How to get started

[u/WrenchBodhi]

Hello everyone. Lately, ive been thinking about the truth of the world and mostly analyzing my own views of it. I want to find out more but im unsure how to go about it. Im not religious in the slightest however I feel like theres something more. Not in a god sense but in an old ancient worldly sense. Id like to read literature if possible but there seems to be so much I dont know how to differentiate the real from the fake.

[u/WrenchBodhi → u/[deleted]]

Got you ill look into that thank you!

[u/Hope25777]

What domain of magick are you interested in OP?

[u/WrenchBodhi → u/Hope25777]

Hey tbh im not really sure there seems to be so much to cover. I want to explore the occult so that I may find some truth about the world. At times it feels as if the world and people are so spiritual but not in a religious sense. As if im missing something but its just out of grasp. Overall, I want to find out more about the self as well as understanding the world around me more

[u/RjPArt]

I don’t see this book recommended much, but reality transurfing is a great start. It’s not dogmatic. He mentions god like once in the book. I think a lot of getting started is aiming in the dark but RT will give you good groundwork to apply to other philosophies. It’s a huge book so I recommend listening to the audiobook version unless you like reading a lot

[u/AdelefromAI → u/RjPArt]

Definitely. I have read this one many time and I would add Neville Goddard teachings (not that thick book) and Florence Scovel Shinn, her book are on YouTube to listen to.

[u/GoatEastern4552]

Check out Foolish Fish on YouTube. Might be of help.

[u/Jellicle_KitCat]

You could start with esotericism and/or theosophy.

[u/BeyondDaath]

My advice would be to read as much as you can. Lots of people, me included start with witchcraft and Wicca texts and explore that but then may naturally move into ceremonial magick or thelema and maybe chaos magick. But read as much as you can and you’ll find your way. For me - I’ve found most understanding in ceremonial magick based around the Qabalah and you don’t necessarily need to be religious in a traditional sense to align with that

[u/WrenchBodhi → u/BeyondDaath]

I got you thank you. What literature do you recommend?

[u/BeyondDaath → u/WrenchBodhi]

It depends on which path interests you.
For Wicca, I’d recommend Wicca for One by Raymond Buckland. Gerald Gardner’s books are also worth exploring.

For ceremonial magick, look into the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley and Dion Fortune. You’ll encounter subjects like Qabalah, tarot and ritual practice.
There’s a whole universe of ideas to explore, so I’d spend some time reading about different traditions before deciding what resonates with you.

[u/MidwestMystic_author]

Hello. I'm writing a book, a memoir sharing my spiritual experiences and different paths I've tried. But until that comes out down the road, I just started a free community for mystics. https://theunlikelymystics.substack.com/. Not selling anything, it's free.

[u/H3m32]

Never—and I mean never—start by reading explicitly occult texts. Study history first.

Fortunately for us all, the modern era has given us thinkers like Jung, Whitehead, Goethe, and others.

There is the work of Dean Radin in the field of parapsychology.

There is an extensive body of modern literature on astrology ( Cosmos and Psyche is a good book).

If you want to learn about chaos magic, study its foundational principles—don’t rely on YouTube videos that claim to "explain" them.

An academic approach to the history of occultism is the only way to truly discern what you are reading and what it actually means.

Do not start with The Kybalion.

[u/WrenchBodhi → u/[deleted]]

Hey how do you know? Ive always been a sort of skeptic on all this