Not sure where to start.

[Trekker]

First off I would like to apologize in advance for my ensuing ignorance, as I am really most akin to a fool blundering in the dark here. I got interested in the occult a while ago, and recently have become more intrigued by it than I have in the past. I'm really looking for a place to start and anything to get my feet wet. I've been looking at some of the other topics here, and I seem most interested in Chaos, Elemental, and Talismanic magick, alchemy, and a small interest in Shamanism. Personally, I also have strong ties with music in my life, if that makes some kind of a difference. Not sure where to start with all of this, and really just looking for a door that I want to open, metaphorically speaking.
Thank you for your time and patience.

[Penelope]

Yo, Trekkie. Welcome to the forum (and the occult, and the world). Stop apologising. Umm as far as anybody giving you a starting point is going to be - it's going to be totally arbitrary because there is just a whole world out there for you to explore. You would be better off I think just poking around what you are interested in, reading a few books and having a year of absorption before you go and commit to something somebody else tells you that you should be drawn to. This is my most bestest advice.

How did you get interested? What do you want to do? Are you just curious and looking for information or are you really asking what will give you the quickest most efficient reality hacks? Your interests are so varied that I have no idea where to start helping you - except to, on a whim, point you in a different direction. Please google "Franz Bardon". Perhaps Amazon "Initiation into Hermetics". Whim whim whim.

I hope you enjoy poking around your path, do let us know how you feel about what you find! If nobody ever asked anything, nothing would ever get passed on.

[Trekker]

Hey Penelope. As far as I can tell, I've always been interested. I'm a naturally curious person, and eventually came across this "occult" stuff, but that was a while ago: demons, spirits, magic, spirituality have always been more on my radar than others, it seems. Right now, I am really curious but I also want to try something a bit basic, quick and simple (not sure if that's applicable here) just to appease my curiosity right now. An interest that has been with me for as long as I can remember is using music to increase my aura or energy more than usual, or the way most people listen to music.
So to answer your questions as simply as possible 1) I've always been interested in what I don't know, so I guess this was a somewhat natural discovery 2) Become able to control the atmosphere around me to some degree (if that is possible) and be able to influence the world with my will, as well as being able to defend myself from negative powers while being able to draw from positive powers and 3) Both: I want to find something that fits me, and will definitely read some books about different kinds of magic (although I don't think I'll take a year, as I'm pretty decisive personally), but I also wanted something to try out right now to get the feel for it, so to speak.
Hope this helps, and thank you.

Regards,
Trekker

[Penelope]

Fellow infonaut! [yay] You are one of my favourite types of people. It's great to know things.

Okay so atmospheric control is actually a feature of Initiation to Hermetics so I guess that was actually a good guess quite seriously, from what you are saying, i'm thinking that beyond that recommendation only you are going to be able to find out what you want to learn. I didn't recommend the years study because I think it'll take you that long to learn (give anyone coffee and some Phil Hine books and they are a learned chaos magician in five days) - but because that might be a good amount of time to let your thoughts "brew" over your new discoveries and for your new interests to categorise themselves and lead you to new places.

This is awesome news, because there is nothing more fun than the initial buzz of learning something new for yourself and pushing all those thoughts up into the air to give them the option to settle somewhere new. Have the fun

[The Cove]

Curiousity killed the cat. Tread the paper with light and pretentious statements such as these are. It ain't what ye want to know tis what ye can ken. As the dove looks for the stray seed in the yard. Learn what ye cannot learn then begin force the issue - is my advice.

[asahc]

First off I would like to apologize in advance for my ensuing ignorance, as I am really most akin to a fool blundering in the dark here. I got interested in the occult a while ago, and recently have become more intrigued by it than I have in the past. I'm really looking for a place to start and anything to get my feet wet. I've been looking at some of the other topics here, and I seem most interested in Chaos, Elemental, and Talismanic magick, alchemy, and a small interest in Shamanism. Personally, I also have strong ties with music in my life, if that makes some kind of a difference. Not sure where to start with all of this, and really just looking for a door that I want to open, metaphorically speaking.
Thank you for your time and patience.

Greetings,

The question you posed of where to start..... a door to open..... how about we start somewhere, where it may seem a bit tame... or even lame.... BUT it is a door to unlimited possibilities.....

That door is..... your Heart.

Many of us want to go externally for fulfillment of desires that dwell within. And in the end.... you will still be looking. Why not start where most are afriad to.... in knowing yourself by knowing the loves and hates... the joys and displeasure of your own being.

Once that is obtained, then the rest you seek will be ever easy.

Peace

-asahc

[Trekker]

Curiousity killed the cat. Tread the paper with light and pretentious statements such as these are. It ain't what ye want to know tis what ye can ken. As the dove looks for the stray seed in the yard. Learn what ye cannot learn then begin force the issue - is my advice.

Not sure I quite understand.

Okay so atmospheric control is actually a feature of Initiation to Hermetics so I guess that was actually a good guess quite seriously, from what you are saying, i'm thinking that beyond that recommendation only you are going to be able to find out what you want to learn. I didn't recommend the years study because I think it'll take you that long to learn (give anyone coffee and some Phil Hine books and they are a learned chaos magician in five days) - but because that might be a good amount of time to let your thoughts "brew" over your new discoveries and for your new interests to categorise themselves and lead you to new places.

Awesome, Thanks for clarifying a little. [happy]

[The Cove]

To know ones walls is the beginning of everything.

[Trekker]

Alright, well so far I have been digging into the theory portion of that "Introduction to Hermetics" and must say it is truly astonishing. I really like reading it, even though it is a little hard to comprehend at some times. Thank you very much for pointing me towards it, and I look forward to what else it can reveal.

Regards,
Trekker

[Rin]

IIH is an excellent book, I'd say probably the best one out there for gaining a practical grounding in western magic. Good luck with your study

[Penelope]

Glad you're enjoying it Trek [thumbup]

I believe Cove is endeavoring to instill some caution into your educational persists - which is prudent and shouldn't be ignored. I figured you were going to plough ahead, so, erm. Have fun. (Possibly my joke about Phil Hine's books and the majority of "chaos magicians" on the internet went down the wrong way [devil] )