The Essentials

[SparkyRiker]

Hello. Lately, I've been thinkng of studying and trying out magic. I'm not necessarily sure where to look. It seems all the books I've found on the subject are entirely commercialized and not at all accurate (well, with my limited knowledge on the subject).

I was wondering if you have any suggestions? Books I could read, sites I should look at.

Where can I go to find out the basic essentials? What do I need to own/make/do?

I suppose there's just very limited access to the topic where I am. It may have to do with being right in the middle of the bible belt, but it could just be that it's difficult to find a good, reliable book or theory on magic.

Anyway, do you have any advice, suggestions, or knowledge you would like to share with me?

Thanks.

[+Explorer+]

Yes apply to become a magician at kid's birthday parties. Minimal wage but its fun to see the kids react! im joking but if u really wanna study magic you have to become very dedicated because it can become dangerous if u don't know what ur doing!

[magari]

Study the likes of Crowley, and Spare.

Do research on the theories and histories behind the popular techniques.

[peto lux lucis]

Crowley says this in his book "Magick in Theory and Practice":

I) DEFINITION.

Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will.

(Illustration: It is my Will to inform the World of certain facts within my knowledge. I therefore take "magickal weapons", pen, ink, and paper; I write "incantations"---these sentences---in the "magickal language" ie, that which is understood by the people I wish to instruct; I call forth "spirits", such as printers, publishers, booksellers and so forth and constrain them to convey my message to those people. The composition and distribution of this book is thus an act of Magick by which I cause Changes to take place in conformity with my Will.)

    In one sense Magick may be defined as the name given to Science by the vulgar.

II) POSTULATE.

ANY required change may be effected by the application of the proper kind and degree of Force in the proper manner, through the proper medium to the proper object.

(Illustration: I wish to prepare an ounce of Chloride of Gold. I must take the right kind of acid, nitro-hydrochloric and no other, in a vessel which will not break, leak or corrode, in such a manner as will not produce undesirable results, with the necessary quantity of Gold: and so forth. Every change has its own conditions.
In the present state of our knowledge and power some changes are not possible in practice; we cannot cause eclipses, for instance, or transform lead into tin, or create men from mushrooms. But it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature; and the conditions are covered by the above postulate.)

http://hermetic.com/crowley/aba/
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No hocus-pocus, no supernatural entities or powers.  Just the facts (in my opinion anyways).  If this doesn't float your boat there's always crystals and reiki and such 'new age' stuff that you can look into.

[magari]

...and Spare stated

I have yet to meet a man who wasn't already a god.

[PurplAstrlMagma]

Real Magic by Isaac Bonewitz,
Illusions, and One, by Richard Bach (doesn't seem exactly like magick, but important concepts),
11 Lessons in Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig.
Magical Herbalism by Scott Cunningham.
That should get you started.

[CFTraveler]

I kind of liked Intro to Hermetics by Franz Bardon.