Hello everyone
This is a bare bones beginners guide answering the question on where someone new to the practice should begin.
I find it important to say (even if you don't believe it), that the practice of Magick in general -- one branch of which is Wicca -- is a form of spiritual development. Some of the goals of a magickal practice include learning about, and how to interact with, what lies beyond the physical form.
Keeping that in mind, a very common practice in Magick is to keep a Journal. It's a bit different from a Book of Shadows. The Book of Shadows is a place for information on spells and incense, entities, and etc., whereas the Journal is the place to let your mind open, wander and discover itself.
But where to start with the journal? And how to go about developing yourself with it?
Good questions. Here is a simple meditation to begin with:
The White Mirror and the Black Mirror
There are two parts of our consciousness, the 'Good/Light/White' side and the 'Bad/Dark/Black' side. These two are in a continual struggle for our attention. This exercise will give them both the attention they need and deserve, while at the same time helping you better understand your Self (in my opinion, the first step in understanding Magick is through understanding the Self).
Mark off two columns in your journal. The first is the White Mirror, the second is the Black Mirror.
The White Mirror:
Write down in this column everything about yourself you're proud of:
On the physical level -- your hair, tattoos, the things you own that make you happy, etc.
On the emotional level -- things that make you happy, and the situations which make you respond in a good way
On the mental level -- what are your mental strengths? which areas of study do you like, which ones are you good at?
On the Spiritual level -- If you are religious, what things about this religion do you like? If not religious, what things in
Nature do you like? What situations in life do you have that are of great benefit?
The Black Mirror:
Write down in this column everything about yourself you're not proud of:
On the physical level -- what about yourself do you hate?
On the emotional level -- what situations have mad you sad or emotionally anxious/stressed? why did they make you feel this way?
On the mental level -- where do you lack strength, what areas of study do you despise?
On the Spiritual level -- If you're religious, what don't you like about the religion you follow? What, from a spiritual perspective (from a place of purity and peace, a place without judgement) causes you the most frustration about how you view the world? What past or current situations in life do you see as obstacles in the way of your development?
Try and start from your earliest memory in life, and work your way through every situation you've ever been in, and find which column those experiences belong to. Anything and Everything should be written down until you reach a point where you have covered your whole life. After that, the meditation is done (but it's something I'd recommend you continue).
The point of this meditation is not to try and get more 'Good' things then 'Bad' things. It's about coming to an understanding about who you really are inside that head of yours.
The benefits of this meditation are many, the major one I've noticed is that it provokes a change in attitude towards yourself and life. Don't think you have to do it all in one sitting. Take a week or two if you need it. I'm sure things will keep popping up.
