Are Tools Necessary?

The simple response to this question is no, not in most cases. A tool, is defined as, a device or instrument used to carry out a particular function. In most cases a tool is used to perform a task that either would be more difficult or impossible without it or a similar tool. That being said, sometimes tools must be used, other times they just make tasks easier. This is as true in the spiritual, mental, and magical paradigms as it is in the physical world. Lets look at some different perspectives, and how they can shape this idea further.

Robert Hager’s Article on the same subject:

• https://doingmagick.blogspot.com/2016/07/are-tools-necessary.html

Lets set the stage with a physical, everyday scenario, such as a carpenter that wants to build a simple shelter structure. He has been trained as a carpenter, he could simply make a shelter by breaking sticks and tying them together with vines, but he will choose to use tools. He could use ancient tools; he could make a level measured shelter out of timbers, with a basic fireplace made out of clay available in the ground, packing the spaces with mud to prevent drafts, complete with doors and basic furniture. He could make more precise amenities yet with basic modern hand tools, but if available, to improve efficiency would ultimately use power tools and complete an elaborate shelter in the same or even less time than the original basic shelter without any tools.

The advantage of the mental realms is that anything you may need to use as a tool can simply be visualized mentally and used accordingly. To use a physical tool allows you a relaxing luxury, but in times of need, there is no reason why the compete act cannot be performed within a visualization. I will point out that there are advantages to using tangible items to reinforce your mental paradigm, when attempting thaumaturgy, better described as physical manifestation via “will.”

Lets say that your goal is to pray to a Deity to effect change in the physical world, also known as, theurgy. Your goal is to see a person you know protected from harm by a God or Goddess. Do you think it would be the same, better, or less effective to simply pray, or to hold a symbol representative of this Deity, a picture, or even a statue? Do you think it would be more or less beneficial to make use of a symbol or object of protection in your hand while praying? A representation of that symbol or object, held in your mind?

Take the same idea when trying to bring enough money in to your life through opportunities available to you. Would you find it to be more or less effective to use representations of these opportunities being yours, or without them? Even as mental images?

What if we were to set-up entire representations of the actions we hope to have transpire in the physical world, such as crystals that have similar energies to that we wish to bring into our lives and arrange them in a grid that focuses those energies together, and make this a focal point of our will? Could not aromas of herbs, symbols, sounds or tones, symbolic acts all be used in this process? Could this not better target the intent we wish to release into the Universe? Could it not make the goal easier to successfully accomplish wish more specific results?

The conclusion that I have come to is that tools are not necessary, but they do make fine tuning intent and directing energies through will much easier and specific. Magic is not concerned with the hows so much as the whys. What do you think? Feel free to make use of the comments section to: answer any of these questions in your own words, add to the ideas presented, or ask any questions you may have?

Copyright @2016 Jason J Walton

What Exactly is a Grounding Cord, and Why is it Such an Important Tool For Spiritual Practitioners?

What exactly is a grounding cord, and why is it such an important tool for spiritual practitioners?  A grounding cord is a beneficial tool because it allows us to; in a very basic way, let go of excess spiritual, emotional, mental, and energetic baggage. It is a mental construct; a basic visualization, that provides a pathway for these excesses to be sent deep into the core of the Earth and recycled.

In the modern world most of us realize the great power of electricity for powering our many wonders; as well, the power of unruly electrical fields and charges to destroy them. In our homes, we have lightning rods that run down into the ground to protect us from these unforeseen occurrences. In much the same way, grounding cords perform a similar function. By visualizing a grounding cord, we can use it to mentally focus away our excess baggage in an organized and thought directed manner.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with or out of practice with visualization; it is a simple process imagining a cord running from the root chakra (Base of the spine) down into the core of earth, and using it to transport your unwanted thoughts, emotions, energies… down deep within the Earth. Grounding cords can be as big or small as you need them to be, and can be attached to not only your root, but to any object or other person, animal, place that requires grounding. This simple process will be described in the following section:

Basic Grounding Cord Exercise:

• Drink Water (Water is a vital part of our lives, and can be thought of as mental lubrication)
• Imagine or picture a cord starting at the root chakra, on each exhale, feel it extending further and further into the Earth until the other end reaches the core.
• On your continued exhales, mentally push the excesses down the cord until they are also down at the core.
• Drink Water (Replenish the body)

Now that you have tried the process, you have most likely felt the benefits first hand. You feel somehow lighter, more free, and relaxed; grounded! There you go, easy as can be. This is one of the easiest ways to ground, is one of the most basic methods for spiritual cleansing, and a foundation of meditation. Thank you, and feel free to share your thoughts and results with us.

Copyright @2016 Jason Walton

Advanced Protection Exercise

I want to step this exercise up a bit, by tying a few things together, and introducing a few new ideas in this exercise to give a larger picture, emphasize the ways that several approaches and practices can augment and cooperate to strengthen each other. I will start with a grounding exercise that develops into cleansing of the self. Then cleansing the space, and moving forward into the protection of space as well as self. There will be use of visualization, by adding some simple body gestures as fortifying symbols, and representing the solar, (sun-sky realm), telluric (earth-land realm,) and lunar (moon-sea realm) currents. These will be put together in a way that shows how different ideas, practices, and skills can be layered.

Setting:

This can be done in a room, in a forest clearing, in a circle of stones; either way declare a mental set of boundaries for your work, this will be your space. The grounding will be a basic visualization, incorporating; by way of body gesture symbolism, putting yourself in the perspective of a pine tree and representing earth. In the cleansing portion we will transform into an oak reaching for the sky, taking in the warmth of the sun , and being cleansed by the wind, it is a variation of a Qi Gong practice called “shaking the tree.” For the space cleansing we will be drinking water as we visualize a cool rain washing the entire space. Finally, for the protection we will be doing the sphere of protection by starting with the elemental cross and incorporating three spheres of protective energy from the realms of Land, Sky, and Sea.

Grounding:

• Drink a simple glass of water to hydrate and reinforce the idea flowing.
• Visualize or Imagine a cord attached to the base of your spine (Root Chakra), and connecting to the core of the Earth.
• Get comfortable with good posture allowing your spine to be straight.
• Breathe; in a threefold manner; three seconds inhale, three hold, three exhale.
• Continuing with the power of Breath; Slowly pay attention to your thoughts and feelings, focus on what you notice with your five physical senses.
• Let stray thoughts and feelings flow down your spine, the cord, and deep into the core of the Earth.
• Continue this process for as long as you can, until you can hold the focus continuously.

Cleansing (Shaking the Tree):

• Continue with a threefold breath and the release of stray thoughts
• Picture yourself as a pine tree
• Place your feet shoulder length apart with your arms out to the sides, your body should be in the shape of a triangle.
• Begin shaking from the bottom of your feet in an up and down motion
• Picture a gentle breeze blowing your branches, freeing the excess energy that has not gone down your grounding cord.
• Continue to shake for 2 minutes or more as you picture the wind picking up in speed, slowly lifting your arms until you are reaching for the sky.
• As you raise your arms, picture yourself transforming into a great oak and slow your shaking until you feel still.
• Feel the flow of blood increase as your body opens up and notice the vibration of your chi (energy) throughout your body, your arms your body should now be still and your arms upward.
• Picture that clouds have moved in above you and it begins to rain, rinsing away the remnants of loose energy of of both you and your space and washing it all away.

Protection (The Elemental Cross and Sphere of Protection):

Normally the Elemental Cross, which is basically the same as the Qabalistic Cross and institutes a connection to deity; however, I will simply note where the Deity vibrations would go and add some background information in case you would like to add this later.

Elemental Cross:

• Starting with your hands at your sides and continuing your threefold breath.
• Raise your right hand as far above the center of your head as you comfortably can.
• Keep your wrist straight, fold your pinky and ring finger into your palm, while keeping your index, middle and thumb together and extended.
• Draw a line of white energy straight down into your head or crown Chakra
• Visualize this line of energy extending from the center of your head up into infinity.
• Let your fingers rest momentarily on the top of your head. This is where one would vibrate the name of the Creator Deity, or the Spirits of Above.
• Continue drawing your white line of energy throughs the center of your body down between your navel and your your reproductive organs or the root chakra.
• Let your fingers rest momentarily at your root chakra. This is where one would vibrate the name of the Deity of the Earth, or the Spirits of Below.
• Visualize your white line of energy extending from your root chakra, down infinitely through the core of the earth.
• Momentarily rest your fingers on your right shoulder and visualize a white line of energy extending from your heart chakra to infinity on your right. This is where you would vibrate the Masculine Deity.
• Momentarily rest your fingers on your left shoulder and visualize a white line of energy extending from your heart chakra to infinity on your left. This is where you would vibrate the Feminine Deity.
• Extend your arms out to your sides so that your body is in the shape of a cross.
• Visualize a white line of energy passing through your heart chakra (center of chest) infinitely forward and infinitely back. This is where one would vibrate the tone of your magical name.
• Lower your hands to your sides to complete the Elemental Cross.

Here is where a banishing and invoking of the classical elements would normally occur. If you have a method for this procedure go ahead and add it in, if not don’t worry we will cover this in another lesson, but it is currently outside the scope of this lesson.

The Sphere of Protection:

In this version of the Sphere we will be pulling in the energies of the Three Dragons or Land, Sky, and Sea to produce three spheres of spinning energy as a protective barrier.

• Visualize a current of energy coming from the Sky down through your crown chakra into the center of your spine and swirling in your solar-plexus.
• Direct this energy to the up/down white line, and cause the top of the line to rotate forward while the bottom of the line rotates backward. you will do this in alignment with your threefold breath, it will take three times to get the sphere spinning really good.
• Visualize a current of energy coming from the Land up through your root chakra and swirling with the Sky energy in your solar-plexus.
• Direct this energy to the left/right white line, and cause the right of the line to rotate forward while the left of the line rotates backward. you will do this in alignment with your threefold breath, it will take three times to get the sphere spinning really good.
• Visualize a current of energy coming from the Sea in through your sacral chakra (where your reproductive organs are) and flowing into your solar-plexus to swirl with the others.
• Direct this energy to the front/back white line, and cause the front of the line to rotate upward while the back of the line rotates downward. you will do this in alignment with your threefold breath, it will take three times to get the sphere spinning really good.

I know this can seem like a daunting task when looking at it for the first time, but with perseverance and practice this whole procedure can be done in a considerably small amount of time.

Copyright 2016 Jason J. Walton

Elemental Cross and Sphere of Protection are adaptations of the ones from the A.O.D.A. website as written by John Gilbert and John Michael Greer

http://aoda.org/Articles/The_Sphere_of_Protection.html

Any questions or comments, I would love to hear them.

Basic Cleansing Exercise

In our Basic Grounding Exercise I said that it was a fundamental skill, and that it was a general practice of cleansing to remove excess thoughts, feelings, and energies. Our purpose today is to add a new layer, instead of just letting those loose ideas fall off, we are going to rinse it away. If you find a tough spot, feel free to scrub a little.

• Drink water
• Start a threefold breath; 3 seconds each; inhale, hold, exhale
• Visualize or Imagine a cord attached to the base of your spine for males, ovaries for females (Root Chakra) and connecting to the core of the earth
• Visualize a white or golden rain falling over you like a waterfall or shower
• When you inhale, feel energy coming in at both your feet from the earth (land), and the top of your head from the sun and/or wind (sky)
• As you hold the breath, feel the two different currents merge in your center (sea)
• When you exhale, feel the shower wash you off and drain through your grounding cord as you ground normally, releasing your excess thoughts, feelings, and energies
• Drink water

We have introduced a few new ideas today; layering (building similar intentions on top of each other), cleansing (cleaning away, on top of letting go of excess), merging of energies from the land and sky and allowing them to swirl together into a single current within your center as the sea.

@Copyright Jason J. Walton 2016

Any questions or feedback regarding this exercise are of course welcomed

Basic Grounding Exercise

This is a Basic Grounding Exercise to get you started. Grounding is a Fundamental Skill for any practitioner. It is a general practice of Cleansing thats purpose is to rid oneself of excess thoughts, feelings, or energies.

• Drink a glass of water
• Start a threefold breath; 3 seconds each at inhale; hold, exhale
• Visualize or Imagine a cord attached to the base of your spine (Root Chakra), and connecting to the core of the Earth.
• On every exhale of your threefold breath picture your stray energy, thoughts and emotions traveling down your spine through this cord to the core of the Earth.

Any questions or feedback about your experiences with this exercise is welcome and valued.

@copyright Jason J. Walton

Advanced Cleansing Exercise

In our advanced grounding exercise we covered breathing in air and using it to reinforce the idea of drawing in energy through visualization, as well as connecting a grounding cord to the center of the earth and using it to drain off excess or unwanted energies and thoughts. We also discussed the threefold breathing method of inhale three seconds, hold three seconds, release three seconds.

In cleansing we talked about using different elemental energies and methods. We also covered the aspects of things, self, and space in relation to land, sea, and sky.

For the advanced exercise in cleansing there are few different concepts I would like to introduce.

1. When drawing from the ground through the cord, you are connecting with the element of Earth. At the same time, inhale, you are connecting with the energy of the Air element.  Allow those energies to swirl together in the solar-plexus, the area just above belly, when you hold the breath. Draw the energies from both of these elements at the same time, being mindful of the elemental aspects of this blend, earth and air. When you exhale; push that swirling energy out from your center so that the swirling ball continues to grow, containing all the negativity as you continue to push with your solar-plexus, expelling your full breath.  Continue to do this, each time expanding the size of your energy ball until it not only is larger than your body, but also fills the room.
2. Now try it again, but this time add the element of Fire by envisioning the energy and heat of the sunlight coming down and into your crown, or the top of your head. At the same time, pull in the element of Water by visualizing the emotional connection of your environment, a flood of emotion, if you will,  around you through  your heart.  Like before, allow these energies to swirl together in the solar-plexus, while being mindful of the elemental aspects of the blend of fire and water.  Again, push this swirling energy out from your center until it carries the negativity out past your body and expands to the edges of your space.
3. Now let’s put steps one and two together, using all four elements simultaneously to wash all negativity away from both body and your surrounding environment and fill the space with pure, cleansed elemental energy.
4. Now that yourself and area have been sufficiently cleansed of negative influences, free the energy of your control and let it disperse naturally and proceed to ground.

By using these advanced techniques of cleansing, incorporating the elements, you are able to build upon a foundation of cleansing procedures that will enable you to handle any situation you may encounter. Maintaining adequate energetic hygiene, will allow your magical workings, as well as your general well being to operate at their most optimum levels.

@copyright Jason J. Walton