Monday, November 30, 2009

The Path of Manifestation

I was speaking to the Druid today. Someone had asked him about a spell designed to gather information. The Druid told the person to consider a couple of things. First, what are the real motivations for getting the answers. The second was to consider how those answers may manifest and how that manifestation may affect others.

I am not going to go into the details of the spell but that last bit was ever so appropriate for the question being asked.

A lot of folks will just do the magick and spend very little time considering things like this. However considering them can lead to better results.

I have found that when I do thought form magick the reply always comes through the weakest point in the chain. My magick, though fiery, manifests like water by traveling along the route of least resistance. Knowing this, if I make careful consideration of what I'm doing, I can make appropriate changes. I will eschew considerations of others and use a purely practical example.

Were I of mind to do thought form magick with the intent of gaining another magickal teacher, I'd have to keep in mind the local folks I already know. Chances are one of them would show up. If I wanted them, asking them directly would be simpler. If I didn't want them, I'd have to make those 'weak' points stronger so that the magick would find another target.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Some Thoughts on the Golden Dawn

I read a blog post by RO the other day. He mentioned that he doesn't like most GD people because they don't do practical magick. Which leads me to the thought -- Who cares? The Golden Dawn does not exist to satisfy RO or anyone else aside from its members in the various independent orders. Frankly, I'd worry about any leader that ran an order to satisfy anyone -- member or not. That isn't the point.

I am not the leader of any GD type group. Come to think of it, I am not a leader of any occult order at all. So, please make no assumptions there. However, I've been around the block once or twice.

From my humble observations, the GD should be about personal alchemical growth. The original order didn't even teach magick in the lower grades. I've seen both approaches to GD work. Some that feel they should do any magick they wanted and some that did very little, except to prove to themselves results could be had via magick. I think they do this to validate their own initiatory experience. Deep down they may have doubts the magick of the initiations are impacting their lives. They may think theirs lives were falling apart before the initiations. They are right of course. However, if done right, the initiations kicks a few things over and causes general havoc in order to reveal something deeper. Yet they hold doubts deep down enough that they don't even know they have them. Then they do some magick, which usually goes wrong. Then they develop some faith magick works and that the people that 'cooked' them did it right.

Those folks that did magick generally used it to 'make their lives better' as RO suggests. One could watch them avoiding the consequence of initiatory fall out. One chap even believed he could avoid karma using magic. Maybe but most definitions of karma I've seen, even the ones many scholars disagree with, seem pretty long term to me. By avoiding the repercussions of life, they miss the personal alchemical lessons necessary for the Great Work to continue.

Those that don't 'interfere' with the dissolution processes by 'improving their lives' with magick, fall into two categories. They flame out and leave or they learn. Those that do interfere hang around. It is possible to rise to certain levels in the ranks and have learned very little internally. I am not sure I'd ever have occasion to call these folks Golden Dawn adepts (admittedly, I have an unusually narrow definition of the term). Though, I can easily see them as powerful mages.

My approach was to use the magick I was taught to enhance what I could learn from the initiatory fall out. Maybe someday, folks will call me adept. Not yet. I am a student and nothing more.

Nothing in this post should be taken as all inclusive. Everyone does the work in their own way. The fact that I can't see the point of some folks' approach means nothing other than I can't see the point. They fact that I value another approach likely means it is more like my own.

It is nearly impossible to judge another person's spiritual growth and dangerous to do so. That way can lead to arrogance and failure. Judging the value of someone's occult efforts by their use of magick in a way that fits your own model is also problematic.

I tend to agree with RO that at some point one should gain the wisdom to apply magic as a practical tool. On the other hand there are specialties of magick that solely focus on spiritual growth. I will not nay-say those adepts, quietly working away in obscurity.

Having just reread RO's post in question. He didn't say anything about the GDers use of magick but I'm sure he said it somewhere. So there!

He did make a comment about grade sashes causing ego inflation. Good! Let them. A few ego inflations followed by a few deflations seems to work just fine. Though, I've never seen a person focus on a sash in any such manner. I have seen another member of another group get all happy about a some bauble that was bestowed at another groups initiation. In my opinion, she blew up spectacularly. Then again, some how she managed to avoid the fallout...

Better Results

This morning, I combined a few things.

First, I took the advice of anonymous and worked all day yesterday on surrendering to some things. Work at surrendering? Yup. That is a tad contradictory but there you go. Most importantly, the back issues that make it difficult to hold the properly aligned positions that really make meditation hum.

Second, my 'best' meditations involved pour breathing. I did that too.

I will also add some cleansing things that worked when I was happier with the process.

Yes, Jason, I realize that much of this is looking for result but at the same time, if I can't sit up straight it makes the meditation really tough.

Results? My entire body recognized air. More important, looks at Jason, I was actually able to allow thoughts to rise and be dismissed rather than focusing on my physical discomfort. I also didn't feel frustrated that my mind so many distractions took place that there was no recognition. Yesterday, I may as well been holding a conversation as 'meditating'.

For those of you that haven't figured it out yet, I am taking Jason's on-line course. I may as well explain why a ceremonial magician would switch gears like that. I will make a separate post on that sometime this weekend.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Same Ol' Cycle

I've been working with Jason Miller's Pillar and Spheres meditation, which is great. I suggest you buy Strategic Sorcery and try it out. I've had great results but of late, they've tapered off. I've found in nearly impossible to get my mind to be willing to meditate for more than five minutes or so. This is a very annoying pattern to my work. Something works great, then I loose the handle. It can take me a long time to get it back.

This time, I am just going to be consistent and keep plugging away. No breaks.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Energy Raising

A day or two ago, I posted about thought form magick. In that post, I promised to make a list of energy raising techniques. This list is by no means all encompassing. I am sure others will be able to expand this quite easily.

Ecstatic States -- These can be achieved by engaging with everything from dance to flagellation to meditation. The method employed may or may not color the state itself depending upon the various factors of personality and the development of the practitioner. Trance states are included here.

Nearly everything that follows is just a variation of achieving an ecstatic state.

Personal energy -- I hate using the energy� word because one sounds like some New Ager but energy it is. As a ceremonialist, we raise our own energy through different processes, the most common of which is a rite called the middle pillar. Having raised the energy one tries to rise to the highest level of awareness one can (see ecstatic states) and then, either through prayer or technique, endeavor to use that energy. All of these change the practitioner's state of awareness but it can also attract a specific being when the proper technique for that being is employed.

Solomonic -- Those who practice from the ancient grimories tend to work themselves into a lather (for lack of a better phrase) by building themselves to be "God"� as in the Christian All-God. The technique though can be used in a variety of ways to assume the authority of the deity in question. Beware though that you pick one that doesn't mind you doing so. This is basically a specific form of an ecstatic state.

Evocation -- while some wouldn't call this energy raising, I am including it here. The point is calling a spirit to visible appearance and asking it to do something. Whatever that is employs the energy of the spirit which is why I mention it here.

Invocation -- bringing a spirit into oneself for communion, learning, and understanding or to use that ecstatic state and the knowledge/energy of that which is invoked to do the work required.

Chemistry -- this is not a term used in the occult but I use it to describe bringing like natural substances together to create a specific magickal effect.

Alchemy -- much like chemistry but with a much more internal goal in mind and using much more scientific-looking equipment in the process

Institutional -- Another term I have made up in which one joins an energy flow already in progress. This is like hanging around other creative types when one is learning art or writing or music. Just being around the same type of person you want to be helps attune you to the process. Of course, the inverse can be true. Know who you are hanging out with for you will become them and vis versa. To use this properly one must also contribute to the group. All take and no give results in Johnny being ejected from the energy pattern. Besides that, all take and no give is just selfish.

Necromancy -- I've never known anyone that did this. However, it sounds it could be related to vampirism in that energy is taken rather than raised. Necromancers can pull the energy from dead things. Anyone that has touched a compost pile and felt the heat knows that dying and decomposing creates its own type of energy.

Prayer -- prayer is very often eschewed in the pagan world and many feel too Christian doing it. Yet prayer has a long standing pagan history and, in my opinion, is least likely to offend the god of your choice. I've never heard of a god that is upset by being prayed to. However, I'm sure someone will correct me.

Prayer is not only responded to by spirits but can raise one to an ecstatic state. It is also a very kind way to do magick, in my opinion.

A good party! There are lots of gods that enjoy a good time had in their name.

Tap into local spirits, those puppies "know the lay of the land". this may be especially true in small towns with long histories. If you can tap into the underlying force of a small town, you could be a very influential person in local life, should you want to me. Is this energy raising? I could make an argument. I may lose it but I could make it.

Sex -- Yes, getting off alone or with a partner can do it but there is a lot more to sex magick than that. What? I don't know. I'm not into that but it seems obvious to me that this is the grossest form.

Plays -- you can certainly get into a zone as an actor and take your audience into a different state of consciousness. I've heard of one group that has acted out some of Crowley's rites to find the actresses in certain plays end up a bit whacked. So, if it can be done to ill effect, I'm sure it can be done with positive effect.

Until recently, I wouldn't have added meditation. A good proper meditation can raise and/or release a ton of energy.

Anyway, these are just some thoughts. I am no expert on all these techniques. Those of you that know of other techniques are encouraged to add them in the comments section.

I think my advice would be to get to know one or two really well and be done with it.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Thought Form Work

When I first started this blog part of my intent was to show those folks that have read about magick but hadn't done it or those folks that want to do magick but for whatever reason have not, that it can be done. I will give you a moment to reread that convoluted sentence.

Ready?

Not only that it can be done but should be done. I've tried to show that by simply posting what I am doing. I have hinted at a few acts of thaumaturgy (practical magick) but since the best way to influence events is via stealth, I only hint at where I'm going with something.

I mentioned to a friend not long ago that I started with energy magick. Specifically thought forms. I wasn't the type to 'influence' other parties back then, not that I'm all eager beaver for that now but then it was less so. I simply did thought forms to educate myself. I'd send them with instructions like, "What do I need to learn spiritually from the situation involving XYZ?" "Reveal to me my life pattern that I'm missing in situation ABC." "Help me understand the perspective of person X."

Thought forms are very helpful for this because they are already so deeply linked to yourself. One should take care because you will learn about parts of yourself that are not pretty to look at. Though, looking at those things is a necessary part of the Great Work.

How to make a thought form, also called artificial elementals:

Use some care in figuring out your question. It is likely you'll make a few mistakes along the way but try to make an effort up front. "Teach me what I need to know," is too broad. Be specific. "Teach me what I need to learn about why I can not hold a job." "Reveal to me the pattern of my own behavior that results in job loss."

Do some research. Learn what a void course of the moon is. Before you do your spell make damn sure you're not doing it within a void of course moon. Ever. Or at least until you've learned how to work within that odd space. If you can not see, feel or otherwise perceive energy fluctuations, you can not work within a void of course moon. If you can perceive those things but are new to thought forms or magick, you should still avoid void of course moons.

Forget about planetary times, tattwic tides, moon phases and astrological timing. Just do it. Later, add those factors in. If you're going to do any of those things, learn about moon phases as use them accordingly.

Pick a name for your creation. I often use bad Latin from many of the free on-line translation services.

Determine how long this thing should live. Just as humans have a given number of heart beats, so should anything you create in this way, especially when learning. Make sure you include something in your rite that kills your child. For instance, "Do X then disperse back into the cosmos at the next new moon." Use moons, not dates."

Pick a shape. I used a lot of shapes related to air for this sort of thing as it has to do with communication and the mind. Tattwas are good but so are a host of other shapes and objects. Don't do humans. The shape should be three dimensional.

I'd recommend that beginners use elemental energies and use an appropriate shape for that. If you're going to use fire energy, a candle shape would do. It doesn't have to have a means for locomotion like a physical object. Do not use human shapes.

Banish. Jason Miller will tell you that it isn't necessary to banish for every act of magick. He's likely right. Banish anyway. Banish the microcosm and the macrocosm (LBRP and BRH). The point here is that you are trying to learn about yourself. Given that you are with you every day, the only reason you haven't learned this lesson already is that you are in the way. Banish the bullshit. Banish the things that get in your way. Banish the influence of your glands and your parent's projected desires. Make yourself empty of all but the need to learn.

Raise energy. I often use the middle pillar but not always. Do some research. Figure out what works best for you. I will post again about some ways to raise energy.

Hold your hands about 5 inches apart and allow the energy form into a ball between your hands. Change it to the color that corresponds with the energy you've chosen. Yellow is good for air workings. Mold it into a shape.

Say something like "I name you "X" go and do "Y" successful or not in your mission disperse to the cosmos at the next full moon/new moon/quarter moon. Just make sure you give your offspring enough time to work.

Literally push the your creation in the direction you feel it should go.

Many people will tell you to banish here. I suppose you can. I don't. Why would I want to banish that which I just created? Why would I want to immediately block any path of return it may use to me?

Give all other spirits attracted to the ritual the license to depart.

Don't go looking for the answer. It will come to you. It will likely be a sudden realization. Often it uses something similar but not exactly related to the question to make its point. Other times not.

When you get your answer. Believe it. Act on it. Otherwise your pissing on your own magick. The powers that be don't like that.

As a final note, don't worry about it if you can't see, feel or otherwise perceive the 'energies' of magick. Just do it. Convince yourself they are there. When I first used this approach, I couldn't visualize a thing. I couldn't feel energy. This exercise worked every time.

Words from Regardie

"The result which the Magician above all else desires to accomplish, is a spiritual reconstruction of his own conscious universe and incidentally that of all mankind, the greatest of all conceivable changes. The technique of Magic is one by which the soul flies, straight as an arrow impelled from a taught bow, to serenity, to a profound and impenetrable repose.

But it is only man himself who may tauten the string of the bow; none else may accomplish this task for him. It is of course in the qualifying clause that lurks the flaw. "Salvation" must be self-induced and self-devised."

-- Israel Regardie, The Tree of Life

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Not So Much in the Feet

Last night, I posted about sensing things through my feet. I tried the same today. No dice. I got nothing. I did recognize my mind once to try fill in the blanks but that was obviously not the same thing.

However, I did pull up energy out of the earth all day as I walked. It put me in a good mood. I noticed some things that I feel I need to keep to myself for the moment.

Last night during the meditation, I noticed the energy on my left was an ugly yellow. It was white on my right. Nothing felt right that I pulled from above. Things felt fine when I pulled from the earth. I immediately new that I was meditating during the void course of the moon. I checked and I was.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Interesting Effects

I've been doing the pillars and spheres meditation from Jason's book, Strategic Sorcery. The results have been interesting.

Many months ago, I posted about feeling things through my feet. I've begun doing this again. I've had the following results:

In a Uncle Harry's Bagel Shop: Swift Commerce
In a grocery store: Old Commerce
In a Subway Sandwich Shop: Pain/Old Earth. This was curious as I figured a few decades of 'bad neighborhood' couldn't damage the earth that way. I think someone was murdered nearby. I draw that conclusion because it felt the same as it did the one other time I felt that. That impression was very reliably confirmed.
In my office: Place of Labor
In the long empty office in the same building: Work Unit
On the grounds of my work place: Fading Pain. The sight has long been used as a hospital. In fact, there are two retired hospitals. The pain I felt was the grieving of the living for the recently dead. It was not the pain of the mental patients we serve now. Interesting.

I am finding it interesting how I can feel a difference in the energy at my feet and that different feel is instantly translated into words. The words are always something other than my preconceived notions of the place. Though, sometimes related. I can't say it was a stretch for Uncle Harry's to be swift commerce. But the word was swift and I was expecting successful. Others were much different than I expected. My general policy is to trust intuition that runs counter to my preconceived ideas.

I am not sure how to make this practical yet. However, the practice alone is fascinating.

My back has been horrendous of late. Really bad. It hasn't been this bad in over six months. Last night, I used the skills gained from the meditation and felt my own energy. I then tried to straighten the obvious detours that were either causing the pain or the result of it. I feel much better today.

I have also noticed that even in pain, if I walk and consciously draw power from the earth, I feel better. I can walk easier. This does take some concentration but not a great deal considering how new I am to the practice.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Golden Dawn and the Tarot

I have seen it written among the blogs and I believe elsewhere that the Golden Dawn was first to link the tarot with spiritual pursuits. Prior to this, the tarot was used for fortune telling.

My research of late has found this to be incorrect. Papus wrote Tarot of the Bohemians (1892) in which he outlined how the major and minor arcanas both reflect the tetragrammaton. Though, he was a member of the Golden Dawn Paris temple. I find his book curious as not only does he not mention the tree of life but his system of numerations does not compare to same. Then again, I am only a third of the way through. It was fun to see the link between Papus's diagrams and Tyson's diagrams on on the interplay of forces associated with the tetragrammaton.

Alphonse Levi was the first to link the tarot to the tree of life. While his associations were somewhat altered by the Golden Dawn. Given that he died before the Golden Dawn was founded, it is safe to assume that the Golden Dawn built on his work, not the other way around. It is possible there various people knew one another. For instance, Levi died while Mathers was in his twenties.

In the 16th century Jacob Cammerlander outlined the moral and spiritual associations with each of the tarot pips. Given the Golden Dawn was founded in 1888, it is unlikely that he appropriated their concepts.

This is in no way to say that the Golden Dawn folks didn't have a huge influence on the way many of us look at tarot cards merely they were not the first to connect the tarot to a spiritual practice in print. Given the spiritual/religious connection can be traced back to the 16th century, I believe it is safe to assume many an unknown practitioner found a similar use for the cards long before the Golden Dawn was conceived.

Monday, November 16, 2009

A Tad Embarrassing

I've been keeping this shadow self journal for only two days. I am literally getting anxious about going to bed. It is a like being a little kid all over again.

How do I know this is from that journal? I have no idea. I just do.

Couldn't Sleep Due to Rock in My Head

The shaman gave me a stone he said would help me when working with my shadow. I was not sure what to do with it. So, I decided to leave it next to my laptop so it could 'help' me as I write out the journal. When I went to bed, that didn't feel right. So, I placed in my temple room. That room has a double cubical altar and four side altars for the elements. I placed the stone on the earth altar.

Upon laying down I felt nervous. My heart was racing. My blood pressure felt up. I felt sickly. I couldn't sleep. After an hour or two of this noise, I removed the obsidian from the temple and placed it back on the kitchen table next to the laptop.

I nodded off quiet easily.

The New Blog

I was impressed with the Druid's blog in that on his third post, he put himself out there. He did some magick and posted without knowing the results. A lot of folks post only successes. The Druid is not afraid to expose himself as a long term student of the arts magickal. I find that to be pretty cool.

Meditation

Did the pillar and spheres meditation in the temple room tonight. My concentration was pretty good. Oddly, I had a vision of two upper middle age black women encouraging me when I was doing the air sphere. It was hard to keep from laughing. I am assuming these were just phantoms/illusions but it was a bit out of the blue for me.

During this meditation, water became more real and I could smell the earth. This time I didn't want to have all that energy running through me as I tried to sleep. So, I shoved it into the earth with the focused thought of saving money. We'll see.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Mixing Things Up

I noticed something in this weekend's activities that must be commented up. In times past, I'd say such things were a mistake. Now, it is part of my unifying structure at work.

There is something called the Law of Contagions. In a nutshell the law states that those things that touch one another can influence each other even when they are apart. This is how sympathetic magick works. Give someone a lock of your own hair, fingernail clippings, etc and they can 'link' back to you quite easily.

This law is easily observable in human behavior by observing our ideas. I have ideas that I learned from folks I haven't seen in twenty years but still impact my personality and point of view.

The law of contagions applies in greater force in proportion to intimacy of contact. By this I do not mean physical intimacy but how deeply the contact strikes the psyche. For instance,reading a book may have no impact at eighteen but that same book may deeply influence that same person at twenty-one. Even if the book is never reread, its influence persists because the person was in a deeply receptive mode, as receptive applies to the particular ideas, emotions, or other inputs offered by said book.

So, why do I bring this up now?

I have been struck by the kindness and good will of many people I saw this weekend. Those themes have continually played in my mind. I've wondered why I'm on this particular mental loop. Then it struck me.

The Druid that journeyed for me is a very kind soul. Given that I was very open to his suggestion going into the particular working, his kindness resonated within me. The law of contagion at work. Gee, I wonder why my HGA sent me to him.

Inversely, My Gal had gone to him a few months ago for healing her asthma. She was cured instantly. She reports that the Druid then mentioned blogging to her. Once the Druid interacted with me, his blog appears. Perhaps the law of contagion applying itself again? First the seed is planted with the asthma healing and the seed was watered doing his journey for me.

This is a natural process and should not be feared. However...

The Alexandrian Wiccans I used to circle with had a rule they called "proper person". It is a term I bristled against until I learned their meaning. Proper didn't mean good or bad. It meant sane or not. You don't circle with crazy people because the law of contagion applies. Perhaps their method of working made such connections so intimate that the law had a huge impact.

Many of today's neopagans could learn something from the Alexandrians on this point. Neopagans will hop into almost any ritual without caring that they are circling with some pretty unhinged people. I can leave it up to the imagination on what happens should the law of contagion come into play.

Meditation

I've been doing this daily and have noticed a couple of things:

First, I noticed that how thoughts are getting interrupted automatically. I realization that their is a thought 'to eat'. Then it is followed with, "where did that come from? I am not hungry."

The second thing I've noticed is that when thoughts interrupt my meditation and I stop them they are occasionally replaced by an image. The image appears unrelated to the interrupted thought but it has the same emotional impact. This occurs even when the image is utterly benign. If I stay focused on the image for just a bit, I could see some action in the seen or action would move into the scene making the emotion of the image clear. I am not sure if that is to explain the emotion or if it just a buried part of the scene.

Shadow Work

I completed the first day of writing at 5:15 PM. I was surprised by a couple of items on the list and a couple that are not on the list. It is hard to describe the feeling I have. I'd almost say that I'm opening up to a higher plane but it doesn't feel quite like that. The emotional feeling is not being fully expressed. I can feel the suppression of pain.

New Blog/New Work

There is a new blog that went up last night. I have added it to my blog list on the lower right of the page.

The fellow that writes it is one of the nice guys of the occult community. He went from Wicca to Druidism over the years and does a lot on healing work. I've known him a bit less than a year. I am not sure what to say about him except that, like me, he is very much focused on what he does. I will let you learn about him as he writes.

He is the person I went to this weekend and asked about an issue I have. He did a journey and rather than solving my problem for me, he came back with a set of instructions for me to follow. I was a tad disappointed that I didn't have a solution simply handed to me as I've seen the results of his instant healing work. On the other hand, the fact that he didn't showed me a couple of things.

First, when he said my HGA spoke to him during the journey, I believed him because the tone of what was said sounds very much like my HGA. Secondly, my quiet of late HGA is being very loud in telling me as I write this that they did speak.

Second, he is wise enough to follow the advise of someone's else's spirit rather than imposing his own solutions. I know the Druid would have liked to help directly but he listened for guidance instead. That is a mark of wisdom and experience.

The advice he gave is how to deal with my shadow self or what I call my lower self. Recently, I was given the name of my lower self. I didn't quite know why but I made sure I didn't forget it. Then, I start learning how to work with the lower (but not less divine) realms of magick doing Jason's meditations. Next I'm told I have to deal with this character by the Shaman/Druid. I love the synchronicities of magick.

My task is to write a very specific journal on a nightly basis and two months his evoke my shadow and have a chat. I really doubt I will be posting the journal. I will be posting about the journal and the rest of this work. This may be quite the trying ride.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Thanks Due

We visited some friends in Bakersfield this weekend.

"L" loaned me two satchels of books to aid my research. Including three first edition Mary Greer books as a gift! Awesome.

"A" allowed us to stay at her place.

"K" had a great time her surprise party that was mostly family and just a few friends.

"D" provided a shamanistic experience and a professional massage.

My Gal did all the driving.

Expect the research gleaned from the loaned books to be presented here from time to time as fun facts.

The shamanistic instructions will be played out here as well.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Coincidence?

I've been learning to draw power from the earth. The sensations and perceptions have been most interesting.

From a Uncle Harry's bagel, I felt the thrum of a fast paced business. In a grocery store I felt the earth where monetary exchanges have happened for a very long time. In a Lowe's, I could feel the excitement of customers about to purchase their new toy.

My electric meter malfunctioned tonight. The entire house lost power. I had to have PG&E come out. It was fried. They had to replace it. The fellow said it was not uncommon with the new *smart* meters. Hard to tell if this is a coincidence or not.

The household spirits are not being helpful in clarifying matters but I'm on a lot of pain medication tonight. This too is unusual and I'm not sure if it is a coincidence or not.

Remember

Take a moment to remember the heros. Below is my traditional Veteran's Day post that I make on the local boards.

Veteran's Day is here. While many of us do not approve of they way our armed
forces have been used in many circumstances, I believe it is good to remind ourselves that the armed forces are made up of individuals whom are trying to do the 'right thing'. These men and women serving today are not so different from those that served in the past.

My father's father was stationed in Germany immediately after World War II. They
lived near Supreme Allied Command Europe Head Quarters. As young boys my dad and his friends would sneak into the basement of the building (the times were different then) and watch captured German war footage. He once told me that the images he saw were worse than anything shown on television about the holocaust. Right there he
said, "Never again."

After high school, he enlisted in the army and after basic was asked if he
wanted to volunteer. "For what," he asked. There was no meaningful reply. He
said yes and found himself in counter intelligence school. At around the age of
twenty, during the height of the cold war, he walked in the streets of Russian
cities not knowing a word of the language and accomplished his tasks. I once
asked him how he managed to blend in. He said, "I just kept telling myself I am
a Russian. I am a Russian."

Alone, he walked through snow covered mountains, was dropped into inhospitable desserts and was once the only agent to get in and out of Romania alive. Unlike many heroes that acted on a spur of the moment impulse,this hero consciously chose each life threatening mission, as every mission was strictly volunteer. He actively chose to risk his life -- routinely. He didn't do this for the GI Bill, money for college or anything else. He did it because of a boyhood promise. Never again.

People like this never retire until their bodies do. He worked missions long
after he left the military for medical reasons. "Never again," he said.

Much later in life he once told me that it wasn't until many years later that he
realized all our enemies were 'over here.' My father ascribes to no religion but
would and has put his life on the line to make sure that you can practice yours.

So on this Veteran's Day remember my father and the many men and women like him
that have served this country for the right reasons, for honorable reasons and
because they are heroes. What would the world be like if we were all half as
brave?

-- A Proud Son

Take a moment to thank a vet. Those of us who have not put ourselves in harms
way can not imagine the sacrifices they have made for us.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Jolt!

I tried a meditation exercise from Jason Miller's book strategic sorcery tonight. Actually, I liked it the first time so I did it again a couple hours later.

The effect were awesome. I could feel how one side of my body registered atavistic energy and how the other side blocked it. Then I felt that other side allow the movement of the Cthonic. Awesome. I've been a lot more sensitive to energy of late but this was very very specific.

Several hours later, I'm still buzzing and awake. I should have been asleep two hours ago.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Research Needs

I am looking for two research items.

I want to find something that covers the four worlds of the qabala Atziluth,Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah in detail. I'd prefer qabala but I'd settle for kabbalah.

I'd also like to read something about the permutations of the tetragrammaton.

If anyone has any book recommendation, web sites, or anything that will help me gained some more detailed knowledge of these subjects, I'd appreciate it.

Those that supply this information can ask RO for a discount on his new courses. Of course, he won't give it to you but you can ask!

Simple Lesson

This stands on it own. It is only a paragraph.

http://www.tricycle.com/blog/?p=1616

Monday, November 2, 2009

Wounded Psychic

Last night I had a dream in which was the beginning of a nightmare. I immediately became lucid, vibrated Gabriel and became non-lucid as the scene changed to reveal Gabriel. I became lucid again and asked him if he would initiate me into his sphere. In a very kind compassionate voice, he said, "Of course." I then saw him morph into three aspects that reflected phases of the moon and then the dream went dark and ended.

Today, My Gal had to drop something off for me. She was much later than I expected but I knew as soon as she entered the parking lot and acted on that knowledge by walking out to met her. Thirty seconds later she phoned to tell me she was there, a fact I already knew.

This is the first time I've had a spontaneous psychic knowledge that was actionable. In the past, I've called my psychic skill those of a dead psychic. This means that I would know that a phone was about to ring and who was calling a half second before the phone rang. With the same warning that someone was about to put a gun to my head, I'd not have time to react. Hence, the 'dead psychic' line.

This time, if someone had put a bomb in the building, I'd have lived but still been close enough to be wounded. I've upgraded my experience from 'dead' to 'wounded'. (GRIN)