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by Christopher Penczak

(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)

When I started on the path of witch, my teachers stressed to me the importance of meditation. Not only is it a skill that witches should learn to help with spells and rituals, but meditation all by itself is quite magickal.

What is magick? Magick is change, change that matches your will, your intention. Everything changes, but when we put focus and energy towards creating a specific change, when we bend and shape the energy of life, we are doing magick. Most people equate magick with only outer changes and spell craft. When we manifest something in the world, a new job, relationship or healing, we are certainly doing magick. Many books and techniques help you harness the power of nature, through the use of herbs, stones, colors, candles, and symbols. They are powerful ways to do magick. Because it is written about less than our recipe books, many forget that magick is really about creating inner change.

Transforming Yourself
Good witches know they can change themselves much more easily than anybody else. We have sovereignty over our own body, mind, heart and soul, our own four elements, before anyone or anything else. Changing ourselves is the easiest thing to do in theory, but the hardest thing to do in practice because we often fear change, and fear changing ourselves most of all. But even though it is difficult, such changes bring us the greatest spiritual impact. We all have our patterns, and by knowing our patterns we can figure out what works and what doesn't. We can change what doesn't work. We leave to evolve and improve ourselves.

Many people use magick to handle their problems. I'm highly in favor of it. Magick is a great way to communicate with the goddesses and god, with the universe, that you need a change in your life and the current situation isn't working out. Magick is a way to be clear about the change you want. If you have a problem with someone or something else, you can use magick to help resolve it. Unfortunately, many are tempted to first change the other person or situation, before looking at their own role. Let's say someone at work really annoys you. They don't necessarily mean to do it. They aren't being malicious. They simply are driving you crazy. Most would do a spell to change the behavior of the other person. Or a spell might be geared toward moving the person to another department away from you. Both would work, but require a lot of energy and miss the obvious. This person, no matter how annoying, is an honored teacher.

Yes, they are a spiritual teacher for you. They don't know it. You didn't know it, but now you do. You should treat them like the great teacher they are and learn their message or lesson. That will solve your problem.

I learned you ultimately do a spell to get your end result, in the most efficient way without being attached to the results. You simply ask it be for the highest good and do not interfere with another's will directly. You seek to solve your problems by gently bending and shaping things, and you're the most likely one to bend because you are conscious of the situation. To solve your problem, you can change the problem person's behavior, move them or change your own reaction to the situation. If you were no longer annoyed by their behavior, the problem is solved.

Going Within
So how do you change your reaction? How do you change your own patterns? You need to go within. That is the magick of meditation. By working with your inner energies, your inner patterns, you transform. You can understand why you react to things as you do. Does it have something to do with your past, in this life or another? Does it remind you of some else? Does it mirror something in yourself that you don't like? Does this involve a lesson in life that challenges you—your quest for control, security, identity, love or truth? You'll never know if you don't go within to find out.

Meditative magick works through three steps—altering consciousness, interacting with the inner world and using your will to transform. There are many ways to use these basic steps, and you will find that they will aid your magick in the outer world as well.

The first step is altering your consciousness. By getting into an altered state of mind, usually alpha state, you can access your inner energy patterns—your conscious and unconscious thoughts, emotions, dreams, hopes and fears. Most importantly, you can connect with your inner guidance, awaken your psychic abilities and connect with healing spirits and gods.

I start my meditation practice by lighting a candle, saying an intention asking for divine guidance, breathing deeply and closing my eyes. You can use a body relaxation, incense, guided countdowns and soothing imagery to get into your altered state.

The altered state allows you greater access to your energy. Then you interact with the inner energies—through visualization and psychic senses. Your intuition, feeling and inner sight will give you a sense of self-awareness. You can literally feel your energy. When you are in meditation, think about a problem, and feel how it makes you feel. Do you like that feeling? If not, transform it. Use your magick.

Making Magick
In your inner vision, imagine yourself the way you want to be. Use images of colored light and simple symbols to work with the energy. If you need patience, think about what color feels most like patience to you. To me it would be blue. Then imagine yourself surrounded in that color. The more you do it, the more you will learn patience. You could also create an affirmation to give you more patience. When you meditate on patience, and think about the situation, your annoying co-worker, you might have an intuition as to why the situation bothers you so much. Often just the knowledge will help diffuse the situation. Other times, it gives you a starting point from which to work. Sometimes all you have to do is identify the pattern and you will remember not to react in your old unhealthy ways.

Other techniques for magical change include creating an inner sacred space that you can go to anytime and anywhere, regardless of where your altar or ritual tools are. Build an inner temple of learning and healing. Create a gateway to your spirit guides. Look into an inner mirror or crystal for glimpses of your past lives. All of this takes place on the inner planes, but creates a powerful and lasting change.

Expectations
Meditation is a practice. The key word is practice. No one perfects it, but the more we do it, the greater our skills become. Because we are focusing on magickal meditation, rather than simple breath count or single mantra meditation, there is an expectation among some that every meditation will be overwhelmingly magical. In these cases, which we all have, the meditation practice itself become a teacher. Every experience cannot be a peak experience. We learn to work with what happens and the best experiences might not be what we expect. Sometimes the most vague meditations will have the best lesson or experience in it. As with our meditative magick, the subtle can be the most powerful and spiritual experience we have.

Many new to meditation have a difficultly even knowing when they are in a meditative state. It's really easy to get into this state, though most people think meditation is a mystery. If you have ever been in a daydream, and I'm sure you have, you have entered an altered state. The difference between a daydream and meditation is that during meditation, you are consciously guiding the experience, rather than unconsciously drifting.

Other, particularly in class room settings, or when witches share their visions, those with vague impression, non-visual experiences or simple feelings feel their experiences are not as valid or leave disappointed. They think meditations should be filled with special effects, crystal clear messages and be a spiritual epiphany. Visions and voice are often symbolic and have to be interpreted, but "just" knowing the answer through a feeling can be the most important psychic sense to develop. As a teacher I've heard about many people's grand visions, but often they lose the message in the pretty pictures. If intense visions are the way you receive information, that's great, but if you don't, find the path that gives you the most helpful messages. Everyone is different.

Use your meditation skills to enhance all areas of your life and your magick. Listen to the voice of your soul, to your own highest guidance and let it take you on your own incredible healing journey. Look through magickal eyes and see the spirit of all things.

Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2003. All rights reserved.

I have always believed that we choose our lives before we come to earth in order to learn what we need to learn. It's one of the ways I make sense of seemingly pointless acts of violence against people, and how I can understand why some people experience such hardship during their lifetimes. What I can't understand is why or how animals would choose to live on earth and be so cruelly treated at times. Do you believe that animals make the choice to incarnate as we do? What are your spiritual beliefs about the role of animals here on earth and in the afterlife? Thanks for your insights into this subject.

Mary

Dreamchaser:

As you may know, I am a huge believer in the wisdom and power of animals both on the physical plane and in spiritual realms. At times, I learn from animals more easily than I learn from other humans.

Each animal has a specific trait that we can learn and adopt by observing and studying the animal itself. We do not have to have an actual live animal in our presence to learn from that animal, however - we can also read about the animal in books or on the internet.

Animals are also here on earth to just be our companions. To learn about loyalty and unconditional love, for example, someone could adopt a stray dog. Befriending a dog is probably the best way on earth to learn about those particular traits.

To learn about planning and providing for the future, one can watch a squirrel. Observe, for example, how the squirrel puts his stash in all kinds of different places - he does not just put it in one place. My Daddy always told me that the way to wealth was through diversification of income, which is something the squirrel seems to understand instinctively.

Animals also provide us with food and clothing at times. I think this is where most of your question comes into play. I too have often wondered why some animals are born just to be killed in order to provide for our needs.

Every soul has a unique path and lessons that need learning. Each soul will pick its own best way to learn a particular lesson, then it will plan an incarnation by finding a family, location, time, etc., that will best suit its needs.

Animals usually have very short life spans compared to humans. It seems to me that by incarnating as an animal, one might be able to very quickly learn some lessons or repay some karma. (I personally think that every animal chosen as a pet by a kid is here for a big lesson, as they will be sorely neglected.)

I believe there are times that certain animals choose to be with certain people. I am sure that my little black cat chose my son. He happened to see her being born through a window, and they have been fast friends ever since. I am sure her soul chose to come into that little black cat body.

I also feel humans and animals often both learn from each other, so they can have mutually beneficial relationships. Other times I think animals will come to us in service, or purely as teachers.

When I channel people who have passed over, I often see them with a favorite pet. The pet is still in the same form it had when it was last alive in the physical, at least as I am shown it.

So I do believe that animal souls choose to come here just like human souls do, according to a divine, natural order.

I wish you many amazing animal encounters.

*****

Astrea:

I don't believe animals share our level of conscious awareness, even though some seem to THINK they do. Ink, my black witch's cat, maintains that she not only knew where she would live and the people she would be with, but she planned all of this with me before either of us incarnated. We have an extraordinary bond; it does feel like we've been together many times.

Mars, my huge orange Tabby, thinks this is a wild, goofball idea that only humans could think up. "What would I have to learn?" he asked. "I know EVERYTHING! I know there is a rat I'm going to get one of these days when it cools off upstairs. I know what time breakfast is served. I can find the litter box when I feel like using it instead of the wall or your shoes. I was able to survive being abandoned, and wound up here in my own private palace. Why would I need more than the nine lives I have right here?"

When I asked Cody, my friend's horse, he said, "What you have me? Apple? Carrot? Nothing? Go 'way then." Since Cody wasn't interested in talking about your question, I'm thinking he is a one-timer. The other horses weren't interested in talking about it, either. (I find horses aren't big talkers - at least, not to me.)

As for dogs, I don't have one at the moment, and the two next door were busy when I asked them. Daisy, (a Labrador retriever) had a brand new set of wicker furniture to tear up and eat. "Incarnations? Aren't those the flowers I ate last week? Oh, those were Crosanthimumums! I'm too busy to talk to you now, come back after I eat that chair."

Madison, aka Mad Dog, was too busy barking at me to listen intelligently to ANY question. Madison is alone a lot, so when she gets any attention at all, she's usually too excited for deep conversation.

My friend Sue's dog, Max, was an exceptional individual. He promised her he would return in another body so that they could complete this life journey together. That was almost eight years ago, and he hasn't reappeared yet. Either he's happy in Heaven and waiting for her there, or he's as picky as he was in life, and can't find a puppy about to be born that he feels is "good enough" for his spirit.

My big Great Dane wasn't much for talk, but he was deeply emotional. I look for him in the eyes of every puppy I meet. Nothing yet. But I know from him that just like every human is unique, so is every animal.

Comet, the Inscrutable and Mighty Gray One, says that dogs incarnate one time to love us, so we have to enjoy them while they are here. Once we cross over, we're reunited with all our loved ones, including pets. They wait for us, and there is such great joy when we see each other again that all sadness is driven from us forever.

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.