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Making use of my links there, I see, Lola.  Thanks.  Makes me feel as though I have made a meaningful contribution.

Bloodsong

Look into books by Masaaki Hatsumi.  Also, ninjitsu is more a mystical and philosophical path than a martial one, so check out philosophy, especially Western philosophy, particularly Art of War by Sun Tsu, the Tao Te Ching, and the I Ching.

Bloodsong

hmmmm, Interesting.  Never really thought the entire universe could be summed up in such a way before.  Gollum meets HellRaiser.  =]  That would be something, wouldn't it?  Fight your way through the great illusion that is temporal reality to find yourself at the feet of a petulant megalomaniac who will think of a million tortures to make you give up your jewelry!  HI, GOD!

Bloodsong =]

I've never seen anything like this, but the grid lines you describe sound less like the grid on Pinhead (from the HellRaiser series of movies) and more like a natural curvature kind of thing, if I am getting this right.

In that case, the grid is more indicative of a personification of synthetic projective geometry.  This is a very complex math that claims to reveal in miniature the curvature of space-time and how to manipulate it (I think, I only have the vaguest memories of this from college as it was a passing subject in one of my required courses).  If that is the case, and that was the markings on this being, this vision you had could have been indicative of a "high-order" being that you saw, or the universe itself looking in.  Either way, very interesting to us, and you especially, but not very exciting for the being, I think it would have bigger things to worry it, and you would be lucky indeed to see it again if my interpretation is correct.

Bloodsong

Judging from your definition of the way this thing looked, it could have been a very peculiar being!  The grid lines, were they regular like graphing paper, or did the lines bend and curve in strange but logical manners over the skin?

Bloodsong

A lot of Blaine's stuff has to do with a variety of tricks.  And yes, he does have extremely good mental focus and physical awareness!

The thing with the card, you saw on TV.  You have to remember, he knew he was making a show for broadcast.  The television viewer was the main audience, so anyone that was not in your living room was potentially a part of the act!  Something like this is usually the product of one of two things, reverse pickpocketing, or planting, or the plants were the girl and her mother as well.

With something like this, you must be careful to watch what someone is NOT drawing attention to.  If the person makes a show of what is happening with the hands, pay attention to the legs, if they are showing only one hand, pay attention to the "inactive" one.  That is usually where the graft happens.

Kind of like the levitation trick.  When you see him just a few inches off the ground, the camera's perspective is behind and a few feet to one side, or doesn't show his feet.  That is because only one leaves the ground, the one that isn't completely seen is on tiptoe!  When you see him a few feet of the ground, that is only done on TV, and those who act so surprised are in on the trick.  The "trick" in this case involves a small crane, fine-wire harnesses that aren't easily seen on camera with low lighting, and a jacket to cover the harness, notice how he only floats feet off the ground when someone loans him a coat?

Trust me on this, my uncle is a street magician, so I have an inside, plus the DVD set of Discovery Channel specials Blaine did.  One of the extras was a behind the scenes thing.

Bloodsong

To expel what?  To effectively deal with something, you must first identify it, so that you may know its weaknesses.

Bloodsong

Why are people suggesting reading on subjects other than the one being asked about and not prefacing a warning?  Trying to confuse the querent?  Bad etiquette!

Look, if you want to go straight to the source for Enochian magick, Google Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelly.  Those are the men who originally channeled the system from an angel.

To get more easy-to-understand material, the above mentioned book by DuQuette is an excellent introductory text, however shows only one point of what is possible with the system.  Better yet, go to amazon.com, search for any books on Enochiana, then check see if someone with a high ranking has created a list of Enochian texts to learn from.

Bloodsong

Another site to check on this sort of thing is psipog.net

Bloodsong

He uses street magick, great for grafting wallets and getting several book deals and Discovery Channel specials.

Bloodsong

bloodsong what u make of all this what robe and staff you think i should take apon myself ?

Not for me to say, honestly.  The decision has to be yours.  Given that you are following the shaman's path, though, I would suggest meditative arts (good skill no matter what magick you practice). From this point onward, I am quoting the words of a shaman friend of mine.

Also, astral traveling is great for getting in touch with purer essences of animal and plant spirits, however care must be exercised that the spirits are keeping your best interests in mind.  Get to know each element as it displays itself in nature, both in blatant shows, such as a brushlight being a display of fire, as well as the flames that both predator and prey dance in within the Hunt.  One dances within the light of the Killer Instinct while the other keeps the flames of Survival and Hope.  Both can teach equally well.  Note well, also the interplay of the elements that happens in these circumstances.

In the above example of the Hunt, let us suppose you witness a fox and a rabbit.  The Fox is using a more subdued flame than would a wolf or larger predator as it needs to keep wits.  This means that while its Fire for the Kill is strong, it is tempered with the Waters of patience, even in the face of potentially killer hunger.  Also, when the chase happens, each relies upon the Air of inspiration to either Trap or Avoid the other.  Finally, Earth is what both are actually shunning the most as they are both trying to avoid dying and returning to the Earth.  However, if they are capable, and I feel they are, I would bet they both were praying for the Earth to swallow the enemy!

Bloodsong
Volfson

The answers you want about how to protect yourself from attack can be found easily in the Psychic Self-Defense forum.  Cruise around in there for a while.

As for how the energy is drawn, I honestly can't say I have ever been silly enough to want to try.  Why draw from someone else when there is so much unprotected free energy just flowing through the Universe?

Bloodsong

Reply with quote
I started mediating, 10 minutes per day !
It's pretty hard ! When I loose a thought I get a new one and so on ! How can I stop that !? I mean ... it's a pain in the butt !

Congratulations, you're doing it right!

Bloodsong

Almost every type of Magick deals with the Elements in some way, so it isn't really its own brand of magick in my opinion.

Are you looking for something with a ceremonial bent, or do you prefer what I call the "grab-and-go" types of magick?

Do you recognize one God, many gods, or no gods?

Likewise, do you perceive any kind of Divinity, even if it can't really be called God?

Those answers will color what type of magick you use to work with the elements.  For instance, I am willing to bet that Norse of old took an entirely different view of the power and value of Elemental Fire than did, say, Australian Aboriginals of both old and modern times!

Likewise, are you trying to accomplish anything above simple control, like a Zen style enlightenment, or is spell work for its own sake more to your liking?

In choosing a way to practice magick, there are many options to choose from, and many ways to walk each path.  The best thing to do is decide where you are now, where you want to be, and how you see the Elements as a tool to help you get there.

Bloodsong

First off, what type of magic are you interested in trying?  Second, there are about a thousand strings just like this.  Search around, see if you can find something.  If you can't, get more specific with your questions.

You may want to try reading on different magical styles and such before starting as well.  Try a few Google searches and check into a few books that interest you before jumping in.  The research helps out before jumping in feet first!  Trust me on that.  =]

Bloodsong

Also, don't be put off by the word "demon".  A lot of those spirits listed in ancient grimiores as demons were the protector spirits and benevolent angels of pre-Christian times.  Plus, the very word's etymology stems from the Greek word for "lesser god, tutelary deity."  They are gods, and here to teach, and it is in that capacity that most of the original grimoires referred to these spirits.

Above all, though, trust your feelings!  You are dealing with something in a summoning that manifests on this plane as pure energy, and that is what your emotions are, etheric energy, so your "feelings" are the most accurate barometer you have!

Bloodsong

Just a few quick points:

One, is it a Placebo Effect?  Perhaps at first, but if you were half as well read on placebo effect as you claim to be, you would know that there are some research studies going on currently as to the possibilities of curing, not just treating, diseases using the placebo effect alone!

Second, where did the 99% figure come from?  Perhaps that was the placebo effect as well.  Then again, to quote Benjamin Franklin, 85% of all statistics are created on the spot!

And as for magick being dependent upon belief and faith (which I consider to be two wholly separate things), DUH!  Then again, everything is.  Don't believe me, do a little research yourself, this time in the area of Quantum Theory.

Bloodsong

Lighting a candle is magick, no matter how it is accomplished!  Then again, scratching an itch on your nose is a magickal act too.  At least, it is from my understanding of magick.  You see, I agree with the Crowley/Fortune definition of magick:

"Magick is the Science and Art of causing a change, either in the physical world or in the practitioners consciousness, to occur in conformity with Will."

That being said, if you have an itch on your nose, and you will it to go away, then your will causes your arm to rise and scratch the itch.

Most add in that magick uses means not readily accepted by modern Western science, but I feel that this stance takes away an important possibility. Magick is what this universe is tied together with!

There are many forms of magick, and energy manipulation, which is what psychic vampirism really boils down to, is just the most basic form of magick.  Nothing can be accomplished without the manipulation of magickal energies on some level.  So, while you may not want to admit it, you are very much an elementary magick user.  Let us know if you ever move beyond this point.

Bloodsong

If you are not sure of what the emotion might be, pray - ask for divine guidance on what the emotions might be and how best to deal with them. Trust that the answer will come.

Before you do, make sure you are somewhere that you are comfortable being, i.e., not that church.  Kinda hard to be receptive to divine inspiration when you are feeling like you are dealing with a demon, or, as James says, fighting with a taco dinner.  =]

Bloodsong

More facts.  Magick is not black or white.  It is a pure force in the Universe, and thus is neutral, just as is creation itself.  Good and evil are concepts that we wrap morality around based on instinctual reaction to certain intelligent stimuli.  

Black magick does not exist!  Magick is a force used just like fire.  The only thing that can be called "Black" would be the intent the magick is used to further.  Just like it would be a "black" application of fire when used to burn down the home of someone who slighted you.

Those who pursue magick in any of its various true forms have need to fear no divine retribution.  Those who engage in acts that can be considered immoral need fear that.  Then again, morality is a personal choice, so given that idea, it is really hard to say just who will receive that retribution, isn't it?

Bloodsong

That depends largely on the cumulative intentions of those in the church.  If they are truly good people, then that is possible, then again, if the church, like many where I live, are focused on things such as the "gay rights issues" and trying to keep part of the community from having equality, then that can breed a type of hatred, which may be creating an atmosphere conflicting with a good entity that is co-existing in our friend here.  The position to take is to look at the atmosphere of the place you are in.  What is the overall intention of the congregation?  If that doesn't jive with you for ethical reasons, and those same ethics are shared by others outside of this church, it may be high time to look for alternate places of worship!

Bloodsong

Another good place to start is Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig.  He doesn't go into great detail on any certain aspects, but introduces many aspects of Ceremonial Magick (if that is what you are interested in), and has a list of recommended reading at the end of each Lesson.

Bloodsong

Would be like saying "bush sucks" and not giving proof of his actions/quotes that he has done.

Funny, I was under the impression that at this point the only real evidence that was needed was a picture of the guy to prove this.

Case in point:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/08/images/20050823_p082305pm-0045jpg-515h.html

Bloodsong

OK, so what you are saying is that you believe the elements exist, but see no way they could be personified?

Bloodsong

Here's my take on Truth, take from it what you will.

Truth is not subjective.  It is definite.  The Ultimate Truth is God.  The thing is that we are so far from that ultimate truth that we only catch the tiniest glimpses of it.  Our "reality" is what is subjective.  We all are so far from the incomprehensible Perfect Truth that God embodies that we cannot comprehend most of the glimpses that we get.  Therefore it seems that Truth is subjective from one person to another.  Why?  Because we all embody a small part of God and we all must relate to this world through that part we were given.  We should not deny our Piece, and we should hold in contempt those who presume to deny the Piece given unto others is false simply because it does not conform perfectly to their piece.  We are all part of the tapestry that composes Truth, we need to stop seeing the world as ending with ourselves to be able to get a better glimpse of what that truth is, and even then, I feel we will only see a small portion of it!

Bloodsong