II. DAY TWO: MEDITATION AND VISUALIZATION

    The second day's concentration is on the mental aspects of magick and 
    ritual work, and is mostly in workshop form.  

    A.   Meditation

         Describe meditation as a means of altering your mental state by 
         relaxation and concentration.  Contrast meditation and trance 
         state.  Discuss the use of posture (asana) and paradoxical 
         breathing (pranayama) to attain a meditative state, then do a few 
         quick exercises.  

    B.   Visualization(s)

         Explain the difference between imagining and visualizing, then 
         stress the similarities.  Stress the fact that visualization is 
         something that you will continually get better at - but there is 
         still no "wrong way."  Then lead the students through the 
         following exercises: 

         1.   Grounding and Centering

              Using the seven chakras as steps along the way, guide them to 
              visualize energy being drawn up from the Earth and blown 
              through the tops of their heads (at the crown chakra) in a 
              free-flowing fountain.  Then (if they seem up to it), guide 
              them to mold and direct that energy flow into a circle, then 
              a sphere of blinding white light.  Have them draw the circle 
              back down through their spines until it is returned to the 
              Earth.  

         2.   Contacting Your Magickal Self

              Get them as relaxed as possible and in a deep meditative 
              state, then starting with a visualization of a Safe Place in 
              the forest, lead them to a fairy hill, then through the Maze 
              of the subconscious until they are somewhat lost.  Guide them 
              to a long stairway, then through the door at the top.  Then 
              set the mental setting - that at the doorway they change into 
              a powerful magician, and suddenly all of the tools and 
              symbols in the room are meaningful.  Instruct them to study 
              the tools for a while.  After a minute or two, lead them back 
              out through the maze, then to the clearing, and wake them 
              back up.  

         3.   Aura Reading and Healing

              a.   Diagnosis 

                   Guide them to ground and center (as II.B.1, above), then 
                   stand in front of an evenly-lit white wall.  Have them 
                   open their eyes and stare at a point in the distance 
                   beyond the instructor.  (Note: this will for some of 
                   them be the first time that they'll be channeling power 
                   with their eyes open, so take your time.)  Instruct them 
                   to look for the greyish line around me (that is actually 
                   an optical illusion).  Once they've found it, instruct 
                   them to visualize it being replaced with a wash of 
                   color.  Have them examine it for variations in thickness 
                   or color.  

              b.   Treatment 

                   Point out an ill or sore region on the instructor's 
                   body.  Have them examine it for variations in color or 
                   brilliance.  Pick one student, then have him wrap his 
                   hands in the energy that he's drawing, then "tune" it to 
                   the color of the healthy areas in the aura.  Instruct 
                   him to use his hands as if he were rubbing on oil or 
                   paint to color over the sick area, visualizing the new 
                   color (healthy energy) replacing the older area, and 
                   continue until the color stays changed after he's no 
                   longer touching it or until he gets tired.