@madhatter you need to introduce yourself before you can make any more posts. Please go here: Introduce Yourself To Members Of The Forum and tell us a few things about yourself (read the first post for instructions).
I’m glad you found it helpful. I can’t really add any more than I have written here, and I don’t see myself as a mentor or anything like that. If you’re looking for advice on basics for beginners, there are many great threads about meditation techniques or guidelines for beginners, and also posts about evocation like this one:
Use the search function, there’s a chance your questions have already been aswered before. If you’re just starting out, take your time and go as quickly or slowly as you need. All the best.