When I suspect students haven't done assigned reading, I make them record themselves reading it aloud and send it to me. I think they suspect I don't listen to them, but I do (sometimes). Puck has taken to inserting random "dramatic readings" of his writing into them. Here's an excerpt from the very end of last night's homework (which ended with a table of trigonometry formulae) This is a quick transcription, so it's probably not perfect. Audio file at bottom of post.
"[20 minutes of trigonometry]...cos(x+y)=cosxcosy-sinxsiny...these are...oh, I can see the pattern, and sin(x+y)=sinxcosy+sinycosx ..... I got it, I got it, it becomes obvious how these work after a while. [another student in background] "Can you pause it so I can get through..." [brief silence] Thank you for making it this far. Now, as I've finished that, I think I'll continue with a dramatic reading of my novel ... I'm not so great at telling stories, so bear with me I guess. This story was told to me in the form of a long series of nearly incoherent screams by a homeless man who often sits on the front steps of my apartment building. His name was, and still is, Chrio, though he insisted, especially in his sudden fits of shouting, on being called [spooky voice]Krioformus, Bearer of the Ram*[end spooky voice]. I've interpreted him as best I could, between the bits of his sudden storytelling I managed to record on my phone, most of which was nearly impossible to understand...
[I've cut several minutes out here]
...within the wrappings of the coils of the generator that breathes life into the universe, life coagulates into the solidity of consciousness. Bread is not the stuff of life; water is life, and bread its complexity and purpose. Within the gluten of the bread we find stories, pieces of inspiration that allow us to bend the iron bars of reality's cage and escape, for but a moment. Bread is more than the sum of its ingredients, and so are people. That makes you unique..."
a Kriophorus statue from the Acropolis
*Kriophorus is an ancient epithet for Hermes, often translated as "The Good Shepherd", but meaning, more literally, "who Carries the Ram". It's particularly associated with Hermes in Arcadia (his birthplace) and denotes his role in carrying the "essence" of burnt offerings from Earth to the Heavens. It's the origin of the association between Hermes and the angel Sandalphon, who is often describes as plaiting the prayers of the faithful into wreathes and delivering them to the Almighty.
The Thunder, Perfect Mind is a gnostic poem from the Nag Hammadi corpus. Since the first time I read it in my early 20s, I've always been very drawn to it. For me, it's most closely associated with Shekhina-El. (the presence above you in the LBRP or B'Shem Hashem). I wrote a little about B'shem Hashem here. There's also a link to a recording of Neshama Carlbach singing it there. Apparently, she associates B'shem Hashem with lightning also.
My recent Shakti work has brought it to mind again. I've made a recording of it. If you'd like to experience the feeling I get from the poem, and from Shekhinat-El, just listen to the recording while in a trance state. You might want to do a LBRP or B'Shem Hashem first to call the Presence.
The drumming in the background is by Michael Drake. It's his "lightening being journey" and can be purchased for $1. If you like it, please buy it. I highly recommend his drumming, check out his other stuff too. He also has instructional cds, which I can't vouch for, but seem like they'd be awesome. (Puck, you should check them out and report back to us. I'm especially interested in a review of this one.)
The "music" in the background was originally this, but I've pretty heavily altered it. All the sounds on this site are great. I recommend it too, and am a donor.
The complete text of the poem, in two different translations, can be found here (George MacRay) and here (Anne McGuire). The recording hews closely to the MacRay translation, but at a few points, I felt moved to say it a little differently, and I did my best to fill in the gaps where the text was missing or corrupted. Listen.
I'm very eager for feedback on this. Please let me know what you think of it if you listen. It's just over 16 minutes long. There are no isochronics, but the drumming has a quite similar effect. I wouldn't listen to it while driving or etc. Unless you have high quality speakers with subwoofers, I'd recommend headphones.
In response to questions:
1) I didn't alter my voice. That's just what I sound like when I'm in trance.
2) That's not EVP in the background near minute 6; it's my noisy upstairs neighbors.
Recall: By necessity, all of this is, to some extent, metaphoric. Where I feel like the metaphors are particularly misleading, I tried to use "scare quotes".
Disclaimers done, here we go:
To begin with, a brief description of the problem. For various complicated reasons I don't really understand, our internal energy channels can get "gunked up" in multiple ways. The first way is that psychological/karmic "plaque" can get stick to the inside walls, like cholesterol inside a vein.
These blockages can be flushed out (at least it's been working for me) by imagining a warm bubbling fluid passing through the channel melting/dissolving them. Once they become "unstuck" they can be flushed out through normal bodily processes (exhalation, excretion, menstruation, etc) I find listening to running water sounds quite helpful in imagining this.
(start the video at 1:06)
Another kind of blockage is like a bubble. Popping these feels very much like popping your knuckles or cracking your back. It is very satisfying, and a warmth spreads after they are popped. I've been mostly doing this with belly dancing and pranayama, but I expect yoga or tai chi or any other kind of internal energy work would work equally well.
The last kind of blockage (that I've thus discovered; I'm sure there are other kinds) is more complicated. It's like a knot in a garden hose. This is where I do the weird 5 dimensional magics. Because it is hard to explain things in 5d, instead of imagining yourself as a 3d person with a 2d channel inside of you, imagine yourself as 2d drawing of a person with a 1d channel (a line) running up your middle.
The channel runs up your center, and there is a knot in it. To the (1d) energy in the channel, the knot seems like a wall. From the 2d perspective (the paper), it's smaller and more complicated, but still intractable. However, by "zooming out" to a third dimension (looking "down" on the paper), it becomes clear that the knot is twisted through the third dimension. The lines that appear to be "crossing" or "blocking" each other are actually going one "over" the other. "It's like an overpass, not an intersection."
Imagine you have a coin on a piece of paper, and you draw large box around it. How do you get the coin out of it's circular cage without crossing the line? Just pick it up, move it over the circle, and put it back down on the other side.
That being said, some knots cannot be "pulled apart" even in 3d (without passing an end through a loop, but since the channel is actually a loop, that's not an option). Even those knots, however, can sometimes be easily slipped apart in 4 or 5d. However, while we humans can see the underlying 4d nature of the problem, and even grasp its 5d nature, actually manipulating things in 5d is not a thing I can do (and I'm really quite good at visualizing 4 and 5 d stuff compared to most people. I spent many years and most a phD in theoretical math training to do just that.) This diagram may or may not be clear to people who do not have that training:
Similarly, a kundalini knot is a 3d channel "tied" through a 5th dimension. Sort of like a klein bottle is a 3d channel "tied" through a 4th dimension.
So, instead of having to unknot it in 5d, you can do the crazy Vortex trick, which requires only 4d manipulation. Raise kundalini energy to the chakra just below the knot. "Tie off" the chakra below the blockage, so energy can not descend from there. Now, "tesser" by moving along a path perpendicular to the 3d knot. (ie "pick the coin up" and move it "over" the "circle"). One you're on the other side of the knot, loosen the "cork" at the top of the "klein bottle".
I know that last part wasn't very clear. I'll try to think about how to explain it better and try again soon.
Continue wiggling until the cork "pops". The cork will then fall into the chakra below, and can be excreted as before.
Lately, I've been doing some work with a secret magical order devoted to Hermes. (I have literally been waiting my entire life to say that sentence!) We've been talking about the various faces of Hermes, and I've decided to do a little bit of work with Puck as an avatar of the Mercurial current. Among my very first conjurations was an evocation Puck, when I was 14 or 15. He's been hanging around in my spirit court ever since. It was based on a spell from the animated show Gargoyles (don't you judge me! I was a kid!) It requires a large mirror, a gold (colored) bell, a silver (colored) ring, some candles, a tree, the full moon, and a handful of white feathers.
Here's the spell as written in my first "Book of Shadows", dated 1993.
Around the edges of a large mirror, inscribe the magical characters.[gee, it would be cool if I'd written down WHAT magical characters, huh? Stupid 14 year old me! I wish I still had that mirror.] Lean the mirror against a tree at night, under a full moon. Light a white candle and a black one in front of the mirror. Say: "Cum ascerat argentum, et aurum involare." [With a silver ring, strike a gold bell.] Tap the bell with the ring three times. Blow a handful of feathers across the mirror, and say "postea Puck ad speculum Titania penetrare." [and then Puck will penetrate the mirror of Titania.]
On the show, Puck actually steps through the mirror, as if it were a portal. I didn't get that, but I did get a noticeable image, although fleeting. It was my first dark mirror conjuration (although I didn't know that name yet). Puck appeared as a late teen or early twenties (older than me - I am 14 in this story) young man, with very pale blond hair. He wore a neon green Tshirt with a monkey on it, and a long black leather coat. He had small faun horns curled behind his ears. He seemed utterly delighted to have been summoned, although I lost my focus and it shimmered out almost right away.
the first, I don't remember. something about pain, I think. maybe emotional pain (grief)
the second, something about time travel. Waves of deja vu, sliding back and forth between time lines. I awoke from this, and, although it seemed I'd been asleep all night, it was only 11:30. I went back to sleep.
Some stuff I don't remember.
much traveling.
Note: in the dream "cousin" was code for faerie. I don't know how I knew that.
met some british cousin of my father's, a mid 30s tall blond woman (why had I never heard of this person? "My father had a difficult relationship with his father." I was told) she ran a movie business (I think a chain of theaters, not movie production). She was The Mistress of the Movies.
out with the aunts. No place to sleep. A cousin I didn't know. British. Black. Male. Short dreds. Slightly younger than me (late 20s?) Smoking a bowl. Offered me some, I partook. I had to go, to be tested?
I came back later, and all were asleep. I was very cold (it was very cold last night, and I had probably kicked the covers off. All were asleep on the floor. I found a loose corner of blanket near the black cousin, and curled up next to him to sleep.
He woke me up, and said we had to go. He transported us to England, somehow.
the third trial, the trial of pleasure. I was very scared of this trial.
there were 2 men, both british, both "ageless", the black guys, and another, blond, and maybe older. I don't remember him as well. I think he was Oberon. A shallow dish of water; swirling two ways at once, an inner vortex going clockwise, an outer ring counter (or maybe the other way round)
leaning to the dish, wetting my lips
making a circuit, kissed both men. something was happening, swirling, swaying, the world got all fuzzy, I knew I was supposed to just relax, let it happen, not have to understand, but I couldn't just Be, couldn't give in to the good feeling. I was so scared. Then I woke up, so I guess I failed that test, but it seemed like I'd be given another chance.
The Vermont quarter depicts a man tapping maple trees for syrup. In the background of the coin is Camel Hump Mountain. In today's spell, we use the coin to create a permanent amulet from an otherwise traditional hoodoo-style sweetening spell. Although these first two spells are built on hoodoo foundations, I'll have lots of other styles in future posts. Look for a Celtic-style Oak Tree Protection spell tomorrow using the Connecticut quarter.
Sweetening spells, in general, are used to make someone feel favorably toward you and want to help you. This "good feeling" isn't necessarily (or even usually) romantic in nature; it's a good spell to work on a boss, a parent, or a as well. It's also good to mend hurt feelings in existing relationships with family, friends, or lovers. The version I'm presenting here is all-purpose; you should have no trouble adapting it to your specific situation.
In addition to the quarter, this spell uses maple syrup, a small candle (menorah candles are perfect, but even a birthday candle will work), and a picture of the intended target. If you have their hair, a business card, their signature, or any other kind of "link" to them, that's great, but not necessary. You'll also need some paper, scissors, a pen or marker, and small saucer or bowl.
To begin with, cut out a circle slightly smaller than the saucer or bowl you are using. Next, write your target's full name three times in the middle of the circle. Turn the paper so that their name is upside down, and write your full name over top of the target's three times. Now, around the edge of the circle, write your exact wish. For example, if you want your boss to be impressed by you, you might write: "[boss's name] will be impressed by the quality of my work and give me a promotion and a raise." You need to write it in script without picking your hand up. If there is extra space, complete the circle before lifting your hand. It's really important the script make a complete circle. If you mess up, throw it out and start over. After completing the circle, you can go back to cross t's and etc.
Put the circle of paper, writing side up, in the saucer. If you have hair or etc, put it on the circle of paper. Next, put the picture of the person on top of that. If you don't have a picture, then get better at facebook stalking. Pour a small pool of maple syrup on top, and then put the coin, tree side up, in the center. Light the candle and drip a few drops of melted wax onto the coin. Use that to stick the candle to the coin. Tell your wish to the candle three times, out loud, and then wait for the candle to burn out. It's best to pray over it the whole time, but if you can't, you can't (menorah candles burn for about an hour).
Once the candle is burned out, remove the candle and put the coin in your mouth, with the syrupy side down. With it in your mouth, say (as well as you can around the coin) "As the coin has been made sweet to me, may I be sweet to NAME." Finally, contrive to give the coin to the target. If that is not possible, leave it in their office, or somewhere else associated with them. This is one big advantage of coin magic; no one is suspicious of loose change!
