What is Magick? - Part 5

This is Part 5, the last in the series of What is Magick. Each Part in this series is an edited version of the entire article found at What is Magick? at Controverscial.com. This article was written and compiled by George Knowles, of whom we are very appreciative. I have divided the original article into sections because of length. You can visit Controverscial.com, a source of good information.

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The Mind

Continued

Visualization:

Is probably the most important aspect of any magickal working. Its what we use to guide and direct the power and energy raised during ritual and while using magick. We all have the ability to visualise, but most people do so randomly. Perhaps when sitting in the car while stuck in a traffic jam, the mind takes flight and begins to wonder? Or when sat in a classroom during a boring lecture, we might start thinking about favourite things, seeing them in our minds eye while the teacher drones on in the background? This is random visualisation.

For use in magick we need to train and control this ability, so that we can see, hold and shape whatever it is we want to see, and then direct our powers and energies towards it. For instance I may want to protect my home from intruders. In which case I would raise personal power while holding an image of the home in my mind, then visualise an energy field encircling the house sealing the doors and windows. Outside the house I may imagine the police apprehending intruders. I then direct my raised power and energise the visualisation, thus bringing it into manifestation and leaving the protection in place to work its magick.

This then is the art of visualisation control, the ability to see in the mind what isn’t there, to hold a non-existent image or happening and shaping it into being what you want it to be. Visualisation is not “the power” or “the energy”, nor does it create it on its own, more that it directs raised power and energy to its final conclusion.

Training:

Visualisation in itself may sound easy and it is while sat in a chair in a relaxed state of mind. But visualising is only part of the process of working magick. The difficult part is to retain your visualisation with your eyes open, stood in the centre of your circle with your hands and mind occupied in manipulating your tools and other tasks. It takes a little training and practise to perfect this technique.

You could start by incorporating a few simple exercises into your daily meditation practise. While still in your relaxed state with your eyes closed, visualise a still object, something familiar to you like an apple, a toothbrush, or something equally simple. Hold the image as long as you can, allow nothing else to interfere, and then let it go. When you can hold the image without interruption for five minutes, try the same exercise but with your eyes open. This is a little harder but practise daily and it will come.

Once you’ve accomplished this, we start again. Visualise the same image, only this time play with it. Turn it around, see it grow or expand, maybe change its colours and textures, or try to see it from different angles. When you can do this, try it again but with your eyes open. As you become more proficient, you might want to incorporate it into your active life, try doing it while occupied with mundane things, like when cooking dinner or washing up afterwards. See how long you can hold the image in your mind’s eye while washing the plates and dishes.

The final exercise is to visualise a non-existent image or something you have never seen before. Use your imagination to create something, something meaningful to you perhaps. I use a silver white unicorn with wings, riding down a sunbeam into a picturesque forest glade. Whatever you use, see it as a real thing in your mind, make it so real you could almost touch and feel it. Hold the image as long as you can, then let it go.

As with the other exercises, we need to be able to see the same image with our eyes open and while occupied with other things. When you can do this, you’re well on your way to using magick.