Magick For Beginners Guide

Magick For Beginners Guide

If you have somehow found yourself here or intentionally clicked on the link to learn magic, congratulations! You are at the right place. Below is a no-frills, comprehensive guide to the western understanding of magic.

Magick Introduction

Let me preface this by saying that the magic that you have seen on television is not representative of what actual magic is. The art of the craft itself has intrigued many, along with the allure of sudden fame, money and love. This is NOT what magic is about. Can practicing magic gain you those things and more? Probably. But it is ultimately not the end goal to magick. 

Magick is also not an easy short-cut to get whatever you desire. In fact, you would find that the journey of learning magick is not an easy one, with tears and sweat shed along the way. The journey matters as much as the end destination, with each practitioner's journey looking a little different, depending on what you believe in.

I must also mention that this guide is not a definitive post. It is accumulation of what I have learned and gone through the past decade, diving through books and walking the path. You should treat it as such that the information within can be malleable to your own personal beliefs, and I always encourage reading any form of materia with critical thought. With that out of the way, let's get started.

What is magick and witchcraft?

Magick is the art of weaving intangible forces to your will. We consider magick to be a real supernatural phenomena, often indescribable through common scientific means. A famous occultist named Aleister Crowley describes magick as the "science" of understanding one's self and one's own situation. A heavy importance on individuality and self-knowledge is required when it comes to advancing the art of magick.

Witchcraft is an emcompassing term in modern times that refers to weaving said intangible forces in a specialised way, often involving folk remedies, herbalism, superstitions, spells and a consistent connection with nature. It is considered "Low" magick, using magick for material reasons like love, money and less to do with spiritual matters like ~understanding the truth of the universe~ ~spiritual ascension~, you get the idea.

What is a spell?

A spell is an intentional act of manifestation, often accompanied with chants and/or ingredients. It is an act of firing off magick.

What constitutes a spell?

I have broken up the essence of a spell into 3 core components.

Intention + Will + Gnosis = Manifestation

Intention is your reason(s) for desiring the manifestation. Your will is the alignment of your purpose in accordance to the manifestation. Gnosis is the state of altered consciousness required to direct the manifestation to your desired goals of the spell. Take note that a manifestation of a spell may not necessarily always be a positive one, which means that while a spell can work, it can also work, badly.

Magic with a "k"

So what's the deal with magicK? The term magick was popularised by occultist Aleister Crowley to differentiate stage magic from real metaphysical phenomena. To be fair it doesn't really matter if you use the term magic or magick, although I prefer the term magic, so you would see me use it interchangeably from time to time. 

In accordance to Crowley's understanding, the letter "k" is associated with the Egyptian god of magic and ritual, Khonsu. It is also associated with the Hebrew letter Kaf, symbolising the palm of a hand and power of the spiritual made manifest in the physical realm.

Meditation Basics

Meditation is a universal practice that focuses on emptying your mind or honing your focus on a singular intent. It is not a religious practice, although you may see this technique used in several religions.

Why is it important?

Meditation helps you in stilling and directing your thoughts for mundane and magickal means. I usually recommend meditating at least 10 minutes a day in a non-disruptive place. If you do not have the luxury of that, meditating during shower or before sleep is helpful too.

Sitting in an upright position is always the gold standard for meditation, you do not necessarily have to fold your legs in, sit in a position that is natural for you. If you find yourself acheing or getting pins and needles, change the posture to one that does not distract you.

Some practitioners believe that lying down is not a good position for meditation as it makes you more susceptible to falling asleep, however I find it to be a more effective way to go into deep gnosis. Both positions has it's pros and cons, and if you can fight the sensation of sleep you will find wonderful benefits in lying down.

Meditation technique

There are many ways to meditate, below is a basic magickal meditation that involves mindfulness and can be done daily and before any magickal work.

1. Remember to stretch before and after meditation. Stretching proves to be an effective way of circling power through your vessel.
2. Take your non-dominant index finger (Left index finger if you are ambidextrous) and rub the middle of your forehead where your third eye area is. Generate enough heat to leave a warm sensation after but not to cause pain.
3. Close your eyes and sit comfortably. Focus on the lingering sensation on your third eye as you take it slow deep breaths. When your mind wanders, bring the focus back to the sensation felt on your third eye.
4. As you breath in, visualise yourself breathing in pure, white air. Hold it in and visualise the torrent of white air cleaning every inch of your body.
5. As you breath out, visualise yourself breathing out a blackish-greyish air.
6. Repeat this breathing visualisation, everytime you breathe out, the air  exhaled becomes lighter and lighter until it is white.
7. Do not rush through this visualisation but allow the natural visuals of your mind to show you when the air exhaled is white.
8. End the meditation by opening your eyes and stretching.

What you have done is a simple cleansing meditation that utilises tactile meditation (lingering sensation on the third eye) and guided meditation (visualisation). 

Visualisation

Visualisation is the process of creating mental images without relevant external stimuli. It utilises the power of the mind to engage all 5 senses. It is another core skill that aids the practitioners tremendously in manifesting magick.

Visualisation vs imagination

Visualisation and imagination are often used interchangeably and rightfully so, except for a few key differences that sets them apart. Imagination is the creation of said mental images, while visualisation involves that and the ability to visualise yourself manipulating said mental images.

Visualisation often requires the practitioner to involve themself in the simulation of all 5 senses and be able to manipulate said visuals. For example, you can imagine a scene of a beach by visualising the feeling of sand under your feet, the swealtering heat under the afternoon sun, the lingering salt on your lips from the waves of the ocean. 

With imagination, you will then imagine the next scene, with you drinking a sip of margarita under your beach tent. However for visualisation, you have to consistently produce a series of mental images of you walking from the shoreline of the beach to the tent, patting the sand off of the chair, sitting down, your thighs sweating, looking over to the right and picking up a cold glass of good ol' margarita. Visualisation is an experience, it is more mentally taxing but an important way to enter gnosis for magickal work.

Visual magick

So how does visualisation come into play with magick? Often times, practitioners report entering into a trance state (half-conscious) while performing these visualisations. This is key to entering spiritual realms and having magickal experiences as the goal is to the bypass the fully conscious mind. You can view visualisation as the doorway for the mind to connect to other places and spiritual beings.

With repeated visualisation exercises, (you can find a ton of those on Youtube under guided meditations) You may observe experiencing peculiar visions not crafted by your mind. For example, what is a typical day of visualising at the beach may be interrupted by a majestic pink frog that leaps into your lap. It makes no sense, and you sure as heck did not visualise that. It is also normal to experience powerful dreams of entering into another realm after intense visualisation as you have already exhausted your mind. 

I recommend starting off your visualisation by meditation, followed by imagining yourself stepping out of your body and walking an enclosed room you feel safe in. Always make sure to come back to your body before exiting visualisation.

True Will

True Will is a term popularised by Thelema, a spiritual philosophy that centers around finding your purpose, unique to each individual.  Thelemites believe that the True Will is an innate divine purpose, beyond all forms of societal expectations.

I will be using this term loosely, specifically the term "Will" to point at the overall knowing of your purpose when you practice magick, which is an important aspect of manifesting your desired goals.

What is your purpose?

I will preface this by saying that finding your purpose is not an easy one, and you may never discover it until the day you die. In the minds of many practitioners, following your purpose is as good as training your intuition and forming an educated guess on what you innately feel pulled to.

In these circumstances I often recommend performing Shadow Work to understand the deepest aspects of your self as well as diving into your childhood memories to rediscover what you were drawn to.

Other methods that induce gnosis such as meditation and performing magick rituals like contacting your Higher Guardian Angel (HGA) or Personal Daimon (Under PGM). Such rituals are of course more advanced and I recommend picking up on basic material before advancing. This can take a matter of years depending on your learning pace.

Aligning purpose with magick

"A man who is doing his True Will has the inertia of the universe to assist him" - Aleister Crowley

This belief propogated by Crowley has trickled its way down into how we understand modern magick, the belief that when our actions and thoughts are in alignment with our purpose (True Will), the energy of the universe weaves its way for us to manifest so.

That is of course, a little tricky as most of us never really know our true purpose in this universe. However the journey of finding our purpose is as important as the destination. When we observe how certain spells and rituals we do manifest with ease, how it tends to manifest in a certain way, we can come to an understanding of how the world energetically turns for you when you align with your purpose.

This can mean that someone whose purpose is to bring abundance into their community may find their abundance and prosperity magick manifest with ease, however they made not find the same amount of success with love magick.

A person whose purpose is to heal animals for example, in this world may not find the same amount of success in their practice healing humans. The list goes on and on.

Gnosis

To be in gnosis is to be in a state of altered consciousness while your point of focus is zoomed is on one thing, often times your intentions for your spiriual practice. It is the source of divine knowledge passed down from spirits, deities, angels, demons etc.

Gnosis is often the overlooked part of manifesting your goals, as most people replace the word gnosis with "passion". The word passion itself is not wrong as it points to a strong emotional focus towards an intention, however it is not the totality of it.

The lack of passion is also one of the main attributions to why a spell may fail, but this is not accurate. It is the lack of gnosis that causes a spell to fail. 

Types of gnosis

So there is a lack of passion or emotional involvement in the spell/ritual you are casting, what now? There are many other methods outside of passion that can activate the spellwork. The types of gnosis can be grouped into 2 groups: Inhibitory and Ecstatic.

Inhibitory gnosis is as it sounds, to inhibit and reduce. Methods like zen meditation, relaxation of the mind and body, fasting, sleep and sensory deprivation are all methods of inhibitory gnosis.

Ecstatic gnosis is the opposite, it is about overwhelming your human experience in order to bypass the conscious mind. Methods like intense emotions, orgasms, dancing, chanting, sensory overload, hyperventilation, ingesting herbs, drunkenness and pain are all methods ecstatic gnosis.

My go-to recommendation for inducing gnosis during spellwork is through holding of the the breath (and then releasing your breath to charge whatever you need), staring and not blinking until unbearable and pain via stretching.

Gnosis safety

As with all forms of gnosis inducements methods, make sure to prioritise your health before trying out a method. If you have a respiratory issue, do not use the holding of breath method. Pain should be done in a safe setting, which means no blunt trauma or cutting. For pain, using static exercises like planks and arm raises tend to do the trick.

Energy

Energy is the raw material that pervades all of creation, it has been there since the dawn of the universe. The word energy itself is often used interchangeable with force, mana, but it represents the same phenomena, which is a multidimensional "spiritual particle", an untangible fabric that can be manipulated in a limitless amount of ways. It is the medium of our intentions.

What is energy work?

The specific term energy work refers to the awareness and manipulation of energy. Energy work can be considered a core foundational skill when it comes to advancing your practice, and I encourage everyone to experience this at least once even if you are not intending on being a practitioner.

Feeling energy

I see alot of people feeling discouraged and feeling like they have no "talent" for magick as they can't feel energy. Such a term is called energetic awareness. Some people have a knack for it more than others, but everyone has the ability to pick up this skill.

Feeling energy comes in two predominant ways, physical sensations and emotional fluctuations. You can practice feeling energy by using the assistance of tactile sensations like rubbing your third eye so that a lasting heat sensation is formed and using that as a crutch to feel the energy of your third eye. This can also be done by applying pressure on your fingertips, feet, and other parts of your body.

Emotional fluctuations can be found by triggering certain emotional encounters. Situations like getting shocked by a power outage at night, feeling irritated because you feel like someone behind is staring at you. Being fearful is also a strong emotional state that can allow you to grow your energy awareness. Even the dullest person can feel energy in a tense and anger-filled environment.

My recommendation is to work on feeling energy physically with the aid of tactile sensations, while forming organic emotional encounters. This means that you do not have to go out of your way to cause emotional fluctuations, but making use of the opportunities to hone your senses when the situation arises.

The energy body

The energy body, often referred to as the body of light or subtle body, is the innate body consisting of connecting energetic nodes and energy centers (chakras). This concept derives from ancient Taoist texts and then later fleshed out in the Tantra traditions. Modern western esoterica then syncretised this knowledge into what we know now as energy work.

Psychic senses

If our five physical senses are a faculty of the body responsible for gathering and processing information in the material world, our psychic senses (clair-senses) are an extension of our physical senses, meant to collect information from the other planes of existence.

The 8 psychic senses

Clairaudience: Clear hearing, ability to hear sounds, words, music physically and/or from the energy body.

Clairvoyance: Clear vision, ability to see different dimensions and spirits physically and/or through the mind's eye.

Clairsentience: Clear feeling, ability to sense with your gut and physical body.

Clairangency: Clear touch, also known as psychometry. The ability to gain information from an object by touching it.

Clairempathy: Clear emotion, ability to physically sense an emotion of a person, animal, situation, spirit. 

Clairscent: Clear smell, ability to smell a fragrance/odor physically and/or from the energy body.

Clairsavorance: Clear taste, ability to taste without physical variables like food. Some individuals are able to "taste" the energy of past, present and future situations.

Claircognizance: Clear knowing, the ability to knowing something to be true. Sudden insight. Manifests in conjunction of feelings by a nagging idea and unrelentng thoughts.

Ways psychic abilities are awoken

Before I get into how we can awaken psychic senses, take note that most individuals are not born with psychic talents. I use the word "talent" as everyone has the capability to hone their psychic senses, but some of us are gonna be better at it than others. It is much more of an issue of dormancy rather than lack of in our psychic senses as we do not think to use them as we age. This is also the reason why children are more sensitive to psychic stimuli. Like a muscle, the more you use them, the easier it would be to utilise it. 

Expected and encouraged methods of awakening psychic abilities include meditation and spiritual healing, employing gnosis, taking care of the physical body, enacting on your passion to learn about spirituality and practicing magick.

Unexpected ways one may awaken their psychic abilities include entering into situations of stress, like having near-death experiences, death of a loved one and childbirth. I would of course not recommend doing anything so dire in order to train your psychic senses.

Models of magick

The models of magick is a way to universally categorize how different magickal traditions view magic and places an importance on how no one model of thinking is better nor superior to the other. It also brings about common understanding among the underlying beliefs of each tradition and how you are not limited to just one set of beliefs! The models of magick is theorised by German occult athour Frater UD.

Spirit model

The spirit model is the oldest magickal belief of magic. The basic premise of the belief is that there is an existence of another world and godly spirits inhabit that world. All forms of power we gather are gained/borrowed from these spirits. A practitioner that believes in this magickal theory may find their practice involving acts of using gnosis to enter and travel the other worlds, make allies out of spirits and will them to your intentions.

Energy model

Popularised in the 18th century, the energy model is prevalent in shamanic, healing and miracle workers. The premise of the energy model is that all spiritual phenomena are energetic in nature and not caused by spirits or other planes of existence. Gnosis is required to perceive energy and the role of the practitioner who believes in this magickal theory act as a conduit of energy, connecting with other living beings and manipulates said energy.

Psychological model

The psychological model is a more modern magickal belief, the basic premise being that subconscious mind is connected with the collective, also known as the collective unconscious and therefore can affect magick. The practitioner's mind however, have to be conditioned first via gnosis, symbols and associations. 

Information model

The most modern form of magickal theory, the information model was popularised in 1980s. It is the belief that energy is inherently chaotic, hence it requires information and commands to be directed to a certain goal. The practitioner can influence a situation or system by manipulating symbolic representaions. Interestingly enough, this is also the only model that does not necessarily require gnosis for manifestation.

Meta model

The meta model is the practice of mixing different magickal models, equipping yourself with magickal models appropriate to your current goals. This is under the belief that "Nothing is true, everything is permitted", that no one is bound by one magickal belief. Gnosis is utilised most of the time under the meta model.

Laws of magick

I have aptly named this section of the guide as "laws" of magick, and while there are no governing body or council dictating what laws you should abide by while practicing magic, there are a certain set of beliefs often found within the collective of practitioners. Once again, these are not hard and fast rules, but an interpretation of how magick flows. The following laws are shared by Pagan scholar P.E.I Bonewits.

Law of cause and effect

Chances are you have heard of the concept of karma, which is based on a cause and effect system. It is the concept of how anything done within the same condition or intent will be associated with the same consequences. In modern witchcraft, specifically Wicca (nature-based pagan religion) there is a belief where any energy you put out into the world will be returned to you three-fold. It is known as the three-fold law.

Law of knowledge

The law of knowledge is all about acquiring understanding of the self and everything around you. The phrase "knowledge is power" sums this law up perfectly.

Law of association

It is the concept where two objects/people have something similar in common, either one can be used to control the other.

Law of similarity

Also known as sympathetic magick, it is the concept of using an action to cause another intended action. For example, to make someone feel restless and feverish, a poppet doll made in the image of the individual can be soaked in boiling hot water. 

Law of contagion

It is the concept of how a being's essence can be linked and transferred to another person/object. This is why taglocks (fingernail, blood, sweat, name, picture) are found in certain spells.

Law of names

It is said that if the full name of a spiritual being is known, a living being has complete control over it. This can also apply to humans as well, in which practitioners refer to it as their True Name. True Names are not your biological name, but rather a name granted by the spirits you work with, your Higher Self, or a name given to you through closed initiations.

Law of words of power

It is the law of how certain words are so powerful through its associations that it has the capability to enact magickal change. The most popular examples of these words are found in ancient papyri where the hidden names of gods are chanted during ritual.

Correspondences

In your spiritual journey of researching about the magickal properties of certain objects like herbs, crystals and spirits, you will come across the word correspondences very often. It is a list of objects and ideas inherently connected and associated with each other. Most practitioners believe in the idea that everything is interconnected, and the list of correspondences serves as a condensation of such information.

How to use magickal correspondences

The primary way magickal correspondences are used is to create symbolic connections in spells and rituals. For example, the magickal properties of a rose quartz is that of love and beauty. You may see the magickal correspondences of a rose quartz catalogued like this:

Rose quartz
Element: Earth, Water
Astrology sign: Taurus, Libra
Magickal properties: Love, Self-love, Beauty, Compassion

This means that the crystal rose quartz's corresponding element would be that of the earth and water, it's associated astrology sign is Taurus and Libra, and it's properties are that of love, beauty etc.

For example, you are a libra, creating a beauty spell jar and you would like to add a crystal that contains the relevant properties. You have 2 types of crystals to choose from, a rose quartz or moonstone. The moonstone also has properties of beauty but its corresponding astrology sign is that of Cancer. In most cases, you would choose the rose quartz as you are a Libra, which means your energy has more resonance with rose quartz and therefore, contain a stronger magickal effect when you create the beauty spell jar.

Correspondences are not concrete rules

Note that in the previous paragraph I mentioned "in most cases", once again like all concepts in the abstract art of magick, there are no hard and fast rules. Magickal correspondences are formed a long time ago by practitioners coming together, using trial and errors and gnosis from spirits to ascertain the properties of a certain thing/spirit.

You will see different sources attributing different properties to the same herb or deity, but this doesn't mean that either of them is wrong. This is why with the rose quartz example above, you see attributions to different elements (Earth and Water) according to different practitioners.

At the end of the day it is about how you resonate with a certain object, if you feel like the rose quartz feels more earthly in energy than watery, who is anyone to say you are wrong? With that said of course, before diving straight in and giving random attributes to different objects, you must have a solid experience with the object and a guage of how a certain item feels before deciding on your own correspondences.

The 5 elements

We often hear of the four elements, in particular Fire, Air, Water and Earth as not just material elements, but as spiritual concepts pravelent in all forms of magickal tradition. Working magickally with the four elements is considered natural magick, using tools like herbs, water, stones, fire and communing with elemental spirits. Due to the straight-forward understanding of such forces, most people do not think much of the four elements and deem it inferior to working with godly spirits, however that is not true. It is the cornerstone of all forms of magick you work with.

The element of Fire

It is said the the element of Fire is one that is closest to the divine, the Source. It is the element of passion, the masculine. Fire is transformative in nature, with the ability to both create and destroy. It is the hardest element to master for most practitioners, as the flames are unpredictable and destructive in nature. When you work with the element of fire, its inherent qualities spurs you to growth, ignites your willpower and desires. For the practitioner, the element of fire is TO WILL.

The element of Air

The element of Air is connected to the mind, our intellect and the power of knowledge. It is the masculine airy element that brings clarity and wisdom to the practitioner. It has been traditionally connected to the sky, soul and breath of life. When the divine will of fire is passed down to air, the mind discerns and brings inspiration down to manifestation. When you work with the element of air, your mental capacities are highly engaged and your find yourself being able to speak and learn with ease. For the practitioner, the element of air is TO KNOW.

The element of Water

Water is the feminine and bringer of life. It is adaptive in nature, able to take on all three states, solid, liquid and gaseous. Water is nurturing, it is the primal mother, whose depths we cannot see. She is the unconscious and the feeler. To work with the element of water, you must steel your courage against the unknown. In that, she can bring you hidden wisdoms of your emotional body, although it may not always be pleasant. Working with the element of water helps you in developing your psychic senses and empathy. The element of water is TO DARE.

The element of Earth

The element of earth is abundant all around us. She is the feminine that is still and silent. She is the enduring and patient giver who provides us the earth's bounty. She is also the giver of form and material manifestation. The original artist of the material, she resides over the ideas of beauty and aesthetics. When you work with the element of earth, you are honing the vessel she provides through endurance and strength. Qualities like patience, selflessness and beauty can also be observed in the practitioner when you work with earth. The element of earth is TO BE SILENT.

The element of Spirit

There is an extra element not discussed often when we look strictly at natural magick, that is the element of Spirit/Aether. The element of spirit is regarded as the essence of creation. It is the element of the Source which lives within every being and thing. The element of Spirit is different from the four elements where each of the other four elements has a set of certain attributes, but Spirit is not contained by such attributes. It is neither masculine nor feminine, but contains both. When you work with the element of Spirit, you are working with the Source, the origin of all origins. Increased spiritual and physical awareness, understanding and acceptance of your experiences are felt.

Types of magickal practice

Below are a series of common magickal practices that you can dive into. I recommend learning the foundations of each practice before specialising in a form for a holistic spiritual experience and understanding.

Divination

Divination is probably the most common form of magick you will encounter. It is magickal practice of gaining insight into a certain situation or being. Tarot reading, pedulums and any form of fortune telling comes under this practice.

Energy work

As mentioned in the Energy section of the guide, energy work refers to the awareness and manipulation of energy within the body and environment.

Spellwork

Spellwork refers to any magickal practice that involves the creation and usage of spell casting.

Astrology

Astrology is a form of divination, however due to its popularity and complex system, I have segregated it out of that section. Astrology is the act of interpreting the movements of stars and celestial bodies to predict its influence on the world.

Elemental magick

Elemental magick is the practice of using the 5 elements for magickal purposes.

Enchantment

Enchantment magick is the practice of imbueing an object or person with magickal properties. This is often done through spellwork.

Magickal herbalism

Also known as herbal magick, it is the practice of working with plants and herbs in magick.

Shadow work

It is the magickal practice and psychological technique of meeting with the repressed side of yourself and embracing them, allowing yourself to be more complete and balanced.

Sigil magick

Sigil magick is the art of crafting and using an intentional symbol to enact magickal change.

Safety

As with any form of practice or hobbies that you take on, there are several safety guidelines that you should follow to make practicing magick a more enjoyable experience.

Physical safety

When you practice witchcraft, you will often require sharp tools like scissors, knife as well as fire when you are using candles. Always be sure to not have any flammable variables around your altar space like curtains, loose pieces of paper or even nearby stashes of herbs. I recommend investing in those cute tiny extinguishers and have a first aid kit on standby in case you cut or burn yourself.

Take into consideration your current state of physical and emotional health. If you have a physical condition like asthma, refrain from over-smoking your room with incense or get a spray bottle filled with herbs instead. If you have a skin condition like eczema, take care to wear long sleeves and/or gloves when you are handling certain ingredients. Always look out for the properties of certain crystals and herbs as some have psychoactive properties which may interact with any medicine you are taking.

If you own pets, make sure they stay clear of the room you are practicing magick in as most animals are sensitive to smoke. Some may jump around the altar space, spilling liquids and candles around. Some herbs are also poisonous to animals.

Spiritual safety

When you begin to practice magick, you are like a beacon of light growing in brightness as you harness your energy for magickal means. This may often attract predatory spirits which cause harm to you. This is why most practitioners recommend learning protection magick before proceeding with other forms of sorcery. I recommend learning protection magick in this chronological order: Cleansing, Banishing, Protection, Warding. A mastery of these magick will go a long way for any practitioner.

When you are seeking to communicate with spirits, whether they be gods, angels or demons, be sure to do a thorough study of the tradition they came from and their specific attributes. This will help you create a stronger connection while avoiding offending and tempting retribution from the spirit.

As with connecting with other practitioners, do understand that not every practitioner may have your best interest in mind. WIth that said, forming a connection with another practitioner within the vicinity of where you live is a rewarding and comforting experience as the path tends to be a lonely one.

Safety on the internet

The beauty of the internet allows us to connect and seek information on various traditions alot easier than before, but with the ease and speed of connectivity, meeting spiritual predators becomes more common than it used to be. Spiritual scams are on the rise, and as a rule of thumb, no practitioner would come to your inbox to give you a free reading for no reason.

The rise of spiritual gurus also enables idolatry and cult-like behavior from the masses. While I consider myself to be an occult educator, it is important to recognise that the people you learn from, are still people, like you and me. We are all capable of doing great deeds as we are with mistakes. It is always wise to listen to your intuition and use critical thought to analyse a person's behavior. A practitioner that is good at magick may not necessarily be a morally good person, as the history books have told us.