Lessons - All

The Laws of Magic are not legislative laws, but, like those of physics or musical harmony, are actually fairly practical observations that have been accumulated over thousands of years. These laws describe the way magic seems to behave. Also these laws can also further your Knowledge in the Arts aswell as aid you in the use of your magic..(CorpseAngel.)

The LAW OF KNOWLEDGE
This is probably the most widely used law, and probably encompasses all the others in some way. The basis of this law is that understanding brings control. The more that is known about a subject, the easier it is to excercise control over it. Knowledge is power.

The LAW OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE
An obvious derivative of the LAW OF KNOWLEDGE, this law carries additional connotations, as a mage who does not have knowledge of himself does not have knowledge (and therefore control) of his own magic. This law is one of the reasons ''evil'' mages are very rare—a dedication to ''evil for evil's sake'' is usually due to a lack of introspection and awareness of oneself. It is difficult to do harm to others when you understand fully what that kind of harm would do to you. Know thyself.

The LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT
A simple scientific understanding—if exactly the same actions are done under exactly the same conditions, they will be associated with exactly the same results. Magicians have at least as much belief in cause and effect as modern physicists do, they just realize that a good ritual, like a good theatrical performance or a good bread recipe, isn't always predictable. In truth, a spell involves so many variables, that controlling or even understanding them all is impossible. The key to magical success is learning which variables are the most important, and how to keep them constant. Control over the variables is icing on the cake.

The LAW OF SYNCHRONICITY
Two or more events happening at the same time are likely to have more in common than the merely temporal. Very few events ever happen in isolation from other events. There is no such thing as a mere coincidence.

The LAW OF ASSOCIATION
If any two pattern have elements in common, the patterns interact ''through'' those common elements, and control of one pattern facilitates control of the other(s) depending (among other factors) upon the number of common elements involved. This is a very important law, up there with the LAW OF KNOWLEDGE.

The LAW OF SIMILARITY
Having an accurate physical or mental representation of something facilitates control over it. This one is fairly obvious in its usage—having a model, picture, or other representation of your target (like a voodoo doll) gives you power to effect the target. Look alikes are alike.

The LAW OF CONTAGION
Objects or beings in physical contact with each other continue to interact after separation. Everyone you have ever touched has a magical link with you, though it is probably pretty weak unless the contact was intense and/or prolonged or repeated frequently. Magical power is contagious. Naturally, having a part of someone's body (nails, hair, spit, etc.) gives the best contagion link.

The LAW OF NAMES
Knowing the complete and true name of an object, being, or process gives one complete control over it. This works because a name is a definition (yes, even ''Harold'', ''Marie'', ''Kunte'', and ''Jasmine'' were at one time) as well as a contagion link, and an association (if you call something the same name over and over, that name becomes associated with the thing). This also works, because knowing the complete and true name of something or someone means that you have achieved a complete understanding of its or their nature. This is why, in most pre-industrial cultures, people are given ''secret names'', as well as ''public names'', and why the sharing of a secret name is such an act of trust—because the secret name is considered to be very close to, if not identical with, the person's true name.

The LAW OF WORDS OF POWER
There exist certain words that are able to alter the internal and external realities of those uttering them, and the power may rest in the very sounds of the words as much as their meanings. Many of such words are names, though the meanings may have been lost or forgotten. Very many magical tools require words to be inscribed upon them and/or said over them during their construction and/or use.

The LAW OF PERSONIFICATION
Any phenomenon may be considered to be alive and to have a personality—that is, to ''be'' an entity or being. Anything can be a person. Most weather mages personify the winds and the clouds, for example, and thus find focusing their magic on the atmosphere much easier to do.

The LAW OF INVOCATION
It is possible to establish internal communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be inside of oneself during the communication process.

The LAW OF EVOCATION
It is possible to establish external communication with entities from either inside or outside oneself, said entities seeming to be outside oneself during the communication process.

The LAW OF IDENTIFICATION
It is possible through maximum association between elements of oneself and those of another being to actually become that being, to the point of sharing its knowledge and wielding its power. This is the law that controls most lengthy or permanent possession phenomena.

The LAW OF PERSONAL UNIVERSES
Every sentient being lives in and quite possibly creates a unique universe which can never be 100% identical to that lived in by another. So called ''reality'' is in fact a matter of consensus opinions. This law is nowhere near as obvious as the other laws in its applications, but if you can figure some out, you can use it.

The LAW OF INFINITE UNIVERSES
The total number of universes into which all possible combination of existing phenomena could be organized is infinite. Anything is possible, though some things are more probable than others. You might consider this to refer to the ''alternate probability worlds'' of science fiction, but it also has a much wider application.

The LAW OF PRAGMATISM
If a pattern of belief or behavior enables a being to survive and to accomplish chosen goals, then that belief or behavior is ''true'' or ''real'' or ''sensible''. If it works, it's true. Another rather obscure law, but it does have some very useful applications.

The LAW OF TRUE FALSEHOODS
It is possible for a concept or act to violate the truth patterns of a given personal universe and still be ''true'', provided that it ''works'' in a specific situation. If it's a paradox, it's still probably true. This law is basically useless, except to justify use of the above three laws without screwing things up in your version of the real world.

The LAW OF SYNTHESIS
The synthesis of two or more ''opposing'' patterns of data will produce a new pattern that will be truer than either of the first two were. That is, it will be applicable to more levels of reality, and this new pattern may not be a compromise, but may be something rather new indeed.

The LAW OF POLARITY
Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two ''opposing'' characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.

The LAW OF OPPOSITES
A sub-law of POLARITY. The ''opposite'' of a pattern contains information about that pattern, by providing information on what the pattern is not. Thus, control over a pattern's opposite (or close to it's opposite) facilitates control over the pattern itself. (Note that this one I alone take the blame for, as it is my own extension of POLARITY and SIMILARITY)

The LAW OF DYNAMIC BALANCE
To survive, let alone to become powerful, one must keep every aspect of one's universe in a state of dynamic balance with every other aspect. Extremism is dangerous, as the extreme being becomes so associated with the extreme aspect, that they lose the ability to avoid that aspect at all. This is another reason ''evil'' mages are rare, as continuous association with pain or death will cause a mage pain or death, ending the mage's ability to continue actively with ''evil''. This is also why ''good'' mages, especially healers, tend to live a long time.

The LAW OF PERVERSITY
Sometimes known as Murphy's Law. If anything can go wrong, it will, and in the most annoying manner possible. Magical associations sometimes operate in the reverse of what was desired, and meaningful coincidences are just as likely to be unpleasant as pleasant. Even if nothing can go wrong, some element of the universe may change so that things will go wrong anyway. Whether we like it or not, the gods (or fates, or what have you) do have a sense of humor. Emotionally healthy mages have less problems with this law than others do, as the mage's own subconscious mind is probably a major perpetrator of this law.

The LAW OF UNITY
Every phenomena in existence is linked directly or indirectly to every other one, past, present, or future. Perceived separations between phenomena are based on incomplete sensing and/or understanding.

Candle Colors

WHITE
Self; Protection; Purification; Full Moon Magic; Purity; Innocence; Centering; Truth; Sincerity; Meditation; Peace; Power of a Higher Nature; Greater Attainments in Life; Spirituality.

RED
South; Protection; Strength; Blood; Passion; Courage; Health; Power; Fire Elemental; Sexuality; Vigor; Energy; Enthusiasm; Will Power; To conquer fear or laziness.

LIGHT BLUE
Healing; Patience; Happiness; Psychic Awareness; Quests; Intuition; Opportunity; Tranquillity; Understanding. Ward Depression; Safe Journey; Harmony in the Home; Peace.

DARK BLUE
The Goddess; West; Water Elemental; Inspiration; Truth; Dreams; Protection; Change; Impulse; Fidelity; Deep Emotion; Peace; Meditation; Changeability; Psychism

GREEN
North; Money; Fertility; Growth; Employment; Earth Elemental; Herb Magic; Luck; Healing; Balance; Prosperity; Courage; Nature type Faerie-magic; Garden blessing; Abundance; Generosity; Renewal; Marriage.

YELLOW
East; Air Elemental; Intellect; Creative Work; Learning; Changes; Confidence; Attraction; Harmony; Clairvoyance; Charm; Imagination; Power of the Mind; Gentle persuasion; Action.

BROWN
Earth Elemental; Animal Health; Endurance; Steadiness; Houses & Homes; Physical Objects; Overcoming uncertainty and hesitancy; Attract Money and Financial Success; Concentration; ESP; Intuition; Study.

PINK
Love; Peace; Femininity; Friendship; Honor; Morality; Emotional Love; Affection; Romance; Spiritual Awakening; Healing of the Spirit; Togetherness.

ORANGE
The God; Attraction; Stimulation; Energy; Healing; Vitality; Encouragement; Adaptability; Luck; Pulling things to you; Clearing the Mind; Dominance, Sudden Changes; Change Luck

PURPLE
Power; Dignity; Spiritual Development; Meditation, Spirituality; Intuition; Ambition; Spirit Communication; Tension; Business Progress; Healing Severe Diseases; Occult Wisdom; Success; Idealism; Higher Psychic Ability; Break Bad Luck; Drive Away Evil; Honors.

GOLD
The God; Solar Energy; Physical Strength; Power; Success; Mental Growth; Skill Sought; Healing Energy; Fortune; Divination; Creative Work; Intuition; Money; Fast Luck; Attracts Higher Influences

SILVER
The Goddess; Lunar magic; Removes negative forces; Opens astral gates; Conducts Energy; Meditation; Creative Work; Protection; Money; Psychic Development; Success; Balance; Ward Negativity; Remove Negative Energy; Stability; Victory.

VIOLET
Self Improvement; Intuition; Success in searches; Creative Work

BLACK
Endings; Closing of Doors; Psychic Work; Death; Ward Negativity; Remove Hexes; Protection; Spirit Contact; Truth; Remove Discord or Confusion; Reversing; Releasing; Repel Dark Magic and Negative Thought Forms.

GREENISH-YELLOW
To Negate; Discord, Sickness, Anger, Jealousy, Cowardice, Anger

INDIGO
Meditation; Spirit Communication; Karma Working; Balance; Learn the Ancient Wisdom; Neutralize Another's Magic; Ward Slander, Lies or Undesirable Competition

GRAY
Non-Nature Faerie Magic; Travel to Otherworld; Vision Quests; Veiling; Cancellation; Hesitation; Competition.

LAVENDER
Spiritual Development; Psychic Growth; Divination; Sensitivity to the Otherworld; Blessings.

MAGENTA
Very High Vibrational Frequency that tends to work fast so usually burned with other candles; Quick Change; Spiritual Healing, Exorcism

EMERALD GREEN
Important component in Venusian rituals; attracts love, social delights, and fertility.

DARK GREEN
Color of ambition, greed, and jealousy; counteracts these influences in a ritual.

Since we've already talked about ritual preparation, here is a ritual that no practicing wiccan can be without.
Drawing Down the Moon

In this ritual the Goddess becomes incarnate in the High Priestess. The High Priestess stands in front of the altar with her back to it. She holds the wand in her right hand and the scrounge in her left. She crosses her wrists and crosses the wand and scrounge above them while holding them close to her breast. The High Priest stands in front of her and says:

"Diana, queen of night
In all your beauty bright,
Shine on us here,
And with your silver beam
Unlock the gates of dream;
Rise bright and clear.
On Earth and sky and sea,
Your magic mystery
Its spell shall cast,
Wherever leaf may grow,
Wherever tide may flow,
Till all be past.
O secret queen of power,
At this enchanted hour
We ask your boon.
May fortune's favor fall
Upon true witches all,
O Lady Moon!"

The High Priest kneels before the High Priestess and gives her the Five Fold Kiss; that is, he kisses her on both feet, both knees, womb, both breasts, and the lips, starting with the right of each pair. He says, as he does this:

"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways.
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be.
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty.
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names."

For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length to length, with their feet touching each others. When he reaches the womb, she spreads her arms wide, and the same after the kiss on the lips.The High Priest kneels again and invokes:

"I invoke thee and call upon thee, Mighty Mother of us all,
bringer of all fruitfulness; by seed and root,
by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit,
by life and love do I invoke thee to descend upon the body of this,
thy servant and priestess."

During this invocation he touches her with his right forefinger on her right breast, left breast, and womb, repeats the set and finally the right breast. Still kneeling, he spreads his arms out and down, with the palms forward and says:

"Hail Aradia! From the Amalthean Horn
Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
Before thee, I adore thee to the end,
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adore.
Thy foot is to my lip
(he kisses her right foot)
my prayer up borne
Upon the rising incense smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn."

The High Priest stands up and steps backwards. The High Priestess draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air with the wand and says:

"Of the Mother darksome and divine
Mine the scrounge, and mine the kiss;
The five point star of love and bliss
Here I charge you in this sign."

The High Priestess should be in a trance now. This is a good time to do the Charge or the Witches' Creed. When the Charge or Creed is finished, the Goddess must be dismissed. It is bad magical practice not to do so.

The High Priest faces the Priestess and says:

"We thank you Our Lady for attending our rites. We bid you farewell till next we call you. Blessed Be."

Basic Spell Structure

I. Understand exactly what it is you wish to accomplish and know how to word it. Know exactly what you want before you undertake a spell. If you can't state precisely, in 15-20 words or less, or visualize precisely what you expect to manifest from the spell, you're not ready to proceed with it. Don't be vague. Many a witch has manifested results that were exactly what was asked for, not what was truly desired for. Once you have clearly defined what you want, decide what words you will use to verbalize this magickal desire and the visualization. You may use rhyme or prose, just be sure you use the present tense, and write it down and/or memorize it.

II. Start visualizing the process towards the ends. Start seeing the process from where you are now to what your situation will be like once the magickal goal is manifest. It is important to remember not to dictate how the goal will manifest, just how your situation will change and improve when it does. Likewise, don't visualize taking from someone else to fulfill your need. This is a violation of the Rede, and will never work to your ultimate good.

III. Decide which magickal tools you will use (if any) to help draw the energies of your goal to you. If you want to be totally precise and anal look at the Wheel of the Month for the correct Moon phase, the correct Correspondence Tables to decide which Astrological, Planetary, Day, Hour, Elemental, Color, Stone, Incense, Herbal, and Essential Oil attributes are appropriate for your magickal goal. You may choose to use as many or as few as you desire.

IV. Have everything you need in the appropriate place at the appropriate time. Your magick could be lessened if you have to leave the sacred space of the circle to retrieve forgotten items.

V. Purify your space and yourself.

VI. Cast your Circle.

VII. Ground and Center yourself. Do this by pulling your energy into a line running through the center of your body that is anchored into the Earth. Clear your mind of all errant thoughts so you can focus on the task at hand.

VIII. Begin visualizing your goal and raising magickal energy. Concentrate and start your visualization; the one that you perfected in step one. Take your time and recall it in vivid detail. Start raising magickal energy. Witches call this energy the ''Cone of Power'', as it rises up above them in the shape of an inverted cone. Do this by dancing, singing, visualizing, chanting, or any combination you desire.

IX. Perform the Actual Spell. Use the tools, words, actions, and anything else required. If you make a slight mistake, worry not, just continue. If you feel you have made a major mistake, stop right there and begin grounding the energy you've raised into Mother Earth. It is better to proceed than stop. Partially cast spells tend to manifest chaotically.

X. Release the Cone of Power. Even after the spell is finished, you may continue to build up the energy you have been raising. When you feel you can't raise any more energy, release it physically, by exhaling or throwing your arms up; and mentally, by seeing it go outward from you to do it's work.

XI. Formally end the spell with an affirmative phrase such as ''It is So'', or, ''So Mote It Be''. Any residual energy you feel around you at this point should be grounded into Mother Earth.

XII. Close your Circle.

XIII. Enter the details of your magickal workings in your Book of Shadows. Include the day, date, time, tools used, actual spell, and any comments or observations you have.

XIV. Work your spell in the mundane world as well. This means taking whatever actions are necessary in your everyday, physical world to aid the manifestation of your spell. This includes continuing to visualize your goal.

XV. Repeat the spell. This is at your discretion, but ''more'' is not always ''better''. Piling spell atop spell will likely cancel the previous spells out. Some witches wait three months before repeating a spell.

X. Breaking the Spell. It has been my experience that once something is cast, it will run it's course to an extent, even if you ''break the spell''. Energies you set in motion are going to manifest; breaking the spell allows you to control to some degree how much of those energies manifest.
To break a spell, cast your Circle and call upon the energies of the spell to return to you. You must then ground those energies into Mother Earth. You may use the sequence of steps above to construct a spell for breaking other spells

Sacred Space

Creating Sacred Space isn't as daunting a task as it first may seem. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the beginner can do this fairly well even on the first try. Considering the amount of mail I get on this topic, however, I think this might be a somewhat misunderstood concept. So I hope this handy little guide will be of some assistance.


First the most important burning question? What is it? What exactly is it about a chosen place that makes it 'Sacred'? Well first of all, you're Sacred Space doesn't have to be a space at all. It can be a place in your mind. It can also be an ancient stone circle, or your bathtub. It can be nowhere, and it can be everywhere. Confused? Keep reading?

This might begin to make a little more sense when we deal with the next question: What is it for? Sacred Space is a place, whether physical or not, that you have made 'safe'. It is a clean place, free from every day worries and stress. A place where you can be you. A place where you can be free. And it is in a place such as this that you are free to encounter spirituality on a deeper level. The reason you create sacred space before a ritual is because you can't be fully aware, you can't be really free, if you are bound to the mundane. So creating Sacred Space gives you that place to be safe and secure.

So, that all being said, Where is Sacred Space, then? You can choose a physical place - such as the space around your altar, for example. This place is excellent for sacred space. During Rituals, it is important to be in your Sacred Space. When taking a ritual bath, you might want to make the bathtub/bathroom Sacred Space. You might have a grove, or clearing in a forest, for your Sacred Space. Any and all of these are a good idea.

But there is also another way to create your Sacred Space. You can create a place in your mind that is your perfect Sacred Space. Create anything you like. Set it up any way you please. If you could create a perfect place, a truly magickal place, what would it look like? A stone circle, a grove, a farm, a cave? Feel free here, that's important. Experiment and change things as you go. This is your safe place. Know that in your heart. No-one can or will judge you here. This is a real place, known as your Astral Temple. When you have designed this perfect place, visit it often, especially when you are in a ritual frame of mind. It is there for you always, whenever you need that bit of sanity and relief. When you meditate or attempt to encounter the gods, you can do it in this place if you like.

So how about Creating Sacred Space? We've already covered your perfect place, how about that corner of your home where your altar is? To be honest, these steps may seem quite familiar.

First, clean the place physically - dust, vacuum, etc. Then clean it of everything else - sweep with a broom, make lots of noise, dance around, meditate on the space becoming 'clean', etc. The goal here is to remove all of the stale 'ickies' that generally hang around a place. All of the emotions we leave lying around behind us like so much dust. Then if you like, you can go around your space with the elements, and bless the space. Visualize the space becoming Sacred. Then Cast your Circle and make the space Sacred for as long as you need it. That's it. You have created a clean, safe, and Sacred Space. While you are in ritual, you may also want to visit your Astral Temple (your perfect Sacred Space) to 'water the flowers', so to speak.

That pretty much covers the basics of Sacred Space.

Meditation

The Twenty one practices of The calm state
These are mediation practices, to help develop your internal calm, which is a big part of meditating Practice these one by one, personally I would recommend you don't move on to the next stage until you can do the previous one for an hour.

Practice 1: Focusing upon an ordinary pebble or twig. For this session, set out a small pebble in front of you, as your meditative object and just stare at it one pointedly, letting your awareness neither stray from it or identify with it

Practice 2: Focusing upon an image of the Buddha. Here you may concentrate upon an image to symbolize the body of the Buddha, a syllable to symbolize his speech, or a glowing dot to symbolize his mind

Practice 3: In this practice, you will focus upon a syllable; so visualize in front of you the disc of a moon, the size of a fingernail, and upon it the syllable HUM, as fine as if were written with a single hair, and concentrate upon this

Practice 4: Now you should focus upon a glowing dot visualized in front of you, in the shape of an egg and about the size of a pea, shining and wondrous, and concentrate upon this as before.

Practice 5: Focusing upon the moving breath. Let your body and mind be tranquil and focus upon the inhalation and exhalation of your breath; and with no other thoughts simply count your breaths as they move in and out

Practice 6: In this practice you will follow your breath as it is inhaled and exhaled, and note for how long each breath is exhaled, and for how long it is inhaled, and through how much of your body it moves.

Practice 7: Now let your awareness move with your breath, from the tip of your nose, all the way down to your navel, and watch how it goes and comes, and is held withing.

Practice 8: Now spend the sessions examining individually the five elements of earth, air fire, water, and space which make up your body, and you will become aware of how the breath increases and decreases as it moves in and out

Practice 9: And finally sense the air to be white as it is exhaled, blue as it is inhaled, and red as it is held withing, and the motion of the breath will become visible to you

Practice 10: Holding the breath. Breath out forcibly three times, then gently draw in the upper air through your nose and draw up the lower air from your intestines, and try to hold it as long as you can until your thoughts are stopped and your mind no longer strays to external objects.

Practice 11: Cutting off every thought that occurs, in the next session you will begin to meditate without using any external objects at all.
Continue to contemplate as in the precious practice; you will find your mind following after external objects, imposing its constructs upon them, and thinking that things are real. Do not let this continue, but discipline yourself with mindfulness, and try to prevent every single one of these thoughts. And thus contemplate , cutting off at its very root, any thought that occurs

Practice 12: During these sessions you will be able to contemplate this this for an ever increasing period of time; indeed it will seem that these thoughts are becoming more numerous than before, and following one after the other as if in a continuous stream. This is what we call recognizing your thoughts as you might become aware of an enemy. It is what we call the first state of calm, like the rushing of a mountain cataract.

Practice 13: in this practice, you will now let these thoughts do whatever they want, not cutting them off at all, yet not falling under their spell

Practice 14: You now enter the middle state of calm, like the gentle flowing of a river. Now your thoughts can no longer move you one way or the other, and you can begin to abide one pointedly in a state of calm.
To remain in this state continuously settles all the sediment in your mind. As Gampopa says: If you do not stir the water, it is clear; and if you leave your mind alone, it is blissful

Practice 14: Leaving your mind alone. in this practice you will keep your mind, as if you were spinning a thread, keeping an even tension upon it. For if your contemplation is too tight, then it snaps, and if it is too loose, then you slip into indolence.

Practice 16: Now in these sessions, you will keep your mind as if it were a snapped rope. For all our prior antidotes to thoughts have been thoughts themselves; it is a thought to think that you must impose no constructs upon reality. You have simply substituted one thought for another. This is what we call mindlessness chasing an object, and it is a fault in contemplation
So cas aside your mindfulness itself: keep your mind free of all effort and let it flow naturally and spontaneously in the stream of calm; this is what we call keeping your mind as if it were a snapped rope.

Practice 17: Now you will try to keep your mind as if it were a child looking at the murals painted on a temple wall. For you are now without thought, and without feeling in your body and mind: and thus you will seee visions of smoke and other forms of emptiness: you may feel you are fainting, or as if floating in empty space. When these ecstatic visions occur, you must neither enjoy them nor fear them, and thus neither think they are important, nor cling to them. This is what we call keeping your mind as if it were a child looking at the paintings in the temple

Practice 18: And finally you will keep your mind as if it were an elephant being pricked by a pin. For while your mind is fixed, your mindfulness is automatically recognizing every thought that occurs. What is to be cast aside, and that which casts aside meet each other, and your thoughts can no longer jump about from one to the next. The antidote to thought now occurs spontaneously and naturally, without needing any effort at all on your part: This is what we call mindfulness holding its object.
Thus you feel your thoughts occur, but you yourself never cut them off nor react to them in any way.this is what we call trying to prick an elephant with a pin. And this is what we call the final state of calm, like an ocean without waves. You recognize the changing within the changeless, and you simply leave it alone, for you see the changeless within the changing

Practice 19: In these sessions, you will now analyze this changless and changing, to gain the realization of insight, and you may finally reach the state of meditationless meditation.
Enter the state of calm wherein you are no longer imposing any constructs upon reality, but simply letting it appear before you. Look upon your changelessness, and see its true nature ; see how it is changeless and how it changes from its state of changelessness. Are the changes in the mind something other than the changeless, or is it a changing withing the changeless itself? what is the true nature of this changing? and how does the changing stop?

Practice 20: And now you are beginning to realize that you cannot see the changeless apart from the changing or the changing apart from the changeless; you cannot find the true nature of the changeless or the changing.
You are beginning to see that your introspection is finding nothing there at all, that the watched and the watcher are both the same. You cannot set out its true nature: it is what we call the vision beyond all thought

Practice 21: The realization of final insight. Now you know how to leave every thought and passion entirely alone, not cutting it off at all, yet not falling under its spell. During these sessions try simply to recognize every thought for what it is: let it spontaneously become emptiness, pure in and of itself, without your casting it aside. In this way you learn how to make use of all hindrance. This is what we call making a hindrance into the path itself.
By just recognizing the thought, the imposition of a construct you are freed from it spontaneously; you realize that there is no difference at all between what you cast aside, and that which is cast aside.
And now too there is born in you exceeding compassion for all those living creatures who do not realize the essence of their minds. And you will spend your lives working for the sake of these others, but all your meditations have now cleansed away any idea that these others really exist. And it is with regard to practice such as this that we say: I neither keep nor cast aside anything that happens on the path.

Magickal Exercises & Meditations

The exercises should preferably be performed on a regular basis, every day if your schedule allows this, if not at least several times a week, even if you can only afford to spend 1/2 an hour or less on them.


Meditative Breathing

Rhythmic breathing is one of the most basic and important aspects of meditation, and one of the least explained (most books on the subject assume that you already know how to breath in the correct manner, which is frequently not the case).
Firstly, you must not strain while breathing, especially by constricting your throat. There must be no forced effort.
The air should be taken in to the bottom of the lungs first, by the simple method of pushing the abdomen out (i.e. the diaphragm down - a common technique to those trained in acting or public speaking).
This causes the air to be sucked naturally into the lungs until they are filled to the top. Be concious of the air passing up and down the upper throat rather than through the nasal passages.
The air should be retained by holding the diaphragm down and the chest wall out, and if the chest is tapped sharply it should cause part of the air to be expelled, providing there is no barrier in the throat or mouth.
To breath out, suck the abdomen in (i.e. the diaphragm up) so that the air is dispelled naturallt and is felt to leave the top of the lungs last of all. Keep the breath held out by use of the diaphragm and trunk muscles.


Motionlessness

Sit in a comfortable and relaxed position. Slow your breathing and don?t breath heavily. Try to move as little as possible. Perform this excercise with your eyes closed as this means you won?t have to blink. Try to swallow as infrequently as you can manage. Remain motionless for as long as you can, however uncomfortable the position that you are in may become.


No-thought

I find it to be easier to achieve this state if you work into from medatative breathing. Attempt to clear your mind completely. Think of absolutely nothing.
Try to get rid of all the little thoughts that give constant mental commentary on what is happening to you. It is an achievement to even have a few seconds of no-thought, and from there you can work up to longer periods.
If you can manage no-thought for more that 5 seconds you're doing well. A trick I've used when experiencing difficulty in the achievement of no-thought is to let myself feel all the messages my body is sending to me, but not to continue thinking about them - focusing the mind purely on immediate sensation as opposed to anything else.


Object focus excersise

Concentrate your full attention on an object. You can use a dot on a wall, or the centre of a candle flame (this is apparently bad for your eyes kiddies), or whatever. Focus on it unwaveringly, and don?t think of anything except the object you are concentrating on.


Visualisation

Visualisation can be done with they eyes closed, or with the eyes open, against a blank wall or similar surface. Eventually you should be able to visualise almost anything anywhere. I find it easier to begin with closed eyes.
Pick a simple shape such as a square, circle or star, and try to visualise it with your eyes closed. It must remain steady and should not vary in its size or location. This is another one where practice makes perfect, and it has a number of practical magickal uses.
I usually visualise my shapes in glowing octarine. (Octarine, the proverbial colour of magick, is different for everyone, but it?s usually florescent.)
If you find a simple shape to be awkward to fix in your mind, some (myself included) find it more conventient to visualise a concept, a landscape, or another such complex shape.
From this it is possible to focus on parts of the larger visualisation leading on to the focus on a simple shape.
Large scale visualisations are also effective precursors to astral workings.


Mantric repetitions

Pick a mantra such as ?om? or ?ahhh ehhh aiyyyy ohhh ooooh? (I like ?Zazas Zazas Nastatana Zazas?, myself) and repeat it over and over again. Vibrate every word of the mantra, and breath from your stomach. The mantra will become an automatic pattern quite quickly to the point where you will hardly have to put any thought into it.


Death Posture Meditation

Death posture meditation involves sitting in front of a mirror at a distance of between about 6 inches and 2 feet, staring at the centres of your pupils in the reflection, and emptying your mind totally.
Perform slow meditative breathing during this excersise, and keep your eyes open and unblinking. The mirror should be propped up somewhere not too far from your face.
As you stare at the mirror, colours start to change and all the images distort, however this effect generally vanishes if you try to focus on the distortions. The method will, however, induce an altered state of conciousness, which can include hallucinations.
Don't do this cross legged. It give you cramp, as you tend to loose track of time.


Death Posture Blackout Technique

''Standing on tip-toe, with the arms rigid, bound behind by the hands, clasped and straining the utmost, the neck stretched - breathing deeply and spasmodically, till giddy and sensation comes in gusts, gives exhaustion and capacity for the former.'' - 'The Book of Pleasure', Austin Osman Spare
This position causes exhaustion and passing out fairly rapidly, and, like the above meditation, will cause altered states of conciousness. All muscles should be kept tense while performing the death posture. Some recommend holding one's breath while performing it.


Kat's Short 'n' Sweet Aura Trick

Hold your hands, open and relaxed, about 5 inches part from each other, with the palms facing.
Slowly bring them together, concentrating on what you're doing. At a couple of centimeters away from each other, you should feel some resistance. It can help if you move your hands slightly.


Catharisis

Set aside a period of time when you'll be alone for at least an hour, but will not be particularly tired or distracted.
Start by performing a no-thought exercise, and then begin thinking objectively and honestly about yourself.
When you either get stuck for further inspiration (this doesn't happen that frequently, I find), or get overwhelmed by the experience (and it can be overwhelming), stop.
Take a long leisurely bath or shower, cleansing yourself of any depression you may have built up, watching it wash away in the water. Remind yourself that once something has been acknowledged, it can be changed.

there is also the Middle Pillar technique.
start out by sitting or lying down
move your consciousness to the top of your head.
visualise a brilliant white sphere,
vibrate the divine name''EHEIH'' a number of times
until you can feel it vibrate on its own.
visualise a white shaft of light descend to the bottom of your
throat.visualise another brilliant white sphere as before
and vibrate the divine name ''YHVH ELOHIM''.
bring the shaft of light down to the next sphere at your heart center and vibrate the divine name''YHVH ELOAH VEDAATH''.
bring the light down to your pelvic sphere and vibrate the divine name''SHADDAI EL CHAI''the CH in this name is a gutteral sound.bring the shaft of light down to your feet, THE MALKUTH SPHERE vibrate the divine name ''ADONAI HA-AHRETZ.
when done circulate the light by breathing to the count of four
as you do so bring a shaft of light up the righjt side of your body from MALKUTH to KETHER,and then down the left side of your body back down to MALKUTH.do this for four turns and then do the same for the back and the front.then bring the light up from MALKUTH straight up the shaft of light in your body to KETHER,out the top of your head.visulise a shower of brilliant white light falling back down to MALKUTH.when done concentrate on the white aura for as long as you like.
this meditation produces its own results if done daily.

To actualize the blessedness of meditation you should practice with pure inention and firm determination. Your meditation room should be clean and queit. Do not dwell in thoughts of good or bad. Just relax and forget you are meditating. Do not desire realization since that thought will keep you confused.

Sit on a cushion in a manner as comfortable as possible, wearing loose clothing. Hold your body straight without leaing to the left or the right, forward or backward. Your ears should be in line with your shoulders, and your nose in a straight line with your naval. Keep your tongue at the rof of your mouth and close your lips. Keep your eyes slightly open, and breath through your nostrils.

Before you begin meditation take several slow, deep breaths. Hold your body erect, allowing your breathing to become normal again. Many thoughts will crowd into your mind, ignore them, letting them go. If they persist, be aware of them with the awareness which does thing. In other words, think nothing.

By Zen Master Dogen
the Fukanzazengi.

Psychic Shielding -thanks Phoe

Below is a visualization that can be adapted to your needs:

Try to give yourself at least 10 minutes to do this exercise. Begin by doing a relaxation exercise such as deep breathing with any grounding and centering technique you feel comfortable with.

Visualize a sphere of white light surrounding your body about arm's length from you. Imagine that surrounding this sphere is a grid of brilliant blue lines.
Surround this sphere with a wall of white light extending arm's length from the grid of blue lines. This wall has grids on both sides and locks into place with the first grid. Actually try to hear the click they make while locking in place with each other.

One more arm's length from this second grid, visualize another wall of light with a grid locking into place with the second grid. Again, hear the clicking sound they make together.

Surround this outer wall that is now three arm's lengths from your body with a brilliant blue flame about 6 inches thick. This is your flame of protection. Some associate this with the flame of archangel Michael.

Let this energy surround you for a few minutes. When you are ready, visualize this flame and grid system fading away from your mind's eye yet know that it is still there.

You can vary this technique to your comfort level. For instance, you don't have to use white light. Whatever color makes you feel safe is what you should use. You can even imagine a brick wall instead of a wall of light. You can also visualize a symbol such as a flaming pentagram, sword, cross, Thor's hammer, a shield, etc. to personalize it. Practice with your own protection rituals and see what is the best fit for you.

It is a good idea to do this every day especially if you are empathic. After steady practice, you might be surprised at how quickly you can put up your wall of protection. Psychic shielding along with grounding and centering are also important to do before more elaborate ritual and/or magic work where you are opening yourself to influences from the spiritual plane.

Any shield will deteriorate and crumble in time if its not continually re-energized and maintained.


If yours is failing, its an indication that a new construct is in order.

It depends on how much energy you want to put into its ''construction'' and its maintenance.

All it takes is concentration and intent & the will to make it replenish.

From http://hubpages.com/hub/psychicshielding

By Serpent Fire- Shielding 101

Today my lesson will be on shielding and types of shields.


What is a shield?

A sheild can be a wall, sphere, dome or convex layer or any shape that protects you from either negative forces or another witch's powers, Eg. Protection from hexes, charms, jinxes, demons, illusions etc


How are these shields created?

These shields are purely your personal energy working for you. When an enemy chants and brings forth a hex, your working of chants, visualization (very important ) and belief can construct a shield.

Note: A shield is only as strong as the caster can make, so regular practice of meditation and cleansing of blockages and grounding and centering keeps your powers from ''rusting'' since your energy system needs to be maintained from time to time.

eg of shield creation instructions.

1) create a solid compressed blue coloured psi ball
2) let it be almost weightless yet solid in structure
3) let it expand across the whole body into a sphere

so by now you should understand that visualization is the main key to this as well with any spell. Even you are chanting words or not visualization is the key

Types of shields

Basic shields


Diffusion shields

These shields are the most common of all shields, they are used in normally in almost any shielding spell. Not because the shield is common does not mean it has little use in protection. This shield when encountered with foreign energy will split the energy waves into two parts and neutralize it on spot at a weaker state.


Absorption shields


Absorption shields absorb foreign energy struck at it, it seals the energy with in its self which in some cases may even strengthen the shield providing the opponent spells are not strong enough to break it. It will only be broken when its absorption tolerance level has surpassed its limit.


Reflection shields

Reflection shields will reflect the spell back to sender in most cases. But will not harm anyone else innocently if done properly if done properly and there is no unforeseen variable. These shields should be visualized as shiny in the visualization process, this is to act like a mirror. once again basic shields are just as strong as advanced shields if done properly and conjured by a strong practitioner.


Intermediate shields

illusion shields

These shields cannot protect you from actual energy effects physically but more in a mental form. Illusion shields are used to trick the opponent into seeing something else or what you want them to see. You project practically anything you wish to project. You can place it to confuse or dis-co-ordinate and attack.

Elemental shields (basic element)

Elemental shields uses the various elements for a shield and converges them with any given shield. In a basic elemental shield you only really the four basic elements. just simple additions to a diffusion shield etc.

Counter shields

Counter shields are special shields which are practically an specialized form of a reflective shield. In which it reflects attacks before it reaches into your vicinity. These shields contain a special aura which reflects the attack and prevents damage even being dealt to the shield.

Advanced shields


Elemental shields (advanced)

unlike the basic version the advanced elemental shield uses all elements, and differs now because one's understanding of the elements should be different now. For eg. you no longer see fire as its physical form alone, you know fire is healing, cleansing, and purity. Advanced elemental shields are constructed out of the environment's energy and sometimes your own personal energy in combination.


Polymorphic shield

These barriers/shields are one the most complex shields, these shields change structure and form when struck. They can either reflect, absorb, diffuse or altogether at once. Think of this shield as a rubbery shield that bends and twists.


Mental shield

A mental shield protects you from mental type attacks like illusions. This shield block telepathic attacks as well, things like the witches hands shake etc are ineffective when a mental shield is put in place, once again a shield is only as strong as its caster. A mental shield can prevent distractions of intimidation methods used by others to scare you into submission, even the greatest witch can't be too careful with another in a duel so one needs any advantage they can get. But mental shields help to level the floor board. Unfortunately mental shields do not protect you from physical magickal attacks.


Negative shields (ne-gay-tive)


Negative shields also may be knows as negatus spheres, practically ne-gate an attack, countering with energy of its own and grounding the opponent energy gradually reducing its strength.


Etheric shields


Etheric shields are special spirtual barriers that operate similar to a diffusion shield just naturally at a more powerful scale. it also grounds energy as well.


Note: when i spoke about magickal attacks please understand they



are as physical as you may think they are. Its not like knife and bullet but never the less it is protecing your self against demons, hexes and jinxes that can destroy family life ,job, mental condition etc.



Auric shields - These special shields that work in conjunction with our aura. It is vital to know your aura colour when using auric shields. These shields normally are like specialized diffusion shields that can very useful if one does not want to become a beacon (shining magickal target). However you can make that shield reflective as well if you like. Auric shields are best used to protect against negative energy, hexes etc. But must be used with caution since this shield's strength is linked with your OWN aura's condition. If you have a poor aura your shield will not be as strong.

How can you improve this?

* Be more positive in your behavior and actions to people, negative energy in your body depletes the aura hence that shield will be weak also.

* wear more colours, this is the number one reason why Females live longer than males, males tend to wear dark colours which depletes the aura and you energy system and in conjunction makes you ''sick'' literally.

* Chakra meditation practice this mediation to significantly improve the aura. with this practice all of your overall magickal abilities will be enhanced in due time, more abilities will be added on to you and it will be easier to keep positive day by day

serpentfire- Spells

Spells

A spoken or written formula which, in the act of magic or divination, is intended to create or change a particular course of events. The belief in spells and their employment dates back to antiquity. Spells have become an integral part of various religious and magical practices. Their methods vary accordingly from culture to culture, but all spells function on ritual activity. Spells are closely related to prayers, in that they both are a means of petitioning a deity or deities for a particular desired outcome, and which require the visualization of the goal, statement of desire for the goal and ritualized movements or body positions, such as the bowing of the head, the folding or clasping of hands, or shutting of the eyes, etc. Spells are also closely related to the various methods of employing the powers of the mind, such as ''creative visualization,'' ''positive thing,'' and ''positive imaging.'' Such methods help the one casting the spell to emphasize his mental images so he can better identify with these images and form a clear goal . The person repeats his intention to achieve the particular goal and combines it with the projection of his will and the invocation of the aid of the spirits, deities or Divine Force. There are various types of spells. Some are beneficial while others are harmful. Some claim they may be worked on man and beast alike. Their purposes are limitless including healing, love, success, money, fertility, longevity, protection against disaster, illness, misfortune and evil, exorcism of ghosts and spirits, victory in war and over an enemy, truth in divination, weather control and accomplishment of supernatural feats. When casted against enemies spells may be used to bring about illness, destruction, loss of love, impotence, loss of property, failure and even death. A person can cast a spell for himself, or direct it toward another person. A positive spell is called a blessing. A negative spell usually known as a hex or curse. Archaic terms for spells include bewitchment and enchantment. A binding spell is on that is casted with the intention of preventing harm or disaster, or to stop someone from performing a particular act such as a murder or rape, or something as inoffensive as spreading gossip.


Structure of a spell


An act of magic, that requires a magician, witch or sorcerer, performing a spell in a ritual. The spell itself consists of words or incantation (sometimes called charms or runes). The ritual is a prescribed set of actions performed while the spell is being recited. For example, the ancient Egyptians believed words were so powerful that speaking them would achieve the desired result. Certain words and Names on Power were essential in Egyptian magic and had to be pronounced correctly and with the proper intonation. The Tetragrammaton is the ultimate name on power in Western ceremonial magic.
A spell-casting ritual involves the raising of power (see also cone of power) through the combination of visualization, incantation (the statement of goal), petition of the deities and projection of the will. It is thought that the success of the spell rests on the power and will raised and the skill with which they are focused and projected. All of these powers go into spell casting. Things aiding spell casting include words, chants, songs, movements or dance which may be accompanied by the use of objects such as ritual tools, effigies, poppets, cords, candles, and nail clipping

Brim- Exploring the Mind

The mind is a powerful thing and most people underestimate its potential. The mind is so vast that you can literally get lost in it and never come back! Another word for ?Meditation? is ?Exploration of the mind? and it isn?t called that for nothing. When we meditate we step into our minds and explore those hidden corners that we aren?t able to see when we?re fully awake or conscious. That is why it is very important to meditate on the daily basis, because by exploring your mind you are exploring yourself and your memories ? even the forgotten ones (they are still there, the ones from the past lives as well), personality, knowledge, emotions, attachments, connections but most importantly your soul.

If you want to step into your mind you need to let the physical world go?that is not important here?you need to forget about your body and imagine that your mind is the only thing that exists as you. When you step into your mind you never know what you will find or what you might learn. Now this is harder part to grasp?everyone?s mind is different. There is not a single person in the world that thinks the same as you and therefore you need to develop your own way of exploring it. You can use whatever method you like but it has to be the one that suits you.

You can imagine your mind as a box, file, room, hallway, forest, ocean, plain, drawer, closet, dumpster, tunnel, labyrinth, sky, ANYTHING that suits you. Now how to step into your mind? Well, for me I like to imagine my mind as a hallway with a lot of doors... whenever I want to step into my mind I just imagine this hallway and let go of the physical world. There is just me and my mind ? nothing else exists for me at that time. If I want to know something it IS going to be behind one of those doors there is no might be?because the mind is your world and you can create thing there and you can create anything! Now if I will want to know about ANYTHING, I will open that door and there might be nothing behind it, but I will step through that door and I will keep looking for it until I find it. How do you keep looking if there?s nothing there? Well, you push the thought of it in the back of your mind and keep the front empty. The mind has a great ability to connect thoughts and information and sooner or later it is going to find something to connect the thought in the back of your mind with something and it will bring it to the front and show it to you. If it?s not what you want to know, push it away and keep searching until you get what you want.

That is how you explore your mind?by thinking not by seeing. Some say that meditation is keeping your mind clear ? NO! It?s about thinking deeply, concentrating and focusing on one thought, relaxing your mind and obtaining new information. The ?don?t think about anything? method is just to get used to relaxing yourself and letting go of the world around you. It is a good method to practice meditation but you can?t keep practicing forever?I don?t expect you to get everything today or even this week and neither should you?.the mind is an extremely complicated system to understand and it will take a whole lot of time before you truly get it?it?s not something anyone can describe with words or teach to another, you need to learn from yourself and be patient with yourself. No one has done this in a day or a week?if you do that you will get lost in your mind and go insane so take it easy and slow?learn about yourself and your mind.