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Ok, so let me get this strait, because a book endorses crystal, and common sense reinforces that, that makes crystals superior? ...but I mean really, is it the crystal or you? I think its you, the magician, and not the crystal.
You could look at it in terms of a shamanic model where everything in the world/universe is considered to be a 'living entity' in some sense, therefore various rocks, stones, plants, etc can be 'befriended' and turned into allies. Or put in Quabbalistic terms, everything that exists in Malkuth is an emanation of the The Divine and therefore contains a part of it.
From this perspective, its not that the crystal is imbued with some kind of special powers but that it exists as a mineral intelligence - a living being that can be interacted with through magick. Obviously not alive in the same way as humans or cats or chimps are alive, but operating at some denser frequency.
An exercise based around this idea might be to hold a piece of crystal in your hand and try and sense what it's about, see if you can perceive its 'living essence' in any way, does it speak to you? Can you detect any process that could be described as communication taking place between you and the object you're holding, or is it really just a lump of dead rock which you're struggling to attribute meaning to.
By definition, this shamanic way of seeing isn't limited to crystals and rocks. Everything is alive in the universe. You could try making an ally out of a discarded cigarette end or a half-eaten packet of crisps if you like. Everything is Spirit. Crystals are frequently used as I think they're probably easier to 'communicate' with than a lot of denser organic and non-organic 'intelligences'. You'll probably find it easier to try the above exercise with a piece of quartz than with a CD or piece of an engine - but the same principle can apply.
Different types of crystals seem to have different 'frequencies of vibration' and are generally employed for different purposes. Rose quartz is generally associated with love, iron pyrite (iron pirate?)is used for wealth, and so on. The same principle can be seen at work in hoodoo conjure sorcery, black cat fur, gunpowder, lodestones, rattlesnake bones, roots and herbs, all operate as spirit allies that can be used in magick and put to certain ends.
I think at a certain point the issue of 'how it really works' becomes academic. Maybe everything in the universe actually is 'alive' and interconnected, or maybe these connections and perceived external intelligences are all just in your head and it's really your unconscious mind making it function. Who can know the answer to this in absolute terms? Whether it's a string of object associations that you've conditioned your deep mind to respond to, or whether your cigarettes can actually tell you stuff, who really cares so long as it works.
A paradigm is really just a way of thinking about something, and the processes at work in magick are generally a step removed from any intellectualisation that you may do around them. I'd say that it's best to go with whatever paradigm that gets the best results for you. Magick should be a living growing developing process of engagement with the universe, so you may find that six months down the line you have a completely different perspective on things anyway. |
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