A long long absence

My dear readers, if there are any out there anymore, I offer you my sincerest apologies.  Life got too hectic for quite a while and I wasn't able to post anything.  At this point, it has been over a year since my last post.  I will give you a run down on what's been going on with me up to this point, then wrap up the posts on Tyson's Magician's Workbook.

So, going back to April last year, I was in Iraq.  Our mission changed a bit and I ended up unable to get online at all for quite some time.  Upon returning to the US, life continued to keep me under it's thumb with various over riding priorities.  At this point, I am slated for yet another deployment later this year.  On the magical side of things, I did finish out the daily exercises with Tyson's book; I read a good deal of other books, articles, blogs, etc; and I somewhat recently decided it would be best to return to the basics and better embrace the roots of my beliefs and practices in order to get rid of some of the nonfunctional and unsavory habits that I picked up along the way.  Think of it as a bit of spiritual spring cleaning that is long, long over due.

To wrap up the bit on Tyson's book, I did finish out the exercises.  My opinion at the end of the whole thing is that while it is a good system of daily practice for those who don't already have one, I don't know how applicable it is to people who are not already familiar with the general Qabalistic inspired ceremonial magical practices.  Also, I feel that it presents a great way to break into a bit of daily, or near daily, practice but I think that any practitioner worth their salt will end up changing things over time in order to better suit their personal needs.  I do realize that the primary people who pick up the book will have these ideals in mind, but it is still something I would warn about when introducing the book to someone who is a newfound seeker.

In the last couple months, I have read through quite a few grimoires.  The ones I gave the most focus to were Michael Cecchetelli's Crossed Keys published by Scarlet Imprint, The Goetia of Dr. Rudd and The Magical Treatise of Solomon or Hygromanteia both published by Golden Hoard.  Other than those, I have read through the rest of GH's Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic series with the exception of their latest which is Dr. John Dee's Spiritual Diaries.  I am quite impressed with MC's work, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way Goetia of Dr. Rudd was presented.  When it comes to Hygromanteia, it spurred an interest in the pre-solomonic ritual magic practices which has found me looking into the GPM and reading some wonderful stuff by Jake Stratton-Kent (Geosophia), as well as Aaron Leitch's Secrets Of The Magical Grimoires.  I also, very recently, started on Frater Rufus Opus' Red Work Courses.

I am quite taken with Fr RO's approach and the way he presents his work.  I am only on his second lesson of the Black Work section, but it is really refreshing to get to the basics of it all.  Reading and working through, from the beginning like this, has allowed me to really strip away a lot of the things I have been doing and really evaluate what does and doesn't work for me.  Having read through his Neoplatonic Basics, I find that a lot of it meshes well with what I already believe (though I haven't ever taken the time to really hash it all out).  I am looking forward to really putting into practice everything in The Red Work Courses, and cleaning up my overall practices. 

Prior to beginning The Work, I had already started to strip away things in my usual practices that either had no mileage or just plain didn't make sense to me.  I began a regimen of near daily prayer and contemplative meditation, and had been working with a couple familiar spirits for primarily theurgic reasons.  For those of you who may be curious, when called upon to define what it is I believe, I have come to say that I am an Esoteric Abrahamic Panentheist.  To explain, I hope I don't have to define the term Esoteric for most of the people who come to this blog but just in case, according to Webster esoteric means - a : designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone <a body of esoteric legal doctrine — B. N. Cardozo> b : requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group <esoteric terminology>; broadly : difficult to understand <esoteric subjects>.  Abrahamic is having to do with the faiths that stem from Abraham so Judaic, Christian, and Islamic.  I find value in the overall current of Abrahamic faith.  And, for panentheism, I prefer the Encyclopedia Britannica explanation - "...the universe conceived of as a whole is God and, conversely, that there is no God but the combined substance, forces, and laws that are manifested in the existing universe. The cognate doctrine of panentheism asserts that God includes the universe as a part though not the whole of his being."  So, there ya go, if you ever wondered what I believe its an amalgamation of Hermetic, Abrahamic, and panentheist thought.

A Long Term Plan (Week 7-22/40)

  Between a website that decided to show only in Arabic and a hectic work schedule I have not been able to access this blog properly to add to my logs.  Thanks to my new working environment I now have access via an IP that reads as Western Europe.  Due to this, Blogger finally comes up in English again.

  Originally, I had been keeping this log weekly via OpenOffice.  I have chosen to compress the previous weeks into one shorter entry and only focus on some of the more interesting bits, instead of a flurry of postings detailing each week as I had been.  If anyone does have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments and I will gladly elaborate.

Review Of The Previous Weeks:
-Week 6: Nothing of note this week.  Difficulty focusing during the stepped relaxation for the first couple days.

--Exercise: 3 - Self-Awareness III: Criticism of Self (pg 8)
--Exercise: 4 - Inward Perception I: Stepped Relaxation (pg 13)
--Exercise: 7 - Inward Perception IV: Tattwa Awareness (pg 23)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 19 - Visualization III: Astral Temple (pg 64)

-Week 7: Nothing to note.

--Exercise: 7 - Inward Perception IV: Tattwa Awareness (pg 23)
--Exercise: 11 - Breathing I: Color Breathing (pg39)
--Exercise: 14 - Outward Concentration I: Time Watching (pg 50)
--Exercise: 15 - Outward Concentration II: Candle Burning (pg 53)
--Exercise: 16 - Outward Concentration III:Water Boiling (pg 55)
--Exercise: 17 - Visualization I: Geometric Shapes (pg 57)

-Week 8: Had a little fun with the Projection of Will exercise, until the novelty wore off.  This week seemed to drag on, really didn't look forward to any of the exercises.

--Exercise: 8  - Inward Concentration I: Mantra (pg 28)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 20 - Projection of the Will I: Affecting an Object (pg 68)

-Week 9: This was about the same as last week.  During the first day or two, the novelty of the Affecting an Element exercise was stronger.  I think some of the stuff going on in my life is nagging at my concentration too much.  I have an overall sense of unease and am starting to show signs of Acute Stress Disorder.  I really can't wait until I get my leave(R&R), I need the break.

--Exercise: 9 - Inward Concentration II: Thought Stream (pg 31)
--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 21 - Projection of the Will II: Affecting an Element (pg 71)

-Week 10: I didn't get any noticeable results from Exercise 22.  Nothing else of note.

--Exercise: 10 - Inward Concentration III: Daily Recall (pg 34)
--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 22 - Projection of the Will III: Affecting a Living Being (pg 74)

-Week 11: Not much to note this week either.  I will say that I prefer the four-fold breath compared to Tyson's 9-7 Breath.

--Exercise: 5 - Inward Perception II: Elemental Orientation (pg 17)
--Exercise: 6 - Inward Perception III: Astral Projection (pg 20)
--Exercise: 7 - Inward Perception IV: Tattwa Awareness (pg 23)
--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 17 - Visualization I: Geometric Shapes (pg 57)
--Exercise: 18 - Visualization II: Leaving The Body (pg 61)
--Exercise: 19 - Visualization III: Astral Temple (pg 64)
--Exercise: 20 - Projection of the Will I: Affecting an Object (pg 68)

-Week 12: I find that Tyson's Aura Awareness feels like it was probably based off of the Middle Pillar exercise, though heavily modified.

--Exercise: 4 - Inward Perception I: Stepped Relaxation (pg 13)
--Exercise: 11 - Breathing I: Color Breathing (pg39)
--Exercise: 23 - Aura Awareness (pg 81)

-Week 13: Nothing to note.

--Exercise: 5 - Inward Perception II: Elemental Orientation (pg 17)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 24 - Grounding and Centering (pg 86)

-Week 14: I like Tyson's explanation of Vibrating the Names Of Power.  Probably the best I've read, and I had some really good results.

--Exercise: 6 - Inward Perception III: Astral Projection (pg 20)
--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 25 - Vibrating Names of Power (pg 90)

-Week 15: Nothing to note as far as practice goes.  I am still feeling stressed, but dealing well.  The general focus on my practice has helped with it.

--Exercise: 8  - Inward Concentration I: Mantra (pg 28)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 23 - Aura Awareness (pg 81)
--Exercise: 24 - Grounding and Centering (pg 86)
--Exercise: 25 - Vibrating Names of Power (pg 90)
--Exercise: 26 - Charging an Object (pg 97)

-Week 16: Nothing to note.

--Exercise: 9 - Inward Concentration II: Thought Stream (pg 31)
--Exercise: 11 - Breathing I: Color Breathing (pg39)
--Exercise: 27 - Qabalistic Cross (pg 105)

-Week 17: I don't like the feel of Tyson's version of the Middle Pillar.  I gave it a shot for this week but I won't be using it again, I intend on substituting with a more traditional form of the MP when this exercise comes back up.

--Exercise: 10 - Inward Concentration III: Daily Recall (pg 34)
--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 28 - Middle Pillar (pg 111)

-Week 18: Nothing to Note.

--Exercise: 4 - Inward Perception I: Stepped Relaxation (pg 13)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 23 - Aura Awareness (pg 81)
--Exercise: 24 - Grounding and Centering (pg 86)
--Exercise: 25 - Vibrating Names of Power (pg 90)
--Exercise: 26 - Charging an Object (pg 97)
--Exercise: 27 - Qabalistic Cross (pg 105)
--Exercise: 28 - Middle Pillar (pg 111)

-Week 19: Starting to have real difficulty focusing in general.  I couldn't find any astrological reasons for it, so I am guessing it is just the stress.

--Exercise: 6 - Inward Perception III: Astral Projection (pg 20)
--Exercise: 7 - Inward Perception IV: Tattwa Awareness (pg 23)
--Exercise: 11 - Breathing I: Color Breathing (pg39)
--Exercise: 14 - Outward Concentration I: Time Watching (pg 50)
--Exercise: 15 - Outward Concentration II: Candle Burning (pg 53)
--Exercise: 16 - Outward Concentration III:Water Boiling (pg 55)
--Exercise: 17 - Visualization I: Geometric Shapes (pg 57)
--Exercise: 18 - Visualization II: Leaving The Body (pg 61)
--Exercise: 19 - Visualization III: Astral Temple (pg 64)
--Exercise: 20 - Projection of the Will I: Affecting an Object (pg 68)

-Week 20: Still no results from Exercise 22.

--Exercise: 8  - Inward Concentration I: Mantra (pg 28)
--Exercise: 12 - Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
--Exercise: 20 - Projection of the Will I: Affecting an Object (pg 68)
--Exercise: 21 - Projection of the Will II: Affecting an Element (pg 71)
--Exercise: 22 - Projection of the Will III: Affecting a Living Being (pg 74)

-Week 21: I recognize the utility of practicing exercises 29 and 30, but I get similar practice from my daily LBRP and BRH.

--Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
--Exercise: 27 - Qabalistic Cross (pg 105)
--Exercise: 29 - Projecting The Lesser Circle (pg 121)
--Exercise: 30 - Projecting The Greater Circle (pg 125)

Schedule of exercises for Week 22:
-Exercise: 13 - Breathing III:The Nine-Seven Breath (pg 47)
-Exercise: 28 - Middle Pillar (pg 111)
-Exercise: 31 - Invoking The Guardians Of The Quarters (pg 130)

Thoughts and expectations for the week:
  I don't have any real problems with exercise 13, however I still prefer the four-fold breath that I was already familiar with.

  Still not going to use Tyson's version of the Middle Pillar.  It just doesn't feel right to me.  I am planning to switch out his technique with the one that can be found in John Michael Greer's book, Circles of Power(ISBN 1-56718-313-1).

  Exercise 31 is just one part of the LBRP, this combined with exercises 30 and 32 pretty much make a version of the LBRP.  Seeing as I do this as part of my daily rituals, I will probably leave this out on it's own and rely on my daily ritual to fill in this part of the practice.

Misc:
  I think I have finalized my ideas for the TOL rosary I mentioned in a previous post.  Also, I have been focusing even more on my study of the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon.  I am frustrated at being deployed right now, but I do not have any real privacy, and the space I can use for my daily rituals is very small.  Recently, my room mate walked in while I was in the middle of an evocation of Sandalphon using Solomonic techniques.  Luckily for me, he just turned around and hung out in someone else's room for a couple of hours.  All he really heard or saw was me speaking/chanting in Latin.  I should be getting my leave(vacation/ R&R) close to the end of this month, and I am really itching to get a break.  The stress has been building up a lot, and it is starting to really make it difficult for me to focus.

Apologies, Dear Reader...

Ok, I've fallen behind a couple of weeks on my updates here.  At the same time, I have fallen behind in my exercises from The Magician's Workbook.  Deployment life has caught up with me.  I have managed to keep up with my previous daily practices, for the most part, though even those have not been actually daily.  Some "days" have lasted 36+ hours, which throws me off.  Especially so when I lose track of time.  Either way, my previously practiced "daily" exercises, have been whenever I wake up for the day (and when that is rather abrupt and timing doesn't work out then they have been just before I go to sleep).

I figured that I should write this, since I owe some explanation to whatever readers I may have.  As it stands, I picked back up where I left off, as of this previous Sunday, January 23rd.

A Long Term Plan (Week 6/40)

Review Of The Previous Week:
All of the exercises went about as expected. The only thing to note was that the continuation of the Astral Projection and Pore Breathing exercises did indeed have a positive effect on my other daily practices.

Schedule of exercises for Week 6:
-Exercise 3: Self-Awareness III: Criticism of Self (pg 8)
-Exercise 4: Inward Perception I: Stepped Relaxation (pg 13)
-Exercise 7: Inward Perception IV: Tattwa Awareness (pg 23)
-Exercise 12: Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
-Exercise 19: Visualization III: Astral Temple (pg 64)
Exercise 7 is the first five days, and then 4 replaces it for the final two days.

Thoughts and expectations for the week:
My expectations for Exercise 3 are the same as last time, I don't think there will be much change.

Stepped Relaxation may end up being replaced by a relaxation technique that I know to work for me. I have given a few weeks to trying it the way Tyson says, and I admit readily that his technique is one that works for many people. However, it does not have the desired effect on me. As far as I can tell, the whole point of a relaxation exercise is to get used to(and proficient in) relaxing the whole body. Following this line of reason, I can safely resume using my previously successful techniques.

I am unsure of the Tattwa Awareness, simply because of the lack of resources here. Unless I order it over the internet or ask someone to send it, I won't be getting any color of construction paper. I may experiment a bit to see if I can substitute something to fill in for the Tattwa symbols. We shall see.

Pore Breathing is a continuation from the past two weeks. I think I will start to see its benefits plateau in relation to my daily practice, but the exercise will still help to maintain them at the level they are now at.

Astral Temple should be interesting, since its an exercise I have used before though for other reasons and in a slightly different way. I don't expect any real difficulty with it.


Misc:
So, I am human... I missed a few exercises through the week due to the fact that one day rolled into the next during some operations out here. Suffice it to say that by the time I realized I needed to do some of the exercises for one day, that day was well past. Shit happens, and I don't think that I am going to lose all hope or benefit simply from missing a day or two.

Thoughts Upon My Path...

Recently, I came back into contact with a good friend of mine who I see as the closest thing to a fallen angel as I am ever like to meet. We had some conversation, and in the course of it all I gave out a link to this blog as the newest space where any of my writings live. The Angel asked if I would post a few of my writings from my notebooks, so I have transliterated one of them that seemed to be rather applicable to the thoughts running around my head now. Toward the end of this, I make mention of hoping to find others along the way who will share this path with me. I am quite happy and proud to say that this person, my fallen angel, is one who in their own way walks this path beside me.

I found this one to fit because lately I have been fielding a lot of questions as to what I believe and why. Also, I should note, I am not actually sure exactly when I originally wrote this. The notebook is no older than 2 or 2 and half years, but nothing in it is dated and I do not recall at what point I filled these pages and put it away.

---

I have my own reasons for the spiritual seeking that I have undertaken. For the most part, its a desire to be more than I am... To feel as though I am truly making some headway in striving to fulfill a higher purpose to life. The paths I've chosen to walk that have gotten me to where I am now have been many and varied. Honestly though, the path that has had the most influence on me has been that of the magical universe. It started because a part of me has always longed for a world where the sassy mage can throw lightning from her fingertips, or the only wizard in Chicago's Yellow Pages just happens to be a smart-ass. When it comes down to it, do I really believe the feats described in myriad fantasy novels are possible?

Yes and no... I think that at one time, the world was a lot more magical. This was before humankind started to rely on science to explain everything. At that time, I figure that many things were possible because our psyches allowed it to be, but over centuries the human psyche has responded to society and blocks have been put in place subconsciously. This means that today, the feats aren't possible in the way that they were and they need to fit within the current rules imposed by our psyche, which results in the subtle nature of magical work in today's world. Beyond that, I think that those people who have made the effort to push themselves to break those barriers and are probably the only ones capable of feats resembling those more than likely have no desire to perform them.

Think about it, it would take a lot of real work and a focus on something other than the self and the ego in order to raise yourself beyond the point where most of us sit. By the time you got there, you wouldn't have a true desire to do that stuff just to do it. Your focus would be on continuing to grow. This ties in well with the idea of the "Great Work" of Ceremonial Magick. Ultimately the goal of Ceremonial Magick is raising our consciousness to commune with our Higher Self, the Holy Guardian Angel of the Golden Dawn tradition. Now, this is not to say that the techniques and practices of ritual magick can only be used for this purpose. In fact, the techniques and procedures are quite effective at making changes in the world around us, albeit not as flashy as throwing lightning but changes all the same. When it comes down to it, we all have to answer for our actions whether to some higher power or simply having to live with ourselves. Tying this in with the discussion of the Great Work, when you perform a working which achieves an effect on the physical world and at the same time serves to bring you closer to divinity(and thus your Higher Self), then you are moving forward in the Work, whereas when you perform a working that achieves an effect in the physical world but either doesn't serve to elevate you or in some way brings you down(such as by causing needless harm to someone or something) you are not moving forward in the Work. Interestingly enough, this doesn't require that you believe in one deity or another, simply that you acknowledge a higher power and therefore a higher purpose. The techniques work, regardless of "who" you choose to believe in. Although they make use of the various Hebrew names of God, the Names denote various functions or faces of Divinity and not truly a specific deity.

I can easily accept the Cabalistic view of a universe that is both an emanation from within God and therefore a part of him, and at the same time is also seperate from God. Also, it provides a structure to a universe that is otherwise seemingly random and chaotic, and within that structure it provides a road map for spiritual growth and a way to work toward the goal of the Great Work.

Returning to the talk of flashy effects in the physical world, one must ask if people would even be willing to admit to themselves what it is they are seeing. Honestly, I believe that most people exist in a state of "I will see it when I believe it". No, that isn't a mis-print. People can look at something that happens, and then convince themselves that it is whatever happens to fit within their worldview. Therefore, they will see it when they choose to believe it. This is how one person can see something as a miracle and another can pass it off as coincidence.

I choose to see the world as full of miracles and magic. I choose to live in a world where I can aspire to be something more. And in this world, I believe I am not alone. Which brings me to the other main reason I have chosen the paths that led me to the here and now. I feel alone, most of the time. I can be in a crowd of people and still feel that I may be the only one there who sees the world in the way I do or feels the way I do about something. I am so tired of that feeling. So, my hope is that through becoming more unified with my Higher Self, I can find other people who will walk this path with me.

---

Just a note, 10 points and a gold star to whoever gets the bit about the wizard in Chicago's Yellow Pages.

A Long Term Plan (Week 5/40)

Review Of The Previous Week:
The exercise in Ego Denial went about as expected. The first two days had marks over four hundred each, the rest of the week faired slightly better though I didn't get below one hundred at all. The exercise seemed especially difficult when watching movies or reading, since I have a tendency to put myself in the main characters role and wonder how I would fair in their shoes. A thought occured at one point, that if I were doing this Crowley's way and cutting myself each time I made an infraction, then I probably would have exsanguinated sometime during those first two days.

Both Astral Projection and Pore Breathing exercises went well, and practicing them on a daily basis even if only for a week had a noticable effect on my normal daily workings.

I underestimated the exercise in visualization of Geometric Shapes. The first parts of it, the point and the line, went easily enough but I found that shortly after that I would have trouble maintaining the whole image. I am not quite sure why this is, since I regularly maintain quite a few images during even a fairly simple exercise like the Banishing Ritual Of The Pentagram, and I have no issues doing that.

Schedule of exercises for Week 5:
-Exercise 2: Self-Awareness II: Criticism of Others (pg 6)
-Exercise 6: Inward Perception III: Astral Projection (pg 20)
-Exercise 12: Breathing II: Pore Breathing (pg 44)
-Exercise 18: Visualization II: Leaving The Body (pg 61)
All of these are done each day, with no variations.

Thoughts and expectations for the week:
I don't expect much of a difference between this iteration and the previous one of Criticism of Others. Perhaps a few more marks at the beginning, but that will probably be it.

Astral Projection and Pore Breathing are a continuation of the previous week, and I am looking forward to continueing them. This is mostly to see whether they continue to have a positive effect on my daily practices or the benefits plateau.

This week's exercise in Leaving The Body should prove interesting, though I don't expect any difficulty. This one will probably turn out similar to the Astral Projection exercise and have a positive effect on my regular routine simply out of practicing this skill. The only real difficulty I will have is following Tyson's advice in not doing this exercise in the same room too many times without moving things around.

Misc:
Work this past week has left me fairly drained of mental energy, so I really don't have anything else to add today. At some point, I am going to put in summaries of all the exercises thus far so that those who do not have this book can see what I am talking about. I will probably do this every other week or so when new exercises are mentioned. I am just trying to be careful to not infringe on the copywrite of this book. Also, so far, I have links to download PDF forms of all the books mentioned here, for free. So if you are interested, then please private message me or leave a comment with your email address or some other way to contact you and what books you are interested in.

The Role Of Will and True Will

If a person wishes to reach a goal or to become proficient with something, and then dedicates themselves to a certain amount of practice or to the path that leads to that goal, and these proficiencies and goals also lead them to become a happier and more enlightened person, and thus closer to God, isn't this then a part of their True Will? Perhaps a better starting point for this post is the question, what is Will?

Will is one of the five faculties that our human consciousness can be divided into, the other four being Intellect, Emotion, Imagination, and Memory. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines it as "the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action", and also as "a deliberate or fixed desire or intention", and "the thing one desires or ordains". Will is integral within the practice of magick, just look at Crowley's definition of magick, "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." This is why it is important to understand exactly what it is, and how your Will and your True Will can differ. Your True Will is that which comes from your higher self, and ultimately comes down to attainment of unity with your higher(enlightened/fully realized) self and thus with divinity. This is not to say that it is a desire to become a god, but a desire and intention to become one with God regardless of what name or names you may use for Divinity. I fall into the school of thought that everything works within certain levels of vibration. As such, I recognize that if a person does regular meditations and pathworkings that bring them into contact with Divinity, then they will naturally raise their vibrational levels and thus slowly move toward that unity. Which brings us back to my original question, if a person actively seeks a goal which makes them feel happier or more complete and it also serves to make them a more enlightened person then is this not an extension of True Will?

As an example, Joe Snuffy has a goal of playing a musical instrument. When he takes the time to seek out a teacher and sets a certain amount of daily practice time, it shows his devotion to this intent. This is an exercise of his Will. Now, as he practices and plays it makes him happier overall in his life. He is attaining a goal which makes him feel more accomplished, and let's say that at the same time his music offers a different way for him to see the world around him and thus makes him a more enlightened person. In this case, his dedication to learning that instrument was in line with his True Will, which brought him closer to unity with God. Now, let's extend that into the realm of magickal pursuits. Joe wants a better job, and after taking some courses and writing up his resume is still having trouble landing that dream job. He decides to do a spell to help push himself in the right direction. After considering exactly how to do it, he settles on doing a ritual which will help to bring out the qualities in himself that he believes the employers are looking for in that field of work. He does this by creating a talisman that is charged with the energies of a Sphere on the Tree of Life that embodies these qualities. Through this working he must ritually invoke that sphere and its energies which are at a higher vibrational level than our physical world in Malkuth, and as such closer to Divinity. This, then, is a brush with Divinity and as such helps to raise Joe's natural vibrational level. In this case, his working served both his Will to help get that job and his True Will of Unity.

In no way am I saying that magickal acts are the only way to attain that unity, nor am I saying that magick cannot be used for less divine reasons. We all know that our worldy desires do not always have such high aims. I, for one, have used magick for more worldy pursuits and I am sure I am not the only one. Going back to our example, Joe could have chosen simply to do his ritual in order to remove his competition for that job or done a working specifically to bring that job to him instead of bringing out the qualities in him. Am I saying that there is anything wrong or evil in these choices? No, not at all. These are simply other choices that are open to Joe. Ultimately though, it is the paths we choose in order to attain our goals that define who we are and whether or not we become closer to that Unity with God. And, in order to better choose which paths to walk, we must be knowledgeable of our Will and our True Will and where each leads. Sometimes, they will be one and the same and other times they will be vastly different directions.