The Temple of Occult Practices website is dedicated to sharing information about the different practices in the occult, for occultist, pagans and witches alike.
*Content on this website should be for research purposes only, and should not be copied. Careful research and practice is important*
First it is important to know that the occult is a serious thing and not an aesthetic. There is no being wanting to take your soul. Making pacts as a beginner is generally considered a bad idea that leads to bad consequences.
Traditional witchcraft is something that is usually passed down through different cultures and generations of practitioners. Many religions have once thrived and syncronized with other religions over years. The Christian crusades have wiped out and changed many of pagan cultures. In the modern era practitioners have attempted to revive and reconstruct ancient culture.
Everyone has pagan ancestry. It's up to you to find your roots. Many people now days are disconnected from their cultures and traditions. Practitioners may partake in ancestry work to connect to their ancestors and learn what they can.
Wether or not you have found your ancestrial roots, you can start magic by learning the basics.
⬩ Protections
⬩ Energy Work
⬩ Deity Work
⬩ Divination
⬩ Shadow Work
The basics provide some idea and foundation of practicing. After knowing the basics you can search for what calls to you. If you feel called to a tradition, religion or culture, next step is to do research on it.
What If I Don't Want To Practice Magic?
Although magic is a part of all cultures and provide it's foundation. Some may not choose to practice at all. You may wish to just study the occult for academic research, although some practitioners agree that experience is important.
━⊱Check out the Practices section for more information on beginners to advanced practices.
The majority of religions will have some form of initiation. The important thing is doing research on the religion, culture and tradition you wish to be a part of and find out about initiations. Spirits and deities may initiate you but it is generally a good idea to find a practcioner of that culture to properly initiate you. Be mindful of the culture you are joining. A lot of religions have a lot of information destroyed, and we only have but ideas of how they operated, their mythologies, and their way of life.
━⊱Check the Menu for the list of Religions
What if I don't want to practice a religion?
That's fine of you don't wish to practice a religion. A lot of practitioners may be atheist but still practice magic, or choose to go on an individualistic path. Some may be eclectic, however eclecticism and the new age has some criticisms. Eclectic practcioners take bits and pieces of other practices and cultures. This has faced backlash/criticism for cultural appropriation as long with the new age movement. It is still best to be mindful of the tradional ways and cultures the practices come from.
Contacting deities and spirits may vary from the traditions their from. Generally it comprises of some form of offering and an altar space. Some may have sigils that were made for them. Some might have artificial enns (chant for calling them), or traditional chants. Some spirits and deities may originate in a different culture than the one they are in. If you choose to contact a deity and done the research please keep in mind they can reject you.
Sometimes a deity or spirit may contact you and choose to work with you. Wether you have a choice in that matter or not. If a spirit/diety contacts you it is a good idea to learn who they are and where they come from. Some spirits may wish for you to initiate into a tradition, some require initiation to be worked with.
━⊱For more information check Deity Work
After you have learned the basics, read about different practices and decided on wether you will join a religion or tradition, it is now up to you and your individual path and the spirits to guide you. Good luck.
Join our 21+ Discord server if you have any further questions or seek to join a community. Here we have practitioners from all different cultural backgrounds, and skill level.