Returning to practice, interested in the advice of the community.

[Evaris]

The past decade or so, barring a few more lucid moments, I have found myself detached from spiritual / magickal / metaphysical practices. This past month I have been able to return to more regular practice - reading back on books and methodologies of chaos magick, new age energy work, and East Asian religious and esoteric practices most heavily. In general though, I suppose I'm lacking a true... direction. I know I need to reconnect to parts of myself, and the world, especially the spiritual parts therein - but I am uncertain as to the best path of new knowledge, or, on which I should review most heavily of my own limited collection so as to take the second step in returning to the path, as it were.

At the moment, I have mostly just focused on returning to daily prayers, meditation, and reviewing of aforementioned Chaos Magick, Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist books. I'm on my third re-read of Phil Hine's Condensed Chaos and second re-read of Jan Fries' Visual Magick, because I find them the most readable of the base-level Chaos Magick books, and of more traditional studies I recently started a book on Shingon Buddhism.

I'm not certain if I'm taking the right steps, or there is something else that would be recommended for mindset/discipline within practice that might be recommended - or perhaps just a step in a different direction that might be recommended by those more established in their own practice. Regardless, I just hoped I might be able to get some degree of advice beyond what I'm already doing - if what I was doing was a good idea, I missed something... etc.

 

[moonbow]

Breathing Exercise if you are not doing it already. It cleanses you, rebalances and energizes you. It should be compatible with vertually anything and any path.
There is the simple fundamental but very effective exercise of sitting still and breathing in for like 4 seconds, holding breath for like 16 seconds and releasing the breath for 4-8 seconds. Then immediately breathing in again. Do that for at least 10 minutes once a day, more and longer if you feel you need or want to. If that is too hard you can do whatever is possible for you, but the holding breath part should be the longest as it is the most important part.

 

[unholyReverie]

The past decade or so, barring a few more lucid moments, I have found myself detached from spiritual / magickal / metaphysical practices. This past month I have been able to return to more regular practice - reading back on books and methodologies of chaos magick, new age energy work, and East Asian religious and esoteric practices most heavily. In general though, I suppose I'm lacking a true... direction. I know I need to reconnect to parts of myself, and the world, especially the spiritual parts therein - but I am uncertain as to the best path of new knowledge, or, on which I should review most heavily of my own limited collection so as to take the second step in returning to the path, as it were.

At the moment, I have mostly just focused on returning to daily prayers, meditation, and reviewing of aforementioned Chaos Magick, Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist books. I'm on my third re-read of Phil Hine's Condensed Chaos and second re-read of Jan Fries' Visual Magick, because I find them the most readable of the base-level Chaos Magick books, and of more traditional studies I recently started a book on Shingon Buddhism.

I'm not certain if I'm taking the right steps, or there is something else that would be recommended for mindset/discipline within practice that might be recommended - or perhaps just a step in a different direction that might be recommended by those more established in their own practice. Regardless, I just hoped I might be able to get some degree of advice beyond what I'm already doing - if what I was doing was a good idea, I missed something... etc.

I would suggest setting aside some time to do some goal planning, and maybe even some journaling. Just really reflect on what your goals are in general, especially as it relates to your magical research / practice. And then write those down, dividing them into short term, medium, and long term goals. You can define those terms how you like, but maybe something like 1-3 months as short term, 6-18 months as medium term, and 3-5+ years long term.

And you can be as simple or fancy as you like. Use different colored pens or pencils, add some art, add steps you will take for each goal, add how you will feel or what you will do when you achieve the goal.

On one level I think it will help you clarify what your goals are and what you are most interested in, so you know where to focus, not just whatever is "standard". But it is also a magical act in itself, putting intention and attention on these things.

Beyond that, I would say just follow what inspires you along the road, so long as you are doing SOMETHING regularly.