The Rose and the Thorn

Psychic Safety and Skill Development

Depending on your belief system, you may consider psychic skills universal, common, uncommon, or quite rare. In my experience, most people possess some innate ability in this direction, but few follow up on it. Without practice and attention, psychic skills rarely develop to a reliable level, just like any other skills. If you want a reasonable amount of expertise, you will probably have to work for it.

First, determine your area(s) of interest and aptitude. Different people's skills differ widely. Some abilities seem to be widely available and learnable, such as energy manipulation, while others seem to be based on innate talent such as certain types of healing. Start your study in areas that appeal to you or those for which you demonstrate a knack. You may want to add more challenging skills later.

To select your initial area of focus, read a general book on psychic skills which discusses a wide variety of abilities. See which ones appeal to you, and find books which specialize in those areas. You can also use a more empirical method of selection. For instance, if you love rocks or gemstones, you might try stone magic; if you feel a strong connection with the natural world, you might focus on communicating with plants or animals. If you already get snatches of a particular ability, work on that to develop your control.

Practice, practice, practice! Learning to control a psychic ability takes time and energy. Start with the basics of your chosen discipline and work up from there. Many psychic skills relate to each other, allowing you to build on previous experience. Try to devote a certain amount of time to your study on a regular basis -- ten minutes a day, two hours a week, whatever works for you. It often helps to keep a journal so you can track your progress.

In general, the more you use an ability, the stronger it grows. Suppose you decide to learn scrying. At first you may see only brief, meaningless flashes of light. Then you may get colored fog which gives you a vague answer to questions: red for warning, gold for prosperity, purple for spiritual matters, etc. Next, still images could appear, followed by moving images. Your range in time or space will probably grow too, from strictly local to farther away. Developing psychic skills is not unlike developing muscles: use 'em or lose 'em.

Use your common sense to avoid problems. Read as widely as possible and talk to other people about your studies, but don't take all information for granted; cross-check your references for accuracy. Practice in an optimum state of mind and body; i.e. don't practice when tired, sick, emotionally upset, etc. Acquire and use the appropriate tools for the job. Learn and follow the basic precautions for your mode of working; this may involve casting a Circle, grounding and centering, raising your personal shields, clearing your mind of distractions, and so forth. Keep an eye on mundane safety concerns, too; if you use a candle as a focus, make sure it can't fall over and set your room on fire. Do not ingest substances, invoke spirits, or parrot rituals unless you know exactly what you're getting into. Ask a more experienced friend to monitor for you if you plan to attempt something risky. Don't push yourself too hard; stop working if you get a headache or other uncomfortable symptoms of overstrain. Take care of yourself by having something to eat and drink ready after your session. Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself.

Finally, be patient. Valuable skills do not develop overnight. Even if you begin with a significant degree of ability in a particular area, you will find your control, sensitivity, and strength increasing with use. Don't give up hope if progress comes slowly, although you may want to consider another line of study if you have no luck at all after a year or so. In my experience, most people have one or several primary skills at which they excel, a number of secondary skills which work more erratically or at a lower degree of sensitivity, and some skills which never develop to a useful level -- while others remain entirely null and out of reach for them. Diligent research and practice should allow you to develop your unique combination of psychic skills to their fullest potential.

The Rose and the Thorn

Psychic Safety and Skill Development

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