and open to Her Wisdom."
10th Day of the 2nd Lunar Cycle
Ruled by Hera
Lunar Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
4th Day of the Celtic Tree Cycle ~ Luis/Rowan
Moon Phase: waxing first quarter
Moon sets: 2:02AM EST
Moon rises: 11:48AM EST
Moon in Taurus v/c 10:02PM EST
Rhiannon's Cycle of the Moon
Lunar Meditation: The blessings of age.
Sun in Aquarius
Sunrise: 7:36AM EST
Sunset: 5:27PM EST
Solar Question for the Day: "Which of your family do
you most appreciate?"
Samhain (Calan Gaeaf) Quarter of the Year
January 24th, 2010
There is nothing sunny about this Sun Day outside my window - see picture above. But it is Sun Day, the Day of Intent, Creation and Renewal - that day in every week that gives us a chance to try again and get it right this time... There are Major magickal energies today for spells/rites concerning New Business, Investment, Planning, and Planting before the moon goes void of course later tonight. So maybe this can be a good day to curl up with files and plan out our income tax strategies... Certainly a good day to practice the Penzcak work on meditation and visualization.
LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
While practicing all the previous exercises posted over the past week of so, you may have noticed that you felt a little different. Your perceptions were different because you were using other senses, other parts of your consciousness. Shifting consciousness is the key to magick. If magick is aligning our three minds, our conscious and psychic minds with the divine, you need an easy method to quickly align these three separate energies. The more self-aware you become, the more the three minds come into alignment., but for now we need techniques to help that process.
By voluntarily changing your state of consciousness, you do not lose consciousness or identity. You can still hold your intent, but such a change brings a great awareness of your own energy, abilities and power. The ancient Greeks called this state of greater awareness "gnosis. "Gnosis literally means 'knowledge,' and referred to the mystical, divine knowledge available to those who enter this state. Personal revelations and psychic experiences occur during gnosis.
Everyone's brain functions through waves of activity. These patterns of waves, measured in cycles per second, or hertz, each contain very specific characteristics. Individuals may express different abilities at each of these levels, but anyone can physically enter these levels. We do it all the time. The trick is to do so voluntarily.
Normally the brain functions at beta level, our normally waking consciousness. It is the time when we are generally awake and alert, doing our jobs and interacting with people. This electrical rhythm's frequency is normally thirteen to sixteen cycles per second.
The level that most people in the magickal world refer to when talking about meditation, magick, and spells is the alpha. Alpha state is right below beta. Alpha is described as being relaxed yet aware - this could be when you are not all that aware. When you daydream or otherwise 'zone out' of conscious beta level, you have entered alpha, which is measured eight to thirteen cycles per second. If you learn to purposely enter this state, you can stay aware. The advantage of alpha is greater contact with your psychic mind. Accelerated learning and increased memory occur at this level. Intuition and psychic abilities are accessed. Think of alpha as a meditative state. You can meditate at this level and go deeper into your inner experience, or you can enter a higher alpha state, or what could be called ritual consciousness, remaining calm, relaxed, and aware, yet still being able to walk around, light candles, speak and so forth. People often worry about getting into alpha because at times if does not feel that much different from beta, particularly when you get used to it. Students of magick will often worry if they can reach alpha at all, but everyone passes through it as they go to sleep each night.
Theta brain waves take you into a deeper meditative state. You could call it a trance state. At this level, you can pay more attention to the inner reality and make a stronger connection to the divine. You also may enter it during sleep. Theta is measured at four to nine hertz.
The lowest level of brain functioning is the delta wave. Delta is the state of deep sleep, deep trance, and coma. The brain functions on four or less cycles per second. Those who acquire more advanced and conditioned nervous systems through training, like yogis and other mystics, can bring the body to this level while keeping the mind conscious.
There are several states above the normal beta level that prove interesting. First is high beta, clocking in at sixteen to thirty hertz. This is an extreme state of alertness, what is called 'battlefield conditions.'
When you are in a more aware mode of perception due to life-and-death situation, fear, and adrenaline, you are in high beta. Above high beta the brain waves spike into K complex, measured at thirty to thirty-five hertz. This is the experience of divine inspireation, where things become clear for one brief moment. K complex is also called 'the eureka experience.' Superhigh beta is above them all, falling in the range of thirty-five to 150 hertz. Expansive and somewhat un controllable spiritual experience occur here, raising consciousness. Extreme out-of-body experiences, kundalini rising, and crown-chakra activation occur at this level.
Notice how both lowering and raising the brain waves can lead to mystical experiences. In this practice we will be focusing on techniques to lower your brain wave level and heighten your awareness, but spirituality can be found in many different places. As you have a spiritual experience, your brain waves could jump up, but you remain peaceful. It is also important to remember that these brain-wave measurements are averages. Different parts of the brain can be associated with different brain waves, so you are not necessarily in any one state with 100 per cent of your brain. The brain is a mysterious organ that we still know little about, but it appears that these brain waves hold a key, like a gatekeeper, to our mystical experiences.
[From: "The Inner Temple of Witchcraft" by Christopher Penczak]
