Common Mistakes People Make When Learning Magick

You do not need to understand all the rules of magick in every detail, to start practicing it.

Learning magick is not an easy thing. There are many rules that one must follow in order to be successful in his magickal endeavors.

Magick is a form of art and science. To master it, you have to study it and practice it for years. You have to develop your skills and test them every day. During this process, you will inevitably make some mistakes. It’s ok to make mistakes. Actually, it’s part of the process.

So, when your magickal operations begin to fail, it is wise to step back and see which, if any, basic rules of magick were violated.

The purpose of this article is to identify the most common mistakes in magick, especially for beginners. This will help you to identify them in advance and avoid them. As a result, your magick will be more consistent and successful.

1. Not Keeping Notes

You should absolutely get into the habit of keeping detailed notes on your daily operations and rituals and any spell work that you do.

Why is it so important?

First of all, it is required to forget the magick you have done, in order to work. So, how are you going to remember what you did and evaluate the outcome if you don’t write it down?

Second. If something works very well, you want to know exactly what you did to repeat these results. On the other hand, if something didn’t work out, you can always go back and modify it.

You need to make a template, ahead of time, in which you must write down as many details as possible about your operation. Such us:

• Date and time
• Moon Phase and what sign was it in.
• Planetary day and hour
• Which planet did you use and in which sign it was (for planetary magick)
• If you used candles, what kind and color were they.
• If you used incense and what kind.
• For spell work, the components of that spell.
• Weather conditions.
• Your emotional and physical state.
• Anything else you consider that will be helpful to remember.

A section of miscellaneous notes. To mention anything else that might be interesting about your magical operation.

Of course, you must make a section for results, where you can go and write down the outcome later.

Keeping good notes is a method you can use to find out what works for you and what does not. Therefore, it can be your key tool to elevate your magickal practice.

2. Trying to Achieve Something Big, too Quickly.

The general advice is to start with small things. Things you don’t have an emotional involvement with. Something that you don’t care if it will happen or not. For example, to see an inflatable beach ball in an unexpected place or a sign with a special message for you.

This type of goal is the most appropriate, in the early stages of your journey in magick. This is because:

First, you can easily forget it, which is a crucial part of the manifestation process. When you see it in front of you, it will pop up in your mind that you have done some magick about it.

Second, when you see that you can manifest these little things, you will begin to be sure of what you are doing. You will have proof that magick really works (probably you will want to share it with others, but don’t do it).

This is why most people think that magick does not work.

They want to accomplish something great with one spell. After their failure, they are certain that the magic does not work.

In addition, you can break a big goal into smaller pieces. For example, if you are broke and you want to be wealthy, you can’t do it overnight, with one spell.

Break your goal into multiple steps and work on them.  It can be something like stopping your financial bleeding, starting earning some money, getting out of debt, earning more money, etc.

Remember that at every step, you first have to become this kind of person (embody your goal). And after that, it will manifest in physical form.

Start small, it’s safe and time-saving.

Related reading: Frequently Asked Questions about Magick – Opens in new tab

3. Not Employing the Proper Timing.

If you do not have consistent results in your magickal operations, maybe you are not paying attention to the timing.

While not all magickal works should be done at the appropriate time, they will work better if you plan it and wait for it.

So, you have to familiarize yourself with the phases of the moon and the planetary days and times.

The first thing that you need to be aware, is avoiding the void of course. A void of course moon is when the moon is about to change signs.  There is instability at these times and the magickal operations tend to fail. 

The moon changes signs about every two and a half days, and the “void of course” can last anywhere from a few minutes to the entire two and a half days.

You can search for a void of course calendar online so that you can plan your magick around the void of course.

The phase of the moon is the next thing you need to know. This is simple. Waxing moon (increasing to the full) is drawing things towards us, while the waning moon (decreasing in light) is pushing things away.

Planetary days are easy, too.

• Sunday is the day of the Sun.
• Monday is Day of Moon.
• Tuesday is the day of Mars.
• Wednesday is the day of mercury. 
• Thursday is the day of Jupiter.
• Friday is the day of Venus.
• Saturday is the day of Saturn.

Planetary hours are more complicated. But the good news is that there are planetary hour calculators online (and apps) so you don’t have to manually calculate them.

Using the right timing will help you synchronize yourself with the natural cycle and consequently have more successful results.

4. Unclear Intent

Whatever magick work you do, make sure you have a clear and concise statement of intent. A statement of intent is simply to writing down, what you want to accomplish. It is a vital but also overlooked part of magick.

It should be as simplistic as possible and yet as specific as possible.

A great way to do this is, first, to write down a full description of your desire in as much detail as possible. Then, start cutting down your description until it’s short and to the point. Be very clear about what you want. If you can format it in a sentence it is preferable.

Try to avoid ambiguous words and words that have more than one meaning. Also, avoid using words that have a negative context, like don’t, wouldn’t, etc.

This is because the subconscious mind does not understand words with a negative context. So, when you perform a ritual with your mind fixed on what you do not want, this is probably what you will get. Because this is what you were thinking of.

In addition, a good practice is to write down what you want to avoid. The Wiccans do it by ending their spells with “and to cause harm to none”. This is called”binding down the action not wanted”.

The reason behind this is that the subconscious mind has no notions of good or bad. It will merely manifest your intention through the path of least resistance, using the most reasonable means that it has at its disposal.

This may cause an unwanted situation (for example, to someone close to you) in order to fulfill your request. But that’s not exactly what you want.

So writing your statement of intent, try to cut down the likelihood of misinterpretation. Be specific and simplistic without leaving room for ambiguity.

Do you want to learn more about Magick? Check out our recommendations at “Magick Bookshelf” and many free resources at our “Free Magick Library“

5. Poor Imagination

Imagination is a key skill in magick. But there is a misunderstanding. Most people think that it’s just seeing it within their mind’s eye. But you have to do more, you have to start adding all of your senses into the visualization.

For example, if you are doing visualization for a new car, just the visual part is not enough. You have to feel your hands hold the steering wheel. You have to hear the engine start. You have to smell your new car. Feel like sitting in your new car and tuning in to the radio or checking electronics. The more senses involved the more real it will feel.

This visualization is the representation of the outcome you desire and it is crucial to get it into your subconscious mind. To do so, you need to be able to hold it with unwavering focus and concentration.

Energy flows where the mind goes. So where you are focusing and concentrating is where your energy is going.

For how long? It varies from operation to operation and really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. In most cases, 10 to 15 minutes is enough.

Strong imagination means more than seeing it in your mind’s eye. You need to develop your visualization, focus, and concentration skills. The only way to develop and become proficient with these skills is to practice.

So it’s a good idea to add them to your daily practice. When you develop these skills to a certain level, that’s when things will really start taking off for you.

6. Casting for Impossible Things.

There is always someone, usually someone new in magick, who will cast for impossible things, such to become invisible. When that fantasy doesn’t manifest, they just say that the magick does not work.

But magick works in cooperation with the natural laws and increases the probability of anything that is possible. It will use everything at its disposal to bring you what you have cast for. This will happen through established channels and synchronicity.

If you want to accomplish something that has a 0% probability of manifesting and cast a spell for that, well, you are still going to have 0%.

It is true that there are many incredible things that have manifested through magick. But all of them were in the realm of possibility, and magick used the path of least resistance to manifest these things.

Therefore, you should avoid casting for things that have no chance and no path to happen.

Additionally, do not limit the paths that magick is going to use for your results to occur. Leave as many paths open and your desire will be manifested through the path of least resistance.

7. Being Tense

Being tense is not going to help you with your magickal operations. So, you need to learn how to get your mind into a relaxed state.

When you are relaxed, your subconscious becomes very suggestible and receptive to instructions. And this is invaluable to magickal operations.

Related reading: How to Speak to Your Subconscious Mind – Opens in new tab

Most magick practitioners use meditation for this purpose.

Hypnosis and self-hypnosis is another method. The advantage of self-hypnosis is that we can create hypnotic triggers, which can later put us in the right state of mind instantly.

The ease of getting into this deeply relaxed state varies from person to person. What worked for me may not work for you. So, you have to discover for yourself what works for you and what does not.

The good news is that whichever method you choose (meditation or self-hypnosis), there are plenty of free resources to try.

Youtube is a great resource. You can start watching (and using) guided meditations and self-hypnosis videos whenever you want. Try as many as you can. The goal is to find the method that works best for you, in order to get you into a relaxed state.

Meditation, self-hypnosis and other relaxation techniques go hand to hand with magick. So you should definitely study and practice them.

Remember that anytime you start to feel tense, during any magical operation, you just need to calm down and relax.

Related reading: 6 Helpful Tips on How to Relax Your Mind and Body from Anxiety – Opens in new tab

8. Feeling Uncomfortable With Your Magick Work

In magick, when you feel that something is not right, it is certainly not right.

If you feel uncomfortable with something in your magical operation, chances are you will not succeed in this operation.

I’m not talking about serious things, but rather simple things that bother you.

For example, you may be working with a particular ingredient for a specific rite. By the book, the ingredient is the correct one, but you don’t feel good about it because you had some bad experiences with it. What do you do?

The best choice is to trust your intuition and go what seems right to you. You don’t have to do everything by the book.

The same thing may happen when you are going through a rite and forget to do something or you don’t do it in the right order. You have the choice to move on or, if you feel that it bothers you so much, stop and start over again.

The only thing to avoid is to continue the operation while you feel that something is bothering you. This will ruin your efforts.

The same is true for the tradition or path you are following. Go with the path that you are most comfortable with.

You should always go with the one that feels right to you. This is very important. With practice, you will be able to handle these little things with ease. If you make an error, is not a big deal.

Always remember that the main ingredient in your magic is you.

Therefore, always make sure that you are comfortable with what you are doing.

Do you want to learn more about Magick? Check out our recommendations at “Magick Bookshelf” and many free resources at our “Free Magick Library“

9. Not Raising Εnough Energy

One common reason why someone new to magick is not getting the results he expects is that he didn’t raise enough energy. Raising magickal energy is often an overlooked part of the magickal operation, but it is vital. 

You need to raise the energy into your ritual, in order to charge it with your intention and then send it out to do its work.

We have some options available for raising energy.

Simple ways to do this are chants, mantras, and singing. Dancing can raise a lot of energy (around the circle if your path requires it). If you are a solitary practitioner it is not so difficult because there is no one around.

Of course, these are not the only methods. Everything is energy and so you are not limited. Even something, so simple, like rubbing your hands can be raising energy for magickal purposes.

If you practice candle magick, the candles you use are putting off energy in the form of light and heat. Which you can use in your magick ritual.

When you have raised the energy the next thing to do is to direct it. Here comes the visualization.

With visualization ( which is a type of thought energy by itself), you can give a form to that energy and direct it.

In fact, this is what you do with magicκ. You are a director of energy.

10. You Have Found the Only one “True Path”

This is an obvious mistake. Nevertheless, the majority of people have fallen into it. Historically the idea of “one true path” is responsible for many genocides committed by fanatical religious followers. (Check Hypatia’s case)

Every religion trying to convince people that it has the only truth. All other religious or spiritual paths are on the “wrong path” and are misled by the satan (of course, who else!!!).

But you practice magic. You study the unchangeable universal laws. You work hard to be the best of you. You change gradually your mental diet to achieve your goals. All these things are capable to liberate you from this illusion.

Additionally, there are many magickal paths and traditions which lead to the same point.  The reason why there are so many is that we all have our own spiritual background.

For example, many magicians may do not feel comfortable calling the archangels in their circle to watch the ritual. No big deal, they can use the way of another path or tradition.   So you can choose the one that makes you feel comfortable with what you do.

Thinking that you have the only “True Path” and all other paths are wrong, does not resonate with all your studies and efforts.

This state of mind tends to slow down or even stop your progress. It is mentally healthy to respect all spiritual paths. Unless they promote violence of any kind, inequality, or fear.

Final Thoughts

These are some common mistakes in magick practice. New to magick or not, whenever our efforts fail, it is wise to go back to basics and see what you are doing wrong. For beginners in magick to be aware of these mistakes can save them years of confusion.

On the other hand, there is no reason to rush.  Magick is a wonderful trip and you should enjoy it. Certainly, you can achieve your goals by using magick.

To do so, study is not enough. You see some things can’t be taught in books or blog posts. You have to practice daily. So, I wish you the best in your magickal endeavors.

Related Reading: How to Use Bibliomancy for Guidance and Inspiration (New Modern Tool to Use)– Opens in new tab

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