2. What does Magick feel like?

The Path of Magick
The Path of Magick

 

While the experience of magick is quite individual and dependent upon context and situation, there are things we can look for when deciding if something magickal is happening or not.  I am not a person to believe that the Divine has any great interest in whether or not I brush my teeth or got a cold. I am part of a paranormal investigation group, not because I want prove there are ghosts, but rather to help people discern what is happening in their homes and spaces. I know there are ghosts and all sorts of other types of beings. I don’t feel the need to prove to others, I live my life with them as rule, not an exception. I only came to this point through personal experience. But how to people determine what is magick and what is not?

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I come from a background and tradition that uses the body, mind, and emotions as barometer that something is happening. This type of thinking relies exclusively on individual perspective and interaction with the environment. Because the body takes receives much more energy, and therefore information, than we consciously interpret, I believe that if more attention is paid to what the body is experiencing, more and more unrealized information will begin to come into focus. If the body is experiencing something, there must be some reason, even if my normal five senses cannot perceive as something tangible or solid. Often a person who is beginning to hear what their body has to say, will not easily be able to interpret what is being said. And thus, that new information or data is left unprocessed or disregarded. Often, I feel, that when people begin playing with this new type of data, they are so amazed that they do actually feel something they often try to apply a label to it before really delving into the experience.

Labeling something without fully understanding it can be a dangerous practice. What most people experience first tends to be the experience of power or essence, rather than actual intent behind it. It is easy to feel power. Walking into to a room after an argument, one is likely to feel the charged atmosphere of the room, before feeling out the details of the argument. But just because the room is charged up, does not make it evil or malicious, nor that the argument lead to violence. In the beginning, it will take more than one scan to really begin to understand the information that is there to perceive, other than the feeling of something is not right or off about a location, person, or event. The mind will attempt to fill in the blanks for what it cannot understand at first. This is where discernment is needed, rather than wild guessing and grasping at straws. There isn’t anything necessarily scary or evil about sensing a power or energy or influence around. This is why the skills of sensing and reading are so important. While there times when the magick and forces influencing the situation cannot be physically felt, it is important to be able to accurately interpret what is around when there is something to be felt. I don’t even believe this to be “psychic” function. I think this is something we all need to learn in some regard. Ignorance is not bliss in the realm of sensing our environment. Knowledge of and learning to trust the body and it’s experiences is of vital importance.

I chose to talk about magick and energy in terms of power. Some use terms like “sensitive”, “empath”, or “psychic”, but I feel these terms usually denote something wrong or abhorrent about people who identify by these labels. Sensitive people can become overly sensitive and withdraw from the world for protection of their “sensitive” sensibilities. Empaths and sensitives tend to take on the emotions and energies of others, leaving the empath or sensitive unable to cope. All of people under these labels have a tendency to come under “psychic attack”. While all these things can happen, I chose not to underestimate my own power and choice in any given situation. I chose to stand in the center of my own web of creation and experience things through my own influence and give and take with the world.

native-spirit-guideWhen walking the path of magick, a connection and relationship to helpers is always formed. A relationship implies a two-way street between two forces. The practitioner, in these relationships, is just as important as the helper. At times, they are more important, for the practitioner is the one choosing to do the work, whether there are helpers or not. Humans are capable of great magick, but even greater with help and in alignment with creation. Relationships also imply emotions. Relationships and connections to helpers is a large part of what makes magick happen. In relationships, both earthly and ethereally, there should be a healthy sense of give and take, a healthy sense of respect (for ourselves and our helpers and supporters..our friends and mentors)and personal boundaries (even Gods and ghosts have personal boundaries).

While this all might sound like pretext to getting what “real magick” feels like, honoring and maintaining healthy relationships is the greatest magick there is. The moments of knowing who is calling before the phone rings, knowing when a loved one is hurt or in trouble, or knowing you are in the right place at the right time, are little signs of encouragement, long distance hugs or notes from the Divine and etheric helpers. While seemingly miraculous, not all of them are moments of earth shattering importance, they are little reminders that we are not alone. They are reminders that someone out there is reaching out to meet us half-way, whether we can physically see or hear them or not.

 

Assignment: Who do you believe in?

What God, Goddess, other beings (like fairies, dragons, angels, etc..), pantheons, archetypes, etc… do you feel a connection or deep interest in?  Record these things in different sections or pages in your notebook or journal.  Draw, write, paint, or even scrapbook about what makes you feel so curious or connected to each of these things.  This will help you build and get in touch with those energies.  Have you ever had any significant personal experiences or even conversations revolving around any of these connections?  Record and explore those experiences.  These connections are in your for a reason, they your gateway to the world of the Divine and the magick within yourself.  As you are exploring these connections, try leave the intent in your heart and/or mind, that you would like to further your relationship with these energies and entities (whether they are beings or energies, like air or fire).  Through taking this course you might be beginning on your path or renewing certain aspects of your path, so at this point it is okay and is encouraged to ask for a sign from each of these connections if they are willing to help you in this process.

Additionally, these types of connections can change over time and as we grow.  So it is okay to explore these magickal connections from the past, even if we aren’t quite as attracted to them in the present.  Exploring past connections can even help us see how the magick was always in our lives and that perhaps we were never alone, but always, from a distance, from a whisper on the wind, being guided and shown our path.

 

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[level-current-students]

I come from a background and tradition that uses the body, mind, and emotions as barometer that something is happening. This type of thinking relies exclusively on individual perspective and interaction with the environment. Because the body takes receives much more energy, and therefore information, than we consciously interpret, I believe that if more attention is paid to what the body is experiencing, more and more unrealized information will begin to come into focus. If the body is experiencing something, there must be some reason, even if my normal five senses cannot perceive as something tangible or solid. Often a person who is beginning to hear what their body has to say, will not easily be able to interpret what is being said. And thus, that new information or data is left unprocessed or disregarded. Often, I feel, that when people begin playing with this new type of data, they are so amazed that they do actually feel something they often try to apply a label to it before really delving into the experience.

Labeling something without fully understanding it can be a dangerous practice. What most people experience first tends to be the experience of power or essence, rather than actual intent behind it. It is easy to feel power. Walking into to a room after an argument, one is likely to feel the charged atmosphere of the room, before feeling out the details of the argument. But just because the room is charged up, does not make it evil or malicious, nor that the argument lead to violence. In the beginning, it will take more than one scan to really begin to understand the information that is there to perceive, other than the feeling of something is not right or off about a location, person, or event. The mind will attempt to fill in the blanks for what it cannot understand at first. This is where discernment is needed, rather than wild guessing and grasping at straws. There isn’t anything necessarily scary or evil about sensing a power or energy or influence around. This is why the skills of sensing and reading are so important. While there times when the magick and forces influencing the situation cannot be physically felt, it is important to be able to accurately interpret what is around when there is something to be felt. I don’t even believe this to be “psychic” function. I think this is something we all need to learn in some regard. Ignorance is not bliss in the realm of sensing our environment. Knowledge of and learning to trust the body and it’s experiences is of vital importance.

I chose to talk about magick and energy in terms of power. Some use terms like “sensitive”, “empath”, or “psychic”, but I feel these terms usually denote something wrong or abhorrent about people who identify by these labels. Sensitive people can become overly sensitive and withdraw from the world for protection of their “sensitive” sensibilities. Empaths and sensitives tend to take on the emotions and energies of others, leaving the empath or sensitive unable to cope. All of people under these labels have a tendency to come under “psychic attack”. While all these things can happen, I chose not to underestimate my own power and choice in any given situation. I chose to stand in the center of my own web of creation and experience things through my own influence and give and take with the world.

native-spirit-guideWhen walking the path of magick, a connection and relationship to helpers is always formed. A relationship implies a two-way street between two forces. The practitioner, in these relationships, is just as important as the helper. At times, they are more important, for the practitioner is the one choosing to do the work, whether there are helpers or not. Humans are capable of great magick, but even greater with help and in alignment with creation. Relationships also imply emotions. Relationships and connections to helpers is a large part of what makes magick happen. In relationships, both earthly and ethereally, there should be a healthy sense of give and take, a healthy sense of respect (for ourselves and our helpers and supporters..our friends and mentors)and personal boundaries (even Gods and ghosts have personal boundaries).

While this all might sound like pretext to getting what “real magick” feels like, honoring and maintaining healthy relationships is the greatest magick there is. The moments of knowing who is calling before the phone rings, knowing when a loved one is hurt or in trouble, or knowing you are in the right place at the right time, are little signs of encouragement, long distance hugs or notes from the Divine and etheric helpers. While seemingly miraculous, not all of them are moments of earth shattering importance, they are little reminders that we are not alone. They are reminders that someone out there is reaching out to meet us half-way, whether we can physically see or hear them or not.

 

Assignment: Who do you believe in?

What God, Goddess, other beings (like fairies, dragons, angels, etc..), pantheons, archetypes, etc… do you feel a connection or deep interest in?  Record these things in different sections or pages in your notebook or journal.  Draw, write, paint, or even scrapbook about what makes you feel so curious or connected to each of these things.  This will help you build and get in touch with those energies.  Have you ever had any significant personal experiences or even conversations revolving around any of these connections?  Record and explore those experiences.  These connections are in your for a reason, they your gateway to the world of the Divine and the magick within yourself.  As you are exploring these connections, try leave the intent in your heart and/or mind, that you would like to further your relationship with these energies and entities (whether they are beings or energies, like air or fire).  Through taking this course you might be beginning on your path or renewing certain aspects of your path, so at this point it is okay and is encouraged to ask for a sign from each of these connections if they are willing to help you in this process.

Additionally, these types of connections can change over time and as we grow.  So it is okay to explore these connections from the past, even if we aren’t quite as attracted to them in the present.  Exploring past connections can even help us see how the magick was always in our lives and that perhaps we were never alone, but always, from a distance, from a whisper on the wind, being guided and shown our path.

 

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