Nyctophilia Raven wrote:Seriously. Stop thinking so hard.

The biggest problem that anyone has with spirits, with magick of any kind, is simply a mental shift. That's ALL.

Astral is not somewhere else.

It's all around you.

From the moment you were born, you could see it, hear it, feel it, sense it, experience it...

And slowly, people started convincing you that it wasn't real. That it was just in your head...

And eventually, because they were so many, and they were older, and you were convinced of their authority in these matters, you came to believe them... so totally... that you hooded yourself.

It's time to take the hood off.

How do you do that? How do you "open your third eye?" It's very simple. It really is. You simply... IMAGINE YOU CAN SEE UNTIL YOU BELIEVE IT SO THOROUGHLY THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO.

It's that simple.

You see, Astral is the realm of the Mind. Your mind is what molds it, shapes it. Your mind is also what perceives it... but when you're learning to do that, it's a lot like a sighted person who goes blind, stays that way for years, and then who has surgery on their eyes...

They've been blind for so long, at first their brains can't make sense of what they're seeing. Like babies, they have to start with the simple stuff.

So. To See, you must do two things. You must pretend you see and believe that it's true, and you must practice.

You must exercise your mind.

Here's something very, very simple. It's a spell. It requires no words, because real magick is truly that simple. There's no words, there is simply WILL. Intent, emotion, imagery, bound together with the belief that you are making something different, because you have that power. It is the ultimate in belief in yourself. All you're going to need is an empty rock. Go get one now. It's ok... I'll wait.

*************

OK... Got your rock?

1) Imagine you are a tree. I actually have a reason for this... you're about to experience using personal energy for the first time to create a change in the world, and that can have a physical effect on your body... it can be draining, and if not done correctly, you will not only be tired, but you may get nauseous and have a headache. So we're going to do it the right way... and that begins with a process called "Grounding and Centering." So... pretend you're a tree. In fact, imagine that that tree actually expands from your belly outwards, until your whole body is transformed into the trunk, and your toes are rooted deep, deep in the earth, and your hair is high up in the sky, as branches and leaves. But I want you to do more than just become a tree in the image. I want you to really try to feel as though you, like a tree, are exchanging with the air and with the earth. I want you to imagine as clearly as you can that you are receiving nutrients from the ground, water, and that you are passing waste into it. I want you to imagine the sun on your leaves, the air that you produce, and the carbon dioxide you take in. I want you to imagine the whole chemical process of being a tree.

When you've got that down, we can move on. But start with your belly button, and become a tree, first and always.

2) Now that you are properly grounded, I want you to put your hands together, palms touching, and begin to rub vigorously, as if your hands are freezing cold. Rub them together as fast as you can, for about half a minute, maybe more. Until they heat up.

Once they've heated up, I want you to SLOWLY pull them apart, but... I want you to focus on the sensation between your palms, and on your skin. You may feel that your hands are magnetized, either repelling or pulling together. You may feel tingling. You may feel electricity. Whatever you feel, that's perfectly natural. That's your energy. It's what I WANT you to feel. I want you to feel your own energy, because otherwise, nothing we do from now on is going to make any sense whatsoever.

So... feel your energy. Play with it. Squooosh your hands together and stretch your hands apart like that energy is putty. If you have to, rub your hands together whenever you lose that sensation. Play with your energy until you really KNOW it... know it SO WELL that you can IMAGINE it.

Now here's where we get a TINY bit tricky. When I say IMAGINE, what do you think I mean? Let's take an example. Think of a sports game. When you think of your sports game... what pops into your head first? Second? Third? When I think of baseball, the first thing I do is I see the crowd and the game. The second is I hear the crack of the ball on the bat, and the roar of that crowd. The third thing I do is FEEL the passions of the people, their emotions. Smells and tastes of popcorn, beer, sweat, and hot dogs come next. Finally, I feel the hard metal bleachers under my feet and the press of the plastic chair against my back and butt.

How do YOU imagine? In what order? Because that is how you should imagine energy - that simple memory of a sports game will tell you where you star when it comes to Astral Vision. Some people hear best, and see worst. Some people see best, and smell worst. Etc. Where are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do you think you can correct those?

Now... let's go back to that energy between your hands. Still have it? Still KNOW it? Can you imagine it now?

Drop your hands. Smooth your hands against your skin and rub the energy from your hands back into your body.

3) Now... bring up the memory of your energy. Imagine, now, that there is a point made of your energy floating in front of you. You can use your hands here, and put the point between your hands, but it's really better that you learn how to do this without your hands. Whichever you prefer now, you will have to learn hand's free magick eventually.

When you have a solid point of energy in front of you... we're ready for the next step. This will be an exercise in CONCENTRATION - if you lose your focus, the magick will go poof... so keep your inner eye on it and don't let go.

4) Make the point run back and forth, back and forth, along a short length, faster and faster... until you have a LINE. Add more energy if you need to.

5) Make the line spin flatly until you have a disk or plate. Add more energy if you need to.

6) Make the disk flip until you have a BALL.

7) Now it's time to do the real magick. Give the ball a flavor. Colors, smells, emotions, sensations all have meaning.

http://www.theurbanpagan.com/color-magic.html

Also, NEVER FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE OR DON'T WANT. ALWAYS FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO WANT. If you're sad and you want to make a happiness spell, if you're lonely and you want to make a comforting love spell, if you're stressed, and you want to make a stress-reduction spell, right now is the time you let go of what you're feeling, and start focusing on what you WANT. For instance, to make a stress-reduction spell, think of some image that makes you feel at peace. If you're lonely, think of an image that makes you feel comforted and together. If you're unhappy, think of an image that brings you great joy.

White magick also means you do not use another person's name or image without their permission in your spells. So if you're lonely and you want love, imagine being loved... but don't think of a particular person. That will be Dark Arts or even Black. Since we're starting at the beginning... let's not step into that yet.

The trick with magick is this... you always get what you ask for. The universe is basically like a gigantic happy puppy... it always fetches whatever stick you throw out there... if you're constantly saying you can't See, that you can't hear your spirits, that you can't do magick, that you can't experience Astral, if you're constantly saying that you can't have the job you want, that you don't have the girl you like, that your life sucks and this is why, and this is why, and this is why... well... that's what you're sending out to the universe. All it's going to do, because it's a reactive substance, is bring it back to you. Like a big dopey dog, it shrugs and says, "Well, ok... if that's what you want..."

The universe is infinite. That means there's infinite possibilities. And you are born magickal. That means... you are born with the power of Making in your head. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

So. Back to the ball. Give the ball a color. Let's go with healing. Everyone could use some healing sometime. Healing colors are green for body, blue for mind, and purple for spirit. Since we're dealing with your self-confidence issues, let's go with blue. Make the ball blue. Remember, we're IMAGINING. So, all you have to do is tell the ball to turn blue. Choose a blue that feels healing to you. Go with your instincts. Magick is ALWAYS about your gut. It's done with your head, but it's run by your gut.

Now... imagine a scene where your head feels clear. You feel most supported, most serene, most confident. Do a full immersion image, just like with the ball game. Start with the thing you're best at, and build from there, until you have color, sound, touch, smell, taste, emotion, full sensation. Take as long as you need. It doesn't have to be perfect... just do your best.

Give that full feeling to the ball. Let the energy in front of you take on not only the color blue, but the feeling of mental healing and clarity, the feeling of confidence and happiness. The feeling of security.

9) Now... make the spell radiate that energy outwards... Shine like a sun. FEEL the energy radiating from the spell outwards towards you. Feel it actually begin to affect you and make you feel more confident, more happy, more mentally whole.

10) Now... and this might be tricky... you've sensed your own energy, but you haven't tried to use your magnetic palms to sense the energies of other objects, or lifeforms, in this exercise. You can absolutely, SHOULD absolutely do that later, but... for now, just accept the idea that... if you have this energy... so does everything else. Also accept that... there are some sources of energy, like earth, sun, moon, stars, air... that are rather large enough that you can pull from them, without diminishing them.

I want you to pull from them now... and set up a... loop. Talk to your spell, and tell it to pull that power in, to strengthen and charge itself... make it continuous, and connected to the radiation the spell is doing.

11) Now... here comes the hard part. WITHOUT LOSING THE BALL which is now radiating your spell and at the same time charging itself... imagine that you are ALSO inside the rock I had you get earlier. Imagine you are at the very center of the rock.

Just like I had you imagine being a tree earlier... now I want you to pretend to be the rock. I want you to pretend so well, that you can almost feel like you're in two places at once.

This will take a bit of mental gymnastics. It's ok... take your time.

12) Now... shift the ball of energy into the center of the stone, and... MELD the stone and the ball... think of it like... water flowing into water. Or lava into lava. Atoms blending with atoms, DNA bonding. Whatever imagery works... let the stone and the spell bond on the energetic level. Let the stone BECOME THE SPELL. Imagine that it's stickied into the stone, permanently. The stone is altered... the stone is now a spell, not just a stone.

13) Finally, seal the spell into the rock. It's like... the spray stuff you would put on a canvas - people can still feel the power of the art, but the canvas is protected so the paint doesn't fade, or chip, or get otherwise damaged. You're going to do that with energy, to protect the spell. Think of skin... skin keeps blood, muscle, tendon, bone, organs, inside... but it also breathes. We radiate some things, but other things stay contained. You're making a skin for your spell. Imagine it however you would like... some people imagine that the spell is a tapestry, and they tie up the ends. I like to imagine I'm coating the whole thing in sealant.

Examine, in your mind, the stone, from all angles. Make sure that, as far as you can See (because that's what you've been doing, throughout this whole exercise, if you hadn't noticed), there are no cracks. No places where your spell is exposed. Also make sure that you can still FEEL the spell in whatever way you Sense - whether it's by feeling cold or hot, a tingle, seeing a shimmer, picturing a color in your mind, hearing a soft ringing, smelling something, tasting something (or having the overwhelming urge to put the rock in your mouth - that's usually a STRONG hint to me that something is becharmed... I have an oral fixation lol) - everyone senses energy differently, so... some experimentation will be needed here... but... do your best.

14) Once the spell is sealed... PUT DOWN THE ROCK. Become a tree again. From the belly, like I showed you in step one. Oh, and eat a piece of bread and have a full glass of water.

Congratulations. You've just Seen energy. You've also just cast your first spell. Now...

Was that so hard?

You may now go take a nap. You totally deserve it. Congratulations.

MagickFromtheMysts wrote:Seriously. Stop thinking so hard.

The biggest problem that anyone has with spirits, with magick of any kind, is simply a mental shift. That's ALL.

Astral is not somewhere else.

It's all around you.

From the moment you were born, you could see it, hear it, feel it, sense it, experience it...

And slowly, people started convincing you that it wasn't real. That it was just in your head...

And eventually, because they were so many, and they were older, and you were convinced of their authority in these matters, you came to believe them... so totally... that you hooded yourself.

It's time to take the hood off.

How do you do that? How do you "open your third eye?" It's very simple. It really is. You simply... IMAGINE YOU CAN SEE UNTIL YOU BELIEVE IT SO THOROUGHLY THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO.

It's that simple.

You see, Astral is the realm of the Mind. Your mind is what molds it, shapes it. Your mind is also what perceives it... but when you're learning to do that, it's a lot like a sighted person who goes blind, stays that way for years, and then who has surgery on their eyes...

They've been blind for so long, at first their brains can't make sense of what they're seeing. Like babies, they have to start with the simple stuff.

So. To See, you must do two things. You must pretend you see and believe that it's true, and you must practice.

You must exercise your mind.

Here's something very, very simple. It's a spell. It requires no words, because real magick is truly that simple. There's no words, there is simply WILL. Intent, emotion, imagery, bound together with the belief that you are making something different, because you have that power. It is the ultimate in belief in yourself. All you're going to need is an empty rock. Go get one now. It's ok... I'll wait.

*************

OK... Got your rock?

1) Imagine you are a tree. I actually have a reason for this... you're about to experience using personal energy for the first time to create a change in the world, and that can have a physical effect on your body... it can be draining, and if not done correctly, you will not only be tired, but you may get nauseous and have a headache. So we're going to do it the right way... and that begins with a process called "Grounding and Centering." So... pretend you're a tree. In fact, imagine that that tree actually expands from your belly outwards, until your whole body is transformed into the trunk, and your toes are rooted deep, deep in the earth, and your hair is high up in the sky, as branches and leaves. But I want you to do more than just become a tree in the image. I want you to really try to feel as though you, like a tree, are exchanging with the air and with the earth. I want you to imagine as clearly as you can that you are receiving nutrients from the ground, water, and that you are passing waste into it. I want you to imagine the sun on your leaves, the air that you produce, and the carbon dioxide you take in. I want you to imagine the whole chemical process of being a tree.

When you've got that down, we can move on. But start with your belly button, and become a tree, first and always.

2) Now that you are properly grounded, I want you to put your hands together, palms touching, and begin to rub vigorously, as if your hands are freezing cold. Rub them together as fast as you can, for about half a minute, maybe more. Until they heat up.

Once they've heated up, I want you to SLOWLY pull them apart, but... I want you to focus on the sensation between your palms, and on your skin. You may feel that your hands are magnetized, either repelling or pulling together. You may feel tingling. You may feel electricity. Whatever you feel, that's perfectly natural. That's your energy. It's what I WANT you to feel. I want you to feel your own energy, because otherwise, nothing we do from now on is going to make any sense whatsoever.

So... feel your energy. Play with it. Squooosh your hands together and stretch your hands apart like that energy is putty. If you have to, rub your hands together whenever you lose that sensation. Play with your energy until you really KNOW it... know it SO WELL that you can IMAGINE it.

Now here's where we get a TINY bit tricky. When I say IMAGINE, what do you think I mean? Let's take an example. Think of a sports game. When you think of your sports game... what pops into your head first? Second? Third? When I think of baseball, the first thing I do is I see the crowd and the game. The second is I hear the crack of the ball on the bat, and the roar of that crowd. The third thing I do is FEEL the passions of the people, their emotions. Smells and tastes of popcorn, beer, sweat, and hot dogs come next. Finally, I feel the hard metal bleachers under my feet and the press of the plastic chair against my back and butt.

How do YOU imagine? In what order? Because that is how you should imagine energy - that simple memory of a sports game will tell you where you star when it comes to Astral Vision. Some people hear best, and see worst. Some people see best, and smell worst. Etc. Where are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do you think you can correct those?

Now... let's go back to that energy between your hands. Still have it? Still KNOW it? Can you imagine it now?

Drop your hands. Smooth your hands against your skin and rub the energy from your hands back into your body.

3) Now... bring up the memory of your energy. Imagine, now, that there is a point made of your energy floating in front of you. You can use your hands here, and put the point between your hands, but it's really better that you learn how to do this without your hands. Whichever you prefer now, you will have to learn hand's free magick eventually.

When you have a solid point of energy in front of you... we're ready for the next step. This will be an exercise in CONCENTRATION - if you lose your focus, the magick will go poof... so keep your inner eye on it and don't let go.

4) Make the point run back and forth, back and forth, along a short length, faster and faster... until you have a LINE. Add more energy if you need to.

5) Make the line spin flatly until you have a disk or plate. Add more energy if you need to.

6) Make the disk flip until you have a BALL.

7) Now it's time to do the real magick. Give the ball a flavor. Colors, smells, emotions, sensations all have meaning.

http://www.theurbanpagan.com/color-magic.html

Also, NEVER FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DON'T HAVE OR DON'T WANT. ALWAYS FOCUS ON WHAT YOU DO WANT. If you're sad and you want to make a happiness spell, if you're lonely and you want to make a comforting love spell, if you're stressed, and you want to make a stress-reduction spell, right now is the time you let go of what you're feeling, and start focusing on what you WANT. For instance, to make a stress-reduction spell, think of some image that makes you feel at peace. If you're lonely, think of an image that makes you feel comforted and together. If you're unhappy, think of an image that brings you great joy.

White magick also means you do not use another person's name or image without their permission in your spells. So if you're lonely and you want love, imagine being loved... but don't think of a particular person. That will be Dark Arts or even Black. Since we're starting at the beginning... let's not step into that yet.

The trick with magick is this... you always get what you ask for. The universe is basically like a gigantic happy puppy... it always fetches whatever stick you throw out there... if you're constantly saying you can't See, that you can't hear your spirits, that you can't do magick, that you can't experience Astral, if you're constantly saying that you can't have the job you want, that you don't have the girl you like, that your life sucks and this is why, and this is why, and this is why... well... that's what you're sending out to the universe. All it's going to do, because it's a reactive substance, is bring it back to you. Like a big dopey dog, it shrugs and says, "Well, ok... if that's what you want..."

The universe is infinite. That means there's infinite possibilities. And you are born magickal. That means... you are born with the power of Making in your head. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

So. Back to the ball. Give the ball a color. Let's go with healing. Everyone could use some healing sometime. Healing colors are green for body, blue for mind, and purple for spirit. Since we're dealing with your self-confidence issues, let's go with blue. Make the ball blue. Remember, we're IMAGINING. So, all you have to do is tell the ball to turn blue. Choose a blue that feels healing to you. Go with your instincts. Magick is ALWAYS about your gut. It's done with your head, but it's run by your gut.

Now... imagine a scene where your head feels clear. You feel most supported, most serene, most confident. Do a full immersion image, just like with the ball game. Start with the thing you're best at, and build from there, until you have color, sound, touch, smell, taste, emotion, full sensation. Take as long as you need. It doesn't have to be perfect... just do your best.

Give that full feeling to the ball. Let the energy in front of you take on not only the color blue, but the feeling of mental healing and clarity, the feeling of confidence and happiness. The feeling of security.

9) Now... make the spell radiate that energy outwards... Shine like a sun. FEEL the energy radiating from the spell outwards towards you. Feel it actually begin to affect you and make you feel more confident, more happy, more mentally whole.

10) Now... and this might be tricky... you've sensed your own energy, but you haven't tried to use your magnetic palms to sense the energies of other objects, or lifeforms, in this exercise. You can absolutely, SHOULD absolutely do that later, but... for now, just accept the idea that... if you have this energy... so does everything else. Also accept that... there are some sources of energy, like earth, sun, moon, stars, air... that are rather large enough that you can pull from them, without diminishing them.

I want you to pull from them now... and set up a... loop. Talk to your spell, and tell it to pull that power in, to strengthen and charge itself... make it continuous, and connected to the radiation the spell is doing.

11) Now... here comes the hard part. WITHOUT LOSING THE BALL which is now radiating your spell and at the same time charging itself... imagine that you are ALSO inside the rock I had you get earlier. Imagine you are at the very center of the rock.

Just like I had you imagine being a tree earlier... now I want you to pretend to be the rock. I want you to pretend so well, that you can almost feel like you're in two places at once.

This will take a bit of mental gymnastics. It's ok... take your time.

12) Now... shift the ball of energy into the center of the stone, and... MELD the stone and the ball... think of it like... water flowing into water. Or lava into lava. Atoms blending with atoms, DNA bonding. Whatever imagery works... let the stone and the spell bond on the energetic level. Let the stone BECOME THE SPELL. Imagine that it's stickied into the stone, permanently. The stone is altered... the stone is now a spell, not just a stone.

13) Finally, seal the spell into the rock. It's like... the spray stuff you would put on a canvas - people can still feel the power of the art, but the canvas is protected so the paint doesn't fade, or chip, or get otherwise damaged. You're going to do that with energy, to protect the spell. Think of skin... skin keeps blood, muscle, tendon, bone, organs, inside... but it also breathes. We radiate some things, but other things stay contained. You're making a skin for your spell. Imagine it however you would like... some people imagine that the spell is a tapestry, and they tie up the ends. I like to imagine I'm coating the whole thing in sealant.

Examine, in your mind, the stone, from all angles. Make sure that, as far as you can See (because that's what you've been doing, throughout this whole exercise, if you hadn't noticed), there are no cracks. No places where your spell is exposed. Also make sure that you can still FEEL the spell in whatever way you Sense - whether it's by feeling cold or hot, a tingle, seeing a shimmer, picturing a color in your mind, hearing a soft ringing, smelling something, tasting something (or having the overwhelming urge to put the rock in your mouth - that's usually a STRONG hint to me that something is becharmed... I have an oral fixation lol) - everyone senses energy differently, so... some experimentation will be needed here... but... do your best.

14) Once the spell is sealed... PUT DOWN THE ROCK. Become a tree again. From the belly, like I showed you in step one. Oh, and eat a piece of bread and have a full glass of water.

Congratulations. You've just Seen energy. You've also just cast your first spell. Now...

Was that so hard?

You may now go take a nap. You totally deserve it. Congratulations.