A few questions that probably sound n00bish

[SerAlex]

Welp. I figured it was about time I tried asking some things about the occult and magic/k that have been buzzing in my mind for a while. Yes, several questions, because I'm a curious cat and other sources always get too varied and usually rely on some form of magical words of the almighty tongue of ye olde English. I mean, doest thou trow the pains of immensely varied answers of nigh and yonder? Methinks thy noodle comprehends.
Ahem, now that I have shown the glorious beginning and have let my dorkiness speak once again, lets actually get to the asking before I do something I regret.

1. Are there any good sites/pages that cover direct magic/k in depth accurately?

2. Is there any way I can get what is known as a "familiar"? If so, what is the method?

3. Is there any way to improve one's sight for the "supernatural"? I usually hear stuff about how some people can see spirits and the such while others can't and that children for some reason are better at this, but not sure why. Along with that, I probably can't see them anymore since the last time anything strange happened to me was when I was little and heard a voice that sounded unfamiliar...

4. How does one enter the "Waking Dream" and what exactly is it?

[EternalReturn]

1. You have a lot of good books, but it really depends on what interests you. Googling is fun, because it can lead you to various new sources of information. It is good to be critical and take any information you come across with reserve. Concerning websites, I can only tell that different people learn at a different pace, and have different base knowledge, so some sites may be of use, some not. It really is a pretty large subject to explore. It is like saying: "Are there any good sites/pages that cover physics in depth accurately?"

I personally found much joy in letting go of control and being led by feeling, and a lot of interesting things to read and to figure out.

2. Sorry, don't know.

3. It is called Clairvoyance, if I'm not mistaken. Some (as I did) mix it with third eye - some would disagree with this that it is a mix-up.

4. You're talking about lucid dreaming if I can figure out. It is just a way of how to become conscious of your dream(s). You have very different methods of achieving this. Hardest part is getting to adapt to your consciousness working during your sleep sou you might have to do it often and for some period of time to achieve it. There are certain topics here that can help you with this.


EDIT: I completely ignored your rant about "ye olde English" sorry about that. It happens and it will happen because it is not written like that by chance. What you need is more knowledge to be able to understand this "ye olde English" ramblings. I'm sure, if you have some specific interests like you presented here, some of the more experienced and knowledgeable people here can help you. Manly P. Hall's books can clear up a lot of these ramblings, especially Secret Teachings of all Ages.

[SerAlex]

EDIT: I completely ignored your rant about "ye olde English" sorry about that. It happens and it will happen because it is not written like that by chance. What you need is more knowledge to be able to understand this "ye olde English" ramblings. I'm sure, if you have some specific interests like you presented here, some of the more experienced and knowledgeable people here can help you. Manly P. Hall's books can clear up a lot of these ramblings, especially Secret Teachings of all Ages.

Well, what that was about wasn't that I didn't understand them. That's not the issue, although I guess I never said what the issue was. The issue I find with those "spells" or "chants" is that it seems unreasonable for man-made languages to hold any power over thoughtless energies. You get what I mean? Anyways, thanks for responding to my questions.

[Ramscha]

1) You may check out the upper right corner of this website, there is a quick search. Quite useful tool, you may also apply this also to 2,3 and 4 [wink]

Furthermore:
http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... 57&t=36162
http://www.occultforum.org/forum/viewto ... 57&t=36160

2) Depends on the approach you are taking. Depending on the system it has different names and extends to some different areas. If you refer to an "artificial" entity, you may take a look at David Cunninghams work "Creating magickal Entities", one of the best works you can find regarding this matter.

3) Simply practice, the theoretical details are not my coup of tea, I will leave that to others for answering

4) Also not my coup of tea.

Ramscha

[Rin]

1. Are there any good sites/pages that cover direct magic/k in depth accurately?

90% of what you'll find publicly available online is nonsense. Books aren't much better.

2. Is there any way I can get what is known as a "familiar"? If so, what is the method?

Develop the skills necessary for evocation, evoke a spirit and make a pact with it in return for it's services. Pretty silly thing to do though, since there's nothing a familiar spirit can do that can't be done either by another spirit in return for an offering of some sort, or by yourself with the proper training.

3. Is there any way to improve one's sight for the "supernatural"? I usually hear stuff about how some people can see spirits and the such while others can't and that children for some reason are better at this, but not sure why. Along with that, I probably can't see them anymore since the last time anything strange happened to me was when I was little and heard a voice that sounded unfamiliar...

Yes, the spiritual senses (for lack of a better term - clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience, etc) can be developed through a number of training methods, any decent system of magic will make teachings these one of the major priorities.

4. How does one enter the "Waking Dream" and what exactly is it?

Are you referring to lucid dreaming, or mental/astral projection? Either way, the answer is pretty much the same as above - there are a multitude of techniques, and any decent system of magic will teach one.

[EternalReturn]

EDIT: I completely ignored your rant about "ye olde English" sorry about that. It happens and it will happen because it is not written like that by chance. What you need is more knowledge to be able to understand this "ye olde English" ramblings. I'm sure, if you have some specific interests like you presented here, some of the more experienced and knowledgeable people here can help you. Manly P. Hall's books can clear up a lot of these ramblings, especially Secret Teachings of all Ages.

Well, what that was about wasn't that I didn't understand them. That's not the issue, although I guess I never said what the issue was. The issue I find with those "spells" or "chants" is that it seems unreasonable for man-made languages to hold any power over thoughtless energies. You get what I mean? Anyways, thanks for responding to my questions.

I have misunderstood you then, sorry for that.

Well, language is not only "thought" made, it can evoke and invoke different energies in you or someone else. Would you feel something if all of the sudden someone said "You're gonna die tommorow"?

I don't know if human language can hold such power. But I do remember when reading Hermes’s Dialogues that he said something about Egyptian language being "better" than Greek. And when you listen to these ancient languages, you can see the difference that Egyptian is vibrated when spoken; sung. Greek isn't, and there are much more differences between them, but I'm not a linguist so I don't know that much.

I have no credible sources on how could human language have this sort of power but this documentary can give you some ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AanQ2mY2jjc

Be warned, as you will see in the first few minutes, it is largely based on new age interpretation.

[Desecrated]

1. Are there any good sites/pages that cover direct magic/k in depth accurately?

2. Is there any way I can get what is known as a "familiar"? If so, what is the method?

3. Is there any way to improve one's sight for the "supernatural"?

4. How does one enter the "Waking Dream" and what exactly is it?

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes
3. Lucid dreaming.

[Sypheara]

There are several ways of acquiring a familiar:

1) To make a pact with a higher spirit, and then give it a place in the physical / home where you can interact with it on a daily basis.

2) Raise a spirit from the lesser kingdoms to a higher one through magickal work, and in return for its services as above, feed it.

3) Be given one by a higher power or entity. This is usually what is termed the Primary Familiar - not everyone has one, so i feel its not a correct term necessarily.

I disagree with Rin calling it silly. If you have ever worked with such a spirit, such a bond can become exceptionally close and loving. They are not just tools but ways to experience contact with that world on a daily basis. They are also excellent at keeping the houe spirits in order, and picking up menial spirit work and tasks.

it is however, not easy, and it comes with certain obligations that are difficult to fulfill at all times, and the process is lengthy.

[SerAlex]

OK, so from what I can tell from reading this thread...I will have to do a lot of reading/research to advance myself in direct magic/k, I have numerous ways to get a familiar, I'd have to improve my clair-<suffix> to get better "sight for the supernatural, as I called it, and you guys seem to agree on the "waking dream" being lucid dreaming.

Welp, I'd best get to putting all of this info to work, then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try all this and hope I don't somehow mess anything up. First things first: practice direct magic/k and seeing the "supernatural", for lack of a better word.

[Desecrated]

OK, so from what I can tell from reading this thread...I will have to do a lot of reading/research to advance myself in direct magic/k, I have numerous ways to get a familiar, I'd have to improve my clair-<suffix> to get better "sight for the supernatural, as I called it, and you guys seem to agree on the "waking dream" being lucid dreaming.

Welp, I'd best get to putting all of this info to work, then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try all this and hope I don't somehow mess anything up. First things first: practice direct magic/k and seeing the "supernatural", for lack of a better word.

http://www.llewellyn.com/product.php?ean=9780738715780

http://www.amazon.com/The-Magicians-Com ... 0875428681

That is about 1200 pages that touches on most things within the occult community. It is by no way a complete solution, but it is a good start.

[Rin]

First things first: practice direct magic/k

You aren't going to achieve much attempting to practice magic if you haven't trained the prerequisite skills first.

[SerAlex]

I know that, Rin. That's why I'm not gonna just expect me to go out back, practice magic, try moving the Earth, and get actual results. Research is always something I do before I do anything. New to a video game? Read the instructions. Not sure how to respond in a debate related to <insert subject here>? Dig up all the info you can on it. I wouldn't view magic any different than other activities in life. Similar to math, I won't be able to figure out (6+3)/3 if I don't know what / does, or what PEMDAS is, or even what the oh so simple + does. Wouldn't you agree?

[Rin]

I said skills, not knowledge. There are plenty of people who can recite correspondences, god-names, cosmologies, occult properties etc. until their jaw falls off, but don't have an ounce of ability when it comes to the basics like clearing the mind through meditation, visualization, moving/accumulating/condensing energies, utilizing their spiritual senses, and so forth with all the other basic skills required to work even simple magic successfully.

Of course intellectual understanding is important too, but it doesn't mean much without the basic practical skills required. Magic is a practical pursuit before being an academic one - a sport would be a better analogy than a purely intellectual pursuit like math. Yes, you have to know the rules and understand the tactics, but if you haven't attained a level of basic fitness and competence through repeated training, then all the knowledge in the world is meaningless.

[SerAlex]

Fair enough. Well, it's not like I immediately expect to lift objects and perform spells that probably seem extremely impractical. And, I have plenty of years to spend acquiring these skills since I'm only 17. So, I shall go work on all that as well as studying.

Yeah, skill is needed for the knowledge to be of any use. Although, I guess it can go both way like if someone had immense skill and knew very little. They'd probably constantly screw up their magic due to a lack of understanding. Ah, well, not much to do but to improve in all areas no matter what someone has more of.