Love Magic But Lack Knowledge? Start Here!

Most successful magical practitioners start with a foundation of basic skills and techniques. From this foundation, the practitioner then builds, cuts-and-fits, and alters the basics to fit new situations. If you are just starting out in your magical practice--or would like to--check out our online tutorial on how to study magic. It will help you get your foot in the magical doorway and give you a glimpse into the wonderful world of magic and miracles!

At the foundation of magical practice is gaining an understanding of and being able to work with the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. From there magical tools can be used to channel these energies to extend the reach and effect you can have in using the elements. These four elements are what make up everything in the Universe. By knowing how to work with these elements, you can then advance into spellwork, healing, communication, performing rituals, psychic development, and magically manifesting whatever you desire. Just to whet your appetite for this magical foundation work, here are some of the aspects of the four elements to consider. 

Air
The Air element is connected to thinking and planning and associated with the direction East. It corresponds to seeing, breathing, speaking, hearing, planning, thinking, believing, memorizing, communicating, learning, teaching, information, ideas, wisdom, understanding, worry, sensation, awareness, opinions, data, memory, and mind. The colors associated with the Air element are:

Clear: breathing, physical reactions, physical sensations, seeing
White: mental processes, thinking, planning, communicating
Sky Blue: spiritual enlightenment, wisdom, understanding

Fire
The Fire element is action oriented and is also associated with will, personal power and creativity. Fire is associated with the direction South and corresponds to energy, power, will, desire, anger, pain, motivation, radiance, passion, initiative, aggression, limitation, endeavor, activity, creative, willingness, urge, inspired, excitable, courage, bravado, compulsion, fanaticism, frustration, resentment, rage, and freedom. The colors associated with the Fire element are:

Sun Yellow – Spirit fire, creativity, radiance
Yellow-Orange – Motivation, excitability, activity
Red-Orange – Anger, pain, fever, aggression, drive
Bright-Red – Courage, bravado, will, endeavor
Deep Red – Passion, flow
Electric-Blue – All bands, initiating force on galactic or universal levels

Water
Water is the element of emotion, passion, empathy, flow and feelings. It is associated with the direction West and corresponds to emotions, feelings, intuition, compassion, empathy, sympathy, knowing, devotion, quest, aspiration, intention, appreciation, integrity, harmony, beauty, balance, serenity, fluidity, grief, apathy, joy, and love. The colors associated with the Water element are:

Water Blue – Physical water, hydration, used for healing
Deep Blue – Mental or emotional water
Blue Black – Spiritual water, usually associated with "buried unconscious" issues

Earth
The Earth element is connected to solidity, strength, foundations and permanence. Its direction is the North and it corresponds to strength, money, foundation, endurance, structure, mundane world, serenity of beingness, solidity, boundaries, permanence, land, commerce, products, confidence, loyalty, persistence, stubbornness, fortress, security, anchor, barter, substance, body, base, and possessions. Earth colors are:

Grass Green – Vibrant, dynamic living Earth
Earth Brown – Stable Earth
Black -  Pure, dead Earth (the stuff of black holes)

This is just a short intro into the four elements. For more in-depth study check out our free online tutorial and get started on your way into the wonderful world of magic. Then if you are ready to start an in-depth learning of each element, take the Level 1 Basic Magic classes for free. Just email info@shamanschool.com and ask for details on how to take the first 10 classes of the Basic Magic Course that gives you a foundation in the 4 elements for free. 

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Magical Element Water: The Passion and Flow of Manifestation

The Water element is the element where manifestations really pick up speed and flow. Water is the element of emotion, passion, empathy, flow and feelings. To truly manifest anything, or if you want to speed up your manifestation, you have to get into the Water element.

About the Magical Element Water
Water is associated with the direction West, the direction of emotions and Spirit (since emotions are the "language of Spirit").  Water elementals are called undines or ondines, and like to play in the ponds, springs and pools. Like sylphs, which are the air elementals, undines are playful creatures who enjoy brushing up against you in the water.

The element Water corresponds specifically to:

...emotions, feelings, intuition, compassion, empathy, sympathy, knowing, devotion, quest, aspiration, intention, appreciation, integrity, harmony, beauty, balance, serenity, fluidity, grief, apathy, joy, love...

If you are facing any sort of life problem in any of these areas, you need to work with the magical element Water. The Water element has three major colors, of which only one (Water Blue) is safe for everyone to work with:

     Water Blue: Physical water, hydration, used for healing
     Deep Blue: Mental or emotional water
     Blue Black: Spiritual water, usually associated with "buried unconscious" issues

Do not use Deep Blue or Blue Black unless you are a trained magician--otherwise you might create endless depression or regression to past life events!

Working With the Magical Element Water
Water can be a highly useful element to work with in solving everyday problems. For instance, if you've had a highly stressful day or you have pain in your body, you can use the Water element to literally wash your pain away. Just stand in the shower and push all your pain, tension, anxiety and strain to the outside of your body and see the water carrying it all down the drain. Adjust the water temperature so it's fairly neutral, not to hot and not too cold. Water carries Fire energy, and since most forms of pain and tension are of the Fire element, the shower is a perfect place to get rid of it. This exercise uses Water's natural flow. It may take 2-5 minutes to fully dissipate all the excess Fire energy, so be patient. If you use this exercise on a regular basis, you'll notice that you stop manifesting the same levels of pain and tension in your life. The shower exercise can literally readjust what is "normal" in your life in terms of excess Fire energy.

On a more spiritual level, you can use Water to increase the flow of your manifestations. If you want to manifest something and it's not happening (or not happening fast enough), spend a few minutes each day feeling as if the manifestation has already occurred. How would you feel if what you wanted were to show up right now? If you can spend some quality time in that positive, delighted feeling of already having what you want, your manifestation will come to you faster than you can imagine.

To learn more about the Magical Element Water check out this course and all the other online courses of magical elements. Learning about the 4 elements is the foundation on which your journey into a magical life is built making it the perfect place to start your magical studies.

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Magic That Works: How to Study Magic

When people first discover magic it can often be confusing in terms of which magical path is the right one for them and how to study magic. Many are often skeptical and want to know if there is really magic that works and what can it do for them. It's good to be skeptical and to do some exploring into different traditions to see which resonates with you. You're probably familiar with the saying that when the student is ready the teacher will appear. That is very true when it comes to how to study magic and finding magic that works for you. To help you decide if the type of magical studies we offer at the Esoteric School are right for you, we have a section on How To Study Magic as well as plenty of free resources to let you explore our magic that works. Here are a few suggestions on things to do when deciding how to study magic.

What Is Magic?
Before we begin the actual hands-on study of magic, we believe it is important for people to understand what magic that works really is and what it can do for you. Magic is a precision science, the science of deliberate creation, a system of creation and study of intention. Every intentional act is an act of magic. Magic allows us to communicate with higher powers and beings and co-create with the Universe. It is also a path of spiritual growth. The practice of magic is governed under Universal Laws and a set of ethics that need to be adhered to for a safe and effective magical practice. We call these The Rules of the Road. When beginning on a magical path, students need to understand these rules and the implications they can have.

How To Study Magic: Start With the 4 Elements
We believe in starting the actual study of magic with learning the fundamentals of the 4 elements – Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Everything in the Universe is made up of these 4 elements. The safest element to begin practice with is Air. The Air element corresponds to anything having to do with seeing, breathing, speaking, hearing, planning, thinking, believing, memorizing, communicating, learning, teaching, information, ideas, wisdom, understanding, worry, sensation, awareness, opinions, data, memory, mind. Once you learn the characteristics and correspondences that are associated with the Air Element and how to handle and flow this element, you can move on to the other elements.

How To Study Magic: Learn To Use Magical Tools
Once you have a good working knowledge of all of the elements you can then move on to learning how to study magic with the use of magical tools. The Air element tool is the Wand. We encourage students to make their own wands rather than buy one and you can see how to do that HERE. Magical tools associated with the other elements are the Fire tool – the athame, the Water tool – the chalice and the Earth tool – the plate or pentacle. Some of the other magical tools you may find useful include the pendulum, Tarot deck, the firebowl, the black mirror, candles, sun crystal and simulacra. Each of these can be used for various techniques such as healing, exploring other realms, divination, psychic communication, finding lost objects, gathering information and spellwork.

Now that you have some information on what magic is and how to study magic, time to get started. Take a look at our How To Study Magic section on our website and explore all our free resources to see what magical offerings peak your interest. Magic that works is your birthright as a planetary citizen, so exercise your right to a fulfilling magical life!

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About Magical Tools

Firebowl: 2 Element Cleansing Tool

The Firebowl is an essential altar item and magical tool for any magician or shaman. Used primarily to cleanse people, areas, sacred space and tools, the Firebowl can also be used for divination, finding lost people or objects, and meditation.

Although almost any bowl will do for a Firebowl, most traditional Firebowls are made of brass, ceramic, cast-iron or hardwood. Except for special bowls used for specific rituals, the bowl should be light enough and small enough that you can carry it in your hand.

To make a working Firebowl, put about two inches of fire clay (unscented cat litter will do), rice or beans in the bottom of the Firebowl to prevent the bowl from getting to hot. Put self-lighting mini-charcoal tablets on top of the fireclay, then add any resins or botanicals you want to burn.

Choose your resins and botanicals based on what you want to do with your Firebowl. For instance, if you want to meditate, use a Water element botanical to help you get in touch with Spirit. If you want to "see" a lost object, you might use an Air element botanical. Here's a short list of resins and botanicals, listed by element, to get you started:

All Purpose: Sage, juniper, copal and frankincense.
Air: Sandalwood, sage, mint and sweetgrass.
Fire: Pine, juniper and frankincense.
Water: Gardenia, lotus and rose.
Earth: Musk, mosses and myrrh

If you have difficulty quieting your mind during meditation, you can use the Firebowl. Simply light the charcoal tablet with paper or wooden matches until it starts to spark, then put a Water element botanical on top. When the combination begins to smoke, focus on the column of smoke. Having a visual focus that is irregular and difficult for your mind to follow will occupy your mind while you meditate. Good luck!

Wand: Magical Air Tool

The Wand is an essential magical tool and a crucial part of any magical altar. Like most magical tools, the Wand is an extension of our own energies, amplifying and extending those energies for psychic communication, healing, protection and energy balancing.

The most common misconception about the Wand is that it is a Fire tool. The Wand is actually an Air tool for the simple reason that it is made out of wood, which burns easily when in contact with Fire energies. While popular movies, such as Harry Potter, often portray the Wand as a multi-purpose tool that can handle Air and Fire energies, it is actually the Athame, or magical knife, that can handle multiple types of energy.

Wands should be made from the limb of a live tree (with proper permission from and thanks to the tree) or recently fallen from a live tree, preferably of a light-colored wood, since Air colors are clear, white and sky blue. The limb should be between ¼ and 3/8 inch, and be no longer than from the bend of your elbow to the tip of your middle finger.

While some Wands are carved with various patterns and designs, we find that a smooth surface with no carving produces the greatest and most effective flow of Air energies. The Wand should be pointed at one end and notched at the other.

Like most magical tools, your Wand should be "keyed" or personalized to your own energies. Keying aligns the flow of the Wand from base (notched end) to tip, and ensures that only you will be able to use it. If you're a beginning practitioner, the Wand is an excellent first tool, allowing you to practice the major techniques of sweeping, pulling, flowing and flaring without endangering yourself or others.

Athame: Magical Fire Tool

The Athame, or magical knife, is one of the most powerful of the magician's tools. As a Fire tool, it has the characteristics that are most often attributed to the Wand in popular movies and TV shows, including blasting, fireballs, lightning bolts and shields. Just as the Wand could not possibly be a Fire tool since it is made of wood, the Athame must be a Fire tool since it's forged in Fire. In addition to Fire energy, the Athame can also handle some Water and Earth energies. That makes it one of the most versatile of the magician's tools.

Most often used for self defense and shielding, the Athame is also a powerful healing tool. For instance, a skilled magician can use a beam of Fire energy from the Athame to seal or cauterize a wound that won't stop bleeding. This tool is also used to create full-cast circles, invoke deity beings during ritual and release psychic "ties" to other people.

Athames should be made of high carbon, nickel alloy, or chrome alloy steel. In addition, it should have a full tang, which means that the steel goes all the way through handle, and not be a folding knife. Finally, beginners should start with a single-edged blade with a straight edge (it's harder to control Fire energy through a double-edged or curved blade).

Like the Wand and other magical tools, the Athame should be "keyed" before use. Keying clears the tool of junky energies, aligns the energy to flow from handle to tip, and personalizes the Athame so that it is in tune with your own energies. Finally, you should store your Athame in a sheath or wrap it in a natural material such as cotton, wool, leather or silk.

Chalice: Magical Water Tool

The Chalice is often called the magical tool of the Spirit, since the Chalice is the magical Water tool and Water is the language of the Spirit. Most often used for divination, psychic communication and blessings, the Chalice is also used for protection of sacred objects, self-defense and healing.

The Chalice is associated with the West, and is the tool of feeling, emotion and connection. Goblet-shaped chalices work best, and should have a bowl that is large enough to store small magical objects (storing objects in your keyed chalice keeps them clear of unwanted energies). Chalices should be made of a single material, such as glass, ceramic, silver, pewter or copper. With the Chalice, as with all magical tools, you need to consider the characteristics of the element you're working with to determine what materials will work. Wood chalices, for instance, don't work well because wood doesn't flow Water energies well.

To work with your Chalice, you'll need some additional items, such as spring water (don't use chlorinated water, which has some unhealthy energies), rock or sea salt (don't use iodized salts) and an all natural material in which you can wrap your Chalice. For the most effective use, you'll also want to "key" your Chalice to personalize it to your own energies and set the Chalice energies rotating in the correct clockwise direction.

Plate: Magical Earth Tool

The Plate, also known in magical circles as the Shield or Pantacle, is the magical tool of the element Earth. Associated with the direction North, the plate is primarily a tool of protection and healing. Magicians and shamans often use the Plate to protect magical operations, such as divination or spellwork, from outside interference. Plates are also useful for storing magical objects you want to protect, similar to the chalice, and for self protection.

Ideally, Plates should be round in shape to produce the strongest energy vortex and beam, and should be of earth-colored material, which include greens, browns and blacks, or have plant-based designs on them. Ceramic, wood or porcelain Plates work well, as do metal and glass Plates. Avoid Plates that are too heavily carved with designs or patterns, since this can interfere with the Plate's energy flow and pattern.

To key or personalize your Plate for magical use, you'll need rock salt, non-chlorinated water and a pure cotton cloth. You'll also need a Firebowl and a spare Chalice. Keying ensures that the energy in your Plate flows in the appropriate direction for protection, healing and spellwork.

A little known fact about the Plate is that it is an important tool for simulacra or "voodoo" type magic. In addition, the Plate is also a "broadcaster," meaning that you can use it to broadcast certain energies into your environment.

If you are interested in expanding your magical "reach", then using magical tools will help you do that. You can find ebooks for each tool separately on our website, or just get some specific ways to use magical tools with our Kindle book, Learn How to Do Witchcraft Rituals and Spells with Magical Tools.

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Magical Newbie? Get the Downlow on Magic and How to Study It

It seems like we get more and more emails all the time from people just discovering the world of real magic and wanting to know how to study magic. We think it's great that the word is continuing to spread and more people are showing an interest in magical studies. Of course when it comes to magic, there are numerous traditions that one can study. We suggest that newbies look through our website and blog articles to get an idea of the type of magical studies and traditions that we offer. But no matter what tradition you end up finding that resonates with you, learning about the 4 elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire is always a good place to start. Since everything in the Universe is comprised of the 4 elements, they are literally part of everything else you will study in magic.

Starting with the 4 Elements
In general the magical tradition that you choose to follow will define how to study by what types of resources are available. Since the 4 elements are at the foundation of magical studies, we start our Basic Magic class students off by teaching them indepth information about the correspondences and characteristics of each of the elements. They then use each element with its various colors and each of its characteristics in a practical way so as to develop personal experience with each. This same information is available to all in short courses of each element on multi-media cd. After the 4 elements have been mastered, students can then move on to studies that include:

• Universal Laws that govern magical practice
• Hand Magic and Self Defense
• Magical Tools: Firebowl, Wand, Athame, Chalice and Plate
• Divination
• Tarot
• Sonics
• Spellwork

More Magic for Newbies
One important point to make to newbies is that magic is an ongoing study. It is not a quick study and for the true magician it becomes a way of life. And though there are various magical traditions that have differences in their ways and practices, there are also many similarities between them. It is pretty universal that magic gives us the ability to communicate with beings on all levels, gives us a connection with nature and spirit beings, gives us direct experience with the workings of the Universe including co-creating to manifest that which we desire, and is a path of spiritual growth. Magic as practiced at the Esoteric School is also defined as:

• a precision science
• the science of deliberate creation.
• the science of effective prayer.
• the science of manifesting Higher Will on the energetic and material planes
• the science of heightened awareness, selective perception, and dynamic, harmonious relationships.
• the study of intention (as per Aleister Crowley, one of the greatest magicians).
• the system of creation, not coercion.

If all this sounds good to you, you can get your magical feet wet with our Kindle Book, Witchcraft Spell Book: The Complete Guide of Witchcraft Rituals & Spells for Beginners. To find out more about the magical studies we offer and how to study magic visit our How To Study Magic section of our website for a more extensive look at magical topics. After all it's never too late to make magic a part of your life. 

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How to Begin Studying Magic

How to Begin Studying Magic

The art and study of magic is a vast study that can take years, and I get many questions about how people should go about studying this topic. It can be daunting and I understand why people ask this question. In my observation and experience, the best place to begin studying is with the four elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

Because everything in the Universe is composed of the four elements, this study is literally part of everything else you will study in magic. Thus, to start at the beginning, start with the element Air. Air is a safe element to start studying because you can do very little to yourself or others with air. The most you may do is make yourself "spacy" or silly for a while, but Air dissipates quickly so you'll soon recover. For instance, we often start beginner magical practitioners with cloud-moving and weather work. Clouds, being of the Air element, are easy to move with intention and not likely to get anyone in trouble.

Learning how to handle the Air element also helps you develop the skills you will need to handle the more advanced elements of Fire, Water, and Earth. Here is a brief summary of what each of the elements corresponds to:

AIR
Seeing, breathing, speaking, hearing, planning, thinking, believing, memorizing, communicating, learning, teaching, information, ideas, wisdom, understanding, worry, sensation, awareness, opinions, data, memory, mind.

FIRE
Energy, power, will, desire, anger, pain, motivation, radiance, passion, initiative, aggression, limitation, endeavor, activity, creative, willingness, urge, inspired, excitable, courage, bravado, compulsion, fanaticism, frustration, resentment, rage, freedom.

WATER
Emotions, feelings, intuition, compassion, empathy, sympathy, knowing, devotion, quest, aspiration, intention, appreciation, integrity, harmony, beauty, balance, serenity, fluidity, grief, apathy, joy, love.

EARTH
Strength, money, foundation, endurance, structure, mundane world, serenity of beingness, solidity, boundaries, permanence, land, commerce, products, confidence, loyalty, persistence, stubbornness, fortress, security, anchor, barter, substance, body, base, possessions.

At first, you will want to learn to handle each of these elements with your bare hands, in what we call direct handling. For instance, if you wanted to handle the Air element directly, you could increase or decrease the balance of Air in your body. The simplest way to do that would be to wear white clothing. White is one of the Air element colors, and tends to increase your mental capacity. Other ways of handling Air include pulling in white energy through your hands or "breathing" in white energy.

Once you have become proficient at handling the four elements directly you can move on to using magical tools. Since magical tools, such as the wand, athame, chalice and plate, are extensions of the basic four elements and your own energies, they should be studied and handled only after you develop a working knowledge and understanding of the four elements themselves. The same is true of the more advanced topics of divination, tarot and spellwork, which are directly related to your understanding of the elements.

Photo credit: More old books