Magick is a complex thing, involving many different parameters and unless you know how to apply them properly, the results are not going to be any different to make-believe, or at best, placebo. Let’s review some simple things one can do in order to get better results.
1. PHYSICAL
It is perhaps self-evident that you need to have some space in order to do that. By space I don’t mean that a fully-equipped ritual room is necessary; you can do magick even without an altar in a closet, but what you *must* have is “room for yourself”, a place to be undisturbed. You may lack your own room or house, you may be renting or staying at friends’ or at a university dorm – this is not a problem if you can manage some time for yourself. Sit alone, and be aware of yourself; your thoughts, your mental patterns, your emotions as you slowly breathe, and try to relax. Progressively relax your body (either start from the head downwards, bit by bit, or start from the feet upwards – different ways for relaxation, but they work). Allow time to do this; at least twenty to thirty minutes (unless you are very experienced and can relax at will within a few minutes). Observe what is going on, without doing anything; try to allow the torrent of thoughts to flow through you, without holding on to something specifically. Do the same for your emotions; worries, fears, stress, simply let it flow and vanish, without examining anything, as you breathe deeply and you relax your body. Realize that you are more than your thoughts, more than your emotions, more than your body. Your systems may have been disturbed by the rush of everyday life, but now you are at peace. You enter a deeper state of mind as you physically relax your body, and this is good. It’s the doorstep to all the good things with regards to improving your life, because through this, you have achieved in lowering your brain wave activity, and this makes your brain more open to positive suggestions. Remember, do not stress in trying to achieve it; simply allow it to happen, as you keep breathing and close your eyes. You don’t have to “see” anything at this stage. Physical control of this simple relaxation is very important – you’ll thank yourself years later. If you feel okay with it, try to do some positive affirmations about yourself, like: “I am getting better and better at this / every time I enter this level, my negative thoughts and emotions will dissolve, I will be in control and my mood will improve” (feel free to write your own positive suggestions). If you are able to practice this technique at least once daily (allow for about 20 minutes), after a couple of months you will have noticeable results in yourself and a level of clarity that might surprise you.
Taking care of your body’s needs is also very important, and is often overlooked. Disturbed sleep patterns, exhaustion, taking substances or getting drunk often, neglecting physical training or being idle every day for many hours will do more damage than you think. Whether you love your body or you view it as a machine or as a burden, it’s something that has value, without which you cannot perform many of the tasks that constitute a physical life, and may even affect your grounding. If you have had bad habits for many years, you will know how detrimental they can be. Self-care is important, and not only when life takes a toll on you. You won’t be able to manage traumas, or even simple stressful situations if you don’t learn to care for yourself and neglect the most basic needs.
2. EMOTIONAL
Your emotions can fuel your magick, or they can make it dissipate into random energies – the difference is control. Learn to master your emotions when you wish to do magick. You set up the area (or yourself) to begin? Then it’s not time for doubts, feelings of insecurity/inferiority and other self-defeating things. Prime yourself with the idea that since you need this to work, you will succeed. Isolate the negative thoughts, and focus on the emotions that are essential for your magick to work. Why do you want to do this magickal work? What do you hope to achieve? Magick works on Need, and Need is fueled by emotions, the right kind of emotions. Believe in yourself when you do this, because if you doubt each step of the way, the emotional power will be weak and it will impact on your spells. Some people believe that you can do spells without the involvement of emotions. Some have even been affected by the Jedi teachings from movies, or even misreading some Zen/Buddhist texts – emotions are NOT your enemy! You can be passionate about the right sort, and invest them in your magick. Even in Taoist principles, there’s a Balance – this doesn’t mean neutralizing the emotions! Fill yourself with the certitude of your Need, and when crafting your spell, fuel it with your emotions in a passionate way. Do it all the way, and it will be much stronger.
3. MENTAL
Focus through controlled visualization; start small. Take an object, a geometrical thing like a cube, and visualize it, with eyes closed. Watch it in your mind’s eye, and see it spinning. Now try to hold it still. You will find this very difficult at first, because the image might “jump around”; relax your body and your mind, and keep trying. Eventually you will be able to keep it still for a few moments – then you can do it for longer. You will even be able to make it turn in any direction you want, slow or fast. The purpose of this is to be able to control the visualized object, because this trains your focus. Now try with another object; eventually, try with symbols of your choosing. Later, use landscapes or something that matters to you, perhaps a deity or a statue or an altar. When you are confident about this practice, your mind will become much sharper in its focus, and spellwork will be easier.
If you find your attention challenged through ADHD or other issues, it may be hard for you to remain focused for a prolonged time. So add a filter of background music like ambient (I personally use dark ambient a lot, but selective tracks), or something else that allows your mind’s excess energy to be diverted and also being able to do this without too much distraction.
The use of Language in spells is another way that opens up great possibilities for your magickal practice. There are several arguments online and in books, each supporting their own perspective; the traditionalist says, use spells in archaic, latin, or other ancient language. The modernist says, use them in your native tongue, but perhaps weave them in verses, like in a poem (you can see some pagan and Wiccan stuff like this). Others promote the use of “barbarous words” that may not make much sense, but impress the mind and thus, with the right intention, unlock its power. I will tell you the basic principle here and you decide for yourselves. Whatever you use, it should be *different* than what you would use in your mundane life. Because the mind needs to notice the difference, that when you do your spells, it should switch to another modality – to be aware of it. Simply because these words/intonation/language is not common, it implies purpose. It tells the brain you are speaking Purposefully and your Willpower is behind these words. If you do that each time you Speak magickally, your practice will greatly benefit from it.
4. PROCEDURAL
Routines build discipline; this is a golden rule, and you should remember it. No matter what you may read from various places, there’s no substitute for a magickally disciplined mind. You may believe that it’s an exaggeration, and that you can do magick just fine. Sure you can do it, but what if you could do the same thing *better*? Or what if your potential is greater than what you think it is? Could it be possible to maximize your results? You’ll never know if you don’t train yourself and simply resort to a “lazy”, more laidback approach. Set up your own routines; do certain things each day, or each week. Set up some days in the year that are special for your practice (one example is the pagan holidays, or the Moons, and so on). Have regular times when you meditate, or when you cleanse yourself. It works just like training muscles or doing a fitness program: your spiritual self is strengthened and you acquire discipline, which fuels your willpower – an indispensable tool for all types of magick.
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