Beginners To Do List

So when you first start out it is always good to have something pointing you in the right direction. In this I won't tell you how to do anything just give you a few pointers in what to do (if that makes sense).

-Meditation.
Meditation (in my opinion) is the most important thing to get done. It allows you to concentrate more on what you need to get done and also supplies you with the energy needed to do it.

-Coven.
By this I mean find a group. It can be in or off this site. But having a group of people to help you is always better than having to struggle to find the information you need. (But don't rely on them to heavily). Try to choose one that teaches about what you want to learn, this will avoid you having to leave and find another one. Some people even join multiple covens so they can learn about more things. But one is good enough for just starting out.

-Energy Work.
Learning about energy and how to use it helps you in learning all of Magick. Learning how to make a energy ball or psi ball is good. After you have learnt that try making different shapes this always helps a great deal for most types of Magick.

-Protection.
I never learnt about this but it is recommended by most people on this site. So research the Circle, Protective Charms and Herbs. 

-Ritual Equipment.
This is very important in my opinion. Learning about the tools you will use and how you will use them is very good and will give you the edge when performing rituals. So here is a list of things you will want to use; Athame, Chalk (white us the best), Ritual Clothing, Candles (research what color does what), Alter, Alter Cloth and Paper (some will disagree but I always keep some paper handy in case I need to write something down).

-Path
This is the best part about Magick. Choosing what your going to study. It is okay to mix and match and learn to subjects that are completely different. So after you have chosen what you will study (and you are allowed to change your mind) you are ready to go out there and search for yourself. 

So good luck with your studies
Be Well and Learn, Grow and Love.

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May I say very nice post Hespy, but I would like to add my two cents if you dont mind. :)

I also think beginners should learn your correspondences. These are important! Correspondences are things such as colour meanings, moon phases, herbal correspondences, etc.. there are so many types.

Also, I dont think everybody has to be in a coven, it is something somebody may not want to do; especially a very individualistic person who prefers to work 100% solitary. However covens on this site can be good for chatter and making friends. Another good thing about covens is that, as Hespy said, you could have help with the information you are struggling to find out. If you do want to be in a coven, read their front page first to see if they are suited to you. You may want to ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I want a large or small coven?
• What am I looking for knowledge wise?
• Do I want a coven that is a all-rounder or specializes in one thing?

Among a few others. Just find the coven that sounds most suited to you. :)

~Noctea.

It is worth noting that often the exact ritual supplies you will need will vary with the tradition or path you end up falling into. Most of the common ritual tools transcend the various paths, and can be found used throughout everything from Hermetic traditions to eclectic Wicca, but you may find things differing somewhat.

In my opinion, exploring the various paths is certainly one of the most important parts for any beginning magical practitioner, if not the most important part. Not only will you learn what magic is all about through exploring the various possible traditions, but you may also begin to see the various similarities shared in magical traditions, as well as find for yourself where the various concepts in magic originate.

This tends to promote a deep understanding that is rarely developed through simply studying a spell here and there.

I thought I might add a few things

Visualization: This is important in a lot of different areas. It can help in casting, divination, even meditation.

For energy flow and control, its alot more than making psi balls. You need to know how energy works in order to cast any spell. After all what is magick but energy.

For protection shielding and circle casting are the most common forms. There are many ways to shield and it is a personal preference.

Also the elements are important to know as they are all around us and most people are quite interested in them.

Thats all I had to add. You did a good job Hespy.

Thanks for all the adding to it :) helps to get different people sharing what they think should be done.

i don't think a coven is necessary, or if so it's not the second most important thing. true a coven can help in many ways, if they're on this site i think it's the same as being in a coven, in terms of advice and help. when i started out i had, like, 3 books, but i did have one person who told me about an occult shop as well as lent me one of the books, but we were never in a coven, we weren't even friends, we were just classmates in one class. currently i'm sort of in a coven, the members have moved roughly half an hour away from each other so we only see each other on the sabbats. the point, a coven isn't right for everyone and you can get by without one so long as you have some source of education.

When I first started all I had was a over active inquisitive mind. Without the covens I have been in I would not know half as much as I do now. It is (as I said) In my opinion.

And also it is not in order of how important it is... Just how easy it is to achieve (arguably meditation can be very hard for people with over active minds).