| Sahasrara: |
|
92% | ||
| Anja |
|
10% | ||
| Vishuddha: |
|
78% | ||
| Anahata: |
|
68% | ||
| Manipura: |
|
73% | ||
| Svadhisthana: |
|
8% | ||
| Muladhara: |
|
89% |
Tag: Chakra
Today’s Chakra Levels for Sunday, August 12
The Chakras represent the seven primary energy hubs in the body. Life force energy is constantly flowing in and out of these centers. Just as the cosmos is constantly changing, so too are the levels of energy absorbed and radiated by our Chakra centers. The graph below is a representation of the quantities of Chakra energies available today.
| Sahasrara: |
|
72% | ||
| Ajna |
|
60% | ||
| Vishuddha: |
|
43% | ||
| Anahata: |
|
66% | ||
| Manipura: |
|
15% | ||
| Svadhisthana: |
|
56% | ||
| Muladhara: |
|
44% |
Legend:
Sahasrara – The Crown Chakra represents energies associated with cosmic consciousness, spirituality, knowledge, wisdom and inner peace.
Ajna – The Third Eye Chakra represents energies focused on both physical and spiritual vision. Psychic powers resonate from the Ajna Chakra, as well as your image of the Cosmos as a whole (the big picture) and the many nuances that make your journey unique.
Vishuddha – Throat Chakra is the energy center associated with communication and creativity. Your energy to express yourself verbally and creatively are derived from the Vishuddha Chakra.
Anahata – The Heart Chakra’s energy is concentrated on issues concerning your emotions. This energy fuels your power to love, feel compassion and maintain balance between disparate aspects of your being.
Manipura – The Power Chakra provides the energy that fuels our strength of will, individuality and sense of self-worth.
Svadhisthana – The Spleen or Sacral Chakra supplies the energy we use emotionally and sexually. This is the energy used to connect to others.
Muladhara – The Root or Base Chakra furnishes the energy used to create and maintain our foundation. This is the energy that keeps us on firm ground and provides us with the basic skills to uphold a place in the world.
The Wicca Book of Days for Aug. 7th – Seven Chakras
The Wicca Book of Days for Aug. 7th
Seven Chakras
In Indian yogic – and Wiccan – belief, the chakras (“Wheels” in Sanskrit) are seven major energy centers within the human body, each being associated
with a color, function and purpose. The first chakra (red) is located at the base of the spine; the second (orange), at the sacrum; the third (Yellow), at the solar plexus; the fourth (green) at the heart; the fifth (blue), at the throat; the sixth (violet), at the “third eye”; and the seventh (brilliant white), at the drown of the head. When meditating, energy is visualized rising sinuously from the base of the spine, opening each chakra in turn.
A Happy Heart
Leo corresponds to the human heart and back in astrological belief, so this Leonian day presents a good opportunity to cherish these areas of your body. Resolve to eat plenty of heart friendly fruits and vegetables each day and to wear comfortable shoe from now on.
Today’s Chakra Levels for August 3
The Chakras represent the seven primary energy hubs in the body. Life force energy is constantly flowing in and out of these centers. Just as the cosmos is constantly changing, so too are the levels of energy absorbed and radiated by our Chakra centers. The graph below is a representation of the quantities of Chakra energies available today.
| Sahasrara: |
|
46% | ||
Ajna |
|
54% | ||
| Vishuddha: |
|
15% | ||
| Anahata: |
|
71% | ||
| Manipura: |
|
30% | ||
| Svadhisthana: |
|
50% | ||
| Muladhara: |
|
96% |
Legend:
Sahasrara – The Crown Chakra represents energies associated with cosmic consciousness, spirituality, knowledge, wisdom and inner peace.
Ajna – The Third Eye Chakra represents energies focused on both physical and spiritual vision. Psychic powers resonate from the Ajna Chakra, as well as your image of the Cosmos as a whole (the big picture) and the many nuances that make your journey unique.
Vishuddha – Throat Chakra is the energy center associated with communication and creativity. Your energy to express yourself verbally and creatively are derived from the Vishuddha Chakra.
Anahata – The Heart Chakra’s energy is concentrated on issues concerning your emotions. This energy fuels your power to love, feel compassion and maintain balance between disparate aspects of your being.
Manipura – The Power Chakra provides the energy that fuels our strength of will, individuality and sense of self-worth.
Svadhisthana – The Spleen or Sacral Chakra supplies the energy we use emotionally and sexually. This is the energy used to connect to others.
Muladhara – The Root or Base Chakra furnishes the energy used to create and maintain our foundation. This is the energy that keeps us on firm ground and provides us with the basic skills to uphold a place in the world.
Daily OM for July 15 – Earth Chakras
Earth Chakras
Caretaking The Soul Of Gaia
As we walk upon the earth, we walk upon a living being more similar to ourselves than we imagine. Just like us, the earth has both a physical body and an energetic body, complete with a chakra system identified by ancient mystics and modern scientists alike. Gaia, as the earth is called when acknowledged as a living entity in her own right, has her own life force and her own path of unfolding, separate from us, but including us. Human beings and Gaia are intertwined on every level, not just the physical, and an awareness of her chakras can help us to acknowledge, heal, and enable her on her path, just as she selflessly returns the favor to us.
It is generally agreed that Gaia has seven major chakras distributed evenly across her body and connected to one another via two lines of energy that intersect at various points on the earth. The first chakra is located at Mount Shasta in Northern California; the second is in Lake Titicaca in South America; the third chakra is in Uluru-Kata Tjuta in Australia; the fourth chakra resides in Glastonbury in England; the fifth chakra is at the Great Pyramid in Mount of Olives; the sixth chakra is in Kuh-e Malek Siah in Iran, and the seventh chakra is in Mount Kailas in Tibet. In addition to her seven major chakras, she has minor chakras and other vortexes of energy that are significant to her life-energy system, and all these energy centers need caretaking. Just as we can heal ourselves through our own chakras, we can heal and support Gaia through hers.
While it would be a wonderful experience to visit one of the earth’s chakras, you can always participate in loving and healing Gaia wherever you are. Maintaining an awareness of the regions in which her chakras reside can be very powerful. You may place photos of the locales on your altar, sending healing energy to each of her chakras during your meditations. As you consciously connect your energy system to her energy system, the true meaning of groundedness reveals itself—it is a relationship with Gaia in which we acknowledge our calling as the caretakers of her soul.
Your Chakra Colors and What They Do
Adapted from The Chakras in Shamanic Practice, by Susan J. Wright (Inner Traditions, 2007).
For millennia, eight colors have been thought to correspond to energy centers in the body. Wearing or surrounding yourself with these colors leads to balance and inner healing. For example, if you want to open your heart, there is a color that corresponds to the heart that will help. If you need to speak your truth to someone, you can wear a throat-chakra-colored scarf for encouragement. Find out about the chakra colors and what they do.
Red – First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust.
Orange – Second chakra, belly just below the navel. Sensuality, emotion, creativity, lessens feelings of inferiority.
Yellow – Third chakra, solar plexus. Will, identity, commitment, lessens feelings of confusion.
Green – Fourth chakra, heart. Compassion, forgiveness, intimacy, lessens feelings of isolation.
Blue – Fifth chakra, throat. Expression, communication, power to manifest, generativity, lessens feelings of stagnation.
Indigo – Sixth chakra, third eye, between the eyes. Clear sight, intuition, integrity, lessens feelings of despair.
Violet – Seventh chakra, crown, top of the head. Spiritual connection, mastery, lessens feelings of distraction.
White – Eighth chakra, just above the head. Radiance, expansion, lessens feelings of limiting attachment.
Daily OM for May 26th – The Benefits of Singing
The Benefits of Singing
Harmonizing with the Universe
by Madisyn Taylor
The act of singing is one of the easiest ways of raising the vibration of your body as you harmonize with the universe.
Singing is an act of vibration. It takes music from the realm of the unformed– whether that is in your mind or from that magical space of inspiration–and moves it from within to without. From the first breath singing moves the energy in a circular way inside your body. As the breath fills your lungs, it brushes against the second and third chakras—the centers of creation and honoring self and others. Instead of merely exhaling, pushing the air past the fourth and fifth chakras where heart charka and the center of will and intention reside, singing engages both the heart and mind. Sound vibrations from vocal chords resonate in the sinus cavities, filling the head with motion and sound while the brain lights up with the processing of the mathematics of music. This marriage of activities brings the third eye into play and opens the door for inspiration from the crown chakra before sending the sound out into the world.
Once the vibration begins, it is sustained with each note, moving throughout your body and the space around you. This can help you to harmonize your frequency with the world and with the divine. The use of the voice can bring about catharsis, a cleansing from the expression of emotion, which is why we feel better after singing certain types of songs. All of this occurs even if we are not conscious of what we are singing, but when we really connect with an intention, the power of the voice and music together are powerful tools in creation.
Even if you are not a singer by nature or talent, you are not left out. If you have a voice, it is your birthright to celebrate life with song. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel you have a nice voice. Chanting or humming, singing solo or with others, your voice is yours to enjoy. Whether you sing along to the radio or use vocalization as part of your meditation time, singing and harmonizing are healing activities that bring your body’s vibrations into alignment with the universe.
The New Angel Chakra
Adapted from Tantra of Sound, by Jonathan Goldman and Andi Goldman (Hampton Roads, 2005).
The “Angel” chakra appears to be a new chakra that is becoming activated now for many people who are working with higher consciousness. This chakra appears to be a way of bringing more light and higher vibrations into the physical and etheric bodies from higher dimensions. It is also a way of getting information from guides and angelic beings, thus the name Angel chakra.
Find out the location of this new chakra, and how to activate and balance it, here:
The Angel chakra’s midway location between the third eye and crown suggests that it possesses qualities that are a little more spiritual than the third eye, and a little less transpersonal than the crown chakra. It is an exciting new area for those who are doing advanced work with energy and relationships.
Directions for Activating the Angel Charka
Activate and utilize the Angel chakra separately from working on the other chakras.
The way to activate the Angel chakra is with the NURR sound. It rhymes with the word “her.” It is phonetically written NNN-UUUU-RRRR.
Make the NURR sound while visualizing the sound going through the roof of the mouth, up through the sinus cavity and into the pituitary-pineal-hypothalamus area, causing light to be projected out from (and at the same time, received into) this area.
The System of Chakras
by: Anodea Judith
A chakra is a spinning vortex of energy created within ourselves by the interpenetration of consciousness and the physical body. Through this combination, chakras become centers of activity for the reception, assimilation and transmission of life energies. Uniting the chakras is what we experience as the “self.” It is through our chakras that our self grows and changes and interacts with the world.
The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit word for “wheel” or disk” and originated within the philosophy of the ancient yoga systems of India, most specifically from the Tantric texts. In this system, there are seven major chakras arranged vertically along the spine, starting at the base of the spine and ending at the top of the head. In the physical body, these seven chakras correspond to major nerve ganglia, glands of the endocrine system, and various bodily processes, such as breathing, digesting, or procreating. While the chakras do exist within the physical body, exhibiting strong influence on such things as body shape or health, they are not made of any physical components themselves. A physician could not operate on a chakra anymore than an emotion, yet both can and do affect us physically.
In the psychological realm (by which I include the mental, emotional, and spiritual), the chakras correspond to major areas of our lives, such as survival, sex, power, love, communication, perception, and understanding.
Taking the original meaning of the word chakra one step further, the chakras within us can be seen as our internal “floppy disks” that store our programming about how to function in life. The base chakra contains our survival program such as what we like to eat and when we need exercise; the second chakra-our sexuality program, including ethics and preferences; the upper chakras-our modes of perception and information storage. Our body is the computer hardware, and each of us has a slightly different model, programmed in a distinct language with unique operating systems. Ideally, one’s work on the chakras is to examine the programming we have been given on each of these levels, eliminating destructive programming and consciously recreating something more beneficial.
Philosophically, the chakras correspond to major archetypal concepts, such as the elements of earth, water, fire, air, sound, light, and thought. The elements describe the essential nature of that chakra’s function, such as earth that contains, water that flows, or fire that transforms. Numerous other correspondences, such as colors, sounds, herbs and gemstones, have also been correlated to the chakras and can be used as tools for accessing and developing them.
There are many smaller chakras throughout the body, such as those in our hands and feet. These are functioning centers like any of the others but are not usually attributed to major philosophical areas. Yet, those working with their hands are likely to have well-developed hand chakras, and a runner might have well-developed channels through their foot chakras.
As a composite system, the seven chakras describe a set of patterns that are evident through many aspects of life. In terms of cultural evolution, they describe the stages our race has been through and where we are going, from the first chakra survival consciousness of the Paleolithic era to the power-dominated (third chakra) consciousness of the present era.
In terms of individual development, the chakras describe the progression from infancy to early adulthood that repeats itself again from adulthood to old age as we establish our survival strategies, form sexual relationships, develop our personal power, communicate, plan ahead, and learn. As we understand the significance of these levels, we can better develop appropriate strategies for coping with our situations, whether personal or cultural.
Chakras are sometimes referred to as lotuses, for they open and close like a flower, and in
the Tantric system they are shown with a varying number of petals. The petals, ranging from four at the base chakra to 1,000 or more at the crown, express their vibratory rate.
When a chakra is closed, the life force energy cannot travel through that part of the body, and one might say that the programming in that chakra is locked in a restrictive pattern. If this is the case, we feel a lack in our lives in its related area (such as the ability to communicate, chakra 5), and our physical health in the chakra’s related functions may also be affected (sore throat, tight neck).
A chakra can also be “overblown” if it is out of balance with the other chakras in the system. In this case, that particular chakra uses so much of the body’s energy and the mind’s attention that other areas become deficient. An overblown third chakra causes an attachment to holding power over others hindering the ability to find the love and balance associated with the heart chakra directly above. As the chakras are discussed individually in the following pages, the results
of a chakra that is too closed or too open will be examined more closely.
With attention and understanding, we can control and influence our chakras. They can be developed like muscles, programmed like a computer, nurtured like a seed, or closed like a book. Development of the chakras occurs through understanding the system as a whole and then working directly on specific areas. Techniques may include physical exercises, processing of old traumas through therapy, visualization and meditation, chanting of mantras, working with their elements,
herbs, or gemstones, and personal ritual, as well as the general lessons that are brought to us through our daily lives.
The body is a vehicle of consciousness.
The chakras can be seen as the wheels of life that carry this vehicle through its evolutionary journey toward enlightenment. Within us, these wheels are like gears, each one appropriate for different activities or stages of life. As we open our chakras, we become more conscious and more fully alive. Our journey becomes smoother, more productive, yet more exciting as we become more fully who we are.
Conclusion
Together, the seven chakras form a connecting ladder between matter and consciousness, body and mind, Earth and Heaven. Each of us forms this ladder as the steps are found within us.
In order for us to be whole, the ladder must be complete. Therefore, each chakra is of equal
importance, and the blocking of one chakra can make an excess or deficiency in another part of the system.
Individually, the chakras can give us important clues about our strengths and weaknesses,
outlining areas in which we need to work on ourselves. It must be remembered, however, that the chakras form a complete system, and diagnosis or attention to any one area should always be seen in relation to the whole.
With our chakras opened and fully functioning, we ourselves form the rainbow bridge between Heaven and Earth, ever evolving towards realization and integration.
Types of Chakras
The simplistic position asserts that there is only one type of chakra, or at best two (major and minor). This in fact is quite incorrect, and comes from the obscure nature of the aura and the subtle body (yogic anatomy), and the fact that the different grades, organs, strata, and so on are frequently confused and jumbled, owing to a lack of an overall systematic framework.
It seems to me that there are at least five different chakra series (and probably more). These are:
- The Seven Primary Major Chakras – these are archetypal and pertain to “”emanational” levels of Consciousness and Being – the “inner subtle, causal and supracausal being. In each of these regions or hypostases they represent the original microcosmic vertical axis (“Mount Meru”), and contain (links to) gods and major planes of existence
- The Tan Tien (“Cauldren” for the processing of ch’i), of which there are at least three, which seem to constitute the etheric counterparts of the Primary Chakras, and are located with the body.
- The (at least 18, if not much more) Secondary Major Chakras. These are etheric and pertain to the Eso Being. They ideally constitute – or rather can be awakened into – a rhythmic microcosmic orbit (although this is very rarely the case because of congested energy flow etc)
- The ten(?) important “chakras” (if they can be called such) are obviously also associated with the internal organs. Chinese medicine speaks of the five pairs (one major and one minor) of internal organs, each pair associated with specific correspondences such as an emotion, a taste, colour, cardinal point, etc etc. These body chakras would seem to constitute a different series again.
- A larger number of Tertiary, Minor Chakras. These are associated with acupunture points, sensitive points in the body, etc
- An even much larger number of Quaternary, Quinternary etc chakras (minor acupuncture points etc), associated along the meridians
Introduction to the Chakras
According to East Indian philosophy, we possess seven major *Chakras* or psychic centers on the body. Each of these forms a bridge, link, or energy transformer; changing pure (higher) energy into various forms, and connecting the four bodies (ie. spiritual, mental, astral, and physical) together. The chakras are located along the nadies (a network of psychic nerves or channels) and follow the autonomic nervous system along the spinal cord.
Chakras correlate with major acupuncture points along the ‘governing vessel meridian’ (acupuncture term). The seven major chakras are connected together by three major nadies which are parallel and near each other. The middle nadi is called *sushumna* and it has neutral characteristics. The nadi on the left (ie. nearest your left hand) is the *ida* nadi which has yin characteristics. On the other side of sushumna (nearest your right hand) is the *pingala* nadi, having yang qualities.
Chakras are visible to clairvoyant sight as varously colored rotating circles or funnels. In the East they are described as petaled flowers or lotuses. While in Western Shamanism they are devined as Spirit Tunnels.
There are many minor chakras throughout the body but in this writing we will focus on the primary seven as the others are beyond the scope of this discussion. Each chakra has a color and sound letter and a pitch associated with it which can be used to invoke it.
Crystal of the Day for March 3rd – KYANITE
Crystal of the Day
Kyanite
Spiritual and Healing Properties of Kyanite:
Remedy Benefits of Kyanite:
- Balances chakras
- Aids communication
- Promotes telepathy
- Brings tranquility
- Boosts immune system
- Manifesting properties
- Induces dream recall
Crystal of the Day for Feb. 14th – Thulite
Auras, Chakras, Light and Sleep Cycles
Auras, Chakras, Light and Sleep Cycles
- Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D
What is an aura?
An aura is an electromagnetic energy field that surrounds, encompasses, and permeates all living things; it includes the being’s physical structure as well as its energetic outer layers. It is made up of four bodies outside the physical body: the etheric body (where some suggest our past life experiences may be stored), the emotional body, the mental body (two layers: higher and lower), and the spiritual body (three layers: higher, middle, and lower). The colors of an aura vary depending upon the condition of the being. Anyone can learn to see auras; there are also professional readers and even cameras that can photograph them.
Where are our chakras located?
First chakra (root/base of spine)
Second chakra (chi/below navel)
Third chakra (solar plexus)
Fourth chakra (heart)
Fifth chakra (throat)
Sixth chakra (third eye/brow)
Seventh chakra (crown/above head)
What are the Chakras?
The chakras are energy centers aligned along a spiral column in the etheric double; energy is absorbed from the surrounding air and brought through the chakras into the physical body. The Vedas, ancient texts of India, contain the first known reference to chakras. The chakras are considered to be spinning wheels of light energy. (Chakra means “wheel” in Sanskrit.)
Various spiritual schools have different systems of identification for the chakras, but a widely accepted version identifies seven major chakras, beginning with the first, or root, chakra, located at the base of the spine and moving up the body to the seventh, or crown chakra, located a few inches above the top of the head. (There are also five minor chakras, at the hands and feet or in the case of our dogs and cats, their paws, {which I cover for our feline companions in my book The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care}, co authored with Jean Hofve, DVM) and then the hollow at the base of the skull, where the brain meets the spine. It is said that as we spiritually evolve, new chakras will emerge.)
Why are the various Chakras assigned colors?
A specific color is associated with each chakra because color can be used to stimulate, sedate, or balance the chakras and their associated organs.
The use of light and color in healing dates from ancient times. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is believed that there are cycles that are the most conducive for certain activities. In Chinese medicine, yang and yin symbolize light and dark. It is of utmost importance to honor our daily cycles of light turning into darkness, as our moon travels around our planet and our planet travels around our sun.
FIRST CHAKRA (root/base of spine)
Red stimulates the immune system by building up the blood and helps with detoxification. It is said that this color fights tumors, has an antiviral effect, and relates to the reproductive system and the procreative imperative to survive. Those with compromised immune systems may benefit by be ing surrounded by the color red as much as possible.
SECOND CHAKRA (chi/below navel)
Orange is said to be an appetite stimulant and a lung builder. It may depresse the parathyroid glands, and may stimulate the thyroid as well as the mammary glands in the production of milk for all types of mammals. Qi (chi) emanates from this chakra.
THIRD CHAKRA (solar plexus)
Yellow is thought to stimulate the gastrointestinal system and helps keep hormones in balance. It’s also said to be beneficial for the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, and for diabetes and hard chronic tumors. The fear/fight/flight mechanism originates here.
FOURTH CHAKRA (heart)
Green is said to stabilize energy and is a bronchodilator. It may be beneficial in the treatment of infections. Many believe that love emanates from the heart chakra. Pink is the secondary color of the heart chakra.
FIFTH CHAKRA (throat)
Blue is said to aid in the healing of third-degree burns, scratches, sores, and infections. It may be beneficial for all fevers that respond quickly when used in conjunction with holistic remedies. Blue is a very cooling and sedating color. The related color turquoise can be soothing for irritations, inflammation, and itching. It may help induce sleep, and it should follow green in treating all infections. It is known as the chakra of self-expression.
See my note below regarding the importance of sleep.
SIXTH CHAKRA (third eye/brow)
Indigo worn around the neck is said to help stabilize the thyroid if a person or pet has a hyperthyroid condition. The third eye chakra is best known for providing living things with intuition and instinct.
SEVENTH CHAKRA (crown/above head)
Violet is said to increase the white blood cell count, stimulates the spleen, and is a color for high spiritual attainment in humans.
NOTE: When we don’t sleep in sync with seasonal light exposure, we not only alter our etheric double, our own aura and our own chakra’s but also alter our biological rhythms that control hormones and neurotransmitters determining appetite, fertility, and mental and physical health as well as those who share our living space with us, such as our children and companion animals.
By relying on artificial light to extend our days, we fool our bodies into living in a perpetual state of summer which is when our ancient ancestors were always anticipating the scarce food supply and forced inactivity of the coming winter, when we do this our body begins storing fat and slowing the metabolism to sustain us through months of hibernation and hunger that never arrive.
We, along with everyone who lives us with us in our homes, including our animals, are all extremely sensitive to natural light and dark rhythms. There is a strong case for all of us to sleep in the summer months between 10:00 p.m. (2200 hours) and 7:00 a.m. (0700), and starting at the Autumn Equinox between 9:00 p.m. (2100) and 6:00 a.m. (0600).
Our early ancestors obeyed these seasonal rules by honoring the seasons and their natural rhythm of light and dark. Our bodies generate a cascade of protective chemicals, including those that help prevent cancer, obesity, diabetes, and depression, to name but a few, only when we sleep deeply with no interference from any light leaks whatsoever, including the LEDs on electronic equipment, digital clocks, night lights, and the light leaks that seep in from outside. We all desperately need a true black night sleeping experience, that tracks with what we did before civilization turned the lights on everywhere. Think about creating a cool dark cave concept which truly produces a wonderful nights sleep. It’s also best to not have caffein after 3pm if you want to sleep well that evening.
The ramifications of not honoring this light and dark concept are enormous for our own health as well as that of all the living things in our household. If just one person leaves a light on in a sleep cycle and any part of our body can sense or feel it we all will suffer the consequences from this chronic addiction and abuse of light. This of course includes our computer screens and TV at night. There is a little trick which helps somewhat if you must work on your computer in the dark cycle and that is to have rose tinted lens made with your prescription in them. This is what I do: I remove my contacts where my glasses which have a rose tint to the lens’s which the eye optometrist called a plus 3 rose tint. You can also use them for driving at night and with or without a prescription they are said to help preserve some of the chemical cascade that we need to have take place in these precious evening hours of darkness when we must remain in artificial light.
I was astounded to learn that studies suggest that even tiny light leaks (0.2 lux), as little as a single candle flame, adversely affect our own health, our childrens health and that of our companion dogs and cats. If light leakage and subsequent lack of melatonin has been found to promote tumor growth. Could the use of light after dark actually be one of the causes of not only having an impact on tumor growth but cancer in people, in children and our pets, as well? So turn out those night lights everywhere in the house. And for a closer look at the importance of honoring light and dark cycles, see “Lights Out” by author, T. S. Wiley.
This simple adjustment in our sleep routine may actually have profound consequences in our own ability to heal ourselves on every level possible, including our chakra’s and etheric double.
I personally include the use of 2.5 mg.’s of sublingual (which you dissolve under your tongue) Melotonin, 30 minutes before bedtime.
Nothing said herein is meant to be construed as medical advice. Please be prudent and consult with your healthcare providers for any serious disorders. These idea’s are presented for informational purposes only and should be treated as such.
We can very easily begin to explore what role our aura and chakra’s play in our modern lives if the idea resonates with you. We can perhaps benefit in many ways when we are open to the ancient idea’s presented by many other cultures around the world. These cultures have all honored nature and the natural order of life from the dawn of our first foot prints on this planet. Perhaps we too can benefit by looking more closely at what we do in our own day to day lives in this modern hi-tech, brightly lit, big blue spinning ball, we live upon.
Your Chakra Colors and What They Do
Your Chakra Colors and What They Do
- Annie B. Bond
For millennia, eight colors have been thought to correspond to energy centers in the body. Wearing or surrounding yourself with these colors leads to balance and inner healing. For example, if you want to open your heart, there is a color that corresponds to the heart that will help. If you need to speak your truth to someone, you can wear a throat-chakra-colored scarf for encouragement. Find out about the chakra colors and what they do.
Red – First chakra, base of the spine. Groundedness, trust, belonging, lessens feelings of mistrust.
Orange – Second chakra, belly just below the navel. Sensuality, emotion, creativity, lessens feelings of inferiority.
Yellow – Third chakra, solar plexus. Will, identity, commitment, lessens feelings of confusion.
Green – Fourth chakra, heart. Compassion, forgiveness, intimacy, lessens feelings of isolation.
Blue – Fifth chakra, throat. Expression, communication, power to manifest, generativity, lessens feelings of stagnation.
Indigo – Sixth chakra, third eye, between the eyes. Clear sight, intuition, integrity, lessens feelings of despair.
Violet – Seventh chakra, crown, top of the head. Spiritual connection, mastery, lessens feelings of distraction.
White – Eighth chakra, just above the head. Radiance, expansion, lessens feelings of limiting attachment.
Adapted from The Chakras in Shamanic Practice, by Susan J. Wright (Inner Traditions, 2007). Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan J. Wright. Reprinted by permission of Inner Traditions.
Adapted from The Chakras in Shamanic Practice, by Susan J. Wright (Inner Traditions, 2007).
Getting Married One Chakra at a Time
Getting Married One Chakra at a Time
by Freya Ray
Marriage. We all know couples that do it and succeed. They have the big wedding, and then they’re at least reasonably happy with each other and have a nice long run. But what about the other version? Tom and Jeff or Jeff and Betty or Betty and Sue live together reasonably happily for years, decide to get married/handfasted/have a commitment ceremony, and within months aren’t speaking to each other.
What happens to cause this? Why do functional relationships crater so completely after a wedding? Surely it’s not just the stress of a big emotional production, as this type of breakup seems far more common than breaking up due to other kinds of stress. It’s almost predictable with many couples — wedding, three months later distance and fighting, three months after that filing for divorce.
I have a theory. I hope it’s even one that will help people avoid this fate themselves.
The focal point of a commitment ceremony is just that: the taking of vows that speak to the couple’s commitment to each other. Vows. The problem with vows is that they have great power, power beyond the words themselves. When spoken in front of one’s entire community of family and friends, in a sacred setting consecrated to the Divine, they are immensely powerful. They take on a life of their own.
And (drum roll, please) every way in which the relationship does not currently live up to the vows declared is immediately thrown in the couple’s faces.
If you vow to love and there are resentments in your heart, those will become magnified and impossible to hide. If you promise to take care of your partner and aren’t sure you mean it, that will be tested. If you promise to be truthful and sometimes you avoid the issue, you will get caught. Any and all ways in which reality does not live up to the grand promises made will be brought to the surface for attention.
It’s bad enough in a traditional wedding ceremony. To “love, honor and cherish, in sickness and in health… till death do us part” is hard. But at least it’s simple. There are just three things, which are pretty standard noble virtues. One should always love, honor and cherish the people in one’s life, whoever they are. But pagans have a bad habit of writing their own vows, and the next thing you know they’ve spent five minutes describing all they’re going to do and be for each other.
It’s a long laundry list of good intentions. When half of them come screaming at you for immediate remedial work, it’s overwhelming.
Welcome to the post-ceremony meltdown.
If you don’t believe me, do a mental inventory of the couples you’ve known who have broken up soon after their wedding. Most of the time, they break up because of issues they knew about before they got married. The issues were stuff they thought they could live with and were living with. And the issues were in conflict with the vows taken. When the issues were something to be accepted as part of living together, they could be worked with. When the full force of collective intention had been directed at a life consonant with the higher virtues and in conflict with the bad habits, it quickly leads to disaster.
How to avoid this? Well, you could only marry someone with whom you have no issues whatsoever. Ha! Welcome to lifelong celibacy. Or you could only promise to take one day at a time and care about each other as best you can in the moment and try to be nice. Seems rather pointless, doesn’t it?
How about taking things in stages?
Who says you have to get married all at once?
I’m proposing a chakra wedding ceremony — well, actually, seven or eight of them. In a series. Strung out over time.
Say we’ve got a couple with the following issues: He is tempted to lie and cheat occasionally; he comes from money and she doesn’t, so she feels guilty that he makes most of their money; she’s more powerful psychically and has a bad habit of using her intuition to manipulate him into doing what she wants him to. Before you think, “Wow, what a mess! They should never get married,” let me tell you this is not that bad a set of stuff. It’s just that mostly we only look at one problem at a time and minimize its importance. All of these issues can be overcome, and the couple is probably together to do the healing work to overcome them.
So what have we got here? We’ve got a belly chakra issue with the cheating, a root chakra issue with the money and dependency stuff and a third-eye issue with the psychic stuff.
The couple has a wedding; they promise to be honest and faithful, to take care of each other for richer and for poorer, and to respect each other, compromise and work through things together as equal partners. They’ve announced their intentions to eradicate their three huge issues, all in one day, when they’re already tired and overwhelmed on innumerable levels from the wedding stress.
Instead, why not try making a commitment to each other one chakra at a time? Have a private ceremony, speaking your root chakra vows to each other. Promise to take care of each other physically and financially. Promise for sickness and health, for richer and poorer. But leave all the rest of the stuff out of it.
Then sit back and wait for what comes up. Our example couple would, I hope, have opportunities to discuss their class issues, negotiate ways to share money, clarify for her that he loves her regardless of the amount of money she brings in and so on. They will have plenty of stuff to work through to keep them busy. Money issues, basic survival financial stuff, is incredibly stressful. It’s enough all by itself.
Issues that could come up at root for another couple might have to do with health, dependency, responsibility and reliability, getting off the couch and finding a damn job, where to live, getting out of debt, who’s going to do the cooking and cleaning, sleeping issues and so on. Everything having to do with survival on the material plane. Plenty.
Have a ceremony for your root chakras, and then do all the healing and cleanup work required. Do all the negotiation, moving, figuring out of schedules, learning how to live together, financial planning. Whether it takes six days or six years, stay with this one set of stuff until it feels clear. Then and only then, have a ceremony to commit to each other at the belly chakra.
Sexuality and relationships live at the belly. Many couples are going to have quite the rodeo ride here. Survivor issues, fidelity challenges, past relationships both good and bad, sexual incompatibilities and expectations and everything of that nature arises here.
In our example couple, he’ll get caught trolling for women on the Internet, or she’ll find a letter from a woman he cheated with a year ago, or he’ll confess to his urges, or something. It will come up. They’ll talk about it, fight about it, get couple’s counseling and either work through it or not. But, supposing they’ve done the root-chakra work first, they’ve got a vastly better chance of making it through, because they have a solid foundation to stand on. She knows he loves her enough that he doesn’t mind supporting her. She’s seen the way he’s been willing to talk through their root chakra incompatibilities and negotiate compromises. And it’s just the one thing.
Over time, maybe they’ll find the source of his need to cheat, he will get therapy for that, and it’ll be handled. Another couple might need to work out that she wants sex every day and he only once a week, she can’t have oral sex due to sexual abuse, he isn’t totally over his ex-girlfriend, she wishes he were in better shape, he wants to get kinky and she doesn’t. Etcetera. Every couple is likely to have sexual issues of some kind or another, and it takes time to work through them. Six days or six years later, you move on to the solar plexus.
Power. Power and success in the world, your sense of personal power and your level of power in the relationship. It’s a murky area, and every couple needs to deal with who’s running things and how the power is shared or not. It’s never as simple as “Let’s negotiate everything equally.” You’d go insane. You can’t sit down and process your feelings about zucchini in the grocery store. You can’t call each other during the day to find out if it’s okay to spend $10 on your lunch instead of $8 today. You need to divide up responsibilities somewhat, so you both understand what’s yours to decide, what’s the other’s to decide and what’s shared. This takes time to sort out.
I’m not going to go through all seven chakras, as you can study up on them and figure the rest out for yourself. Running through the first three in some detail gives you enough information to get started and a sense of what I’m talking about. There’s plenty there to deal with. You’ve got time to become an expert on chakras before you’re done with the first three, I promise.
What I’m proposing is that a couple deepens their commitment to each other one chakra at a time. When you’ve gotten through all seven, and you feel good, solid, stable and clear with each other on all fronts, then you can invite a couple hundred people over to help you celebrate your union. Take the public vows, inviting your community to hold that energy with you. Step into the arena of a sacred vow with a reasonably clear path between you.
Give yourselves time to grow closer. Give yourselves time to catch up to your promises, one step at a time. Breathe and grow closer in between each one.
You know you love each other. You know you’ve come together for your healing and to help each other move forward personally and spiritually. You know your love is not a simple thing, but rather a complex, intricate dance of life between you. If it were a tree, you wouldn’t transplant it, prune it and harvest its sap all in the same day. If you were managing a company, you wouldn’t announce layoffs the same day that the new product line is released. Don’t pile everything on the same day in your relationship either. Manage it more gracefully, taking one step at a time.
It’s just a thought. Whatever you do, bright blessings for you and all your loving relationships.
Freya Ray is a professional psychic, shaman, writer and teacher. She is available as a psychic for parties and events such as Samhain parties. In readings, she accesses the Akashic records and the client’s guides, bringing her clients the most useful information available for life’s challenges and adventures. She has worked at Phoenix and Dragon in Atlanta and Rainbow Moods and Lemurian Imports in Tucson. Her writing has appeared in the Sedona Journal of Emergence, the New Times, the Awareness Journal and the Magical Journal. She can be reached for comment or for psychic readings by phone at (206) 276-4290 or freya_ray@yahoo.com. For full information on her practice and a writings archive, check out www.freyaray.com/.
MAGICK 1 — WHY MAGICK (continued)
2) insight meditation (mindfullness).
Most kinds of meditation are the concentrative type. One simply
focuses his attention upon a single physical object (such as a
candle flame); upon a sensation (such as that felt while walking
or breathing); upon an emotion (such as reverence or love); upon
a mantra spoken aloud or even silently; or upon a visualization
(as in chakra meditation, see below)…Concentration meditation
is, simply put, a form of self-hypnosis.
A mantra (or mantrum) is one or more words or syllables
which are repeated — often chanted — aloud…A simple yet
powerful mantra is to vibrate the mystical word ‘OM’. This
mantra has long been associated in India with the godhead/unity.
Use it to aid in tuning into universal vibrations which promote
feelings of harmony, peace, and well-being. Use it before magick
ritual to ‘get into the mood’ and afterward to ‘dismiss the
forces’. You vibrate a mantra by saying it slowly aloud in a
lower-pitched voice than your normal speech, and a more or less
constant pitch as well. Let the sound fade at the end of the
mantra. A powerful one such as ‘OM’ will seem to vibrate the air
around you. It should be vocalized for 5-10 seconds and repeated
a number of times with a few seconds rest between each
vocalization. Chanting of mantras may cause slight dizziness
from hyperventilation.
The other main type of meditaiton — insight meditation
— is the analysis of thoughts and feelings in such a way as to
cause realization of the subjectivity and illusion of
experience. This is done in a effort to attain trancendental
awareness. Such statements as, ‘This body is not me’, fall under
this category. Buddhist meditations are usually of this type.
CHAKRA MEDITATION
There is a special type of concentrative meditation
which we will call ‘Chakra meditation’. This is basicly
Kundalini yoga — the practice of causing psychic energy
(kundalini) to flow up sushumna, energizing the various
chakras along the way. The practice, considered dangerous by
some, will produce deffinite physiological sensations and
psychological effects if continued long enough. It should not
be attempted by epileptics or persons with an unstable mental
or physical condition, or with heart disease. Certain drugs and
medications, such as those used to treat epilepsy may retard
progress. Although the technique is very simple, it may
eventually produce powerful results. Results may at first appear
hours after the practice during sleep. As each chakra is
energized by this practice, it is said to add occult powers
(sidhis), until at last the crown chakra is reached, and with
it, full enlightenment is attained. Sometimes kundalini awakens
all by itself.
To practice this chakra meditation, you simply
concentrate on the chakras, beginning with the root chakra, and
moving progressively up, as you visualize psychic energy from
the root chakra traveling up shushumna and vivifying each higher
chakra. As we mentioned the chakras have certain properties
associated with them, so that this type of visualization may
‘raise consciousness’, promote astral projection, and other
things — once you have reached ajna and eventually the crown
chakra. You might typically meditate in this fashion for 15
minutes to a half hour a day. It might help to practice some
hatha yoga or other physical exercise in an effort to make the
spinal cord ‘more flexible’. Diet may also affect the process.
The technique is also similar to the Tibetan ‘Tummo’ meditation.
The rise of kundalini is sometimes experienced as a ‘vibration’
or buzzing, as light, or as heat.
HEALTH AND DIET
Certainly the way you treat your physical body will
affect your mind. In magick you want an alert mind. Therefore,
your body must be as healthy as you can keep it. Take care of
your body. Exercise regularly. eat a good diet (with vitamin
supplements), and do not consume anything which will have a
negative effect upon the mind. Drugs, smoking,, and alcohol
should be restricted, or eliminated. (The mind can create any
condition which a drug can create.) A good rule here is
moderation in what and how much you consume. (Most of this stuff
is pretty obvious isn’t it.) You may also want to cut down on
sugar and processed foods. Many occultists advise dietary
changes, expecially the non-eating of meat. We cannot deny the
physical, psychological, and spiritual effect which all foods
have. This effect may be described as the ‘heaviness’ factor of
foods. Various foods are so ranked in the chart, lighter to
heavier…
1. lettuce and other greens.
2. fruits and most vegetables.
3. wheat, rice, and other grains.
4. nuts, beans, and other legumes.
5. cheese, dairy products, including eggs.
6. fish, seafood.
7. chicken, poultry.
8. beef, pork, other red meats.
Note that meats, especially red meats are the ‘heaviest’ foods.
Generally, foods which are harder to digest, or which are higher
in protein are ‘heavier’ than those which are not. Animal
products are heavier than plants. Foods high in carbohydrate
(candy, bread, starch) are heavy. However, the ‘heaviness’ of
foods is not directly related to the amount of caleries.
What this means is that for various reasons, the
heaviness of food in your diet will affect your magical
experiences. You may be able to increase your psychic
receptivity (‘energy level’) by eating lighter foods, or by
eating less. Conversely, emphasizing heavy foods in your diet,
or eating larger helpings, may help to ‘bring you down to earth’
should you ‘rent the veil’ too much. These are generalizations,
of course, and it may take a number of days of dietary change
before you notice much effect. I do not advocate radical dietary
changes, excessive fasting, or malnutrition. Your good health is
far more important in magick than any temporary effect you get
from prolonged starvation. A change in diet will sometimes only
produce a temporary effect, until the physical body adapts to
the change. Healthy natural foods and lifestyle make it easier
for us to be healthy, but ultimately, good health is a mentual
quality (attitude).
THE FOUR-FOLD BREATH
With physical exercise too, moderation is advised.
(You should be cautious, or not attempt it if you have a
respiratory or heart condition. Check with your physician if in
doubt, and don’t overdo.) One of the most useful physical
exercises is pranayama, or controlled breathing (actually a type
of hatha yoga exercise). For this and any other calesthentics or
hatha yoga which you might choose to do a ‘kitchen timer’ is
suggested (many of these aren’t accurate for under three
minutes, but are helpful for longer periods).
The main purpose of pranayama is to relax the body and
mind. There are many kinds of pranayama, but a simple one called
the ‘four-fold breath’ will suffice. This consists of four short
quick inhallations, then four short quick exhallations; then
repeat, continuing until the allotted time is used up. It will
take about 1 1/2 seconds for the four inhallations, and about
1 1/2 seconds for the four exhallations; or about 3 seconds for
the complete in-out cycle (‘rep’ for repetition). There should
be no strain of any kind during your pranayama. You will
probably notice a slight dizziness, particularly at first, since
the effect of pranayama is to hyperventilate. Try sitting back
in a chair with your eyes closed when you do your pranayama.
Begin a minute a day for the first week and gradually increase
up to about five minutes a day. If you do the pranayama befor
your magical activity, it will help you to get ‘into the mood’.
It is also an excellent aid to relaxation and tension release.
Pranayama should not be done during heavy air pollution. Other
exercises you might consider are hatha yoga, calesthentics,
walking or jogging.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a chakra? List them.
2) Name the three major nadies. Which nadi is hot?
3) What is pranayama?
BOOK LIST
Arthur Diekman, The Observing Self.
W.Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines.
Sandra Gibson, Beyond the Mind.
King and Skinner, Techniques of High Magic.
Swami Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga.
John Woodroffe (pseud. for Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Power.
** MAGICK 6 — THOUGHTFORMS AND SPIRITS **
Although there are hundreds of kinds of divination,
the principle ones are astrology, geomancy, the tarot, the
I Ching, and direct psychic means (especially clairvoyance).
True divination is more than a mechanical system, for it
implies true psychic interpretation (receiving). Some form of
divination is often used in magick ritual to communicate with
the entity invoked.
Since divination operates through the mind, it is
affected and biased by the mind. Our attitudes and fears may
alter it. Sometimes results are very detailed, and accurate
— but not always. Often the future is plastic and changeable
anyway, and the use of magick may alter the result. Thus
divination shows tendencies only, which may be helpful, but
must not rule us.
DEVELOPING CLAIRVOYANCE
It is possible to improve your natural ability with
clairvoyance through practice. A good start might be to look
around you, then close your eyes and try to picture your
surroundings. This is also good exercise for visualization. And
visualization is an essential talent in magick. Open your eyes
again and check your accuracy. Then close your eyes and try it
again. When you use your physical eyes, look at everything
like a child seeing it for the first time. Let the vividness
of color and form burn into you, until everything takes on a
veritable glow. Try to capture that glow when you close your
eyes now and picture your surroundings. It’s just a simple
step to extend what you see with your eyes closed into what
you remember seeing in the next room, or what you *imagine*
seeing in the next building, the next city, even the other
side of the world. Don’t expect perfect results, especially at
first. Just try to be even partly right. Another exercise is
to picture a clock face, and thereby tell the time
clairvoyantly.
THE AURA
Under the right conditions, it is possible to
clairvoyantly observe a colored light around other people.
This is known as the ‘aura’. Sometimes the aura is seen as
multi-colored emanations around the person, built up of
various differently colored layers and zones. Although many
occult dabblers claim to be able to see the aura easily and
under many varied conditions, I seriously doubt that they do.
There are optical illusions and qualities of sight which can
sometimes trick one into thinking he sees what he does not
see. In this area, the quality of sight known as after image
is especially pertinent. Do this: stare at any solidly colored
bright object for a few moments. Very intense red, green, or
blue are especially good for this. Now look away at a white
surface and you will see a phantom image of the object in its
complementary color (a red object will show green, a blue one
orange, etc.). If the bright object is in front of a light
surface, you may observe a fringe of complementary color
around the object after a few moments. This is all very
normal, and is used by some magical groups as an aid to
visualization sometimes called ‘flashing colors’. Some silly
people will stare at other people in the same way. And when
they see the after image of the person’s clothing, they think
they are seeing his aura. What is more, various meanings have
been attributed to the colors of the aura. A psychic who can
see the aura is supposed to be able to determine that persons
emotional state. Thus psychic frauds can have a marvelous
time with auras. One deluded psychic taught a class I
attended in which he performed instant psychoanalysis on the
basis of the supposed aura. It was obvious that he was
actually observing after images from the students clothes!
This brings us to the chart of aura colors on the next
page. It is a general guide, based mostly on Theosophical
material. Various groups may attribute different meanings to
the colors. The colors we show on the chart are emotional in
nature; useful if you plan to create an artificial elemental
or do healing. Surrounding yourself with a particular color
will tend to produce the specific psychological effect
described in the chart. That quality of color is useful in
magick ritual.
.pa (next page)
COLORS OF THE AURA
BLACK malice
dark gray depression
pale gray fear
BROWN materialism
muddy gray selfishness
or
dull rust
RED energy
bright red anger and force
dirty red passion and sensuality
dull red selfish love
rose unselfish love
ORANGE pride
orange cloud irritability
bright orange noble indignation
YELLOW intellect
yellow-green low intellect
earthy yellow selfish thought
lemmon high intellect
bright gold logical thinking
brt. red-yel. spiritual thought
GREEN empathy
gray-green deceit, jealously
greenish-brown jealousy
emerald green unselfish resourcefulness
foliage green sympathy & empathy
brt. apple-grn strong vitality
brt. turquoise deep sympathy & compassion
BLUE devotion (religious feeling)
gray-blue fetishism
light blue noble spiritual devotion
dark blue religious feeling
brt. lilac-blu lofty religious idealism
VIOLET spiritual psychic & spiritual
faculty
WHITE purity/protection
.pa
THOUGHTFORMS AND SPIRITS
Whenever we concentrate our thoughts, we draw psychic
energy together. This is called a thoughtform. Usually the
energy dissipates as soon as we break the concentration, but
it is possible to purposely concentrate energy in this way,
producing very strong thoughtforms. Such thoughtforms are
vortexes or centers of psychic energy. They can exist as
entities by themselves, at least for a while. They are
basically inanimate, non-thinking forces. Talking to one is
about as logical as talking to a chair. In this way,
thoughtforms are similar to elementals, ghosts, and spirits.
All of these psychic entities consist of a psychic energy
vortex which could be described as a localized field or as a
discontinuity of the physical world.
Psychic entities respond to certain electrostatic and
magnetic fields, and to other energy vortexes. That is why
they respond to magick ritual. Someday, we may accomplish the
same thing with electronic machines. Psychic entities are
sometimes able to affect our thought processes.
Thoughtforms, elementals, and ghosts are usually not
very smart. If they display any intelligence at all, it is
limited. They are the morons of the spirit world. Their
behavior is usually automatic, repetitive, robot-like (just
like some people). We see that artificial elementals
are little more than astral robots. Spirits and deities are
more intelligent and volitional.
DIRECTED ATTENTION
Your mind follows your attention. Wherever you direct
your attention, there will your thoughts go too. By directing
attention to a specific place or purpose you *focus* mental
energy upon it.
For example: you’re having lunch in a cafeteria
crowded with people. It is a large place, and everyone there
is talking at once, so that the room is a constant jumble of
noise. You happen to notice a man accross the room; he
reminds you of someone. All at once he drops his fork and you
hear it hit the table. But would you have noticed the sound
of his fork if you had not been looking? No. Only by focusing
your attention there were you able to pick out that
individual event and associated sound.
It is a dark night. You are walking and the only
light you have is from the flashlight you hold in your hand.
As you move the flashlight around, the beam of light from it
directs your attention first one way then another. Now, the
mind is something like that flashlight in the dark. And by
directed attention, you point the mind to one place or
another. As with that flashlight beam, you see where the mind
is pointed; nothing more. The rest is ‘noise’. And so we
could define mental noise as anything not focused upon. In
another way, noise could be considered as negative emotions,
attitudes, and thoughts which make it more difficult to
direct the attention.
Your emotions follow your thoughts quite easily. Your
emotions are not YOU, but are rather reactions prompted by
your model and ego — like a performance or an act, while
the real you watches. In a similar way, directing your
attention toward a specific emotion will cause you to
experience that emotion.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is the aura?
2) What is a thoughtform?
3) How can you develope clairvoyance?
BOOK LIST
Annie Bessant and Charles Leadbeater, Thought Forms.
W.E. Butler, How to Develop Clairvoyance.
J.H. Brennan, Astral Doorways.
Piero Ferrucci, What We May Be.
Kilner, The Human Aura.
Swami Panchadasi, The Human Aura.
A.E. Powell, The Etheric Double.
Harold Sherman, How to Make ESP Work for You.
** MAGICK 7 — BASIC RITUAL **
It may be said that ritual is the very heart of
magick. For it is through ritual that we acheive our magical
results. Ritual is a magical procedure or ceremony we perform
in order to change the environment. Usually we think of
ritual as bearing on active magick, although certainly, it
can also affect passive magick. Most often the change
achieved is subjective and in the physical world. Outsiders
may put them down to coincidence, but the effects are very
real. Magical goals for a ritual should not be taken lightly.
The successful practice of magick depends upon strong
belief. The simplest ritual of them all must be belief
itself. If you can believe in your desired results strongly
enough, that act is a magical ritual which will achieve your
results. Even a very complex ritual is no more effective than
strong belief. There are aids to concentration which may
help. Thus in *creative visualization*, imagination and
controlled breathing are brought into play.
CREATIVE VISUALIZATION
When you want to magically achieve something, first
picture it clearly in your mind. The more deffinite and
specific your idea of what it is the better. Picture yourself
having it or doing it. Visualize it as vividly and as
intensely as you can and hold it in your thoughts for a few
moments. Concentrate on it intensely (it may help to hold
your breath). Feel the energy of desire welling up inside
you. Then suddenly feel the image or desire released from
your mind. Feel the energy filtering through the image and
intensifying it, as if the image is a ‘stencil’. Imagine the
energy exploding out from you into the macrocosm in all
directions at once, and feel the universe ’tilt’ as it reacts
to the force. (At the same time it may help to release your
breath suddenly). Feel the energy draining from you. Finally,
*believe* that your purpose *has* been accomplished; that it
HAS HAPPENED, perhaps saying something such as “so mote it
be”, or “it is done”.
THE BASIC PARTS OF A RITUAL
Often rituals are more formal than the above, but any
full magick ritual must always reduce to these stages —
1) imaging; 2) building; 3) firing. Sometimes a ritual must
be repeated every day for a while to achieve difficult
results or to overcome weak belief.
THE MAGICK CIRCLE
Often an important part of formal ritual is the
magick circle. Medieval magicians considered the circle
essential, and placed great emphasis upon its exactness.
Elaborate designs were invented with many layers of complex
symbols and words. It was very important that the circle
be completely intact with no breaks in it. The magician
and any other participants stand in the circle during ritual.
Today, circles are made on the floor with chalk or paint,
rock salt, or a rope. Whatever its form, the circle is
still an important part of magical protection for the
magician. This is especially important for aversive entities
and purposes. The circle also helps in focusing the energy of
the ritual toward its purpose, that is, it keeps it contained
until the magician is ready to release it. Of course, the
magick circle is basicly only a symbol, but it may eventually
be possible to supplement the circle with electronic
equipment for a similar purpose. We are researching the
practicality of electrostaticly charged Faraday shields.
ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTALS
An artificial elemental is useful for certain
tasks: 1) invisible watcher and observer, telling you what
it sees; 2) psychic guard; 3) it can be used in healing; 4)
it is helpful in other ways. Ophiel calls the artificial
elemental a ‘familiar’. Producing your own artificial
elemental is fairly easy. YOU MUST ASSUME THAT THE ACT HAS
PRODUCED RESULTS, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT IMMEDIATELY OBSERVE
THEM. It is entirely possible to produce one of these little
beasties and not know it (not being clairvoyant enough to
observe it directly). Therefore, and this is a general
principle of any magick, never ignore forces you have set
into motion. Even though you may not see the elemental, you
may nevertheless ‘feel’ it.
WARNING — Do not use artificial elementals for any
kind of aversive magick at this point; they can be nasty
little critters to get rid of. Should you have to eliminate
one of them which you created in error, you must re-absorb
it back into yourself through your will; or in some cases
you can ‘exorcise’ it.
HOW TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTAL
You can create your own artificial elemental for
various purposes. An artificial elemental is basically a
thoughtform which has been strengthened with emotion. Refer
to the aura color chart in the previous lesson and decide
what color to make the elemental, based upon your intended
purpose. Apple green is a good choice for general purposes.
Then decide on a shape or outline. Do you want your elemental
to resemble some sort of animal? A simple circle or cloud is
a good place to start. With this in mind you can use ritual
to create your elemental. Creative visualization is good for
this. Visualize it glowing before you. A darkened room is
helpful for this.
Communicate with your elemental with telepathy, by
talking to it, or with creative visualization. Your
artificial elemental is closely linked to you and your
subconscious attitudes. It will generally not do things you
think it cannot do. As in any magick, results relate to
effort and belief. Another way of looking at an artificial
elemental is as an aspect of your personality (sub
personality) which has been detached from you.
INVOCATION
Formal ritual usually involves the invocation
(ritually calling up) of a god or goddess, spirit, or other
entity. In this sense, magick is somewhat similar to pagan
religion and witchcraft. However, we consider magick ritual
a technique, not a religion. Worship need not be involved.
Sometimes the invocation of an entity creates an artificial
elemental.
Crowley says there are three different kinds of
invocation —
1) Devotion to the entity (as in the Bhakti yoga of
the Hare Krishna sect; the Faustian devil pact).
2) Ceremonial invocation — usual method of the
middle ages.
3) Drama — usually needs more than one person (as in
a mass).
>>CAUTIONS<<
1. Often as not a ritual may produce side-effects,
usually something similar to, though not exactly the desired
goal. If the true goal is delayed (as sometimes happens) we
may see the side effects first. And if for some reason the
goal is not achieved at all (‘missing the target’) the side
effects may be pronounced. Examples: 1) You use magick ritual
to hurry shipment of an anticipated package in the mail. Side
effect — the next day an unexpected package (the
wrong one) arrives instead. 2) You use magick ritual to cause
a certain person to phone you. Side effect — for several
days all sorts of people phone you…The sides effects will
not affect you (or anyone else) adversely unless that is
what you inwardly want.
2. We may say with certainty that “something always
happens” when we perform a magick ritual. But like everything
else, magick follows the ‘law of results’. This means that
results require effort of some kind. And if you don’t work
hard enough at it you don’t get results. Difficult goals have
greater resistance (magical inertia) to overcome. If the
ritual doesn’t produce the desired results there is a good
chance that the reason for the failure is within oursleves.
Be certain there is no contradiction between your model
and your magical goals. Sometimes self doubt and mental
contradictions (wanting and not wanting at the same time) may
interfere. The first step in magick is to re-program your
model. And, of course you can help your magical results by
working on the physical level toward your goals. Don’t expect
them to fall into your lap by themselves.
3) A peculiar quality of magick is time displacement.
Results of a ritual are not usually instantaneous. There is
often a delay of 12 hours or more. Difficult tasks or weakly
performed ritual are more likely to be delayed. In most cases
a slight delay is alright, and it gives us time to get used
to the comming changes. And sometimes the effects of a ritual
appear to extend to before the ritual was performed!
4) Because of the way magick works, a ritual may
create an emphasis in what is sought, and a de-emphasis in
everything else. Balance is therefore important here. Once
the magical result is achieved it may be ‘bound’ to you and
difficult to get rid of should you later decide to do so.
Example: You use a magick ritual to help you find and buy a
new house. Years later when you decide to sell it, you are
unable to do so. Consider your magical goals wisely so you
dont get stuck with something you don’t really want. Note
that theory says you can always unbind through ritual what
was bound to you…theory says.
5) Sometimes the environment appears to react against
the magick after the results are achieved. This is
particularly noticeable in using magick to affect the weather
(and the main reason why you should NOT use magick to affect
the weather). For example…Your performance of a ritual to
produce a sunny day produces a sunny day. The next day is
sunny, alright, but the rest of the month is cold and
overcast. Here the weather seems to react to the magick in
the opposite way to re-establish its natural balance. It is
something like pushing a pendulum to one side and releasing
it — the pendulum swings to the other side. To quote
Emmerson — “For everything you gain you lose something…”.
I don’t know that this is always true in magick, but it does
illustrate the point. And another reason not to use magick to
affect the weather is that it might foul it up in other parts
of the country (world??).
6) Finally, magick ritual (or any magick or
occultism) is very dangerous for the mentally unstable. If
you should somehow ‘get out too far’, eat ‘heavy foods’ as
previously discussed (lesson on chakras) and use your
religious background or old belief system for support. But
remember too, that wierd experiences are not necessarily bad
experiences.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is creative visualization?
2) List the basic parts of a ritual.
3) What is invocation?
RESEARCH TOPICS (for independent study)
1) Examine the differences between western magick and oriental
magick.
2) How do medieval grimoirs follow the basic ritual pattern?
BOOK LIST
P.E.I. Bonewitz, Real Magic.
David Conway, Magic: an Occult Primer (or Ritual Magic).
Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice.
Denning and Phillips, Creative Visualization.
Ophiel, Creative Visualization.
A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.
________, The Mental Body.
Joseph Weed, Wisdom of the Ancient Masters.
Julian Wilde, Grimoire of Chaos Magick.
** MAGICK 8 — HEALING AND BANISHING **
Psychic or spiritual healing is a human potential we
all possess. Some people are especially good at this. It is
probably easier to heal someone else by occult means than
yourself. In addition to healing in the presence of the
person, there is ‘absent healing’ in which the healing
occurs at a distance. Note that there are some who maintain
that influence on another person without his specific
knowledge and permission (yes, even in healing and helping)
is black magick. (After all, everybody is living according to
his own true will, so that healing or helping someone
without permission is affecting his will). This means it is
important to tell the person what you are planning to do and
to ask his permission. The theory of psychic healing is that
sickness is characterized (although not necessarily caused)
by a deficiency and imbalance of vital energy. Psychic
healing transfers energy from the healer to the sick to
repair and rebalance his energies. If an inept healer
overdoes the process, or if he doesn’t take the precaution
to ‘disconnect’ himself afterwards, he may find himself
becoming sick due to energy drain and a linkage to his
subject. Similarly, the healer should always be in a good
state of health or he could unintentionally transfer his
illness to the subject.
The basic methods of psychic healing are: 1) creative
visualization, 2) prayer, 3) ritual. Creative visualization
is one of the easiest techniques. Mild illness may yield to
only one or two treatments; serious ills will require
many treatments over time. Psychic healing should always be
combined with medical care and treatment. It does not replace
doctors, medicine, or hospitals, since different levels
(worlds) are involved. In creative visualization, we
visualize the person being well. It may be helpful to utilize
the appropriate color from the aura chart (such as bright
apple-green, rose pink, or white) sent as a beam to the
person or as a cloud surrounding him. This technique can be
extended to include a simple kind of yoga in which we feel
energy sent as we exhale explosively; the energy sent either
via the breath or from one of the chakras such as the solar
plexus. Sometimes in absent healing it is helpful to arrange
a time for treatment in advance, asking your subject to be in
a receptive state of mind and to sit back and close his eyes.
THE BANISHING RITUAL
One of the most basic and useful ceremonial rituals
of magick is called the *banishing ritual*, or lesser
ritual of the pentagram. A pentagram (or pentacle) is a
five-pointed star with the point up. The banishing ritual is
helpful in psychic protection and healing since it forms a
protective barrier against malevolent forces. The psychic
barrier it creates can be made to permit entry of desired
(constructive) forces and the exclusion of negative ones.
Thus, the banishing ritual is an essential first step in
almost any formal full magick ceremony. The ritual requires
that you use a magical implement or “weapon”, such as a
ceremonial knife, wand, or simply point your index finger, to
“draw” the pentagram in the air at each of the cardinal
points (four directions). Also, you will be chanting
(‘vibrating’) some Hebrew names of God.
Holding your magical weapon and facing east, extend
your arm out straight in front of you. In this ritual you
will use the full sweep of your arm to draw the pentagram in
the air. Follow the description below by beginning at the
lower left and sweeping your magical weapon up toward the
right, etc. as shown. Do not bend your arm at the wrist or
elbow. While you do this, visualize the lines and eventually
the star as vibrant white, floating in the space before you.
You are projecting energy to do this, and the result will be
a gleaming 5-pointed star floating in the east; visualize
this as vividly as you can. Now you will energize it further
by piercing the center of it with your magical weapon and
vibrating (speaking slowly in a slightly lower than normal
pitch, remember) “Yod-He-Vau-He”.
=============================================
— DESCRIPTION —
Approximate points on a round clock face —
1. Begin at 7:30 position.
2. Point to 12 oclock position.
3. Point to 4:30 position.
4. Point to 10:30 position.
5. Point to 2:30 position.
6. Return to 7:30 position.]
=============================================
Then turn slowly to the next cardinal point in
sequence, and as you do so, with your arm still extended in
front of you, visualize a white line connecting around to
the cardinal point. Trace a similar pentagram with the
appropriate words and following the same procedure:
South — Adonai Tzaboath
West — Eh-Ei-He
North — Agla.
Now complete the white line drawn back to the center of the
eastern pentagram. Note that the cardinal points must be
followed in a clockwise order, and the pentagram must be
drawn in the manner illustrated; to do otherwise would change
the function of the ritual. The result of all this should be
a large bright white pentagram visualized hanging in mid-air
at each of the four directions, all tied together by a bright
white line. You could now, for example, visualize the
pentagrams moving out to the circumference of your home,
thereby protecting all within.
There is also a somewaht simplified version of this
ritual in which the pentagram is traced only once overhead
and then is energized with one of the four names, such as
“Eh-Ei-He”. Oftentimes the simplified version is sufficient,
but naturally the effect of the full version is more
complete.
One of the primary uses of this ritual is to ward off
psychic attack — that is, when another is (consciously or
unconsciously) attempting to harm you, cause sickness,
accidents, bad dreams, emotional upset, or to force you to do
something against your will. Fortunately this doesn’t happen
very often. The world of the magician is fairly safe for the
pure of heart. Psychic attack usually depends upon
vulnerabilities. If you are not vulnerable you are safe. Thus
unificaition with the true will is the greatest protection
possible. And the use of the banishing ritual is never
hurtful. You can even use it to hold off negative aspects of
yourself.
Other forms of protection sometimes helpful
(depending upon one’s egregore/model) are recitation of the
‘Lord’s Prayer’, the 23rd, and 91st Psalms.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is a pentagram?
2) What is psychic healing? List the basic methods.
3) What is the banishing ritual? Why is it used?
BOOK LIST
Dion Fortune, Psychic Self-Defense.
________, Sane Occultism.
Adeliade Gardner, Vital Magnetic Healing.
Max Heindel, The Vital Body.
Ernest Holms, The Science of Mind.
Mouni Sadhu, Theurgy.
** MAGICK 9 — ASTRAL PROJECTION **
Astral projection (OOBE, out of the body experience)
is a popular area of occult literature; for traveling to see
other worlds and places while the physical body sleeps or is
entranced is an exciting notion. Astral projection is not
dangerous. It is as safe as sleeping. Most dreams are probably
unconscious astral projections, anyway. Although there has
been quite a bit written on the subject, astral projection
is difficult for many people. The main difficulty is the
tendency to forget dream consciousness upon awakening.
Accordingly, the successful practice of astral projection
requires work.
Modern psychology discounts the idea of actual OOBE
(that the spirit temporarily vacates the physical body).
However, the idea is very ancient. The Tibetans have an
entire system of yoga (dream yoga) based upon astral
projection. And here we have an important assumption: you are
involved in an OOBE (at least to a degree) whenever you
dream. What sets it apart from a full OOBE is your hazy
consciousness during the experience and poor recall
afterwards. Many people forget most of their dreams
completely. Learning astral projection requires a kind of
inner mental clarity and alertness.
Dreams are a door to the subconscious which can be
used for psychological and spiritual insight, and sometimes
for precognition. Dream content is influenced by external
sounds and sensations. For example, a loud external noise
(such as a train) will likely appear in your dream (if it
doesn’t wake you up!). Dreams are also influenced by events
of the previous day, by your moods, and by suggestion.
Everyone normally dreams 4 or 5 times a night (about every 2
hours). The longest dreams occur in the morning. Everyone
dreams. You are more likely to remember the details of your
dream when you first wake up. By keeping a dream diary you
will improve dream recall. Have writing equipment or a tape
recorder at your bedside for this purpose; also a light
which isn’t too bright. Suggest to yourself several times
before you go to sleep, “I will awaken with the knowledge of
a dream.” Then when you do awaken, move quietly (sometimes
just turning over drives the idea away). Remember first,
then write the dream down, and then add as many details as
possible. The next day check for objective facts and expand
if you can (by remembering ‘what happened before that’). Once
you start remembering your dreams in this way, it will
become easier to do so. (If you are unsuccessful at this,
and *really* want to remember your dreams, you could
arrange for someone to sit by your bedside all night long
with a dim light on. Then when he sees your eyes moving back
and forth — rapid eye movements, a sign you are dreaming —
he can wake you and ask for a dream report.)
FORMS OF ASTRAL PROJECTION
Astral projection may be subdivided into three basic
types: mental projection, astral projection (proper) and
etheric projection. And your OOBE may shift between them.
Mental projection is really simple clairvoyance (‘remote
viewing’), and ‘traveling in your mind’. Imagination plays
a key role. The experience of mental projection is not
particularly vivid, and you will more likely be an observer
than a participant. Nevertheless, mental projection is an
important ‘way in’ to astral projection proper.
During mental projection and astral projection you
are able to travel through solid objects, but are not able
to act directly upon them or to move them (if they are in
the physical world). This is not true during etheric
projection. Whether it is simply subconscious expectation,
or whether it is a true etheric projection which in theory
means that part of your physical body has been relocated
with your projection (the etheric or vital part) may be
difficult to determine. Etheric projections generally travel
at or very near the physical world. There are even cases
reported (very, very rare ones) in which the entire physical
body is transferred to another location (teleportation), or
cases in which the physical body exists and acts in two
separate places at once (bilocation)!
But our primary interest is astral projection
proper, and mental projection to a lesser extent. Astral and
mental projection are not confined to the physical world.
Travel in the mental and astral realms is feasible, and
often preferred. Nor are astral and mental projection

You must be logged in to post a comment.