So You Don't Believe In Magic!

"Bulgarian magician Orfi" by Nikolaeva84 CC BY-SA 3.0

A long standing proposition for many within the magical community (both past and present) has been that belief in the efficacy of magic is a necessary prerequisite for any magical operation to be successful. With just a little bit of reading one can see that this proposition is upheld by both traditional and non-traditional magical practitioners alike. Yet, my personal success at attaining results through magical technique devoid of belief in the efficacy of magic clearly demonstrates (to me at least), that belief is not a necessary element for magical success. Interestingly, there was even one occurrence (during a particularly "dangerous" evocation) where I was afraid that the magic might work that I attained some incredible results. It should be pointed out that I did not "disbelieve" in the utility of magic, but rather held to the notion that it might be effective. I'm not sure if magical success can be had while disbelieving its efficacy, but I am convinced that non-belief in magic while leaving open the possibility that it might work does not ensure failure.(Interestingly, it is my magical successes (devoid of a belief in the utility of magic) that has begun to nurture a belief in the power of magic to bring about results.)
So, I say, give magic a try even if you have doubts about the ability of magic to manifest your desires. As long as you leave enough room in your head for the idea that magic might work, you may just be surprised at the results.   

Let Us Just ...

photo credit: Kool Cats Photography over 2 Million Views via photopin cc

 
                                             Let Us Just ...

                             Let us just be together for a moment 

                             and enjoy the stilled silence 

                             where no words need be spoken.

                             Let us just feel together for a moment

                             and watch the darkness overtake the twilight.

                             Let us just cherish each other for a moment

                             before the torrent of life takes us away yet again.

I'm Training in The KKK

"Personal Training at a Gym - Cable Crossover" by www.localfitness.com.au CC BY-SA 3.0

Did I get your attention? Good. I'm not joining the Ku Klux Klan, however, but rather going to begin working through Peter J. Carroll's systematic magical training program entitled Liber KKK (Here KKK stands for Kaos Keraunos Kybernetos, which Caroll translates as "The Chaos Thunderbolt Steers All Things"). Some time back I posted that I was about to work through a magical manual/training program written by Geof Gray-Cobb - namely, his The Miracle of New Avatar Power (you can read that here). While I had every intention of doing so, the more I read of the material and worked with the system (albeit, only in its beginning stages) the more I began to realize that this method of approaching magic was not for me. I know I will be chastised by many for not having the determination to work the system once chosen, but try as I might, I could not follow this system and be intellectually honest with myself. The rituals seemed hokey to me and I could not bring myself to believe in the existence of the entities that facilitated their success. So, I now find myself about to embark on a journey through Liber KKK. I have actually wanted to work through Liber KKK for some time but for whatever reasons never did so. Now is a good time. I must admit though, the pace at which I will complete the exercises will be painfully slow. There is no need for me to rush through the work. I wish to savor the workings and drink them in like a fine wine. Before I begin the first stage or "Conjuration One" of Carroll's work, however, I will set out to devise a suitable banishing ritual for myself. I'm not fond of The Gnostic Banishing Ritual (suggested by Carroll), and while I find The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram a powerful and effective banishing ritual, I can not share in its effectiveness since I remain outside those currents of magic for which it is best suited.
While magical diaries are advocated by most practicing magicians, I can not bring myself to use them. In lieu of a diary, I will use this blog to record some of my successes and failures along the way. Hopefully, someone will find something I record to be helpful.  

The Passing Of Geshe Lhundup Sopa

Geshe Lhundup Sopa
1923-2014

Truly the end of an era. May you pass through the bardo swiftly and safely, Geshe-la.

 

Shhh...I Will Be NAPping

"Taking A Nap" by Rosino CC-BY-2.0

Last year I became aware of a system of magic detailed in a "modern grimoire" entitled The Miracle of New Avatar Power written by Geof Gray-Cobb. Intrigued by many of the claims of magical success attributed to this work found on the Internet, I decided to obtain a copy for myself. My initial reaction to the book was not favorable. It seemed bogus or hokey. In his book the author promotes a system of magic that functions due to an all-powerful force intrinsic to human beings (though dormant and unrecognized by most) that can accomplish anything. Anything? That's an awfully big claim, indeed. Moreover, the success stories presented in the book seem incredible and contrived. Time after time we read of an individual going from rags to riches in virtually no time at all. Despite my initial reaction to the book I now find myself preparing to work with this system of magic. Why? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe because I'm desperate to find a way to make changes in my life that I am unable to presently accomplish. Maybe its because I know that reality extends beyond my house of beliefs and that there may be truth in the author's claims that I am currently prevented from seeing. You may ask, "How can you possibly hope to succeed with this magical system if you don't BELIEVE?" Well, first off, I'm very good at suspending disbelief. Secondly, the author assures his readers that belief in his system is not required for success. He makes it very clear in the beginning portion of his book that he presents his system in such a way that it bypasses the conscious mind and begins to awaken the New Avatar Power  (NAP for short) within the unconscious mind. So, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain by exploring this system of magic. As I do so, I will post anything that seems noteworthy.

For those interested, there is a whole Forum section devoted to NAP at Evocationmagic.com
Also, Brother Moloch has some interesting things to say about NAP in a three part blog post, the first of which can be found here.

A Public "Thank You" To Saint Expedite.

THANK YOU, SAINT EXPEDITE, FOR QUICKLY PROVIDING ME WITH A NEW JOB AND DELIVERING ME FROM AN INTOLERABLE WORK ENVIRONMENT. MAY THIS POST INCREASE YOUR RENOWN, ELEVATE YOUR STATUS, AND GIVE HOPE TO THOSE WHO NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.

Curse Them With Kindness!

A few weeks ago I found myself in need of performing some instant magic. As I did not have the time to construct and perform a elaborate ritual, I decided that the best course of action would be to create a thrall/servitor to work my will. This thrall/servitor would have only one purpose ... to create obstacles that would prevent two individuals from perusing a particular course of action. During the birthing process I instructed the thrall/servitor to put obstacles on the path that these two individuals where traversing. At the time I saw these obstacles to be negative in nature in that they would thwart the plans being made by direct sabotage. Sometime later, however, something rather interesting occurred. My thrall/servitor contacted me and informed me that my will could be more easily accomplished if it could "bless" the two individuals with favorable events rather than thwart their plans through sabotage. I had not thought of this approach when I created the thrall/servitor, so I was somewhat surprised when my little creation suggested it. In any case, I gave the thrall/servitor permission to work my will by bringing about some favorable events for my "victims."

So, the moral of this story is ... favorable events can also function as obstacles to a particular path. Moreover, the victims will never realize they've been cursed.

*Just in case you are interested, my thrall/servitor failed to carry out my will and was promptly destroyed.