It should be a matter of good concern for every seeker after occult knowledge just how they should go about finding the best tutor for themselves. There should be no need to suggest that one should not just grab the first individual who turns up. So let us look at the options available to the seeker who not only has the usual paths to look down but who also has access to the WWW as well.

It has been the adage in the past for individuals to reply to a request for occult training: 'when the student is ready the teacher will appear'. I cannot disagree with this remark because that is how it happened to me. When I needed it enough I made an unexpected contact that lasted over 9 years of rewarding instruction. But I did not, in those days, have any idea of where to begin looking, and the Internet was not more than an experiment used by few individuals in the USA back then. So I think that there is more one can do, nowadays, that sit and wait, if one has access to media or resources which can aid in finding the right tutor.

The first consideration for the novice must be 'what tradition' interests or impels him most? It is no good just asking around for someone to teach you if you are not sure just what it is that you want to be taught. For some the path of high magick, the type found in the Golden Dawn system, is the way to go. For some earth magick and the wiccae are the most attractive. Myself, I wanted both training in laboratory alchemy and proper graded tutoring in magick, specifically Qabala. The whole Rosicrucian ideal interested me intently - so the G:.D:. was the place for me to begin.

In order to aid your decision in this process it is advisable, in my opinion, to surf the net, list the various traditions and systems you come across, and download-save to HD a good explanation of every variation on a theme when you find one. Read, read and read again. Post questions to alt.magick about any system that interests you. Most of those already involved in some system they like will agree that they already knew what they wanted when they started looking, I think. So this initial process will probably not take long for most.

Next narrow your search to that field which you are most interested in. Look for individuals, societies, Fraternities and Orders who offer training in that area. If you can't find what you need then it is time to advertise for an individual tutor who trains in the specific area of your interest.

If you have found such an individual the next step is the hardest to get right. Unless you are lucky enough to strike a karmically prearranged situation, which is usually self evident, then you must enter on some personality judgment - which is difficult over the net. Take some time out, before committing to anything, to have some back and forward question/answer postings until you think you understand where your tutor is coming from and what he is offering.

If you prefer a group type situation and have chosen to make contact with a group then the considerations are slightly different than they would be for a more personal situation. Nevertheless here are some questions to consider when approaching either an individual tutor or a group situation. At the end of these following two list we will go over each point and explain in more detail the why's and wherefores.

*With individuals:

1)What system do they tutor in?
2)Are they affiliated with any group themselves - if yes then what exactly?
3)What credentials does this individual have ? Ask for a resume.
4)Do the charge for their time and how much?
5)What format will their instruction take, i.e. how often will meetings take place, when and where.
6)Are there additional costs, e.g. text books, paperwork, equipment.
7)Do you have to take any kind of oath before beginning training. If so can you see it before any initiation rite which might e necessary for entrance.
8)Do you work through a system of strict pre-set rules - if so can you see them before beginning?
9)How old is your prospect tutor?
10)What sex is your prospect tutor?
11)Why is he looking for students at this time?
12) How do you stop training if you've had enough?

*With Groups:

1)How much does this group (organization) charge for training?
2)Are there any hidden costs
3)How will tuition be carried out?
4)Is there any social benefits to training in the group?
5)Is there any oath which must be taken before initiation?
6)Does the group have a pre-set system of rules governing training?
7)Is this group aligned with any other organization?
8)What system do they follow, specifically?
9)Is there any published reading material that you might be able to buy which will provide a good example of the groups methods, etc.?
10)If you want to stop training how is that done?
11)Will your identity be protected within the group (if you require it)?


So lets look at each point carefully now.
*With individuals:

1)You need to be sure that the tutor is offering you what you want largely and not that your personal interests only fill a small part of the study course.
2)With tutors who are offering personal service it is a good idea to know if they are training you entirely on their own or whether, in some way, they are training you in some system to which they themselves belong. If they are then are they allowed to do this? If their instruction is entirely personal then you might need to know their credentials. Most Orders, Fraternities, etc., do not let their tutors (or other members) go off and train people without taking them through the correct channels within the group first.
3) Credentials are important but difficult to assess for newcomers. You want to know that you tutor has the ability to train. I personally would look sideways at any person who did not have at least, at least, five years practical experience with the system they are offering tuition in. Ten would be better.
In a resume you should look for any formal training they have undergone themselves in groups or under the private tuition of another tutor. Can you contact their past tutors? Can you discover, or contact, or read about any groups they may have been involved in in order to get a character reference or learn more about the system they accepted themselves? What kind of reading have they done? Do they have a family, what is their profession?
4)Do the charge for their time and how much? This is important. It should be understood that there are tutors who will give their time free of any charge. If you don't mind paying for tuition how much are you willing to pay. As an example, many well known Orders will not charge more than (NZ)$100 a year for correspondence membership. An honest tutor will not be trying to make a living off their work. Avoid these kind of trainers like the plague. Any individual who has any kind of real magickal ability does not need to prostitute their knowledge or experience. Any charges, should, therefore only be incurred in order to cover costs. By this standard Internet tuition should be virtually free then. Forget quacks who try to convince you that paying, particularly paying a lot, is good for the soul. Souls have no need for money.
5)The form the instruction takes should be looked into because you might find that you cannot, or are not willing to, fit into the program. Will you need to visit with your tutor personally? If so how often? Where will these meetings take place? Who will be present during your training? Is all the training oral, or does some of it come in written format?
6)Are there additional costs, e.g. text books, paperwork, equipment. Sometimes tutors will forget to mention these hidden costs. They often are necessary so check to make sure. Because I have tutored poverty stricken students often I tend to be flexible where costs are concerned. My suggestion is I do not mind loaning reading and reference material if a student will promise that as soon as they master the arte of manifesting their desires they make up for lost time then. I think it is nasty to ban a seeker from training because they cannot financially meet the demands. Of course they should make up for what they lack in finance by effort expended in study!
7)Oaths. Sometimes, but this is more the case with groups your tutor will want you to undergo some kind of rite of initiation which involves taking an oath. I do not consider, in this day and age, that it is necessary any longer to force candidates to take oaths at initiations without having seen the oath beforehand. I don't disagree with oath taking itself. On the contrary, I think legal contracts would be a better idea. But it is foolish to take an oath which you may not, after having agreed to it, desire to keep. Therefore check it out first.
8)Ditto.
9)Your tutors age. I think, to a degree, that this is not important. But some might think that at 30, say, they are not interested in being tutored by a 25 year old, no matter hoe capable?
10)What sex is your prospect tutor? Same as above. Although I think contra-gender training is more effective.
11)Why is he looking for students at this time? This might tell you a lot about the person involved, their degree of expertise and their motives for training at all.
12)You need to make sure that stopping training is an easy thing to do. But remember, it is important, if you need to cut the process short, to do the honourable thing and warn your tutor properly.

Now the questions about groups are not a lot different from those with individuals, with a couple of exceptions…

*Groups:

1)How much does this group (organization) charge for training?
Compared to private tuition this could be a lot of money.
3)How will tuition be carried out?
Orders, societies, etc., often train by correspondence now. But most will give class training, and few will offer personal tuition, for local members. This is one of the greatest differences between private (individual) tuition and belonging to a group. Groups tend to be less personal and flexible.
4)Social aspects of group work?
Different traditions and groups deal with new members and their association with pre-existing members differently. If social interaction in the occult world is what you desire then make sure you will get it.
7)Is this group aligned with any other organization?
Same as with individual tutors. There can be disappointment if you find out your little local Lodge or Coven is actually a recruiting gathering for some bigger outfit. This has been a common practice in the past. It should be understood though that many magickians accept this fact and eagerly await the day they are invited to join the Mother group. But if it is possible it is a good idea, if you know you have joined a recruiting circle, to find out which group is doing the recruiting.
8)What system do they follow, specifically?
Is there ritual involved, laboratory alchemy, sex magick, group work, does it teach systems like Voodoo or Santeria? Do they condone or encourage the use of drugs?
9)If a group is working a system that his been published then it is easier to understand what you are getting into. The G:.D:. is the best example of this. Because its whole system is open to the public in written publications, even after joining you quickly know if they are teaching something which is unorthodox. Wicca is a similar situation. Although there are many, many, variations on every system
10)If you want to stop training how is that done?
You need to know there are no difficulties in getting out of a system once you are in. Especially if you enter with little understanding of what goes on behind closed doors.


I think most considerations have been covered here. I would be interested if anyone is aware of anything I might have missed and could add to this paper.