Tag: Plane (esotericism)

ASTRAL TRAVEL SIMPLICITY ITSELF

ASTRAL TRAVEL SIMPLICITY ITSELF
Author Unknown

The step by step instructions that I was taught, similar to those in the
LLEWELYN Practical Guide to Astral Travel, worked better for me – it took me
a lot of practice to get to where I could do it and it seems that for most
people it takes practice, although some can do it spontaneously.  In fact it
happens to some the first few times with no warning and then, after worrying
they have gone crazy for a while, they later learn what it is. But I did just
want to say for those like me for whom it does NOT come easy, not to get
discouraged but to try working with it one step at a time.

Two interesting points about astral travel for me.  One is that I find it more
interesting to explore the astral planes than to explore specific locations on
this plane.  However when you are first learning, exploring specific locations
on this plane can help.  Laurie Cabot suggests picking a store near you that you
have never been in, try projecting to it, immediately on arising write down your
impressions of it and then, as soon as you can, visit the store and check out
your impressions.  If they are not all correct, don’t be discouraged The example
she gives is DID YOU SEE RED BEHIND THE CASH REGISTER AND IT’S NOT THERE?  Perhaps the cashier that day or evening was wearing a Red sweater!  The longer you wait to visit the establishment, the more likely it is they will move
something or change a display, so go soon after your visit.

The second is that I used to do it as a kid, no problem – right up until my Dad
told me it was all in my head and I had imagined it. Then I couldn’t do it
anymore.

A note here – My DAD, who used to be a hard-core skeptic, started attending a
Spiritualist Church I hung-out at when he married my step-mother.  I find it
humorous that originally he went there because it was non-denominational so you don’t have to believe everything the ministers teach and because he liked the
ministers, but he didn’t buy the Psychic stuff.  Well, lately he’s changing his
mind as he’s had some startling experiences.  I’m good, I’m nice, I don’t tell
him he is imagining things.  But I can’t help laughing about it to myself
just a little bit.

Oh, some of the stuff the Llewelyn book suggests is to practice opening your
chakras first and grounding the energy, work on that for 1 week to 1 month.
WHEN YOU HAVE IT DOWN PAT (be honest with yourself here or you can forget it) work on projecting a cloud of your energy out through your solar plexus (some people work better projecting from the 3d eye, I personally project the body through the solar plexus and when I project the consciousness into it, I do it via the 3d eye.  BUT since these are all merely visual aids to doing something
non-physical, I am not sure that it matters IF YOU ARE ACHIEVING VALID RESULTS) and leaving this energy as a cloud only then reabsorbing it. YOU DO NOT PROJECT YOUR AWARENESS INTO IT.  You absolutely MUST reabsorb it.  That is done for a week or a month or however long it takes.  It is done by creative visualization until you get it to the point where you can feel that it is something more.

Then you do the same thing for a week or a month, ONLY YOU SHAPE THE CLOUD INTO A SIMULCRAM OF YOUR BODY (if you are also trying to heal yourself, use the ideal form you wish to achieve – make it realistic and so it looks like you) WITHOUT projecting consciousness to it, you send it out to watch a situation you can later check on for yourself. When it comes back at a prearranged time later on, meditate for a while and write down your impressions AND DO NOT THROW ANY OF THEM OUT AS THEY SEEM SILLY OR IMPOSSIBLE – truth is often stranger than fiction.  Check on these later, DISCREETLY – don’t TELL people you sent an astral traveler to them, say I HEARD THAT you went such and such a place today while I was in school so you can say to your mom that someone saw her and told you or something, OR just say it’s a hunch, or, if you have the impression that your mom called your grandmother while you were in school, just say I WONDER HOW GRANDMA IS DOING? and see if your mother doesn’t say, THAT’S WEIRD SHE CALLED ME TODAY.

PEOPLE GET PARANOID IF THEY THINK THAT YOU CAN WATCH THEM – AND THEY ALSO THINK YOU ARE THE CRAZY ONE IF YOU SAY YOU CAN DO THIS. Interestingly enough science (psychology) tells us that one of the classic symptoms of Paranoia is to think the OTHER person is crazy.

Always be sure to bring the simulcram back at the pre-arranged time and REABSORB IT!

The next step is to project consciousness into it, go out with it, and reabsorb
the energy/substance afterwards – but only try this once you have the watcher
exercise down pat.

THESE EXERCISES SHOULD BE DONE FROM A MEDITATIVE STATE.

ALWAYS SHIELD YOURSELF BEFORE TRAVELING

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FOUR METHODS OF ASTRAL PROJECTION

FOUR METHODS OF ASTRAL PROJECTION

Method One:
Start off by placing some markers around your room or home. These markers could include such things as a rose, a bowl of cold water, a shoe, etc.. Now lie down on your bed. Next, get up and make a circle, going from one marker to the next and back to your bed. Involve yourself with each of the markers. Smell the rose. Feel the cool wetness of the water. Feel the texture of the rubber sole of the
shoe. When you return to the bed, lie down in your original position.

The next step is to visualize above you a cloud of the purest white. It may
remain as a cloud or you can form it into the shape of your own body (idealized
if desires). You may notice a connection between your physical body and your
double in the form of an umbilical-like cord at your navel, solar plexus, third
eye area, or at the top of your head. People experience this cord in different
places.

Now, will the cloud or double to circle around the markers following the same
path that you had taken earlier. If you noticed the cord, you can see that it
will stretch indefinitely. Have the double or cloud smell the rose, feel the
water and feel the shoe, just as you did earlier. Eventually, this imaginary
tour will change to bi-locationality and finally to astral projection. Once you
have attained these states, there’s no need to limit yourself as to where you
can go. Feel free to visit a friend’s home. Remember that you are learning a
new skill, so don’t try to go too far until you are very comfortable with the
experience.

Even if you are only using imagination, always reabsorb the double or cloud back
into your physical body when you have completed your journey. Also, always end
with a banishing ritual.

Method Two:
This is similar to method one. Either lie down or sit in a chair. Begin by
visualizing a cloud in front of you (or over you if you are lying down). If you
wish, you may form it into a double of yourself.

Now, firmly desire to transfer your consciousness to the double. If you feel a
sudden change in your body, described by some as a lightening or vibrating
feeling, will yourself to open your eyes. Do not try to physically open your
eyes by using your muscles. Just will yourself to see. Do not be surprised when
you see your physical body in front of you.

Spend no more then three minutes concentrating or trying to cause your
consciousness to leave your body and join your Astral self. If it works, fine.
If it doesn’t work in about three minutes, that is fine too. Relax, take some
deep breaths, and try again tomorrow.

The key to succeeding with this system (and with all of the methods, really) is
the URGENT DESIRE TO LEAVE your physical body. When you succeed, be sure to reabsorb the double into your physical body at the end of the projection. Of course, do banishings before and after.

Method Three:
Lie naked on a bed. Have a friend or relative put a folded heavy bedspread on
your feet. Now have your aide slowly drag the folded spread up your body until
it reaches the top of your head. Then the person helping you should quickly lift
the spread up and away from you and quietly leave the room.

Now duplicate the process in your mind’s eye. Only instead of a bedspread, feel
your Astral body rising up. First your feet rise, then your ankles, calves,
knees and so forth to the top of your head. At the point where the bedspread was
lifted from your physical body, imagine your consciousness going with the Astral
body. When finished, reabsorb the double or cloud back into your physical body.

Method Four:
Hear the musical note D natural above middle C in your mind. A little practice
with a piano, pitch pipe, or a friend with a musical instrument will make this
pitch familiar to you. Now double the frequency of the pitch in your mind so
that you hear a pitch an octave higher then the first note. If you are not a
musician, a friend with musical knowledge can help you with this.

Again hear the tune, only an additional octave higher, then hear it an octave
above that. Continue this process until you are far above a piano’s range.

You will notice that you are feeling lighter as the notes get higher in pitch.
You may sense a vibration in your head. Let the sound rise higher and higher as
you feel THE SOUND rise towards the ceiling of your room. When you sense that
the sound is as high as you can go, both as a pitch and within the confines of
the room, will your eyes to open. Again, don’t be surprised if you see your
physical body below. When finished, allow the double to be reabsorbed into the
physical body. This method is particularly good for musicians.

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Let’s Talk Witch – What Is a Spirit Guide?

Celtic & British Isles Graphics
Let’s Talk Witch – What Is a Spirit Guide?

Benevolent Guides:

Many people believe they have spirit guides. Some refer to theirs as angels or guardians. Regardless, if you believe you have one, a spirit guide is there simply to guide, not as an entity that you need to give yourself over to. If a spirit guide has a negative influence on your behavior, then chances are good that it’s not a spirit guide at all, but something else entirely. These are some of the more commonly found types of spirit guides:

Ascended Masters:

These are guides often found by people who do energy work, such as . A ascended master who appears as a spirit guide is often a being that led a physical life and has moved on to a higher spiritual plane — for example, Buddha, Krishna, even Jesus. Ascended masters usually work with collective groups of souls — in other words, if you’ve got an ascended master hanging around you, you’re not the only one he or she is helping. Their primary focus is that of helping all of humanity. It’s not uncommon for an ascended master to have access to Akashic records. Also referred to as Master Teacher guides.

Ancestral Guides:

An ancestral guide is one who can claim  with you, such as your dear Aunt Tillie who died when you were ten. It may also appear in the form of a long-dead ancestor. In some schools of thought, these entities are seen as  guides, because they are the spirits of someone who loved us during their physical lifetime, or who had some sort of blood connection to our family. Some people, depending on their religious upbringing, may see these types of guides as guardian angels.

Common Spirit Guide, or Teacher Guide:

A typical spirit guide is archetypical, symbolic or representative of something else. For example, you may find your guide appears in the form of a warrior, a storyteller, or a wise woman, and they have appeared to you for a purpose. Typically, that purpose is to teach you and guide you along a particular path. They may also introduce you to other  along your journey, and help out with problem solving, based upon your needs. They are known to provide insight by way of dreams or meditation, and may only hang around as long as you need them, then move on.

Animal Guides:

Although many people claim to have animals as s, often these entities are more companions than anything else. It’s not uncommon for a deceased pet to linger around, keeping you company through the grieving process. In some spiritual traditions, such as various  or shamanic paths, a person may have an animal totem, which provides teaching and/or protection.

Source:

What Is a Spirit Guide?
By Patti Wigington, About.com

 

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Upon the Astral Plane and the Afterlife

Upon the Astral Plane and the Afterlife

Author:   Grey Glamer   

In their role as walkers between the worlds, Witches and Heathens are creatures born from apparent paradox. While the individual practitioner may emphasize one or the other, most Neopagans simultaneously honor both the multiplicity and the fundamental unity of All That Is. Meaning no disrespect to the true polytheists among us, I myself find deepest inspiration when I acknowledge one immanent Holy One who wears many masks.

As human beings, though, we’re decidedly prone to losing sight of the forest for the trees, and thus I find beneficial the practice of returning to our most basic beliefs from time to time. My purpose in writing this essay isn’t to resolve all the apparent dualities in our world, or any such herculean task. Rather, I want to focus upon one particular duality that profoundly shapes the quest shared by mystics and magicians, the observed gap between the realms of matter and of spirit, and the ways by which that divide shapes our sense of life, death, and rebirth.

Employing the term in the contemporary, non-Siberian sense, contemporary Witchcraft is a shamanic path. While many Witches and Heathens prefer to conceptualize and discuss magic via the language of energies and vibrations, at some point within our developing quest we encounter some non-physical entity that’s sentient in roughly the same sense that we are sentient. Whether we meet them during our astral journeys or perceive their physical manifestations upon our own material realm, they are undeniably real, possessing strangely familiar feelings and motivations.

Speaking from my own admittedly limited experience, some spiritual beings are beneficent, while some leave morality to be desired. Most are somewhere in the middle, neither angels nor demons. In fact, for all their whimsicality, the average spirit seems very, very human. They have needs and desires, dreams and fears, just like you and me.

This class of being, which impresses itself primarily upon our intuitive sense yet with occasional physical manifestations, I define as spiritual, as opposed to material creatures like ourselves who, generally speaking, prove more intensely cognizant of the physical. Of course, there exists no creature exclusively material or spiritual. Every material creature maintains an aspect within the spiritual realms, and every spiritual being produces some resonance upon the material plane. With precious few exceptions, however, most entities favor one aspect over the other, and only when the Mists between worlds serendipitously grow thin do we even acknowledge the multifaceted nature of our cosmos.

As walkers between the worlds, Witches and Heathens learn how to step lightly from the material into the spiritual and back again. Every Circle that we conjure creates a sanctuary where the material and the spiritual may intertwine. Every spell that we cast draws the two worlds closer together. Viewed from this perspective, magic becomes the awareness of how these two realms – material and spiritual – interact with one another.

Whenever we exercise our awareness of the spiritual, however, we encounter the possibility that we will misinterpret or overvalue the experience. Just looking around, it’s not difficult to conclude that creatures within the material realm are deeply flawed, vulnerable to entropy wearing the twin guises of decay and suffering. Faced with our own decline and eventual demise, we often cast about for something beyond our finite existence, something eternal and incorruptible. We reflect upon the turbulent swirl that is our life, turning towards religion or philosophy for solace.

So when the novice Witch first encounters the spirit world, they often harbor a predisposition to believe that here rests the incorruptible something they’ve been seeking. After all, the spirit realm’s inhabitants don’t appear to be bound by the same fixed life cycles that define our physical existence. Moreover, I suspect our culture’s mythos concerning ghosts and the restless dead fuels a prejudice that says our need for something beyond the grave can be filled by the spirit world.

In my humble opinion, I believe that seeking out eternal life within the spirit world is misguided, although there are certainly worse ways by which one can err. (I’m fully aware the above statement will contradict the beliefs held by many readers, and where that happens, please understand that I don’t consider myself any sort of authority on Truth. I draw upon my experiences and my reflections to generate my unique magical paradigm. Your experiences, your reflections, and your paradigm doubtless will differ from my own, and that’s a Good Thing!)

My intention isn’t to question whether we are eternal, because I believe we are. Nor do I question the existence of the Summer Lands, that blessed abode wherein the ghost recuperates and regroups before returning to the ever-turning wheel. The Summer Lands figure within my own paradigm. Still, I question the nature of the Summer Lands, and especially their connection to realms defined as spiritual or astral.

My interest concerning the Summer Lands took on fresh significance with two recent events. The first episode occurred while I was visiting my astral sanctum around Mothers’ Day. One of the spirits who accompanied me had observed the thoughtforms that people generated as the holiday approached, and asked me whether he himself had a mother. (Spirits, like kids, say the darnedest things.) I was surprised by the question, and since then I’ve delved into path working in hopes of discovering the answer to his question. (It’s material for another essay, yet for those who wonder, I believe the answer is yes.)

The second episode occurred during an otherwise unremarkable walk around my neighborhood a couple months ago. During that walk two spirits that share my home accompanied me. The ground was still drying out from rain the previous night, and we happened upon a dead frog. Not an unusual sight where I live; there are several lakes and rivers here, and when the clouds bring rain the frogs wander up into the streets, where they’re struck by passing motorists.

The “younger” spirit could sense where the frog had been killed, and I could feel her became alarmed that the same fate could befall her. Instinctively, I reached out with what comforting energies I could, communicating the sense of safety, yet after the encounter I found myself wondering: Are spirits in some sense mortal?

To borrow from the Venerable Bede, our own finite lifespan can be compared with the sparrow, which flies from the winter storm into the king’s fire-lit hall, before returning to the storm. That is, we are conscious about our own personal history for one short span, with the vast expanse of the unknown looming large upon either side. The metaphor aptly describes our condition as material beings, yet here I was confronted with two spiritual creatures that professed ignorance regarding the darkness before and after their own existence.

Based on these encounters, I believe spirits also wonder where they originate, and what lies beyond their apparent end. Ergo, spirits don’t possess the solution for the riddle of our own mortality, because they themselves are bound by the same entropic forces.

If the spiritual realms are not immortal, then either the Summer Lands are equally liable to destruction, or else the Summer Lands somehow transcend both the material and the spiritual planes. Because I believe our cosmos, and all things that inhabit this great web of existence, are intrinsically eternal, I must take up the latter argument, that the Summer Lands are neither material nor spiritual in nature, but rather transcend both categories of existence.

To develop an accurate cosmology, which properly honors the Summer Lands, we must first inquire about the planes where finite existence, both material and spiritual, plays itself out. The pantheistic philosopher Benedict Spinoza proposed that all things in existence are but modes that have their being within a unitary, self-caused Substance, simultaneously identified with God and with the cosmos. According to Spinoza’s ontology, this Substance remains unknowable except by its attributes, two of which fall within human detection: extension and thought.

In broad strokes, these two attributes are equivalent to what I term the material and the spiritual, and like Spinoza, I regard these realms as facets of one single, otherwise unknowable (upper-case) Truth.

Eternal life may be found, not among the spiritual realm, but rather within the deeper reality towards which both the material and the spiritual point; therein we learn the true import of our astral journeys. Spirits appear human precisely because they are driven by the same mortality that defines our existence. Certain spirits are heirs to ancient wisdom, but then, some material beings teach crucial truths, as well.

Rather than seeking a spirit world with all the answers, we must prepare ourselves to encounter beings with the same hopes and fears, and we must engage those creatures with the same empathy and compassion, which we would expect.

With the sharing of mutual respect, we acquire insight into the (upper-case) Truth wherein we may discover the Summer Lands and our own incorruptible nature. While spiritual beings don’t enjoy the complete picture, they do view the puzzle from angles that we seldom adopt.

Conversely, as material creatures we grasp certain aspects of reality more readily than most spirits can. Just like the proverbial blind people who grasp different parts of the elephant, we each hold crucial parts belonging to the most sublime puzzle. Only by building bridges of mutual cooperation with our astral cousins can we hope to remember our shared immortality.

May we walk lightly and with compassion.

___________________________________

Footnotes:
Spinoza, Benedict. “The Ethics.” The Rationalists. New York: Anchor Books, 1974.

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Spell Ingredients: Add a Large Dose of Reality

Spell Ingredients: Add a Large Dose of Reality

Author:   Solonius   

The first ingredient for any spell: A large dose of reality…. I mean, really, what do you expect? If all spells worked, wouldn’t humanity universally believe in witchcraft and magic and use it wholeheartedly? And to that extent wouldn’t worthy practitioners be a desired commodity? It is imperative for practitioners to separate their wishful and whimsical fantasies from serious study, contemplation, experimentation and application.

I believe that in order to further understand and define the super-natural, you first have to develop and have a thorough understanding of the natural. Any study of the Craft requires a greater amount of study into the realm of Laws of Nature and the Laws of Physics. After all, how can you define what is extra-ordinary, if you don’t even know the extent of what is ordinary?

The Laws of Physics are many, and the typical high-school student mostly understands the important ones. Opposites attract (by and large this only works for ions, kids, not people) , for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force, for any change in state the by-product or causation is heat, etc. How can better knowing these things help us in a greater understanding of our spell work? Because all these things deal with Energy, and what is the Universe constructed of? Anyone…? Yes, Energy. And what does spell work deal with, when you boil it all down (pun intended) ? That’s right, Energy! Or more accurately, the transfer of energy. This is the First Insight that any practitioner should grasp. EVERYTHING is energy.

The Second Insight that we should understand, because it deals with both types of laws, is that Nature abhors a vacuum. That can be observed as simply as watching a balloon deflate. What do you discover with these phenomena? That Nature seeks a balance. This holds true for the Laws of Life and the Laws of Physics. The Universe naturally seeks equilibrium. Whether this is between hot/cold, high pressure/low pressure, too many predators and not enough prey, the Law stays the same. In the end, Nature will follow its Laws. You do know, though, that there is a defined and empirical Order to Things. You might not understand it fully, but you can be assured that an order exists by observing the smallest things in nature. This is crucial: Be observant to Nature and learn from it. Nature, in all its complexity, is still a system of doing things the easiest and least energy wasting way. Contemplate that reality for a while.

Where does this energy come from? Good question. Is it physical energy, which means connected to our current plane of existence? If that is so, then you would not be able to contain it for the energy you are talking about on the physical plane is electrical in nature, and you would become walking atom bombs if you gathered the energy required to perform some spells. So it can’t be a physical energy type.

Is it spiritual energy (which obviously means it is energy collected from higher levels of existence) that you are able to gather and use? The usual consensus is “Yes, it is.” This leads to the next set of questions. Can energy from higher levels of existence cause effects on a lower level of existence? How can if affect the energy in a lower existence, if the two existences are not on the same sphere? Can the physical things you do on a lower plane of existence affect what happens on a higher plane of existence? Is your mentality the only link between what you perceive as the physical plane and planes above what you can perceive with your physical senses? What is the extent of ‘Reality’, does it encompass ALL spheres of existence as ONE reality? Nature abhors a vacuum, so if As Above – So Below is a Law of Nature, does this mean that the energies of a higher plane seek a balance with the energies of a lower plane?

It is said that in the higher planes all things are possible if you only imagine it so. I further postulate that you must not only imagine it so, it must become your perceived REALITY. You must learn to tap into the energies of the higher planes, and effect permanent changes there, before any changes can happen in the physical plane. I’ve often said that there is an ocean of difference between Understanding and Knowing. Understanding is intellectual; it is accepting truth without necessarily going through all the motions to prove it. Knowing is visceral; it deals more with proof from the physical senses perceiving something as true. Ergo, to make a change here, you have to Know that you have made a change in higher realms first.

I postulate the reason for this is the hypothesis of ‘trickle down economics’ if you’d like. What does this mean? It means that in order to build a hut on the physical plane, you must first build a mansion in the higher planes. More complexly, Nature (meaning all planes of existence) seeks a balance. Nature also does things the absolute least energy-wasting way. I perceive that Nature does not easily permit energy to flow across planes of existence, even if they are in the same ‘Reality’. With As Above – So Below, you can see through a simple diagram of two superimposed triangles (one point up, the other point down) that the equilibrium point is above here and now (the bottom point) , yet below the ultimate expression (the top point) . As you move down from the ultimate expression (the open V) , less and less energy is transferred. Therefore you must have a firm and knowing conviction of what you wish to accomplish and see a clear and precise picture of it occurring, before you can hope to realize it happening.

Ironically, you should also have a wonderfully developed sense of imagination up to the point of believing in what seems impossible. Only with an active imagination can you build that mansion up to the point of actualization in the higher planes. This seems contradictory, but I don’t feel that it is. Without a firm mental picture of what you require to exist, can you hope to achieve your goal? You have to build that mansion brick by brick, through much mental exactness and conviction. This requires a great deal of imagination as well as focus. The constructed mansion should then remain in that higher plane once you have completed it. It’s there; there is no doubt of its existence in your mind. Every time you visit the higher realms your mansion is there, gleaming with its glory. Make it Reality. Does this mean that a mansion will magically appear here and now for you in the material plane? Probably not, but the single minded effort it took to imagine it as reality in the higher plane, could translate into the required motivation and focus to achieve it in the here and now. Here is something else to consider: owning the mansion is secondary to the method of achieving it.

I’ve used the visualization of a mansion to put a face to a concept. However, it holds true for any endeavor. What you wish to have happen is secondary to HOW you achieve its happening. You build the mental picture (higher plane reality) while simultaneously going through with the steps required to achieve the same results. This multiple avenue approach enlists all your faculties to achieve what your desire is. The greater the amount of energies enlisted to achieve your desire, the more energy the universe aligns with the outcome. Remember: the method of how you achieve your goal is primary to the goal itself.

As an example: There is a twice-weekly fervent prayer on many lips throughout the land: “Please let me win the lottery!” However, if you never go out to purchase a lottery ticket, the effort placed into your prayer was wasted, wasn’t it? The same occurs with your Craft. Creating a spell to achieve the end result is short sighted. You still have to do the work to realize your goal. There really are no shortcuts. I don’t mean using some elaborate spell either. I mean elaborate mental visualization, coupled with following a plan to achieve the goal. Each reinforces the other, making the possibility of achievement vastly greater. Ground that visualization into what Laws Nature has already demonstrated. This lends conviction and credibility to the achievement of the goal.

What would be the required steps to achieve that goal without using any Craft? Incorporate those steps into the visualization with your spell. Bypass any flights of fantasy; they require too much energy to maintain. After all is it easier for your mind to accept flying to work on a broomstick, or driving your car? Your mind will default to what it Knows is possible, and will automatically call B.S. to what is not. Even a child imagining flying around the house on a broomstick Knows that they are just pretending. So why kid yourself? The more reality you incorporate into your Craft, the greater the results you will receive.

*On a side note: I don’t think of the planes of Reality as floors in a skyscraper, nor are they in some cardinal Direction. They don’t exist as pages in a book, where you can turn a page and have a new reality. I think of it as a condensing of energy from zero (conversely the most dense) to the ultimate amount of energy. They are all concurrent and here and now, superimposed upon what we can only perceive as the physical plane due to the limitations of our senses. This energy is limitless to infinity. For infinity is provable as far as we have observed. Outside the edge of the growing globe of galaxies expanding outward, is vacuum. Forever. You could hypothetically travel so far away that this entire globe of expanding physical energy seems like nothing more than a single spec of brilliant light. However, the theory of infinity breaks down if you require a starting point. As Above – So Below… Infinity must go in BOTH ‘directions’ forever, or the concept breaks down.

I thank you for your time in reading this. I hope it gave you some food for contemplation, and in some way helps you with more success on your path.

Regards,
Solonius

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So What’s the Deal With Divination?

So What’s the Deal With Divination?

Author:   Brunhilde  

That everything occurring in our physical world must first have manifested in the astral plane is the traditional theory behind the art or act of ‘divination’. It is in this astral plane that the patterns of our lives and the events affecting our physical world first take shape. So, if you want to know the future on our physical plane, you can look into the astral plane and see what development is occurring there now. It is knowledge from this astral plane that you are accessing when you perform divination.

How Old Is It?

It is believed that some form of divination existed during the Stone Age. This period spans the time when the races of mankind made the transition from nomadic life to life in stationary farming communities. This transition made the individual villages and tribes more reliant on assistance from the local nature spirits. These communities were no longer able to migrate to other areas if their local food supplies ran out. By establishing farming communities, they tied their continued existence to the local food supply. Therefore, people were well motivated to contact the local nature spirits and establish a rapport with them. One clear way to communicate with the spirits was through the practice of divination. We know that the people of the ancient world relied on divination to make many of their important decisions. Each culture had its own methods for seeking advice from the spirit world. Every leader, from the heads of state to tribal councils to family elders, would utilize some form of divination on a regular basis. It was considered wise and prudent to do so.

How Do You See Into the Astral Plane?

Well, you can’t use the eyes in your face. Instead, you will be looking for signs in the astral plane by using your inner eye. You will be using your psychic sense, your spiritual essence, to open a pathway into the astral plane. You can do this by training your mind. For best results in any type of divination, you should practice placing your mind into a meditative state. It is in that altered state of awareness that you can perceive the subtle energies you are seeking.

What Is a Positive Aspect of Performing Divination?

In addition to helping you to make better decisions, another dividend of practicing divination is that it helps you to develop your psychic abilities—even if you think you don’t have any. All forms of divination require the practitioner to use their psychic sense. We all possess this sense, although it is usually not as strongly developed as our other five physical senses. After all, we have used our other five since birth! Your sixth sense may be understandably weak. But by practicing divination, you can develop and strengthen it. So if you want to be more psychic, learn a skill like divination.

Are There Negative Aspects to Performing Divination?

Of course. You can develop an unhealthy need for constant divination. You can become too dependent upon the process for help. You will feel that you are unable to make even a simple decision without consulting the spirits. You certainly don’t want to become insecure in your own decision-making process. Remember that divination can only suggest a certain course of action to you. In the end, it is you who must make the final decision. So use divination wisely.

Can We Really See Into the Future?

No, divination doesn’t do that. It can only show you a probable result, if nothing changes. Of what value is it then? Well, divination allows us to access more information regarding the question we are posing; information that is not readily apparent to us. Taking all of this additional information into account, we can now make a better decision in the here and now.

You Talkin’ To Me?!

When you perform a divination, you are usually posing a question. Some psychic practitioners, especially those who perform divinations professionally, use the aid of a spiritual third party to facilitate their divination. They may call upon this psychic helper to aid them in accessing the astral plane or assist them in interpreting the answer they receive. This third party can be the practitioner’s own personal spirit guide, a guardian angel, or a teacher spirit. You, too, can choose to perform divinations this way. If you choose to use a facilitator, then you can specifically ask them to help you see the answer to your question. And you can ask them to assist you in interpreting the answer you receive.

Talking To Yourself

To what or to whom are you asking your question? You should decide that issue before you practice divination, because your choice of facilitator may have some bearing on the type of answer you receive.

Perhaps you feel you are not accessing the astral plane when you perform divination. Some people believe that they are simply speaking to their own subconscious mind. They believe that they are communicating with their internal psyche and allowing their personal intuition to take control over their practical, pragmatic conscious mind. You may feel more comfortable with this explanation of divination.

When you think about it, all of our senses are constantly recording information that cannot be brought to the immediate attention of our conscious mind. There is simply too much information for our conscious mind to handle at any given moment. As the saying goes, T.M.I! So, our senses wisely store this glut of information in our subconscious mind. Think of your subconscious mind as a vast repository for all the information gathered by your senses. When you perform divination, you are allowing your subconscious mind to access all of that information. You can then use that data to make a better informed decision. That decision will appear as the answer to your divination.

It’s All in the Past

This idea of communicating with your subconscious mind is valid on more than one level. Many people believe in the idea of past lives and reincarnation. Some folks who believe in reincarnation propose that all the knowledge of our past lives is stored in our subconscious mind. Which makes for a huge personal database! If you believe in this idea, then for you divination is a way to access past-life information.

For example, perhaps you are seeking to answer a question concerning a problem you are having in this life. Maybe you had the same problem in a past life. Or many past lives. Wouldn’t it be great to draw upon all that previous experience dealing with the same problem? Your divination question could be worded to partake of that previous experience in your past lifetimes. For you, divination may be the simple act of viewing your personal storehouse of knowledge. You are scanning your database to help you to make a wise decision in this life.

It’s Already IN There

Some folks believe that all the knowledge you need to succeed in this lifetime is already stored in your brain. When you were on the Other Side, you decided what tasks you would accomplish in this current lifetime. You formulated your goals and decided how best to achieve them. You gathered and stored the information you would need to meet those goals. You arrived here, in this physical plane; with your life-plan and your necessary data already stored in your subconscious. You just need a way to access it and divination is one way to accomplish that task.

Info In Your Aura

There is some evidence that your thoughts and memories are not stored in your mind, conscious or otherwise. You may store information in your light body or aura body, that part of you that transits to the afterlife when your physical body dies. As noted by Debbora Wiles of Psychic Schoolhouse, there are numerous accounts of patients who have been declared clinically dead, but were resuscitated and survived. These patients later described a scenario in which they lifted up out of their physical bodies and hovered in the air above the scene of their death. They heard and saw everything that took place while they were dead. Then their physical body was revived and they floated down back into it. After being revived, they were able to recall in vivid detail all of the activity taking place around them while they were dead.

They have memories and thoughts of the event, even though their brain at the time was no longer functioning, no longer receiving data. These accounts would seem to indicate that our thoughts and memories are not stored in our brains. They are stored in our light body. When we die, our light body detaches from our physical body. Our light body takes our thoughts and memories with it into the afterlife. If we are revived and must transition back into our physical body, our light body reattaches, bringing our thoughts and memories back in with it. So it may be that we are all accessing information stored in our light bodies when we perform divination. That explanation is just one of many ideas on this topic.

What Are Good Times to Perform Divination?

Personally, I like to follow lunar cycles. Through experience, I have found that my divinations performed on the dark of the moon, when the moon and the sun occupy the same zodiac sign, are always more profound for me. The dark of the moon is the lunar phase associated with the Crone, and I have always been drawn to the Crone aspect of the goddess. But you should try performing your divinations in all the lunar phases and see which one works better for you. Start with the lunar phase that appeals to you the most.

Perhaps you are more influenced by solar energy. You may feel that sunlight energizes you psychically. Then changes in sunlight may affect your divination. You may choose to perform divination during certain times of the day, or in the first half of the year (northern hemisphere) when the sunlight is growing stronger every day.

You may be more influenced by seasonal energies. Perhaps there is a certain season of the year that holds more attraction for you than the others. During that season, you may feel more emotionally energized and attuned to psychic energies. For you then, that season may be the time when your divinations are most accurate.

Why Should I Care?

Another element that influences the success of your divination is the importance of your question. How vital is your need for an answer? The more crucial the question, the more heightened are your emotions and the more psychic energy you will pour into the divination process. That surplus of psychic energy will strongly empower your ability to receive the answer you seek.

How Do I Begin?

Examine some of the divination methods currently available. There are many. Tarot, scrying, runes, pendulums, they all require you to use your psychic ability. Explore all the methods you can find. Over time, one method will intrigue you more than the others. Begin your journey with that one. You may add other methods down the line.

Divination is a skill. And like all skills, it must be practiced in order to achieve familiarity and success. Some people have a special innate talent for it, a knack, as it were and they will achieve success at divination sooner than others. But most people will improve their abilities with practice. So don’t give up too soon and cheat yourself out of this wonderful experience.

How Long Does It Take?

It is an unfortunate hallmark of modern society that we are all conditioned to receive instant gratification. We become impatient with standing in lines or waiting our turn. Our ancient ancestors were more conditioned to waiting for results. They knew that some things were worth waiting for, especially esoteric knowledge. They learned vast amounts of information, committing that knowledge to memory over long years of study. In our modern technologically based society, we have forgotten our recent past. We expect to acquire a skill immediately. Sorry, but that is not the case with divination. So try to curb your impatience and give divination, and yourself, a chance to succeed.

My first attempts at divination involved scrying. However, I did not experience success the first time I tried it. But I kept practicing and after a few months I began to receive and interpret messages on a regular basis. And those messages became more and more accurate as I improved my ability to understand and interpret them.

If you can’t decide which method of divination to try, investigate several forms. Over a period of time, you will be attracted to one process and prefer it to all the others. Learn and practice that one process; really work at it. The results will be worth it!

Blessed Be.

________________________________________

Footnotes:
Atwater, P.M.H. The Magical Language of Runes. Bear and Company Publishing, 1990.

McCoy, Edain. Magick and Rituals of the Moon. Llewellyn Publications, 2001.

Thorsson, Edred. Runecaster’s Handbook: the Well of Wyrd. Weiser Books, 1999.

Spell Ingredients: Add a Large Dose of Reality

Spell Ingredients: Add a Large Dose of Reality

Author:   Solonius  

The first ingredient for any spell: A large dose of reality…. I mean, really, what do you expect? If all spells worked, wouldn’t humanity universally believe in witchcraft and magic and use it wholeheartedly? And to that extent wouldn’t worthy practitioners be a desired commodity? It is imperative for practitioners to separate their wishful and whimsical fantasies from serious study, contemplation, experimentation and application.

I believe that in order to further understand and define the super-natural, you first have to develop and have a thorough understanding of the natural. Any study of the Craft requires a greater amount of study into the realm of Laws of Nature and the Laws of Physics. After all, how can you define what is extra-ordinary, if you don’t even know the extent of what is ordinary?

The Laws of Physics are many, and the typical high-school student mostly understands the important ones. Opposites attract (by and large this only works for ions, kids, not people) , for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, a body in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an outside force, for any change in state the by-product or causation is heat, etc. How can better knowing these things help us in a greater understanding of our spell work? Because all these things deal with Energy, and what is the Universe constructed of? Anyone…? Yes, Energy. And what does spell work deal with, when you boil it all down (pun intended) ? That’s right, Energy! Or more accurately, the transfer of energy. This is the First Insight that any practitioner should grasp. EVERYTHING is energy.

The Second Insight that we should understand, because it deals with both types of laws, is that Nature abhors a vacuum. That can be observed as simply as watching a balloon deflate. What do you discover with these phenomena? That Nature seeks a balance. This holds true for the Laws of Life and the Laws of Physics. The Universe naturally seeks equilibrium. Whether this is between hot/cold, high pressure/low pressure, too many predators and not enough prey, the Law stays the same. In the end, Nature will follow its Laws. You do know, though, that there is a defined and empirical Order to Things. You might not understand it fully, but you can be assured that an order exists by observing the smallest things in nature. This is crucial: Be observant to Nature and learn from it. Nature, in all its complexity, is still a system of doing things the easiest and least energy wasting way. Contemplate that reality for a while.

Where does this energy come from? Good question. Is it physical energy, which means connected to our current plane of existence? If that is so, then you would not be able to contain it for the energy you are talking about on the physical plane is electrical in nature, and you would become walking atom bombs if you gathered the energy required to perform some spells. So it can’t be a physical energy type.

Is it spiritual energy (which obviously means it is energy collected from higher levels of existence) that you are able to gather and use? The usual consensus is “Yes, it is.” This leads to the next set of questions. Can energy from higher levels of existence cause effects on a lower level of existence? How can if affect the energy in a lower existence, if the two existences are not on the same sphere? Can the physical things you do on a lower plane of existence affect what happens on a higher plane of existence? Is your mentality the only link between what you perceive as the physical plane and planes above what you can perceive with your physical senses? What is the extent of ‘Reality’, does it encompass ALL spheres of existence as ONE reality? Nature abhors a vacuum, so if As Above – So Below is a Law of Nature, does this mean that the energies of a higher plane seek a balance with the energies of a lower plane?

It is said that in the higher planes all things are possible if you only imagine it so. I further postulate that you must not only imagine it so, it must become your perceived REALITY. You must learn to tap into the energies of the higher planes, and effect permanent changes there, before any changes can happen in the physical plane. I’ve often said that there is an ocean of difference between Understanding and Knowing. Understanding is intellectual; it is accepting truth without necessarily going through all the motions to prove it. Knowing is visceral; it deals more with proof from the physical senses perceiving something as true. Ergo, to make a change here, you have to Know that you have made a change in higher realms first.

I postulate the reason for this is the hypothesis of ‘trickle down economics’ if you’d like. What does this mean? It means that in order to build a hut on the physical plane, you must first build a mansion in the higher planes. More complexly, Nature (meaning all planes of existence) seeks a balance. Nature also does things the absolute least energy-wasting way. I perceive that Nature does not easily permit energy to flow across planes of existence, even if they are in the same ‘Reality’. With As Above – So Below, you can see through a simple diagram of two superimposed triangles (one point up, the other point down) that the equilibrium point is above here and now (the bottom point) , yet below the ultimate expression (the top point) . As you move down from the ultimate expression (the open V) , less and less energy is transferred. Therefore you must have a firm and knowing conviction of what you wish to accomplish and see a clear and precise picture of it occurring, before you can hope to realize it happening.

Ironically, you should also have a wonderfully developed sense of imagination up to the point of believing in what seems impossible. Only with an active imagination can you build that mansion up to the point of actualization in the higher planes. This seems contradictory, but I don’t feel that it is. Without a firm mental picture of what you require to exist, can you hope to achieve your goal? You have to build that mansion brick by brick, through much mental exactness and conviction. This requires a great deal of imagination as well as focus. The constructed mansion should then remain in that higher plane once you have completed it. It’s there; there is no doubt of its existence in your mind. Every time you visit the higher realms your mansion is there, gleaming with its glory. Make it Reality. Does this mean that a mansion will magically appear here and now for you in the material plane? Probably not, but the single minded effort it took to imagine it as reality in the higher plane, could translate into the required motivation and focus to achieve it in the here and now. Here is something else to consider: owning the mansion is secondary to the method of achieving it.

I’ve used the visualization of a mansion to put a face to a concept. However, it holds true for any endeavor. What you wish to have happen is secondary to HOW you achieve its happening. You build the mental picture (higher plane reality) while simultaneously going through with the steps required to achieve the same results. This multiple avenue approach enlists all your faculties to achieve what your desire is. The greater the amount of energies enlisted to achieve your desire, the more energy the universe aligns with the outcome. Remember: the method of how you achieve your goal is primary to the goal itself.

As an example: There is a twice-weekly fervent prayer on many lips throughout the land: “Please let me win the lottery!” However, if you never go out to purchase a lottery ticket, the effort placed into your prayer was wasted, wasn’t it? The same occurs with your Craft. Creating a spell to achieve the end result is short sighted. You still have to do the work to realize your goal. There really are no shortcuts. I don’t mean using some elaborate spell either. I mean elaborate mental visualization, coupled with following a plan to achieve the goal. Each reinforces the other, making the possibility of achievement vastly greater. Ground that visualization into what Laws Nature has already demonstrated. This lends conviction and credibility to the achievement of the goal.

What would be the required steps to achieve that goal without using any Craft? Incorporate those steps into the visualization with your spell. Bypass any flights of fantasy; they require too much energy to maintain. After all is it easier for your mind to accept flying to work on a broomstick, or driving your car? Your mind will default to what it Knows is possible, and will automatically call B.S. to what is not. Even a child imagining flying around the house on a broomstick Knows that they are just pretending. So why kid yourself? The more reality you incorporate into your Craft, the greater the results you will receive.

*On a side note: I don’t think of the planes of Reality as floors in a skyscraper, nor are they in some cardinal Direction. They don’t exist as pages in a book, where you can turn a page and have a new reality. I think of it as a condensing of energy from zero (conversely the most dense) to the ultimate amount of energy. They are all concurrent and here and now, superimposed upon what we can only perceive as the physical plane due to the limitations of our senses. This energy is limitless to infinity. For infinity is provable as far as we have observed. Outside the edge of the growing globe of galaxies expanding outward, is vacuum. Forever. You could hypothetically travel so far away that this entire globe of expanding physical energy seems like nothing more than a single spec of brilliant light. However, the theory of infinity breaks down if you require a starting point. As Above – So Below… Infinity must go in BOTH ‘directions’ forever, or the concept breaks down.

I thank you for your time in reading this. I hope it gave you some food for contemplation, and in some way helps you with more success on your path.

I Came Back For The Coffee

I Came Back For The Coffee
image
Author: Dracowolf

As a Pagan and Witch, I must say, I do not readily believe or even think much of reincarnation. If it does exist, it happened in the past…I don’t know about everyone else, but I need all my energies focused in the now, and giving a lot of attention to something that happened in another time and place kind of counteracts that. I will not say reincarnation does not happen…just that it matters in this life as much as knowing where Great Uncle Bob came from. If I will do any deep introspective discovery, it might be more along the lines of why I turned up in this here and now and why there are the influences there are in my life, regardless of who people were in my past life or even who I was.

Why did I come back to this plane or any other plane than that of the “Summerlands”? I usually do not really go into much thought with this kind of question. I know a few things; the first is that there is a plan. The Divine has a plan. Do I know that entire plan, or exactly how I fit…no, and I don’t think anyone really ever does, nor do we have to. We are here, yes to learn lessons, but also as Tigernach says in his November 16th article (Choosing to be Alive), “It is only through individual finite existence that we can truly experience the world. Through us Goddess feels pleasure, pain, and love. Without us, the gods would lack eyes to see and a voice to speak. To me this is why we are here; to give beauty, justice and love a face, but it comes at the price of being temporarily separated from the infinite, and the possibility of pain, violence and loss.”

Creation is an ever on-going process, there is a reason just to be “alive”, to be on this plane or another, to give Creation meaning and perhaps direction. To delve into the question of what is our personal meaning in life or any life, is one of perhaps vocation and direction. It is certainly not a who’s who list of those who have come back from the afterlife.

I am a person who talks with Spirits of all sort and varieties. I am more likely to think that some of the experiences people talk about as past lives are those past experiences that the spirits around have lived, and are now relating to us. Perhaps because of how the law of attraction works, certain spirits and life stories are attracted to us because of a similarity of life lived or similarity of lesson or point. Whether true incarnation or spirit communication, it is all the same: information. And we need to search out what information has value and/or meaning to us individually.

As to the question of what free will is… I think that certain beings (angels, for instance) were not given the choice to live their lives for themselves, but are compelled to service or to duty to Creation. I think, in effect, Creator delegated, and made specific beings for specific purposes. A little later in creation, Creator said….hmmmm, what would happen if I did this? Now mind you, I am perfectly comfortable in having mystery in my life, and have some faith in that I will understand what I need to understand, and I could let the rest go, because, in essence, it’s not my part to play. I know this is something not everyone could accept, nor does it mean that I will not try to grow and expand my spirit and knowledge and experience.

Bear with me here… We are only a small part of Creator and Creation, those reasons for Creation are beyond me. I think the question before us is to serve something greater than ourselves, or not. In life, there are many opportunities, and certain opportunities are presented more predominately in one lifetime than others. I think it is our free will to step up to the plate and serve or not, or how much we serve, or to stay centered and functional while serving, depending on the degree to which we serve. This is a partnership of service; we are not obligated to do anything we don’t want to do, nor can we expect favors or training from the rest of Creation, if we do not hold up our end – quid pro quo, I guess. Nor do I mean to put a standard on the term service. If we cannot really know all of Creator, we do not know that making dinner every night and serving one’s family is not the best kind of service…I think we know intuitively what to do, and we must follow our hearts.

The Russian Orthodox faith has a belief called “Sobornost”, which means everything has a place and there is a place for everything. In effect, they also believe that “Satan” still serves God, just not by the most benevolent of means. We do not always know if the meanest of persons is not serving Creation by being what he or she is at heart: the meanest person. I try and stick to the simple faith that it takes all types to make this plane go ’round. Mind you, I will never be caught saying it isn’t frustrating as all Hell that sometimes there are those people who get stuck on one lesson and won’t move on!

After having said all this, why would I come back? I would come back because I have hope and faith in people, in the Spirits and Gods, in Creation, and the Creator/trix. I love life. I love the simple things about life, the feel of being all comfy and cozy in bed in the mornings, a good cup of coffee, having a laugh with a friend, making love, experiencing the seasons come and go. I would come back, because I am part of creation no matter what I do. I want to take part in it, and step up to the plate of life. To honor those who leave this plane, and those who are newly born into it, to teach, and be taught, to love, and struggle, this is all life and to be part of that is one of greatest things I could do.

This being said, I feel I must also put in my thoughts about what the afterlife or Summerland is like. Like this plane, the Summerland is what you make of it. It’s just as easy to fall into an emotional rut here as it is there. The afterlife is not all roses and gold streets; it’s another stage of life and being. It’s not an end or reward; it just is. It may be an end to physical pain, but it is certainly not always an end to emotional or spiritual pain. This is why suicide in general (not always in specific cases) is not the best idea. The emotional pain doesn’t always end after death. In the original context of reincarnation, one reincarnates until they have reached Nirvana, the state of enlightenment. If one has reached the state of enlightenment, they are God-like, they are a Buddha, and there is no reason to “reincarnate” because you are one with all of Creation and no longer a regular old human being, but now a force of Creation, in all times and places. But even Buddha likes to come back to the physical plane…maybe Buddha likes the coffee here too!

In Touch with the Spirit World

In Touch with the Spirit World

by Jenni Kosarin

When you are conducting a séance, whom are you trying to contact? One answer is the spirit world. Spirits do not inhabit “space,” so they can’t possess the medium and take over his body. Instead, they are able to contact and influence the aura of the medium—that magnetic field of energy or glow that surrounds each person. Spiritual entities are able to speak to us through the aura of someone who knows how to hear them.

Your aura is pure when you are born, but it may be damaged during your lifetime with drug abuse, guilt, letting people treat you badly, and so forth. To cleanse your aura, you can meditate or rely on crystal or mind therapy.

If you can’t get in touch with a specific soul or spirit, there are two possible explanations. First, we are very attached to our bodies and the material world. Everything here is dense and heavy compared to that which exists on the spiritual plane. Even though humans have access to the spiritual world, we are mostly a part of the real world and are more aware of it because we need to be in order to survive. Tuning in to the spiritual realm is not critical for our survival and we don’t get much practice in it, so it’s almost impossible for the average person to forge a contact with a spirit.

There is a second reason as well. There are many different planes in the spiritual world, and our world is one of the first levels. Compared with other planes, our concepts of time, space, relativity, and even reality, which mankind has constructed, are amateur at best. In other words, contrary to what we may wish, the spiritual world does not revolve around us—we are just one small part of it.

Many spirits do not wish to or cannot be contacted. They have moved on and are learning what their souls must learn now. The spiritual plane they are on is very far away (not in terms of space, but in terms of dimension) from ours. Consequently, professional mediums true to their trade will tell you that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to contact a specific soul or spirit. We do not normally choose our spirit guides or angels. They choose us.

Whom Do We Have Access To?

Unfortunately, spirit entities that are close to our plane are, many times, those who are lost, held back, or stuck in their own holding pattern. For some reason, they are still clinging to the beliefs they had on this plane and, consequently, refuse to move on. Some of them even refuse to acknowledge that they are no longer alive. In fact, many mediums say that confused spirits are usually the first ones to come through during a séance. They recommend that you ask the spirit (who claims to be so-and-so) to verify things that only the soul of the particular person would know.

Other than that, higher guides, spirits, and angels are available to us because they remain close to this plane. They’re here to help us and they can sometimes come through as well.

What is the Magickal Self?

What is the Magickal Self?

Author: Robin Fennelly

The building of the magickal personality brings us to something else; each one of us has the actor within him or her. As Shakespeare put it, so beautifully and poetically:

All the world’s a stage
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
and one man in his time plays many parts.”

The Magickal Self acts as the interface and point of transition from the mundane world to the spiritual realms. It is you, in your higher form of vibration that will more closely match the rhythms of the other worlds you are transiting. It is the trained you that as you progress along the Path also grows and expands to encompass more of knowledge and experience you have gained and reflect it back so that it may be recognizable and usable in your magickal workings.

The form your Magickal Self takes will vary in accord with your energetic changes as you move forward in your work and study. For some, they see themselves in a physical shape and form, although it will not resemble their physical coloring, build or stature at all. For others, this form may more easily take a geometric shape that holds the more highly refined state of their energy. In either case, as the physical form is densest in matter that shape will most likely not be the form taken as there is the need for a more refined energy within the astral realms. Whatever form this Magickal Self may take it is recognizable by you because it still remains your consciousness; just in its spiritual form such as:

Younger Self, Talking Self, and Higher Self
In The Feri Tradition: Sticky One, Shining Body, and Sacred Dove
Hebrew/Qabalistic: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshama, Chaya, Yechida
Generically in the Metaphysical Paths: Lower Self, Middle Self, Higher Self and Spiritually Evolved Self.

For our purposes we will be working with the three designations of Lower Self, Middle Self, Higher SELF and The Spiritual (or Evolved) SELF.

Lower/Physical Self: I Have
The Lower Self (Lower Mental) is our primal instinctual nature. This is the physical body we inhabit and the conscious self that responds and reacts to stimuli in the physical world through our senses and tactile abilities. This is our place of foundation and the place from which we concretely and tangibly build the world around ourselves. The Lower or physical self obeys the laws of time and because of its density in energy the laws of space and its place within it as well.

Middle/Emotional Self: I Want (to Become)
The Middle self more closely relates to the subconscious mind. The place of dreams and aspirations; of emotions and feelings. We Feel rather than thinking our way through this world. This is the first place of desire and the catalyst that yearns to become more than we are and can experience in the physical self. The Lower Self says “I Have or possess this” and the subconscious feeds it the “want and desire” that enlivens and creates connection to what we have acquired.

Higher/Mental SELF: I Will Become
The Higher Mental self is the super or Higher conscious self. It knows the results of the subconscious desire working upon the conscious mind and has transcended to a place of “knowing it will be”. This Higher Self has developed a state of “awareness” and from that awareness evolves the Higher Will. It is not the will of baser ego, but instead the Will to create, to manifest to exist. This is the part of Self that is not confined by the bounds of linear time and space.

The Spiritual SELF (The Divine Spark) : I AM
The Spiritual SELF is the continued contact and communication with the impulse of the Divine. There is no longer a need to Have or possess. There is no desire for anything for it is all and at once formed and formless. It is the realization that there is no separateness, only union and synthesis from which all other states of form emanate. It is the Divine Spark that is contained within us all and moves with us as we pass from lifetime to lifetime.

The way in which these parts of self interact when creating and calling forth the Magickal Self are multifold. Each is dependent and interdependent upon the other for forming, coalescing and finally birthing that magickal being that is inherent within us all. The subconscious generates the desire to shape and form the appropriate interface that will allow for movement and access to the higher planes. The conscious self, having been stimulated by the subconscious begins the work of creating the shape and image that magickal form will take.

If you have a firmly established Magickal Persona, this process usually occurs at the point of putting on your ritual grab, a sacred amulet or ring. It intensifies and builds in substance as you enter sacred space. And, once the circle is cast, the quarters called and the energy of the ritual space changes its vibration and intensity the Magickal Self comes forth more fully to begin the work at hand. As the conscious self seeks the contact of the Higher consciousness (Higher Mental) this form begins to interact with the energies and planes that are being accessed in the ritual.

If you are just beginning the process, every ritual, every magickal working that is done with focus and intent will strengthen and bring into greater substance that Magickal Self. In those rare moments, when all the parts of self are in alignment and balance with each other the consciousness rises to a place of opening to the Spiritual SELF, sometimes called the Holy Guardian Angel. This of course, is the ultimate goal and is not something easily attained. This contact usually comes through the subconscious mind rather than the conscious waking mind; and can be likened to a brief flash of brilliant light where you are completely at one with the Universe, its mysteries and its source. These moments are quite rare and even with diligent practice towards that end they occur in their own way in their own time (often lifetimes) , if at all.

So what is the importance of knowing about these various selves? And, what does that have to do with a Magickal Self?

Use this analogy and think on what it truly means: As we develop our Magickal Self the physical being becomes something like a cocoon. Time passes and the affects of weather and all manner of outer influence go unnoticed by what is being transmuted within. Eventually, and at just the precise moment in time there is movement within the cocoon- from which the “lightness and grace” of an ephemeral butterfly (or the Magickal SELF) emerges, a completely different form from its original with access to different sets of skill and understanding of other worlds. Its world is different from that of its former state as a caterpillar. It is through a similar state of metamorphosis that each time the call to the Magickal Self is issued the potential for a more enlivened and more refined state of being is held. And as we move through these new worlds, we are as the butterfly, transformed and empowered to soar towards our Divine nature.

Footnotes:
Online Course: A Year and A Day on the Wiccan Path. R.Fennelly

Lord of Lights: The Path of Initiation in the Western Mysteries. W. E. Butler

Quote by William Shakespeare

The Astral Plane And Its Divisions

The Astral Plane And Its Divisions

by Abhishek Agarwal

      The Astral Plane is very real, seeming much more solid and vibrant than   the Physical world. It’s a world without any need for money, work or any of the other trappings of a physical existence.

Those who have visited the Astral planes find themselves in an environment where all senses seem greatly magnified. These senses are not our normal physical senses, but inner astral senses.

Thoughts can actually be seen to take shape instantly and anything desired can be instantly manifested by means of the powers of the imagination in the very process of creation. This is also why the Astral       worlds are known as the “desire worlds” and the Astral body known as the       “desire body”. This fact that Man creates with his thoughts and feelings in the Astral world shows the truth in the occult statement that Man is  a “god in the making”. It shows that we can be supremely creative.

Once you are out in the Astral plane, you will find that it vibrates at a much higher frequency than the Physical plane. There is no gravity on the Astral plane. Time and space are distorted as compared to the Physical. As a result, time can pass differently than in the physical.

Here, thought plays an integral part, and simply imagining something in the Astral can cause it to form. Since this is where all of our hopes, desires, and dreams can essentially become reality, the Astral plane is also known as the emotional plane.

In the Astral plane there is no need for food, clothing, shelter and sleep. We have true freedom. It is our will that sustains and heals us,and our will that creates the realm in our image. The Astral planes are made of focused mental energy. In the spirit world thoughts create reality, and we frequently create what we are familiar with.

Divisions Of The Astral Plane

The Astral Plane is divided into Lower, Middle, and Higher. Each division contains multiple divisions of varying vibratory rates.

The Lower Astral Planes

Are described as darker more primal realms. Some have described them as the place of Dante’s inferno while others think of them as purgatory.They are where the souls of the lost reside. Residing here are many beings including people who are out-of-body, both consciously and subconsciously people who are dreaming, the deceased, and even beings that never existed on the Physical Plane at all. Communication with all of the above is possible while Projected.

The Middle Astral Planes

Are the realms of divine inspiration free of earthly desires and conflict. The beings in these dimensions cause many of the artistic and technical breakthroughs on Earth by sending silent messages to its inhabitants. This is the place where many of us journey for guidance and       healing. These realms are frequently a reflection of the world we live in now. They contain the same vegetation, animals, and even our own created structures.

The Middle Astral is a plane full of rainbows of vivid colors and exquisite beauty. It would be an impossible task to try and rationalize this place. This plane is full of thoughts, dreams, and ideas, which are manifested as real objects. Everything including inanimate objects has auras of energy emanating from them in vivid and bright colors. Time here is very distorted and it is possible to see future or past events.

People who have successfully consciously projected to Middle Astral Planes have described unseen colors and sounds, breathtaking landscapes and scenery, and even some things beyond our comprehension. This place is purer in its formation. The needs and the strife associated with the Physical world have been left behind. It is a place of peace and utter       bliss – one might go as far as to compare it to the Garden of Eden.

The Higher Astral Planes

Are the realms called Heaven by Christians, the Summerland by spiritualists. This place is beyond the comprehension of most people, as they are said to be the home of the Christian God, the Buddha, and other great beings.

The higher astral planes are where we begin to reach toward self-godhood, becoming fully aware and acknowledging that all life is symbiotic and connected for the “good” of all. We realize that each individual is an essential link in the chain of life and existence in the physical world affects all of the other realities we do not perceive.

This awareness often leads people into pantheism, the belief that all life is sacred and should be protected from the lowliest worm to the greatest killer. In other instances the traveler will not turn toward pantheism but in either case will become truly aware of this fact on a constant conscious level.

The Middle and the Higher Planes are where the true path to spiritual and physical healing lies. This is where our perceptions of life grow and expand by leaps and bounds freeing us from many of the stigmas of society and its imposed morality.

When we begin traveling through the Astral realms, we generally first enter the Lower planes where the Physical world is still visible, though  distorted by our emerging perception. But as we move into the Middle planes we will notice that the Physical world becomes less and less noticeable until finally we move completely away from it into the Higher planes.

What If You Have Attracted A Dragon or Dragons Who Make You Feel Uncomfortable?

What If You Have Attracted A Dragon or Dragons Who Make You Feel Uncomfortable?

What if you have attracted a dragon or dragons who make you feel uncomfortable? I have known this to occur with other spiritual guides, so I suppose it can also happen with dragons, although I have not personally experienced this. If a dragon make you uncomfortable, it is very likely that you are not ready yet to work with its energies. First, become clear in your own mind why you feel this discomfort. Perhaps the actual root of the discomfort is a bit of programming struggling to make itself felt and keep control over your activities. Perhaps the dragon’s coloring has triggered old conditionings. A black dragon produces this feeling in people who have been taught that dragons, and particularly black dragons, are evil. The further into the subconscious you dig, the more you are amazed at what is it there, controlling your thoughts and actions when you least expect it.

If you still feel uncomfortable, set aside a time for a brief meditation and mental conversation with the dragon. Explain carefully and politely that you are attempting to remedy the situation, but at this time you just do not feel that the two of you can work positively together. Project as much good will as you can. The dragon will understand. I have never known a dragon to stay where it is not welcome.

The first dragons I saw were the huge elemental ones who appeared one night about a week before we discovered that some bikers up the road were operating a meth lab. By the time the ATF forces, FBI, and local law enforcement descended upon the area, the dragons had put up very strong defenses around our property. At no time did we have any problems with the bikers. And, although some of their members shot it out with officials in another location, the arrests near us were quiet. After that, all colors and sizes of dragons made appearances, join in rituals and generally hanging around the house. They are still with us.

As your journey begins in dragon magick, go prepared for a fantastic voyage on which you can make new friends and magick-working partners, and you will be pleasantly surprised at the knowledge you will learn. Dance with the dragons in their endless round of energy, and feel all areas of what you want from the astral plane, and you may well (and very likely will) have an unprofitable journey filled with unpleasant experiences. Would-be conquering invaders have never been met with friendship, whatever plane of existence they were on. Exploring traders who were willing to listen and bargain a bit always had the most successful, profitable voyages of discovery. Travel into dragon country with caution, an open mind, and friendship in your heart. The journey will be well worth it.

“Dancing with Dragons”

D. J. Conway