A day or two ago, I posted about thought form magick. In that post, I promised to make a list of energy raising techniques. This list is by no means all encompassing. I am sure others will be able to expand this quite easily.
Ecstatic States -- These can be achieved by engaging with everything from dance to flagellation to meditation. The method employed may or may not color the state itself depending upon the various factors of personality and the development of the practitioner. Trance states are included here.
Nearly everything that follows is just a variation of achieving an ecstatic state.
Personal energy -- I hate using the energy� word because one sounds like some New Ager but energy it is. As a ceremonialist, we raise our own energy through different processes, the most common of which is a rite called the middle pillar. Having raised the energy one tries to rise to the highest level of awareness one can (see ecstatic states) and then, either through prayer or technique, endeavor to use that energy. All of these change the practitioner's state of awareness but it can also attract a specific being when the proper technique for that being is employed.
Solomonic -- Those who practice from the ancient grimories tend to work themselves into a lather (for lack of a better phrase) by building themselves to be "God"� as in the Christian All-God. The technique though can be used in a variety of ways to assume the authority of the deity in question. Beware though that you pick one that doesn't mind you doing so. This is basically a specific form of an ecstatic state.
Evocation -- while some wouldn't call this energy raising, I am including it here. The point is calling a spirit to visible appearance and asking it to do something. Whatever that is employs the energy of the spirit which is why I mention it here.
Invocation -- bringing a spirit into oneself for communion, learning, and understanding or to use that ecstatic state and the knowledge/energy of that which is invoked to do the work required.
Chemistry -- this is not a term used in the occult but I use it to describe bringing like natural substances together to create a specific magickal effect.
Alchemy -- much like chemistry but with a much more internal goal in mind and using much more scientific-looking equipment in the process
Institutional -- Another term I have made up in which one joins an energy flow already in progress. This is like hanging around other creative types when one is learning art or writing or music. Just being around the same type of person you want to be helps attune you to the process. Of course, the inverse can be true. Know who you are hanging out with for you will become them and vis versa. To use this properly one must also contribute to the group. All take and no give results in Johnny being ejected from the energy pattern. Besides that, all take and no give is just selfish.
Necromancy -- I've never known anyone that did this. However, it sounds it could be related to vampirism in that energy is taken rather than raised. Necromancers can pull the energy from dead things. Anyone that has touched a compost pile and felt the heat knows that dying and decomposing creates its own type of energy.
Prayer -- prayer is very often eschewed in the pagan world and many feel too Christian doing it. Yet prayer has a long standing pagan history and, in my opinion, is least likely to offend the god of your choice. I've never heard of a god that is upset by being prayed to. However, I'm sure someone will correct me.
Prayer is not only responded to by spirits but can raise one to an ecstatic state. It is also a very kind way to do magick, in my opinion.
A good party! There are lots of gods that enjoy a good time had in their name.
Tap into local spirits, those puppies "know the lay of the land". this may be especially true in small towns with long histories. If you can tap into the underlying force of a small town, you could be a very influential person in local life, should you want to me. Is this energy raising? I could make an argument. I may lose it but I could make it.
Sex -- Yes, getting off alone or with a partner can do it but there is a lot more to sex magick than that. What? I don't know. I'm not into that but it seems obvious to me that this is the grossest form.
Plays -- you can certainly get into a zone as an actor and take your audience into a different state of consciousness. I've heard of one group that has acted out some of Crowley's rites to find the actresses in certain plays end up a bit whacked. So, if it can be done to ill effect, I'm sure it can be done with positive effect.
Until recently, I wouldn't have added meditation. A good proper meditation can raise and/or release a ton of energy.
Anyway, these are just some thoughts. I am no expert on all these techniques. Those of you that know of other techniques are encouraged to add them in the comments section.
I think my advice would be to get to know one or two really well and be done with it.
19 comments:
"Those who practice from the ancient grimoires tend to work themselves into a lather (for lack of a better phrase) by building themselves to be "God"� as in the Christian All-God. The technique though can be used in a variety of ways to assume the authority of the deity in question. Beware though that you pick one that doesn't mind you doing so. This is basically a specific form of an ecstatic state."
Horse SHIT, and you know it.
Um, no it isn't. Take a look at how the Goetia has the magician work himself up and assume the authority of "God".
Perhaps I should have said, "as written in times of yore?"
Very interesting post, Frater.
Energy is such a tricky concept to work around, but there's no working without it....
It's not ecstatic. I'm an ecstatic mystic. I also do ceremonial magic. CM is not ecstatic. The grimoires are not ecstatic. The orations are not about getting "worked up."
No working without it? Nonsense. It's a thoroughly 19th century idea, and many magicians work and have worked without it. You won't find it in Agrippa, I wager, although you might find some symbol that fulfills the same function. And that's the point, of course. But this is a dead horse I'm tired of beating.
If you're the Patrick I think you may be, I'm amazed you'd be reading my ramblings at all!
I am sure the magicians of old didn't have the concept. There was a time people didn't think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, that doesn't mean that pattern didn't exist.
If I get to the astral something 'energy' for lack of a better word, was expended. To be expended, it must come into existence or by transmuted in some way for the desired effect.
That is why I called one method, industrial, and included evocation. Normally, those don't fall into energy models and for good reason. I was using the term as broadly as possible.
oops, Institutional, not industrial
Energy is potential work. It only exists on paper for calculations. There's nothing that can be measured or observed that is "Energy."
You can determine the value of the overall amount of energy in a given system by giving its mass a value relative to the speed of light. But all you end up with is a number that tells you how much power or force will be applied when the energy is released.
Saying you're raising Energy is like saying you're raising volume, or raising length, or raising depth. It means nothing metaphysically or physically.
And ecstatic states don't raise depth, width, or energy. They are a result of the flow of energy in the form of force or power. You've confused the cause and the effect.
Fr. R. O., I wish I had said that.
And Fr. P.O.S., I don't know which Patrick you think I am, but why wouldn't I read your ramblings? They're interesting ramblings. But this energy stuff -- such sloppy, sloppy thinking, and so common among contemporary magicians.
I think you are Patrick Dunn. If you are, you never agreed with a thing I said on the Great Work list. Not that that should stop you. It just surprises me. Most people read folks they generally agree with.
I'm more of an all models type of guy. Use whatever modes of expression you need to in order to communicate the highly subjective thing we call magick.
One of the few statements about magick I don't buy into is that it is ALL pscyhological. Then again, those people that eschew the spiritual and psychological benefits of practice are generally people I don't care for as over all people. though, they can be great magicians in a broad sense of the term.
Patrick, thanks, I think you have before.
That horse isn't going to beat itself.
Yup, I'm that Patrick. If I only read people I agreed with, I'd never learn anything.
I don't think, btw, that magic is only psychological. And I too have no problem moving between models. But you listed a lot of magical activities in which the model of "energy" is actually a cumbersome and unweildy approach. Why bother trying to graft "energy" on to things like evocation or ecstatic practice? Why not regard them with models more suited to them?
I agree with your idea of reading those you disagree with. I was only surprised because actually doing that is very rare.
As far as grafting, no. I listed a ton of things that one can see from that perspective. Not exactly the same thing. For instance, one can call whatever energy an evoked spirit uses to do your bidding as 'raised energy' but you don't actually have to raise energy and give it to him in the way most people think about raising energy.
I thought that energy was existing within everything and everyon . I thought that that was what magic was all about. No??
Energy does exist within everyrhing and everyone but some people need methods of accessing it or making it usable just like we need to electricity from 110 to 220 for some appliances.
As far as "that is what magick is all about" that is too vague for me to understand exactly what you mean.
This post was written a long time ago. I would not write it the same way today.
Can you elaborate more on how you would change it today it was really interesting
Yes. I will create a post on that. I will post the link here as well.
This response is now in my editor's hands.
Here is the promised post:
https://doingmagick.blogspot.com/2016/11/energy-raising-reprise.html
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