Hello, Need Some Guidance...

[wombocombo]

Hello all, so I've been involved in the occult for about a year or two, jumping from group to group and I'm still not quite sure where I belong. I've been with Wicca, LaVeyan Satanism, and Theistic Satanism(more specifically the Joy of Satan but I left for obvious reasons). I'm currently *attempting* to understand the works of Aliester Crowley, though I'm having trouble finding any kind of resources that aren't his own books. So are there any Thelamites on here that could help me find somewhere to start? Also for those of you who don't follow Crowley, what do you believe in?

Again, I'm fairly new so really any kind of information that you could point me to would really help. Thanks in advance.

[Ramscha]

How about starting your own studies in the occult matter? [wink]

[Nahemah]

Hi and welcome to the forum. [cool]

I believe in me and in possibilities,everything else is fluid. [grin]

[wombocombo]

How about starting your own studies in the occult matter? [wink]

I like to think that's what I'm doing. I've been told a lot of crap and a lot of truth. I'm slowly separating the two with time and experience. Eventually I'd like to start my own spiritual group based on what I've learned. I just want to learn from the best before I put myself in any kind of place of authority. [crazy]

So yeah, I thought I should top all of my knowledge off with stuff I learn from people on forums who likely know loads more than I. By the way, where did you guys learn what you know? I mean, like, did you learn from stuff on the internet like I did, or did you meet people who knew stuff or what?

Sorry for all of the questions haha. Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome guys. I really appreciate it.

[Nahemah]

I'm still learning,it's an ever expanding journey.

First I learned from what is around me,from my own cultural and ethnic background and that of my ancestors.Then I got interested in myth and folklore from all around Europe and then the rest of the world,The library and books gave me a lot more than schooling did though,lol.I combined this with a love of social and political history and other related academic subjects and extrapolated from there on.

I learned about the past to understand how we got to here in the now,basically.In doing so I discovered a lot about the nature of folk magick and medicines,the Western mystery trads and the evolution of Astronomy out of Astrology and Astrolatry. and that is where my home ground,so to speak,truly lies.
But,I have experimented a lot over the years and I've been a bit of a jack of all trades,when it comes to magickal paradigms.
It's like spirals within [and without and around...]spirals,lol.Numbers lead to sacred geometry leads to particle physics and they go through most things in between too.

For me there isn't much separation,if any, between the physical,mental and spiritual worlds and my Occult learning is inextricably intertwined with my day to day life and experiences.

I may have waffled a bit,sorry,I blame the absinthe. [greensmile]

[Rin]

If you're interested in Crowley, I would say that a good starting point is this biography: http://www.amazon.com/Perdurabo-The-Lif ... 1561841706

Most accounts of Crowley's life tend to either vilify him or to set him up as some kind of divine figure, whereas this one walks a steady middle course, examining him as a man of great achievement and an influential occult figure but not neglecting his very human flaws. It's a fascinating read.

I wouldn't worry about the fact that you've been jumping around a bit, that's very typical of people first encountering the occult. A good starting point, imo, would be Franz Bardon's Initiation Into Hermetics, as the skills it teaches are universal and will help you greatly no matter where you ultimately land up.

[wombocombo]

If you're interested in Crowley, I would say that a good starting point is this biography: http://www.amazon.com/Perdurabo-The-Lif ... 1561841706

Most accounts of Crowley's life tend to either vilify him or to set him up as some kind of divine figure, whereas this one walks a steady middle course, examining him as a man of great achievement and an influential occult figure but not neglecting his very human flaws. It's a fascinating read.

I wouldn't worry about the fact that you've been jumping around a bit, that's very typical of people first encountering the occult. A good starting point, imo, would be Franz Bardon's Initiation Into Hermetics, as the skills it teaches are universal and will help you greatly no matter where you ultimately land up.

Thanks man! That's really helpful. I'm actually a teen living in a Christian household, so I couldn't really order anything online without my parents asking me about the package. However, there is a B&N near my house, I'll definitely see if they have anything there. [happy]

[wombocombo]

I'm still learning,it's an ever expanding journey.

First I learned from what is around me,from my own cultural and ethnic background and that of my ancestors.Then I got interested in myth and folklore from all around Europe and then the rest of the world,The library and books gave me a lot more than schooling did though,lol.I combined this with a love of social and political history and other related academic subjects and extrapolated from there on.

I learned about the past to understand how we got to here in the now,basically.In doing so I discovered a lot about the nature of folk magick and medicines,the Western mystery trads and the evolution of Astronomy out of Astrology and Astrolatry. and that is where my home ground,so to speak,truly lies.
But,I have experimented a lot over the years and I've been a bit of a jack of all trades,when it comes to magickal paradigms.
It's like spirals within [and without and around...]spirals,lol.Numbers lead to sacred geometry leads to particle physics and they go through most things in between too.

For me there isn't much separation,if any, between the physical,mental and spiritual worlds and my Occult learning is inextricably intertwined with my day to day life and experiences.

I may have waffled a bit,sorry,I blame the absinthe. [greensmile]

That's really interesting. I've had the chance to talk with anybody in the occult, it feels good to know I'm not the only one haha. Sadly, I can't trace back my ancestry very far back because my great grandmother on my mom's side was a single mother and my grandfather on my dad's side was adopted, so in all, a big chunk of my family past is missing. All I know for sure is that I'm heavily German. [unsure]