Great Work: [ Great Work homepage | book reviews | BOTA (Builders of the Adytum) | Christianity v. Occultism? | Esoteric Orders | the Great Work | links | L.V.X. | WWJD? ]
Keys/cards: [ Key 6 | Key 10 | Key 17 | Key 18 ]
Personal journey: [ coming "out" as an occultist | Notes to the Beginner | Pattern on the Trestleboard | saying no | unfoldment ]
Reading tarot: [ chakra layout | deck reviews | modified C&T layout | reading for others ]

Notes to the Beginner

This page might also rightly be called Notes from the Beginner. But I get email frequently from people who are interested and who want me to share what little I know. Here are the frequently-asked questions and my answers. Don't take my word for any of this! Do your own tests and trials: you are on your own journey and need to find what works for you. [ First Things First | Getting started | Tarot | Cabala ]

This FAQ last updated on Sun Jul 29 23:13:17 CDT 2001.

First Things First
What is the Great Work
What is it like to pursue the Great Work?
What does "occult" mean?
What does "esoteric" mean?
Isn't occultism the same thing as Satanism?
What does a pentagram or pentacle mean?
What about upside-down pentagrams?
Do you believe in God?
Do you believe in astrology?
Couldn't this stuff be dangerous?
If I begin the Great Work won't people think I'm a weirdo?
Couldn't I accomplish the same thing by practicing yoga?
Can I learn anything by reading or talking to others?

Getting started
What should I do first off?
Should I join one of the esoteric orders?
Are there any books I could read?
What about online resources?

Tarot
I just got my first pack of tarot cards. How do I do it?
Can I read the cards for myself?
How should I read for others?
Can I screw it up/hex/curse my pack?
Does tarot really work?
How do I care for my tarot pack?

Cabala
What is QBLH?

First Things First

What is the Great Work
The Great Work (magnum opus in Latin) is a term used to describe a spiritual journey, an effort on the part of man to perfect himself.

"The magnum opus is pre-eminently the creation of man by himself, that is, the full and complete conquest which he can make of his faculties and his future; it is pre-eminently the perfect emancipation of his will..." -- Eliphas Levi
In modern terms I'd say it's most similar to performance or sports psychology, where the person learns to envision a desired outcome, concentrate on it, and attain it.
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What is it like to pursue the Great Work?
Well, I only know what it's been like for me. If you'd like to know what it might be like for you, try these experiments and note your reactions. Note that you really have to do, not just read about them...

  1. Tomorrow when you drive your car, keep the radio turned off. Drive in silence. If you find yourself turning the radio on, turn it back off (this may happen several times). As John Muir used to say, "drive consciously". How is it different?
  2. Tape record or videotape yourself talking and moving. What are you really like?
  3. Take out a piece of paper and title it "What I Want". Write down exactly what you want; no general terms allowed. (this might be much harder than you think). Write out a sentence that describes how you will know when you have got it. Write out a sentence that describes what your life will be like when you get it.
  4. When you get in a jam, think about what Jesus or another great teacher might do. Do that.
  5. Practice being silent for a little while.

If these experiments were meaningful for you, then you have just found part of your path.
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What does "occult" mean?
Occult means hidden. Look it up in your favorite dictionary. Pay special attention to the etymology.
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What does "esoteric" mean?
Esoteric refers to secret teachings. Common teachings are called exoteric.
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Isn't occultism the same thing as Satanism?
Nope. (more info here)
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What does a pentagram or pentacle mean?
The pentagram (five pointed star) or pentacle (pentagram with a circle around it) means, primarily "mankind". The four lower points refer to the four elements of water, air, earth, and water. The upper point refers to spirit, and indicates that spirit is the master over the physical. Notice how the pentacle resembles Da Vinci's depiction of the Vitruvian man?

The pent was also a common symbol for Christianity: the five points represented the Five Wounds of Christ. The pent was on Constantine's seal (Constantine, if you remember, made Christianity the official religion of Imperial Rome). Hebrews believed the pent represented truth, the five books of the Pentateuch. No negative connotations were associated with the pent until the tortuous, murderous, and slanderous Inquisition rolled into town.

In many occult traditions, the pentacle is the earth sign.
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What about upside-down pentagrams?
Traditionally, the orientation of the pentagram (point up or point down) is meaningless. Only fairly recently (in the 19th century) was the reversed pent associated with misuse of power (black magic, or whatever you'd like to call it). It is notable that most reversed pents are seen on album covers of shock bands, or tshirts of misguided high school children.
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Do you believe in God?
It's a situation like that of the three blind men and the elephant. I believe all the great religions have value, insofar as they can while one has the trunk, another the tail, another a foot... I think God is bigger than religion. I see God in everything, everyone. I probably sound more like a pantheist than an atheist. Does that answer your question?
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Do you believe in astrology?
I believe it exists. :) Seriously, though, I believe classic astrology is a system that contains useful wisdom. Do I believe the planets change human nature? No. But they are useful metaphors. And it is important to know the mechanics of what people have believed before us. There's probably as many astrological allusions in art as there Greco-Roman mythological allusions. And that's saying something.

A useful concept is that astrology is essentially internal. Compare what you know about astrology to what you know about chakras...
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Couldn't this stuff be dangerous?
Sure. So can driving, weight-lifting, or cooking. The key to safety in this, as in all, pursuits is awareness, concentration and intention. If you know what you want to accomplish you will accomplish it. If you don't know what you want to do then you'll probably rear-end somebody in a grocery store parking lot. Pay attention! Two hands for beginners, as my father used to say.
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If I begin the Great Work won't people think I'm a weirdo?
Probably. Society wants to in a neat, categorizable, labeled slot. If you begin to look beyond the obvious for esoteric knowledge you will be pigeonholed. The balancing factor is that by then you won't care. The mob can sleepwalk through their lives if they wish. You can only influence and change yourself; they are responsible for their own development.
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Couldn't I accomplish the same thing by practicing yoga?
Follow your path! If your path is yoga, then your path is yoga. Same with everything else. My personal path involves tarot and the Western esoteric tradition, your path will present itself to you. Be on the lookout for it!
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Can I learn anything by reading or talking to others?
Not directly. All learning comes from within you. Sometimes the words or presence of another may awaken you to your own teaching, but always remember that you are the source of the teaching. I hope that my words here may help you on your path, by making you more aware of your own teaching. Explore and doubt everything; decide for yourself and find what works for you.
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Getting started

What should I do first off?
If you decide to learn more about the Great Work (and I'm not encouraging you to) then spend some time with yourself. The object of the Great Work is the transformation and evolution of the self. This means it is all about change. It is critical that you be ready to change. Pay careful attention here; it's a huge idea. Would it be perfectly ok with you (every part of you) to change into a more perfect creature? Even if it meant abandoning old crutches and roadblocks we all use to defend ourselves? Give yourself time with this; be patient. When you are at peace with change then you are ready to begin.
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Should I join one of the esoteric orders?
There are many orders who exist only to assist aspirants on their personal journey. Although all the work happens in you, these orders have developed curricula who have helped many before you. I have great respect for the Freemasons, BOTA, and the FLO.
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Are there any books I could read?
Check out my book reviews.
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What about online resources?
fix me
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Tarot

I just got my first pack of tarot cards. How do I do it?
Depends on what "it" is. :) Seriously, though, it depends on what you want for an outcome. People use tarot for different reasons, like:

First off, I'd say just look at the cards (also called keys). Get a spiral notebook and write down whatever comes to you about the images. After you spend some time with the cards (minutes? hours? days? weeks?) then eyeball the little insert that came with the cards. This will give the normal divinatory meanings of the keys. You will remember them eventually. No hurry. You are the master, the looker.
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Can I read the cards for myself?
Sure. Some people will tell you not to do this, but I usually try something out first and see if it works for me. If it makes for a good/useful experience then I put that behavior in my toolbox. If it made for a bad/useless experience then I reject that behavior.
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How should I read for others?
Depends on what you want to accomplish. I've put up a webpage about reading for other people.
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Can I screw it up/hex/curse my pack?
The pack is a tool for you, a set of useful images. Although you can physically damage a pack (by running over it with your car, for example) you have not injured some holy relic. The cards are pasteboard, nothing special. Do what you think is best, what feels right in your gut. This is your pack, your experience, your future, your self. Do it your way!
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Does tarot really work?
Everything works, in the sense that it elicits a response. If you use the tarot for personal development then that's what you'll get out of it. If you use it to tell you something about the future, then that's what you'll get. The human subconscious is amazing and useful.
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How do I care for my tarot pack?
Treat your pack with respect, and that will be good. Whatever feels respectful to you is fine. IMO, the pack represents elements and attributes of our own selves, which is why we should be respectful (ie, when we handle the tarot we are handling ourselves. Think about that). When we acknowledge and respect all aspects of ourselves (even the dark and icky parts) we are way ahead of the game.
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Cabala

What is QBLH?
Fix me...
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