I just wanted to share some of my concerns for the aspiring magician, of any stripe. I disclaim all views as my opinion only, but an opinion informed by objectivity- my own failures.
One issue that I find personally discouraging is the lack of sobriety, seriousness and carefulness in current magickal thought generally speaking (without accusing any individual or particular practice).
There is this attitude amongst many would be magicians that because they had a thought or a dream or the capacity to engage in delusional self talk (a process most of us realistically go through) that somehow they’re the special son of Lucifer or the spouse of Lilith.
No, I don’t think so. I would say statistically in most cases It’s an ego trip.
I would like to encourage anyone new to magick to study it with care and seriously. The capacity to cause change in accord with the will is simultaneously a responsibility and a gift. Those who may use it ways that denigrate the art its self are not considering the greatness of the gift received.
Please, remember what we are attempting- we are attempting to harness either ultimate interior energetic potential or external universal forces or cosmic intelligences who can basically do what we are too weak to do.
It’s not a matter for romantic fantasizing. It’s a path to personal power. It’s not a matter for making things up, it’s a matter of precision and excellence, both in methods and execution- for remember, magick is an art, and there is good art and bad art that conforms to objective standards of art.
A person can deny the objectivity of magick all they want, but the failure of their spells to effectively get them what they want will betray their notions of absolute subjectivism.
Magick is a feminine force that can be both coerced and coaxed, and just trying to smash all at once is narcissistic. And yes, magick punishes narcissists. Of course they don’t admit it, they move on to a new system because the previous one is “too weak.” The only thing weak is the will for a thing to be.
So those are my concerns and cautions, they are not aimed at any particular individual, but the faceless nameless many who think that magick is an occasion to indulge in private fantasies and then claim they had x magickal experience.
Switching gears-
On a more positively helpful note, I was meditating last night on what it is like to “flex” energy in a room. Often we get it associated with subtle muscle contractions and breath holding. But then a spirit (I do not know which) showed me by example, that flexing power is not a matter of “feeling” powerful but “willing” power, and that willing is not an immediately physical sensation. Rather, think of it as an interior determination to act the radiate outward from the heart, it is not a physical force, but it is analogous to one, because when perfected, it coerces nature in a domino cascade from the quantum to the physical level. So, an energetic flex is not a subtle physical tingling from the chest and stomach muscles, it’s the immovable will and choice to act.
This leads to another important point as well, people get confused as to the difference between imagination and visualization- they are identical acts as far the imagery goes. Identical. The same types of images on the same mental screen.
The difference is in which pole is taking the lead. For example, if you know about electricity, you know an electric motor can also act as an electric generator, but either way, it’s the same object spinning in the same way, the difference is if it is receiving current, where it acted like a motor, or something else is spinning it, where it acts as a generator.
Visualization is the active imagination under the aspect of work. When visualizing, we are attempting to do work. And we u sweat and understand that our imaginations are outpouring work, energy. We identify the imagination as active and applied to an object with the intent to cause change.
When the imagination is passive and receptive we are in a state of daydreaming, the alpha state.
This leads to another issue many beginners have- they don’t know what it means to be in a light trance or in the alpha state of meditation. The alpha state of meditation and light trance is literally the state of prolonged daydreaming. The entire point of most initial visualization and relaxation exercises is to get the mind to consciously function in this altered state, but no one explicitly says that. Ironically the state of passive imagination and daydreaming is the state to be in to receive psychic impressions. The only concern is to keep the imagination passive and learn the difference between what you add to the imagery, and the actual imagery. It’s not always easy but it’s doable.
Another hint newbies, if you are unsure of a psychic impression, imagine yourself receiving for three seconds, then cut it off, reset and try again and do this a few times. The consistent imagery coming through is most likely the more accurate.
Although being a child in magick is definitely a phase, let’s not treat it as if it’s like suddenly attained godhood or apotheosis. It’s literally just the dream state of the beginning of a quest. I have not mastered it and neither has anyone here. We are all journeying together- just remember it’s a journey!
