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There are a lot of different awareness techniques for learning to ascend to higher levels of function within the mystical arts, many of which are based on clarity of mind and breathing. Counting without Counting, is a form of No-Mind meditation in which one focuses on breathing, sitting, and awareness of the self without allowing other thoughts to enter in. During this, they also focus on the passage of seconds, without counting them internally or externally using verbal or visual stimuli. There is an awareness of the passage of each second, and a numeric value, but not the association of name or symbol with it. This practice teaches a kind of hyper focus useful for advanced energy work practices, and is a core staple of techniques I've developed for my own purposes. Here is how to get started: Sit calmly, in a room with few or no distractions. The more distractions you have, the less able you will be to enter this hyper focused state. Eventually you will be able to do this technique as a relaxation technique anywhere, and under any circumstances, for now though, we begin with the easiest options available. Focus on your breathing at first. Do long, slow, deep breaths in, and out, with no focus on holding the breath at either the full capacity in, or the full capacity out. In this case when we say full capacity we mean about 80 – 90% of true full capacity. You may even take a full 100% full capacity breath in, and out, to start with to calaibrate yourself for this. After a few moments, put your awareness on the passage of time. Become aware of the concept of counting, without counting. When you start to think of the number, stop, correct yourself with the statement of “No.” Pause and then use the word “Begin” as a recenter point. Over time you will even train out these words and use only the impulse of “No” and “Begin” as your focal point. You may be able to integrate that advanced method now, but using the words is ok at first. If you find you are distracted by other thoughts, use the same stopping process and begin the count process over again. You will find emotions rise during this meditation, often frustration is seen. Take time to focus on breathing and relaxing between stops as needed to let this subside. The purpose here is total focus on action, without the use of the tools of thought within action to achieve it. Many, if not most, people will have trouble making it past a 3 count. This is ok, there is nothing wrong with this. Even achieving a full count of 1 or 2 with complete awareness, focus, and dissolved cohesion from the concept of the numbers will have some value. After a time, no more than 4 or 5 minutes at first, focus only on the breathing again, let yourself relax and let thoughts come without paying attention to them. Now is the time for at least a minute or two to let yourself achieve the zen state of being, without focusing. This will make the next time you do this exercise easier to focus.

What we do and don't know about The Norse: By Charles McBride Any discussion of Norse Mysticism and methodology eventually leads to a back and forth debate on “the right way” to do things and “how things were done back then.” This isn't a bad thing, in fact the need for something old shows a respect for what was. In that need though we often misunderstand just how much we do and don't know about our people and how they practices the mystical ways. We know that magick was a thing the Norse did, or at least their legends did. The Poetic Edda is filled with accounts of magick, as is the Prose Edda and various other texts from those and earlier periods. Paintings, sculptures, and other media that remains from the time also account this. We even have testaments from Tacticus that our people believe in luck as a flowing force that could be manipulated and managed. The advent of the Christian people coming into our lands also came with it the total annihilation of most things Norse though. What has remained are a few texts, and most of those coming after the Norse were already Christianized. We can see rune staves used in some of the seals from these texts, and we can theorize that the symbols come from a previous time. Likewise we can presume the methods in these texts, written by Christians, were detailed with an intent toward demonizing our peoples ways. So what do we have? We know rhyme was a powerful part of the magick done by our people. From this we can then presume that poetry spells, mantras, and the like are things that may be implemented. We have a few references to things like prayers, but those also came often during or after the Christian take over. This gives us a small insight into the verbal aspects of Norse magick. From this we know in our own practices if we want to be authentic a bit of poetry wouldn't be out of place in our workings. Our people held objects in high regards as powerful things. Each God and Goddess who is of major note is listed alongside a magickal armament. From this we can say tool use in our working is still valid, though perhaps structured magicks not as much as we'd like to think. Structured magick is a very modern, very Christian, invention. Instead something with a looser structure is to be sought by the Norse practicing the arts of the mystic. Animals were also in high regard with our people. Many Gods had animal companions, and Odin is a prime example of this. With two ravens and two wolves by his side Odin can be said to be stronger for the aid of his companions. Thor when bereft of his goat is in a weakened position and takes on help to carry his belongings and chariot through the heavens. From this we might seek spiritual companions in the form of animal spirits similar to many Shamanic traditions. For symbols we have the runes and runes poems. Much more is written on the use of runes in the past than is actually known. We know what the poems tell us of the runes, and then we invent much more around that. Still the runes were probably used as symbols of power themselves given what we can find between older drawings that incorporated them, and inscriptions on weapons and armor. This becomes confusing for most given that until recent times the word “rune” meant hidden thing. It is of recent that we have titled the Futhark as runes. This change in understanding makes a lot of texts very different, especially Odin's Spells from The Havamal. When he speaks on “I know a rune” he means “hidden thing, a secrete.” Though this word being misused means that any look at older texts needs a degree of awareness on these changes. For rituals we know of little save bloats which we have reconstructed. Much is done to work with ancestors in these, and much more is shown of ancestor work in general. For the modern Norse this may seem unpalatable, but recall that our ancestors are more than just people in our blood lines. Just as martial artists have a lineage we too have a lineage of practice and can call upon that when other options aren't viable. We have a massive amount of mythology we can still draw upon, and a strong cosmology. We have an understanding of 9 realms to journey, each with powers unique to them. We have countless Gods, and even more mystical beings said to roam this cosmos. More over we have a very open view on these things, as our people incorporated other ideas from cultures without hesitation. This means one of the most Norse things we can do is have an open mind. So while we have much less than we would like, and certainly not enough that we can claim a “right and wrong way” to do things we do have some clues as to the old ways. Working with spirit guides, working with ancestral and dead spirits, working with the Gods, working with forces encompassed in the runes as ideas, poetry magick, and empowering tools through either ritual dedications or other methods all make up what we know our people believed in. For the rest we have a lot of modern invention by authors ranging from those who are honest and say “this is my take on this” to those who are dishonest and claim everything from hidden knowledges to Odin himself telling them how to do things. The first group of authors will provide you good structures and ideas to be borrowed from and made into your own practice. The second group of authors though will force you into the same cult mentality that wiped away our traditions in the first place. It is wise to look over this with a degree of discernment then.

Awakenings and Accidental Thought Forms It runs across my desk about once or twice a month when a client has an issue with one or the other energy type system, an awakening, and then a thought form. Generally speaking the first steps of dealing with this are the identification process, finding out that it is a thought form they are dealing with. The reason for this is that there is a need to believe it to be anything else. No one wants to think of an awakening as a bad thing, and no one wants to believe that somehow they've created their own problem. So this identification problem becomes harder. Further it gets complicated because to most a thought form could appear as a spirit or other kind of entity. This goes into “we see through the lens we work through” and when we see the world as “spirits and beings” then everything is a spirit and a being. Identification The “I have a hammer so everything is a nail” mentality can be seen in cultures world wide. Shaman that work with spirits exclusively see a “bad spirit” in a persons emotions, or a “restless land spirit” in the area that is “tied” to the person. Often in these systems there is a guided method to put the “spirit” to rest through a large amount of psycho-drama, direction of thought, energy, and intention. Ritual, dance, song, and even long extreme physical trials. In other traditions, everything is seen as an energy imbalance and the idea of a spirit being around is more something seen to happen alongside that imbalance, or as a result of it. Likewise the “spirit” may be just a manifestation of the imbalance mixing with the subconscious mind of of the person experiencing the situation. This is why the first step is identifying the problem, and often times that means a deep examination of it through various methods of divination, testing against it with personal banishing rights, and seeing what does and doesn't work. This is a long part of the process I'm not going to get to in this article but say that at this phase we are moving into having confirmed “It's not a spirit, banishing it doesn't work, and all tests show that it is either an awakening, a thought form, or both.” The Awakening Process Awakening is NOT always pleasant. We need to recognize this first before going any further. Pulling from the negative aspects of a Kundalini in the Wikipedia we have the following. Heightened sense of smell, heightened hearing and sexual sensations Change in breathing Energy rushes or feelings of electricity circulating the body Involuntary jerks, tremors, shaking, itching, tingling, and crawling sensations, especially in the arms and legs Intense heat (sweating) or cold, especially as energy is experienced passing through the chakras Spontaneous pranayama, asanas, mudras and bandhas Visions or sounds at times associated with a particular chakra Diminished or conversely extreme sexual desire sometimes leading to a state of constant or whole-body orgasm Emotional upheavals or surfacing of unwanted and repressed feelings or thoughts with certain repressed emotions becoming dominant in the conscious mind for short or long periods of time. Headache, migraine, or pressure inside the skull Pains in different areas of the body, especially back and neck Sensitivity to light, sound, and touch Trance-like and altered states of consciousness Disrupted sleep pattern (periods of insomnia or oversleeping) Change in body odor (sweetness/natural/healthy) Some of those negatives might not sound so bad, when they are under your control but an uncontrolled awakening means they are NOT under your control, you no long have the ability to move into and out of the state of normal day to day operation and for example trance state. Recognizing some of the features of a Kundalini Awakening share great similarities between spiritual assault is it any wonder the two are often confused for each other? Thoughtform powered awakenings and Kundalini Awakenings differ in that there is an intellect, often with thought of its own, created from the awakening. This may be from the massive upsurge of power the awakening has granted being funneled into the fear of a “spirit attacking” and solidifying effectively what most would consider a servitor. It may be also something that happens over time as a result of the awakening process and a continual feeding into the emotions and “certainty” that it is a spirit on the attack. This certainty gives it solidity, look up thought form creation for more information, and the natural upsurge of power from the awakening means very little needs done to empower this beyond certainty. For a normal awakening I often recommend Reiki sessions, Kundalini Balancing Meditations, working with crystals associated with the chakras, change of diet, QiGong and QiGong Breathing, TaiChi, ZaZen to clear and focus the mind, mental and energetic exercises, and a host of other things including but not limited to rest. For a Thoughtform empowered by an awakening though we have to go a bit further. Thoughtforms and Awakenings The Energy System To solve any problem we must understand the problem further. While balancing those chakras or the energy system you work with will help reduce the Thoughtform it is not the only, or even always the best solution. At this point it is something created from you, and in some ways given power by your certainty. We do need to address the energy system first though in order to progress further. Most people when asked how their chakras are will say “I feel fine.” To put this into perspective, I operate at a fairly “high energy level” for most people, not to brag. However after a Reiki session I had a brutal awakening a few years back. The Reiki practitioner was an expert in her field, one of the best if not THE best I've met, looks at me and says “Your sacral chakra is gone.” I was kind of taken aback at that and she said after that “This makes no sense, you have a LOT of power, its like you rooted AROUND the sacral chakra when it took damage, its like you built a tunnel around it on instinct.” This was during a dark time in my life as it concerned sexuality (the core of the sacral chakra) and the emotions from those events had effectively killed my sacral. I felt fine, other than having no sex drive at the time, and it was impossible for me to really diagnose myself because to my perspective everything was working OK. I considered the emotional responses untied to the chakras, and made a large series of what I call “novice errors” in self diagnosis. Still I present this story here to bring the point, you probably can't diagnose your own chakras unless you spend days and days in chakra balancing meditations, hours upon hours, so that you move past your own internal illusions. You might FEEL fine, and not be. So in this case we have to address the issue of the energy system without self diagnosis in the form of “how do I feel” but more “what might I be hanging onto.” In this we address the energy system directly in the form of our past, our current thoughts, and what we have went through. We bypass the initial “how does it feel” and look more at “what does it do.” We are going to go over each chakra here and look at what can cause an impact on them in the overactive form. The reason we focus on overactive chakras is because the very nature of an empowered thoughtform is that it is drawing from a strong energy point. Crown Chakra: This chakra generally speaking is either under-active, or working fine. If it's under-active the ability to use energy, project, and other things may be hampered. In cases like this we focus on the next chakras as bringing them to a proper state of alignment promotes good flow into this one. Third Eye Chakra: Overactive: When the Third Eye is overactive we SEE and EXPERIENCE the spiritual world too intensely. We may be unable to pull ourselves out of states of trance slipping into them too easily. We may be “unable to silence” things we hear, or “unable to stop seeing” because of an overactive Third Eye. This is generally caused by focusing ONLY on perception without balancing the rest of the energy system. Solution: Focus on more mundane tasks, things that are grounding in day to day life. This may sound very difficult but some meditations are designed for this. Meditations like ZaZen are infinitely useful when done properly in the form of “Just Sitting” as we focus on the mundane task of sitting. Meditative walks through the forest are also useful for this. Throat Chakra: Overactive: A need to talk constantly, a feeling of not being heard or listened to, a constant interrupting of others. A mouth, throat, and to some degree ear issues are connected to this. You might feel like you are being choked, or otherwise feel a pressure on the throat. Solution: Thoughtful speech is the pinnacles of the easiest ways to do this. Another though is to practice mantra meditations very slowly. In forcing ourselves to slow down and do a mantra as slowly as possible we use the voice to correct the throat chakra directly. Slowing down the physical slows down the metaphysical just as slowing down the metaphysical would slow down the physical. The Heart Chakra: Overactive: A loss of personal boundaries, uncontrolled emotional states, a feeling of pressure in the chest, giving more of yourself than you reasonably can, chest pains, emotional swings, and a general feeling of being rushed are connected to an overload in this chakra. Solution: The best solutions for the heart chakra are to balance that energy by focusing on relaxation techniques. Meditations meant to relax, such as guided meditations, can be beneficial here. Lightning some incense that has a relaxing scent. Taking a day to pamper ourselves and focus only on us is another good start. Focusing on the self in meditation, again a variation of ZaZen is good for this, but also exercises that strengthen the self such as QiGong are beneficial for this one. This is the most common overactive chakra, because emotional turmoil sets it into spin. It is connected to love, loss, and things of that nature. Therapy may be recommended in extreme situations. The Solar Plexus Chakra: Overactive: A need to dominate others, strong pains in the abdomen, strong intense anger, a need for control, a feeling of being out of control, a sense of greed, overeating, and a lack of compassion for others are all symptoms of an overactive solar plexus chakra. In dealing with a thought form or an awakening often times this chakra becomes hyper charged as we “grow angry” at the “intruder” and this feeds it more than we could expect. Solution: Meditations on love, especially mantras like the Om Mani Padme Hum, or other types of meditation are useful for balancing this chakra. Focusing on self control, or exercises that require self control but don't extend to others can help gain control over this chakra. Solving puzzles that require fine tuned skill, or practicing an art form that requires good self control are a must. Breathing exercises are excellent for the Solar Plexus Chakra as most forms of QiGong breathing focus on this area and are about controlling the body directly. As we gain more self control and loose the need to control others, as well as anger at being unable to control the outside world we slow this chakra down to proper spin. The Sacral Chakra: Overactive: Addiction, hyper sexuality, strong sexual feelings, pressure in the sex organs, the feeling of having sex, a need to imbibe more in drink or food, restlessness, and the general feeling of sexual activity are a core part of this. This chakra is one of the more common overactive chakras related to a thoughtform empowered by an awakening. At first the increased sexuality, and the feelings of sex are welcome. As the potential that we are dealing with a spirit as the core problem, or perhaps a spirit was the problem but is then banished, the thought form steps in and feeds on the chakra. Fear mixes in with the strong sex drive and the base instincts. Since on some level this feels good we tend to want to give into it more. An overactive sacral chakra is a major part of this phenomenon. Solution: Awareness is again the key, no pun intended, with working with this chakra. Abstinence from pleasures including rich foods, sexuality, meat, and other things can help with this. Spending time in contemplation of what is right for you, what you really want, and focusing on the image of that is also useful. Meditations like QiGong can help balance this, but only once one can move energy more directly. The best solutions involve moving the energy toward the heart chakra and then to the crown. More than anything it is important to focus on control of our own actions, control of our own impulses. As this chakra becomes reduced in power the back and forth “pleasure for power” cycle with the thought form breaks down. After a certain point the thoughtform looses power and destabilizes if this is its only source. By this phase emotions like fear have entered into the mix as well. The Root Chakra: Overactive: Anxiety, inability to concentrate, jitteriness, fear, a feeling of being attacked, pressure on the based of the spine or back, a feeling of being under threat, the sense that a presence is near, digestive issues, and an inability to relax or enjoy life. Solution: The root chakra is best handled by first making sure we ARE safe, after that we move on to the chakra directly. It is no good to assure the fear, if the fear is valid. Once with that though we should look at ways of strengthening ourselves. If QiGong and other energy techniques were mentioned before NOW they become paramount. When we are strong, and certain in our strength, fear is removed from the equation. Fear can not exist in the certainty of safety. Practicing acts of kindness can help us draw energy away from the root chakra, as can focusing on a connection to our spirit more and our body less. The Root Chakra is tied into the body, so focusing on concepts like enlightenment and mantras centered around that are useful as well. The Shadowself This is another aspect of Awakening that can happen when the shadowself becomes an active force in our world. This has to do with repressed emotions, focusing on “this is not me” in our thought patterns, and generally sectioning off parts of ourselves. The more we push down what we consider negative aspects of the self as being a secondary part of us, the more we empower a shadow self. It's beyond the scope of this document to get into the Shamanic Journey methods most useful in confronting the Shadow Self, but needless to say the confrontation resolves itself in the acceptance and integration of those aspects as a part of the self. It is more than just lip service though, one can not simply say “I no longer have a shadowself” one must have reached a point where the integration of these aspects is now fact. A shadowself can feed into a thought form, or a thoughtform could simply be an expression of the shadowself. Confrontation With The Thoughtform We've started siphoning off its fuel supply, getting rid of its power source, by balancing out our chakras, what is next though is stopping a rogue thought form empowered by an awakening. It is important to understand that while much of this involves strengthening the self, strong mental discipline, and an iron will there are also other factors. In the right measure many actions can disrupt a thoughtform, where in the wrong measure they empower it. This is because any action in direct conflict with the thoughtform is acknowledging it and feeding into it. Conflict oriented measures with the thoughtform should always be focused on empowering ourselves, not simply defeating and destroying the thoughtform. Recognize the Thoughtform is part of you: Even if it is independent on some level, it still feeds from your fears, actions, and in some ways your thoughts. If it were truly independent it would go away, find easier pray, or find someone willing to feed it. Instead it is tied to you, and this recognition means you can steel some of its power. In recognizing it as yours, you recognize you have some authority over it. It might be much at first, maybe enough that by telling it to be silent, or go away, with force you can push it away. It may just be recognition that you can control where your energy goes with focus, so in moments of fear you can direct your own energy back to yourself and away from the thought form. The important part is to recognize it is a part of you still. Any action, direction, or method that goes away from this lessens your control and power over the thought form and gives it the ability to function autonomously with the mask of “this is something else.” Conflict: Eventually you will wind up confronting the thoughtform. This may be a direct confrontation in the planes, or in a mental realm, or it may be a physical projection of energy in a shout or banishing. In small doses this can be good. It reaffirms your power, and removes the thoughtforms strength when you defeat it. However in another way if done repeatedly it only serves to fuel it. If you fight and opponent who is not real time and time again until they seem real you only feed it power. The sense of satisfaction found in defeating it is replaced by defeat as you face it time and time again. Use direct conflict with energy and focused intensity as a last line of action. Strengthen the Self: Strengthening the self through spiritual techniques and practices means honing your energy, will, and self control abilities. In strengthening the self and taking on practices that strengthen you spiritually you grow stronger, and you gain the awareness to DIRECTLY control your energy, thereby cutting off energy leaks, and putting a stop to the thoughtforms existence. Banishing: This is a double edged sword. Often times banishing work for a day, or two, at first. Sometimes even a week before it returns. The problem with banishing a thoughtform is that it exists inside of your subconscious, inside of your fears, inside of your imbalances of energy, and inside of the parts of you that you may not have access to. Banishing falls under the heading of Conflict, and it has its use, but you will find that banishing works less and less. You have to take the power away from the thoughtform, not reinforce its power over you. The exception to this is to do the banishing focusing on the thoughtform as a part of yourself. Recognizing the ritual and banishing rights as ONLY focusing on the self, no matter the symbolization used, can make a more potent form of banishing. In this case perception and focus are everything. If your banishing against a thought form and some part of you believes it may be external, you are feeding it. If you can hold with complete, perfect intent and understanding that it is a part of YOU that you are banishing, then you have a more potent tool. Thought Control: This is not just ignoring it, but counter thought to existing negative thoughts. This is all about taking back control of your mind. Many meditations such as mantra meditations, ZaZen, and QiGong fill this role when taken to the extreme. In honing the muscle of the mind that muscle can be applied to various situations. In mastering thought control you can rob the thoughtform of its power sources by negating fear, anger, agitation, anxiety, and other emotions that may be feeding it. This is the hardest, and yet the ultimate resolution, against a thought form. Ignoring it means you still give it credence, this comes down to forcing the sense to stop through sheer will. It's a hard skill to learn, and it is one learned through other skills. Much like repairing an engine is more than just replacing parts, there are many smaller skills necessary that are taken for granted. External Help: What follows are my recommendations for people having issues with thoughtforms who are seeking external help from other mystics. These are the things others can do to help you with this be they friends or professionals in the field. Chakra Cleansing/Balancing: Either through directed energy work, Reiki, or even a talisman. This art form has a direct impact on your energy centers and provides you a good external help. It can not remove your thoughts from the thought form, and focusing on the thoughtform will still fuel it, but it removes the energies it feeds upon by balancing the energy centers it disrupts. Reiki Healing: Mentioned above this has its own section because Reiki often helps with other energetic issues that falls outside of chakras. A Reiki session has a great impact on not just the chakras but also the pathways the energy flows through, the dantiens, and the spiritual body. It often covers more than just what the practitioner focuses on and by the nature of it balances to “remove illness” which the thoughtform could be considered. Ritual Working: Rituals meant to heal, balance, or otherwise improve energy flow can be useful. These should be focused on balancing, not shutting down, and not restraining the flow of energy. This may be calling upon Gods or Goddesses, various forces or powers, or just a directed power of the practitioner. Ritual when focused on healing or balancing is incredibly valuable. You should avoid ritual that hyper charges your energy during this period as well as avoiding anything that is focused on JUST a single energy center. If you are turning to someone for help, you can't be 100% certain of your evaluation on which energy center is out of control and feeding the thoughtform. In this then you must focus on general wellness with the ritual work, anything to specialized could go from “balance” to “imbalance”. Guidance: Often times those with more experience can provide guidance on what they've been through, or offer one on one advisement. Sometimes the best thing you can do is set up a time to talk with someone one on one and talk through your experiences to get advice. Chakra Readings: If you know someone who reads chakras or has another way of looking at things this outside perspective can be of some benefit as well. Sometimes we enter into things being sure of what the situation is only to find out we were seeing what we wanted to. Having someone look over your chakra/energy system can be of some value. Remember often times people see things from their perspective, make sure you let the person know that you suspect an energy imbalance powering a thoughtform, this will prevent them from declaring the thoughtform as “certainly this or that spirit”and reinforcing its mask. A thoughtform can often hide itself, an energy imbalance can not. Avoid Banishing: Banishing is a great tool against negative spirits, and generally once a banishing is done, its done. Unless you suspect you are in combat with another mystic of great skill, there is no reason for a spirit to come back once banished. They are gone, you are ground they can not walk near, and this lasts for quite a long time. Most spirits don't take enough interest in us to continue time and time again. However the act of banishing, since it is meant to work on a spirit not a manifestation of our subconscious will given power, will generally fail more often than not. This reinforces a feeling of hopelessness. Embrace Cleansings: Getting a cleansing of the area around you is an awesome way to clear out negative energies that may be making the awakening process harder, or even helping to feed the thought form. Likewise thoughtforms, when negative, tend to do better in environments that are toxic so they promote a toxic environment. Cleansing done by yourself or others are incredibly useful. Do not put the expectation though that this will solve the whole problem, it removes a part of the source of the problem, not the whole of it. Luck/Benefit Workings: When your life is doing better, your mood improves. This sounds simple, but its a good way to have an impact against the thoughtform, though again this is NOT a complete solution. Instead it is recognizing that even small workings done to help improve your life then help take your thoughts away from the negative, and your energy back into balance. Again, this is not the final solution, but it can be a part of it at times. When we are in a bad place in our lives depression takes hold, and sometimes only by having a better place to be in our lives can we remove the thoughtform's power and let it fade into sand.

As the modern world begins to influence the mystical understanding we start to borrow concepts into our magick. One that is often overlooked is the concept of a firewall. New and old mystical methods alike speak on the nature of influence from the outside, negative thoughts, curses, and all manner of things influencing us in our day to day life. The Fire Wall is a concept concerning selective shielding that works in two directions. The first of these would be the one we think of most often, preventing negative forces from coming in to influence us. The second of these would be preventing us from sending out information we don't want put out into the universe. Firewalls would be a simple type of servitor like spell, or talisman, since they have a degree of autonomy but are based on command. The first concept is fairly straight forward so we won't go into a lot of detail on that today, but the second one is worth giving some consideration into if you consider creating a firewall. One of the classic downfalls of "hard shielding" is that it limits both what comes in (positive occurrences and energies) as well as many times limiting what goes out (communications, intent, influence). For a good firewall it has to work like a firewall on a network does, allowing normal operations that are beneficial while blocking negative operations. While an aura acts somewhat like a firewall for blocking negativity we are going to focus on servitor creation for this purpose. A quick and simple firewall servitor then would be comprised of the core servitor creation methods, visualization, empowerment, stabilization, and repetition then coupled with some kind of selective isolation rule set. In a situation like this we'd recommend giving the servitor a pair of seals one indicating "blocked incoming" and one indicating "blocked out going". In this way you could place the seals on an altar with a list of things being blocked both incoming and outgoing. Things like attacks would be an obvious choice for the "blocked incoming" but for the outgoing things like negative thoughts, unfocused negative energies, and other such things could be good to reduce the influence of negative tendencies from influencing your own field of probability. As a bonus you could even develop a method of cleansing for those negative forces coming in or going out, converting them to valuable energies to enhance your life. While this is a very simple example of the methodology, and certainly meant to lead you to greater research, it is our hope that it sparks some interest and gets you considering new methods. As this is a quick introduction the complexities are skipped over as we encourage you to look up servitor creation methods if you aren't already familiar with them before implementing this method.

So every once in awhile I like to re-post a bit of magick that was useful to advise to someone in a more complete format. This one is a simple, but effective, connection and binding breaker. For this you will need one sturdy lock, the stronger the better, one solid chain, a sledge hammer, and room to do some damage (possibly something to set it on such as an anvil or solid surface). Now the rest of this is going to seem pretty obvious, and it really is in a way, but I want to get into how you can customize this. The most obvious use is direct symbolism where you link the chain at the ends with the lock and smash the lock. However making a seal based on the name of the person you want to break away from, or representing the binding forces you feel, and placing that on the lock is a very viable option Depending on the complexity of the word or name used you might want to use a Letter. Those are created by making a square of letters (one example below). You may choose instead to make a planetary seal representing the intent. Personally I like to use runes to either make a bind rune that expresses intent, or spells out a target of the separations name. You have to pick what works best for you. Letter Grid Example: In the letter grid example you can draw lines between letters on the grid, marking dots for overlapping points, or circles as needed. Some people denote symbols for starting and stopping. A quick ASCII example of CAT would be a line drawn from left to right with a dot or circle in the center denoting the T. This method of creating a seal is rather simple, rather old, and frankly I don't even remember where I first encountered it or if I hacked it from planetary seals. Regardless it works wonders as the mind hangs onto it without forgetting what it means fully and yet without simply turning it into letters.

The Elements in Magick: The properties of the elements are always a good topic for discussion. The primary elements we know of in this day and age are from Greek Philosophy and encompass 4 primary elements and one “quintessential” element. While traditionally the concept was not used in magick we have adopted this system and it finds its way into many systems of modern mysticism. Earth: Listed as cold and dry the element of earth is primarily a force of grounding, solidity, and has to do with the physical realm. Earth is the element of solid, and is the only truly solid element in the bunch. While water can take on the properties of earth's solidity only the element of earth is naturally solid in all conditions in the physical realm. It is for this reason we associate the element of earth with the physical realm, the concept of grounding, and the idea of manifestation of physical things. The element of earth has properties beneficial for wealth, defense, and healing. When we talk about grounding or focusing on earth energy we are speaking more on focusing on the physical, the body, and the connection between the body and physical world. Earth is often represented with crystals, pentacles, or plates. Air: Said to be hot and wet, like vapor, air is the element of thought and the mind. Thought is the least containable and often least visible force in the world. For this reason air is associated with the concept of thinking and the movement of the mind. The mind shifts with currents, similar to the wind, yet is not containable in the way water is. Air is a powerful element of change, excellent for cleansing, and is associated with incense. Air is perhaps the least defensive rune directly and is better for encouraging movement, or delaying movement, as the storms do when in travel. Since intent and focus are two of the most focused on areas of mysticism the element of air is considered of primal importance in magickal workings. Air is considered an element of life primarily, however as it is taken for granted most associate water with life more than air. Most often it is represented by a blade, incense, a feather, or a fan the element of air has many symbols. Water: It is obvious that what would be listed as wet, but it is considered to be cold as well in classical methods. This is because water removes heat form that which it touches over time. Water is connected to underlying states of being, emotions, and emotional well being. Water however does not relate to passions, for that element is fire. Water instead are underlying emotions such as being satisfied, dissatisfied, content, or troubled. Water is one of the core elements of cleansing, and water is used in cleansing rituals planet wide. The element of water has nurturing properties also, having to do with life and the growth of plants. Without water nothing grows, and therefore water is considered one of the core elements of life. Looking at water, life, and healing as energies it is easy to see that life exists with water, within water, but life does not exist without water. This element is considered the element of adaptability as well, and is used for easing change or creating easy change. Water is often represented with the chalice, a bowl of water, or other containers having water in them. As a protective element water is strong, yet not as functional as earth. Some crystals have a water like appearance and are used as well for this. Fire: Hot and dry are the properties of the element of Fire and for good reason. Fire can not exist when wet, nor is it ever cold. Fire is the power of change, and is great in spells used for manifesting change. Fire is such a core element of change in magick that candles are perhaps the most used symbol in all of magick. Passion is a core part of fire in the emotional system. Where water has to do with underlying emotional states fire has to do with drives, needs, and desires that are prevalent in the mind. The element of fire is only somewhat useful for defense, as fire is overcome by smothering or being but out by the other elemental forces, and instead is considered an aggressive element. Some use fire in shielding to create an aggressive defense and this is arguable in its application, yet none the less viable. While fire can be put out by wind, fire is fueled by air just as passion is fueled by focus of thought. Fire is connected to the tools of the candle, wands/staves, and is even represented along with air when using incense. Aether/Source: Traditionally called Aether, we will reference this element as Source. This element some see as the combination of the other four but it is my belief that these other elements spring forth from this. This element is all points and is what it needs to be, being able to be both wet and dry, hot and cold, as well as being the only element truly capable of being neutral. The Source as a concept of an element is an understanding of the underlying current of the universe. No single witting can hit upon all the properties of The Source, however it could be said it is the driving force under all the other elements and indeed all of reality.

Perform the Hammer of Thor as follows: Take a Hammer in your right hand (or use your fist or other weapon). Begin by facing East. Imagine the Yggdrasil (World Tree or Tree of Life) represented as a combination of many glowing green strands of various shades running up your body from the root of the world to the top of your crown. Hold this image for a few moments and let that light pool up into your crown chakra as the energy moves along the middle pillar of your chakras. Allow that mixture of green energies to continue to fill the crown chakra for a few moments. Touch your forehead with your weapon and vibrate MEGIN - pronounced m-eh-g-eyn (Strength) Imagine that green light condensing into your crown chakra now glowing bright purple as you vibrate MEGIN. Touch the middle of your solar plexus with your weapon and begin vibrating vibrate VERJA – pronounced veh-rr-y-awe (Protect) Move the weapon downward toward your root chakras as you imagine the bright purple energy moving down through your central line and and pooling at your feet as you vibrate the energy shifts into a bright red color pooling at your feet. Holding your weapon in your right hand to your right side vibrate RIKI – pronounced rrr-ey-k-ey (Power) Imagine now those red energies at your feet as you vibrate RIKI becoming bright golden with the power of lightning as they flow through your body into your right hand. All of the energy becomes golden now as you do the intonation. Hold your weapon in your left hand extended left OR pointing to the left in your right to and vibrate VEGR – pronounced veh-g-err (Glory) Imagine those golden energies now flowing through your body into your side as that golden energy begins to vibrate bright white within your body. Pool the energy into your weapon as you do so. Clasp your both hands on the weapon again at chest level and vibrate æ - pronounce ah - (forever) At this point picture the hammer extending out from you, forming a Mjolnir larger than your body and pulsing out into the heavens and earth a bright white and golden energy. Hold your weapon outward now in both hands above your head and visualize that white and golden light surging through it vibrating HAGALL – pronounced h-awe-g-awelll The Norse Pentagram: The Norse Pentagram makes use of your ritual weapon to draw it. When using a hammer for this picture the energy flowing from the hammer head like a beam of light carving into the air. For each step of this ritual starting in the easy visualize the element in play surrounding you and your weapon as a bright glowing fire of the proper color associated with the element. Extend that element visually through your weapon as you draw the pentagram in the air. Vibrate the elements name as you draw this pentagram. Picture the pentagram burning as a creation made of this element and acting as an elemental gateway. Raise your weapon to the sky and visualize energy flowing from the center of that pentagram into a sphere above it. After this turn to the appropriate direction with your weapon still held at the sky point visualizing a line of white energy connecting it to the next pooling point of energy that will be created. Begin this by facing the East and focusing on the element of Wind, then the South and Fire, then the West and Water, then ending in the North and Earth. Begin drawing the pentagram from the upper left to upper right vibrating “v-ey-nd-rr” (wind) and performing the visualizations. Now Raise the Weapon to the sky pooling energy and rotate in a semicircle toward the south. Draw the pentagram lower right to top point this time vibrating hyrr “huhr” (fire) as you draw pentagram. Again Raise the Weapon to the sky pooling energy and rotate in a semicircle toward the West. Draw the pentagram top right to top left this time invoking Logr “l-aw-g-rr” (water) while tracing the pentagram. Raise the Weapon to the sky pooling energy once more and rotate toward the North. Draw the pentagram again this time lower left to top point vibrate the word grund “g-rr-oond”(earth) as you create the pentagram. Raise your weapon once more pooling energy. Weapon raised turn toward the East picture the energy that you have placed on each corner circling around in a bright brilliant light connecting those weapon energies glowing around you. Visualize the elements mixing in your weapon and then within you as the circle completes. Hold your weapon outward and say: BEFORE ME, then vibrate, THOR. Visualize the God of Thunder standing before you with his red hair blowing in the wind. His might mjolnir in one hand. Yellow energy crackles in the background as a refreshing breeze cleanses and purifies the air. Then say: BEHIND ME, then vibrate, AEgir Visualize Aegir as an older but strong giant with a frothy white beard standing there. Behind him are his servants and attendants. He stands upon the water it's self holding a horn filled with ale. Imagine the cool spray of the ocean breeze rushing over you as he stands there. Then say: AT MY RIGHT HAND, then vibrate, TYR Imagine standing before you in full battle armor a man with one arm. In his left hand he holds a sword engulfed in fire. Behind him are a thousand warriors all dressed in armor. Flames leap from about him as his is the fire of justice. Imagine the purifying fire of justice moving about you cleansing you of false wrongs and fears. Then say: AT MY LEFT HAND, then vibrate, Freyja See the Goddess Freyja standing before you clad in fine sliks. Around her are her attendants, Valkyrie, and other warrior maidens. You can see the green luscious grasses about her. Smell the earthiness and the morning dew as you feel the energy of her earthen power wash over you like laying on fresh grass on a cool summers day. Now, say: ABOUT ME FLAMES THE PENTAGRAMS, AND IN THE CENTER THE HAMMER OF CREATION Imagine the circle of bright white light around you and visualize the Hammer of Thor energy moving through you. Repeat The Hammer of Thor. In closing thank the Gods, Thank the Mother Earth, Thank the Elements, and Thank your own Soul.

This really comes down to how you define meditation. Lets split meditation into 3 categories then to make this easier. Active Meditation: All meditations that use imagery. This may be focusing on a single picture, color meditations, music meditations, guided meditations, and all forms of journey work. These by their nature are core level components of journey. By focusing on the act of visualization, sensory recall, and other facilities of the mind these kinds of meditations reinforce the part of the mind that interprets the vast infinite of the universe and the realms in it into something our body understands. These often skipped meditations, especially sensory recall such as say visualizing a cup of hot tea and then going through the motion to drink it with the intent of tasting it and even feeling satiated are often overlooked despite their great importance in journey training. Energy Meditations: Perhaps to some degree an extension of the first category energy meditations work on directing the mind to drawing in energy by focusing on things such as chi, chakras, kundalini, or other forces in the body/universe. Energy meditations strengthen the spiritual body, as well as part of the visualization/experience centers connected to Active meditations and overlap. Energy meditations have their own benefits but one of those includes the ability to actively direct spiritual energies for purpose including our own spiritual bodies. This is in some ways quintessential to projection and then journey. Often exercises like QiGong utilize movement to direct this energy but time in these studies can be of great benefit beyond just direct energy use. Energy meditations are not as overlooked as visualization meditaitons which is why many people can project but have poor recall of where the went or things seem “strange, hard to describe, and hard to remember.” The combination of these two meditation methods form the core of journey work in most traditions often combining with drum beats to create a rhythm for directing energy, intent, and focus. Passive/Void Meditations: The focus on the void, or passivity, in meditation is the original meaning of this word in many cultures. This is the state of focusing just on the breath, the now, or even clearing the mind completely. These meditations provide much needed rest and rejuvenation to the energy system. While an exclusive focus on void meditation could prevent one who naturally projects against their will from projecting in such a way ultimately these meditations provide a couple benefits. They hone the mind by using a simple task, awareness of now, in the early stages. In the later stages PURE void meditations in which one focuses on complete sensory void require even greater levels of focus. During all phases they provide a resting period to allow thoughts to collect, remove distraction from the mind, and let us then focus on our projection. So how do we utilize this for projection/journey work? Personally for me I start with the passive and void meditation before any journey work. Even a few minutes of a completely clear mind is infinitely beneficial to the visualization process used in journey. Once the mind is clear and focused it is easier to then begin to raise energy. Once we feel energetic is raised enough that clear mind helps with the visualization of mental concepts such as a tunnel, stair way, mountain, or even just our own energy body moving to the next plane of experience. From there the previous meditations for visualization and energy allow us to more easily process, interpret, and sense what is going on around us.

One often talked about hot button topic is offerings and sacrifices. Most people don't really fully understand what an offering is, lighting candles and incense with nothing else. While others see a sacrifice as requiring the taking of another life. While it is true that a physical component to offerings should exist, and that taking a life can be a sacrifice we must understand these principals deeper to truly understand mystical workings. Let us then start with Offerings. Offerings are a way of showing dedication, commitment, and expressing connection to a spiritual being. Many people believe that an offering must be of food, incense, or some other particular physical material. In truth these things with nothing else are more bribes than offerings. An offering is meant to help build a connection with a spirit. It must be done in good faith, to forge a bond. It should be done with meditation, focused intent, or prayer of some kind over the offering. The value of an offering is not intrinsic, though the item may be of a preference to the spirit, as the spirit generally does not physically partake of an offering. Instead the offering is a symbol of our time both in the cost it took us to procure it, as well as the time we put in with the empowering of it through meditation, prayer, focused intent, or the ritual around it. It would be, at best, foolish to believe spirits gain much from an offering of food or incense. While they influence our realm they obviously do not walk upon it in the same way we do. They are not dogs to be trained either. Instead the offering is a kind of dedication to them. It is a sign of good will invested with some of the same energies within us that also make them up. An offering of energy, focus, and intent is more valuable then than a physical offering without those things. The physical part of the offering though instills something from us of a personal nature. When we offer a physical thing we see it as a kind of sacrifice and this sacrifice then has value. This moves us then into sacrifices. A sacrifice is giving up something of value, or something wanted, to a spirit or being. The act of sacrifice need not be animal, though some do prefer it, and the value of it is found equally in the showing of commitment. In this respect then the sacrifice has as much value as our ability to put value into it. A candle carried around you for a weeks time has more value than a batch of grapes you have decided not to eat anyway. A coin of intrinsic worth has more value then than a stick of incense. Some traditions preach that a specific offering is needed for certain spirits. This may be more cultural than practical but should be respected within the cultural construct. This means for example if you are raised in a tradition where incense is always used in offerings you should then use that so long as that culture is a part of who you are. If you are culturally aligned with the idea that a particular animal should be used then it is best to use that animal for sacrifice. However the contrast remains true also. If you are culturally not connected to using an animal or specific incense or method as a way of sacrifice then it means nothing to you to do so. Many a mystic has acquired blood from a butchers shop for offering to quickly find out that since to them it has no value beyond the money spent on it, then it too had no value to the spirits. Even more have found that they get the same results with the sacrifice of an animal as they would of a precious jewel. Sacrifice is just that, a sacrifice, a commitment that means more to you than normal. It is the next phase up of offerings in that it has some intrinsic value be it culturally, financially, or in time put in to prepare it. The understanding of what Offerings are and Sacrifices is important. Offerings are a sign of good will. Sacrifices are giving up something of value or worth. The two overlap greatly and share a lot of commonality. Many offerings include sacrifice, while many sacrifices are an offering. Without the proper will, intent, and focus though these are nothing more than hand waving.

Many times I hear the question of a good spell to use when being cursed. Spells often get mistaken for key words, or power on their own. While some symbols have power by virtue of age and culture, as well as the focus of thousands of people, as do some words most spells are statements of intent in a larger working of moving energy and will. For this reason rhyme spells, or rhymes with intent, tend to be the go to because the act of rhyming intent has a power in the mind. That has to be said first. Otherwise you will seek a solution from others in a way they can't give. Even my most powerful spell might have no meaning to you because it was crafted for me. That said there are practices you can do to help with this. These practices will start in reverse dealing with the smallest parts first as they are easiest. As the curse work is affecting you in the here and now, you need to cleanse the area. Sage works if you understand the intent of sage as carrying your power and intent with the smoke. If you don't invest some will and energy into that though you are, pardon the phrase, blowing smoke for no reason. In cases where you don't have any faith invested or can not invest your faith in that we must create that faith by repetition. This could be prayer, meditation, or chanting over the sage bundle before the working for a few minutes, then lighting it, and then continuing a cleansing chant as you go. The repetition builds energy as it carries focus. If you go that road you might want to consider other cleansing options. A good one is water and salt mixed together, sea salt is preferred. The crystalline nature of the salt is a natural amplifier for cleansing. Chanting over the salt, then the water, and then after mixing the mixture that mixture empowers it. If you spend 5 minutes over each part that equals 15 total. If you chant for 5 minutes while using this mixture to sprinkle or spray around your house that has power too. Some plants such as sage, basil, and others also have innate power that can be melded with that focus and added to the water for a cleansing spray. Chamomile may help too with this and can be found in tea easily for such a mixture. All of these methods work best when you can focus and direct intent as energy but they also have some validity even without that. So what do you chant? That is a personal thing. I personally would chant to Thor in the following way. Thor who's might is over the land. He who wields lightning in his hand. Your power and might I call to here. Cleanse this mixture to banish all fear. Lend to this power true. A healing mixture of serenity imbue. That works for me, however you may not be Norse. If you aren't Norse this would be like you coming to my home and not knowing me, knocking on my door, and asking me to fight for you. It wouldn't mean much. Most people are good with non denominational intent so this alternative may work better for them. A more focused on will have more power. Universal might and holy truth. I ask now that you bring forth fruit. Of peace and serenity lend your power. Cleanse this mixture in this hour. For fear does banish at your sight. Knowing goodness wins because it is right. This less focused rhyme poem is better for those not Norse. This is great for clearing the negative of a curse first which we must do. Until you have a clear work area you can't really begin protection or to strike out at those that hurt you. After this you can begin focus on empowering symbols with similar rhymes while meditating upon them. Consider also creating a crystal array. As runes are one of my strong points I'll make some recommendations for runes you might consider using as symbols of power as well. Sowilo: An excellent power of light, it will burn against those who attack you when used for defense. Algiz: The chief protective rune, it is an aggressive defense but still a good one. Thurisaz: More aggressive than the other two listed this type of defense is the equivalent of stabbing someone for attacking you any time they do so. Where Algiz will negate the attack, and Sowilo will provide healing, Thursiaz will make them not want to do the action again. Most of the runes have a use in defense and I won't go into the full details in such a simple post on each and every runes use for protection. Needless to say though there are more options than just this.

Looking at the Eternal Selves: By Charles McBride For the Norse the self is divided into the Hamr, Hugr, Fylgja, and Hamingja. The Hamr is the form or appearance. Easily remembered because it is the most physical and what we would call like a hammer. The Hugr is thought or mind, and in that is more to do with personality or what we would call the inner self. The Fylgja is the animal self, or spirit animal self, in some ways and may act as a kind of familiar in essence though perhaps more spiritual than physical. The Hamingja is our luck, or power within the Wyrrd. In a real sense the Norse didn't believe in a soul in the way we do. The first thing that comes to my mind when we speak of the Body, Mind, and Soul connection in western mysticism is how these concepts are used to represent two things that we understand innately but not completely. See we have two things that all groups tend to agree upon. That is that there is the Tangible Self, this can be defined and witnessed, and the intangible self which can not be witnessed directly. Then we break these down into the Tangible Manifest Self, The Intangible Manifest Self, the Tangible Hidden Self, and the Intangible Hidden Self. The Tangible Manifest Self: This would be most akin to the concept of the body on some level. It is the part of the self that is very much there, very much seen, and very much we can make a notation of. Not a lot needs to be said about the Tangible Manifest Self, except that it is the most physically provable part of the self that science may make note of. It is in essence the part of the self that no matter how we look at it, is provable to the naked eye completely. The Intangible Manifest Self: This may be most akin to the mind in some ways. This is the part of the self for which we can infer must exist on some level as we see the result of it. We can see the mind drive the body, even against the body's will. The Intangible Manifest Self drives the Tangible Manifest Self in such a way that it is considered often a thing proven by observation alone. However the proof of the Intangible Manifest Self is inconclusive. It is part of a paradigm for understanding why we do what we do. For those who believe the soul decide how we are and who we are it may also be seen as the soul. The Tangible Hidden Self: This is the part of the self which is definitely there but is hidden to our understandings. It is the operations of the inner workings of our body, and may be considered manifestations of things such as Qi, Parana, Mana, or other such things. The Tangible Hidden self is known to exist much like The Intangible Manifest Self in that it is known only by what we can see of its power on our lives and the physical world when it is shown. Most concepts of a greater power may fall into this as well, and it may simply be that science can not fully prove it, yet once seen The Tangible Hidden Self is undeniable to those who have experienced. The Intangible Hidden Self: This is where we get into the concept of a soul. It is the aspect of the self which is both intangible and hidden from our full understanding. Precious little proof of this exists save multiple doctrines, faith, and a few ascended masters of the past recollecting the understanding of this part of our being. This part of our being may be deeper than any other part but can not fully be probed. All techniques and methods that connect to it do so through The Tangible Hidden Self. This brings us to understand the nature of how these things connect. This list is not created arbitrarily for all things we do, all understandings we have of these other aspects of self exist in The Tangible Manifest Self. We use our memory in this sense of self in the form of physical experiences. We use deep breathing, focused attention, or other tools that connect then to the Intangible Manifest Self to further breach the gaps into the Hidden Selves. Even in concepts such as QiGong we use the body, or the Tangible Manifest Self as a gateway into these higher understandings. Ultimately we can say then that The Tangible Manifest self is the only part we are, supposedly, sure of. Yet evidence shows we have a skewed perspective on this. From many classic writings it is said that this part of the self is truly the illusion as it is transitory. Further ascended masters in many arts make mention of the nature of the selves. They say that ultimately The Tangible Manifest self is the least real, for it is also the least eternal. The Intangible Manifest self is seen then as second to least real as it will change, and potentially be destroyed with spiritual evolution. You could sum up the entirety of universal wisdom then with one statement. “The more tangible, and more manifest, the aspect of the self is then the least eternal it is. Yet in order for us to make change in the world we must respect that we live in the Tangible Manifest Reality.”

Looking at the Eternal Selves: By Charles McBride For the Norse the self is divided into the Hamr, Hugr, Fylgja, and Hamingja. The Hamr is the form or appearance. Easily remembered because it is the most physical and what we would call like a hammer. The Hugr is thought or mind, and in that is more to do with personality or what we would call the inner self. The Fylgja is the animal self, or spirit animal self, in some ways and may act as a kind of familiar in essence though perhaps more spiritual than physical. The Hamingja is our luck, or power within the Wyrrd. In a real sense the Norse didn't believe in a soul in the way we do. The first thing that comes to my mind when we speak of the Body, Mind, and Soul connection in western mysticism is how these concepts are used to represent two things that we understand innately but not completely. See we have two things that all groups tend to agree upon. That is that there is the Tangible Self, this can be defined and witnessed, and the intangible self which can not be witnessed directly. Then we break these down into the Tangible Manifest Self, The Intangible Manifest Self, the Tangible Hidden Self, and the Intangible Hidden Self. The Tangible Manifest Self: This would be most akin to the concept of the body on some level. It is the part of the self that is very much there, very much seen, and very much we can make a notation of. Not a lot needs to be said about the Tangible Manifest Self, except that it is the most physically provable part of the self that science may make note of. It is in essence the part of the self that no matter how we look at it, is provable to the naked eye completely. The Intangible Manifest Self: This may be most akin to the mind in some ways. This is the part of the self for which we can infer must exist on some level as we see the result of it. We can see the mind drive the body, even against the body's will. The Intangible Manifest Self drives the Tangible Manifest Self in such a way that it is considered often a thing proven by observation alone. However the proof of the Intangible Manifest Self is inconclusive. It is part of a paradigm for understanding why we do what we do. For those who believe the soul decide how we are and who we are it may also be seen as the soul. The Tangible Hidden Self: This is the part of the self which is definitely there but is hidden to our understandings. It is the operations of the inner workings of our body, and may be considered manifestations of things such as Qi, Parana, Mana, or other such things. The Tangible Hidden self is known to exist much like The Intangible Manifest Self in that it is known only by what we can see of its power on our lives and the physical world when it is shown. Most concepts of a greater power may fall into this as well, and it may simply be that science can not fully prove it, yet once seen The Tangible Hidden Self is undeniable to those who have experienced. The Intangible Hidden Self: This is where we get into the concept of a soul. It is the aspect of the self which is both intangible and hidden from our full understanding. Precious little proof of this exists save multiple doctrines, faith, and a few ascended masters of the past recollecting the understanding of this part of our being. This part of our being may be deeper than any other part but can not fully be probed. All techniques and methods that connect to it do so through The Tangible Hidden Self. This brings us to understand the nature of how these things connect. This list is not created arbitrarily for all things we do, all understandings we have of these other aspects of self exist in The Tangible Manifest Self. We use our memory in this sense of self in the form of physical experiences. We use deep breathing, focused attention, or other tools that connect then to the Intangible Manifest Self to further breach the gaps into the Hidden Selves. Even in concepts such as QiGong we use the body, or the Tangible Manifest Self as a gateway into these higher understandings. Ultimately we can say then that The Tangible Manifest self is the only part we are, supposedly, sure of. Yet evidence shows we have a skewed perspective on this. From many classic writings it is said that this part of the self is truly the illusion as it is transitory. Further ascended masters in many arts make mention of the nature of the selves. They say that ultimately The Tangible Manifest self is the least real, for it is also the least eternal. The Intangible Manifest self is seen then as second to least real as it will change, and potentially be destroyed with spiritual evolution. You could sum up the entirety of universal wisdom then with one statement. “The more tangible, and more manifest, the aspect of the self is then the least eternal it is. Yet in order for us to make change in the world we must respect that we live in the Tangible Manifest Reality.”