There are a few people in my life with whom I feel I can be open.
This week I had an encounter with one friend Angela that was disturbing. In converstaion with her, I heard she planned to support a march on Saturday organized around the protest of school violence related to guns. We agree that activism is important and that the issue has activated young people. We agree that the hope is for the next generation (and ongoing) be able to have input into their "world". We agree that empowerment is important.
We then hit very muddy ground where I feel I sunk in a bog of inability to communicate. That is because I am somewhat con flicted about where empowerment arises and apparently she is also and APPARENTLY it creates a friction that could lead to no friendship? I felt like WTF? Then I did back off to admit our friendship is more than thoughts and I admit mine are opinions and may all be wrong? But they don't seem wrong and that is where I am trying to work on myself to have more truth and that sense of inner peace that is IMO understanding.
Just as a back story, this friend is one who has always identified as a masculine gender. Way before the topic became social, she has sincerely felt like a man assigned as a female. This has always been socially difficult. She also became a devotee of Krshna Consciousness along with her partner, lived in a 3 person relationship which was not her choice exactly and then lost her partner Carol to cancer about 8 years ago. Being alone after losing one's partner is destabilizing for everyone.
She was hit also by her perceptions of herself as "vulnerable" because of sexuality. She has voiced the feeling of being afraid because there are "hill billies" with misogynist views and homophobic fears and she senses she might be threatened. She feels defensive.
She is deeply exploring the masculaine elements like honorable self protection and honorable protection of Others. She is exploring her "warrior" aspects and developed a passion for guns. She actually owns the kind of weapon that is used in some of the mass shootings. She has her issues. I have mine of course. I love her dearly as a being and it is so strange that perhaps we would SO disagree over things that are truly not IN OUR personal sphere.
We don't often discuss politics. Actually I am not really into politics as I see that as just a manufactured story line. What I am into is what characteristics lie behind the social expressions. I am into human development and I am committed to having a sovereign empowerment.
I have been interested in what some call conspiracy theories (like Angela does call them) such as the JFK assassination (the one that got ME started because of various factors), 9/11 (because for one thing, I could tell right off that Bush already knew about it at the time form his behavior at the classroom of children), Sandy Hook (because it was so glaringly WEIRD as an unfolding event). The stories in all these cases have volumes of different "facts" that are the "rabbit hole" kind of events we see discussed endlessly.
What became OBVIOUS is that Angela cannot bear to think the world could be being orchestrated on a vast scale of evil. She said that if she did believe there was a huge conspiracy orchestrating these events, she'd not want to live. It therefore appears she chooses to endorse that its all about the individuals presented as the culprits having low self esteem and hate. So, the solution is they should be prevented form having assault weapons. SO< hummm is this the party line being voiced by many due to the same big cognitive dissonace (that our 'leaders" collude with big eveil)? It is so heinous to even entertain that there could be a large well orchestrated plan to make us so fearful? It is enraging and so the messenger is dismissed?
Well maybe. However, Is it my business to disabuse Angela? How can I be sure I am correct? I CAN"T REALLY! Yet, I have an idea that to accept these wild eyed young men were capable of these manouvers AND the number of fails involved in procedure, in building strength, in the details that totally contradict are IMO staggering. Evidence in all these various psyops (yes, I see them as that) is not adding up to lone crazies.
That is MY belief:
There IS a HUGE well orchestrated plan to instill terror. This terror will be free floating and attach itself to various remedies offered. The agreement to accept these remedies will enable just about any plan offered. I accept this as an idea that is probable. Also, I insist that it MAY be irrelevant in the experience of becoming individually powerful. One can turn to a larger assurance despite the pressure to cower and seek refuge in safety at any cost.
What Angela said is that she broke off a freindship with someonme else who said "You have your head in the sand" when Angela refused to accept Sandy Hook could have been a psyop. She was also implying that I maight lose her friendship IMO. WOW!
OK! If this is the interpersonal state between friends, what to do?
The whole exercise is to refuse to be frightened and reactive despite the information available. Then there is the refusal to be divided from my friends by fear.
Actually this episode taught me even more about what direction I have chosen anyway.... just don't go there. It is my job to BE sovereign, not to persuade others how to BE. Clearing my own mind is a moment to moment necessity.
1. It is true that all these events are not in my personal sphere so are REALLY all hearsay. That means that I am not speaking from MY POV. iN MY EXPERIENCE, THE VIOLENCE IS JUST IN THE NEWS. If something happens in my life, I AM in a much different place and response ability. To be embroiled emotionally in an abstract condition is actually not healthy for my mind.
I will prepare myself to never be fooled by my own experience. That means to stay balanced, neither hypervigilant (paranoid) or without attention. I will continue to develop my discernment. I will insist the evil is not IN my experience. This is my right IMO on a subtle level that leads to manifestation in my reality bubble.
This is actually what I prize anyway: working dilligently according to my dharma understanding. I do think that there is a dharmic path through the dark woods and valley and shadow of death. It is based on a divine order IMO. It may have been twisted by egos but it still shines true and beautiful under materiality. I have faith in this over weaning "clarity" that may guide me "home".
2. If I believe there is a huge global conspiracy, then what CAN I do?
Again IMO it is to be the person who is not hateful, defensive and full of doubt.
I can become fearless. I can become VERY loving and compassionate for the INSANE misdirection and REFUSE to be a mindless, crazy sadistic OR Masochistic being out of defense and fear. I will not be made to give up my aspirations and my mantra. I will just focus even more on LOVE being the reality,
So, I can just let go this intellectual discussion of world events and just love this person Angela (and others I meet) and say in my heart and with my inner conviction "May all beings be happy. May all beings be free of suffering"
AND take on the idea that IMO may well hold an essence of power to act that is not diluted away by talk.
"To KNOW. To WILL. To DARE. To KEEP SILENT".
To me this does not mean that I stop writing or even speaking when I have something I want to say. I have as much right to an opinion as anyone in the world of opinion. But speech is quite tricky and mostly unnecessary. Also, it has become very apparent that my beliefs matter. This is tricky aslo. To dwell in negativity is adding it to the thought form collective.
Magical reality is a sword edge to walk.
My purpose is building my own inner sovereign mind and heart and I don't need agreement from convinced others to feel coherent (and flexible when something changes in my experience). I can just allow this "stuff" presented be what it is, as confusing, as maddening and as unresolvable as it appears to be. That is all I know today.
I like the phrase I mentioned above and think it has been used in various ways because it is pointing towRDS underlying principle of powerful effctiveness on the material plane. here are some ways it is viewed by others. I like reading others views knowing we each have entiitlement to our own POV.
Off Topic
Four Powers of the Magus
To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent – the four powers of the Magus. While not Wiccan in origin, many Wiccans and Pagans integrate these rules into their magical practices. It’s not surprising really, since the influence of Ceremonial Magic and the Golden Dawn can be seen in many areas of Wicca.
To Know – Noscere in Latin. This rule tells us to strive for knowledge, and to apply the knowledge we have gained. We are to seek the truth, no matter how difficult the search or the revelations may be. This rule is associated with Air and intelligence.
To Dare – Auder in Latin. This rule tells us to question everything, even the truths we hold dear. Be courageous. Auder is associated with Fire and change.
To Will – Velle in Latin. This rule reminds you to focus your thoughts. You need to meditate on your goal, clearing your mind of anything that can distract you. This rule is associated with Water and emotion.
To Keep Silent – Tacere in Latin. Some say this rule is a reminder not to speak to others of your magical workings, lest they seek to undo them. To me, it means to know when to speak of what you know, and when to share your knowledge. I also see it as a reminder to know when to silence yourself so you can hear your inner voice. It also means to always watch what you say, for if you are truly disciplined, there is no need for insults and wasted words.
https://silverlotus.net/wicca/magic/fou ... the-magus/
Off Topic
To know (sciere). This is a good one to start with, since you could argue that "to know" is the entire point of becoming a seer. When we sit down to scry or ask for a prophetic dream, we're hoping to get a peek into worlds beyond our everyday reality. (Or, more prosaically, to find out what's happening in the next room or next week.) All of the seer's work is done in the service of knowledge.
So, how do we cultivate this power? Well, the most obvious way is through learning. We learn through words and images, from teachers who have gone before us. While human beings have made great technological and social strides in a few thousand years, our basic mental and spiritual capacities don't appear to evolve so quickly--I'm sure there's nobody alive today who's smarter than Plato or more spiritually aware than the author of the Psalms. And what has worked for the ancients will most likely work today. So, part of "to know" is to recognize wisdom where its given and try not to reinvent the wheel. What's the saying artists have--learn the rules before you break 'em? For the seer this means studying and practicing the spiritual technologies that are available--the time-honored practices of meditation and prayer, for instance. Then adapt them if necessary.
We also gain knowledge through our own experiences. Moments of teaching occur throughout the day, and inspiration flashes through the synapses in milliseconds. But most of the time we're just too busy and distracted to give our full focus to these transmissions Seership is a way to set the process to slow motion. We put ourselves in a relaxed state and tell the universe, "Say it one more time. I'm listening." So ask yourself a few questions: Are you honoring the process of learning with your time and attention? Are you keeping good enough records, so that the insights you catch hold of won't easily be forgotten? Are you growing in self-awareness as you experience different visions and states?
Which brings us to what is certainly the hardest part of knowing: To know yourself. The questions associated with self-knowledge are even more difficult: Why do you want to be a seer? What will you do with knowledge once its acquired? They obviously don't have easy answers, but even if you can't answer them completely, it's helpful to keep them foremost in your mind. The power of knowledge is associated with the classical element of Air. When perfected, it gives you the ultimate perspective: a birds-eye view of yourself, your surroundings, and your place in the world. This alone sounds like it could be the work of a lifetime. But wait, there's more...
To will (velle).
A seer must be strong-willed. As a member of homo sapiens, you have an extremely powerful and marvelous piece of frontal lobe, that nonetheless has a tendency to overestimate its own importance. The conscious mind is so active that it would prefer to dominate every waking minute, leaving very little space for intuitive functioning. It takes a strongly developed will to demand that your normal way of seeing get the hell outta the way, and let your less-developed sixth sense have a turn at the window.
From this, the power of Fire, we derive the inspiration to do some really hard work--the proverbial fire under your ass, if you will. There is no "easy" method of divination--if there were, then everybody would be doing it. No matter how talented you are, you still have to hone the skills of single-pointed concentration and visualization. You have to overcome the tendency of the mind to wander to mundane things, and of all your conscious and unconscious desires to distract and deceive you. You have to have the will to do your practice even when you don't really feel like it or when other obligations are clamoring for your time.
To dare (audere).
This power is associated with the element of Water, which has a long, long history of being emblematic of the psychic arts. And with good reason: Elemental Water is the source of creativity, intuition, and connection. Even in the mundane world, we talk about "streams" of consciousness and "going with the flow"--sometimes an inspiration "springs" forth or we "pool" our ideas with others. Many traditional scrying devices (bowls, ponds, and wells) are tied to Water. (Even crystals were thought by the Greeks to be made of water, permanently frozen.) And the seer's practice of letting go--letting words and images float on by without attempting to direct them--is a watery skill.
But lest I make it sound like seership means drifting off into a gentle pool of soul-melting bliss, let's not forget that "daring" implies courage, not just happy abandon. Are you really ready to confront all the beasties that lurk in the dark reaches of your unconscious? Are you ready to start ringing the doorbells of the other denizens of the universe, which might just wanna pinch your l'il rosy cheeks...or not? Taking up this calling means giving up your fixations on safety, predictability, and objectivity. No one can promise you that you won't go crazy. Nobody can prove to you that you're not actually wasting your time with all this stuff. "To dare" means having the faith and the audacity to do a cannonball into the deep well of the mysterious. Wooooooo!
To keep silent (tacere).
Ah, yes, the ancient art of shutting your piehole. (Often said to be the most overlooked of the four.) Just as some strains of Hermeticism hold that Earth isn't a real element, some people evidently feel that silence isn't a real magical skill, to their great detriment. I'm sure you've seen the oversharer in action at your local psychic circle / coven / metaphysical group. There's almost invariably someone who's so eager to share their successes or brag about their newfound talents that they just end up alienating everyone and looking like a fool. Sometimes there's two or more of these folks and they spend the whole time one-upping each other (which at least spares other people the misery of conversing with them). Meanwhile, on the periphery you find the more mature practitioners, who don't talk about their abilities unless someone asks--and sometimes not even then.
But the purpose of magical silence isn't just to look inscrutable and cool--although that's definitely a fringe benefit. Resisting the temptation to chatter really can benefit your practice. In the ancient world, boasting about personal success was thought to draw the malediction of the evil eye or jealous spirits. Modern practitioners are more likely to say that blabbing too much will scatter the energy of your working or diminish your enthusiasm. At the very least, you can be sure that touting your skills will attract the wrong kind of attention, at least as far as your own psychic development is concerned. Some people will be outright dismissive, and this kind of skepticism isn't helpful in the early stages of learning the craft. On the other hand, some people will be way too into what you're doing; their neediness will feed your vanity and distract you from the work at hand. Allow a new practice to be nurtured in darkness, the way a seed is able to grow to viability in the darkness of the soil.
The power of Earth encompasses not only literal silence, but inner stillness and patience. Patience is really a form of courage--the courage to wait and see, to not be anxious for results, but to trust that our efforts will bear fruit. When we possess the strength of Earth, we're okay with allowing our abilities to develop slowly, in pace with our (hopefully) growing maturity and wisdom. Earth is also about integration--bringing everything together in a harmonious whole, symbolized by the pantacle. I like to think that Earth is represented last among the four powers, because part of learning the power of Earth is integrating it with everything the other elements have taught you. For example, you use your discernment to know when and where to break a silence--which brings us back to the first power, "to know".
http://thescryingbowl.blogspot.com/2012 ... ilent.html
and this about how there are always layers to the proverbial onion.
Off Topic
It seems that in the western mystery tradition, when people come accross a deeper or more profound interpretation of something, the tendancy is to regard the new interprerarion as true and the old one as false, or perhaps as a blind. This type of thinking is a trap.
In Tantric training, one learns that various texts, axioms, prayers and such have multiple levels of meaning. Often long commentaries are devoted to these various layers of meaning. Commentaries on The Guhyasamaja Tantra, the oldest written Tantra, teach six levels of meaning that can be found for every line. More often you will see interpretations split into three: Outer, Inner, and Secret.
The key here is that the outer interpretation is not considered False. The Secret interpretation is no truer than the outer interpretation, merely more profound and meant perhaps for a smaller audience. Religion itself is like this. On the outer level it is a tool of translating the world; telling the masses what happens when we die, what the meaning of life is, how to be good, etc. On the inner level it is a means of transcending the world, of experiencing the subtle layers of reality directly. On the secret level, even that falls away and the mystic is left knowing that he was always beyond the gate from the start.
First there is a mountain, than there is no mountain, than there is.
Anyway, I thought I might offer Outer, Inner, and Secret interpretations of the four powers of the sphinx. Just remember that one is no truer or better than the other, anymore than the inner shell of a russian matrryoksha doll is better than the outer one.
To KNOW:
On the outer this is exactly what it sound like: knowlege of magickal rituals, spells, correspondences and all the "stuff" that we talk about.
On the inner level this is direct knowlege of the subtle layers of reality. The ability to see clairvoyantly the astral and empyrian layers and its inhabitants. Also the ability to feel the forces at work behind the magick we work.
On the secret level this is pure Gnosis. No longer concerned with the outward appearances of angels and devas and such, this is knowlege of our own divine nature.
To WILL:
On the outer this is simply whatever your desire is. As you will, so shall it be. Do not underestimate the power of this outer level in generating magick.
On the inner this will as an action. Your desire is focused to the extent that it causes volition. Things happen from force of will.
On the secret level this is the True Will or Thelema which extends from Gnosis. The realization of your own divine will as inseparable from the will of god. This is why so many prayers and even magickal rituals end with statements like "but only if it be thy will." This seems like a cop out submitting to an external diety, but to the mystic this is a tool for alinging their actions with their gnosis.
To DARE:
On the outer this is indeed about being daring. Most of the world, and most outer religion considers magick to be a harmful persuit: at best a distraction from spiritual progress and at worst a path to damnation. In certain times and places, you could be killed and tortured for practicing it. If you are going to attempt it, you damn well better be daring.
On the inner level, to you are daring the inner dangers. You are defeating your mechanistic nature and calming the storm of cause and effect that keeps you locked habitual patterns. The monkey mind does not surrender easily though. Magick has caused madness and even death. Remember all the inunctions about looking at the face of god causing death? You are daring that.
On the secret level you are daring to be as you truly are. Its hard to explain, but at the higher levels of realization, things are not as colorful and strange as they are at the lower levels. In fact, the first time I really attained Rigpa for any length of time, I described it to my teacher as "transecndent ordinariness". You must dare to realize not only the illusory nature of the material world, but all the astral and "higher" realms as well. You must dare to give up your HGA.
TO KEEP SILENT:
This one has caused more discussion than the other three combined.
On the outer level this is simply the injunction to shut up about what you are doing for numerous good reasons that I will list in a post later this week. Protecting the reputation of a teaching, protecting intellectual property of an order or group, protecting yourself from societal reprecussion, and protecting the work you are doing from interferrance from others are just a few points that I will expand upon in time.
On the inner level to keep silent is the need for actual silence in practice. Like, literally shutting the fuck up. Almost every great mystic I have even talked to has stressed the importance of keeping time for silent reflection, prayer, and meditation. Its vital to the path. Whether you can take 40 minutes in the morning and evening, or only drive to work with the radio off, the simplicity of silence will pay off in ways that will amaze you.
On the secret level this is the silence of the maelstrom of the mind. The silence of the 8th sphere that leads to the 9th is connected with this, but at a simpler level think of it like a lake filled with water that is muddy because the water is constantly being agitated. You are like that. Though the water in the lake is inherently clear and luminous, this nature can only be realized when the agitation stops and the obscuring dirt settles to the bottom. This is the secret silence.
Posted by Jason Miller
Off Topic
To Know, To Will, To Dare and To Keep Silent
by Estelle Daniels
This phrase contains the successful ingredients for a good spell. It is borrowed from Ceremonial Magick. But what does it mean?
To Know – means to know what you are doing, intellectually and practically. To have knowledge of spellwork, magick, what may work best in your situation, what you are able to handle, are comfortable with, how to execute what you want. Most importantly, to know what you want to accomplish. The more concise you can make your statement of purpose, the better and more effective your spell will be. To gain world peace, is a noble goal, but one which is beyond the scope of most practitioners. To keep drug pushers off my block, is a more realistic goal which can be accomplished. Avoid "not" or "can't". Rather than "a workplace which is not abusive and harassing", try "a workplace which is healthy, pleasant and happy." You have to filter all spells through your younger self, which has the attention span and intellect of a three-year-old. Often the words not or can't get filtered out, and a spell can backfire because the message received was workplace, abusive and harassing. Keep books on spells as idea books, read through them and adapt. 75% of the work in a spell comes before you start putting up the circle. Research and assembly of materials take up most of the time. If it's worth doing a spell, it's worth putting in the time to do it right. Good preparation is certainly part of To Know.
To Will – refers to the magickal will. What is that really? It is to be able to generate enough emotional and psychic energy to accomplish your purpose. You can be very learned and have all the spell work lore in your head and be perfectly practiced, but you have to put your own emotional energy into the thing, or it won't go anywhere. We all know people who have the ideas and talk a blue streak about doing this and that project, but when it comes down to it, they have little enthusiasm for actually accomplishing anything. The will is the energy battery you draw from when you raise the power for the spell. If that battery is drained, or never got charged in the first place, the thing won't go. Simple as that. That's the Will.
To Dare – means to have the gumption to actually get off your couch and do it. You can be learned, and burn with intensity, but until and unless you actually go get the stuff, do the research and preparation and do the spell, nothing will happen. Sounds pretty basic, doesn't it? Well it is, and this is where many spells die. Talk is cheap. Action and investing time and energy are what count. Until you act, the spell will be nothing more than a particularly vivid daydream. Yes, thoughts are real and can have an effect upon the world, but for an effective spell, you have to go through the motions. You don't have to wait until you have your own private temple and the bestest altar and a perfect relationship with your Deities. You can make do with a few basics. Intent is the key here. Intent comes under Will and Dare. Are you making the best of your time, energy and resources? If you can't afford actual granulated Frankincense, charcoal and a brazier, a stick of frankincense incense will do. If you don't have your own permanent stone altar, a nice altar cloth spread over a convenient surface will suffice.
To Keep Silent – is the last ingredient and just as important as the other three. You have to be able to understand what you want and what you're doing, have the energy to make it happen, have the gumption to get up and actually do what's necessary and then, once accomplished, Shut Up About It. I have seen wonderful spells executed, only to never come to fruition because the person couldn't keep quiet. There are a number of reasons. First you have to let the spell go to accomplish the purpose. If you are constantly talking and dwelling on it, you haven't let it go. You are still tied to it and are in effect calling it back every time you mention or brag or discuss it. Second, there are people who may not like the idea of your doing a spell, how you did it, what materials you used, what color robes you wore, which books you read, or who your grandmother was and where she came from. They may hinder your spell by either consciously or subconsciously trying to stop it. There are even a rare few people who will go home and actively craft a counter-spell and most of them think they are doing the world, and you a favor. Others may just pray against you or think bad thoughts about you or your spell. Any and all of these can blunt or deflect a spell's energies. Third, it's just bad form to talk about specific spells that haven't run their course. You can upset people generally. Many have antiquated notions about spells and what they are meant to do. You can give people an inflated idea of your opinion of yourself and your influence in the world. You never know who will hear about it through the grapevine and how it will be distorted. What is meaningful and important to you may be considered trivial by someone else, or it may just sound that way if you aren't clear and your audience not paying close attention to grasp your intent. You can talk about spells you did in the past if the occasion arises in a teaching or information sharing situation, but Keep Silent is otherwise the best maxim. If you say nothing, you are 100% assured your words will not be misunderstood.
So there it is. To Know, To Will, To Dare and To Keep Silent: a simple maxim, which carries a lot of weight and wisdom. Following these four "rules" can do much to increase your magical effectiveness. Blessed Be.
http://www.estelledaniels.com/articles/KWDBS.html
© 1999, 2003 Estelle Daniels