It's time...

[Darthdaddy]

Greetings All,
It has been an interesting journey but I'm here. Humbly, I request some guidance. After years and years of reading and studying on and off, finding myself hungry for more. I have no one in my circle of friends who either understand or approve of the occult. It's quite hard to connect with anyone who can offer some sort of guidance. This solitary stuff is great except sometimes for the solitary part! seriously though, I'm in a quandary. I've been reading up on chaos, seems to resonate. I don't want to set up an altar and have wands and chalices sitting around...would freak out the kids... I have always felt this powerful pull to magick, from a very young age, but it seems the journey has had it's bumps. Too long for this post. There are no temples/schools/etc anywhere around, and quite honestly (please don't judge) my life situation wouldn't allow for attendance at one anyway. So,here's the question(s): and THANK you in advance for your time, answers, kindness and patience:
1. What esoteric study make sense for a solitary practitioner not particularly attracted to Wicca, Thelema or GD per se.
2. Is it possible to connect online, email mostly, to a teacher or group, who offer guidance to a solitary?
3. I'm connecting with Chaos for a number of reasons, mostly reading Hine and other similar.
4. Need to be truly "occult" in my practice. I travel A LOT so totally impractical to set up altars or carry candles and incense around (won't fit in the little quart bags on planes and hotels don't allow smoky stuff!)
5. Have done some workings on my own, in the past with good results so not totally a novice.
6. Any websites, forums, online stuff any of you can recommend?
7. I'm serious, but don't take myself seriously, in a healthy way. Appreciate humor. Have had some experiences with "teachers" who suffered from guru-syndrome and frankly, I'm too old and have been around the block too much for that.
Hope this wasn't too rambling. I've felt, for too long, that "Magick Friend" was out there, I've had some close calls, some near misses, but haven't found the one yet. My intuition said to try a forum or two...let's see if that third eye of mine is wearing its contact lense!
Again, if you feel a pull to respond, thanks very much. All good things to you today!

[manonthepath]

Before I would venture any advice, I'd like to know more about your belief systems. I can't even begin to give you any advice based on what you've posted here. If you aren't comfortable sharing personal stuff, which I totally understand, you might try searching through the many posts in this regard. Your question is fairly common and it has been answered many, many times in a large number of threads. Going through these may help you define some of the issues that have been preventing you from finding a fulfilling path given your limitations. I wish you growth.

[magari]

I would recommend hermetics and alchemy.

Its more of a belief system in my opinion. A way to be "self-aware" so to speak. However it doesn't force you into choosing a label or a god.

I'd start with 2 books. The first one is really short and light, but the principals inside are key to understanding if you want to function properly in a world ruled by subtle energies.

You can get the book on amazon or read it for free here.
http://sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/index.htm

The second book is a lesson in using transpersonal alchemy in everyday life. However, the seven steps of alchemy are incredibly comprehensive and have many parallels with other paradigms which help you understand what each step represents. Therefore, this book is a bit longer, but well worth it.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Emerald-Table ... 0140195718


I personally seem to sum up my understanding of magick with those two. The best way to compliment that knowledge is to have a good understanding of how modern science and technology looks at the world and the picture it sees. Ignoring reality is definitely not the right answer. However you will come to find the parallels between the modern picture and ancient wisdom. Use this as a tool to understand the subtle energies even more. A good place to start would be quantum mechanics, modern psychology (Archetypes and Collective Consciousness), and math (chaos theory, fibonacci sequence, fractals). These are all modern studies of the boundaries of reality, we would be fools to ignore them when working with magick.

I personally don't take any stock in complex rituals or altars, however the best time to do your work is when your mental capacity is full and you're focus is maxed out. You want to be "in the zone" so to speak. This is one of the biggest reasons most beginning magicians are attracted to chaos and sigil magick is because it works and its very simple. However, as you approach more and more complex understandings of the subtle energies you will have to look to other paradigms for specific answers. These understandings usually come in the form of intense spiritual experiences and you will know what you are looking for. The more intense the spiritual experience, the more "altered" state of consciousness you tend to be in. These are induced most healthily through meditation, but some experiences will take years of practice. Some people seem to have a natural talent for it. Shamans eat entheogens.

Have a goal, pick something you wish to understand more about and as the big picture falls into place you find yourself aligning with the energies that support you and your goals, however remember that its a relationship of sorts between you and the subtle energies (god, spirits, ect). Therefore, as you well know with your family, fighting solves nothing.

As you begin to align with these energies and you start to realize your full potential I highly recommend you practice sigil magick. It will humble you and as your knowledge grows you will start to understand why its working. Once you see this you're pretty well set to perform magick without the sigil. The key to this is understanding how one pattern is really just a piece of the giant pattern.

While some people do chants and cast spells for money. I simply keep mine on the proper channel of energies and watch it grow.
However, once you come to this understanding you realize that the amount of money you have is pretty well related to your person's current value and that may cause you to do something else.

Whatever it is, its not waving wands around and building altars. Its simply living with the knowledge and being.

Sigils are always fun, but change in this world comes from action and most magick in my opinion is knowing the right actions to take to get results.

I still practice sigils, but its more or less become one thats evolved over time.


EDIT:
PS: If you want to study more of the occult and the ancient mysteries a lesson in myth, what it is, how it comes about, the purpose it serves, ect, is necessary. In that case I recommend reading some Joseph Campbell. I highly recommend "The Power of Myth", or "Hero with a Thousand Faces".

On top of that a great place to start studying the ancients is the Manly P Hall's "Secret Teachings of All Ages", which is easy to read, but really acts like an encyclopedia on the mysteries.

[Darthdaddy]

Magari,
I am dazzled and blessed by your reply. I know my detail was lacking, but it was as if you were able to not only answer my questions but also touched upon several things I've begun to do. I'm reading Hine, Vitimus, Frater U:.D:. And Carrol. Touched upon sigil work, once, but realized I was a bit premature ( premature sigilizatiin anyone?) and will alter the work based on further reading. Thank you so much not only for the level of detail, but also the encouraging tone of your reply. I "saw" a reply in my mind and yours was it! Grateful for you and I hope I may be blessed with your words again in the future. I will dig into your recommended readings. Awesome.
Grateful for you!

[Darthdaddy]

Manonthepath
Thanks very much. You are correct and apologies for the vagueness. I will take your advice and read more of the other posts. I appreciate your time and response. You're correct that the level of detail I needed to include should have been more than I added, this was somewhat intentional but as you wisely stated would limit the ability for responses. You were kind to respond. Hope to see more of you here and learn from you as well...
Be well

[magari]

Anytime.

Manonthepath is right, however I got the feeling you are a person who desires efficiency and its really hard to see how one can be a productive member of society while waving wands and chanting spells. Those people do wonders, but not everyone has the time for it.

sidebar: I'd love to do a study about corporate officers who practice magick.

[Nahemah]

Hi and welcome to the forum. [grin]

Lazy day for me today, so I'll be brief

1. What esoteric study make sense for a solitary practitioner not particularly attracted to Wicca, Thelema or GD per se.

Everything. ALL THE STUDIES !

2. Is it possible to connect online, email mostly, to a teacher or group, who offer guidance to a solitary?

I'm sure there is, have you tried Yahoo groups?
Some of these are closed, as in you need to send a request and be accepted to see posts etc,but there are lots of serious Occult and Magickal groups on there.

3. I'm connecting with Chaos for a number of reasons, mostly reading Hine and other similar.

Arcanorium College. We have a topic/ link to it, I'll post in here for you later too..

4. Need to be truly "occult" in my practice. I travel A LOT so totally impractical to set up altars or carry candles and incense around (won't fit in the little quart bags on planes and hotels don't allow smoky stuff!)

You don't need a lot of tools to be effective anyway, lovely though they are to have.

5. Have done some workings on my own, in the past with good results so not totally a novice.

6. Any websites, forums, online stuff any of you can recommend?

Uh, captain obvious, says: this place, lol. There are other sites, of course, of greatly varying quality, but Studio Arcanis is particularly good, if Evocation is your thing and there are other decent forums and sites which are recommended by members here, in several other topics. Have a look around. [thumbup]

7. I'm serious, but don't take myself seriously, in a healthy way. Appreciate humor. Have had some experiences with "teachers" who suffered from guru-syndrome and frankly, I'm too old and have been around the block too much for that.

Good to know. Humour is invaluable to any Occultist. [lol]

More later.

[Darthdaddy]

Magari,
First...you're awesome and you read me 100% correctly. Second it makes me laugh whenever I type your name my spell check wants to change it to Maharishi!
I've already begun studying the books you recommended. Hermetics/ Alchemy is very much the way it seems. I had read Newcomb's "New Hermetics" last year and already own the book by the Three Initiates...so your post was so intuitive really...
If I had a cool wand I'd wave it at you joyously! thanks so much...

[magari]

Anytime! [thumbup]

[Darthdaddy]

Nahemah,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful and detailed reply. I think I was certainly Captain Obvious! LOL...
[devil]
I really look forward to the links you're posting and will check those sites out. Thanks so much. In this short thread I've already received more guidance than I imagined. Sooooo grateful!
Much Thanks!

[manonthepath]

Thank you for your dignified responses Darthdaddy. Should you have any specific questions sI may be able to assist with, it will be my pleasure. I just hope you're not a corporate officer for Monsanto, but if you are, I wholeheartedly recommend you build a relationship with mother earth. Be well.

[Darthdaddy]

Manonthepath,
No Monsanto here! [yay] Lol. I'm in healthcare.
Thanks so much for your offer of assistance. Much appreciated. Have an extraordinary Monday!
Be well

[Nahemah]

Topic on Arcanorium College, with link :

http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... 45&t=32711

http://studioarcanis.com/

http://forum.alchemyforums.com/forum.ph ... 4689e6ffdd

There are a lot more, I've just posted a couple that I know of that are good sites. [thumbup]

[Darthdaddy]

Nahemah,
You're so kind and gracious. A Magus of their word! Much gratitude to you my friend.
Thanks very much,
[thumbup] [yay] [thumbup]