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               The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a  
          bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.   
          The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world  
          and can be useful to all aspiring magicians.  Subscriptions  
          cost $12 per year.  They can be reached at: 
                               Magickal Blend 
                               P.O. Box 11303 
                               San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303 
           
           
                                  WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK 
                                        by Van Ault
           
               Every magician has occasions  in which the magic 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 developement  in the magical  arts, and  by
          working through  the disappointment  and discouragement, 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 operat-
          or'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  bow/technique to
          poise, balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of  
          your arms and hands/ determination and will. 
           
                    What happens when thisall 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 theskill 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 can 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 thefollowing meditationprocess for thosetimes whenit
          seems that your magic doesn't work.  When you've tried all the techni-
          ques, 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. 
           
           
           


                                           1521
          


                        
                                 RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION 
           
                    Find a comfortable placewhere you can relax andbe completely
          quiet...relax...allow your thought snow 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 asyou relax,imagine abeautiful coloredmist is swirlingup
          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 possibilites...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 thisrock now, andfeel the strengthof it underyour
          feet...and  as you turn around, you look out upon a great river...flo-
          wing  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  lifeforce that moves through its  steaming currents...
          look closely at the water...what color 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  chan-
          nels?...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 relaxa moment upon therock...and bring into yourmind 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... 
           


                                           1522
          


                    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 deepbreath... as the spheredisappears the last ofyour
          intention  and emotion and desire merges  with the source of all life,
          from which it orriginally came...and leaves you... 
           
                    Nowcomplete any business herethat you needto finish...take a
          few  moments to  enjoy the  flowing river  of life,and  know that  the
          possibilities it nourishes can bring miracles into you life too... 
           
                    Takeanother deep breath, and notice tha colored 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...brining 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. 
           
                               * * * 
             As always, change any of the wording or images in this  
             meditation if it suits your purpose better.  The  
             important part is just to finally and completely let go  
             of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in  
             whatever form the creative force and your own  
             consciousness will allow.  Out of this release, new  
             lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities  
             are born! 


                                         1523


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