Magic Book

[Dial]

Hello all,

I wonder if anyone can help me with a question about a magic book that someone mentioned two or three times about a year or so ago on this forum. The poster was commenting what an interesting slant it gave on the law of attraction/intention and I'm curious to track it down.

I've recently become interested in Chaos Magic as one aspect of a spiritual practice and I'd like to get a perspective from the LoA side. Chaos Magick for those who don't know appears to be much the same as LoA in its intentions and outcomes. The only difference is the use of various rituals and techniques by Chaos Magick to get the conscious mind out of the way.

Can anyone recall the book I'm after?

[Mister Change]

I believe you're looking for Instant Magick by Christopher Penczak. ALG recommended this book a while ago. It's definitely a good read and you will see the LOA similarities right away.

[magic1]

Originally Posted by Dial

Hello all,

I wonder if anyone can help me with a question about a magic book that someone mentioned two or three times about a year or so ago on this forum. The poster was commenting what an interesting slant it gave on the law of attraction/intention and I'm curious to track it down.

I've recently become interested in Chaos Magic as one aspect of a spiritual practice and I'd like to get a perspective from the LoA side. Chaos Magick for those who don't know appears to be much the same as LoA in its intentions and outcomes. The only difference is the use of various rituals and techniques by Chaos Magick to get the conscious mind out of the way.

Can anyone recall the book I'm after?

great, first time I have heard this mentioned on the forum...especially about the conscious mind...it needs to go in manifesting, because you create from a deeper place than that, you have to trancend thought, to create...and create from inner knowing

[Dial]

Originally Posted by Mister Change

I believe you're looking for Instant Magick by Christopher Penczak. ALG recommended this book a while ago. It's definitely a good read and you will see the LOA similarities right away.

Thanks Mister Change. That's the book I'm after

[Dial]

Originally Posted by magic1

great, first time I have heard this mentioned on the forum...especially about the conscious mind...it needs to go in manifesting, because you create from a deeper place than that, you have to trancend thought, to create...and create from inner knowing

Hmm, not easy, however, given that we're also told to feel intensely for the success of our intending.

Or is it the 'rational' over-calculating mind that we're trying to by-pass?

I think Michael J. Losier may be addressing the same area when he says to use phrases such as 'I really love the idea.......' which allows you to stop worrying about the actual reality of your vision and simply learn to love it as a vision pure and simple.

I like Steve's approach, too: meditate and then spend some time simply allowing your desires to play around in your head in a relaxed fashion.

What do you do to get your conscious mind out of the way magic1?

[Acting Like Godot]

Instant Magick was not about chaos magick ....

[magic1]

Originally Posted by Dial

Hmm, not easy, however, given that we're also told to feel intensely for the success of our intending.

Or is it the 'rational' over-calculating mind that we're trying to by-pass?

I think Michael J. Losier may be addressing the same area when he says to use phrases such as 'I really love the idea.......' which allows you to stop worrying about the actual reality of your vision and simply learn to love it as a vision pure and simple.

I like Steve's approach, too: meditate and then spend some time simply allowing your desires to play around in your head in a relaxed fashion.

What do you do to get your conscious mind out of the way magic1?

its more ego, than conscious mind...this stuff is so simple yet so hard...

so its asking and knowing and leaving...not picking it up like a piece of play-doh and shaping and molding all day...and your ego will do this...

your ego will do this because it wants to control the manifestation....it thinks it has a better way, its looked after you its whole life...and so it will try to look after what you are intending , it may try to talk you out of it, it may not want to see you get your hopes up, it may start seeking for the intention instead of allowing, it may try and protect you from failure and tell you its not possible...list goes on!

I'm saying one needs to transcend all of that garbage......this is false sense of self and is a limited perspective of reality...and the only way you will ever get through it is by recognizing your truth, so understanding your connection to the universe......and having a very high level of knowing...essentially faith, this is enough to pull you through all of that other crap...

so maybe build that first, or you may have already...and then look at how ego can block manifesting...

[Dial]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Instant Magick was not about chaos magick ....

From Wikipedia

"Chaos magic is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systems and the creation of new and unorthodox methods. ..."

I'm curious how you think Instant Magick is different from Chaos Magick? I'm no expert at all, but they sound pretty much the same.

[Dial]

And apologies for the turtle-like speed of my responses so far. I have turned on email notification for any further replies.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Dial

I'm curious how you think Instant Magick is different from Chaos Magick? I'm no expert at all, but they sound pretty much the same.

My understanding of chaos magick is that the practitioner deliberately does quite peculiar, bizarre and unusual things, with the intention of confusing his own conscious mind. Thus the conscious mind temporarily gets befuddled / distracted, and is unable to pose its usual logical doubts. In that way, the practitioner is able to manifest his intentions. That's the defining characteristic of chaos magick.

Instant Magick doesn't quite work like that. The defining feature of instant magick is that it takes place completely within the mind. In other words, there is no need for any physical tools or physical rituals. No need for candles; wands; cloaks; glass of water; crystals; Tarot cards; flowers; herbs; no need to utter any magick words or draw an actual circle on the ground or make any magickal gesture etc. If a ritual needs to be performed, it is performed entirely within the mind. That's the defining characteristic of Penczak's instant magick.

[Dial]

Acting Like Godot,

What you say about 'confusing the mind' makes sense, hence the 'chaos' in chaos magick. However, I've been lead to understand that chaos magic began in the 70s with a move away from ritual and towards simple intention.

Indeed, some Chaos magicians say that you can decide yourself what the ritual is to be, and in so doing invest it with power.

Christopher Penczak is simply pushing matters a little more towards its logical conclusion. Is he really suggesting no ritual at all? If he has no ritual at all in his magical practices, what is the difference between him and more usual law of attraction procedures?

I guess the ordered book will reveal all.

I'm curious ALG, what do you make use of any techniques learned from Instant Magick? Are they useful?

[Dial]

Originally Posted by magic1

its more ego, than conscious mind...this stuff is so simple yet so hard...

so its asking and knowing and leaving...not picking it up like a piece of play-doh and shaping and molding all day...and your ego will do this...

your ego will do this because it wants to control the manifestation....it thinks it has a better way, its looked after you its whole life...and so it will try to look after what you are intending , it may try to talk you out of it, it may not want to see you get your hopes up, it may start seeking for the intention instead of allowing, it may try and protect you from failure and tell you its not possible...list goes on!

I'm saying one needs to transcend all of that garbage......this is false sense of self and is a limited perspective of reality...and the only way you will ever get through it is by recognizing your truth, so understanding your connection to the universe......and having a very high level of knowing...essentially faith, this is enough to pull you through all of that other crap...

so maybe build that first, or you may have already...and then look at how ego can block manifesting...

The great cosmic - and not so cosmic - groove is all about surrender isn't it. That's my heart/mind/body felt take, at any rate.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Dial

Christopher Penczak is simply pushing matters a little more towards its logical conclusion. Is he really suggesting no ritual at all? If he has no ritual at all in his magical practices, what is the difference between him and more usual law of attraction procedures?

Penczak has actually written a couple of books. In those other books, he is very ritualistic. It's only in the book Instant Magick that he presents the version of magick that I've described, which all takes place in the mind.

The difference between Instant Magick and the more usual law of attraction procedures is that instant magick is still based on the same magickal principles about colours, deities, the elements, animal totems, planets etc. Except that everything is done in the mind ....

I'm curious ALG, what do you make use of any techniques learned from Instant Magick? Are they useful?

Very useful ..... If nothing else, it gives you the knowledge and confidence to develop your own techniques and methods ...

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

My understanding of chaos magick is that the practitioner deliberately does quite peculiar, bizarre and unusual things, with the intention of confusing his own conscious mind. Thus the conscious mind temporarily gets befuddled / distracted, and is unable to pose its usual logical doubts. In that way, the practitioner is able to manifest his intentions. That's the defining characteristic of chaos magick.

It's not something I think about much, but maybe I did a bit of 'chaos magick' once.

Years ago, I worked under a comptroller who was very nosy and vicious and prone to micromanaging (I privately thought of her as the "Comptroll Freak" ). Joy of joys, she took the office directly behind my cubicle.

Naturally disliking the thought of being stared at, possibly with suspicion, I got the notion to do a sort of "protection spell". First I made a drawing of a face with large, staring eyes, rather like the iconic "gray alien", figuring this sort of image might unnerve my watcher and dissuade her from staring*. Then I did a ritual to "energize" it with the capacity to ward off Ms. CF's attention. Afterward I made two copies, then framed and hung them in my cubicle. I arranged them to either side of me, so as to make sure they'd be visible to CF at all times

I already had a rep in the office as an artist, and a few prints of my work displayed, so I think the eccentric stereotype served as an instant alibi After a few questions about just what in heck it was I'd drawn, and the usual compliments on my skill, the odd presence of duplicate pictures in my workspace was accepted almost to the point of indifference.

A couple months later, perhaps due to the company's ongoing struggle to remain afloat, there was a reorganization. Behold, CF was moved to another department, and replaced by a quiet, kind, avuncular fellow!

My question - would this have happened anyway, given the aforementioned company turmoil, or is this a legit 'manifestation', with the reorganization being an example of ALG's 'paper trail'? I ask because I'm wondering if maybe I should use this technique again...

*Since I had the 'creep factor' in place as a source of potential effectiveness, I was unworried as to whether there'd be any added 'magickal' effect. Maybe this helped the process by giving my inner skeptic something to satisfy?

[Acting Like Godot]

Yes, you performed magick.

You needed an outer form that made sense to you, for manifesting your magic. Somehow those particular drawings made sense to you. So you drew them. And they worked. It's still your belief that's the basis of your magick though. If you had drawn them without the intention of warding off that lady, they wouldn't have warded off that lady.

[Wax Frog]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

Yes, you performed magick.

You needed an outer form that made sense to you, for manifesting your magic. Somehow those particular drawings made sense to you. So you drew them. And they worked. It's still your belief that's the basis of your magick though. If you had drawn them without the intention of warding off that lady, they wouldn't have warded off that lady.

I'd long indulged the fancy that while drawing I pour metaphysical energy into what I create. Looks like I'd be well served to hold to that apparent belief.

As I haven't drawn for a good while, it's nice to have an excuse to dig out the pencils again. Should be interesting, especially now that I'm reminded of the trance(?) state I enter when I get on a roll. How convenient