Requirements Needed To Have Success In Occult Arts, Aye Options

Ever since i have been acquinted with the occult arts I KNEW THIS. I knew that the occult arts are not for everyone; just like not everyone can be a highly paid lawyer, or a marathon runner, or a singer in a heavy metal band, a mathematician or have a phd. The list goes on and on. Now i think Bym touched upon this too in one of his recent posts so kudos to him.

So i've been thinking lately, what are the requirements in order to succeed in the occult world DESPITE how diligent you approach the magickal systems? What i mean by that is no matter how diligent ( and how hard) a man with low intelligence tries to comprehend a magikal philosophy he probably won't fully absorb it as well as an astute student of the arts.
So again, what ARE the requirements?

1) Gift/natural talent. What i mean by this is that magick is not a science, it is an art. Having said that, ( now i think Darmage talked about this too prior to this post) you need some form of talent in order to achieve success in the occult arts. Just as chess or soccer or computer engineering, you need to have a natural desposition for the art in order to be good at it so to speak. It needs to be your destiny.

2) Intelligence. You NEED to have ATLEAST an average intelligence to be competent enough to absorb all those thousands of books and theories on complex matters with complicated language, metaphors and hidden meanings.

3) A strong memory. Without a strong memory how could you possibly remember ( and digest) all those facts and theories and statements written by those who have written books on occult related subjects? Not just that, but how will you be able to build on your vocabulary ( which is quite important I think since it will help the magickian tremendously when it comes to studying books ) without a strong memory? Not just that, but a strong memory will undoubtedly help the magickian memorize the conjurations/rituals etc as well.

Make a post below showing whether you have all of these ( or not) and how it has impacted your magickal lifestyle.

Comments , criticism welcome.

Greetings!

What do you consider success in the occult? Since you prefer the imperative tone, list three things you consider "success in the occult" and for each give an example of someone real or imaginary to whom this success is attributed.

To whom was this addressed? And the asker should also be willing to provide answers to their own questions.

Success in the occult is rather subjective and can encompass a number of abstracts. Shall we brainstorm some agreed upon criteria to work with? And my first question is why the need for boiling this down to a pissing contest?

... the guy who does the pentagram ritual every single day for five years has ten times my respect than the guy who is filled with knowledge and wisdom but has never left the recliner. There used to be a picture of a fat slob passed out indoors on a lawn chair before his TV set, with the caption "He's been like this ever since he crossed the Abyss." I am impressed by diligence, no matter what form it takes or in what subject.

LOL! I AM that fat slob, lying on my recliner, in front of the TV! I haven't "crossed the Abyss" because I don't subscribe to the systems that employ that gradation. Magic is something that permeates my very life and being. Until a medical accident four years ago, I was very physically active and possessed a much greater vitality. Alas, I cannot claim that any longer. And in case this matters at all, I could give a flying rats ass what people think of me or my methods. I happen to love most people and enjoy reparte' with them whenever possible. Evidently there appears to be a source of irritation here. I most certainly apologize if my responses have rankled, they were not intended to do so. One failing I do possess is that since I'm roughly between 30 to 40 years older than most of you I tend to 'lecture' rather than
discourse. It's interesting that you also place yourself in a higher position. From what I've ascertained here in Forum, you are quite accomplished in the Art. Kudos! I respect your work and, if the Fates allow, I get a chance to meet you personally, I'm sure that this aspect will not be diminished. The list of members here that I'm aquainted with who deserve accolades are numerous! Enouigh posturing.

I am of the opinion that not everyone can maintain an aptitude to most of the Magical Arts. This doesn't mean that they cannot excell in psychism or in any other field of study. We are all individuals. We all possess potential(s). Diligence is a very good trait. It can make the difference between a 'C' student and an 'A' student. It is a good reflection upon ones character. It is also a very large stumbling block to most who flock to Magic. Most do so to achieve personal results without a large effort on their own part. Magic can be very hard work! It behooves one to take a rather pragmatic tenor when utilizing magic, You will be rewarded when you discover that working with the universe is far easier than bucking the system. I've found that a large percentage of people who are interested in Magic start by getting involved with either Satanic/Demonic forces rather than those of yoga and spiritism. Unbalance come easy for the rebel and for those who feel 'alienated' from the 'norm'. Thank goodness most see the error in this eventually. IMHO this is a natural state of growth in human beings. It would make an excellent topic for another thread.

So we have diligence, willingness to work hard and a certain innate ability to 'think outside the box' as it were. Also any creative spark and/or natural aptitude helps. To will, to know, to dare and to keep silent was a maxim put forth at one time as criteria for working Magic. There are many, many ideas captured within those statements...I doubt that we will explore them all.
If I've egocentrized thie last comment erroneously, forgive an old, fat slob ensconsed in his recliner. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wheelchair.gif)

To whom was this addressed? And the asker should also be willing to provide answers to their own questions.

Success in the occult is rather subjective and can encompass a number of abstracts. Shall we brainstorm some agreed upon criteria to work with? And my first question is why the need for boiling this down to a pissing contest?

This is addressed specifically to Axelodeus, who writes:

So again, what ARE the requirements?.....

Make a post below showing whether you have all of these ( or not) and how it has impacted your magickal lifestyle.

Before we discuss what is required for success, we ought to have some idea of what would constitute success. Perhaps he (or you, or anyone) would define success as flying around manifesting cash and striking down your enemies with lightning. On the other hand someone might describe success as enjoying a simple lifestyle with supportive associates and personal delights. Still others define success differently, and all these have different requirements.

I think it's unwise to pin any general condition of life to one particular cause. Your job, your occult study, your creative pursuits, the influence of those around you, and flat chance all play a part in making a person's life the way it is. I believe it is better to look at individual acts of magic and measure whether or not they had a beneficial effect for you. If your spells make your life worse, they may have worked, but it's not what I call success. On the other hand, no matter how apparently insignificant your spell objective, if you see it come to pass and are able to be happy about it, then you have done well. Even if magic plays only a small role in your life, if you are able to consistently use it to your benefit, by my estimation you are a successful magician.