How did you decide which occult system to follow?

[silencewaits]

I didn't have a choice. In a way I've always been on the same path. It's just got more refined as I've gotten older.

 

[AbammonTheGreat]

When I started I was obsessed with ceremonial magic but was in a chaos magic order. My path today is very independent. I'm inspired by multiple paths and various religions. But my brand of magic is what the spirits and dieties have taught me.

 

[Bawonschild]

Generational Vodou practitioner. Thats my root as well. Then Solominic, budhism, Kemetic, Norse Paganism. Presently following the Necromancer path and Working with Qayin and Qalmana. As well as studying Quimbanda under Exu Meia Noite.

 

[neilwilkes]

I didn't choose, even though for a long time I thought that I did.
When I first set out, I was recommended the Golden Dawn route but for various reasons I found it incompatible with my thinking in so many ways it became a chore, and instead went down the Thelema path for a long time as so much of it made so much more sense to me. I thought that was the way for me, but about 4 years ago I stumbled over John Dee's work (via a most unlikely route that had absolutely nothing to do with magick at all - or so I thought) and ever since then I have been an avid student of the Enochian system - although it must be stressed, not the Golden Dawn's interpretation of it.
If anything, I now know what it was that I found unacceptable with the GD workings - they had corrupted the Enochian system, cherry-picking certain aspects of it whilst hiding more important material even from their own adepts - and I believe (although this may be wild of the mark) that I was being called or summoned to this path. I do hope this is not coming across as arrogance when I say I most strongly feel I was being called to this path - the reason I use that wording is because it is as if something is telling me to follow this path and learn from it - not that I am supposed to do anything, but instead that this is the right direction for me. It's very difficult to explain this, so please bear with me whilst I stumble around trying to find the right words!
Try to imagine something that simply will not leave me alone - no matter what I am doing, if it is not something involving either studying this or practising this I get the feeling that I am wasting valuable time come over me in vast waves. I have never experienced anything like it before in my entire life, and it's a hard thing to have to admit that I have seemingly wasted most of my life playing around with things that simply do not matter and that I need to stop - now - and get on with the important things instead of wasting my time on trivial nonsense. It's like an overwhelming compulsion that cannot be ignored.

 

[frater_pan]

Follow your interests. It would also be useful to use divination to explore different paths before you jump into them. If you have some kind of occult family or ancestral background (common in various ways to people whose parents or grandparents came from Appalachia for example) or if you have a connection with the local forms (like the occult expression in Hawai'i for example if you have lived there and are living there) then explore that. So this is summarized as beginning with family and your location or where you grew up as a start. Your interests and practice could easily develop beyond that.

 

[MagickalStudent569]

I'm always curious about other people's paths in the occult. I'm a bit of a basic bitch, so I've never truly dived into anything fully. There's so many interesting ideas out there and I find it hard to stick to one. I'd like to try this year to really focus on something, but I don't even know where to start at this point.

What occult system do you follow now, or have you followed in the past? What has made you change your mind on certain systems after learning more about them? What books have helped you on that journey? I'd love to know!

Pure desire.. I am drawn almost magnetically to two particular systems (or I guess styles) of magick. Old school Ceremonial and Folk Magick of the part of the world I am from. One offers pathways to addressing the fundamental day to day needs. The other allows you to master the world on a almost semi-divine scale or as close us mere mortal can get to it and perhaps even reach a nirvanna of sorts...

 

[AlfrunGrima]

I am a kind of on the same place I started 25 years ago, but walked a crooked path in between. I started with endless dwelling in the local forests and found my own kind of magic there. And I knew the St. Mary veneration in my region very well and found certain things in it as well. After a few years the first book in the spiritual/magic section my eye fell unto was a book about Alexandrian Wicca from Vivianne Crowley. Picked it up and just started with it. Did the solo versions of Wicca rituals on my own for a few years. I got trained in doing rituals by doing so, but it was not my cup of tea. After that I was part of a nonwicca eclectic coven and a pagan circle for a short time. I discovered it was not my kind of witchcraft or path. And, I am an "einzelgänger", I am not fitting very well in a group. And for both paths of witchcraft: I am not so into the annual pagan celebrations.

Then I moved on and dabbled with servitor making. It was as amusing as educational! And I dabbled with other magic. Books that where influential where Condensed Chaos of Phil Hine, the Benandanti from Carlo Ginzburg, strange enough a children book of Monica Furlong, countless sources about folklore, Seidhways from Jan Fries, a book of Roger J. Horne, Become the Maelstrom from DH Horne and more books. I started working with the demon Furcas, started to work with local entities I didn't knew before.

But in the end I am back in Folk magic, making allies and in forest dwelling, but alongside it I am still working with Furcas, local entities and have servitors. So I am back in the forests I grew up into but with a lot more knowledge than I had before. That lonely forest dweller was a part of me I couldn't ignore and the magic I founded there still works. The St Mary veneration turned in something that is not Catholic anymore, a gradually process. When I pray to that statue and do my rituals, I typically get other connections in my mind. More drawn to Holle/Holda kind of things.

(did I say before that I am strange woman? For me everything makes sense but for a stranger it is a complex and utterly strange soup of information)

 

[Ikawaru]

Life experience pushed me naturally onto the path of spirituality, without even me choosing it. It chose me!

However, once the initial shock wore off and I re-reached a point of stagnation, I decided it was time to forge my own path in conjunction with my spiritual journey, so then tapped into occult knowledge because none of the major religions or academic institutions had any appeal to me. The laws of dualism could suggest that there is a hand that guides you, out of your control, and also a hand that you guide, completely within your control!

I chose chaos magic simply because of its versatility and personalization, as well as the fact that's it fairly new. And also black magic for the opposite reasons because of its longevity and extensive points of wisdom you can draw up on stretching through various times and cultures.

 

[ADiTyA RaJ]

I started from physics and ended up constructing my own 'occult system' based on the physical model I derived.

This seems little interesting I know this is offensive but can you share this system of yours.

 

[Robert Ramsay]

This seems little interesting I know this is offensive but can you share this system of yours.

I have messaged you.

 

[magick&psionics]

I'm always curious about other people's paths in the occult. I'm a bit of a basic bitch, so I've never truly dived into anything fully. There's so many interesting ideas out there and I find it hard to stick to one. I'd like to try this year to really focus on something, but I don't even know where to start at this point.

What occult system do you follow now, or have you followed in the past? What has made you change your mind on certain systems after learning more about them? What books have helped you on that journey? I'd love to know!

I've been practicing a mix of chaos magic, sorcery, self made stuff and a bit of my own mixture of interpretation of how I should practice
I've only gotten Into black magic when I absolutely needed to, other than that yeah just a plethora of things that don't contradict. oh and energy manipulation

Post automatically merged: Apr 13, 2025

I actually started out with herbs and witchcraft. I've practiced a little bit of Native American medicine which is hella primordial. But I had to dial back because I'm not in my tribal homeland and well different tribal spirits don't get along with one another

Post automatically merged: Apr 13, 2025

Plus I wanna be able to move around the United States

 

[AbammonTheGreat]

My first introduction into the occult was the ars goetia but before that as a teenager I was into psychedelic spirituality and the overarching southwestern new age practices that are part and parcel of living in the area I do.

After a brief stint with goetia I was obsessed with Jewish kabbalah, golden dawn, and that led into ceremonial magic where I spent quite a few years.

My very first occult rituals were always tinged by the planets and I eventually, while trying to leave ceremonial magic for something purer wound up practicing out of the Picatrix. That's where the synthesis of all my occult explorations hit a peak and in exploring the planetary spheres and their spirits I was gifted a revealed form of planetary magic that implements alphanumericism, initiation, theurgy, practical magic, talismans, djinn binding, and alchemy. The system on the surface might seem eclectic but it is wholly for me and I have come to believe is an extension of work I have done in past incarnations.

The planetary magic/picatrix magic i practice is not within the books, or known systems, but it is hidden amongst all the public primary sources and has been solidified through direct experience with the planets, spirits, and godforms.

I dont know how I exactly ended up here except through a process of listening, receiving, and taking action.

 

[MagickalStudent569]

I actually started out with herbs and witchcraft. I've practiced a little bit of Native American medicine which is hella primordial. But I had to dial back because I'm not in my tribal homeland and well different tribal spirits don't get along with one another

Are you Native American or half Native if you don't mind me asking? Each native tribe has their own unique spiritual systems that they keep to themselves. Cherokee practice may differ wildly from Lakota who is even farther from say Navajo. They don't really function well as a single system with the exception of the Great Spirit that most have in common.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2025

I don't know how I exactly ended up here except through a process of listening, receiving, and taking action.

Your in pretty good company then as I think that's how most of us got here lol.

 

[Johny111]

I started with ideas about the occult that were both naive and bizarre, then went around in circles in various directions, only to return to my initial premises and motives. In my experience, the first impulse may be the best, it may not be for someone else, but it is certainly the strongest. The first thing we learn is the most useful. In the meantime, I was wasting my time with Thelema and Enochian magic.

 

[magick&psionics]

Are you Native American or half Native if you don't mind me asking? Each native tribe has their own unique spiritual systems that they keep to themselves. Cherokee practice may differ wildly from Lakota who is even farther from say Navajo. They don't really function well as a single system with the exception of the Great Spirit that most have in common.

Post automatically merged: Apr 14, 2025

Your in pretty good company then as I think that's how most of us got here lol.

I'm a mix of three Dakota and lakota tribes and a little bit a French

 

[MagickalStudent569]

I'm a mix of three Dakota and lakota tribes and a little bit a French

Awesome! Sorry I was just curious. I have some native ancestors on my mothers grandfathers side that I was raised by. His family lived close by the reservations in Oklahoma and some mixing happened. The only reason I know is I was raised by him and got me to meet a bunch of members from his side as well as learn a bunch family legends/native culture. You might try native - languages dot org to learn more info about native american cultures and folklore to see what tribes closest match that of the Dakota and Lakota. Might help you to avoid pitfalls on your spiritual journey. ✌

 

[magick&psionics]

Awesome! Sorry I was just curious. I have some native ancestors on my mothers grandfathers side that I was raised by. His family lived close by the reservations in Oklahoma and some mixing happened. The only reason I know is I was raised by him and got me to meet a bunch of members from his side as well as learn a bunch family legends/native culture. You might try native - languages dot org to learn more info about native american cultures and folklore to see what tribes closest match that of the Dakota and Lakota. Might help you to avoid pitfalls on your spiritual journey. ✌

Thank you I greatly appreciate that. But I might have to hold off on the medicine until I return home back to North and South Dakota. But what you just mentioned earlier about that website I'm gonna look into

 

[MidnightProphet]

When I stopped trying to follow a system, one emerged naturally. From there I read until I found out what it was and perfected it, and continued to perfect it.