The Four Stages of Learning and How They Apply to Magick

1. Unconscious Incompetence

Examples of being in the unconscious incompetence stage include not understanding the fundamental principles of magick, not knowing the correspondences for different herbs, crystals, or colors, and not realizing the importance of intention and visualization in spellwork.

You can recognize that you’re in this stage if you find yourself making basic mistakes or struggling to understand the terminology used in magick. To move past this stage, you can start by reading introductory books on magick, attending workshops or classes, or seeking out a mentor who can guide you through the basics. To overcome this stage, it’s important to ask questions and learn as much as you can about the basics of magick. You may find that you’ve been getting things wrong without even realizing it, but that’s okay. This is a natural part of the learning process.

This state is often filled with ignorant bliss and makes things seem fun and filled with wonder because every day is new, and every experience is new.

2. Conscious Incompetence

Examples of being in the conscious incompetence stage include recognizing that you’re making mistakes in your spellwork, struggling to make your intentions manifest, or feeling like you’re not making progress in your magickal practice.

You can recognize that you’re in this stage if you find yourself actively working to improve your skills and knowledge, but still struggling to achieve the results you want. To move past this stage, you can try experimenting with different techniques, seeking out feedback and guidance from more experienced practitioners, or focusing on developing a deeper understanding of the principles of magick. You may still make mistakes, but as long as you’re learning from them, you’re making progress.

This stage is where you begin to realize that you are not doing things properly, you begin to get frustrated, and you begin to question yourself. GOOD, push through that and learn from all these mistakes!

3. Conscious Competence

Examples of being in the conscious competence stage include being able to successfully cast spells, recognizing which correspondences to use for different types of magickal work, and having a solid understanding of the basic principles of magick.

You can recognize that you’re in this stage if you find yourself able to consistently achieve the results you want through magickal practice. To move past this stage, you can focus on refining your skills, experimenting with more complex forms of magick, or deepening your understanding of the principles that govern magick. This is where you tuly refine yourself and who you are and begin to step into true power and authority. You know the rules, but haven’t quite figured out how to bend them.

This is where you know you are good, but also know you can constantly improve and get better. Most people remain here for years and only get marginally better. Progress is slow, and sometimes frustrating, but you know that if you persevere, you will eventually get to your goals.

4. Unconscious Competence

Examples of being in the unconscious competence stage include being able to intuitively select the right correspondences for a spell, successfully manifesting your intentions without having to consciously focus on every step of the process, and having a deep understanding of the natural laws that govern magick.

You can recognize that you’re in this stage if you find yourself able to effortlessly manifest your intentions through magickal practice. To continue to grow and develop in your magickal practice, you can focus on refining your intuition, experimenting with more complex forms of magick, or seeking out new challenges to push yourself beyond your current limits. This is where you are confident, able to adjust on the fly, and are able to consistently push your boundaries and bend the rules.

This is the where magick becomes new again, and you can create your own reality. Because a massive paradigm shift usually happens at this point, this is usually where the fun comes back in, and you begin to really experiment and find who you are as a sorcerer.

Sources:

1. “The Four Stages of Learning.” Mind Tools, www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_96.htm