EXERCISES

The “Exercises” section of these lessons will be devoted to giving you a series of exercises or meditations intended to develop your psychic and magic skills. Again, psychism and magic are essentially the same thing, psychism being receptive of spiritual influences, magic using these same skills actively to achieve specific ends.

Psychic-magical ability is rather like a muscle, which grows stronger with use. The more you exercise your abilities, the more abilities you will develop.

In composing these lessons we have assumed that you know nothing, and are starting from scratch. We know that this is not true for all students, and that some will have already acquired considerable skill and ability. If you feel your level of skill is already far beyond these exercises, then think of them as a review of the basics, or perhaps a new view on the basics. Soon enough succeeding lessons will present you with more challenging exercises.

If you are starting from scratch and have never worked with these techniques before, practice them as much as possible. You should practice every day, and if it is possible for you, at the same time each day. If you cannot practice at the same time each day, it is good to try to do in the same part of the day -every morning, for example. This builds consistency and -believe it or not- really does make a difference to your progress.

How much you progress, and even whether you progress, depends on you. The time and effort you put in are what will determine your growth in magical ability. Like anything else, practice makes perfect.

These exercises rely heavily on VISUALIZATION. Visualization is a very important magical technique. In magic our goal is to focus our energy very strongly toward the thing we want to bring about. When you visualize something, you imagine it very strongly, picturing it very clearly. When you first try visualizing, you may have to close your eyes and try very hard. It gets easier with practice, and later you will be able to do it with your eyes open. When you visualize something, try to see it as clearly and strongly as you possibly can, a 3-D image - just as if you were looking at a physical object.

This is because you are using the image, and the focus and concentration that go into it, to shape energy. You are not idly imagining a pretty fantasy, but actually affecting the universe on an energetic level.

Some people find it difficult to visualize. If this is true for you, then try to imagine what the energy FEELS like, rather than just what it LOOKS like. But don’t stop trying to visualize, as your ability to do so will improve with time, and the skill is of great importance.

GOOD HABITS

As we have said, it is best to practice every day, to build skill. If at all possible it is best to practice at the same time each day. When you first begin to learn magic, it is best to practice on an empty stomach. You should wear loose, comfortable clothes, or even better no clothes at all, and you should select a comfortable position to work in. All of these things will help you to be psychically “open.”

It is good to light one or more candles before you do your exercise. The candles will act as “batteries”, giving you extra energy. When a flame burns, it gives off energy, which will aid you in your exercise. Quartz crystal also serves to amplify the energy in this way, so it can be good to have some nearby, or even hold it during the exercise.

Some people also like to use incense to help them shift their consciousness. Some good incenses to use are Sandalwood, or Frankincense, or Lavender. You can also use an essential oil. If you use oil, apply it to your forehead and the palms of your hands, as well as anywhere else you would like.

The first exercises you will learn are two of the most important basic practices you should know. These are PSYCHIC SHIELDING and GROUNDING AND RELEASING. These two techniques are the cornerstone of good magical practice, and their importance cannot be stressed too much. 

In future lessons many other exercises will follow, but none are more important than these first two.

PSYCHIC SHIELDING

Psychic shielding is very important. Sometimes we “pick up” energy from other people, without knowing we are doing so. Their moods or emotions may “bleed over” onto us, leaving us feeling angry, sad, tired, depressed, or whatever they are feeling -and not knowing where this emotion came from. Also, sometimes people will deliberately send negative energy to us -even though that is a very bad thing which one should never do. Such negative energies cannot harm you, as long as you don’t let them in -but in daily life this is an unconscious process. To one skilled in magic and psychism however, this process under ones direct conscious control. With psychic shielding we set the boundaries which keep out unwanted energy from others, but simultaneously strengthen our own Aura, or energy, keeping it healthy.

This exercise should be done daily, either when you go to bed or when get up, or as part of your daily psychic exercises.

Put yourself into a comfortable position and begin by releasing all tension and anxiety.

Visualize a ball of white light floating above you. Focus on the energy of the ball -know that it is full of love and strength and peace. Try hard to FEEL these qualities in the energy of the ball.

Now let the energy from the ball of light begin to flow down into you. The energy is a beautiful, clear white light. No matter how much light comes into you, the ball will remain equally strong for its true origin is the Goddess and it is a source of boundless spiritual energy.

Let the energy from the ball pour into you and flow throughout your body. Let it move out into your arms and legs, down into your fingers and toes.

Now let that light expand beyond your body. At first see the light expand just an inch out from your body. Now let it expand a little more -two inches, four inches... Let the light expand to form an oval around your whole body --an oval filled with clear, beautiful, loving white light from Goddess.

Now let that oval of white light expand to form a perfect circle of energy around you, expanding until it is about six feet across.

Now, in your mind affirm this: 

ΚανονικόΣυνθήκηορισμούΛίσταορισμώνΔιεύθυνση“There is one power in the Universe, and I am a perfect manifestation of that power. As such I will that the boundaries of my aura shall be strong and healthy, repelling all unwanted energy while remaining open to positive and healing energy. Safe within these boundaries nothing can harm me, for I am filled with the strength of the Goddess. By my will, so mote it be -and it is so.”
Now let the visual image of the light dissipate, but know that its protection and strength remain with you.

Now clear and release all excess energy as instructed above.

CLEARING AND RELEASING

Clearing and releasing of excess energy is extremely important. It’s important to do this before a magical working so that your energy will flow freely. It’s important to do after a magical working so that the excess energy that may be left in your body doesn’t cause you difficulties.

There are many signs of excess energy. Dizziness, lack of balance, feeling giddy or disoriented. Excess energy may also be marked by hyperactivity, inability to rest or sleep after a magical working.

There are many ways that are used to clear and release excess energy.

The following is a good method of clearing energy, and the one we recommend you start with.

Use this technique before a magical or psychic working to release any tension or anxiety that you may be holding from the events of the day, so that your energy will flow freely. Use it after the working to release excess energy.

Put yourself into a comfortable position -it doesn’t matter if it’s sitting, kneeling, or laying down, but it should not be standing, as you may tend to loose your balance until you become proficient in the technique.

Visualize -that is to say imagine very strongly- a bright white light pouring down from above the top of your head and passing through your whole body, exiting through the soles of your feet. Release all tensions, anxieties, and stresses in your being, imagine them flowing out of you along with the white light. Let it all pour out of you. Imagine the excess energy as little bits of darkness being carried away with the light as it flows through you. When the last little bits of darkness are gone, let the light stop coming down, and let the last of it flow out of you.

Another version of this uses the image of water, rather than light. Some people find it easier, because the image is more familiar. So if you have difficulty using light, try this; 

Again, find a comfortable position. Imagine yourself lying in a river, with the water flowing through you, entering through the top of your head, and exiting through the soles of your feet. Imagine the excess energy as leaves and twigs and other detritus as might fall into a river. See the water carry these things away from you. Again, when the last is gone, you are clear.

There are many other ways to do this as well. Some people imagine themselves standing before a beautiful lake. They imagine themselves being very dirty. They walk into the lake, until the water completely covers their head. Then they see themselves walking back out of the water, completely clean. Other techniques visualize wind blowing through the person, to blow away the excess energy, or fire burning it away.

Still another technique is to imagine a long root, like the root of a tree, growing down from your root Chakra (your pelvic region, loosely speaking. You’ll learn more about Chakras in a future lesson). Visualize this root going down into the Earth. If you are in doors, see the root going down through the floor and through any lower levels of the building, then entering into the Earth. Let the root going down deep into the Earth. Now imagine your excess energy running down through this root to Mother Earth. When you are done, draw the root back up into yourself.

One can also use physical objects to help release energy.

One of the simplest ways to do this is to put a bit of salt on the tip of your tongue, or run the tips your fingers through some salt. This will have a natural grounding effect, eliminating the excess energy.

Another technique is to hold a piece of HAEMATITE or an item made out of LEAD. These substances too, have a natural grounding quality, and will have some effect by themselves. But to get the best effect, hold the object and imagine the excess energy draining into them from all parts of your body. When you are finished, hold the object under a stream of cold water (such as a bathroom faucet) and imagine white light pouring through the stone as the water washes it. This cleanses the stone.

In each case the excess energy returns to the Mother Goddess when you release it. She will recycle it, putting it to good use elsewhere. Some people like to say an affirmation when they release such as “I clear and release all excess energy.” or “I release this energy to the Goddess, to be used elsewhere.” This sets a clear intent, and can sometimes help to focus the process. It is not necessary to say the affirmation out loud.

All of these techniques are good, but we feel the white light, or else the water, are preferable because they tie into things you will learn in successive lessons, and as well as releasing excess energy they also exercise important psychic muscles that you will need later. But as in all things, the most important aspect is that it works well for you.