The Nature of Core Practice
My initial approach to CP was very much based on the postmodern
attitude of Chaos magick and the magical material I had at hand –
the works of Aleister Crowley and Austin Osman Spare. I intended
to practice CP for nothing more than an increase in personal
satisfaction, namely magical power (a la postmodernism), and
performed the act in a ‘stripped down’ ritual format (a la Spare). I
believed CP was a one off operation that would lead to the
spectacular manifestation of my future magical self, or the gaining
of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (a
la Crowley).
The operation was a success, but I have come to learn through
direct personal experience that my conception of CP was grossly
off the mark. A number of years of working my angel have shown:
Method
The Core Practice (CP) of Magick is a very simple method in which
you open yourself to the Holy Guardian Angel and consent to His
or Her presence and action in your life.
Although CP appears to be a meditative method, it is not a
concentration practice. It relies on intention rather than attention,
and the attitude is one of openness.
1). Choose a sacred symbol of your intention to consent to your
angel’s presence and action within. This can be a word,
meaningless or otherwise, or a visualised sigil. Note: it does not
matter what the actual symbol is, only the intention that the
symbol represents. However, do not change the symbol you have
chosen during a sitting.
2). Sit comfortably with your back straight. Sitting in a chair is
fine. Close your eyes, and then introduce the word or symbol of
your consent to your angel’s presence and action. You do not need
to continually repeat or visualise the symbol – once is enough to
establish your intent. You may find it helpful to begin by stating ‘I
consent to the presence and action of my Holy Guardian Angel
with the sacred word/image n.’
3). When you become distracted, whether by thoughts or other
sensations, repeat the sacred symbol. The attitude is one of
openness – the intention is not to stop thoughts, emotions or
physical sensations from arising, and so these should be allowed to
come and go as they please, so long as you do not become
distracted and your intention remains clear.
4). Sit for a minimum of 15 minutes a day, eventually building upto an hour plus. The more sittings a day, the better.
You are not thinking about your angel during CP - you are givingthe angel a chance to manifest. The angel is not any word, idea or perception in itself, and so it may manifest in any number of ways.
Its presence however is unmistakable, and may feel luminous,
expansive, empty, divine, etc.
In CP, you let go of any perception or sensation when it catches
hold of your attention by repeating the symbol. At some point, the
will begins to habitually turn to the angel during the practice and it
doesn't need a sacred symbol anymore to affirm its intention. It is
no longer attracted to the thoughts that continue to arise and
pass, so whereas the imagination and memory may persist in
manifesting themselves, the will feels a certain peace and union
with the angel.
It should be remembered that reflecting on or enjoying the
presence of your angel is not the practice of CP; these can be distractions too, and must be allowed to arise and pass with any
other sensations.
-Alan Chapman in Three Steps to heaven
