Ashiok's Take

Ashiok is the person who taught me I was doing everything wrong, and told me to stop defending every question about the small knowledge I had of magic, and to start questioning everything, to gain the knowledge I need to grow. I do not follow all of these beliefs myself, but they are a great starter to bloom and experiment off of until you find your path! I will share my path on a different page! -Kar

PS: He kinda just insulted me and told me I was weak till I went, holy shit he's right XD, poor past Kar lmao

(Post from Ashiok's Primer for magic on a different wiki).

## Welcome.

Here you will find many things. I had not intended originally to explain what follows here, but I would rather even a single person grow given the chance, then see everyone stay in the mire that's been chosen.

If you seek truth in magic, I will give what I have learned. If you seek to understand why magic works and how better to channel it, then I present to you what you seek.

If you're a snide little brat who refuses to let go of their roleplay, by all means piss off. It's not like you'd make it anyway.

This will be long. Consider yourself warned.

## Foreword

Magic(k) is a broad topic. There are many paths towards growth and many styles of practice. There is a difference between having a different style, however, and simply practicing badly.

Just like with any art/skill/sport if you practice badly you will not get the results you want and can often Injure yourself or others. This isn't to say experimentation and intelligent risks aren't welcome or valuable experiences, simply that having no real understanding of something only opens yourself to harm that could have been prevented with research and care.

My biggest issue with the existence of other "magic" wikis is it encourages bad practice. It pushes the idea that Blbelief is all that matters (in this way no better than churches) when this is a falsehood. Belief isn't enough and there's a good reason why belief isn't enough. In fact, it's a good enough reason that I'll add it to the table for later reading.

Since you made it this far, feel free to continue with the meat of it. Intelligent responses and honest questions are welcome. A seeker is never turned away when they're heart is truly set to pursuit of knowledge.

## What is magic(k)?

There are countless explanations for this. Some will venture into the spiritual or religious, others will be a bit more detached. Ultimately you are free to believe as you will, though presented is my perspective.

In my experience, Magic is the act of inflicting one's will upon reality/self. Regardless of purpose, regardless of morality, this action and the energy/power that it takes to complete it, these to me are the definition of Magic. The power you channel, the will you carry, and the reason for your act. You need to have these in order with yourself for your arts to carry weight.

So, if magic is the action of inflicting your will on reality itself, then why can that be done? Why does that work? How can any small human being influence all that IS? What is an ant next to the mountain?

## Why does magic(k) work?

The answer is much less and more complex at first glance then you may expect. The reason is multifaceted, but comes from the same source. Consciousness and its purpose is one of humanity's greatest mysteries, yet it only remains so due to the majority of people being unwilling to delve into the depths of it. Many people will avoid introspection and deliberate thought like it's painful.

Consciousness allows us to interact with the Universe with our choices and deliberate actions. We are, as conscious beings, essentially distilled fragments of the Universe itself. Pieces cut off from the ehole, so the entire can have an experience as a small living thing. We are conscious so we may experience and because of our origins and souls, our thoughts are connected to reality itself. This is why a quantum experiment's results change by observation, our thoughts influence quantum/reality because they are innately entangled together the moment we begin to observe them. Changing the perspective of consciousness until one can see above or below where one dwells.

In other words, we are living pieces of the Universe. So our energies, by right, have the capability to interact with it. Gain its authority and channel its power.

This is what it is to cast magic. To become a power, a Universe to yourself. This is why in many traditions circle is drawn for the practitioner to be in for most practices; circles represent you as a separate Universe, the circle is your sovereign palace in a way. Within your temple, within your circle, You are the divine power that rules absolutely. That is the purpose of a circle, to be the microcosm and macrocosm and have them unified within your will.

## Why belief isn't enough; what really matters

This is the part that irritates me greatly. Hollywood has been feeding people lies for generations now about magic, because it's easy to sell fantasy when people think that's all it can be.

There are several factors that go into magic being successful and "Belief" isn't one of them.

-Desire

-Will

-Power/energy

Desire for the outcome. If you have a deep seated need for something to happen, you will pursue it with a determination that cannot be matched. If you kinda sorta want something, it'll take its own sweet time to arrive. The drive you possess, even obsessive drives, can be harnessed and put to work pulling things and events towards you.

The things we want do manifest and the more energy we can amass and refine within ourselves, the more these "coincidences" occur. Without desire for the occurrence, you're missing an important piece.

Will is far more important than belief could ever be. A belief can be incorrect and a belief can be broken. Will can be broken, but it cannot be false once you understand yourself. Will can be defined, in this context, as being in tune with what you really want for yourself as well as the force that pulls you if desire is the push.

Power is exactly that. The actual vital force that magic is. It flows through us all, because we are part of reality. We are a part of the Universe, a little sliver cut off to live its own life.

Belief doesn't channel power. Action channels power. Magic is an act and an action. If you sit and believe that you are drawing energy, nothing occurs. If you visualize tendrils sinking into the earth, feel your consciousness start at the feet and slip downwards into the ground, then feel yourself drawing the energy up and exchanging it... Well. That's action, isn't it?

Belief is PASSIVE. That is why it is worthless to magic, compared to these three things.

Magic is ACTIVE.

## Meditation, how? Why?

I have seen several ideas of what constitute "basic" magical practices, or foundation work to begin with, always listed as: meditation, grounding, centering. However, often the same people saying these ideas are foundation have an Incomplete view of the foundation. Why it matters or why it's important, people take foundation work absolutely for granted and view it as a stepping stone instead of the true nature of it:

A point of rvolution that you will constantly and ceaselessly refine as you grow spiritually.

Foundation work is Important because it is the basis of all you will do and achieve, it is a constantly useful and essential thing. It deserves innate respect but it is often glossed over and given out haphazardly.

People will tell you that "Meditation is sitting, clearing your mind, breathing, and focusing on a goal" or something similar. That's a rubbish response that only goes about a toe's depth into the water and does a person no good if they're not visually oriented. It lacks.

They fail to explain that the feeling that one channels is just as important as anything one visualizes. Therefore those who grasp magic by feeling best are left with nothing to go by.

It's the action that's taken, not "clearing the mind", that defines meditation. The changing of brainwave states, meditation is our method to actively participate in such change instead of being drug along by it (when we fall asleep or daydream, we're involuntarily/naturally changing brainwave states).

Meditation is active being. Using your consciousness and moving it, regarding inwards. Grounding and centering are meditative activities that both involve moving ones perspective around the body. They're both factors of meditation and are essentially interchangeable in concept if not in purpose.

## Detailed example of A meditation exercise

### This is a dissected explanation of Meditation as an action, as well it evolves into a discussion of how to use meditation actively to interact with ones inner currents and energies.

Find a place that is comfortable. Dark and quiet is best. Lay down if you can be trusted not to fall asleep too soon, sit, as long as you're comfortable and able to relax. First relax the body, then relax the mind. Both are innately connected and if you're mind is bothered your body's actions to relax will help you quiet the day's pains. It works both ways, since both are so connected. This is how you may surpass the emotional turmoil in life, by submerging your consciousness into the process of meditation and allowing the flow to become your focus.

When you are settled, begin by relaxing intentionally. Starting from the crown of your head, attempt to tense muscle groups. Even ones you might not use normally, in any way you feel you can. Do not stress the body to strain, but clench noticeably for a few seconds and then release it. Move to the next muscle group, do the same thing. Allow this to be a slow moving "wave" from the head to the toes, repeat several times as needed until you are fully relaxed. Until you feel lighter and your inner turmoil has calmed.

Once the body is relaxed the mind can be refocused. By intentionally directing your attention to your breathing and maintaining a specific count of breathing (i.e.: breathe out for 4 heartbeats, hold for 4 heartbeats, breathe in for 4 heartbeats, hold for 4 heartbeats, etc etc) you are able to submerge your consciousness into the pattern you're creating, allowing your inner focus to expand. This exercise distracts the surface thoughts. It doesn't need to totally erase your train of thought, it just needs you to realize everything that pops up doesn't need to be "chased" or "dwelled on". If you have a thought "I wonder X?" just let it fall flat as it is and it will disappear. It only grows when indulged, and indulgence is what's counter productive.

As you breathe and observe the breathe, allow yourself to feel your breathing. Feel each breath flow into your lips, past the teeth, into the throat, down the esophagus and into the lungs. Feel the lungs fill.

When you are content and familiar with the lungs and their sensations, you may then set them aside in your mind. There are other inner currents to begin to observe.

The blood and heartbeat is the second inner current to observe. Some will feel their heartbeat right away. Others will observe the inner flow from the lungs on the exhale, as the blood and lungs are deeply intertwined by the exchange of oxygen. Regardless of how you choose to find your pulse, when you ignore the breath the pulse of blood is the next inner current.

Allow yourself to feel the heartbeat. Feel the pulse of blood push through the body, allowing your consciousness to flow the flow of blood through each limb, through the major arteries. Let yourself slip along the stream, some of you may even begin to "see" the flow of blood, or the platelets flow past your inner eye.

When you become familiar with the blood and heartbeat, then you may also discard that sensation as well. There is now the most interesting of the inner currents. Your life force, call it what you will.

When you set aside the other sensations and allow your consciousness to move into the center of yourself, physically and metaphorically both, you will find yourself "sinking" into a place within your self. It's a place of calm, of depth. It is where you feel most balanced and whole as your consciousness dwells there.

* Not only does this allow you to find a power center to touch first, it also allows you to understand Centering, as allowing yourself to dwell in balance is the goal of being Centered.

The flow of life through you is vital and closely follows the blood, but it also pools in other places. The chest and lower body are places where energy forms larger pools, including our center, but there are also 7 main intense power points (several more obscure ones, countless tiny ones etc) that we can interact with.

These power points are known as chakras. Interacting with your energies here and observing the flow should be the goal, understanding of how it feels is important. Once these familiarities and understandings have been achieved, further steps can be taken.

Understanding how to touch your energy and how to get the most you can from your energy body is a key to understanding and applying magic.

(It would also be worth noting that experience with meditation can be built in increments if needed. It's best to do so before bed or when one has time alone, but if there isn't much time available or you struggle, you can start in very small increments (like 5 min) and slowly build as the weeks go by. As long as you Allow yourself to progress and push your boundaries, you will grow.)

## Chakras: Misconception and understanding

The word chakra comes from an ancient language known as Sanskrit. The language is energy based, it's meant to be felt more then heard when it's spoken. It's about the pitch and frequency of the sound, as well as the intent it's spoken with. Like other (perhaps more occult) energy languages it is considered to be beneficial to create/find mantras or chants in Sanskrit to aid in meditation or to work towards a specific goal.

Anyway. Chakra means wheel, loosely, because they're essentially energy hubs/wheels/spheres that are constantly rippling/resonating/turning. A lot of ancient concepts aren't as different as we'd initially believe, simply they didn't have the words or definitions we do now (we've had the time to think and evolve language).

To be a bit more visual in the description, they are intense pieces of energy that are "spinning" or "vibrating" at a higher intensity, in specific places/clusters, within the body. They are "vortexes" of energy and methods of interacting with reality on the energetic level. Think of them like filters for specific forms of energy and experiences.

* The main source of information on chakras comes from India, which has been buried in religious dogma to the point of near crippling behaviors for generations. Too much emphasis is placed on preservation of tradition for tradition's sake alone (too sentimental) instead of allowing things to hone and evolve over time to become more effective. People might see that as "if it's not broken... Where's the problem if it works?", in which I would reply that if one can get the same results without having to radically change one's diet to vegan and then take the Buddha's path of removing all earthly temptation before gaining any sort of power, why make the game harder for no reason? Know yourself and change where you feel it's needed. Trust yourself and your body, not a guru who dictates a lifestyle.

Many guides and gurus insist that to become worthy/enlightened or simply to increase yourself spiritually, that one must balance their chakras.

Trying to "balance" them isn't possible. They do not "balance" they are reflections and filters. They are concentrations of emotional energy separated from the main consciousness, partially so we can experience consciousness as we do. They can be "harmed" by negative actions and thoughts, weakening the self mentally can be a reflection of a spiritual problem or the other way around.

If we're weakening ourselves, lying and doing things we know harm us, our chakras reflect this. This effect is what people refer to when they say a chakra is "dirty" or needs to be "cleansed".  (Ultimately it's not different then saying "Hey, you're holding onto emotional/spiritual baggage and you ought to let go" even though the holding may be subconsciously a decision, not a conscious one. However, part of the purpose of magic IS to make decisions conscious and with intent. Always.)

The state of chakras also will change depending on the energies we interact with, with some paths blackening them and others imbuing them with brightness.

If our minds are fragments of the Universe, then think of the main chakras as farther fragments of what we overall are. They can be empowered with external and internal energies, but obsession with them can be detrimental. Especially as many people seeking psychic power will over focus on the third eye and crown, which will cause mental imbalances. It also makes the overall awakening process more difficult for other reasons, causing emotional imbalances and lack of empathy/understanding towards things outside the personal ego.

It's best to take a balanced approach regardless of path. Focus equally on the 7 main chakras, infuse them with energies. Perhaps focus on one exclusively for a day of the week as an exercise, one per day as much focus and meditative states with it as possible each time. The approach for this, loosely, is just as simple as breathing in and directing the energy to flow to the place you desire. Visualize roots, tendrils, a stream like water, an electrical current... Feel the flow move into you from whatever you're connecting with (Earth is a great one to work with). If you can Ground, you can absorb energy as well. It's the same action, after all.

(\*Black magicians see them as cages, limits imposed upon the body and consciousness. Having been fractured into pieces that can be corroded, consumed and integrated.)

The right hand path sees them as things to be honed and polished, to be worked with to perceive reality through their lense and use them as means to integrate with the Universe as a whole, in a way by becoming a singular chakra at resonance with the ALL (Speculative). This inherent difference in approach is part of what defines the split between Right and Left Hand Paths)

## Afterword

-There. Tis been Refined a touch and a bit added to. There's still... So much that could be placed in though..

And hey, if you've gotten this far maybe you have a question? As long as I'm still editing and adding to this page, I'll take questions and integrate my responses into this as I refine it, until I'm satisfied with what it's become."

-Ashiok

I hope this helped! -Kar