Cross of Obligation

I found myself in Bakersfield again this weekend. The Druid asked me to provide the divination for the Samhain rite he and his bride performed. I did the divination. One person said my words were 'inspirational'. Another asked if I could possibly be any more creepy. What can I say? It was Samhain. So, I used words like death, sacrifice and murderer. Some people just can't feel the love.

While I hope I provided some benefit to the community, it turned out I was not there for the public rite. I was in town to perform one tarot reading for a priestess to be.

My time in Bako, as I call it, revolves around a lot of friends. I care for these people. However, my calling to the place is not of my doing. It is giving back. It is the beginning of my suffering on the cross of obligation. The suffering at this point is really the expense, the driving, the train rides. I enjoy what I am offering to the community. I enjoy serving in this manner. It won't always be this way. Heavier responsibilities are in the wind. Maybe those will entail more intense pains. I don't know. I won't run from those responsibilities but I'm not running towards them either.

The time to bear the cross is nigh. It is my hope to do so in joy and love. I am not deluded into thinking that will always be within my ability. We serve only to the point we are able.

I was nice to be thanked today for what I am offering to the community. The thank you did not come from a place of criticism of the locals. It was gratitude for what I add to the mix.

The term suffering on the cross of obligation my seem like it is all giving and no receiving. That may be true but not so far.

First and Second

I haven't been posting much for two reasons. One is that my back took a very bad turn. It hasn't been this bad for this long in quite some time. I am on the mend now. The other reason is that everything sounds trite. I have nothing much to say.

I had one thought that I wrote five paragraphs on and then trashed. It involved this.

Some people get irritated when folks read "do what thy wilt is the whole of the law" and stop there without ever trying to incorporate "love is the law. Love under Will." They read the first and fail to read or try to understand the rest of the lesson. Same is true for this one.

"It is all in your head. You just don't realize how big your head is."

Edit: After posting I realized I have posted a lot. They are just getting shorter and shorter.

A Crack in the Sky

Something is happening within my very thoughts or when I'm exposed to any images of magick. I'm watching The Missing now. There is a scene of Native American magick and counter magick that was very well done, to my inexpert eye.

The something is a feeling, a sight, a sense of place. The  place is in between. It is quiet. Powerful. The place is where one prays and those prayers live. It is a place where words of power flow free and strike like sledgehammers or softly beat like butterfly's wings. The very idea of the place makes me drunk with magick. There is an undercurrent of danger here.

I like this place. I like being here but it isn't a matter of like. It is a matter of is, what was, and what will be.

Another Form of Dead Psychic

Recently, I posted about the "unreadable one." I mentioned that I knew from the moment I saw her that I should take a pass but I didn't. This is akin to my Dead Psychic ability. Those really long time readers may remember me saying that I have had bouts of psychic awareness. I'd 'know' the phone was going to ring and who was calling a split second before it rang. If I had equivalent warning of someone about to shoot me in the back of the head, I'd be dead. Hence, my labeling the phenomenon as Dead Psychic Events (DPEs).

This is similar to that. I know to duck, weave, bob, and get out of the way but I don't trust guy fast enough to act on it. I have a new friend that keeps telling me to trust my gut and act on those instincts.This person may be a pointing me in the right direction.

Memories

Over the last several months, I've begun remembering incidents from my childhood. There has been nothing negative, with one exception. That exception is an odd little story that would most likely bore you without cause. I'm not fully sure what this means. It could have something to do with Chesed as that is the realm of memory. Though, I've always seen that as a different sort of memory. Of course, these things happen on various levels. I thought this interesting enough to note but I'm not sure what significance this may have.

Joy of Joys

My Introductory Qabalistic Tarot class was a great success today. This was the third iteration of the same intro class. I did several to get enough people to a monthly gig. The first two went well. This third one was a home run. There was a great connection with the people there. They were so excited to be exposed to new ideas. That made it so much fun. I had a great time.

There are some students that listen with respect and they are respected. There are some that wrestle things out of your words that you never thought of. They are admired. There are those that do not hear your words. They seek out other things. There are those that are so excited to learn and and explore. They are a joy.

Some Healing

My back problems have been horrific the last few weeks. My friend the Druid did a little laying of hands on my back this morning. This was not a massage but just a magickal act. I could feel the muscles relaxing under his touch. More importantly, something else happened. Long time readers will remember when the Helpful Deity first helped me with my obsession. HD showed me how to remove this astral goo that encapsulated the obsession. I will be the first to admit it isn't all the way gone. The feelings are not as frequent. I can let go faster but they are still a weekly challenge. This is a huge improvement over an hourly challenge.

So what does that have to do with my back?

Earlier this weekend, I was hurting bad. I did the Friday night class and stood up to realize the pain was gone. After that realization, it slowly came back. This let me to the idea that I have to forget I am in pain. So, using the sigil of Jupiter I asked that I forget my pain. No ritual was involved.

When the Druid was working on me today, I suddenly 'saw' all this astral goo get ejected from my head onto the floor as my muscles relaxed. I shoved it outside to let the earth absorb it. I wasn't going to leave a puddle of goo in his spare bedroom. That would have been rude. (snicker)

Did this help? Not one damn bit. I was in so much pain during the drive home that my leg was getting numb. However, this may be the start of a longer term healing project.I may have a body full of such goo. Time to explore!

Disappointment

Something disappointing happened this weekend. It did make me feel sad. However, I was amongst such loving friends that all turned out quite well. I am so very grateful to my Bakersfield peeps. It is good to be loved.

Silly Mortals - We Are All Nuts

A comment on another blog made me think of this.

During a ritual with my former coven, I had to restrain myself from cracking up. I was struck with the absurdity of the things we were doing to get in contact with the gods. This should not be taken as an insult to anyone's tradition or magickal practices. We do this ritual or that. We pick candle colors. We 'vibrate'. We drum. We whatever. Step back and look it at sometime. Look at the actions and then the goal. It is funny.

I have had the same feeling overcome me in GD rituals in full god form. Silly mortals. You are so young. Children, you are playing insignificant games. You think you're playing with dangerous matches but in reality...

Yes, someday I will post about how every detail is totally important. It is and will be. That doesn't make it less silly. That doesn't make it less funny.

Simple Confidence

I've worked hard on this magick stuff for many years. With the possible exception of flipping the tarot cards, I am not a natural talent, unless one calls persistence a talent.

The first steps of Golden Dawn style training interweave two concepts. One of them, is a particular view of the continual unfolding of creation as represented by the Tree of Life. I think of this as a spiritual fractal. The other is a slow self-purification. I've learned enough of the Tree to be proficient. I've done enough of the purification to be satisfied, at the moment.

During my Golden Dawn career, I constantly wondered, "Am I doing this right?" I would also question my perceptions constantly and beat myself up over my personal flaws. I kept wanting to turn up the heat to burn them away. And now, I'm perfect.

Kidding, of course.

Those thoughts do not plague me anymore. Mostly, I'm pleased with myself. I am not perfect but who is? I am confident when I go into ritual. I'm not perfect there either but my magick is very effective. My card reading is very accurate when I am one-on-one with the querent. I listen more and talk less. Those are good things.

Something else has happened. Something more subtle. I can get to the other worlds quite quickly. I can target a location and be there. Frankly, that is cool. I've always wanted to be able to do that. That isn't it though.

I am a direct guy. I say what I think whether it is popular or not. I will argue with you and hold an opinion until you prove me wrong and sometimes I will keep going. My magick is just as direct, just as pointed. At least it always has been. Now, it is subtle in comparison. I'm explaining this poorly. I don't have the correct words to communicate this. It has gone from pushing energy to holding a conversation through a tarot card. It has moved from hard ritual to sitting and doing what? active meditation? active contemplation? By this I mean I'm as focused as a meditation but not completely passive. I am passive most of the time, a witness. Yet, I move things occasionally to make them work.

Regardless, it is different, softer, more 'in tune'. It is working with not at some goal. I know what I do worked and was real on the same level I know that I just took a sip of soda. My magick may be changing from fiery to watery or maybe I'm just learning the watery bits.

Whatever this stage of the work is, and those are almost always better explained in retrospect, I like it.

Helpful Deity and Responses to the Tarot Reading Post

 Helpful Deity

Last night, my working partner and I called on the Helpful Deity. During the meditation, I saw lots of spinning spoked wheels. In the Chaldean oracles the Teletarchs, Synochs and Ingyes are described as wheels. Though, I felt no power from them. There was only a visual. Also during the meditation, the HD told me that it would be difficult this time but it wouldn't be my fault.

When we called, I could tell HD responded to my improvised but much less poetic chant. Certain words really drew the HD. Yet, HD manifested as whisper on the wind. It was very ephemeral. Occasionally, she landed hard within me and then drifted away. I was able to speak in Its words but if someone was more than 3 feet away they would have never heard a thing.

The problem in the manifestation was my partner. There was a lesson in it for her. This is not a problem. That is what we do magick for. My partner has displayed such courage in this work. I know she will learn whatever her lesson is.

"Unreadable One"

The Tarot Reading Post resulted in some questions regarding the unreadable one. The questions were basically about the querent. What would make her unreadable? What signs did I see that would indicate she would be trouble?

For me this was a lesson in confidence. The moment I saw her, I knew I should have said no. It is important to listen to one's instincts in magick. I knew to say no but ignored that. Secondly, I did get several individual cards correct. I could not yield a good picture though.

Her body posture was very rigid, her face severe. She obviously didn't want to be read. One of the other readers did "get her." She described her has having bruha energy. Though not as a bruha. Knowing that, I suppose I could have tapped her through the earth but what is the point? I have nothing to prove and if she didn't want to be read, why should I make the effort?

More Reading?

I have been asked to appear at the Cottage on a regular basis. However, my real job would interfere with that as they want me for weekday slots. I love doing it. If they had a couple of weekend a month, I'd do that in a heartbeat as a regular gig.

Psychic Fair Tarot Reading

When I was new to things, the very idea of a psychic fair gave me the shivers. I thought they were embarrassing. Aura photos? Really? Something has changed. Now, I really don't care what you're into. If you find either value to it or just plain fun, who am I to argue? A little while back the Druid mentioned that the Enchanted Cottage in Bakersfield was planning a Psychic Fair. I asked him to hook me up as a card reader.

I can say it was a fascinating experience. One of the people I read for was a business woman with the most 'alive' eyes that I've ever seen. She had such youth and vitality that it was a pleasure reading for her. Others were very aware of the issues in their own lives that I was pointing out. I like self-aware people. Another was a gorgeous young lady that had obviously done some strong spiritual work in her life.

On the positive side, I was able to tell someone the name of her coworker in a certain situation. On the negative side, I ran into such a brick wall with one client that I returned her money. There was nothing there. Nada. I turns out I am not the only one that has given money back to her.

The real lesson was dealing with such diverse psychic input. When I read I don't just flop cards down. I pray to deities (yes more than one) for specific purposes. I also open a channel between myself and the querent. I dealt with a couple of very balanced personalities, one that was very airy, another that was a pool of troubled waters, some earthy folks. While I didn't encounter anyone fiery, I did have a reading that had 8 fire cards of 10.

This created some psychic disturbance within. I pulled up a lot of energy from the earth (thanks Jason) to balance somethings out but it was still difficult. Next time, I will make more of an effort to close off gateways more firmly and pull that earth energy before I need it.

Visit Me in Bakersfield, California on Saturday

I will be doing tarot readings at the Enchanted Cottage all day! Click on the link for phone number and address.

The Leo Reveals the Tree

Some time ago, I posted about finding an astral place of my own. Many a mage will tell you to build astral temples. They are right. You can learn a lot in the building. You can learn a lot from within.

I didn't post where this place once because I am a Leo and a touch paranoid. It takes me a while to become comfortable. I am also a bit arrogant and a bit self-depreciating. I'm a freaking Leo. I thought I'd be viewed as arrogant for claiming such a place. Screw that. Where is the astral place I found of my own? On the path of Teth between Chesed and Geburah on the tree. I'm sure this was in the tree of Assiah but it feels awfully high up. The powers I was exposed to where awful too. A-W-E-F-U-L-L. I felt torn between Jupiter and Mars. I felt torn apart by two great magnets. I was in between. Then I understood.

The path of Teth is the path of Leo.

I understood my personality so much. There was Mars. Aggressive. Unforgiving. Severe. There was Jupiter. Expanding. Healing. Merciful. This is me. Verbally harsh, direct, sometimes insightful with a precision that frightens people straight into denial and anger. Sometimes nothing but full-o-shit verbal aggression. I am also prone to acts of extreme mercy, generosity and kindness. I'm quieter about those things. I am a Leo. My job is to reconcile these two titanic forces for they play out with the persistence of the Sun. Sol. Ever-burning.

This experience has born fruit.

My tarot class is about simplifying the cards. Each suit of the minor arcana is revealed to be the result of only one idea. The rest of the cards in the suit are just variations of that idea. Many will read that and deem me full of shit. So be it. My qabala is not their qabala. I will give them their complicated systems.

Today, it dawned on me that these paths are the tree are all subject to the titanic forces unleashed by the sephiro that create them. Every path lay between two sephiro. That interplay of major forces can explain those paths in a simple form. Given the simple form can not capture all the subtleties of an astrological sign but I think it can reveal the underlying dynamic. With this idea I immediately understood the conflicts I had with my former coven. Combine Leo with the predominant astrological sign in that group and the conflict is obvious.Furthermore, I understanding a lot of the underlying structure of the tarot cards or so I think. I have a lot of work to do to flush this out but I have my key.

I'm excited about picking this idea apart. Once I am done, I may sell it as an e-paper here after throwing out a few tidbits to see whose appetite I can wet. This will be another in my lists of projects.

My last post resulted in some interesting commentary:

S.L. Aeris - click on the email link to the left of the website and send me an email.

Amethyst - I have a list called Robert's Rules of Magick. I have one for my personal work and group work. I have started writing some of these realizations in those books with the rule of consistent reviewing to makes sure they stick. So, in true Leo fashion I can say, I'm way ahead of you.

Getting My Ass Kicked

If you do this work long enough, you come to appreciate a good ass kicking. After all, who doesn't deserve a clue by four to the head once in a while?

This time I was talking to my friend Jackie. I made the point that humans are so multi-dimensional that we often don't see other aspects of folks with think we know. She said that even worse there are parts of ourselves we refuse to see. So, and not without some trepidation, I asked her what I refuse to see in myself. I expected some negative comment. I knew that she wouldn't duck. Then she hit me with this.

"I think that you are harder on yourself than anyone else.  but, I think you know that. I rarely see you cut yourself any slack...you've done some pretty damn awesome things, and you should take some time to realize it."

She then pointed out that I talk to angels. HELLO? Yeah, that is awesome. She then went on and listed some other things that are indeed pretty cool. I expected to get my ass kicked and instead, I was told that I ignore the positive in myself and then had to deal with a list of things that are great. I under value these things.

One of the items that she mentioned, I will not mention here because it is a trait that pisses off others and most would like it if I didn't have that trait. However, my mentor has that too. The difference is in the externalization of that trait and how it is communicated. 

This is typical Leo behavior. Confident externally and beating oneself up internally, fighting the extremes of the ego. Maybe I need to give myself some credit once in a while and the occasional break.

I don't value friends that refuse to have the difficult conversations when they are needed. It displays a lack of trust. I need to learn to value the friends that also point out the positive when I need to hear it.

An Astral Vision and a New Response

Saturday morning, I "woke up" within a dream or I was awake and had a vision to real enough to be viewed as an astral dream. Which it was doesn't really matter. Heck, the vision has no meaning at this point and that is what matters.

The vision was two bull's heads flying across the sky towards the south. They were just heads, no wings. The heads were followed by two or three birds. The heads were like rough drawn art very much like Wang's Golden Dawn Tarot Deck.

This is the second astral vision that reminded me of the Wang deck. I don't use that deck. Maybe I should start. Regardless, what struck me about this vision is that I did virtually nothing. I assigned no meaning to it all rather than noting it down. If there is a meaning, it will become clear in time.

Title Versus Ability

Jason posted under the same title here and makes excellent points. I will let you read his statements on your own.

Basically, this is about the on-line wars and name calling between those of various traditions or various initiatory statuses versus the eclectic or sole practitioner that has not been trained within a tradition but calls themselves by names and titles that make it look like they have been.

I've participated in both sides of this argument. Frankly, the argument is misleading. This argument falls into my theory of true lies (aka Robert's poison logic). The argument goes like this. "We" are [insert initiatory tradition here]. We've been through hell and back. We have marks placed on our aura's that can be seen by those with the sight. We've ripped our hearts out for [insert God/Goddess name here]. We've earned our names/titles. These people have no idea what it means to be [insert trad here]" These are true statements.

The other side says, "My spirituality is just as valid as anyone else's.  I've officiated public circles for years. I've formed groups. I have taught. How dare you say I can't call myself high priestess?" These are true statements.

The third side says, "I've read a book once, why can't I call my self high priestess?" This is um er well, um, that is, errrrr, okay, true to the speaker.

These true statements hide something else.

The Nature of the Real Problem

The problem isn't what it seems. Every side of this sees the other side as arrogant. This pretty much makes everyone correct but that isn't the real the real problem. The real problem is ignorance.

I spend a lot of time in Bakersfield, CA. They have a wonderful little community there. Everyone appears to be very respectful of everyone else. There are a lot of public working groups, eclectic covens and the like. However, I haven't seem much in the way of initiatory traditions there but there are a few Golden Dawn members. One of them went through some spectacular and public initiatory issues. As that was hashed out, others gained a bit of an understanding on the trials initiatory groups go through. As more of this happens over time, the Bakersfield folks will become more cognizant of the differences in types of practices. Unless someone goes all "trad" on them, they'll gain a level of respect for what various initiatory groups go through.

On the other hand, it is up the initiatory groups to learn what the eclectics and solitaries go through. Those paths are not without their bumps and bruises. This is especially true for their leadership. Magick always takes it toll. There are always lessons to be learned.

If we take some time to learn about each other and respect the various spiritual 'specialties' of the trads as well as respect the service provided to the gods by the devotionals, eclectics and witches of various stripes, we will all get along much better. This will afford us the opportunity to grow in accordance with our natures rather than spend energy on this useless topic.

Gift From a Demon

Over the years, there has been a lot of chatter amongst the bloggers regarding the spirits listed in the book commonly known as the Goetia. It has been repeatedly pointed out that they will bite you in the ass, while in strict accordance with the confines of the agreement made. They take delight in such things. I have made such claims and still hold to them as factual in my experience.

I have one such spirit guarding my house. He's been heard audibly by non-magick users when someone is about to so something against the agreement I've made with him. He's kept at least one person with ill intent from entering my house. It was a repair guy that came to the door. My Gal was home alone. She opened the door he displayed a fearful expression and declined to enter the house. He simply went in the backyard and did the work he was hired to do.

The same spirit messed with My Gal's life after we broke up. I gave her my old car which she had kept running using the services of my demon. Given she and the vehicle were no longer part of my household, the spirit had a field day making her life miserable and me a bit poorer.

Some time ago, I had a roof leak. Damage was done to the ceiling. The repair folks explained they'd have to remove all the popcorn off the ceiling and then put it back up. Otherwise, the patch would be obvious. They weren't pulling my chain. It was all paid for by insurance. Uncharacteristically, I asked how much it would cost to create a textured ceiling. They told me. Uncharacteristically, I agreed to pay the mid three-digit bill. I had to pay 50% up front and 50% when done.

Oddly, the payments were spread out perfectly to hit two different pay checks. Without making a conscious effort, I spent very little during this period. So, I didn't go into debt or diminish my savings. I love the new ceiling. As I stood there admiring it, I heard, "You're welcome" from my guardian. I had asked him nothing except to keep the repair folks honest and to make sure they did a good job.

I am pretty sure the guardian manipulated me a bit to improve my and 'his' house. No harm. No foul. No debt. This is my kind of home improvement.

Is Magick Hard?

RO posted this about the difficulties of manifesting magick. In that post, he has some great lines.


It goes from the Idea-world to the Form-world, and takes on layers under the careful administration of vast powers and principalities. By the time a thing manifests, it's been influenced by the Intelligences and Spirits of 12 constellations, 7 planets, and 4 elements. They've got power and wisdom and skill in making things happen you just can't have. You're not old enough. They know the recipes for grass...

Funny and true.

Though, I strongly suspect the following things make magick easier:

1. Having a tried and true system, even if it is purely your own and you made the whole thing up.
2. Having an attitude conducive to your personality
3. Being reasonable in what you are trying to accomplish
4. Following Robert's Rules of Magick (Item 1)

Tried and True System


Magick is not what you think you know. Magick is about what you know so well that it is part of your nature. I can look up which incense is compatible with which deity. If I want to make magick easy I foster a relationship with the deity and skry the incense. If I take it on faith that famous author X wrote this about the deity and the Golden Dawn associated an incense with a particular sephira and I arbitrarily decide the deity belongs to that sephira, the working is going to be pretty hard to manifest. Manifestation will still occur but all that personal uncertainty will have its impact.


On the other hand, I have a personal system for the tarot. It takes almost nothing for me to change my relationship with any human being using the aces.


Attitude and Personality


My personality is one that has pretty rigid rules for acceptable behavior. This doesn't mean that I obey them all the time. I am human. For instance, I've had some well publicized disputes on-line. It was revealed to me that one person was concerned that I'd do something magickal in the process. There was no fear on this person's part but s/he was preparing or had at least thought about preparing. However, launching an attack based upon a petty dispute is so far out of range of my personality that I don't think I'd have any impact. I would get in my own way.


Could I put that part of me aside, conjure a spirit, say a prayer or the like? Yes, but putting it aside is work and this is about easy magick.


I have had someone try to get me fired from my job. She hated me at first sight. I didn't even have time to be an asshole before she launched a campaign. It was the easiest thing in the world to set a magickal booby trap. She ended firing herself. I have no problem defending myself.


Improving a relationship with the cards is easy because I do so in accordance with my personality. I can easily believe that my boss wants to like me. My boss wants to help me do a good job. My boss wants me to like him. Using a tarot card to help manifest such a mutual desire is easy. We do very good work. In part because I took a natural desire and amplified a way of manifesting the result both of us wanted and did so in a way my personality allows easily.


Trying to get someone to fall in love with me using the same technique would be much more difficult. It is outside my range of acceptable behavior and I'd get in my own way.

On the other hand I have an acquaintance that believes it is fun to hurt people, "It will hurt him but it will be fun for us." He sets magickal booby traps on a regular basis. They work. They work because doing harm to random people is within his or her scope of acceptable behavior. Magick is amoral regardless of tradition. It is the personality of the magician that matters. 


Being Reasonable


I do not do magick to make grass grow. I do not do magick to become a movie star. I do not do magick to influence world events. 

I have done a lot of magickal work. I've paid my dues. It is reasonable to do magick to bring that next teacher that can help me achieve that next level. Reasonableness goes out the window if you're doing magick to become the next White House Astrologer, unless you're the Baron.

Robert's Rules of Magick Item 1

All magick is relational.


Want to be rich? You're changing your relationship with money. Want a girl to love you that currently doesn't? You're changing your relationship with her. You want to grow into a more spiritual person? You're changing your relationship to yourself. You want that annoying person at work to stop being so annoying? You're changing a relationship. You want to move? You're changing your relationships with your job, state, city, friends etc.You want to astral project? You are developing a relationship with a skill set.


When you understand the relationships foci, when you understand how the mix of five elements impacts that relationship, it is the easiest thing in the world to do magick to change it.


Failure


My magickal failures are specific. There are aspects of my personality I have failed to change. There are aspect of my health, specifically my back, which while improved, are not perfect.


Those failures are the result of failing in the above. Maybe it is time to revisit those issues in light of this post.

Odd Sensation

Last night, I sat in my null space and meditated. I focused on a mental image of Osiris. This was a very good meditation. I was very focused. I didn't not feel that uplifting astral feeling. Suddenly, I heard a sound like the wall behind me was cracking apart. This caught my attention for only but a moment.

Suddenly there was loud buzz like the hum of an electric transformer. Something touched me and passed very quickly. The sounds stopped. This broke my meditation.

Edit: The sound of the wall breaking up was not one big break. It was more like a crumbling by force. It is hard to judge time in a meditative state. My guess is the sound lasted two minutes or so.

It Finally Happened

Last night, I worked to send a bit of peace to a friend that is having a hard time. I've had strong success doing this as I lay in bed at night. I think I am at an 80% using this technique. I wish I could hit like that in the major leagues.

This time I learned something. I began to write it here. I explained the full technique I use and then the new thing I learned with this one. Then, I hit the delete button. Every fiber of my being said to keep this to myself. Why? I post about everything.

I'm not sure if this is because it is too much of window into my astral work. I'm not sure, if this is some 'big occult secret' that shouldn't be released. Frankly, I don't much believe in the latter but I do believe myself when sensations of warnings wash over me.

Edit: For some reason, this post is really bugging me. 

Raising through the Planes

Last night, I practiced the GD exercise of rising through the plains for the first time. I am not sure why I haven't done this before.

I worked Malkuth. As some of you may know the visualization for Malkuth colors in the queen scale can be a tad difficult because it has four colors citrine, olive, russet and black. Given my visualization skills, which are quite good at this point, this was more difficult than I expected. I had to visualized each slice of the pie separately and then put them together. After that, it was easy sailing.

I don't have time to record all I encountered this morning. However, I thought a couple of items were important.

The first was that at one level my concentration was very strong. It was as if the color pattern or the place itself aided concentration. I plan to experiment with this. At another level, I quite clearly heard voices exactly as I would if the sound was physical. This has happened to me before. Perhaps I have learned the state of consciousness I am in when this happens. If true, it is certainly reachable while participating in consensus reality.