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ROGER WHITAKER Ginger Baker, England, 1968. Cream Farewell Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London. Eric Clapton, England, 1968. Cream Farewell Concert, Royal Albert Hall, London. Photograph Color: Color Type: Archival Digital Prints

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Techne: Focusing and Energizing the Self-Complex

from the MMM Study Group Mindfulness Series

The basic structure for Works of Magic, whether Self-Change oriented (Metamorphosis) or about changing circumstances in the world (Sorcery) has a simple arc to it, that can be elaborated as necessary by you the practioner.

The structure runs:

Develop a specific Intent

Focus and Energize the Self-Complex

Open via a frame rite

Perform the act of magic itself.

Close the ritual via frame rite.

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During the same period when I experience my strong need to re-evaluate the Eternal Word I developed a sense of the human Self-Complex influenced by a study of Chemistry, the works of Alain Badiou, and an anthropological study of trauma, social currency and identity.

The human personality, and self-identity, are the result of a "lowest energy state" formation. In order to make sense of experience, and restore itself to an equilibrium, the self-complex will be organized in a fashion like molecules. In high energy states of chemical bonds will break and new ones will form in order to return to a lower energy state. This is how molecules are formed form atoms or other molecules. In the same fashion when the self-complex is put under sufficient stress (eustress or distress) it has a higher energy state and needs some means of releasing that energy and forming lower energy state formations. Once these formations are made they tend to be highly durable unless new stress is introduced to change the self-complex' energy states.

The portion of the basic structure of Workings given previously, the period of "Focus and Energize the Self-Complex" is an attempt to consciously change the energy state of the self-complex to make it more malleable and capable of making changes, internally or externally.

Roger Whitaker, H.S., discussed this period of Working in his Technician's Guide to the Left Hand Path as "compression":

The Element of Compression

After making the ritual declaration (a minimum of six times, and in various vocal and written forms), and after making appropriate preparation regarding the level of knowledge necessary for the function of the rite, and then in preparing the physical environment of the ceremony, we are ready to perform the ritual itself. Once the participants have gathered, there must begin a period of compression prior to the actual working of the rite itself. There are two levels of compression, the first is the casual level. This begins when the participants first start to gather, they are still dressed in street clothes, but the first contact with other participants is beginning, and everyone knows that they will soon be engaged in a serious event. It is at this point that the psychological aspect begins as each individual tunes into the reality of the work ahead within the ritual chamber. This casual level of compression sets the tone and timbre for further movement towards the act of the rite itself. I would suggest that participants gather two hours before the actual start of the ritual. This allows plenty of time to get acclimated to the other participants involved in the rite so they can socialize and get comfortable with each other. The final step of this process is to get dressed for the Working, this then sets the tone for the second level of ritual compression. The second level of compression should occur in a room separate from where the first level of general socializing had begun. Participants should gather in this area as soon as they have finished dressing for the ritual. This level of compression is vital to the efficacy of the ritual itself for it is here that the declaration is discussed for the last time, and it is here that all participants begin to focus and contemplate upon the purpose beforehand. Ambient relaxing music should be played, and sound generators with wind, or ocean noise should be used. Lighting should be low - not dark, meditation techniques, deep breathing, stretching exercises all play a part in this level of compression.

Properly understood, compression is a compaction of all the preparatory gestures relative to the rite, and is a gentle sliding of everyday awareness and distraction into a psychological state of physical relaxation and mental intensification that focuses itself upon the declaration of the rite. Compression, as it indicates, means to solidify the energies of activity relative to the Working into a cohesiveness with the other participants of the ritual. This compression ensures that a further density of energy is accumulated, and then directed towards the transformative goal of the rite itself. Once the participants have dressed for the ritual and are gathered together once again, a signal is given, the room unsealed, and the participants enter the sealed microproxemic environment of the ritual chamber itself.

Another way to look at this period s as a means of clarifying and orienting the self-complex. The natural tools of perception are relaxed and allowed to take their proper role and the primary non-natural aspects of the mind are focused and allowed a crisper level of focus so that the Divine Pattern can emerge or come into resonance with the Self-complex.

The particulars of how this is done for you will become highly personal in time, however there are some fundamental aspects work learning and training to eventually allow for your style to develop. These fundamentals are the fundamentals of Peter J. Carroll’s Liber MMM, which itself derives in part from Aleister Crowley’s Liber O vel Manus et Sagittae. These fundamentals are an ability at Stillness, Conscious Breathing, and Concentration. These are not the only aspects of awareness worth developing as skills, however the narrow, internal orientation of awareness is highly portable, low pressure, and for most the easiest to develop first.

Specific techniques are easier to teach face-to-face than via a written medium. While stillness is worth pursuing, it need not be a primary focus. Relaxation of tension and basic physical mobility are of greater value than being able to sit without any discernible movement. While there are many ways to train this, the Intuflow system is a good place to start if this is new territory for you. Despite the programs of Carroll or Crowley, most people find it easier to learn breathing methods previous to mastering stillness. This presentation is a good introduction to a number of breathing methods for controlling and directing stress. In terms of concentration, you gain it not by having perfectly fixed attention at all time, but from learning how to capture your loss of concentration and returning it to your exercise.