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The little things you do...

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17:18 / 16.09.03

A little bit of light magickal discussion. (I think...who knows!)

One thing I think we can all agree on is that magick is not all about theories and/or extravagant ritual. Sometimes magick is just about the way you live. A living magick. What one does to actually be their magick.

Now, as not to send this thread into the way of fluffiness too early on, with redundantly expressing the benefit of living your magick (as in walking your talk), I would sooner see a few examples of how people keep a daily magickal vigil on their lives. What do you do to make magick something you live rather than talk about?

I will give three from my own life:

1. Everytime I light up a cigarette, I offer it to a specific deity that likes tobacco.

2. Upon awakening, I light a candle and incense.

3. Sometimes when talking to forlorn or fed up individuals, I arise as a compassionate deity for them to talk to. This is a little selfish because I find it helps to repell any unwanted attachments to me and focuses the person in question to more divine sources. On the other hand, it does help them feel better.

So, what do you do?

21:30 / 16.09.03

Now you've got me thinking;

1. daily meditation and prayer practice, with incense (kids depending)

2. conscious focusing, stablising and drawing of energy through myself and out into my surroundiong workspace.

3. invoking internal connection to the eternal source and allowing it manifest

4. when travelling through town by foot, stopping to listen to the intuition deep inside to guide my journey.

5. acknowledging my fellow animals when they enter my perception.

21:36 / 16.09.03

1. Prayers to the tricksters and forgotten ones.

2. Invokation of Hermes every time I'm about to: write, calculate, run, tell a joke.

3. Prayer to Coyote every time I see one of his brothers as road kill on the highway.

I do alot of sigils just to invoke wierd syncronicities that only I will notice, keeps me entertained during the day.

06:53 / 17.09.03

I do a lot of ongoing meditation and awareness work ie. I might try and listen to the tone of my internal dialogue, use a specific sense or observe the depth of my breathing any associated tensions throughout the day. I tend to do this stuff as ongoing practices for a week or more as it tends to take a day or two to "stick" ie. for me to start remembering.

I'm also having a real resurgence of diary writing at the moment which I'm enjoying a great deal, and that kind of self-observation stuff is obviously fuel to this.

Any chance of you making me a jumper or some mittens?

12:37 / 17.09.03

Any chance of you making me a jumper or some mittens?
Hehe, Illmatic...*smile*
Currently knitting the sweater of my reality.

Hmm?..WYTIC: You mention this..2. conscious focusing, stablising and drawing of energy through myself and out into my surroundiong workspace.

I am a little curious if you have a special technique or visualisation for this.

And damn, what a humorous way to use sigils, Hermes Nuclear! ( I of course mean the "weird synchronicities" thing)

15:30 / 17.09.03

I feel bad as I know I should do more but don't.

What I have been doing most recently is breathing my will into my zippo lighter so it will light first time (it's been playing up) and always make an effort to look for my totem the magpie whenever I'm out. But that's it.

As a fellow smoker May can I ask for details of this deity and what you ask them. Maybe arrange an introduction for me?

17:31 / 17.09.03

My technique for energy working is based upon heightened experiences of my nervous system and Qi Gong. I work primarily with internal dialogue sensations, leaving what used to be my primary sense form, visualisation to the finishing touches.

Standing in a stable upright posture I diagnose and refine the sense of energy in my form, tuningteh vibration, I then increase this flowing dynamic outside my physical form, employing the tree form of Qi Gong. Trees are great symbols for this and all workings.

Once comfortable with this pulling energy in from above or below or both, depending on enviroment and time, I then send this out in gradual pulses, gaining in velocity and magnitude. Beaming.

18:44 / 17.09.03

Little things? Hmmm.

1. Always thank cash points (aka ATM's)

2. Talk to cats

3. Nod at the dryad's which have relocated to traffic lights. (one family per junction)

4. Get patronised by the voices in my head ("You're drunk, sit down before you look stupid")

5. Always find some new skill to learn that's outside my current experience (poi, tarot, gardening, juggling, "wiki theory" this year). Try and relate all the things I learn to each other. (ie. wiki's and tarot)

6. When I can't think of a good reason not to do something, I do it. That tends to mean that I'm occasionally a bit random. I try to not let my lazy side talk me out of stuff.

7. Take joy in being proved wrong. One way to be sure of being wrong is to not admit you're wrong.

8. Breathing exercises when I feel the need

9. Once I've learned something new or got a new theory I like to explain it to someone to refine/refute it.

18:44 / 17.09.03

Thank you Will. That is so very true of trees. I have at times hugged them (yes...sigh). It's true.. I am a bit of a tree hugger. It is cool though, trees are exceptionally grounding while at the same time allowing for expansion. I suspect this is true for the form as well, but I certainly haven't had any experience with Qi Gong. I shall look into it though...it is cropping up a lot lately. Amazing techique BTW.

adamswish: I will PM you with details, but I should clarify that it is an offering. I do it with food too. Offer your food/smoke/pleasure/whatever - or the essence of it - to the divine being as a gift to their senses.

As a side project, May Tricks will now knit "The Mittens of Merriment" for Illmatic

18:46 / 17.09.03

Yes'm, I'm in the market for some mittens also - the Autumn nights are creeping in and I do feel the cold darling.

I am constantly aware of my surroundings and I watch for 'gifts' or symbols such as feathers or symbolic stones. I pay close attention to the animals, birds and insects who seem to require my attention, and I try to refocus/centre myself every day at least once a day. Recently I have begun drawing my dreams instead of just writing what I recall, and I free-write a lot too.

I also practice a small ritual around the making of tea, which I would share but I am afraid you would find exceedingly dull.

18:47 / 17.09.03

1. Due to some, er, neurological inconsistancies, I maintain a fairly constant vigil on my internal energy system. Keeping my chi balanced and my mind in a light alpha wave state removes all symptoms I might otherwise require tranquerlizers or worse for. So, its a zen day for me, every day. Though I can't really complain, my legs are broken so I could learn to fly, and all that. Similar work as Will describes.

2. I wear constantly and remind myself regularly of my personal sigel for assistance with point 1 above, personal defense, and general power enhancement. I make similar mental awareness checks with a tatoo inked for magickal reasons, my weding ring, and whatever else I'm currently working with. Maintenance stuff.

3. Nods to the various dieties kept in my home. I try to always acknowlege them when I see their statues, alters, or whatever I've constructed about, with at least a little nod if I can't stop to chat.

4. Some part of my brain is almost always chewing on some occult problem or other. Driving to and from work are my best thinking times for this sort of thing. Random bits of syncronistic input from signs, license plates, flocks of birds and the like act as oracles when needed.

5. Reading this forum. Reading and talking about this stuff keeps it in mind. Same goes for chatting with friends about what they're (or I'm) working on magick-wise.

6. Practice. Reiki-ish work on wife and kids. Sometimes its the only way to get the twins to sleep.

19:19 / 17.09.03

Besides the non-symboled energy healing work I do when needed, there are lots of little superstition-like habits I keep, for the "living one's magic."

I talk to the spirits of the plants in my office, my home, random trees when I go walking. I listen in case something answers. Sometimes they do, in their own quiet way. The plants in my office and kitchen drink from my cup.

When I drop pennies by accident, I mentally throw some of my (generic, not bad) luck at them and leave them there for other people. When I find pennies on the ground, I always pick them up. It's an energy-flow thing, somehow. I don't consciously understand it.

When driving, I use the various lucky driving coincidences (padiddle!) to recharge my car in NotBeingSeen. I ought to refine this, as I get hit in parking lots and almost merged into on the highway with almost enough frequency to counteract the fact that I don't get ticketed for my speeding habits *knock on wood*.

I knock on wood.

Often unconsciously but rather often intentionally, I listen to the synchronicities my technologically-centred life has to offer. Divination through obscenely long playlists and the random function of my mp3 player. This is living more thn doing just because it happens without setting aside time and space for it and has become a part of my daily life.

There's a lot more, but my brain's a bit fuzzled atm and those are the big ones anyway.

20:05 / 17.09.03

Cusm, more similarities appear, you too have twins, huh. (Kyle & Jordan, 4yrs)

22:14 / 17.09.03

Ooh yes, tree hugging, the Sequoia's in California are the best for that, so huge and powerful, all consuming.

And Faething - picking up pennies; I do that too. My sister leaves identical items everywhere - if she sees a crisp packet, (or indeed even a crisp) she insists on matching it with an identical item. I have seen her purchase a full pack of crisps before in order to leave just one on the road next to the one she has seen.

23:27 / 17.09.03

i knock on wood too...especially if i've been laughing too much.

i never get my hair cut on a wednesday.

i always eat the fortune cookie before reading the fortune.

when i move into a new apartment, for example, i "bless" it with magic water and introduce myself to the spirits that lived there before me. no fancy speech or anything, mind you, i just kinda "talk" to them like i would to any stranger i'm meeting for the first time.

growing up, mom did the same -- the "holy" water deal (she used water brought back from the temples of thailand)... she would also do food offerings to buddha, land spirits, etc... she was also big into shamen and fortune tellers and all that... i have memories of being dragged in to see these tiny shriveled old men with their leathery mocha skin and watery eyes and near toothless smiles, who would paw my hands and inspect my face and tell my mom all sorts of wondrous things about me, in a dialect foreign to my ears...

i guess my little superstitious ways are just the remnants of all that...

23:39 / 17.09.03

I pick up pennies too - but then, I also pick up all kinds of things that I think are nice or cool or symbolic or useful. I never pass a skip without a good look - I've found some incredible stuff.

I never finish a meal entirely, but always leave a morsel. This is sometimes an offering, but it comes directly from The Golden Bough's immitative magic theory - ie an empty plate will bring famine, but leaving that morsel means that there will always be plenty. Ditto, giving money away to beggars.

At work, I try to see everyone as the Buddha, and repeat the mantra that there is something to be learned from everyone. This has resulted in me being very calm, and liked by almost everyone.

Also, if I realise that I've been doing something the same way for too long, I change it. Last night, I shaved my beard off, though that may have had something to do with the surge in the magical current on the 15th.

Also, a tip - two part-time jobs keeps the brain in better fettle than a full-time one ever could.

23:40 / 17.09.03

Also, the Green Man that tells you when you can cross the road? I worship him, and offer thanks every time. He's started to change the lights when I get near, I swear.

00:19 / 18.09.03

Dropping and gaining coins: I've always done this. I always describe it as a measure of your perceived(sp?) wealth as to how small a coin you are willing to pick up. I Often throw away a handful of small change as it's hassle to carry. From now on I expect I'll internalise faething's style and leave chi with those coins and pick it up with found ones.

Also Adam Kadmon; thanks for the green man, that's going in the mental toolbox.

Spyder Todd 2008

00:22 / 18.09.03

I pray to my guardian goddess(Aphrodite) everyday, and thank her for her blessings. I pray to Horus everyday and thank him for his wisdom. I pray to Ganesh and thank him for breaking down barriers in my life. I do things almost every day, but these are the things I do every day.

08:06 / 18.09.03

*AHem* those things can become compulsive!

I try "feel" where its good for me to go walk. Sometimes its walking an alternative route around objects on the street. It can become complicated though, then I end up taking "scenic" routes. It spurs associative, "magickal" thinking and I discover cool stuff! Once, after missing my train, I felt a compulsion to explore. I was asking myself "what the fuck am I still doing here," when I heard an interesting noise. I followed it and discovered a cool performance! Yesterday, same compulsion led me to skip my train station, then walk to another station! Along the way, I heard nice music outside a shop and discovered a guy playing piano inside. I ended up having a cool conversation with him for an hour!

08:13 / 18.09.03

I like this thread. Must remember Elsewhere's 6 and 7 above. With the penny thing, I tend to say "see a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck" which is hideously twee, but nice to think nonetheless. Will now adopt the practice of leaving some change as well.

I occasionally use www.e-ching.co.uk while at work, but it does seem to have a dfferent quality than using the I Ching at home. Perhpas the software is set up to limit the amount of changing lines of something. I cross reference this to the Wilhelm translation that you can find on line here.

May: I look forward to the Mighty

08:14 / 18.09.03

I like this thread. Must remember Elsewhere's 6 and 7 above. With the penny thing, I tend to say "see a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck" which is hideously twee, but nice to think nonetheless. Will now adopt the practice of leaving some change as well.

I occasionally use www.e-ching.co.uk while at work, but it does seem to have a dfferent quality than using the I Ching at home. Perhpas the software is set up to limit the amount of changing lines of something. I cross reference this to the Wilhelm translation that you can find on line here.

May: I look forward to the Mighty Mittens of Merriment. They will only be used in moments of advanced happiness, possibly reserved for situations involving "fondling".

16:05 / 18.09.03

Pennies, Fortune Cookies... Its funny, I do these things but hadn't thought of them until people mentioned it. I used to be horribly superstitous to an OCD level. Stuff like always leading with the right foot on steps, when crossing cracks in the pavement, doing things in even numbers or 7s, breathing differently in light and in shadow, eating my food in specific orders (ouch, getting deja vu as I write, so you know it was a lot to dig up), that sort of thing. Been years of breaking myself of that to where it all doesn't matter so much anymore. Who needs medication when you can reprogram yourself, eh? Though I did get an odd sort of strength from these habits. So, there is something to this sort of behavior. And I still slap the roof when I just make it under a light, pick up heads-up pennies, eat the cookie first, and don't like it when pencils or sharp things point towards me. But at least I know why I do it all now and I can put objects down without the need to peel the residue of my aura off of them first. Wow, its amazing just how broken I was, thinking back on it. But also how all of these things had magickal effects, too. I do think there is something to superstitions, but they can indeed get way out of control if you let them.

Will: Ya, indeed! We should get secret decoder rings.

16:29 / 18.09.03

Thank you for the link Illmatic.

[threadrot]And yes...I snickered to myself at the possibilities that mittens could have. But here ya go! You can retrieve them in the B.W.I (Barbelith Women's Institute) in the Conversation so as to not rot this thread with my silliness.

xx[/threadrot]

On the change thing...Usually if I drop some I do not pick up. I assume someone else may need it...or it could set off a chain of events I am not privy to. It really is little things like that make chaos, IMO. However, if the coinage is too big (seeing as how nearly all our money here in Canada is now in coins) I will pick it back up, unless I am feeling quite generous and do not need to do laundry!

Love the chi idea too. Thank you Faething.

Some people have mentioned some sort of daily practice(s). I truly understand the benefit of this but really, I am a lazy-ass fool. I do manage DP sometimes because I understand that magick is a brick by brick thing. Maybe I should start another thread on techniques for magickal discipline. I am sure someone has some advice on it that may help myself and others.

Oh, adamswish...I am on that PM like a herd of turtles...watch me go!

23:36 / 18.09.03

I generally wake up at around 6am and go for a swim in my nano-pool to soak up whatever new psychic downloads are available that morning. Following this bracing exercise, I'll fight 30 or so ninjas in the gym, eating their hearts afterwards to absorb whatever tasty asassination methods are on the market. By then I usually start to get a bit hungry, so I'll eat a couple of babies then have a quick shower in holy water to freshen up.

At 10am I spend a few hours in meditation, occasionally indulging in a bit of remote viewing to keep my hand in. It's a chore, but MI23 pay a rather generous hourly rate so it would be a little extravagent to turn them down. I usually take a break at lunchtime and treat myself to a bottle of champagne mixed with grey alien blood - it's hard to get these days, but my cellars are still well stocked. After this I like to soujourn for an hour of pleasure with my sex-ghosts before it's back to the grindstone.

I'm not at liberty to discuss my afternoons, you know how it is.

15:06 / 19.09.03

6. Practice. Reiki-ish work on wife and kids. Sometimes its the only way to get the twins to sleep.

It's nasty and highly disrepectfull but I can't help imagining cusm applying the vulcun neck pinch to his kids each night.

Sorry...

15:16 / 19.09.03

Don't think I haven't been tempted...

15:34 / 19.09.03

What an excellent post, Gypsy! Damn I want to take the whole thing over to barbe-quotes! I hope you don't mind.

Anyway...what wine do you think goes best with ninja heart? I have this amazing recipe....

14:24 / 22.09.03

I rarely pick pennies, or anything else up, as I generally walk too fast (I should alter that habit, come to think) but I always toss pennies away when I get them as change. Usually mutter something along the lines of "luck to you, luck to me".

I talk to everything.

I count the number of streetlights that flicker out as I pass. It happens to me a lot, and I've been trying to figure out if the periods where it happens more often correspond to anything.

I've been trying to do more, lately, but I have a hard time ingraining things as habit sometimes.

15:02 / 22.09.03

Gypsy, that seems like the sort of fun post Grant M. would write on his website!

Adam Kadmon, is Green Man any relation to Man Green/Man Yellow from THE FILTH?

The leavning pennies as well as taking them is a cool idea.

15:08 / 22.09.03

I tried the change thing when I spilled the contents of my change purse and the chick I was with started to pick them up to give to me. I was like..."no, no, leave it there..." I refused the change and told her to keep it and she seemed totally baffled - told me I was crazy.

She doesn't know the half of it.

Don't spend it all in one place, girl!

15:13 / 22.09.03

Buggerit, I was going to call a character Adam Kadmon in the RPG narrative kaballic hypersigil, now he's posting here. Damn coincidence.
That's one of the little things I do, tell imaginary chapters of stories to myself.

15:43 / 22.09.03

Anyway...what wine do you think goes best with ninja heart?

I find that a nice bottle of Pino Satano goes down rather well, or failing that a drop of Châteaux Bastard ought to do the job. You need something quite chocolaty to counterbalance the oaky texture of the ninja hearts.

I have this amazing recipe....

do tell..

20:12 / 22.09.03

'the oaky texture of ninja hearts' - I love it!

Oh by the way Quantum, do you know there was a character named Adam Kadmon in the recent DC Vertigo miniseries MIDNIGHT MASS 2 years ago about a pair of paranormal investigators (celebrity beautiful couple Adam and Julia Kadmon)? There's a sequel to it coming up in a few months. (sorry for the tangent, just thought I'd toss it in there)

23:19 / 22.09.03

pick up abandoned pennies

focus on that golden thread that ties everyone I know and love directly to my heart.

sometimes I have to cut a thread...

remember that dreamworld is not the fake world just as wakeworld is not the real world

say hello to crows

remind myself to be thankful, even peeling spuds is a blessing (compared to the alternative)

listen to my dreams
they're talking a lot and a lot of sense at the moment

play with the cards...unfortunately I upset one of my friends a bit but I'm getting so much more intuitive about them

sing those old-new songs and keep telling stories

catch those fairy seed-pods - make wishes

get angry and direct it at the truly evil. As you have done so will you be done by and numerous other sayings

there are no boundaries

Anahata, "unstuck"- it's so beautiful it almost makes me cry

get back onto Barbelith and write this loose collection of tired ramblings and send you good wishes. Please send them on.

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