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Fiction and random gods.

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Less searchable M0rd4nt

18:51 / 21.02.08

Meanwhile, back at the topic:

The kool thing about this to me is not simply imagining that you are Buddha in a Buddhaverse, but placing dieties throughout your body image, and then placing sigils in your body to provide willed change. Another current I am fascinated by is the correlation of the use sexual charge and sexual acts in all of these practices. --darth daddy

I'm very much interested in practices which involve mapping key elements onto the body. To me, the body is an intensely holy spiritual landscape and I love the concept of learning and exploring elements of the sacred by means of a body-map. I kind of feel like that's something which is missing from my own trad, unless, as is all too likely, there is some branch I've not yet come across. I've never got on with "rune yoga" (where one basically does the YMCA dance but with futhark characters and a ridiculously straight face) but I'm interested to note that certain spells have survived which seem to involve placing runic symbols--not futhark characters, more complex symbols--on the body for mystical purposes, such as one example from the Galdrbok which has symbols placed on the feet as part of a transformation spell.

dd, have you taken a look at Reich's work, specifically the concept of "character armour"?

18:55 / 21.02.08

This latest fiasco (me against the usual, the usual against me) was begun by what seemed like an off-the-cuff comment. I really wasn't trying to upset the OP (although it's been kindly implied) and I'd be surprised if ze thought I had.

Shall we take the ensuing, pointless, virtual bloodbath elsewhere though?

12:13 / 22.02.08

I know very little about Reich, but when re-imagining your body as sacred space you become aware of blockages and tensions. It is also somewhat similar (albeit in a positive way) to what I understand the concept of engrams in Scientology, ie: beings in your body that thwart your true will. Why not due the inverse, place "engrams" in your body to accomplish your true will. I don't think this is a coincidence due to Hubbard's affiliation with Crowley.

12:28 / 22.02.08

Another correlation, appropriate to this thread, is what I conceive as the use of fiction in Scientology. You have a science fiction writer, Hubbard, who uses fictional characters and concepts for an occult end. I know there is a thread going about the dangers of Scientology, but I have always been fascinated by this transformation from fiction to religious dogma. Why not do the same in a more positive way?

13:23 / 22.02.08

Oh, nhrn/TTS, "charater armour" is something that was mentioned to me by another 'lither and I am still working through it. It has been helpful so far, but I am not through enough of it to comment properly. I can pass along the link that they sent me, DD, if you are interested. It's good reading.

As far as mapping key elements on the body in TB, it is integral to tantric practices. I think every single tantric practice I know involves this to some degree - whether Po-wa or Tummo, or any regular guru, yidam or dakini practice. Tantric practice is all about transformation of gross elements so, making "marks" upon the (subtle) body helps to bring about that change.

Really though, what we are truly doing is waking up our mind to our already inherent state and true nature, since there really is no transformation taking place.

16:05 / 22.02.08

"I'm very much interested in practices which involve mapping key elements onto the body. To me, the body is an intensely holy spiritual landscape and I love the concept of learning and exploring elements of the sacred by means of a body-map" - nhrn/TTS

This reminded me of the Iron and Pearl Pentacles... and the myriad of pentacles that have sprung out of these tools!

In the I.P. you stand in a star shape and place the points of Sex, Pride, Self, Power and Passion round your body - on the points of the stars. You then run energy between them and see how each point feels, what thoughts/images arise at each point, where the energy feels blocked in relation to these points etc. The energy eventually vibrates into the Pearl pentacle, which is the Iron points expressed socially/in community/in the world. The Iron points are basically things that we have naturally, and have, according to Feri and many others), been twisted by the way our society views them. IP is a way of reclaiming those points and the energy they hold as valuable human skills.

And of course many people have used this shape and ritual to apply to different concepts. Thorn has developed a Warrior pentacle, there is a Queer pentacle for dealing with the issues around being an edgewalker/Queer person (iifr) etc. And of course there is are elemental ones as well.

/simplification

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