Like an athlete...

[begeegs]

Hi All

I have been doing this sort of stuff off and on and at the moment, am trying to get back into this to complement my magical practices.

One thing that I have noticed is that there is fine line between seeing the imagery and going in with too much consciousness which wakes you up and going in too close to the imagery as then it turns into a dream.

I am assuming that one would need to practice doing this over and over to develop a sort of 'muscle' to bridge this gap.

Can anyone comment on this?

Many thanks

[EscapeVelocity]

You can't "muscle" it. It's actually quite the opposite.

If you don't get this distinction, then it just won't happen for you. It's far more subtle. But yes, it is like a new muscle you have to awaken and exercise.

Be calm, meditate, and ask to be shown...

[Bluefirephoenix]

Hi this is an essential part of traditional magical practice I take your doing traditional grimiore work? There are a couple foundational items that get overlooked. First is faith. Any evocation requires belief in what your doing. In our society we're taught to believe in the tangible so right there culturally you have a major obstacle to overcome. You have to believe wholeheartedly in the forces you are working with. Prayer is essential. Second the psychic development. This is part of that. Projection is scrying to a different degree. Spirit channeling is evocation given a modern method and application. In the files here are works written by Frank Kepple I suggest looking over them. Eventually I'll be putting out something in publication about this which will be totally applicable. I had a very intense year with the initation I went through and it's will be quite helpful for those struggling to get a handle on the skills needed for magical workings. 

[begeegs]

Thank you for the replies. I am not doing Grimoire work - it is the Hermetic Qabalah.

I didn't mean to muscle in literally. More like continuing to work this - exercising in to make things easier - like an athlete would do with training. But it sounds like this is exactly what is needed, so I will keep training on both ends to bridge that gap.

[Bluefirephoenix]

okay so your working on something along the lines of the Garden of Pomagranates by Regardie. .. if your not you want to take a look at that edition done by the Cicero's. I don't agree with everything that they say but they write some good pieces and this is one of them. ( the main point of disagreement is that the imagination is not separated from a psychic experience and there is a big difference. They're settling for a lower level of development than they should I think)  This is something where your looking at first and formost the connection with God. Remember the siphera are emmanations of God in creation. You cannot loose sight of that fact. God reveals the mysteries to you. No one else can do that. This is his way of letting you get to know him in a new way a way that can only be done here from earth. Prayer in this type of hermetic study is essential and entirely not emphasised enough. you cannot do this of yourself you have to work with the Divine to accomplish the acension.
Second yes projection and scrying are essential skills. I am an audio scryer. This is not somthing I was born with. Astral projection is the same skill as scrying only applied in a different way. There's a lot of good material out there Remote viewing for example is also scrying given a more culturally acceptable label. I would suggest looking through Frank Kepples files as I mentioned before. Focus is essential and for projection you have to be relaxed and focused for a period of time. Very difficult to do and control. But for the application  I think your interested in your looking at a year of training just on projection and scrying alone. You need to have a regimine and be very disciplined with it. I work twice a day and other things related as well such as writing and such. You need to have a thorough understanding of the core document of hermeticism and this the Emerald Tablet. That is this document here http://www.sacred-texts.com/alc/emerald.htm and Theosophy for modern hermeticism http://www.sacred-texts.com/the/index.htm  Alchemy is another resource and it's good to understand and of course the Zohar which is now available online. This is the primary kabbalistic text. You need to keep practicing and be patient with results. Don't settle for less. When you scry or project you should experience these things as an intensely vicseral experience. This can be done  if your work at it and don't give up.