Work with instead of swimming against

Shauna Aura Knight recently posted a series of blog posts about her definition of magic. She'd written the posts because she's currently taking the process of magic course and one of the exercises involves students defining what their definition of magic is. I think her responses are very thoughtful and demonstrate the kind of engagement that's really important in understanding magic.  Here is her first entry, second entry, and third entry. A little while back I wrote something about magic, which is integral to this blog post, but also to my own definition of magic and how I think magic works, when it comes to practical applications of it: "The genuine experience of magic is something which changes you and your relationship to the universe. It’s not a result. It’s an ongoing relationship that informs how you experience the world and your place in it, as well as how you change it."

In her second post, Shauna makes several interesting points abut magic and why people do magic:

Some of our ancestors certainly spent a lot of effort making offerings (including the occasional human sacrifice) to appease the gods and shift the weather, or end a war. Do I think it works like that? Not really. I think that everyone stays a lot calmer when we feel like we’re doing something. We humans just don’t cope with the idea that the earth could shrug and we’re wiped out and we have no control over that. So I think in some cases, magic becomes an illusion of control.

and:

Magic works really well for changing myself. It works well for changing the consciousness of myself and others where I have that influence. But the more specific external physical results I want, the more I’m swimming upstream against the nature of physics. Or, the more physical work I’m going to need to do to take it beyond just my intention and my will.

and in part 3 she noted:

I think that, with magic, we want proof. We want flash. We want miracles.  And when we don’t get those, we wonder what magic is. When we see how magic works, it doesn’t seem very flashy…or, we realize how unimportant the flash really is.

All of these points she makes are good ones and again I'd suggest reading her entries in their entirety because it'll give you some food for thought about magic. I agree with Shauna that for so many people, what they want is proof that magic is real. They want Hollywood magic, but what they don't realize is that magic is a process and that it is subtle. The majority of magical work I've done has usually involved a build-up of actions and energy toward manifesting a possibility into reality. Rarely is it instantaneous, but the results happen when I need them to, because I've planned that into the working. And as I mentioned in a recent post on high magic, sometimes what we want is to feel connected and to also feel like we made a difference, even if how we're trying to make that difference is a symbolic gesture as opposed to real actions.

I do believe magic can generate physical results. However I think the way those physical results are generated has more to do with turning possibility into reality than anything else. When you think about it, turning possibility into reality is what practical seems to be about. Magic is stacking the deck in your favor, but for that to happen involves working with what's possible and selecting the possibility you want to manifest into reality. Some possibilities are easier than others to manifest. As Shauna notes, the more external physical results you want to generate, the more you swim upstream against the nature of physics (as we know it anyway). For example, if you want to throw a fireball, you're going to have change the laws of physics (or create some technology). If you want to telekinetically move an item, you've come got to come up with the energy to make it happen. And that energy isn't just changing the physical environment but also accessing the possibility of tossing a fireball or moving an item with your mind.

I prefer not to swim against the stream. I prefer to work with what's around me. Part of working with something involves learning about it. For example, if I'm going to work on the microbial level of my body, I'd better do some research into what that looks like, so that I at least have an idea of what I'm working with and how factor that into the magical work I'm doing. If I want to do a weather magic working, I'm going to research the weather system I'm in, so I understand the possibilities available.

I look at practical magic in terms of possibilities. What are the available possibilities? What are the variables that effect those possibilities? What can I work with to make the possibility to turn into reality? Viewed in this way magic isn't full of flash or glamour, but it works really well in terms of turning possibilities into reality. I work with what's around me, instead of swimming against it. I don't need to swim against anything to get what I want and I'm always in favor of creating the path of least resistance toward achieving my goals.

On a different note Lilith Dorsey interviewed me on her blog about divination.

Manifesting Wealth Updates

With Manifesting Wealth, one of the things I've decided to do is offer updates. If you've bought a copy of the book and you go to the resource page listed in the book, you'll be able to access updates for the book, which will eventually go into a revised version of the book. The updates are comprised of my continued workings in wealth magic, as well as other resources that you can use to help you with your own wealth magic work.

On the wealth magic front, I've been working my plan and processes and what I'm seeing as a result is a consistent increase in business, as well as achieving certain personal financial and health goals that I've been working toward. I've gotten more clients, developed more classes, and the finances are being whipped into shape. I'm pretty pleased with my own plan is being achieved, with the right touch of magic and help from spiritual allies such as Bune, as well as my own efforts. Wealth magic is a process of design. It's not something you stumble into, but something you plan.

How Pop Culture spreads Magic

In Spirit Speak by Ivo Dominguez Jr, the author shares an interesting cosmology of the different levels of Deity forms in a diagram, which also shows the context of where humans fit into the picture. At the top you have a unitary being, which you might think of as the universe. It encompasses everything. Then you have mediators of that being which include such beings as deities, angels etc, all of which perform specific functions and channel specific aspects of the unitary being into the universe in a manner that is more comprehensible to us. Then you have ancestors, dis incarnates, etc., and finally the humans at the bottom. It's a pretty fascinating cosmology and you see some of it in other models of esoteric practices, but what I really found fascinating is that I've seen the same model presented in Raymond Feist's Riftwar series.

The Riftwar series is a fantasy series written by Feist over the last 2 or 3 decades. He doesn't really get into the cosmology of it until the Serpent War Saga, but in that saga the characters discuss the nature of magic, the universe and deities and what's presented is fascinated because it discusses how the deities are mediators of the universe, while also being shaped to some degree by their interactions with mortals, and specifically by how the mortals mediate or comprehend them, which brings up an interesting point to consider about mediation. Mediation is a two way street. While we our opening ourselves up to mediate a force, we nonetheless are also bringing to bear our own perspectives about that mediation. In that sense mediation is an interpretation of the force being worked with.

In any case, as you read Feist's series more of the cosmology is revealed. The universe is treated as an entity in and of itself that learns from everything that exists within it, while the various deities are representative of forces and concepts mortals deal with. Some deities are further removed than others and as a result the mortals interact with the lesser deities in order to connect with the greater deities. All of this is similar to the cosmology that Ivo describes in his book. With that said, there is one distinct difference and it's this: Feist's work is a work of fiction, while what Ivo is describing is his actual system of spirituality. Nonetheless, there is a sharing of esoteric concepts in the fiction, and it is doen in a manner that plants seeds in the reader and helps them understand the concepts if they later encounter them in esoteric non-fiction. Certainly as  read Ivo's description of his cosmology, it made more sense to me because I saw certain elements of it expressed in what I'd read in Feist's fiction that were similar to what Ivo described.

Pop culture can be used to convey esoteric knowledge and secrets in a manner that may not be fully accurate, but nonetheless presents enough information for people to get something out of it. In Paranormal Media, Annette Hill notes that paranormal media such as books, shows, etc., is becomingly increasingly popular in mainstream culture, and certainly if you look at the profusion of television shows, paranormal books, and other types of esoteric themed media, what you see is an increasing interest in occult topics. Frankly, I think this a good thing, as it enables esoteric techniques and concepts to be shared with people who may not identify as occultists now, but may be open to exploring magic in their lives. And of course what you read in pop culture can also inspire magical experimentation, as it has in my case.

Pop culture is a viable medium for sharing esoteric concepts and secrets with people who aren't necessarily practicing magic at this time. That such information is becoming increasingly prevalent speaks to the fact that it fulfills a need for our society at large that likely can't be met through mainstream religious practices, which are less about empowering individuals and more about presenting a top down approach to spirituality that expects people to lessen themselves for the deity they worship.

Book Review: Paranormal Media: Audiences, Spirits, and Magic in Popular Culture by Annette Hill

In this book, the author discusses the growing interest in the paranormal and how the media has cultivated and fed this interest. She also examines the role of the audience in paranormal media and how that audience simultaneously provides skepticism and belief to paranormal media. It's a fascinating book which explores how contemporary culture is increasingly exploring the paranormal, magic, and other topics as a way of understanding the mysteries of the universe. If you're interested in paranormal studies or want to understand why the paranormal is becoming increasingly popular in mainstream culture, this book will provide some answers and also show how contemporary audiences are engaging with the paranormal.

The Need High Magic Fulfills

I've been thinking a lot about "high" magic lately, magic done for the purposes of connecting with the divine, for communion, and in some traditions as a way of mediating spiritual forces into the world at large. Specifically I've been thinking about the need high magic fulfills for the person/people practicing it. Part of what's prompted this thinking has been the consideration of my own experiences with high magic. The conclusion I've come to is that high magic, ritual magic, or whatever you want to call it fulfills a deep need: the need to connect with something deeper and larger than ourselves. Call it a deity, call it nature, call it what you want, what we get from such a connection is a deep need met that speaks to a desire to connect with the universe.

This need isn't written about or pointed to in magical texts and I'm sure that some people would argue with me about that need I'm suggesting is fulfilled, but in my experience, I find that people in general choose to take action based on what something will do for them. This isn't to say they don't want to take action for more altruistic reasons, because that certainly can be an element for why they are doing a magical working, but I've never encountered a person yet who hasn't done something without at least some type of gain for themselves. The gain may not be material, but its still there. And when I think about high magic and the purposes of doing magic, what I see is this deep need for connection being met.

We do this high magic ritual to connect with a spiritual being, to get information, or whatever else, but also to establish we are not alone. Or we do a ritual to respond to a crisis, to save the planet or a person or whatever else, but in part we're doing it because as people, as a community we need to find some way to feel connected to each other, to who or what we're doing the ritual for, and to feel a sense of control even if there may not be any control to be had. It's a deep need which goes unstated, but its worth stating it, if only to recognize that it is there, and to develop an informed awareness that allows to knowingly integrate and use that need in our magical workings.

I think that if we were to openly acknowledge that need it would also allow us to critically examine magical workings we do and ask ourselves why we're really doing them. For example, doing a magical ritual to stop oil pumping from a broken line into the ocean is not really an effective form of practical magic, but if we examine the underlying need for it, what we find is a desire to connect with the Earth, to somehow feel we can do something for the Earth. All well and good, though I'd suggest taking more practical mundane action to help out, such as looking at lifestyle choices or cleaning up litter or changing your carbon imprint, would be a better way to serve the Earth. And if you still feel the need to connect to the Earth via ritual magic, then do that magic with the recognition that you want the connection, because that will in and of itself change the working, and you might just get an experience that provides further direction for what you can actually do to help.

When we examine our magical practice and get real about why we are doing what we are doing it lets us have a deeper experience with magic. We aren't fooling ourselves and saying we're doing this working strictly for this reason, but acknowledging that there is something we need from the working ourselves that allows us to process an event or feel a sense of control where perhaps there isn't any. And then we can look and actually determine what we can do about the situation and take action accordingly.

Build the foundation to Build your Practice

 

I'm reading The Sacred Cross by Anastacia Nutt. She makes an interesting point about beginner techniques. A practitioner can be in a real hurry to "learn" a beginning technique and move past it to the more glamorous practices without developing the necessary repetition of practice that informs the use of any technique. The result is that the person over extends and finds that their foundational knowledge and practice are lacking, which can cause problems for the person, as well as bringing him/her back to the necessity of starting over again. It's something I've seen happen before with other magicians and it is a trap that weeds out people who aren't doing the necessary foundational work to build their practice into something reliable.

In my own practice, I'm always looking for ways to improve my foundational knowledge. I figure that even if something seems basic, it probably isn't, because even with the most basic exercise you can uncover layers of experience if you are willing to work it on a daily basis. Daily practice brings with it a way to get to the heart of a technique and make it into an experience that moves you and establishes patterns that allow you to work with your internal energy and with the energy of the cosmos and underworld in a manner that reveals a way to foundationally connect yourself to the universe. Think about a daily practice you do. How long have you done it? How has that practice changed over time? How have you changed as a result of doing the practice? How has your experience of the world changed as a result of doing the practice?

A broad foundation supports the more advanced practices you do and allows you to go in deeper with them because of the discipline you've learned by doing the basic practices. When I first started practicing magic I spent a couple years just practicing the core essential skills of daily practice. The daily work allowed me to explore how magic applied to my life, how it fit with everything I did. It taught me to live magic, as opposed to just doing it for a holiday or to solve a problem. With a strong foundation of practice you live magic because it is part of your everyday life. You are doing it to deepen your connection to the world, to the inner contacts, to the universe, and everything else between.

Living magic is the point of doing the foundational practices. It's not reactive magic. It's intentional, focused...an exploration that leads to more mysteries. All of my experimental work has come out of doing the daily work, because of the insights I've gained in doing that work. It's fair to say that a lot of the experimental work happens during the daily work, because I understand how to take the daily work and turn it into an opportunity for experimentation. The daily work also leads to doing more involved work which may not happen everyday, but when it does happen requires that base level of experience be up to snuff in order to effectively do the more advanced working.

Your daily work builds up your magical muscles as it were. If you don't do the daily work it's not as easy to advanced work and there can be consequences if you aren't ready to do the work, because the daily work isn't even just about building your magical muscles, so much as its about teaching you how to prepare yourself to do the deeper work. A lot of the daily exercises that seem repetitive and boring come in handy when you need to use them in the course of doing more advanced work. For example, my stillness practice has been very helpful for helping me reach deeper states of altered consciousness as well as clearing my mind of distractions. It's a simple practice, but the benefit of the practice is that those abilities are on hand for situations where I need them, both magically and mundanely. Look at your own work. Do you have the foundation in place to support the deeper work you'd like to do? Does that foundation help you in your everyday experiences? If so then you know you're applying that daily work in ways that are paying off and helping you build a strong practice in your life.

Two perspectives on Mediation

Until a couple years ago I never came across the word mediation in context to occultism. However in some of my more recent readings, I have come across the term and it was interesting to note how the term is used and what it means in the esoteric sense of the word. I thought I might share the perspectives I came across on this blog, and then share my own thoughts on the topic.

In Spirit Speak by Ivo Dominguez Jr, Mediation is defined as the following: "In mediation, communication takes place through what appears to be a blending of consciousness between the mediator and the Spirit. In truth it is better described as communication by the use of resonance and mutual induction that results in the replication of pieces of each other's consciousness. One of the components of mediation is the highest form of clairsentience where there is no visible seam between sensing and knowing."

In Living Magical Arts by R. J. Stewart, Mediation is defined as the following, "Mediation is the function of a priest or priestess; a mediator is one who intercedes or acts as an interface between Divinity and humanity... In magic, however, mediation has more precise meaning, based upon the important truth that we all contain Divinity or the original Being within us, just as we are all contained within the Being of the universe. In true mediation, any individual may reach deeply into the states of consciousness where transhuman entities are met... In mediation, a human acts as a focus or gateway for the consciousness of such transhuman being."

If we look at both definitions we see some similarities. Mediation involves a connection with an inner contact or spirit being, where information is exchanged, but also where the spiritual force of the being is transmitted through the person to the world. you are simultaneously invoking the spiritual contact and evoking it by transmitting it to the sacred space you are working in.

One key aspect to understand about mediation is that it going inward to establish contact with the inner contacts. What this means is that we understand that to make a connection we have to find the connection within. William Gray, in Magical Ritual Methods, discusses this in context to using ritual sounds in magic. He explains that while we are making sounds, we aren't just transmitting those sounds to the environment around us, but also to our consciousness, and helping our consciousness become receptive to connecting with the Inner Contacts. The sound is used to condition us, to put us into a space of altered consciousness where we can interact with the spiritual forces we want to connect with. Mediation is an extension of this idea, fully describing what occurs when we mesh our consciousness with the inner contacts we have access to.

For that matter, symbols perform a similar function, providing a focus for the magician that allows him/her to connect with what the symbol represents. One of the reasons I paint is to create personalized symbols that represent the mediated connection between myself and the spiritual entities I work with. The paintings are representative of the meeting and mediation of my consciousness with the consciousness of the spirit being I'm working with.

In thinking about mediation, one conclusion I've come to is that mediation can extend past connecting with an Inner Contact. Mediation can actually involve a connection with the universe...and that when we perform a magical working where we want to manifest tangible results to change the world around us we necessarily need to bring that change to the universe and mediate it. For example, in chaos magic, a magician uses a sigil to represent a specific desired outcome. The sigil is seeded into his/her subconscious with the goal being that it'll gradually maturate into our consciousness and in that process of embodiment bring about the realization of the desired result...however we could take it a step further and not only note that it's seeded in our subconsciousness, but also seeded in the universe and mediated by the act of gnosis the chaos magician achieves when charging and firing the sigil. The sigil is brought to the universe, and the magician mediates a changed universe where the possibility of the sigil exists as a reality. This changed universe is then embodied by the magician and brought back into everyday consciousness where it becomes manifested as the new reality. This has been my experience with practical magic work in general and it shows how the principle of mediation can be usefully applied to achieve more efficacious results in the workings of the magician.

Book Review: Spirit Speak by Ivo Dominguez Jr

This is a book you should read more than once, because with each reading you will uncover something new. This book is written with a variety of audiences and experiences in mind and what you uncover in one reading will change as a result of the experiences you have with the material and with your spiritual life. Certainly this book will be one of the books I keep in my library as a must read text that guides my own spiritual development. Ivo simultaneously imparts complex ideas in a manner that is approachable for all, while also insuring that the reader gets the right level of information for his/her level of experience. This is not something most writers could do, but Ivo does it admirably. If you're only looking to buy one book on magic this year, this should be the book.

Call for Papers: Finding the Masculine in Goddess' Spiral: Men in Ritual, Community and Service to the Goddess

Megalithica Books, an imprint of Immanion Press (Stafford, U.K./Portland, OR, U.S.A) is seeking submissions for Finding the Masculine in Goddess' Spiral: Men in Ritual, Community and Service to the Goddess.

E-MAIL FOR INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSIONS: Erick DuPree:  please put “Finding the Masculine in the Goddess Anthology” in your subject line.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:JULY 30, 2014. There is a movement among pagan identified men to step out on their own creating dialogues about their masculinity as men of the Goddess.  Men reclaiming their right to a sacred form of masculine, and are wondering, "what type of man am I supposed to be?"  How do Pagan men reclaim the overarching word’s expectation of what masculinity should be, in alignment with a Goddess centered faith?

This anthology will explore men and their relationship with the Goddess and the overarching Pagan community. We’re looking for essays and articles that detail personal experiences with the Goddess, How as men we come to know the Goddess, and ways you have worked through challenges and obstacles being a man within the Pagan movement. We’d like to see a combination of hands-on how-to, personally-inspired, and academic pieces that will offer readers the tools they can use in understanding the evolving role go masculinity in the Goddess movement.

We are looking for works from men, including the transgender community.

Essays and articles should be 1500-4,000 words.

We’re also looking for brief (500-1000 words) personal stories of how you reframe patriarchy, address feminism, and come into Goddess community.

HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED TOPICS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE FOCUS OF THIS ANTHOLOGY:

• Personal work and self-transformation while working with the Goddess
• The role patriarchy plays in coming to terms with worshiping the Goddess as a man.
• How to foster relationships with other men while still honoring women.
• What is the difference between sacred masculine and male?
• Does Paganism make assumptions about men and create stereotypes?
• Stories of inequality and/or discrimination when working in circles
• Rituals, practices, and experiences with or for the Goddess.

Submission Deadline is July 30, 2014. Articles should be 1500-4000 words, although if your work falls outside those limits, do submit it – we can discuss this during the editing process. Personal experience essays should be 300-2,000 words. Drop us an email if you are unsure whether your idea fits into the content. The sooner you start the communication process the better, as after the deadline we won’t be considering additional ideas.

Do write in your voice! If you’re academically inclined or trained, feel free to be as intelligent and technical as you like, and writing in the first person is fine as well. These drafts will be edited in a back-and-forth process with the editor. If your essay is not accepted for the anthology, we will tell you after the first round of edits.

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:

Citations for all quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise unoriginal material Bibliography of works cited Prefer the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/mla Send the file in RTF format

COMPENSATION:

Accepted contributors will receive a free copy of the anthology when it is published and additional copies sold at 40% off the cover price to contributors. All contributors will be provided with a contract upon final acceptance of their essays.

RIGHTS:

This anthology will take nonexclusive first world rights for 6 months.

Editor: The anthology will be edited by Erick DuPree, an Immanion Anthology contributor, and author of the popular blog Alone In Her Presence.

Immanion Press is a small independent press based in the United Kingdom. Founded by author Storm Constantine, it expanded into occult nonfiction in 2004 with the publication of Taylor Ellwood’s Pop Culture Magick. Today, Immanion’s nonfiction line, under the Megalithica Books imprint, has a growing reputation for edgy, experimental texts on primarily intermediate and advanced pagan and occult topics. Find out more at Immanion Press today!

The Process of Magic Round 9 Starts May 21st

Magic is a process that changes you and your relationship with the world, if you understand how the process works.  

In this 24 lesson class, we will explore what the process of magic is and how it applies to you and your magical work. If you’re looking for a different perspective on magic that explores the underlying principles of how magic works, instead of focusing on the tools, ceremonies, and other optional features, this class is for you. Round 9 starts on Wednesday 21st. To learn more about this class and what you'll learn visit: The Process of Magic

Reincarnation and Resting on Your Laurels

 

I'm reading the Old Sod, which is a biography of William Gray. One of the themes that comes up in the biography is reincarnation. Apparently Gray's mother believed that she was the reincarnation of a lover of Eliphas Levi and and one of the initial teachers of Gray believed he was a reincarnation of Eliphas Levi. For that matter I seem to recall that Crowley believed he was a reincarnation of Eliphas Levi. I've never really understood the fascination with reincarnation or why people feel compelled to claim they are the reincarnation of famous person x, but nonetheless it seems that it's been quite fashionable to claim you're the reincarnation of someone, as if that somehow passes on legitimacy. The problem I have with reincarnation, as it applies here, is that even if you are the reincarnation of person x, it doesn't matter because you aren't that person anymore, and an investiture in a past incarnation is an attachment that could be quite unhealthy.

For example, lets say you believe you're the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley. How will you ever measure up to that previous incarnation? I think that such an identification can lead to a resting on the laurels of someone else, without really challenging yourself. I was this person in a previous life and now I don't really need to apply myself because of that. It's ridiculous, because even if you are the reincarnation of such a person, you aren't that person now...and it shouldn't really matter.

I've never been interested in figuring out who or what I might have been in a past life. It's the past and right now I'm Taylor Ellwood and that's all that matters. I'm here to have experiences, learn and share and live for as long as I have life. And when I inevitably slip the mortal coil and go onto wherever I go to, that which is Taylor Ellwood will be subsumed to the primal essence that underlies it all and be returned to the universe...and should that essence be reincarnated it will be as someone else with new experiences to have, new things to learn, and new things to share. I hope that future person won't have the hubris to claim it used to be me or feel a need to return to this life.

I suspect that reincarnation matters to some people because they want to feel that some aspect of their personality lives on in later lives, but your personality is temporary and holding on to it as a form of attachment, brings with it all the foibles and faults that person had, without any guarantee that you'll necessarily have the skills and gifts the person had. It should be enough to be who you are, and let that being speak to the experience you are having now. Whoever you were is gone...now is your moment...embrace it as an opportunity to be in this moment, to learn and to let go of false attachments that do no good and will ultimately only hold you back.

Elemental Balancing Ritual Movement Month 18: Design

3-22-14 I found a segment of Psychic TV the Black album on youtube. It's been way too long since I watched the video so it was a nice surprise to even see part of it. I used to have it on tape and then it got lost. Watching it always puts me into a creative flow mindset and that's what it got me into tonight. What as really interesting however was having several dialogues with people about concepts related to experimental magic and seeing those people embrace it, really embrace and accept the value of going outside of convention. I feel like with pop culture magic especially, but also space/time magic, these currents are coming more into their own as more people recognize the validity of them and want to apply them to their lives in meaningful ways. To see that happening, especially when it seemed like I was a lone voice for a long time is really gratifying. I'm not alone anymore. There are other people out there actively working with and interested in the same concepts and practices. 3-23-14 Something I've been doing with movement is calculating movement, or if you will planning it be design. I look at a possible movement I want to do and I explore the timeline of that movement, calculating what could happen, where the movement could go, and what factors would need to change. This has helped me recognize whether or not a given movement is wise or if I should let it go. It's also helped me understand whether a desired result is really worth the effort involved in moving toward it. I've been an impulsive person and still can be on occasion, but I'm learning to step back and consider the path before I actually set foot on it.

3-26-14 I've continued reading Born for Love. In the latest chapter I read the topic was on lies and consequences, which ultimately became a discussion about altruism in society. What it brought up for me was my own experiences as a child. I learned early on how to lie and how to lie in such a way that it would be very hard to tell if I was lying. I had to learn this skill early on because I found that when I told the truth I was punished. There was no motivation to be honest when no matter what I did I would be punished and penalized. Lying, on the other hand, at least delayed the consequences. It took a long time to undo this particular behavior and change it. And even now I find that it can be hard tell the truth, because there is always a feeling of fear, especially if I perceive someone as an authority in my life. Authority has always been the enemy, because authority has always been more interested in crushing me than actually helping me.

The key, as an adult, has been to realize I am the ultimate authority of my life and anyone else in my life may have a lace of importance, but I determine that importance. It's helped me work through the fear and become more honest as a result. On the other hand, learning those skills and surviving as I did in my early years taught me a shades of gray approach to life that I still draw on. I don't feel its bad to have that mentality and it has certainly helped me significantly, but with the people closest to me I want to continue to work toward being able to feel safe enough to be fully present with them. Another interesting point: "Altruism can survive in a population only if those who don't do their part aren't able to get away with it for long." So true. In networking, altruism works if everyone looks out for each other and actively works to help other people. The question I start with everyday is "Who can I help today?" That question defines my existence, defines my life and keeps me focused on helping other people. I know altruism has more benefits than a more selfish perspective does.

3-30-14 A lot has happened over the last few days and I'm only writing it here. Kenny Klein, a Pagan author and musician, was arrested and charged with 25 counts of Child Pornography on his computer, which he confessed was his. He also confessed that he had downloaded and shared the pornography. I didn't find out about this until someone asked me what Immanion Press's position on the matter was. I responded and later that day Storm and I decided to pull the one book he'd published with us from the line-up. We didn't feel we could continue to support someone who'd admitted guilt to such things. Some people have supported our decision while others have told us we're irresponsible or claimed we're doing it for PC reasons. It doesn't matter though. I know why I wanted the book pulled. Because it doesn't reflect the values of Immanion Press to support the work of an author who has done such deeds, but also because on a personal front, I know what it's like to be a victim of sexual abuse and I don't want to support someone who has caused harm to other people and contributes to causing additional harm to people. this whole incident has stirred some feelings up, but for the most part of I've focused on the community and the need all of us have to make sense of this and make meaningful change moving forward.

On a somewhat related front, I recently finished reading a chapter in Born to Love about sociopaths. What I found interesting was how the early years of life can contribute to sociopathic tendencies. In other words if you don't get the requisite love and attention you need you can end up with such tendencies. A sociopath treats other people like objects and can have addictive behavior to experiences that make them feel something. I don't feel that I'm a sociopath, but I could see how the neglect I experienced in my early childhood lead to me being distant with other people. Through the internal work I did and work I've done with Kat, I've become much closer to the people in my life, learning how to let them in and learning how to connect with them emotionally in ways I couldn't do before. It's taken a lot of work, but as I continue to undo the learned behaviors from my past and become closer I find myself forming more meaningful relationships with people as a result. The Klein situation does get me to think some of my past interactions at conventions and festivals. When I was in my 20's I didn't respect people's boundaries as well as I should have. Eventually it was pointed out to me, and I did a lot of work on my awareness of other peoples' boundaries, and on my own behavior and boundaries. I've really had to face myself and it hasn't always been easy, but I'm glad I have because I want to be a person who is good for myself and the people in my life.

4-3-14 It's interesting to observe how people respond to being challenged, myself included. I had a recent interaction with an another occult author on this blog and while it ended well, the initial response was heated. I resolved to be professional and I think I handled it well. I'm not invested in being right and I know I can learn and I'm willing, indeed driven, to learn. What drives me is curiosity. I want to learn and so I don't care if someone makes a point that involves me revising a position I've taken. If I'm so invested in that position that I'm not open to learning then I'm doing myself a disservice as a magician and spiritual seeker. Whereas if I'm open to learning what I can discover will surely help me improve myself as a person and improve what I love to do.

4-6-14 I think of movement in relationship to design as purposeful movement that is done to achieve specific results. This month has shown me that in a number of ways I hadn't expected, such as with the publishing work, but also with a lot of the activity I'm doing right now to set up events and classes for the summer and fall. A lot of movement is happening and a lot is happening in the background to make that movement possible. It's not spontaneous in the way some movement is, but rather is directed and focused movement that requires that everything is set up just so in order to effectively each the design. 4-8-14 I just finished watching the movie Jobs, while working on layout. I always find biographical films interesting, especially when its about someone who has a vision for changing the world and forces that vision through regardless of what other people try to do. Such people are different because they look at the world differently and see something that can be changed in a fundamental way. When I look at my own work, both the writing and the publishing of other peoples' writing, I can tell you that my motivation is to change the world, to change the communities I am a part of, to challenge the status quo. I think you have to have that motivation if you really want to bring change to a discipline you are involved in. You have to be willing to take a risk and do something differently because the potential result makes the change worth it. 4-10-14 Last night I attended a talk at ODN on leadership and how your leadership style is reflected by the people around you. It was an interesting that got me to thinking about how the conflicts I have with a person are reflective of the values each of us holds and how those values conflict with each other. It gives me some thought on how I can assess my interactions with people, in respect to values.

4-14-14 Back from an intense weekend workshop I did with R. J. Stewart about William Gray and Ronald Heaver. There's so much to say, but I'll start simple. An internal issue that came up as a result of the work was a recognition of how the need for approval has seeded itself in my life. I've addressed that issue on certain fronts, but spiritually, I haven't. It came up for me when I realized that William Gray the person probably wouldn't really approve of how I practice magic. Seems silly to worry about what a dead person would think of how I practice magic, but I'd built up this image of him in my head, and this weekend that got stripped away (which was good) and forced me to face this issue of approval.

Today, I meditated on the issue of approval and what I came away with is that it stems back to childhood, to wanting approval from my family and later on wanting approval from people I learned magic from. I even see this desire for approval coming out in some of my current interactions. So what does this tell me? That I need to work on that need and addressing it. Realistically I don't need approval from anyone, but I recognize this emotional need for what it is and how it shows up in my life. As for the weekend itself...I did experience a mini crisis of faith based off the perspective I had about Gray, but I came through it more connected to the spiritual lineages that my magical practice is part of. Kat helped me work through some of what I was feeling, but what helped the most was several encounters with Gray while doing the magical work this weekend. The first time, he just said, "Ok so now you know what a bastard I was. Are you really going to let that stop you? Get over it and decide: Do you want continue working with what I have to offer and deepen that work or do you want to go on you way?" Straight and to the point. I chose to go deeper, getting over what I felt about the person and focusing on the spiritual connection I know is there and choosing to deepen it.

When I told R. J. this, he told me that I should contact Jacobus Swart, who I am acquainted with, so I'll be doing that soon. Saturday night I did dream work and in that dream work I encountered William Gray again and we talked further about magic, the importance of internal work and why it needs to continue being integrated in magical practice, the importance of experimentation in magic and also about my calling in this world as it relates to magical work. He told me to get in touch with Jacobus and also urged me to continue working with R. J., while also continuing to develop my own practices. Afterwards I encountered a short, darkhaired woman, with a martial nature who talked with me about magical partnership and how each partner grounds the other and provides the basis for going into deeper magical work through consistent practice together (I suspect she was Bill's partner Roberta). Then on a field of Green, I encountered Ronald Heaver who briefly discussed stillness as a form of magical practice and told me to re-read the book about him when I switched over to stillness and call on him as an inner contact for that work. I felt that the connections with all three changed some internal magical structures for me.

There was a lot more that happened this weekend, but I'd say of what happened, that each practice served to deepen the connection to the respective lineages that William Gray and Ronald Heaver are part of and allowed me to integrate those lineages into my continued work.

4-15-14 Further meditation on approval today was quite instructive in allowing me to release the need for approval. As I dissolved the blockage around approval, I felt myself come to a place where I met with a younger version of myself and helped that younger version understand that he didn't need anyone's approval to do anything or to be praised for what he's done. The magical work we do is what matters...the fulfillment of my calling and purpose is what drives me. Everything else is temporary.

4-16-14 In my dream work and later meditation I was visited by Bill Gray and Bobbi his wife. They both spoke at some length on magical partnership and how important it is to have a firm foundation with your partner in order to effectively develop magical systems and/or traditions. I also felt a continued energetic exchange and a continued push toward some of the work I'm now looking at. It's interesting to me, that I'd decided to re-read The Ladder of Lights right before the workshop and now it seems more appropriate than ever to pick it up and work with it.

I'm also reading The Old Sod, which is a biography about Bill Gray. In reading about his early life, I see a lot of parallels with mine. Like me he grew with an interest in magic, pretty much from the get go and like me he grew up in an environment where he was mostly neglected. Seeing such parallels in his life doesn't surprise me...I think you can unfortunately find such parallels in the lives of many people. But what it does make me feel some sense of sadness and recognition that for so many people there really is no such thing as a family automatically. We find our own way and if we are lucky we find our way to people who become chosen family.

4-17-14 When I first got into occultism I had this naive idea that people in the magical community would somehow be more enlightened, open minded, and open to learning than other people. I eventually learned that occultists and pagans were like everybody else. Some people are open minded, some people are close minded, etc.. What really matters is that you find the people that are right for your life...It's something I've recognized about the company I keep now. The more internal work I do, the more I pay attention to my calling, the more I align myself with people who hold similar values. Ironically, I suppose, this serves to filter certain perspectives out, but then I figure that if I really want to seek those perspectives out I can do so without necessarily inviting people in, by finding the right cultural artifacts that represent those perspectives.

4-21-14 Last night I had a dream where I was given all these gifts, but I couldn't handle all of them, so most of them were taken back and I was told you are only given what you can handle. My meditations have also run around a similar theme of recognizing what  have and working with it. I don't think there's any particular reason for this message other than to recognize what I've got and to know that I can handle what I have in my life right now...which is actually a good message to receive. As I've thought about this month and the theme of design, I've thought about how the experiences I've had this month, in one form or another, have all shown how design manifests...it's not always my design, but there is a design in place and the movement that occurs runs in that design. I can work with that...I am working with that and it is something which makes me appreciative of movement and the context movement happens in.

4-22-14 Another dream last night, where I was directed to read The Sacred Cross by Anastacia Nutt and integrate it into my spiritual practice. When I was at the workshop a week and a half ago I felt very drawn to this book, so I picked it up. I usually don't feel so drawn to a book, but this one called to me...and unusually I'm reading it sooner than later, as most books I get go to the bottom of my to read pile. Kat told me that the day she met, she actually took the class on this material from Anastacia. We both found that to be an interesting synchronicity. I suppose it's just another layer of the design of movement showing up in my life.

How you can rewrite function in magic

In a previous post I defined function as an action that is supposed to occur within a process, in order to move that process along. I wrote another post where I used an example to explain how functions work in a magical process, namely as actions that lead to or connect with other actions that move the process along. Now we're going to explore how to rewrite a function in a magical process. When a process of magic doesn't work the way you expected it to, then you need to examine the functions of that process and likely rewrite them. A function is really the description of the action and how it ought to work. It is your understand of that action and how it executes a principle of magic in order to fulfill the process. Thus what you are rewriting or changing with the function is your understanding of that action and how it ought to work.

It's important to recognize the distinction of rewriting a function based on description as opposed to action. The action performed may change as a result of how we change the description, but we are changing the description so that we understand how the action works and can accordingly perform it to realize the process. When a process doesn't work, its usually because the magician doesn't fully understand what is happening. That lack of understanding allows for variables in your magical process that can change what happens. In a sense, what understanding does is define the path of possibility and lock it in, so understanding is not only important in terms of knowing why actions occur and how magical principles inform those actions, but it is also important in terms of locking out unneeded variables and possibilities.

When you rewrite a function, you first examine it in terms of what ought to happen and ask why the action didn't happen the way it ought to have. What you'll likely discover is that the function doesn't connect to the next function in a way that is understandable. We humans need to know how something connects in order to fully accept that it will connect. And this mean that the connection needs to be logical or rational. It could be irrational, but it needs to make sense and if it doesn't make sense what that demonstrates is a lack of understanding of what the function is supposed to do and how what occurs fits in with everything else happening in your magical process.

Once you discover what the issue is, you need to rewrite the function. This involves changing what occurs when the function is executed so that it connects to other functions and makes sense to you when doing so. What this reveals to us is just how important it is for a given magical process to make sense to us. If it doesn't fully make sense, some part of us will reject it and that is what will truly sabotage the magical working. This isn't a matter of psychology, as much as it is a matter of comprehension. The way we comprehend the world and our own actions necessarily informs the magical work we do. To neglect that or assume it doesn't matter is to reject a crucial element of the magical work: Ourselves and how we execute the magical work through the functions we perform and our understanding of those functions. I don't think this aspect of magic is discussed enough or if it is, its fashionably written off as being psychological, but I'd argue it's not psychological. It is a recognition that the magician is at the core of the magical process, and that his/her understanding of that process and the functions of the process is a key part of what makes the magical process work. S/he may understand the process and functions in different ways, spiritual, psychological, informational, etc., but however you categorize the understanding what matters is that s/he can can connect the process to the result in a manner that makes sense and enables him/her to execute the process and manifest the magic into change that transforms reality.

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My Work with Vine

Recently I worked with Vine (pronounced Vinea - long a). He's another of the goetia that focuses on space/time magic. In the Goetia, the description of him is that he appears in the from of lion, riding a black horse, beating a viper. His functions include discovering things hidden, witches, wizards, and things in the past, present, and to come. He is also apparently a builder and can cause sea storms. You can see his seal, above, which I recently painted, as part of the work I did with him. When I first contacted Vine, I did an invocation, where I memorized his sigil and then chanted his name. The chant was set up where I'd mentally say his name thrice, then whisper it thrice, then say it louder thrice, and so on and so forth. I did about three iterations where I mentally said his name and brought it up to a shot and then back again to mentally saying the name and building up to the shout. On the third time, the sigil disappeared and in its place he appeared in the classic form ascribed to him in the Goetia. I asked him how he could work with me, especially as related to space/time magic.

Vine discovers and aligns hidden possibilities in other people with the magician he works with. In other words, He draws other people to the magician by aligning their probabilities with the magician so that they are more likely to encounter the magician. It's an interesting and unusual approach to time magic because it's not directly focused on the magician, but rather is indirect and focuses more on setting up opportunities for the magician through the people s/he meets.

I started working with Vine in mid March and so I've had some time to work with him and see if this particular take on time magic works. It appears like it is working because I've had a higher number of people show up in my life with opportunities that were beneficial for all involved. When I work with Vine, I make it very clear that I want to connect with people, where the connection will be beneficial for all involved. I prefer such interactions because everyone wins and because it allows for the cultivation of long term relationships. In my particular case, I've noticed that a number of business opportunities came into fruition involving people I just met, and I also noticed I was able to make some good connections in the occult community, both in terms of magical practice and publishing. What stands out to me in both cases, is that the numbers have been higher than usual and the connections have sought me out as opposed to me needing to do anything. In my system of space/time magic, Vine fits in as a guardian of time as it relates making temporal connections between people.

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Daemonic Realities and Imagination

One of the books I'm currently re-reading as research for Pop Culture Magic 2.0 is Daemonic Reality by Patrick Harpur. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it as he makes some interesting connections with the classical conception of a Daemon and paranormal experiences that have occurred in the contemporary world. Not all of his information is as accurate as it could be, but there's useful concepts to explore, especially as it relates to the notion of imagination interacting with reality to create an altered reality. For example, he argues that UFO sightings can be an interaction with Daemonic Reality, using case studies where people thought they experienced a UFO, when actually what they saw was the moon or sun, but how they perceived it changed their perception of it, putting them in an altered reality of sorts. What I find fascinating about this book also is how he explores sightings of bigfoot and provides a similar context. In one distance, he discusses a family's interaction with a bigfoot and how they failed to understand the significance of it wanting an offering, when it left a feed pail out in front of their barn. They would hide the pail each day, thinking it was a game, when it actually wasn't. The variety of anecdotes in the book make for fascinating reading and in my opinion shows that there is an intersection between Daemonic Reality and our own perception of reality. Harpur notes the following:

"Our trouble is that we have been brought up with a literal-minded worldview. We demand that objects have only a single identity or meaning. We are educated to see with the eye only, in single vision. When the prenatural breaks in upon us, transforming the profane into something sacred, amazing, we are unequipped for it. Instead of seizing on the vision, reflecting on it...we react with fright and panic. instead of countering like with like, that is, assimilating through the imagination the complexity of the image presented to us, we feebly telephone scientists for reassurance. We are told we are only "seeing things"  and so we miss the opportunity to grasp that different, daimonic order of reality which lies behind the merely literal."

It's an interesting point he makes and one I agree with. We get caught up in our own perspective of what reality should be that we don't always consider that reality could be something. A literal approach to reality is a seemingly safe approach to reality because it constrains reality to the physical perceptions that a person has, but in that process it discounts the imagination as something which is fictitious and treats the supernatural as being purely psychological, without considering that an encounter with the imagination can still bring with it a form of reality that has an effect on us. Harpur further elaborates on this problem when he notes the following:

"Literal reality is only one kind of reality, deriving from a superordinate reality, here called Daimonic,  which is metaphorical rather than literal, imaginative rather then empirical. Literal reality is therefore, if anything, less real than daimonic reality. Moreover, in relation to the history of our culture, and also to traditional cultures, a belief in the literalness of reality is the exception rather than the rule. Literal reality is the product of literalism, which is really a way of seeing the world, but which insists that it is a property inherent in the world. It insists that it is the only reality and, as such, actively denies other kinds of reality, especially the daimonic, which it calls unreal, fictional, even delusional."

The problem with literal reality (aside from how dull it is) is that the denial of imagination is also the denial of the sacred, but also the denial of possibility. In a literal reality, the focus is only on what is denoted as real, and so the awareness of possibilities is constrained toward what seems most likely to occur, as opposed to being open to the experience of other worlds. The Daimonic imagination on the other hand entertains the possibility of other worlds and the acceptance that these worlds intersect with our own under the right circumstances and sometimes through the right actions. A Daimonic reality isn't limited to the here and now, but instead opens us to intersections with alternate realities, as well as encounters with spiritual beings. For those people who steadfastly cling to literal reality, an encounter with daimonic reality is unsettling because it doesn't neatly fit into a category and it can't easily be written off, though of course there are certainly enough attempts to do so.

One of the reasons I find pop culture to be relevant is because it allows for an engagement of the person's imagination through structures they are willing to consider that can also be co-opted into Daimonic imagination and reality. Since spirit beings aren't attached to one form or another, there is no reason to think they wouldn't take on the form of a pop culture character, especially if we also consider that such a character will embody certain traits that can be useful for the spirit to employ. On the other hand, it could also be argued that such characters are becoming part of the Daimonic reality because of their relevance to people. Nonetheless such structures are derived from human imagination, and in part from the desire for a literal reality, whereas the Daimonic imagination and reality is something which responds to and interacts with people, in ways that aren't tied to human conventions.

An encounter with Daemonic Reality is an encounter with something we don't control. We interact with it, but it doesn't fit our rules or categories. Rather it challenges us and causes us to realize that we may not be in as much control of the environment as we delude ourselves into thinking. It throws literal reality in our face and demands we question it and consider in that process that imagination is more than fiction...imagination is a doorway to the sacred, a doorway to the unknown and we can choose to open that door and see what lies beyond, but when we do so we know we are no long operating under just our own rules, but also entering Daemonic reality, with all the possibilities it contains that offer us a glimpse behind the curtain of conventional reality.

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The Equation of Working with Entities

Sometimes, in my approach to process and applying it to magic, I like to look at a given process in terms of an equation. An equation elegantly lays out the dynamics of a process, demonstrating what it takes to make that process work. When we explore the process of working with an entity (spirit, daemon, etc.) the equation we are using to describe the process of that work is based on the relationship we have with the entity, as well as our understanding of the relationship the entity has with the universe. I'd argue that our understanding of what a given entity does is subjective, because our understanding is situated through a human perspective and in general what you see written about entities has more to do with the type of relationship they can have with a person than has it to do with what their relationship is to the universe. When you do see their relationship with the universe written about it, it's written in a way which is very mechanistic, as if the entities were cogs in a machine. Again, I think this understanding of their role in the universe is subjectively biased and as such may not be as accurate as it could be.

I've written previously about my decision to take a non-anthropocentric approach to my work with entities, including the work I'm doing with the microbiota within me. The reason I've taken that approach is that I've realized that to really understand and work with entities I need to be wary of applying the subjective lens of my human based consciousness upon them. Even with entities like the Goetia who could be argued to have an anthropomorphized form, it's important to recognize that they are likely taking that form because it is expected of them or because they recognize its the easiest way for us to conceptually understand them. One problem with such imagery is that it can create a false impression of an entity. For example, modern day imagery around angels usually involves a human shaped being with wings on its back. Sometimes you'll even see cute baby angels with smiling faces. However, if you've had contact with an angel, such an image bears little truth to the reality of the angel and holding onto such an image allows us to only connect with the angel on a superficial level (if we connect with it at all).

If, on the other hand, we recognize that our perspectives and awareness of entities are limited we can open ourselves to experiencing them more directly. This can have its own dangers. My own experience of working with angels hasn't typically involved the modern day imagery, but rather has involved feeling their presence. When I feel the presence of an angel I feel its force, its function...in other words I feel what it embodies and does for the universe and my relevance to that entity is very minuscule, based on a criteria which essentially asks: "Is this encounter relevant to my function?" If the answer is no, then the angel isn't going to waste time on me. If its yes, it'll put some time toward me, as it relates to the function it performs. The danger in such an experience is that if the person isn't ready to handle such an encounter it can throw them for a loop. In that sense, the safety that imagery and visualization provide is this: You have a less direct encounter with the actual presence of the entity and what it represents. That imagery provides a filter or screen of sorts, which helps your mind, energy, etc. process the experiences you have with the entity, whereas if you take a more direct approach, you are working with a more primal form of entity and this can be overwhelming if you are not used to doing such work. To work more directly with an entity involves allowing your subjective preconceptions and filters to fall away and open yourself to experience the feeling of the entity, the feeling of the force it embodies and represents. To do this carefully, I suggest gradually working toward that experience, as I share with an example below:

When I worked with the element of fire for a year, I gradually evolved my practice to move away from working with the associations and attributes used to describe fire, to working with fire as a direct primal force. The shift away from attributes and associations was useful because it allowed me to realize how much I'd anthropomorphized fire. When I didn't work with the anthropomorphic aspects of fire, I experienced fire as an element in a direct manner that was humbling (always a good thing imo) and allowed me to come away with a much more nuanced understanding of fire as a force of nature. I didn't think of fire in terms of sexuality, passion, or anger. I experienced fire as a force of heat, warmth, and destruction, as well as rebirth. However this process took the better part of a year to achieve. First I had to recognize the limitations of the imagery, associations, and attributes that usually went hand in hand with fire. Then I needed to open myself to working more directly with fire by asking if I could experience it as a raw primal force. I was cautious in making that request and what I did was work daily with fire via my meditations and other daily practices, but I would only allow myself to go so far as I felt I could handle what I was experiencing. If I felt the experience was too much I backed off from it and did appropriate banishing and aftercare. By taking such a gradual approach I was able to get comfortable with that raw experience of fire and consequently understand it in a different way that I'd not had access to before. I apply a similar approach to working with entities.

Let's bring this back to the equation part of this post with two thoughts to entertain. The first thought is this: What you put into the relationship with an entity is what you will get from the relationship with the entity. We can take that statement a number of different ways. For example, how we approach an entity shapes its interactions with us. If we approach an entity with fear, then it will undoubtedly recognize that fear and draw on it to shape the experience with you. Similarly if you approach the entity with respect, the entity will recognize that and factor it in accordingly. Similarly if we approach the entity with a specific image, attribute, or association in mind, it will respond to and use that image, association, or attribute (though not necessarily in ways we'd expect). Entities don't necessarily have a fixed form. They will appear in whatever way is most effective to work with you, and I'd argue they may also choose a more experiential model if that's appropriate for working with you. Likewise what you bring to the interaction influences what they bring to the interaction. If you give respect, you are more likely to get respect, but don't assume that will automatically happen and be aware, as best as possible, what you are bringing into the equation.

The second thought is this: An equation has a defined result. A relationship can also have a defined result. Be clear on what you really hope to get out of the interaction with the entity you are working with. If you are clear on your intentions and clear on the ideal result than it can help you determine if you should even contact the entity. In my magical work, in general, I always define the result. By defining the result I can determine what, if anything I need to employ. Defining the result doesn't guarantee you'll get the result, but it certainly makes it much to work with an entity because you can present it with what you are hoping to accomplish with its aid.

Finally, I suggest trying the non-anthropomorphic approach to working with entities. I find it to be more effective because it strips away the masks and allows you to work with the entity on an experiental level that is not always present when anthropomorphism is employed. While that direct experience brings its own risks with it, it also enables the magician to get a much better grasp of the entity, not only in relationship to the magician, but also in relationship to the universe.

Spirit Cord Experiments

Since I took R. J. Stewart's class on the Spirit Cord, I've started reading his book on the topic and I've continued doing my own magical work with it.  Some interesting experiences have happened as I've worked with the cord. I've integrated my work with it into my daily practice, as part of my experimentation, but I've also worked with it in relationship to entity/spirits work and dream work and in each instance have found it quite useful. The spirit cord also has some applications for space/time magic, which I think will be useful in my continued work with that area of magic.

Daily Work - I've integrated the cord into my daily work, with a specific purpose in mind. When I do my daily meditations I wear the cord and I send part of the meditation into the cord, for the cord to remember. Specifically I send part of my altered state of consciousness into the cord, so that when I do the meditation the next time, I can call upon the remembered state of being to slip more easily and quickly into that state as I do the daily work. Each time I've done this I found that it has been quicker and easier to enter into specific states of awareness and consciousness associated with the daily work I do. I've done some of the daily work without the cord and noted that it doesn't come as quickly, taking the usual amount of time it would have prior to me using the cord.

Entity/Spirit Work - One of the ways the cord can be worked with involves utilizing it to make a stronger connection with spirit guides you are working with. I recently did some with a couple of entities and as part of that work I incorporated the bonding ritual that is used with the cord. I've found that doing so does seem to add an a dimension of connection because the cord essentially "remembers" the relationships you've forged with other beings. When I wear the cord in the midst of doing magical work with a given entity, I draw on the memory of the connection as well as the actual work I'm currently doing to re-connect with the entity and I've felt a stronger connection as a result.

Dream Work - I've taken to wearing the cord every other night when I sleep. I do one night on and one night for several reasons. First I want to determine if there is an actual difference in sleep and dream work experiences when I wear it vs when I don't wear it and secondly if there is such a difference I also want to consider the need for deep sleep vs dream work, as dream work doesn't necessarily provide as full a night of sleep as the body might need. So far, what I've discovered is when I wear the cord at night I have very vivid dreams and I can recall the dreams in the morning, whereas when I don't wear the cord, I don't typically remember the dreams or remember very little.

Space/Time Magic Work - The spirit cord operates on the principle of connection, but also of memory. Both principles are integrally tied to time and space. Memory is fairly obvious, in that the cord is used to remember states of being, entities, etc., but the connection principle also applies because is used to connect, to measure one distance from another, or one time to another. The cord also serves to establish continuity and keeps that continuity alive through its use and memory aspects. An interesting exercise that Stewart includes in the book is to attach the cord to a peg in the ground and then try to move with it. What you'll find is that you can move toward or away from the peg (which could be considered linear time) or you can move in a circle around the peg, which is a rhythmic and perhaps non-linear version of time. He actually suggests doing this in relationship to understanding time.

I'm still reading the book and working through the exercises, but I find that this practice has already enriched my ongoing work immeasurably. There's a lot I'm getting from doing this work as it relates to my own interests, but also doing the work as part of a magical tradition that I am integrating into my life. I look forward to sharing more as I continue to do the work and experiment with it.

My problem with demons

Recently Josephine McCarthy made a post about entities, including demons, which demonstrated a problem I have with how Western Occultism, particularly Western ceremonial magic traditions depict demons. In her post, she depicted demons as malignant entities that want to harm people. The problem with this depiction is that its based on Christian beliefs about what demons are and when magicians draw on that perspective about demons, what are they doing is drawing on Christian concepts to describe something. That alone should make any magician question whether its accurate or justified.

If we look at the word demon, we discover that its derived from the Greek word Daimon which originally meant spirit of wisdom. When Christianity came alone, the Christian leaders had a vested interest in depicting the spirits of other religious practices in a light that made those spirits seem evil or corrupt. Thus the word demon came along. And the medieval grimoires that discussed such entities depicted them in that way because the authors were Christian and knew they had to do so if they didn't want end up burned on the stake. Perhaps they even really believed what they wrote, but we need to critically question it, factoring in the political, religious and historical context that has been used to present the information.

In Western ceremonial magic, there is an uncritical acceptance of the word demon and the description used to define such beings. That uncritical acceptance leads to evocation practices where an entity is summoned and compelled to do something by calling on the names of other entities and threatening them with those entities. Now I don't know about you, but if I was coerced in that manner I'd be pretty unhappy about it too.

My own experiences with demons has never been negative. I do refer to them as Daimons, using the proper terminology. And I work with them. I don't coerce them into doing something they don't want to do. I don't strike bargains where I exchange my soul in exchange for material delights. What I do is develop relationships with them, much like I would with any other spiritual contact I make. And much like any such relationship, what I contribute and what they contribute defines the relationship. However I want to note I've never suffered any adverse effects as a result of working with Daimons. If anything, they've enriched my life and spiritual practices.

I think its high time the magical community recognizes that the word demon and all of its associated meanings comes to us from a religion that has demonized our practices. Do we really want that perspective in our magical practice? Do we even need it? In my opinion, we don't and I find that its counter-productive to getting effective magical work done.

Edit: Josephine published another article on her blog where she clarified her perspective and did a great job of defining the magical work involved.

I'm on the cover of Portal Magazine

Portal magazine recently published their latest issue and look who is on the cover!!! My article is on how to listen to the universe, basically honing your intuition and other such skills. You can pick up a copy here.

I normally don't publish a post specifically about something I've written for a magazine, but getting my mug on the cover was a justifiable reason to do it.

Some thoughts on teaching magic and where money fits into it all

Recently I came across this post by Josephine McCarthy about Magic and Money. She had some interesting points to make about teaching classes on magic and how when money is brought into the equation it changes the dynamic. In particular she noted that some magicians try to make teaching classes their main income stream (which imo isn't a very good business model as I'll explain further below) and that the material they teach sometimes ends up being modified in order to please the student (a bad idea in my book) or modified to be more commercially viable.

I have started teaching weekend intensives, so when I read this post it gave me a lot to think about. I'm just starting out, designing my classes and putting a lot of thought into what I'll teach and how I'll teach it. Above all I'm mindful that what I teach is something that could have a deep effect on the people choosing to learn from me so I know I need to be prepared to guide them carefully, while also encouraging them to experiment (which is my preferred approach to magic). I've written a number of books on magic and I have taught smaller classes. I've even developed a correspondence course, which thus far has seemed to have been beneficial for all the people taking it. Still I know that as a teacher I'm taking on a responsibility to my students that is significant and must always be considered. I'm also taking on a responsibility to the material I'm teaching because its something which needs to be accurately conveyed.

I don't think that teaching classes is the most effective business model out there, which is why it's not my main stream of income (and likely never will be). Much like writing a book, the monetary return you get from teaching classes is not as significant as you might think. When you write a book, you have to factor in not only the time spend writing and promoting the book, but also the time spent researching for the book. The royalties you receive don't even begin to cover the amount of time spent writing the book. This is why its really important to be clear on why you are writing the book. You are writing it because you feel that you have a message you want to share. You feel a calling to write that book and you realize its more important to write it than not to. You also recognize that unless it becomes a bestseller you're unlikely to make back your investment of time and effort. The same applies to classes.

With a class you need to factor in time spent prepping class materials, as well as the cost of said materials. You also have to factor in the cost of the place you are renting, the cost of food and gas (and possibly lodging) the time spent traveling to and from the class, and the actual teaching of the class itself. And if you're like me and you believe in providing actual follow up teleconferences free of charge so that people can ask questions and check in with you about their experiences, then that's additional time that's being provided. As such the actual cost of a class doesn't necessarily net the amount of profit that you might think it would, especially if you also know that you can only teach to a certain class size and still effectively present the material. Of course there are ways to minimize some of these costs, especially with modern technology, but if you're like me and you actually prefer to teach face to face and perhaps also know that some things can only be conveyed in such settings then you are less likely to use such means to teach your classes.

I feel called to teach the classes I'm teaching. I know my classes aren't for everyone and that what I'm teaching will necessarily involve a certain level of experience on the part of potential students, especially with what I wish to teach. I know that I need to stay true to what I'm teaching because it's something I want people to be able to use to change their lives and to evolve as spiritual and human beings. I do feel justified in charging for my classes because of all the costs I've mentioned. It's not the best model for bringing in income, which is why I have a few other income streams, but what that income allows me to do is cover the costs of teaching the classes, presenting at conferences, and travel without dipping into my main income stream which goes toward paying bills. I believe that the cost is an equivalent exchange for my services, an energetic exchange if you will.

Teaching classes isn't really about the money. The money covers the costs involved to go and teach those classes, but what teaching the classes is about is being able to share specific information, concepts, and practices with people that want to learn those practices. Of course they can pick my books up and read them, but at a certain point, if you want to go deeper it can be useful to have that face to face connection. I myself am taking classes from a spiritual mentor which I think is well worth the cost because what I am getting from the direct experience is something that is much deeper than just reading the books would have provided. It is important to me that I also provide that same depth to my students. I want to honor their needs, but also honor the teachings I share so that what they get is something which authentically conveys the deeper mysteries while also honoring their journey in this world and all others they touch.

Book Review: Fans, Bloggers, and Gamers: Exploring Participatory Culture by Henry Jenkins

This is a collection of articles from Henry Jenkins, over the span of his career as a media academic. Some of the articles are good, others are less impressive, but overall he provides the reader some for thought about the evolution of pop culture studies and pop culture in general. This is a useful book for exploring some of what pop culture studies is about and providing some context as to how the academic study of pop culture has evolved as pop culture and technology have involved. It's limitation beyond the fact that it's a collection of articles, is that some of the material can already be found in the author's other works in a more comprehensive form.

Function is a lot like conjunction junction in magic

I recently wrote a post about function and its role in magic. In it I defined function: "A function, in and of itself, describes a specific action that is supposed to occur within a process as well as why it occurs in the process in way it does." I also explained that function, as it relates to spirits, describes the essence of those spirits and what they are supposed to do. Some of the responses I got to the post asked me to go into a deeper explanation of function and how its supposed to work in magic and that got me to thinking about function and what came up initially as a way to explain function is the old school house rock tune "Conjunction Function, What's your function?" If you've never watched it, you should watch it because it's just that awesome. If you watch that video, it actually explains the concept of function quite nicely, but I'm still going to explain it in my own way as well.

The first thing I'd note about functions is that to some degree they are subjective. You use a function to describe an action and how it ought to work. Functions can also be likened to the attributes you associate with a component of magic, again with the understanding that the attribute, as a function, is describing how the component ought to work or how it ought represent a principle of magic.

The second thing I'd note about a function is that its a connector. Functions are specific actions, which when executed lead to other functions which perform specific actions and so and so forth...get the picture? Basically a function connects to another function when executed properly. And if it isn't executed properly nothing happens. Usually when a function isn't executed properly its because the people doing it don't understand why they are doing it or don't have a clear understanding of the principles involved. In my experience, to make a function, you have to understand why you are doing what you are doing and understand the principles involved. That lack of understanding translates into what you are doing and sabotages the working. Let's provide a specific example or two that helps demonstrate function.

One of my recent workings involved invoking Vinea, a Goetic Daimon. I was doing this invocation to make initial contact with him so that I can do further work with him in the future. Here's what happened. Step one: I briefly look over his name and sigil, to memorize the sigil and to make sure I know how to pronounce his name. The functions at work in this step are memorization (which will lead to another function) and Pronunciation (which will lead to another function). Both of these functions are the foundational functions used to set up the initial ground work of the invocation. Each function performs a specific action. Memorization imprints the sigil into my mind to be recalled when I need it, while pronunciation allows me to learn how to say the name for when I do my invocation chant.

Step 2: I lay down and get comfortable with my head against a pillow. I close my eyes and visualize the sigil, and mentally I say Vinea's name three times. The functions at work in this step are relaxation, visualization, and mental chanting of the name. Relaxation performs the action of getting you into a space where you aren't focused on your body so you can actually focus mentally and spiritually on connecting with the entity. Visualization performs the action of recalling the sigil and using it as a visual marker to focus on connecting with the entity. The mental chanting performs the action of building up your energy, while also creating a an auditory link between you and the entity. Think of it as providing a path to connect you and the entity to each other.

Step 3: I whisper Vinea's name three times, then I say it louder 3 times, louder again 3 times, then I shout it 3 times. While saying his name, the sigil turns into a shape that is representative of him. The functions at work in this step are sonic chanting and visualization. Sonic chanting as a function builds on the initial auditory link you created with the mental chanting. It increases the resonance of the connection, establishing a way for the entity's energy to connect with yours through the pronunciation of the name. The visualization as function builds off the previous use, but in this case is also an indicator that the entity is connecting because he's choosing to appear to you in place of the sigil.

Step 4: I commune with Vinea. We essentially have a conversation which involves an exchange of images and words, as well as coming to an agreement (if we can) of how we'll work together and what we'll do for each other. The function in this step is the communion. It's a function that occurs on both ends and requires both parties to participate.

Step 5: Assuming an agreement is made I follow through on my end by doing agreed upon actions and Vinea follows through on his end. I won't spell out the functions here because this step occurs after the invocation has happened, but I mention it as an example of how functions lead into other functions past the actual working.

So as you can see functions are a lot like conjunction junction. They make connections. One function leads to another, which leads to another, and everything is pull together to produce a process that works. That process makes the magic happen, as long as you understand the functions and what they ought to do or rewrite them to work the way you think they ought to work (but that's another post altogether).

Here's a link to my recent radio interview with Mainstreet Radio about Wealth Magic and my newest book.

Call for Papers for Pagan Leadership: An anthology on Group Dynamics, Healthy Boundaries, and Community Activism

E-mail for inquiries and submissions:  Shauna Aura Knight ; please put “Immanion Press Leadership Anthology Submission” in your subject line.

Megalithica Books, an imprint of Immanion Press (Stafford, U.K./Portland, OR, U.S.A) is seeking submissions for Pagan Leadership: An anthology on Group Dynamics, Healthy Boundaries, and Community Activism

Deadline for submissions: September 1 2014.

The words “Pagan Leadership” are often met with scorn and tales of failed groups and so-called Witch Wars. And yet, as our communities grow and mature, we find ourselves in dire need of healthy, ethical leaders. Anyone who has been in a group that said, “Let’s just not have any leaders or power issues,” has seen what doesn’t work. But what does?

This anthology will explore leadership for real Pagans and real groups. We’re looking for essays and articles that detail leadership success stories, best practices, and ways you have worked through challenges and obstacles. Our specific focus is on techniques to help Pagans build healthier, stronger, and more sustainable groups and communities. We’d like to see a combination of hands-on how-to, personally-inspired, and academic pieces that will offer readers tools they can use in their own groups.

What resources do you have now that you wish you’d had when you stepped into leadership? What problems have you faced and overcome? How have you faced the unique difficulties of grassroots Pagan leadership? What are tools and techniques that have worked? Essays and articles should be 1500-4,000 words.

We’re also looking for brief (500-1000 words) personal stories of what we might call leadership disasters—community blow-ups that you’ve personally witnessed or even mistakes you’ve made as a leader. With few exceptions, these would be published anonymously (not naming names/locations) in order to illustrate, through the personal voice of storytelling, the need for leadership education through the power of storytelling. These stories do not need to be formally written; they should simply tell a story about problems you experienced that caused a group to blow up. Note: We prefer shorter pieces for this, but up to 2,000 words might work.

What we are not looking for:

We are not looking for spells or rituals. We’d also prefer to not see generalized advice, like “leaders should delegate,” but rather, “Here’s how I learned to delegate in my group” or “here’s how a team I was part of successfully handled delegation.”

Here are some suggested topics to give you an idea of the focus of this anthology:

• Planning a successful Pagan event, or running a successful coven or circle, or—how those involve different leadership processes
• Skills to build community from the ground up, and skills to sustain a community long-term
• Organizational leadership techniques
• Transformational leadership and servant leadership
• Experiences with Pagan unity councils or other collaborative work between groups
• Dealing with local Pagan politics, including dealing with difficult, mentally ill, or abusive local leaders
• Dealing with difficult and disruptive group members, spotting predatory practices, red flags
• Gossip, bickering, rumors, and triangulation, ego and egotism, conflict resolution and personality conflicts
• Communication skills and techniques
• Personal work and self transformation required to be a leader, boundaries, dealing with personal burnout
• Administrative aspects of leadership, leadership structures like bylaws, mission statements
• Handling money in your group
• Ethics of leadership
• Delegation and dealing with volunteers dropping the ball
• Keeping people motivated, empowering group members and new leaders, passing on the reigns of leadership
• Creating a safe space
• Different leadership models (consensus, hierarchy, rotating leadership, democracy)
• Facing a leadership disaster/crisis

Submission Deadline is ____. Articles should be 1500-4000 words, although if your work falls outside those limits, do submit it – we can discuss this during the editing process. Personal experience essays should be 300-2,000 words. Drop us an email if you are unsure whether your idea fits into the content. The sooner you start the communication process the better, as after the deadline we won’t be considering additional ideas.

Do write in your voice! If you’re academically inclined or trained, feel free to be as intelligent and technical as you like, and writing in the first person is fine as well. These drafts will be edited in a back-and-forth process with the editor. If your essay is not accepted for the anthology, we will tell you after the first round of edits.

Essay requirements:

• Citations for all quoted, paraphrased, or otherwise unoriginal material
• Bibliography of works cited
• Prefer the Modern Language Association (MLA) Style http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/mla
• Send the file in RTF format

Compensation:

Accepted contributors will receive a free copy of the anthology when it is published and additional copies sold at 40% off the cover price to contributors. All contributors will be provided with a contract upon final acceptance of their essays.

Rights:

This anthology will take nonexclusive first world rights for 6 months.

Editors: The anthology will be edited by Shauna Aura Knight and Taylor Ellwood:

Shauna Aura Knight is an artist, author, community leader, presenter, and spiritual seeker who travels nationally speaking on the transformative arts of ritual, community leadership, and personal growth. She is the author of several books including The Leader Within and Ritual Facilitation. She’s a columnist on ritual techniques for Circle Magazine and writes frequent articles and blogs on the topic of Pagan leadership, and her writing also appears in several Pagan anthologies. You can find her site at: http://www.shaunaauraknight.com/books  and her leadership blog at: http://shaunaaura.wordpress.com and her email address for this anthology is ShaunaAura@gmail.com

Taylor Ellwood is the author of Pop Culture Magick, Magical Identity, and other books on magic. He is also the managing non-fiction editor of Immanion Press. He can be found online at http://magicalexperiments.com

Immanion Press is a small independent press based in the United Kingdom. Founded by author Storm Constantine, it expanded into occult nonfiction in 2004 with the publication of Taylor Ellwood’s Pop Culture Magick. Today, Immanion’s nonfiction line, under the Megalithica Books imprint, has a growing reputation for edgy, experimental texts on primarily intermediate and advanced pagan and occult topics. Find out more at http://www.immanion-press.com.