."
-Dion Fortune

"the art of determining the forms and shapes which shall be
taken in the outer world by the veil of Reality"
-Paul Case

"the art of producing desired effects, initiated by changes in
consciousness, by directing or aligning with the secret forces
of the Cosmos"
-Paul Clark

"Magic is by no means, as most outsiders imagine, the negation
of science. Quite the contrary, Magic is Science, but Science
with synthesis, almost integral Science, its horizons being
the absolute, the Infinite in Unity. ...In truth Magic is the
knowledge of the action and combination of the forces of the
Universe, the study of their conduct, their involution, their
evolution..."
- Jollivet-Castellot

Magick - an alternate spelling of magic used by some people to
differentiate "true magic" from stage magic or inferior forms.

"Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in
conformity with Will."
-A. Crowley, _Magick_ (_Book Four_)

"The Anglo-Saxon *k* in Magick, like most of Crowley's
conceits, is a means of indicating the kind of magic which he
performed. K is the eleventh letter of several alphabets, and
eleven is the principal number of magick, because it is the
number attributed to the Qliphoth - the underworld of demonic
and chaotic forces that have to be conquered before magick can
be performed. K has other magical implications: it
corresponds to the power or *shakti* aspect of creative
energy, for k is the ancient Egyptian *khu*, *the* magical
power. Specifically, it stands for *kteis* (vagina), the
complement to the wand (or phallus) which is used by the
Magician in certain aspects of the Great Work."
- Symonds and Grant, in their introduction to _Magick_

Occult - literally "hidden", typically of or pertaining to hidden or
secret knowledge or lore In many Christian circles this also
implies forbidden, even sinful, knowledge or work but not
necessarily here.

Qabbalah - an esoteric "Christian" variant of Jewish mysticism
including elements of Hermeticism.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
Are you ready?

© C.Ward 1996