Strategic Sorcery Lesson 1 - Meditation Part 1

STRATEGIC SORCERY LESSON ONE: MEDITATION 1 Those that have taken classes from me in the past will not be at all surprised that the first week’s lesson is devoted to meditation. In each of my books I have stated that if I had to keep only one spiritual practice, meditation would be it. Because of the expectations of a book on magic, I have only included a short meditation called the Gate of Heka in each one so that people would have something to practice before getting into the bulk of the book. Since this course is aimed at those who wish to learn how I actually do things, we will be spending a bit more time on it. There will be a total of three units on meditation throughout the course. Some of my readers have questioned the need for meditation. It is true that you can do magic without meditation. Some point out that many systems of magic do not have any meditational elements to them other than prayer. Others complain that it seems like doing nothing, when most magic is about doing something, and that their time would be better served talking with angels and astral traveling. Since this course is concerned primarily with practical sorcery, it’s a fair question. The reason that meditation is so important in Sorcery is because it is the best way I know of to discover and dwell in the real nature of your mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "The ancestor of every action is a thought." Everything you do in magic follows the mind. Mind drives the chariot of body and spirit. Without intimate knowledge of your own mind you cannot discern the voice of a spirit from your own fantasies. Without the ability to quiet the mind’s chatter, you will never be able to tell your own true will from habits and whims. Without expanding your awareness you will never fully actualize the self, or even realize what the self is. When asked to identify the self, most people’s first reaction is to point to their own body. Is the “self” contained within the skin? Is your body your self? There is almost not a single cell in your body at this moment that you were born with. Every day you take in food that is outside the body, and make it part of the body. Every day you expel things that were in the body outside of it. When you are an adult you are larger than you were at six years old – does that mean you have more self? If you loose an arm in an

accident, do you have less of a self? Of course not. So the body is clearly not the borders of the self. Perhaps the mind is the self? But when we look at the mind we find nothing there that we can identify as the self. What color is the mind? What shape is it? Where does it exist if not in the body? Is the mind synonymous with thoughts? Descartes declared “I think therefore I am”, but does the mere presence of thought really prove the existence of the self? Certainly the thought process is tied to the body. If you have a frontal lobotomy you will not have the same thoughts as if you had not had one. If you take LSD you will not have the same thoughts as if you didn’t take it. If you drink a triple espresso you will not have the same thoughts that you would if you had had chamomile tea. If you drink a Coke, if you eat a salad, etc, this all affects the nature of our thoughts. Following this train of logic, we can say that thoughts may in fact simply be an example of cause and effect – the cause is not necessarily a Self, but could be any number of conditions. Every moment of your existence is informed by countless factors: genetics that you inherited from your parents and ancestors, the way in which you were raised, the friends that you keep, random firing of synapses in the brain, what you had to eat and drink, how you woke up that morning, how much sleep you got, how much money you have, the color of the room that you are in, the television shows that you watch, the pollution in the air, the list could go on forever. This doesn’t even touch on more esoteric factors like past lives, karmic traces, psychic welfare, etc. Nearly every thought we have is not generated by our own consciousness, but by mechanistic reactions to all of these factors. The resultant chatter has been called in many eastern schools "The Monkey Mind". This monkey mind just keeps reacting and reacting leaving no space for real awareness. Gurdjieff likened the situation to being trapped in a prison. Buddha likened the situation to being asleep. If you are going to use Sorcery to improve your life, than you need to start with your own mind. The first duty of the prisoner is to escape. The first duty of the sleeper is to awaken.

Go and read the meditation section in “The Sorcerer’s Secrets” ( TSS) again. The Gate of Heka is a powerful meditation technique. I am going to share a few others below, but before I do, I want to give you a lead in that will help get the mind in the right space. I call it the mirror litany. Simply say this litany before engaging in a meditation practice and it will help keep your mind on track.

THE MIRROR LITANY My mind is like a mirror, Thoughts, emotions, and sensation are like reflections. Whatever the mirror reflects: good or bad, beautiful or ugly, The mirror remains unchanged. I sense my body within the field of my consciousness What can be sensed is not the sensor. I feel my emotions arise and dissipate within the stream of my mind What can be felt is not the feeler. I know my thoughts as they take shape inside the vastness of my awareness What can be known is not the true knower Just as the content of a reflection does not affect the nature of the mirror So too, the contents of my awareness do not affect the primordial nature of mind. I shall not fall into the delusion of mistaking the mirror for its contents Though I possess body, emotions, and thoughts I am not these things. I shall allow them to arise like reflections and rest my awareness in the nature rather than the content of awareness. A

This litany is based both on the traditional pointing out instructions of Dzogchen and Ken Wilbur’s witness litany. Someone experienced at meditation will be able to recite this litany or something like it and just sit in contemplation: a state of practice that is effortlessly open without need of an object for meditation. Those unfamiliar with contemplation, which we

will talk about later in the course, can enter directly into one of the meditations below. The last syllable of the litany is simply the letter A, which should be pronounced as “aaaaaah”. This is called the Unfabricated Sound since you do not have to shape your mouth in any way to say it. Just vibrate the vocal chords. Even used alone it can be a wonderful aid to establishing and maintaining a meditative state.

PHYSICAL POSITION Before we focus the mind we need to take up a physical position. There are oodles of asanas that can be used for meditation, but for our purposes I want to give just three. Whether you choose one of these three or another from another source, you should master your position until you get so comfortable with it that your body actually craves it. When you reach that stage, it will be like getting into a warm bath or lying down after a hard day's work. The position itself signals the mind to start behaving in a certain way. MASTER POSITION: There are many books that will tell you that there is no inherent benefit to sitting on the floor for meditation and that as westerners we are probably better off sitting in a chair. I respectfully disagree. Being a westerner and mastering both, I can tell you that the tripod that is formed by master position or even a full lotus asana is far more stable than a chair. Furthermore the flow of energy through the feet, re-circulates back into the body rather than into the earth, which is fantastic for most meditations. We will talk more about that when we discuss subtle body anatomy next week. This name “master position” is a rough translation of Siddhasana, the yogic asana that is also sometimes called a “half lotus” To sit in master position, simply draw one foot upwards towards the groin as far as is comfortable, than draw the other foot up and rest it on the thigh of the inner leg. If you cannot manage this, you can rest the outer leg on

the ground in front of the inner leg. This position is greatly improved by lifting the buttocks over the knees, which can be accomplished with a cushion such as a zafu or sitting on an incline such as a hill in your local park. Your back should be relatively straight. To accomplish this reach upwards and then lower your arms without relaxing your spine. This will straighten out the back. If you then tuck the chin just slightly, you will feel that last little bit of spine near head straighten out. Those sensitive to the flow of energy may feel a sudden opening of the central channel simply by sitting this way. The eyes can be closed for most meditations, but if you have an overactive imagination (or scrying ability) it is best to keep the eyes relaxed – neither open or closed. The tip of the tongue should touch the top of the mouth either at the front behind the teeth, or further up on the hard and soft pallets. These are points that connect important circuits of energy in the body and will again aid the free flow of awareness. Lastly, the hands can be placed either 1. palms down on the knees 2. on the knees, palms up with the thumbs and index fingers touching, or 3. in the lap with both palms facing up, right on top of left with thumbs touching. Each of these also form connections that effect awareness differently. Experiment with each and see what results chance. If you need a visual for the legs, you can google Siddhasana and look at a diagram like this one: http://lib.ru/URIKOVA/SANTEM/SVATMARAMA/fig8.gif With persistence this is a wonderful position to adopt when doing any kind of formal meditation. THRONE: Though the floor is preferred, in the west we more often find ourselves sitting in chairs. If you want to meditate in your cubicle at work, or sitting on a bus, you should master meditation in a chair. Also if you have a health condition that makes sitting on the floor uncomfortable, you should stick to the chair. Though any position will present its pains from

prolonged sitting, I don’t want anyone exacerbating a physical condition in the name of mastering a position. To meditate in a chair, you can either place your feet firmly on the ground or, if the chair is low, cross your legs and rest the feet gently. Keep the back, eyes, tongue, and hands exactly as in the half lotus. Be sure to keep the back as straight as possible while being comfortable in the seat. PILLAR: If you are going to follow a short meditation with a ritual that involves movement than standing is better than either the throne or the half lotus. This position is deceptively simple to perform, and from the outside looks like someone is just standing or perhaps getting ready to break into a martial arts routine. Stand with the feet a shoulder width apart, point the feet either straight forward or slightly inward. Tuck the buttocks in slightly so that the center of gravity is directly between the feet. Reach upwards to straighten the spine and then let it rest on top of the pelvis. Don’t forget to tuck the chin slightly. You should feel as if your legs, pelvis, torso, and head are all stacked on top of one another like a snowman’s orbs. Let the arms hang straight at the sides. Hold the eyes, and tongue as in the half lotus. If you have the strength to do it, you can bend the knees and elbows slightly. If you manage to stand this way for some time, you will automatically feel your energy sink into the earth, and the energy of the earth rise within you. The pose is quite solid, and an excellent position to master for many types of magick.

MENTAL FOCUS The actual process of meditation is strikingly simple: focus on one thing and one thing only, allow the mind to become still as you meditate. Like a lake that has been agitated by a storm, the waters of the mind are cloudy with dirt and debris. If you calm the mind by focusing on one thing, the waters still and becomes clear as crystal effortlessly.

The object of meditation actually doesn’t matter much. I recommend the breath most simply because we all breathe all the time. By meditating on breath you are linking your clarity to a continuous process. Later when we learn to control the breath for practical sorcery and effect mental states, you will be all the better for it. Also it is the easiest way to meditate in public without making a big show of repeating a mantra or staring at a funky mandala or statue. To actually meditate on the breath you can follow the instructions for the “Gate of Heka” meditation in my books, which focuses on the point in between the breaths, or you can simply allow yourself to follow the breath with your mind. Don’t stalk the breath like a cat watching a mouse, simply flow with the breath in and out, as if you are the breath itself passing in and out of a body that you possess. The past is a memory, the future is a projection, and the present disappears before it can be grasped. Be in the breath with no thought to any of these. You should also try meditating on a mantra. You focus your mind in the same way: simply feeling as if you are the mantra itself being spoken by the body. Some teachings say that the words themselves don’t matter, but I disagree. Certain phrases throughout time have been thought to elevate, clear, or deepen the awareness. You can research and choose a mantra of your choice or choose one of these that are listed according to source: Buddhist: Hindu: Christian:

Islam: Gnostic: Hekatean:

OM MANI PADME HUM or OM AH HUM OM NAMA SHIVAYA MARANATHA or even perhaps even the Julian or Norwich’s ALL SHALL BE WELL AND ALL SHALL BE WELL AND ALL MANNER OF THINGS SHALL BE WELL LA ILA HA ILLA ALLAH IAO or the permutations: IAO AIO IOA AOI OIA OAI IO HEKA IO HO (from my own Hekate Grimoire yet to be published)

If you don’t mind repeating something longer than a few syllables, than I invite you to use the Song of the Serpent. This Mantra or Chant is very

potent both in terms of a platform to clear the mind, and also to build power in the body. It will come up again in the course, and I highly recommend using it. HO OPHIS HO ARCHAIOS Oh Ancient Serpent HO DRAKON HO MEGAS Oh Great Dragon HO EN KAI, HO ON KAI Who was and who is HO ZON TOUS AIONAS Throughout the Aions META TOU PNEUMATOS SOU! Be thou with our spirit. Whatever mantra you use, you should rest your mind in the sound and let it fill your whole being. The words will at a certain point become irrelevant and I welcome you to use whatever you like as a mantra. You can also meditate on a visual object. Again, some say that it doesn’t matter, and indeed I can attest to the fact that I have had great meditations while staring at pebbles in the street. However, if you choose something that is meaningful and relates to the nature of clarity and mind than it will have some extra impact. Mirrors can make a good focus, as long as you don’t get caught up in the appearance on the surface. A representation of the letter A, the unfabricated sound, is also a great focus. My favorite object is a simple white dot on a dark blue or black background. You can also choose various mandalas such as the Sri Yantra, but I warn you not to get to caught up in the design. The idea is to clear the mind, not trip out on a funky image. In all these cases, you must rest your mind in the object of meditation. Allow thoughts to arise and dissipate naturally within the mind. Do not attach to these. When you become distracted simply go back to the meditation without judgment. Rest effortlessly in the nature of mind.

DEALING WITH DISTRACTION

The lack of effort is actually one of the hardest things to grasp about meditation. I meet people all the time who claim to be bad at meditation. Many even claim that they can’t meditate. They tell me that they tried in the past and couldn’t “get there” or “clear their minds”. They would like to meditate, but they just suck at it. I have good news: You cannot be bad at meditation. Barring serious mental illness, everyone can meditate. The problem can be summed up as expectation and tenacity. The expectation of what is supposed to occur in meditation is often a lot grander than what actually happens. People expect that they will sit down; the mind will quickly quiet and stay perfectly still for the length of the session. They will feel a calming peace that they have never felt before and be at one with everything. Needless to say, these expectations are unrealistic, especially when the subject is willing to give all of three sessions worth of effort towards the goal before declaring that they cannot meditate. This lack of tenacity is even worse than the unrealistic expectation. The first thing to do when undertaking meditation is abandon any lust of result. You should expect to be distracted almost constantly. In fact, if you are keeping a regular practice of meditating every day, you should expect nothing but distraction for almost six months! You sit and focus on breath, or mantra, or object, or whatever and a thought of food arises in the mindstream. You start thinking about dinner. Which gets you thinking about the time, and how much time as passed so far. You realize that you have lost focus… This is the crucial moment. When you recognize that you are distracted the natural reaction is to berate yourself because you stopped meditating. The secret is this: you did not stop meditating. You recognized your distraction: that IS meditation. If you can than return to the focus without judgment you will continue to meditate properly. If you willingly continue to be distracted knowing that you are distracted; now you have stopped meditating.

Some distractions are more insidious than others. A problem for magicians, witches, and psychics is that distractions often arise in the form of visions. If you are meditating and trying to experience the real nature of mind that is beyond subject and object, than even visions of your patron god or goddess need to be set aside as distractions. This is the meaning of the Buddhist axiom: “If you see a Buddha on the Road than Kill him”. If you spend your whole life experiencing nothing in your meditation sessions other than being distracted and returning to the focus of the meditation, you will have accomplished quite a lot. You will master your own thought process. I cannot stress enough what a wonderful feat this is. Almost everything that people do, say, and think is just a mechanical reaction. How you were raised, what you ate for breakfast, what traffic was like, what genes you inherited, how you are dressed, these all impact every moment and push us one way or the other. If you can recognize the mind being distracted by habitual pattern in meditation, you will learn to recognize these patterns in the heat of everyday life. The next time someone pushes your buttons and you start to react, you will probably catch yourself and be able to react from a place of real thought rather than habit, because you know how to recognize attachment and distraction. Good job! Of course, most people will eventually experience more than just this process during the course of their meditative journey. You may see visions, you may feel bliss, you may feel the barriers of the self melt away. All of this is what Tibetans call Nyams, which I translate as: weird shit that happens during meditation. None of it is as important as the process of recognizing distraction. Eventually, with practice, you will probably experience some genuine subtle states described in classical texts like Rigpa or Samadhi, but these come with time, and must not be sought after directly. Even if you do not experience these states, you will have accomplished much just by taking a little bit of control over your own mind. If you can, you should meditate a bit every morning and evening, 15 to 20 minutes is great. Linking the two sessions together with small 5 to 10 minute sessions when you have the opportunity will help increase your success and blend your natural clarity with your ordinary living levels of

awareness. I meditate in parking lots, in bathrooms, in parks, wherever I can get a moment to myself. Just remember that you cannot be bad at it. If the point is to get distracted and recognize distraction, what is there to be bad at? Work on this for now, and in a few months we will be getting deeper into the subject. Next week: THE SUBTLE BODY