Learning Magic

preserved from casual FB-ery

Magic is a human skill. It is learned from other humans, practiced until one is good at it. It is comparable to learning to play music, or do carpentry, though I think it's more like art than science, in practice.

Like art, there are traditional forms and methods that allow a student to learn to do the basics. This is what Taliesin is talking about, first of all. If you can't imitate a note, you won't be able to sing a song - first things first.

Now, there are always a few people who seem to have natural talent at an art or skill - they can sing as soon as they can talk, or know calculus at 9. Even those people will benefit from being taught by experienced teachers. Occasionally - very occasionally - such talent is matched with creative power (which is not the same as expressive power) and some kid produces powerful new art or ideas or magic right out of their, er, butts.

That doesn't happen very often. Most people aren't special like that. The new student should not plan on being a unique genius.

Instead, the new student should read traditional books and find a working teacher (that applies to learning magic, gymnastics or saxophone). Plan to sepnd a few years doing exercises and experiments, duplicating previous efforts, and building skills. Of course we all pursue our little personal schemes along the way, and eventually we get enough skill to actually try them.

There's no short-cut. You can't just "listen to your heart". You have to listen to other people.