Category: Articles

Astral Travel: How Does It Work?

 

 

 

 

Astral Travel: How Does It Work?

Reader Question:
For quite some time now I have been trying to separate my astral body by using the following method: I lie flat on my back, breath deeply and slowly, and enter a state of deep relaxation, as I learned to do through autogenic training. Then I try to separate my astral body from my physical body until it floats roughly a foot and a half above me. But I still have not had any luck, although I have been practicing several times a day for months. I read that one should shift his or her awareness to the astral body to be able to function in it. But how exactly can that work if I am not even sure whether I am out of my body or not? What should I do? Can you help?

Author’s Answer:
Lots of magicians struggle with the same problem, beginners in particular. That may not offer much consolation, but maybe I have some tips that will help. The technique you described for astral travel is surely the most common. For some people it works in just a short time, but not for everyone. That may be due to insufficient imagination training, but of course that does not help the affected person very much.

Maybe you could try the following exercise instead: Determine a location that you want to visit astrally. Instead of lying down, sit in a comfortable position. (As with any type of astral work, it is important here that you make sure that you will not be disturbed. Because if a dear family member bursts into the room or the dachshund insists on being let outside, this can have a subtle yet long-lasting negative effect on your practice.) Now expand your body roughly half an inch with each breath. This is done only in the imagination, is fairly easy to do, and often produces fast results.

When you have expanded to roughly twice your normal size, continue the process with even greater dimensions. Inches become feet, and feet become miles, and so on. Don’t worry too much about the actual act of leaving your body, since that’s not what it is really about. After all, a person usually wants to travel astrally in order to perform a sort of remote divination—e.g., to determine what a good friend is currently doing for the purpose of remote healing. Therefore, remember that it is not necessarily all about the astral body. Personally, I tend to speculate that this ominous astral body is nothing more than a myth at best, one that makes it easier for us to tap into specific information from often faraway, remote sources.

One variation of this technique consists of proceeding little by little. For example, the first few times you would only move your astral arms out of your physical body, a bit later your whole upper body and head, and so on. But if you really only want to find out how your friend in the Canary Islands is doing, then always keep in mind that obtaining this remote information is your actual goal, regardless of how you get there, and not necessarily the act of buzzing around in an astral body. That should at least prevent any type of tension or grim determination.

Experienced magicians often do without astral travel altogether, since it is comparatively complicated whereas the desired information can often be obtained much faster and easier. However, this does not mean that a person should renounce astral travel altogether. On the contrary, this practice often leads to a greater exposure to what we like to call “intuition,” for lack of a better word and without truly understanding its origin.

This concept of having various human bodies, which was borrowed from theosophy, is surely a useful tool that everyone can relate to fairly well. But that’s still no reason to cling to it for eternity. Therefore, formulate your goals specifically. Determine for yourself what it is that you actually want to achieve, and if your practice gets dull, then just try something different for a while, as described here.

 

Author Information

Frater U.:D.:

Frater U∴D∴ (Belgium), founder of Pragmatic and Ice Magic, is Europe’s best known practical magician and contemporary occult author. He has written more than twenty-five books. Among his translations are the books of Peter Carroll and Ramsey Dukes, and Aleister Crowley’s Book of Lies.

Direct link to article:  http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2183

A Little Humor for Your Day – Ineffective Daily Affirmations

Ineffective Daily Affirmations

 

As I let go of my feelings of guilt, I can get in touch with my Inner Sociopath.

I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.

As I learn to trust the universe, I no longer need to carry a gun.

I assume full responsibility for my actions, except the ones that are someone else’s fault.

I no longer need to punish, deceive or compromise myself. Unless, of course, I want to stay employed.

In some cultures, what I do would be considered normal.

Having control over myself is nearly as good as having control over others.

My intuition nearly makes up for my lack of good judgment.

I can change any thought that hurts into a reality that hurts even more.

I honor my personality flaws, for without them I would have no personality at all.

Joan of Arc heard voices, too.

I am grateful that I am not as judgmental as all those censorious, self-righteous people around me.

I need not suffer in silence while I can still moan, whimper and complain.

As I learn the innermost secrets of the people around me, they reward me in many ways to keep me quiet.

When someone hurts me, forgiveness is cheaper than a lawsuit. But not nearly as gratifying.

The first step is to say nice things about myself. The second, to do nice things for myself. The third, to find someone to buy me nice things.

All of me is beautiful and valuable, even the ugly, stupid, and disgusting parts.

I am at one with my duality.

Blessed are the flexible, for they can tie themselves into knots.

Rather than curse the darkness, I could light a candle… with a little luck, I could torch the place.

I will strive to live each day as if it were my 30th birthday.

Only a lack of imagination saves me from immobilizing myself with imaginary fears.

Does my quiet self-pity get to me? Yes? Or should I move up to incessant nagging?

I honor and express all facets of my being, regardless of state and local laws.

 

For more great Pagan humor, visit Turok’s Cabana

Astronomy Picture of the Day – Perseid, Aurora, and Noctilucent Clouds

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2016 August 11

Perseid, Aurora, and Noctilucent Clouds
Image Credit & Copyright: Göran Strand

 

Explanation: Night skies over northern Sweden can hold some tantalizing sights in August. Gazing toward the Big Dipper, this beautiful northern skyscape captures three of them in a single frame taken last August 12/13. Though receding from northern skies for the season, night shining or noctilucent clouds are hanging just above the horizon. Extreme altitude icy condensations on meteoric dust, they were caught here just below an early apparition of a lovely green auroral band, also shining near the edge of space. The flash of a Perseid meteor near the peak of the annual shower punctuates the scene. In fact, this year’s Perseid shower will peak in the coming days, offering a continuing chance for a night sky photographer’shat trick.

Earth Sky News for August 11: Perseids peak. What to expect

Perseids peak. What to expect

By

Tonight – the night of August 11-12, 2016 – is the expected peak of the 2016 Perseid meteor shower. Watch from late night August 11 until dawn August 12. There is a possible outburst expected in 2016. Read more about the Perseid outburst here. If you do see the Perseids in outburst, you’ll see about double the usual rates, or about 200 meteors per hour. But you can expect the Perseids to put on a good show, outburst or no outburst.

Here are some tips:

Watch after midnight and before dawn.

Watch from a country location, to get the most from the Perseids.

Watch in a dark, open sky far away from the harsh glare of city lights

Watch for the meteors’ colors. The Perseids are known to be colorful meteors. See the colors in Perseid meteor in the photo by Barry Simmons of Alabama, at the top of this post?

Watch for fireballs, or bright meteors. According to NASA’s Meteoroid Office, the Perseids have more fireballs than any other major shower.

Watch for the moon. Although the moon will light up the evening hours, it will set way before the predawn hours, at which time the Perseid meteors fly most abundantly. However, before these prime time viewing hours, why not use the moon to locate the planets Mars and Saturn at nightfall? See the chart below.

Click here for more tips on watching this year’s Perseid shower.

What a beautiful sight these meteors can be, streaking along in a moon-free sky, in front of the age-old constellations. The best way to watch is to lie down comfortably on a reclining lawn chair. Just relax, look up and enjoy the show.

The Perseids are a particular favorite for Northern Hemisphere viewers. For us, they’re a summertime classic. But this this shower can also be watched from tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere as well.

From the Northern Hemisphere, you can see a smattering of Perseid meteors in the evening hours. The meteors tend to be few and far between at mid-evening, though this presents the best time of night to try to catch an earthgrazer – an elongated, long-lasting meteor that travels horizontally across the sky. Earthgrazers are rare but most memorable if you’re lucky enough to spot one.

What if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere? From the Southern Hemisphere, the first meteors – and possible earthgrazers – won’t be flying until midnight or the wee hours of the morning.

In either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, the greatest number of meteors streak the sky in the few hours before dawn.

The paths of the Perseid meteors, when traced backward, appear to originate from the constellation Perseus. Hence, this meteor shower’s name.

But you don’t need to know the constellation Perseus to watch the Perseid meteor shower, for the Perseids fly every which way across the starry heavens.

Here’s all you do need to know about the radiant point. As viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant sits low in the northeast sky at evening and climbs upward throughout the night. The higher that the radiant is in your sky, the more Perseid meteors you’re likely to see. For the Perseids, the radiant is highest before dawn.

That last is true for the Southern Hemisphere, although, from there, the radiant of the Perseid meteor shower never gets very high in the sky. That’s why more meteors are seen at northerly latitudes. But if you’re game, look northward in the wee hours before dawn and you may still see a sprinkling of Perseids.

The earliest historical account of Perseid activity comes from a Chinese record in 36 AD, where it was said that “more than 100 meteors flew in the morning.” Numerous references to the August Perseids appear in Chinese, Japanese and Korean records throughout the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. Meanwhile, according to ancient western skylore, the Perseid shower commemorates the time when the god Zeus visited the mortal maiden Danae in the form of a shower of gold. Zeus and Danae became the parents of Perseus the Hero – from whose constellation the Perseid meteors radiate.

The Perseid meteors happen around this time every year, as Earth in its orbit crosses the orbital path of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Dusty debris left behind by this comet smashes into Earth’s upper atmosphere, lighting up the nighttime as fiery Perseid meteors. The meteors start out slowly in the evening hours, begin to pick up steam after midnight and put out the greatest numbers in the dark hours before dawn.

Bottom line: The mornings around August 12 should be good as well, but we give the nod to this morning as the best time to watch 2016’s Perseid meteor shower.

 

BRUCE MCCLURE

Bruce McClure has served as lead writer for EarthSky’s popular Tonight pages since 2004. He’s a sundial aficionado, whose love for the heavens has taken him to Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and sailing in the North Atlantic, where he earned his celestial navigation certificate through the School of Ocean Sailing and Navigation. He also writes and hosts public astronomy programs and planetarium programs in and around his home in upstate New York.

Originally published on EarthSky

Your Charm for August 11th is The Swastika

Your Charm for Today

Today’s Meaning:
Over the next weeks and months this aspect should be one that requires little effort on your part to keep things moving forward. This is one of the few charms that has the same meaning upright or inverted.

General Description:
This curiously shaped charm, a pre-Christian cross, has been universally popular in all countries and throughout all ages. The Ancients believed that it bestowed upon the wearer long life, great happiness, good fortune, and the best of good luck. These symbols have been found in North and South America, India and China, where they were used as religious emblems at least ten centuries B.C. and are met with on very old Buddhist coins and inscriptions. The Swastika is also called the Gammadion, from the Greek letter gamma placed together four times.

Your Soul Number for August 11th is Nine

Your Soul Number for Today


Your Soul Number describes your deepest desires and dreams and the person you truly want to be.

You are the essence of compassion and love for your fellow man as well as the universe. You desire to create harmony, peace and beauty for all of us. Your compassion will often lead you to sacrifice you own needs to address those of others. While this sacrifice may tear at you some, your soul’s need to heal others will over-rule any concern you have for yourself.

Your Ancient Symbol Card for August 11th is The Unicorn

Your Ancient Symbol Card for Today

The Unicorn


The Unicorn indicates uniqueness and reminds us of the ability for magic we possess. Although gentle, the unicorn nonetheless is able to defend itself, not only through horn-to-horn face-off but also through swift flight or even by disappearing into a mystical mist. The unicorn also represents purity, strength, and for a mentor or a nurturing family member. When the Unicorn appears, extraordinary events are possible in the near future.

As a daily card The Unicorn indicates a short period in which amazing happenings are possible. The Unicorn also suggests that it is crucial to maintain a high ethical standard during this span, and to remember kindness begets kindness.

Your Daily Witches Rune for August 11th is The Blank Rune

 

Witches Rune for the Day

The Blank Rune

Meaning: This is a rune of difficulty and negative influences will rule your life for a time, but as all difficulties are a learning experience it will lead to improved personal perspective and progress on your life’s path. Always consult the surrounding runes with this stone. If it lies with a positive stone, it indicates that the pain of this experience will lead to a beneficial change in circumstances.

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for August 11 is The Hermit

Your Crowley Thoth Tarot Card for Today

The Hermit



The Hermit denotes a need to have some space between you and everyday hustle and bustle of our busy world. The Hermit needs to retreat. Indeed, happiness for The Hermit requires seclusion, freedom from material wants, and time for intense introspection. The answers The Hermit needs cannot be found in our physical world. The truths he seeks are internal, spiritual, and the distraction of a well developed social life can only impede his quest for his personal truths. Still, although not anything remotely resembling extroversion, The Hermit does sometimes need to share time with others; so he can learn or teach, guide and be guided. The Hermit’s time spent amongst people depletes his energy rapidly. To avoid an overload he has to retreat from social settings quickly.

Tarot 101: How Tarot Readings Work

 

 

 

 

 

Tarot 101: How Tarot Readings Work

Bring the Tarot into your life for good — start now

By Brigit Esselmont

Videos, Tarot Reader, Tarot 101, Tarot

Introducing the third video in your Tarot 101 tutorial series, Understanding How the Tarot Works! Presented by me, Brigit Esselmont — founder of BiddyTarot.com and creator of the Tarot Foundations online training programs.

Here, you’ll learn how Tarot really works, and how you can make the most it to connect with your intuition, make positive choices, and manifest your goals and dreams.

Accessing your intuition

Every Tarot card has a detailed image, enriched with spiritual symbols that help you connect to your intuitive mind. For example, perhaps you see a cup overflowing and it reminds you of your emotional state when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Or maybe the story within a particular card represents a metaphor for what you’re currently experiencing.

These are intuitive messages triggered by the Tarot cards. And it’s these intuitive messages that are often more powerful than the traditional meanings of the Tarot cards — because they are personal and specific to you.

Channeling your energy

The Tarot works with your energy. When you shuffle Tarot cards, your energy is being channeled into the cards so that when you select the cards for your reading, you’re being drawn to the cards that are most relevant for you. Each Tarot reading is unique to you in that moment and time, because it’s tapping into your energy.

The future is in your hands

Tarot works by understanding the present to predict the future. The cards don’t tell you exactly what will happen, no matter what. You always have free will to make choices and take action that will ultimately lead you to your desired outcome.

Instead, the Tarot helps you understand what’s happening now, what path you’re heading on, and what challenges and opportunities you may encounter along the way. If the cards show an outcome that is not what you want, then you can take action now to change your future. It’s that simple.

With such an intuitive tool like Tarot, there is no limit to how you can use the cards. The Tarot is perfect for self-development, making choices, manifesting goals, coaching others, planning a business, writing a book, meditating — you name it. Whenever you need to connect to your inner wisdom to solve an issue or find new opportunities, let the Tarot be your guide.

 

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