Magick is all in Your Head…and Your Body, too

art by J. Jeffrey Minzey minzeyart.com

Tap into your imagination. Experience higher awareness and expanded vision, and you will be in the right “spirit” for success in magick. These enhanced perceptions are what have led humanity “to the gods”. You may view gods and goddesses as outside entities, as parts of yourself, or both. You may not work with deities at all during ritual or spellwork. Whatever your path, you most likely utilize a special state of consciousness to “get you there”.

Candle gazing, burning incense, tuning in to the energies of precious stones and crystals, meditation, or visualizing are often used in combination with a symbolic mind-set. Any number of “consciousness keys” will facilitate this special state of mind.

The adept magician goes beyond the mind, or more accurately, the intellect, toward a more mystical eye. This is sometimes called “opening the third eye”, which brings us to the subject of chakras. Chakras are spinning “wheels”, or vortices of energy in and beyond the body. The term chakra is from the Sanskrit word for wheel. The third eye is the sixth chakra, in charge of higher vision and awareness.

Though there are many chakras, (the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, for example) what we usually refer to are the seven placed along the spine. Their symbolic colors form a rainbow spectrum, starting at the base of the spine with red and ascending to the crown with violet. This is best seen symbolically or metaphorically. Colors have certain vibratory rates that correspond with chakra energies, but of course, we don’t literally have green shining from our heart centers.

Chakras can be used as multidimensional portals. With practice, we learn about our own subtle energy bodies. They can acquaint us with the full nature of Self and the may levels and dimensions in which we exist.

While the upper, more “spiritual” chakras are often emphasized, exploring the darker, more mysterious lower chakras puts us in touch with the Divine Feminine. Symbolically, this includes our bodies, the Earth itself, and the “dark” depths. Through the lower chakras, we can get in touch with “body wisdom,” deep feelings of knowing that originate from our bodies. Unprocessed trauma and emotion are stored in these lower chakras. Accessing these hidden realms in our psyches as well as our bodies brings the gifts of mystery and our feminine side, no matter our gender. A deeper exploration of the hidden feelings within brings powerful benefits. Though it isn’t always comfortable, the journey is worth it.

One of my spiritual teachers said “the deeper the roots, the higher the branches.” I take this to mean that once we have plumbed the depths of our own beings, “hugged our dragons”, and integrated our shadow, then we will perceive higher and higher states of consciousness.

I seem to keep coming back to shadow work in my blogs and videos. I seek to balance the “easy way out” philosophies that invade even the best of new age, magickal, or self- help/development practices. Do you want to be a better magickal practitioner, yogi, light bringer, or simply a more conscious person? Positive thinking alone is not enough. Your authenticity is required. By engaging you shadow, and delving inside yourself , you learn to trust your inherent body wisdom (among many other gifts).

Descriptions of the chakras are symbolic. Still, the act of consciously breathing into these vortices and envisioning their colors begins to alchemize their energies, creating more balance within the holistic being. The logical, left-brain mind may ask, how? How does it create more balance? This alchemy can only be experienced. As they say, the map is not the country. I encourage you to explore it for yourself.

There is a risk of over-simplification when describing such practices. At the same time, the usual descriptions of the breathing methods used (known as pranayama) can complicate the practice unnecessarily. The word “ breathe” conjures different methods for different people. For example, someone with a “no pain, no gain” mentality might incorrectly begin huffing and puffing and forcing air. Someone else could focus too much on the diaphragm.

Instead, think of how a baby breathes. The air just flows into their belly and it rises in the most relaxed manner imaginable. When they exhale, the air is not forced out. I am speaking of a baby at peace, of course. That’s the point. Start with peaceful breathing. Just allow your breath to deepen slowly and naturally.

Breathe into the chakra areas in a calm, focused manner. Give each chakra your awareness and energy. This begins the balancing process within. Using your imagination, see the colors illuminating each energy center. This facilitates tuning in to your body. Even if it’s just a little more each time, deepening in to this practice will shift your relationship to your own energy.

Perhaps these examples may seem easy or 101. Getting a fresh take on a beginning practice helps integrate knowledge in a new way. These are ongoing practices. Some people are adept at visualizing colors right away. Others will get better with time. Honing the imagination, and keeping it sharp is an imperative skill in magick. Breathing correctly is just as vital. The more we access the latent power within our bodies, the more we access our personal power. When we unite this power with clarity of imagination, emotion, and intention, we create that special state of consciousness, thus bringing better results to our spiritual practices.

So the next time someone says “Magick is all in your head”, you can smile and let them know that they are at least half right.