well
one thing you have to understand about spiritual basics is well, as aj has stated in a roundabout way,, it is very personal.
example for me , the things he said is superstition is very much a part of spiritual work, and practice.
and so we can only speak from personal experience.
the heirophant in the tarot I used to think was just conformity, and reversed it was rebellion yet over the years i been here and read book, i began to realize that any spiritual person who teaches what they have learned from teachers becoems a spiritual heirophant.
i used to think of the hermit as a lone teacher, yet he steps away from the organized way of learning both spiritual and or religious and seeks to have the personal experience that can't be taught in a book.
and so with my expanding way of seeing those two cards, my own spiritual studies have evolved over the time here.
the main thing for you to do is focus your study to what is it you want to learn ?
does healing interest you ?
does mediumship interest you ?
does spiritual development interest you ?
and for that matter what does that mean ?
does shamanism interest you
does wicca interest you ..
does spiritualism interest you (and spiritualist church ) .
each one of these thing takes time, investment of money (if you plans to take some courses, order books, get some dvds, cds on it ) and you may even decide that it is something you dont' want to explore so dont' go crazy lol.
going to to spirtual development for a moment ,, it can mean a lot of things to people,, and it is kind of subjective.
for me it was about raising up my vibration for a while there studying energy raising meditions, then after it was about studying spiritual topics like karma, the ashaksic records, the 7 rays.
i just didn't go from one thing to another,, instead i kind of just asked what is next, and went from there.
in fact right now,, the information on the web is a lot more then it was when I first started in 2002 about here. my point is there is more then wikipedia out there when you do searches for the following words
channelling
reiki
mediumship (and differnt aspects of it like sitting in power for example )
you will see loads on loads of links on google which is what I use.
the thing is to read through these things with a discerning mind yet open mind but also contrast and compare as to build some knowledge.
i mean spend a night and enter in channeling and see what you get, or ascended masters, or cold reading (which is one thing to be watching out for ,, to see if you are being taken advantage of ).
the thing to remember is you will generally get one of two links, one that is pro channeling, reiki etc.. and one that is against ak skeptic, or perhaps a person who had bad experience with it.
the other thing is after one, 2,, or three good reads you will started to see websites start to mimic each other, quoting the same information.
so you dont' really have to spend a night looking up one or two key words, but just a good hour will help.
also you tube videos is another way to look at things..
example look up psychic surgeon on you tube and you see you tube videos on how it is faked,, and also you tube videos by believers.
and i guess in closing,,
no one is perfect here as a teacher, everyone is human example the rescue mediums have a toast of spirits after they clear a spirit eh?.
the main thing is you are looking for the real deal, and someone who teachings resonate with you.
so going back to personal experiences.
due to my spiritual studies i ground , do a blessing, and raise my vibration as best i can before doing a tarot reading, doing a healing.. i like to play mediation music and light incense. and before i do these things i may play some gospel or some crystal bowl stuff.
but that is because it made sense to me, and it may be right for some people which is just ok as well for there are some who no doubt have some rituals i dont' folllow as well.
i guess the biggest thing i can tell you as someone who spent a lot of money on books is that after a while you find that the books start to sound like each other or some books are basics and that you crave more.
i recently got a slyvia browne bookt that in my view was misnamed and very basic when i thought i was getting an advanced book for my needs.
but you mention mediumship so i think that is where you should focus on solely there if you are really wanting to learn it.. but before you do,, i will tell you this.
like the saying that all things advanced, intermediate comes from the basics as the saying goes., this kind of runs like that.
the reason why spiritual training, studies is personal is this.
your first spiritual training aka the first teacher, the first really good book on a subject, the first course ones takes,, tends to define their spiritual basis for their rest of their spiritual evolvement. that is why it is good to contast and compare instead of staying to one method, or training one has acquired as the gospel for lack of a better example.
i guess you dont' want to make any one person the master, guru or put them on a pedstrel is what i am saying. i know the saying that one cant' server two masters might come up and then.
but i think this is more broader then that,, channeling/mediumship/psychic development compliment each other as opposed to are in conflict with each other.
so while you study and develop your gifts you are serving a broader master ..
like michangelo who studied art was able to make those great paintings though his training was in another field, but it was also because he had good training in the basics
yes using that as an example there are four gospels right ? each other a diffent take on the lord teachings, with a noted difference between gospel of john and the other three.
that is how it usually is with spirtual teachings, methods you acquire on your journey.
then you have your gnostic gospels as well .
so there is even more teachings out there for the spritual realm.
and i guess in closing again.
every person has their own gift, their own talents in the path of psychic/spiritual development and should follow what is in their heart for a further path.
what i mean by own gift is there is several clairs,, that i always have trouble spelling but pretty well they are spiritual sight, hearing, feeling, knowing.
some mediums are great at trance, and other are not, some are good at dealing with the earth bound and others deal only those who have cross over and come back.
but it IS a good start!