Basic Meditation

The following is a series ov exercises to aid the practitioner in honing hir mental capabilities and becoming more aware, both ov that which is and the possiblities which come from heightened awareness. This is not a tretise in religion, unless one considers it their divine duty to further understand the gifts which they have been given.

It is my wish that all who peruse this work may gain a further comprehension ov the possibilities contained within the self, whether the reader be a layman in the arts, or one who has progressed far along the path. It is my will that this text may aid in making others more aware, as I have, through tapping into the energy which encompasses all things.

The eager seeker may wish to dive head-first into the deeper aspects ov practical meditations and spell-workings. Some proud souls may falesly believe that they have a stronger grasp than in reality is the case, and feel that they are quite capable ov the greatest feats ov magick without grasping the fundamentals. The majority ov these blame their failure on the whole concept ov magick, while the denied fact is their impatience and false pride. A few, although this is by far the least savory, turn to the power ov demons and spirits rather than learning to develop their own power over time. This dangerous approach is only magnified by their incomplete grasp on the basics. I'll discuss the dangers ov demonology in a later essay.

The initial focus in this essay is the fine-tuning ov the visualization capabilities ov the mind. This is not only necessary for the subtle levels ov concentration required for the more advanced meditations covered later, this also aids in further magickal practices. It is essential to be able to focus for continued lengths ov time without being distracted. The human mind is quite apt at noticing any number ov distractions when an attempt is made to control the thought process. This will already be quite evident to advanced practitioners, but could represent a serious barrier to surpass for the layman. The main thing to remember is that it is natural for the mind to focus on other things. Do not feel bad if you don't 'get it' at first. Persistance is the key, not beating yourself up because you don't get it right away.

As you will find, attention is energy. What we focus upon with our will, we attract. There are more subtle laws which govern this process which I will get further into in a later essay, as it is really what magick is about. For now, keep an eye on your thought processes ... in fact, the places which your mind wanders while meditating are a good indication ov the way your mind works. Keep a journal if you don't do so already and simply observe the correlations between your outlook and your reality. For example, if one focuses on one's loneliness, one will attract more ov the same. I offer this also as an explaination as to why in the initial visualizations, nothing ov emotional significance should be chosen as the focus ov concentration. Further, as a warning ... be careful what you wish for, especially dealing with magick ... even fears have their way ov manifesting ... more power to the maxim "Know thyself, at each moment". Learn to know that your life is as it is because you made it that way. Your present is as it is because ov your past mind set and your future will be manifested from your present outlook. Thus, an intimate focus on the present is necessary in order to take control ov future probabilities. This can only be made evident by subjective observation.

Most people are familiar with the concept ov reality as being composed ov energy; an ocean ov life energy in which our consciousness swims. Magick, in general, is the focus on these energies, focus upon the inner flows ov energy to better comprehend one's inner being and to consciously control the thought process. The initial results ov the following practices is likely to consist solely in the increase and harmonization ov energy patterns within the astral body. But this is only the beginning ov the process, for through continued and regular use ov these practices, higher and more inward faculties ov the psyche will become increasingly involved in the work, and a true harmony and interaction vo forces will thus be wrought through all levels ov the psyche.

The following is by no means complete and represents the beginning steps to the process ov meditation as I perceive it. When you feel prepared to move on to further practices, let me know and I'll email you more advanced techniques.

SETTING :

For the most part, the surroundings you chose to meditate in are entirely subjective. So long as distractions can be ignored or incorporated and the mind and body can be relaxed sufficiently, this is not something that needs to be overly worried about. Particular environments can aid in particular meditations for example, in color meditations one may choose to meditate in that specific colored lighting, or listening to music ov a particular flavor, or burning a particular incense. But these are unnecessary in most cases, and thus meditations can be performed virtually anywhere under any circumstances. Some people opt to set aside a particular time during the day for meditation, usually immediately upon waking or prior to sleep. Even with such a schedule, one should take the time if one feels the urge to meditate, even outside the schedule, even while walking if one feels comfortable doing so.

POSTURE :

For the most part, the most comfortable position that the situation warrants is the most beneficial. Determine your own preferred position. I normally perform my meditations in a prone or upright position. I shall include a few asanas (body postures) in a later essay on more advanced techniques. Runic body postures are excellent for focus on individual runes (which, again, will be covered in a subsequent essay).

RELAXATION :

If you have trouble relaxing, a simple, but highly effective method is to tense, then relax each limb individually. The tension in the limb should be released suddenly, the limb allowed to drop freely. When the tension is released, feel each individual muscle ov the limb relaxing completely one by one. Also, some simple streaching is good to relieve tensions prior to meditation. A more advanced form ov relaxation will be covered later, but you may opt to practice this procedure before each mediation. Ultimately, there is no one set path. Once you have sufficiently mastered any given exercise, it is your choice to consciously incorporate it in your own personal meditations.

BREATHING :

In any case, breathing should be full, even, and drawn in with the diaphragm. Oftentimes, the mere focus on the breath is enough to relax the body sufficiently for mediation, and the focus on the breath is a powerful meditation in and ov itself. Breath is an excellent focus to bring us more fully into the present moment, which is the ultimate aim ov these practices. Regardless ov how you intend to focus on the breathing process, it should be fluid and rather than creating another distraction; let it flow and simply observe it; feel the rise and fall ov the chest, the feel and sound ov the air as it enters and leaves the body, the pauses between each intake and exhale ov breath, the beginning, middle and end ov each intake/exhale, go into and out ov the cave ov the breath; explore it. Focus on the breath is an excellent place to start to come to terms with the distractions that you will encounter in subsequent meditations. No need to feel guilty or punish yourself for distractions. They are natural. If you have a thought or feeling, simply acknowledge it and return to focusing on the breath. If you feel pain that is too distracting, make the pain the focus; its size and shape, if its moving or stationary ... when it subsides, return to the focus ov the breath.

VISUALIZATION I :

Close your eyes and visualize a simple geometric shape in the mind (triangle, circle, square, etc). Attempt to hold this image as long as possible. Do not get frustrated if you cannot hold the image for more than a few brief moments at first. The average mind is used to focusing on a great number ov things at once. Continue this exercise until you are able to securely hold the shape in your mind's eye for extended lengths ov time.

VISUALIZATOIN II :

As the first visualization, but with increasing complexity (a star, hexagram, etc) then moving on to 3-dimensional geometric shapes (sphere, cube, pyramid, trapezoid, etc).

VISUALIZATION III :

Choose a textured inanimate object, such as a piece ov fruit or a pencil. [A caution against choosing an object ov emotional significance, for this and all the following visualizations. The reason for this will be made quite clear in regards to magickal practice, which will be explained in a following essay.] Visualize your chosen obvect in full color. Turn it around in your mind's eye. Continue when this can be held securely for extended periods ov time. Do this with many different objects before continuing.

VISUALIZATION IV :

Practice visualizing other sensations besides sight. Focus on each sense individually, and avoid focuses ov emotional content for now. Examples include smell {such as incense or spices), taste, sensation {such as hot or cold} even sound (practices attempting to visualize sounds are best done without music).

VISUALIZATION V :

When sensations can be visualized securely, incorporate different sensations ... scented flowers, perhaps even the prick ov a thorn; eating a meal, including the texture ov the fork, the myriad ov smells, the clinking ov silverware against the plate, etc; walking through the forest with a cool breeze amid the summer heat with sounds ov birds and insects, the wind moving the trees; petting an animal ... the options become increasingly detailed and nearly endless. The idea is not to lose yourself completely in these visions but to train the mind. These exercises are extremely useful in advanced meditations as well as magickal practices and astral travel.

The following practices are to show the practitioner to feel and perceive the subtle energies which will be utilized in more advanced meditations and ultimately, the practice ov magick. The most basic way to familiarize one's self with these energies is by learning to feel and perceive the emanations from the human body, as they are the most familiar to us. These exercises can be performed at any time, ie, no preparation need be done, for the body is constantly exhuding life energy. Seeing the energy will be covered later, as the primary focus is on simply being able to feel the energy and the "seeing" ov this energy is not only difficult to describe and impossible without the proper understanding to begin with, it has little bearing upon the current focus ov this essay.

FEELING A :

Hold the hands, palms facing one another, not touching. Feel the energy between the palms. Pull the hands slowly apart until you can no longer feel the interaction ov energies. Slowly move them together and observe the feeling.

FEELING B :

Perform the above exercise with a partner. Although these exercises are no place for the skeptical, a thin sheet ov cardboard can be placed between the two palms an dthe energy interaction still be felt.

FEELING C :

Feel the energy emanating from external objects, specifically crystals. Simply use the palm and don't touch the object, moving it closer and farther away until you can feel the boundaries ov its energy field.

FEELING D :

Hold one palm up. With the other hand, point the index finger at the palm from a few inches away (or closer if necessary, but not touching). Project energy from the tip ov the finger into the palm. Attempt to feel this effect at further distances. Also, attempt to point a crystal at the open palm rather than the index finger ov the other hand. You may also try this with a partner (one option is to have your eyes closed and see if you can feel when they are pointing at your palm or other location ov the body. The palms seem to be one ov the more sensitive areas.)

FEELING E :

This exercise is done with a partner (although preferrably one who is unaware that they are being involved). Project energy from your finger at the person and observe their reaction. I refer to this practice as a zen poke. Do not be alarmed or frustrated if this seems to have no effect. Most individuals are not aware enough to perceive this energy, else you are not proficient enough at projection yet. There are more efficient ways ov getting someone's attention which I shall discuss in a bit. An amusing example ov this, I was sitting behind a friend with the purpose ov him determining if he could feel the difference between when I was projecting energy and not. I welled up a considerable ammount ov energy in my heart center and forced it out suddenly. Rather than raising his hand as was predetermined when he could feel the energy, he immediately turned around and gave me this look like "what the fuck?!"

FEELING F :

Hold the palms, closely facing one another. Push the energy out ov one palm and into the other. Fell the flow ov energies between the two palms. Draw the energy up the receiving arm and back down the other and make a circuit. Traditionally, the right hand is more apt at projection and the left more easily utilized to receive energies. This practice is EXTREMELY useful for tarot readings, which will be discussed at greater length in due time.

FEELING G :

Cup the hands together as if holding an imaginary ball, but not touching one another. Focus energy from both palms, creating a ball ov energy. This is quite useful for charging crystals and other objects, but again, this will be discussed at a later point. For now, shift your hands as if packing a snowball. When you feel it is sufficiently fueled, throw it and trace the arc with your eyes. In sufficiently dim lighting, it is easily seen by the trained eye. Throw an energy ball at someone from behind their back and observe. As in exercise E, don't be surprised if no reaction is apparent, especially until you have become more adept at the utilization ov energy.

Although the eyes play no direct part in meditation, there are a few concepts I wish to cover in regards to their eyes and their part in the subtle energies which are not only insightful, but practical as well. A note ov some interest to those interested in the concept ov "seeing auras" - the colors ov the personal aura are not seen with the eyes, but are FELT as being particular color. More will be said on color magick in the essay on advanced meditational techniques.

In the process ov vision, the eyes project energy, conecting with that which it perceives. This can be illustrated with the following practices. Entire books have been written on the subject ov projecting thought forms through the eyes to influence people. I will touch upon these at a later point, but this should not be attempted without full consciousness ov what exactly you are doing.

EYES A :

Sit in a darkened room, get comfortable, and eliminate distractions. Hold your palm before you and slowly move your gaze around your palm. Fel the energy on your palm being projected by the eyes. Also, feel the texture ov your hand with your eyes, although this aspect is more easily evident in exercise B.

EYES B :

Continuing exercise A, gaze about the room and feel the textures ov various objects WITH your eyes. This is especially evident running the gaze up and down a venusian blind.

EYES C :

This exercise can be performed in any public place (although it may be safer to attempt this from the passenger seat ov a car as for some reason, people don't like to be stared at). Simply stare at someone and see how long it takes for them to turn around.

EYES D :

Pick a day when the sky is filled with small, distinct cloud formations. Chose one to be dissipated. Resolve inwardly that you will dissipate that particular cloud. A photo ov "before and after" can be utilized to show objectively that this exercise works. Pull the energy down through your eyes into your body. Slice your visual ray back and forth, then bore into the cloud with your gaze. Repeat this a few times. Within a few minutes, the cloud should be completely dissipated.

Basic energy flow meditations

GROUNDING :

Preferrably over clean earth in bare feet (although unnecessarily, especially if done in a sitting position), draw up energy through the feet (or the base ov the spine in the case ov a sitting position) while inhaling and allow it to fill your body. As you exhale, push the energy out ov your body through the feet (or the base ov the spine) to the center ov the earth. Continue this exercise a few cycles ov breath.

CONNECTING :

Feel the consciousness extend deep into the earth, and without losing that connectedness, extend the consciousness to the heavens and connect to the sky, expanding out.

CLEANSING :

Have available a good source ov energy (such as a tree, but if you use a tree, thank it when you are finished). Also have either water or an object you don't mind throwing away to use as a receptacle for the negative energy [even a piece ov paper works well for this]. Push the bad energy out your arm into the recepticle as you simultaneously fill the space with pure energy from your source. One lesson ov extreme importance regarding this is that nature abbhores a vaccum. This is why a further energy source is necessary to fill the space. Alternatively, this space can be filled with positive thought forms, as will be discussed in a later essay.

ANOTHER CLEANSING MEDITATION :

Obtain two glasses, one with water, one with juice. Focus on all the negativity surrounding your life and your thoughts and project it into the glass ov water. Pour this out, reflecting you doing away with the useless baggage. Focus joy and happiness and peace and unconditional love into the glass ov juice and drink that, reflecting you replacing the space with positivity.

PORE BREATHING :

As you inhale, draw in energy through every pore in your body. Upon exhale, "breathe out" the energy through the pores. If you do not exhale the energy, this is an excellent means ov gathering energy to fuel a thought form (explained later).

Spiral Meditation

This exercise was fully conceived and developed by myself. I perform this exercise to begin each meditation. From a point just above the crown ov the head, visualize a filament ov energy approximately one inch in diameter, coursing clockwise (relative to looking down from above) slowly around the body, as if wrapping it to mummify it. As it courses downward, allow the energy to seep into your body, covering every inch to the tips ov the feet. Spiral the energy back up the body in a counter-clockwise motion until it reaches the point where it began just above the crown ov the head. I will refer back to this exercise as the spiral meditation. As we continue, I shall cover other aspects which can be included in this (such as visualizing the energy to be ov a particular color). I seriously suggest practicing this prior to any other meditation.

Alas, I do not presently have the time to cover color magick, chakras and more advanced meditations. These exercises should keep you more than occupied for a considerable ammount ov time. To give you an example, these and a few other minor exercises were all that I had to work with regarding mediation for approximately 4 years.

The subject ov magick is as simple or complex as you choose to make it. I personally regard it as being more beneficial to be thorough rather than foolhardy. Note that I never utilize rituals contained in any books, opting to allow them to flow from my intuition, and in this sense, I am not as complexly focused as some, but in my own way, I am very focused on the intricasies ov the art in all its subtle forms and I am willing to share all that I can with you in these regards as soon as I have the time to compile my thoughts on the subjects.

For now, I draw this essay to a close.