I once heard someone saying: 'Consciousness is the key to magic.' I guess that's pretty true but also pretty general. If we try to be a bit more concise we will need to admit: Consciousness is not the key but a heavy bunch of keys - just as large as the old prison guard would carry it in an aged black and white movie. And magic isn't a single door either, but a realm as vast and deep as the dark prison the old guard is warding with its hundreds of doors all quietly waiting locked behind thick steel.
Our consciousness can take hundreds of shapes. And each state of consciousness presents a key to one of these doors. Turning it around, opening the cold, old door something is waiting for us on the other side... A magical encounter, a spirit, a demon, an archangel, a being from another realm. And all these realms are normally inaccessible for our consciousness - unless it changes its shape and turns into the key we need...
The ability to induce a specific state of consciousness that matches the door and lock in front of us - that is the key to magic. What this requires is a simple yet often overlooked competency: The ability to observe and actively change our state of consciousness.
Simple. |
Actual. |
Dion Fortune's definition of magic is "the art of changing consciousness at will". I can not think of any better practice for this skill than using it in our dreams.
Over the last decade I have worked intesely with dreams - my own ones and the ones of clients. Despite all the interesting adventures it taught me and took me through, there are way more experienced practitioner of this art out there. People who can induce lucid dreams instantly by will or who perform full conscious ritual circles while sleeping at night. I am clearly not one of them - and maybe should work harder to get there or at least regret it more than I do? But the type of magic I have learned to perform in and in partnership with my dreams is completely sufficient for my needs. It does the job.
The 'job' of all my magic is to lead a happy life. Now, I realized it's most easy to lead a happy life when my consciousness is flexible - to adopt, to change, to emerge and grow - and not stagnant or overly dependent on inner subconscious limitations or urges. Thus freeing my consciousness from limitations in order to resonate and echo livelily, in order to co-create and co-experience my own being and the world around me is the path of my magick.
For everyone interested in this type of co-creation and conscious flexibility I have shared the essential techniques of dream magic in a free Course on Dream Magic. Starting out as a personal working document almost ten years ago, then merging into a series of talks in my former study group and ultimately evolving into an online course in dream magic - the three parts on MyOccultCircle.com bring together all you need to know about working with your dreams successfully. At least for your first decade.
Here is an overview on the content of the Course. And a quick note: just in case you are already familiar with dream magic, take a look at chapter VI) Feeding Aggressive Dream Beings; there is some new stuff in there that might surprise...
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Well, there is certainly a lot to read out there and it would be impolite not to recommend at least one good tune appropriate for this ride to the night side of our lives... So let's switch on the magic jukebox again, push the button, watch as the silver arm pulls out the disc, the sound descends... and you can close your eyes for the wonderful Alexander Ebert - TRUTH:
The truth is that I never shook my shadow
Every day it's trying to trick me into doing battle
Calling out 'faker' only get me rattled
Wanna pull me back behind the fence with the cattle
Building your lenses
Digging your trenches
Put me on the front line
Leave me with a dumb mind
With no defenses
But your defense is
If you can't stand to feel the pain then you are senseless
Since this,
I've grown up some
Different kinda figther
And when the darkness come, let it inside you
Your darkness is shining
My darkness is shining
Have faith in myself
Truth.
I've seen a million numbered doors on the horizon
Now which is the future you choosen before you gone dying
I'll tell you about a secret I've been undermining
Every little lie in this world comes from dividing
Say you're my lover
say you're my homie
Tilt my chin back, slit my troath
Take a bath in my blood, get to know me
All out of my secrets
All my enemies are turning into my teachers
Because
Light's blinding
No way dividing
What's yours or mine when everything's shining
Your darkness is shining
My darkness is shining
Have faith in ourselves
Truth.
Thanks for making this available. I'm trying it out, and this morning woke up from a dream that gave me a very good insight into myself.
ReplyDeleteAnother random open tab in my browser also seems relevant. I may try that device in conjunction with your recommendations.
Excellent - have a go and see what it can do for you... Stay hungry, stay foolish. :-)
ReplyDelete