• WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK

    From Denise Stevens to ALL on Saturday, October 25, 2025 07:31:43
    WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
    by Van Ault

    1. Every magician has occasions in which the magic s/he is
    directing does not seem to work. The desired result, whether
    internal or external, does not come into manifestation. These
    occasions are opportunities for greater developement in the
    magical arts, and by working through the disappointment and
    discouragement, s/he can reach greater self-knowledge and
    technical expertise in the Art.

    2. I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality
    shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the
    operator's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use
    the bow and arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical
    technique for directing that intention is the bow. You use the
    technique to poise, balance and guide the arrow with the strength
    of your determination and will.

    3. What happens when this all works together optimally? The will
    firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique,
    you gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the
    intention into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its
    own time and way, your wish materializes.

    4. Conversely, if you haven't got the skill to bring all of these
    efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and
    stray, or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow
    ca n break, or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you
    may find that you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you
    haven't got sufficient strength to manipulate it.

    5. I offer the following meditation process for those times when
    it seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the
    techniques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering
    if any of this matters at all, the process in this meditation can
    produce miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read
    the script into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it.

    RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION
    by Van Ault

    Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be completely quiet...relax...allow your thoughts now to just come and go...come
    and go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now
    gather up the tension in your body, and release it as you
    exhale...take another deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of
    anybody else's energy or thoughts you may be carrying....and
    breathe in new energy...breathe in new possibilities...and allow
    your body to fill with lightness...feel it becoming lighter and
    lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing deeply...going
    deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could almost float away..........

    And as you relax, imagine a beautiful colored mist is swirling
    up around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft,
    cloud of energy...and you are resting completely upon this
    cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe in and out, let your
    thoughts just come and go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud
    of energy now lifts you up into the air and carries your down into
    your own inner world...down between the boundaries of time and
    space...to a place of timeless beauty and infinite
    possibilites...floating down now, going deeper and deeper, leaving
    the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you drift and
    float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further...down
    below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and
    effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud
    swirls back into a mist and disappears for now.........

    Stand upon this rock now, and feel the strength of it under
    your feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great
    river...flowing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some
    infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite place...a
    flowing, endless river of energy...this is the river of all life
    waters...all of life draws upon the lifeforce that moves through
    its steaming currents...look closely at the water...what color is
    it? it may look like liquid light to you...look deeply into it,
    and sense the power and depth of the river...what sound does it
    make as it courses through its channels?...as you stand securely
    upon your rock, notice and fragrance...and bend down and cup your
    hands in the living water,and splash some of it on your face...
    feel the life giving force on your skin...take a sip of the
    water...allow the river of life to nourish you........

    Now relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your mind
    the magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were
    you trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you
    had?...what was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the
    energy of that emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now...
    feel the energy glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your
    intention that you're still clinging to externalize...the energy
    of it is now shimmering,glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow
    all of your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this
    sphere to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what
    you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the
    sphere...whatever you see is fine..........

    When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your
    desire, emotion, and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of
    it in you hands, a globe of power that you can now release...and
    look out into the river of life...watch as its currents of
    possibility flow for ever and ever,as far as you can see...and
    whenever you're ready, with as much and as little force as you
    need, throw the pulsating sphere into the river...and give this
    intention to the life force of this great river...watch as the
    sphere touches the water...and gradually disappears into the
    current...........

    Take a deep breath...as the sphere disappears the last of your
    intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all
    life, from which it originally came...and leaves you........

    Now complete any business here that you need to finish...take
    a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life,and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into your life
    too..........

    Take another deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is once
    again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a
    beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the
    air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning
    the way you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming
    back from the inner world...coming up... further and further...
    floating and drifting back...coming back...bringing you all the
    way back into your body now, into this room...bringing your
    attention completely back into this time and place...take a deep
    breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and
    when you're ready, count to three..., and on the count of three
    open your eyes,and return feeling relaxed, alert and at peace.

    Denise
    telnet://ricksbbs.synchro.net:23
    http://ricksbbs.synchro.net:8080
    irc ricksbbs.synchro.net:6667
  • From Beth Martin to ALL on Tuesday, November 04, 2025 06:26:07
    The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a
    bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.
    The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world
    and can be useful to all aspiring magicians. Subscriptions
    cost $12 per year. They can be reached at:
    Magickal Blend
    P.O. Box 11303
    San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303


    WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
    by Van Ault

    1 Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is
    directing does not seem to work. The desired result, whether
    internal or external, does not come into manifestation.
    These occasions are opportunities for greater developement in
    the magical arts, and by working through the disappointment
    and discouragement, he can reach greater self-knowledge and
    technical expertise in the art.

    2 I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a
    reality shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is
    limited to the operator's knowledge and skill. For an
    illustration, let's use the bow and arrow. Your intention is
    the arrow and your magical technique for directing that
    intention is the bow. You use the bow/technique to poise,
    balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of
    your arms and hands/ determination and will.

    3 What happens when this all works together optimally?
    The will firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon
    the technique, you gather your emotional and mental force,
    and then fire the intention into the invisible world to be
    made manifest. In its own time and way, your wish
    materializes.

    4 Conversely, if you haven't got the skill to bring all
    of these efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow
    can veer and stray, or it may travel a few feet before losing
    power. Your bow can break, or not be strong enough to propel
    the arrow. Or, you may find that you've got your bow and
    arrow ready to use, but you haven't got sufficient strength
    to manipulate it.

    5 I offer the following meditation process for those
    times when it seems that your magic doesn't work. When
    you've tried all the techniques, when you've gotten no
    results, when you're wondering if any of this matters at all,
    the process in this meditation can produce miracles and
    create a sense of completion. You can read the script into a
    tape, or have a friend lead you through it.




    RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION

    Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be
    completely quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just
    come and go...come and go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up the tension in your body, and
    release it as you exhale...take another deep breath, and as
    you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or thoughts you
    may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with
    lightness...feel it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax
    more and more...relaxing deeply...going deeper...feeling very
    light now...so light you could almost float away..........

    And as you relax, imagine a beautiful colored mist is
    swirling up around you, billowing up around you into a
    cushiony, soft, cloud of energy...and you are resting
    completely upon this cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe
    in and out, let your thoughts just come and go...relaxing more
    and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up into the
    air and carries your down into your own inner world...down
    between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of
    timeless beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now,
    going deeper and deeper,leaving the outer world and its
    concerns far behind, as you drift and float on this beautiful
    cloud....going further and further...down below you is a rock,
    a giant rock...and the cloud gently and effortlessly lands
    upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud swirls back
    into a mist and disappears for now...

    Stand upon this rock now, and feel the strength of it
    under your feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a
    great river...flowing as far as you can see...seeming to come
    from some infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite
    place,,,a flowing,endless river of energy...this is the river
    of all life waters...all of life draws upon the lifeforce that
    moves through its steaming currents...look closely at the
    water...what color is it? it may look like liquid light to
    you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of
    the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its
    channels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and
    fragrance...and bend down and cup your hands in the living
    water,and splash some of it on your face...feel the life
    giving force on your skin...take a sip of the water...allow
    the river of life to nourish you....

    Now relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your
    mind the magical intention that never seemed to go
    anywhere...what were you trying to accomplish?...what was the
    basic intention you had?...what was the emotion behind the
    intention?...feel the energy of that emotion moving onto the
    palms of your hands now...feel the energy
    glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that
    you're still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering,glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of
    your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this sphere
    to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what
    you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the
    sphere...whatever you see is fine...

    When your sphere is completely filled with the last of
    your desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the
    power of it in you hands,a globe of power that you can now
    release...and look out into the river of life...watch as its
    currents of possibility flow for ever and ever,as far as you
    can see...and whenever you're ready,with as much and as little
    force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere into the
    river...and give this intention to the life force of this
    great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and
    gradually disappears into the current...

    Take a deep breath... as the sphere disappears the last of
    your intention and emotion and desire merges with the source
    of all life, from which it orriginally came...and leaves
    you...

    Now complete any business here that you need to
    finish...take a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of
    life,and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring
    miracles into you life too...

    Take another deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is
    once again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you
    to form a beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted
    up into the air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud
    you are returning the way you came...lifting up up through
    time and space, coming back from the inner world...coming
    up... further and further...floating and drifting
    back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your
    body now, into this room...brining your attention completely
    back into this time and place...take a deep breath and begin
    to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and when you're
    ready, count to three..., and on the count of three open your
    eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at peace.

    * * *
    As always, change any of the wording or images in this
    meditation if it suits your purpose better. The
    important part is just to finally and completely let go
    of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in
    whatever form the creative force and your own
    consciousness will allow. Out of this release, new
    lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities
    are born!


    Beth,
    http://ricksbbs.synchro.net:8080