When Magic Does Not Work

Every magician has occasions in which the magic s/he is directing does not seem to work. The desired result, whether internal or external, does not come into manifestation. These occasions are opportunities for greater development in the magical arts, and by working through the disappointment and discouragement, s/he can reach greater self-knowledge and technical expertise in the Art.

I believe that magic always works. Magic is a tool, a reality shaper. Like any tool, however, its ability is limited to the operator's knowledge and skill. For an illustration, let's use the bow and arrow. Your intention is the arrow and your magical technique for directing that intention is the bow. You use the technique to poise, balance and guide the arrow with the strength of your determination and will.

What happens when this all works together optimally? The will firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon the technique, you gather your emotional and mental force, and then fire the intention into the invisible world to be made manifest. In its own time and way, your wish materializes.

Conversely, if you haven't got the skill to bring all of these efforts together, things can go askew. Your arrow can veer and stray, or it may travel a few feet before losing power. Your bow ca n break, or not be strong enough to propel the arrow. Or, you may find that you've got your bow and arrow ready to use, but you haven't got sufficient strength to manipulate it.

I offer the following meditation process for those times when it seems that your magic doesn't work. When you've tried all the techniques, when you've gotten no results, when you're wondering if any of this matters at all, the process in this meditation can produce miracles and create a sense of completion. You can read the script into a tape, or have a friend lead you through it.

River Of Life Mediation

Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be completely quiet...relax...allow your thoughts now to just come and go...come and go...and take a deep breath in and hold it...(pause)...now gather up the tension in your body, and release it as you exhale...take another deep breath, and as you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or thoughts you may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in new possibilities...and allow your body to fill with lightness...feel it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax more and more...relaxing deeply...going deeper...feeling very light now...so light you could almost float away..........

And as you relax, imagine a beautiful coloured mist is swirling up around you, billowing up around you into a cushiony, soft, cloud of energy...and you are resting completely upon this cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe in and out, let your thoughts just come and go...relaxing more and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up into the air and carries your down into your own inner world...down between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of timeless beauty and infinite possibilities...floating down now, going deeper and deeper, leaving the outer world and its concerns far behind, as you drift and float on this beautiful cloud....going further and further...down below you is a rock, a giant rock...and the cloud gently and effortlessly lands upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud swirls back into a mist and disappears for now.........

Stand upon this rock now, and feel the strength of it under your feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flowing as far as you can see...seeming to come from some infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite place...a flowing, endless river of energy...this is the river of all life waters...all of life draws upon the life-force that moves through its steaming currents...look closely at the water...what colour is it? it may look like liquid light to you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its channels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and fragrance...and bend down and cup your hands in the living water, and splash some of it on your face... feel the life giving force on your skin...take a sip of the water...allow the river of life to nourish you........

Now relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your mind the magical intention that never seemed to go anywhere...what were you trying to accomplish?...what was the basic intention you had?...what was the emotion behind the intention?...feel the energy of that emotion moving onto the palms of your hands now... feel the energy glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that you're still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now shimmering, glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this sphere to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the sphere...whatever you see is fine..........

When your sphere is completely filled with the last of your desire, emotion, and intention, hold it aloft...feel the power of it in you hands, a globe of power that you can now release...and look out into the river of life...watch as its currents of possibility flow for ever and ever, as far as you can see...and whenever you're ready, with as much and as little force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere into the river...and give this intention to the life force of this great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and gradually disappears into the current...........

Take a deep breath...as the sphere disappears the last of your intention and emotion and desire merges with the source of all life, from which it originally came...and leaves you........

Now complete any business here that you need to finish...take a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of life, and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into your life too..........

Take another deep breath, and notice that coloured mist is once again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you to form a beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted up into the air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud you are returning the way you came...lifting up up through time and space, coming back from the inner world...coming up... further and further... floating and drifting back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your body now, into this room...bringing your attention completely back into this time and place...take a deep breath and begin to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and when you're ready, count to three..., and on the count of three open your eyes, and return feeling relaxed, alert and at peace.

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