PRTICAS MGICAS DIRIAS Artigo escrito por PROPHECY

Na poca em que eu escrevi este artigo (Daily Magic Practices I), havia s um pequeno nmero de aspirantes verdadeiramente devotados procurando progresso espiritual. O resto estava l para receber teoria intelectual, e nem tantos o queriam. Dessa maneira, a comunidade estava mais interessada em exerccios ocidentais tradicionais, e, portanto, eu dei algumas variaes nicas de tcnicas tradicionais da Golden Dawn e tcnicas rosacruzes para as pessoas praticarem com segurana, e serem capazes de ver progresso real. No ano passado, porm, eu fiquei surpreso por causa de um nmero impressionante de pedidos por um nvel de prtica mais profundo que pudesse garantir um desenvolvimento mais completo para algum que est mais seriamente inclinado para seu caminho espiritual. Eu estive guiando essas pessoas numa base individual, mas a demanda cresceu alm de minha capacidade com a quantidade de tempo que eu tenho, e, portanto, eu resolvi publicar uma prtica diria verdadeiramente slida e progressiva para aqueles que desejam levar sua dedicao a um nvel maior. Aqueles de vocs que possuem um professor legtimo e um guia pelo caminho s devem alterar sua prtica diria com a permisso dele ou dela. Eu forneo isto como uma sugesto positiva para comear bem seu progresso espiritual, mas isto tudo muito geral. Se o seu instrutor for bom e corretamente treinado, ele saber o que voc deveria praticar ou no muito mais do que voc. Algumas pessoas podem ser permitidas a praticar japa, mas ainda no pranayama, ou talvez praticar controle do pensamento e controle do corpo, mas no ainda a adio da devoo diria. Tudo isso depender de seu carter, o qual ser discernido por qualquer bom professor, e, portanto, voc deve considerar o conselho dele. Em geral, porm, o que eu darei aqui deve ser suficiente para a maioria das pessoas, se elas se dedicarem. Eu tenho dito frequentemente aos meus estudantes e queles que me encontram que a inao e a inconsistncia so dois venenos letais perseguio da realizao mgica. Algum que deseja ser um mago no pode ficar contente com mera inquisio filosfica e especulao. Ele deve por sua mente para funcionar e cultivar sua alma, coisa que s pode ser feita nos fogos da prtica rigorosa. O mundo no tem utilidade para pessoas que criam ideias quietamente, mas nunca fazem nada a partir delas; como se essas pessoas estivessem mortas. Todas as boas intenes do mundo no podem lhe tornar um mago. Uma boa pessoa, talvez, mas no um bom mago. A mente indisciplinada deve ser forada a um hbito de prtica regular, at que esta se torne agradvel, e s ento progresso real visto. No permita a sua mente, frequentemente fraca, a lhe convencer de alguma desculpa para no praticar. No existe ningum que no possa praticar, e no existe nenhuma razo legtima para no faz-lo. At dez minutos por dia, se feitos com consistncia, permitiro bom progresso. Voc no to ocupado assim! No oua s desculpas de seu ser inferior, mas lute contra elas veementemente. Eu sou uma pessoa muito ocupada. s segundas, quartas, sextas e sbados, meu dia de trabalho comea s 06:45 aproximadamente e termina mais ou menos s 22:00. s teras e quintas, eu trabalho pelo menos oito horas. Alm disso, eu tenho uma rotina diria de exerccios fsicos, para continuar efetivo nas artes marciais, tenho um grupo de estudantes pessoais que frequentemente precisam da minha ateno e direo, estou escrevendo trs livros e vrias centenas de pginas de material para aulas organizadas posteriormente, tento me manter atualizado com os cinco ou seis e-mails eu recebo de pessoas todos os dias aqui no Veritas, e, alm disso tudo, eu mantenho pelo menos duas horas de prtica mgica diria. Se eu, com minha rotina, consigo duas horas, eu acredito que todos possam conseguir pelo

menos vinte ou trinta minutos. O problema no so os seus afazeres, mas, em vez disso, a sua habilidade de priorizar corretamente. Se voc est querendo perseguir um caminho espiritual seriamente, voc deve ser capaz de priorizar as atividades em sua vida. Este artigo para pessoas que esto perseguindo a magia seriamente, ao contrrio de alguns que somente interessam-se por ela. O primeiro ir encontrar um bom sistema de prtica aqui, mas o ltimo nunca conseguir evocar a fora de vontade e a consistncia na prtica para alcanar resultados notveis. A pacincia um grande teste, e uma das ferramentas favoritas pelas quais o Universo tenta a sua devoo nas chamas da prtica espiritual. Lembre-se de sempre perseverar se voc no vir progresso no incio. No dado a todos ns avanar rapidamente, mas com pacincia e prtica consistente, todos podem avanar. Comeando o Dia Espiritualmente Ao mago dedicado, acordar na mais tardia hora possvel, ou dormir at mais tarde, deveria ser oferecido nas chamas do sacrifcio. Para assegurar regularmente uma disposio de esprito correta, para checar constantemente sua devoo a seu caminho, e para colher benefcio mximo, ele deve estabelecer um hbito de acordar cedo. A quebra de hbitos e a criao de hbitos so dois componentes essenciais no domnio da mente. O Zohar nos conta no Noach Zohar, verso 277, Quando uma pessoa se levanta para estudar a Torah no meio da noite, quando o vento do norte se levanta, o Sagrado, Abenoado Seja, entra no Jardim do den e se regozija com os justos. E Ele, junto com os justos, ouve s palavras que vem da boca de tal homem. Novamente encontramos na Torah, em Yeshaya 26:9, Com meu esprito (Nephesh, no hebraico) eu te desejei durante a noite; com minha alma (Ruach, no hebraico) dentro de mim eu te buscarei cedo. Desses dois versos, podemos inferir que a situao ideal a de que o corpo astral (o Nephesh) seja projetado durante a noite sob controle consciente, de modo que o indivduo possa continuar seus estudos e prticas at enquanto dormindo, e a favor de se acordar cedo na manh. Aquele que o faz grandemente reverenciado e recompensado. Na Yoga, existe tambm uma prtica altamente favorecida na qual se acorda durante o Brahmamuhurta (horas de Brahman). Durante esse tempo, a energia da atmosfera muito calma, permitindo que a aura da pessoa que est em meditao se acalme mais facilmente tambm, acalmando assim a mente. A meditao , portanto, muito favorvel durante essa hora. Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati escreve sobre isso: A esta hora em particular, a mente fica muito calma e serena. Fica livre de pensamentos mundanos, preocupaes e ansiedades. A mente se torna como uma folha de papel em branco e comparativamente livre de Samskaras mundanos. Ela pode ser muito facilmente moldada nesta hora, antes que distraes mundanas entrem a mente. Alm disso, a atmosfera tambm carregada com mais Sattva a esta hora em particular. O mago aspirante que pode se levantar s 04:00 toda manh e praticar por pelo menos uma hora ver resultados fenomenais, e avanar muito rapidamente. Seus amigos no caminho espiritual no compreendero como ele consegue progredir to facilmente pelos muitos passos da evoluo espiritual. Reconhecidamente, porm, isso no possvel para todas as pessoas. Se, por exemplo, o seu trabalho requer que voc fique acordado at tarde, essencialmente qualquer horrio depois das 22:00, ser muito difcil para voc acordar s 04:00. melhor, nesse caso, esperar at mais tarde durante o dia ou durante a noite para praticar, de modo que voc no adormea durante meditao. Para aqueles capazes de acordar a esse horrio, se conseguem conjurar a fora de vontade

suficiente, eles vero quase imediatamente os benefcios de faz-lo. Depois de verem os resultados, eles nunca querero acordar depois que o Brahmamuhurta. Comear o seu dia com a prtica espiritual um perfeito incio. Sua mente est limpa para comear seu dia de trabalho, ou, para os mais novos, o dia letivo. Suas energias esto controladas, e sua conscincia est centrada. As atividades do dia no te perturbam tanto, e mais fcil manter uma mentalidade espiritual, no importa em quais situaes voc possa se achar. Pelo fato de voc comear seu dia com um nvel elevado de conscincia, voc ser capaz de observar mais claramente os impulsos animais nas outras pessoas, e como as iluses dos sentidos influenciam as aes da maioria dos indivduos. Dessa observao cientfica, sua compreenso do ser animal e do ser real crescer grandemente, e voc obter a compreenso da diferena dos dois. Isso encorajar um ponto de vista espiritual mais constante em sua vida inteira. Quando voc retornar para casa depois de suas obrigaes dirias, e ter mais tempo livre novamente, ser mais fcil se sentar e voltar s suas prticas espirituais, se voc escolher faz-lo. Higiene Adequada Como um mago dedicado, voc deveria se engajar no que um mago chamaria de prticas de higiene e limpeza em todos os aspectos de sua vida. Ser limpo ser organizado, mas a limpeza fsica no a nica tratada aqui. A limpeza espiritual pode ser ligada a prticas dirias de higiene para se alcanar efeitos mximos e ajudar a aumentar a velocidade de seu progresso. O aspirante deveria se assegurar de que ele toma banho todos os dias. Se ele diligente, ele se banhar de manh, antes de seus exerccios espirituais durante o Brahmamuhurta. Quando ele se lava, ele no deve se concentrar no corpo fsico. Em vez disso, ele deve destacar sua mente e foco e coloc-los em seu ser espiritual e em seu corpo astral, fazendo com que as mos fsicas faam o que elas esto acostumadas a fazer. Quando a gua flui sobre ele, ele imaginar que a sujeira em seus corpos espirituais flui com ela tambm. Ele deve visualizar que sua pele a cristalizao dessa sujeira, com suas doenas de morte e de tristeza, e que a pele est sendo lavada com a gua na medida em que ele se esfrega. Embaixo dessa pele existe uma espcie de vidro com uma aparncia fluida, lquida, que ele deveria conhecer como o corpo astral. Na medida em que a gua corre sobre ele e ele se banha, ele deveria visualizar que ele est polindo esse vidro. Na medida em que ele pole esse vidro e o limpa, uma luz branca e brilhante comea a brilhar atravs dele. O aspirante far esta prtica, estendendo-a ao corpo inteiro cada manh, at que, pelo fim do banho, ele se visualiza como sendo de pura luz branca. Essa uma excelente maneira de se comear a manh. Quando ele se secar, ele deveria se sentar imediatamente e executar japa para purificar ainda mais a sua mente, coisa que discutiremos em um momento. Durante o banho, o aspirante deveria estar num estado quase de transe. Sua mente no est totalmente focada em seu corpo material, e as aes de lavagem de suas mos e braos esto sendo executadas quase automaticamente. O foco dele absorvido inteiramente em sua mente, onde todo o seu poder de concentrao est sendo dirigido a essas visualizaes. Ele deveria estar quase inteiramente desapercebido do que o seu corpo fsico est fazendo, ou como a gua est sendo sentida, quo quente ou fria ela est, sua textura. Sua mente deve estar inteiramente focada em suas visualizaes. Na medida em que o poder de foco do aspirante cresce, a cura e os efeitos de limpeza dessa prtica crescero tambm. O aspirante deveria se acostumar rotina de lavar suas mos frequentemente. Toda vez que ele coloca em suas mos algo que considerado sujo, e mais especialmente, se ele usa suas mos para cometer um pecado (tal como masturbao), ele deveria gastar mais ou menos um minuto limpando suas mos. Ele deveria visualizar que o poder magntico da gua no est apenas

puxando a impureza de suas mos, mas est tambm magneticamente puxando as impurezas do corpo inteiro. Ele deveria visualizar as impurezas e energias negativas fluindo para fora de suas mos com a gua corrente, para os canos, onde elas estaro para sempre esquecidas. Ajuda, no fim, juntar as suas mos numa posio de concha, reunir gua entre elas, e ento se focar especialmente na gua puxando as impurezas das suas mos e do seu corpo, e ento deixar a gua descer. Quando terminado, seque suas mos com uma toalha limpa ou com uma toalha de papel. Para as prticas espirituais, o aspirante deveria vestir roupas limpas e frescas que so confortveis e fceis de praticar, ou ele deveria vestir um conjunto de roupas limpo, usado especialmente para as prticas, tal conjunto que ele manter separado do resto de suas roupas e vestir apenas quando ele praticar. Se ele puder fazer o ltimo, ele apreciar os benefcios. A Prtica de Japa Japa a repetio de um mantra. Existem muitos mantras disponveis para esta prtica, e o estudante deve sempre escolher aquele que tem mais a ver com suas prprias crenas e convices. Por exemplo, se voc for um judeu ou cristo, no seria sbio cantar um mantra hindu. Em vez disso, voc poderia cantar um dos nomes cabalsticos de Deus, um verso em especial em hebraico ou aramaico, ou YHShVH. A prtica de Japa o exerccio mais efetivo, estou convencido, para a limpeza da mente. Quando as atividades dirias da vida estragam a conscincia, e vrios pecados infectam a mente e se proliferam dentro dela, ento Japa a mais bela panacia disponvel. um grande presente, uma verdadeira jia. dito tradicionalmente que o homem que passa sua vida inteira sem fazer japa gastou uma vida, e atravs da prtica eu acredito que todos chegaro a essa concluso. Japa deixa a mente totalmente exaltada quando feito corretamente, e invoca todo o poder mental disponvel para atividades posteriores. Quando foco total numa s frase e em seu significado tido por um longo perodo de tempo, a mente se torna muitoquieta, e a energia mental acumulada, em vez de dispersada em cem direes diferentes por cem pensamentos diferentes. O mago descobrir que, se ele executar japa antes de seus exerccios mgicos, eles ficaro bem mais fceis. Assim, se japa executado antes de qualquer tarefa ou obrigao, essa obrigao parece se tornar mais fcil. Quando o japa feito em Deus, a energia divina se insere namente enquanto a ateno direcionada magneticamente para a Divindade. Quando feito frequentemente e com grande devocao, o mago comear a transmutar sua mente para a imagem que tem de Deus. Ele comear a absorver as qualidades de Deus. Sozinho, japa pode levar a Samadhi; quando feito com outros exerccios, japa ajuda imensamente a realizao da Divindade. Antes que o mago estabelea uma rotina de japa, ele deveria ter um japa mala. Um mala um cordo de contas que ele pode usar para contar, e que tradicionalmente tem 108 ns amarrados (cuja origem vem dos 108 nomes de Shiva, Durga, Krsna etc). Ter um japa mala permite a mente do indivduo se focar inteiramente no mantra, em vez de ter de se preocupar em contar as repeties. Tais malas podem ser comprados em vrias lojas, online ou no, ou pode-se fazer uma mala para si. A escolha inteiramente do indivduo. Na manh, japa deveria ser a primeira prtica executada. noite, deveria ser a ltima. Quando voc fez seu ritual de banho de manh e se secou, vista-se muito confortavelmente (ou permanea nu) e se sente para fazer japa. Durante japa, voc deve estar inteiramente focado no significado ou no alvo do mantra. Por exemplo, se voc estiver fazendo o Gayatri mantra, voc poderia estar focado no significado da divindade e seu esplendor. Quando faz japa com um nome de Deus, ento a imagem e qualidades de Deus deveriam ser fixados firmemente em sua mente durante o procedimento. a concentrao nos significados e as sensaes dos mantras que purificam a mente; simplesmente fal-los no alcanar muito,

embora eles tenham frequentemente um poder prprio. Japa perfeito feito num estado de devoo e submisso completas Deus, onde os limites da mente derretem, e voc se sente como se fosse o universo inteiro falando o mantra dentro de voc, em vez de s voc fal-lo. O japa deveria ser feito pelo menos 108 vezes. Para uma pessoa ocupada, 108 vezes duas vezes por dia, ou seja, 108 na manh e outros 108 antes de dormir, um bom alvo. Isso especialmente bom para o indivduo comum, que tende a ser preguioso e negligente com a prtica diria. At essas duas sesses testaro a pacincia do iniciante e checaro sua ansiedade. No incio, japa no deveria ser feito enquanto se faz simultaneamente outra coisa. Por exemplo, no faa japa enquanto lava os pratos. No incio, melhor se sentar e fazer japa somente, com toda a sua ateno, de modo que voc possa comear a destruir a ansiedade e a impacincia na prtica. Japa uma excelente ferramenta para o iniciante que no consegue ainda meditar por horas seguidas. Uma prtica gradualmente extensiva de japa impulsionar mais e mais suas habilidades meditativas. Se voc no consegue nem se sentar e meditar por cinco minutos no incio e no fim do dia, que esperana existe para voc como um mago? Como voc pode esperar ficar na presena de poderosos espritos, grandes anjos e arcanjos? Como voc pode esperar conseguir at a menor das tarefas no mundo da prtica mgica? Pessoas que tm fantasias de clarividncia, telecinese, clariaudincia e domnio dos elementos em suas mentes podem esquecer todas as possibilidades de realizao se no conseguem fazer nem um pouco de japa. People who are going to be successful, and who desire to become magicians in this life instead of taking many lifetimes, will push at the boundaries of their practice. They will seek to perform 1080 (ten malas) repetitions of the mantra in the morning, and then another 1080 in the evening. A person who can do this while continuously maintaining concentration on the purpose and meaning of the mantra loosen the grips of sin and karma. Their minds become filled with God after much practice, and they can not help but act saintly. Instead of having music, emotions, desires, discussions, world situations, social problems, etc, buzzing around in their subconscious minds, they shall have the sweet hum of the mantra always in the back of their minds. After practicing this for a deal of time, there will be no magical operation which he can not be guaranteed eventual success in. Progress will come to him very quickly, and he will even obtain some magical abilities without trying. Because he purifies his mental body every morning and every night, it will be very hard for sin to sink into his being, and so he will free himself from a great deal of karma and will always be clean. There is of course no limit on how much Japa you can perform, so practice it often. Japa can roughly be split into two groups: mantra japa and namah japa. In mantra japa a particular whole mantra, whether it be from scripture or a simple statement thought of by one's self, is repeated again and again. A very commonly used mantra is the Gayatri mantra, which goes as such: "OM bhur bhuva svah tat savitur varenyam bargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah prachodayat." The rough English translation of the Gayatri mantra is, "O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme sindestroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."

Though the English translations can work in so far as the intent being the same, the most advantageous use of a mantra is always in its original language. Each language has a certain tone to it, a marked and unique vibration, which stamps each statement in a particular way. A mantra recited in a foreign tongue is never as effective as when it is spoken in its native tongue, so long as the speaker knows its meaning. Namah Japa is, in my eyes, the highest japa. It is the repetition of the Name of God, done many times, so that one's mind becomes entirely filled with the qualities and images of God. Great progress is made spiritually as the aspirant becomes absorbed by God. Constant namah japa makes his mind a sponge which absorbs holy power and divine authority, so that little by little his mental body actually becomes connected to divinity. It is said that whoever performs namah japa regularly on the same God will begin to become that God, and this is certainly true. His character will be sublimated and perfected by the character of his Deity, and he shall become a divine personage. This practice, coupled with intense magical practice bent on achieving Godhood and spiritual perfection, will allow the magician to make great strides in a single lifetime. There are many different mantras available for namah Japa, but the one which perhaps has the most scriptural weight belongs to Shiva. In the Shiva Purana it is glorified more than any other mantra in any other scripture. Because Shiva in His form as Rudra is seen as the perfect yogi and highest magician, it is very common for spiritual seekers of God to adopt this mantra so that they may fit those descriptions also. Shiva is depicted as being in Samadhi, and so by becoming Shiva, one also enters into Samadhi quickly. The mantra is simple: "Om Namah Shivaya." It means roughly "I surrender to Shiva." It is called the five-syllable mantra, and is the pentagrammaton of Hinduism. The initial "Om" is not counted as one of the five syllables, but instead represents God before He became active in the universe. To the Qaballists, it is God as Ain, Ain Soph, and Ain Soph Aur while still on the other side of the negative veils of existence; God before He created Kether. From the "Om" emerges the "Namah Shivaya," the five syllables which symbolize the five heads of Shiva and total mastery over the five elements. It also represents the analogy of the entire outer world being sustained by the five elements (fire, air, water, earth, and Akasha) as Namah Shivaya, and the entire inner world being sustained by pure consciousness as Om. The mantra is pronounced phonetically as either "nah-mah shee-vai-yah" or "nah-mah-hah shee-vai" depending on which dialect it is being spoken in. Either one works perfectly and represents the same principal meaning, and so the aspirant should choose whichever one rolls off the tongue easier for him if he decides to do Namah Japa on Shiva using the pentagrammaton. During the repetition of the mantra, Shiva should be visualized strongly with His traditionally associated symbolism, and the aspirant should focus intently on the ideas of Samadhi, bliss, detachment, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and infinity. Another powerful mantra for namah japa is the pentagrammaton of the Western world: YHShVH. Here also the five elements are represented. The Y represents fire, the first H represents water, the Sh represents the Akasha, the V represents air, and the final H represents Earth. This is a Hebrew formula and has very powerful Qaballistic significance. It is perhaps most powerful when spoken as "Yod Heh Shin Vau Heh" due to the analogy present in the five syllables, but can also be spoken as "Yehoshuah." This magical formula is depicted by Jesus Christ, as it is the formula for His first name. If the student decides upon this pentagrammaton for his namah japa then he should strongly visualize Christ as He is described in the book of Revelations, or he should focus upon major events in His Gospel. Meditation upon the intense passion which He exhibited during His crucifixion can

have great effects. During the visualization and meditation, he should focus intently on the ideas of love, compassion, mercy, omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and infinity. No matter which aspect of God is being concentrated upon for the purpose of namah japa, no matter if you are concentrating on God as Shiva, Odin, Ra, Kephera, Jesus Christ, Yehovah, Vishnu, Brahma, etc, the four qualities which must always accompany the rest of that personality's qualities are omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and infinity. The other qualities will change in accordance to God's qualities as that form. This keeps the visualization correct from the magical perspective of elemental equilibrium, and will establish a habit that will help greatly in higher stages of initiation. Other powerful mantras can be YHVH, Sah-tah-nah-ma (the Satnam mantra), the Mahamantra (Hare Ksna, Hare Krsna, etc...), and any other meditation upon God's name that you can find. Body Control The practice of body control is very important to the magician, as its exerts his mental dominance over into his immediate physical domain. If you can not sit still, it is hard to still your mind. If you can not still your mind, then all magic becomes very difficult. Thus one of the first places to start your practices alongside japa is the practice of Asana, or in essence, of sitting. Assume a posture which you would like to use as your meditation posture. This can be Siddhasana, Padmasana, sitting cross-legged, or sitting with your back straight in a chair, these being the most common choices. In all cases your back should be as straight as is possible, your chin should be lifted, your breathing should be entirely controlled, and your body should be still. Hold that posture first for five minutes, and concentrate entirely upon the body. Try to feel every inch of your flesh. Feel every possible disturbance, including even the very hair on your arms and head. Focus on every itch, every twitch, and overcome it. Remain totally still, with only your breath being the source of some chest movement. When you can do this for five minutes without feeling the desire to get up and do something else, or without your thoughts wandering, then extend the practice to ten minutes a day. Some will need to practice longer, and you should be your own judge if you do not have the guidance of a teacher. Never hesitate to practice as much as you need to, or as often as your teacher tells you that you must. For most people, ten minutes twice a day shall suffice for steady progress with a busy daily schedule. Overcoming the obstacles of the body is a great stride towards being able to accomplish meditation. When you can completely still the body it becomes calm and cool, and the internal energy called the prana flows smoothly through the energy channels of the body. Because tension is released and the mind becomes calm, all blocks in your internal energy circuits are removed. Though at first the practice may be hard and cause you to feel uncomfortable, it must be persisted in until you can feel completely comfortable, even somewhat blissful, in your asana. After ten minutes of practice you should not even want to move any longer. It should feel like you are inside a warm shell, but are not the shell itself. When this can be achieved, you are making good progress and should advance at the discretion of a teacher or with your best unbias judgment. When you can control the physical body in the above manner, then you may be instructed in the performance of certain physical asanas. These are best learned by a teacher who can perform them, because proper form and technique are very important. Many asanas, by virtue of a profound knowledge of the internal energy system, force certain movements of the prana that are advantageous to spiritual

evolution and health. They can bestow mental clarity, astral purity, and physical health in great abundance. Some of them even work towards awakening the Kundalini, and can greatly aid in the achievement of Samadhi. As in the simple form of body control practice, the asana should be performed with total control over every inch of one's body. Nothing can be unaccounted for or allowed to slack. During physical asana practice, which belongs to the practice of hatha yoga, the mind flows out into the muscles and controls the flow of internal energy. The entirety of one's concentration will rest either upon the exact physical posture, the flow of internal prana, or a certain mantra. Though each posture offers a different benefit, the ultimate goal of an entire asana routine is to balance the electric with the magnetic, or the solar with the lunar. This causes the mind to become still and the aura to become balanced and healthy. Someone who actively practices physical asanas is a beam of health. His has a sort of glow to it, and he will maintain his youth long into late years. Often times even if he is sixty years old, he would look to be in his late thirties or early forties. Immediately after japa, the aspirant should spend about twenty minutes stretching his legs, arms, and most especially his spine (front bends) and lungs (back bends). When he has loosened up and blood is again flowing equally through his body, then he can begin the practice of asanas. This will wake him up, and ready him for the day in the morning. When the student performs his night practices, he will perform body control first, and then do japa. Thought Control Thought control is a great practice, and should be performed either immediately before or immediately following Japa. Much like Japa, thought control allows the student to quiet his mind so that his mental energy is available for what he desires instead of being thrown in many different directions. When the student can control his mind, and only then, can practical magic start to seem realistic. The first stage of thought control requires that the student becomes a passive observer in his own mind. He practices detachment, and watches his thoughts pass by in his mind without any sort of involvement in them. They will disappear without any interest as quickly as they arose in his mind. This skill takes some practice, but after trying a few times the student will get the grip of how to do this. After some practice he will notice that the thoughts will begin to slow down, and that their numbers will gradually decrease. By not being attached to the thoughts, he has managed to reduce their number. If he practices at least ten minutes a session, once at morning and once at night, then after a few weeks he will gain success in clearing his mind. One day during practice he will simply observe that there are no more thoughts coming into his mind. This can be seen as the first level of success, wherein he has learned mental relaxation. The second stage requires that the student can hold on to a single intended thought for a length of time. He will strongly fight back and dissolve any thoughts other than the one which he is trying to focus on. This will be very hard at first, and the mind will want to wander and think about other things. The student must persevere, and he will discover that with regular practice he becomes capable blocking out all thoughts besides the one which he desires to focus fully on. When this is achieved, then magic begins to become possible in the future. This is called learning mental concentration. In the third stage of thought control, the student empties his mind entirely. He then passively focuses on a subject and its meaning, allowing his consciousness to form a rapport with the subject of his intention. At first this connection will be

weak, but with much practice over a long period of time it shall becomes strong, and the magician will develop a flow of consciousness with it. When that happens, he shall feel like he is a part of the thing, and that the thing is a part of him. Union occurs with patient practice. The same mechanism found here eventually allows for Samadhi, which occurs when the subject of the meditation is God, and then an unbroken flow of consciousness is established between God and the magician. It takes much practice to obtain, and must be complimented by many other practices along the way in order to not take many lifetimes. When the connection of consciousness occurs, it is called meditation. When that connection finally occurs fully with God, it is called Samadhi or Union. Thus, there are three essential stages of thought control: 1.) Relaxation 2.) Concentration 3.) Meditation Only after mastering relaxation and concentration can one actually meditate. By regular practice of relaxation, the student gradually enhances the amount of mental power available to him. By the practice of concentration, he increases the amount of mental power that he can effectively use. Once after practicing relaxation he has increased the amount of mental available greatly, and through concentration has learned how to use it all, then he can direct that mental power to accomplish a state of meditation. This is the order of progress. Pranayama Pranayama is the control (yama) of the breath (prana), for controlling the breath means the control of the internal energy that is called prana, and in the West is often called the life force. In all cases it is good for the beginning aspirant to start japa and thought control, and also body control, but it is not always proper to begin pranayama. Some people can start practicing it almost from the very beginning, whereas some people must wait until they have advanced in other practices before they can begin it. If you do not have a teacher, then your own personal discretion should be used. If you have problems controlling your attention and the flow of your thoughts, then you should not yet perform pranayama. Pranayama, depending on which exercise is being performed, accomplishes many things. It is the most effective tool for awakening the Kundalini and purifying the internal energy passages (nadis) as well as the internal energy centers (chakras). It enlivens the astral body with powerful energy and strengthens the aura greatly. When the energy flows serenely through the nadis the it can be withdrawn into the spine during deep meditation. This causes the prana to become still, which silences the mind simultaneously. Regular practice of pranayama destroys wordly desires and attachments by attaching the mind to divine things. The student becomes a true dynamo of internal power, and so his power over the world around him greatly increases. Some magical powers are developed automatically as the result of regular pranayama. Pranayama allows the solar and lunar energies to balance one another in the pit of the stomach, so that their flow becomes canceled. When the flow of the upwards (respiratory) and downwards (excretory) energies go into one another and become canceled, then the prana is drawn into the spine and breathing ceases. This is called the Kevalia Kumbhaka, and can lead into Samadhi. When the breathing totally stops, sometimes for hours at a time, then the mind is absolutely still. This allows the soul to flow through into the mind, and the egopersonality achieves union with the soul-personality. Someone who is in this state of being looks on the outside as if they are dead. He is not breathing, his pulse is so feint as to be undetectable by most tools, he becomes cold to the touch, and his skin becomes pale. This happens because the life force is withdrawn into the spine

and then the brain. If the top of the head is touched, it is usually discovered to be almost burning hot. When the kevalia kumbhaka ceases and the individual breathes again, then color and other signs of life return as usual. One very effective pranayama which most can practice safely is called sukha purvaka. It is performed as such: Sit in your meditative asana. Place the thumb of the right hand against the right nostril, closing it, so that you can only breath through your left nostril. Inhale for three seconds through the left nostril. Release the right nostril and push in the left nostril using the ring finger of the right hand while holding the breath, so that the right nostril is open. Visualize that your breath, filled with energy, flows in through the left nostril and fills your entire body with pure white light. Hold your breath for twelve seconds, thinking to yourself, "I am God." Focus on containing within yourself all the qualities of God as pure divinity. Now exhale out of the right nostril, letting the light flow out through the exhalation, taking everything that is not God with it. Still holding the left nostril shut, do the same thing with the right nostril. Inhale for three seconds, hold and contemplate for twelve, then release the left nostril and close the right nostril with the thumb, exhaling for six seconds out of the left nostril. This constitutes one repetition. Perform this ten times in the morning and ten times in the evening. This is one of four major variations of sukha purvaka, and is the most suitable for someone who is new to pranayama in my opinion. Other variations focus on balancing out the internal tattvas, alternating a current between the solar and lunar disks within the body, and striking the Kundalini within the muladhara, which are all more advanced. When this first level of pranayama can be performed well enough to generate a feeling of pure and relaxed bliss and concentration, then the student can advance to higher techniques at the discretion of a teacher. Living the Path None of these practices amount to anything if you throw out all of your progress every time you have the opportunity. You can spend great lengths of time in meditation every day, but if you engage in sinful activities and indulge your lower lusts and desires every day, if you keep bad company, use drugs, masturbate, get drunk, etc, then your progress shall be incredibly slow. Sometimes you may not even advance at all, in spite of your best efforts. The simple fact of the matter is that you can not advance far in this path without the proper lifestyle changes. People often say to me, "but this is my way," or "I walk my own path." This is foolishness, and it often leads directly to failure. No matter what you may identify to be your "way," the simple fact of the matter is that you will never finish a project which you completely destroy every day that you work on it. This is not even a matter of occult metaphysics or spiritual principles: it is a matter of common sense. If you intend to pursue a spiritual path seriously, then I have provided the tools in this article to have an incredible kick-start to your journey. However, they can only be used properly in conjunction with the proper lifestyle and living habits in general. The path of a beginner is a very frail one. His mind is not yet trained to resist powerful temptations, nor is his aura strong enough to naturally throw off negative energies. He is very impressionable, even if he does not think so. The intelligent student who wants to see success in his practices will know these things about himself, and will take precautions to make sure he does not fail. These are some invaluable pieces of advice for the lifestyle that the beginner should try to maintain in order to see maximum progress: - Have a balanced diet consisting of no red meat and many fruits, fruit juices, and milk.

- One should avoid foods that over-excite you and your senses. - Avoid the company of sinful, wordly-minded people whenever possible. - Do not drink alcohol recreationally or socially, through a few drinks a week are fine. - Totally avoid all narcotics and the people who use them. Drug use is not conducive to spiritual advancement. - Do not spend a great deal of time listening to music. It will play in the background of your mind and distract your practices. - Do not be overly sexual. Sexual activity twice a month is considered a safe maximum that allows spiritual progress to go mostly unhampered, presuming it is performed as an expression of love. Masturbation is strictly forbidden for someone who wants real success. Celibacy is always the most effective choice when it is realistic. - If you are a particularly sexual-minded person, then avoid the company of the opposite sex. - Do not watch, read, or listen to things of a negative nature. - Decorate your house, or at least your room, with things that remind you of spirituality and of God. - Burn incense regularly to keep your path on your mind. - Read scriptures some every day. - Develop a strict routine for your spiritual practices and stick to it without wavering. Many of the "rules" for one's lifestyle change somewhat as you advance and are no longer as receptive to negative influences. Even still, though, one should choose to avoid things of a negative and destructive nature, and to engage himself in holier activities if he desires to see real progress in the divine science.