The power of magic.

[mojomojo]

Throughout history there have been many tales of wiccans, magi, and those that have held powers.
We have heard stories of priests who developed the power to heal, and modern day spiritualist vicars, who speak to the dead,
Buddhist monks with the power to levitate, and others who could appear in many places at the same time.

We speak of the universal energy, available to everyone, and that this energy comes from a place of love.
Is there a link between magic and spirituality, can all tap into the universal energy, even those who wish to influence others.
Or seen as universal energy is the energy of love, do those of negative intent, tap into another source.

Do you feel it is non existent and fairy tales, or have you had experience that tells otherwise.

[baangus]

Hi mojomojo, I call it soul-spirit alchemy, the power to instantaneously transform one's inner world. Problem in this moment, no longer a problem in the next. I have experienced this quite a few times now; there is a miraculous quality to it.

Many folk stories are transformative morality tales, and use magical imagery and allegorical references to describe these very real soul-spirit processes. Example: In some streams of spiritual thought, the lower soul is thought to be the opposite sex of the higher soul. The Sleeping Beauty, the human being and lower soul self that is the wondrous miracle of creation, remains asleep until the higher soul self of the majestic spirit worlds (the Prince) comes to the lower soul's rescue and kisses it awake (assists and brings to conscious union).

[sparklekaz]

Hi Robert,

You've raised an interesting question. My understanding of magic or Wicca, is that primarily it connects with the 'earth energy', through nature and the elements. They worship or revere the spirits of nature. Wicca is an eclectic religious belief system that is centred around around Gods, Goddesses, and nature worship. Wiccan practice involves the manipulation of nature through various rituals in attempts to gain power, prestige and love. They also use herbs & incantations/spells to add strength to what they wish to manifest.

You ask "We speak of the universal energy, available to everyone, and that this energy comes from a place of love.
Is there a link between magic and spirituality, can all tap into the universal energy, even those who wish to influence others. Or seen as universal energy is the energy of love, do those of negative intent, tap into another source?"

I don't know a lot about magic, but have some understanding of earth magic. It's a tricky answer to make really. I believe the universal energy is all around us. That it infuses everything. Those who follow a more, shall we say for want of a better word - traditional spiritual way of channeling this energy, do so through our Crown chakras - spirit, higher vibrational levels. Wheras Wiccans or practicioners of magic, draw it from nature and the elements. Which is potent creation energy. Or maybe using Baangus's term 'lower soul'. More connected to the ego, desire and attachment. Rather than higher self, for our highest good.

Magic I feel is more about the 'I'. And as such is very much influenced by the heart, strength and intention of the one who wields it. Magic users, use spells and ritual to force the outcome they want. There is more duality I think involved with Magic. It all depends on the hand that wields it! As we have all heard of black magic and white magic. Power can be very seductive. I think the personal growth, soul work we do protects us up to a point. I'm not sure that this a primary focus of followers of magic. Some, not all may see it as a fast-track way of gaining power, influence and wealth. I suppose people who follow a traditional spiritual path, who can just as easily be seduced by this. But a serious spiritual seeker, tends to have a stronger moral guide or compass. Develops empathy and understanding, which enables them to see the pitfalls of ego, than someone who bought a few candles and herbs, a copied a ritual for making someone fall in love with them might do. I don't mean that flippantly, just trying to illustrate a point.

Baangus. I loved what you said when you said "In some streams of spiritual thought, the lower soul is thought to be the opposite sex of the higher soul. The Sleeping Beauty, the human being and lower soul self that is the wondrous miracle of creation, remains asleep until the higher soul self of the majestic spirit worlds (the Prince) comes to the lower soul's rescue and kisses it awake (assists and brings to conscious union)." I thought that was beautiful.

Love and light
Kaz

[baangus]

Feb 1, 2016 14:33:14 GMT sparklekaz said:

Baangus. I loved what you said when you said... I thought that was beautiful.

Thanks Kaz, I used to teach fairy tales to children so I had to study this stuff. Helps to keep the class from going wild when they sense the adult is speaking from a higher perspective and place. Or they just go wild regardless, kids do that. Something you quoted: "Is there a link between magic and spirituality." My answer: Everything is spirit and there is nothing that is not spirit. Therefore magic must be spiritual. Magic is but one particular expression of spirit activity and manifestation. Miracles are another. Higher self intervention is another.

[baangus]

Thought: If the source is always spirit, is it then magic or a miracle, or just plain old spirit doing its manifestation thing? Human beings by nature categorize and compare everything in life, and come up with words and terms to help explain things. Masters of the Far East talks about how a Yogi can appear in two places at one time. To one person this would be magic. To another a miracle. To another (me), an example of metaphysical awareness every human being is capable of achieving. Jesus was such a human being and capable of performing so-called miracles because he was a metaphysical master, would be my suggestion. 

[gruntal]

I have never felt anything spiritual in my life but that does not mean I deny it. I don't seem to feel a lot period. But I have seen and heard things I can not explain. At one level we like to think we are guided by guardian angels but at another level we are bitterly disappointed when we discover out hard fought little victories only succeeded because of Divine intervention.

How crushing it is to our ego to be told we didn't do these things all by ourselves.

One of the perennial questions in my local study group is WHY you want something or some occult power. Implicit is something that involves the others and now you are asking the Cosmos to give YOU something. Do you think you could handle it and if not why not?

I would like to think in the long run we would look back and feel very grateful we did not get all we wished for.

[baangus]

Feb 1, 2016 16:45:52 GMT gruntal said:

How crushing it is to our ego to be told we didn't do these things all by ourselves.

WHY you want something or some occult power... we would look back and feel very grateful we did not get all we wished for."

gruntal, is it productive to examine spirit questions by dissing the human being and its endeavours? What does that accomplish? Whose ego is crushed? Who feels this way? And why nurture such a view of the ego in the first place? What do negative generalizations like this accomplish? The human being is a manifestation of spirit. Every aspect of the human being is spirit. Wouldn't it be best to envision and speak about the ego as another fascinating and even miraculous aspect of this wondrous realization? 

As for your second comment above: Yes, this is good to keep in mind, a wise thing. But again, is the overall approach - the warning, and projecting possible negative outcomes - the best way of going about our spirit endeavours? To me, there's a bit of the religious fear and punishment mindset in that approach, something I personally believe is entirely detrimental to soul-spirit exploration. 

[baangus]

The world is a harder place than it was years ago; meanwhile people it seems are becoming more jaded and hyper-critical. I would say there's a correlation between the two. Positivity draws spirit towards it. Seeing the best in one's self, in others, and in life, draws spirit towards it. It is in this open space, created for it, that spirit is able to manifest itself as magic, and miracles, and higher self guidance. This is what I envision when I hear the term co-create. We are co-creators of the spirit phenomena that presents itself to us. As beings of soul and spirit, this is not only our spiritual birthright and heritage, this is why we are here.

My beliefs anyway.

[sparklekaz]

Hi Baangus,

You said "The world is a harder place than it was years ago; meanwhile people it seems are becoming more jaded and hyper-critical. I would say there's a correlation between the two. Positivity draws spirit towards it. Seeing the best in one's self, in others, and in life, draws spirit towards it. It is in this open space, created for it, that spirit is able to manifest itself as magic, and miracles, and higher self guidance."

I have to say I agree with you on this and have seen it myself. Indeed I've probably been guilty of it. In as much as, sometimes I fall into the trap of over-analyzing. I've come to understand, that over-thinking something, can crush and stifle the free thinking, trusting energy within which intuition and spirit connection seems to flourish. We are a society that has been taught to rationalize everything. And it is as if we cannot help ourselves. There are some things that just happen, and within our conscious awareness we find hard to explain away. And instead of just accepting this and going with it. We want to dissect it.

I see my spiritual growth in layers. The personal and self realization level, and spiritual level. While it is helpful to analyze emotional responses to certain situations to help understand and grow beyond them. Especially poor ones. Applying the same mentality to spiritual growth is not helpful. Probably counter-productive. And the discussions we've had over the last couple of days, re the guidance post, has helped me to see that. It was not helpful. It simply made me over question, what was as you pointed out, a foundation to use as a way of developing a stronger connection to inner/higher self. I have to go with what feels right. My intuition works best when I do that.

There is magic, mystery and miracles in life. And sometimes I think we forget that.

Love and light
Kaz

[baangus]

Feb 1, 2016 18:15:16 GMT sparklekaz said:

I have to say I agree with you on this and have seen it myself. Indeed I've probably been guilty of it. In as much as, sometimes I fall into the trap of over-analyzing. I've come to understand, that over-thinking something, can crush and stifle the free thinking, trusting energy within which intuition and spirit connection seems to flourish. We are a society that has been taught to rationalize everything. And it is as if we cannot help ourselves. There are some things that just happen, and within our conscious awareness we find hard to explain away. And instead of just accepting this and going with it. We want to dissect it. 

I see my spiritual growth in layers. The personal and self realization level, and spiritual level. While it is helpful to analyze emotional responses to certain situations to help understand and grow beyond them. Especially poor ones. Applying the same mentality to spiritual growth is not helpful. Probably counter-productive. And the discussions we've had over the last couple of days, re the guidance post, has helped me to see that. It was not helpful. It simply made me over question, what was as you pointed out, a foundation to use as a way of developing a stronger connection to inner/higher self. I have to go with what feels right. My intuition works best when I do that.

There is magic, mystery and miracles in life. And sometimes I think we forget that.

I had several of these thoughts today while thinking about things as I wrote. I even thought the word dissect... or did I type that, I can't remember. You should stick with you and what you do best, I agree. I've been posting on spiritual and other sites since the early 2000's, very very rare to come across someone as consistently thoughtful, balanced and good-hearted as you. You walk the walk; I walk some, talk a lot, and sometimes lose it completely! You are pretty darn inspiring. Plus you post pictures for us.

EDIT: Authentic striving... that's what I see in you and was trying to say. To be aware of certain pitfalls of spiritual work is always wise. But if one is striving authentically there is never a need to fear or doubt one's self. Having a good heart and working with good intention is all one needs to know and trust in. 

[gruntal]

I have been told my period of internment is about over. So I can go on and be myself again. Except I was told very bluntly why this happened in the first place. It wasn't very pretty. But that wasn't my biggest fear - to know how I was.

My biggest fear is to forget why I sank so low. A lesson ignored is not a lesson learned. I would hate to think I was becoming more spiritual just because I flunked the physical mundane part of me. That is probably why I am reluctant to knock honest God fearing people even if I do think they are deluded. And why I think spiritual pursuits can also be narcissistic.

WHY do we think we even deserve any of this?

[mojomojo]

Positivity draws spirit towards it.
Seeing the best in one's self, in others and in life draws spirit toward it.
It is in this open space, created for it, that spirit is able to manifest itself, as magic, miracles, and higher self guidance.


I can not add a single word to it, there is nothing more to be said.
It stands on its own,
Said with perfection, Baangus.

[baangus]

Feb 2, 2016 0:52:49 GMT gruntal said:

I have been told my period of internment is about over. So I can go on and be myself again. Except I was told very bluntly why this happened in the first place. It wasn't very pretty. But that wasn't my biggest fear - to know how I was.

My biggest fear is to forget why I sank so low. A lesson ignored is not a lesson learned. I would hate to think I was becoming more spiritual just because I flunked the physical mundane part of me. That is probably why I am reluctant to knock honest God fearing people even if I do think they are deluded. And why I think spiritual pursuits can also be narcissistic.

WHY do we think we even deserve any of this?

Hi gruntal. Obviously I don't know you and I don't know your situation. All I can share is my own experience as I believe it relates to what you've shared. I spent 25 years in close community with one religious group and two esoteric spiritual groups. The common thread is that all groups of this sort have their own particular doctrine they need to pound into the person, in order to turn them into a believer. And a good portion of that doctrine is what I describe as fear and punishment based.

Fear the Lord and your sinning nature, or you will be punished.
Fear esoteric knowledge because you may not be ready for it. (Some warn it can drive one mad.)

Whether we're talking religious or spiritual, there's little difference in the approach. I really don't have much more to say other than this: the day I came to the abrupt epiphany that my hardened, fear-based spiritual beliefs were the cause of my frustration with people and with my life, was the day I truly freed myself.

And specifically with regards your last comment: I don't deserve to live my life in fear of living my life! I deserve spirit wisdom that reinforces my understanding of myself as a brilliant soul-spirit aspect of creation.

I have no idea if this applies in your case, I just felt the need to say it. And thank you for accepting my previous post in the friendly spirit I intended, I probably should have added smile emojis and all that.

[baangus]

Feb 2, 2016 16:10:16 GMT mojomojo said:

Said with perfection, Baangus.

Thank you for that mojomojo. Even as the blind squirrel finds the occasional nut, so the words my keyboard sometimes types... etc.