Astral
Projection
The proper method
is as follows:
Develop the body of Light until it is just as real to you as your other body...
Ultimately, the relation of that body with your own must be exceedingly
intimate; but before this harmonizing takes place, you should begin
by a careful differentiation. The first thing to do, therefore, is to get
the body outside your own. To avoid muddling the two, you begin
by imagining a shape resembling yourself standing in front of you.
Do not say: 'Oh, it's only imagination!' The time to test that is
later on, when you have secured a fairly clear mental image of
such a body. Try to imagine how your own body would look if you
were standing in its place; try to transfer your consciousness to the
Body of Light.. Your own body has its eyes shut. Use the eyes of
the Body of Light to describe the objects in the room behind you...
As soon as you feel more or less at home in the fine body, let it rise
in the air. Keep on feeling the sense of rising: keep on looking
about you as you rise until you see landscapes or beings of the
astral plane. Such have a quality all their own. They are not
like material things -- they are not like mental pictures --
they seem to lie between the two.
Now, however unsuccessful your getting out of the
body may apparantly have been, it is most necessary to use every
effort to bring it properly back. Make the Body of Light coincide
in space with the physical body... then recover the unity of consciousness.
If you fail to do this properly you may find yourself in serious trouble.
Your Body of Light may wander away uncontrolled, and be
attacked and obsessed. You will become aware of this through the
occurence of headache, bad dreams, or even more serious signs
such as hysteria, fainting fits, possibly madness or paralysis. Even the
worst of these attacks will probably wear off, but it may leave
you permanently damaged to a greater or less extent.
by Aleister Crowley
Astral Terms
Astral Body, an exact replica of the physical body by composed of
finer matter. The term is chiefly employed in theosophy to denote the
link between the nervous system and the cosmic reservoir of energy.
the astral body corresponds to the double of physical research.
The latter term, however, is less comprehensive as we only speak
of the double of the living and should employ the former term
for the bodily counterpart of the dead. The etheric body, in theosophy,
is distinct from the astral, but in spiritualistic literature they are often interchanged.
Astral World, the first sphere after bodily death. It is said to be material
but of a refined texture. There are many speculations concerning
this world of existence. Theosophy claims definite knowledge
of its conditions and denizens. Many descriptive accounts are to
be found in spiritualistic after-death communications. All that,
however, is inaccessible to experimental research.
Bilocation, simultaneous presence in two different places.
Catalepsy, a state of coma and rigidity, similar to death, in which
the normal bodily functions are suspended, sensation, will and consciousness
is absent. It may last from a few minutes to several days. Its causes
are unknown and the general explanation is a pathological condition
of the nervous system. Sylvan J. Muldoon puts forward an
interesting theory in The Projection of the Astral Body. According
to this, the state of catalepsy is primarily produced in the astral body
during the process of its exteriorisation and lasts until the phantom
is put in a vertical or standing position by the subconscious will.
When the projection is complete, both astral and physical
catalepsy ceases. When the movement of interiorisation begins,
catalepsy comes again into being at the time when the body is
ready to transit from the vertical to the horizontal. The state of
catalepsy may be spontaneous, experimental (Mesmerism, hypnotism)
and self-induced (fakirs). Supernormal faculties in this state
were recorded as early as 1808 by Dr. Petetin in Electricite Animale.
Double, etheric counterpart of the physical body which, when out
of coincidence, may temporarily move about in space in comparative
freedom and appear in various degrees of density to others.
Dream Body, more or less identical with the astral body.
Relaxation
This exercise in the Astral Workbook is meant to prepare those who have
never astral travelled before. It's for loosening up and relaxing enough
to 'let go' of your other self.
"Begin by regulating your breathing. Relaxation is a physical function.
Your muscles use oxygen extracted from your bloodstream. Your
bloodstream, in turn, extracts that oxygen from the air you breathe. By
regulating your breathing, you increase the oxygen available in your
blood, your muscles extract the optimum amount and are far happier to
relax for you than they might otherwise be.
It you have studied yoga, you will know there are all sorts of
complex breath-regulation techniques. But the one I want you to try is
very simple. It is called 2/4 breathing.
What it comes down to is that you
1. Breathe in to the mental count of four...
2. Hold your breath in to the mental count of two...
3. Breathe out to the mental count of four...
4. Hold your breath out to the mental count of two.
It sounds simple and it is, although I should warn you there is a
bit of a knack to getting it right. (You will know you have got it
right, incidently, when you begin doing it without thinking.)
The rate at which you should count varies from individual to
individual. Start by synchronizing it with your heartbeat. If this
doesn't work, play around a bit until you hit on the rhythm that is most
comfortable for you.
Get your breathing comfortable before you go on to the second part
of the exercise.
Once you have established a comfortable rhythm of 2/4 breathing, let
it run for about 3 minutes, then start the following relaxation
sequence. (If you can hold the 2/4 rhythm while you do it, that's great,
but chances are you will not be able to do so at first. In this latter
case, just start your session with three minutes of 2/4 breathing, then
go back to normal breathing while you carry out the main relaxation
sequence, then take up 2/4 breathing again when you are nicely relaxed.)
Concentrate on your feet. Wiggle them about. Curl them to tense the
muscles, then allow them to relax.
Concentrate on your calf muscles. Tighten and relax them.
Concentrate on your thigh muscles. Tighten and relax them.
Concentrate on your buttock muscles. Tighten your buttock and anus,
then relax them.
Concentrate on your stomach muscles, a very common tension focus.
Tighten then relax them.
Concentrate on your hands. Curl them into fists, then relax them.
Concentrate on your arms. Tighten them rigidly, then relax them.
Concentrate on your back. Tighten the muscles, then relax them.
Concentrate on your chest. Tighten the muscles, then relax them.
Concentrate on your shoulders, another very common tension focus.
Hunch your shoulders to tighten the muscles, then relax them.
Concentrate on your neck. Tighten the muscles then relax them.
Concentrate on your face. Grit your teeth and contort your features
to tense up the facial muscles, then relax them.
Concentrate on your scalp. Frown to tighten the scalp muscles, then
relax them.
Now tighten up every muscle in your body, holding your entire body
momentarily rigid, then relax, letting go as completely as you are able.
Do this final whole body sequence again, then again - three times in
all. On the third time, take a really deep breath when you tense the
muscles and sigh deeply aloud as you let the tension go.
You should be feeling nicely relaxed by now. If you abandoned your
2/4 breathing at the start of the relaxation sequence, pick it up again
at this point.
Close your eyes and try to imagine your whole body getting heavier
and heavier, as if it were turning to lead. You will find your
visualization increases your level of relaxation still further.
Enjoy the sensation of relaxation for the remainder of your session.
But stay vigilant. Should you find tension creeping in anywhere (and you
certainly will in the early days) don't let it worry you. Just tighten
up the tense muscles a little more, then relax them.
Use the technique regularly until you have trainer yourself to relax
totally any time you want to."
- Prepare the work area and magick circle; decide
exactly what you seek on the astral plane.
- Before going into a light trance, use herbal fluid condenser to
draw the symbol of the Moon Boat (a crescent) with your finger.
- Control breathing and go into trance.
- Imagine yourself growing smaller and finally
small enough to enter the mirror....
Feel yourself being drawn into the mirror's portal. Inside, you
encounter a beautiful moonlit shore, above you is a star filled sky and
ahead is a dark sea covered with rolling mists. There, waiting for you
upon the sea, is the moonboat you have created for yourself. Step aboard
and relax as a silken sail rises. Each time you breathe, the sail fills with
your breath. You begin to float and glide swiftly and silently across the
dark sea. There is nothing to fear in this calm seascape. Travel deeper
into trance and further across the sea until you reach another shore....
Step ashore and experience the new land. Note the details of the
landscape and how you feel about being there. Mentally call out
to your astral guide and wait for her/him to appear before
continuing on. When your guide approaches, greet her/him,
and explain what you seek. Follow where the guide
leads and take notice of all sensations and images.
When you feel that your needs have been met, thank your guide
and return swiftly to the moon boat. Step aboard and return the
way you came. Return slowly to your physical body and begin to
see through your physical eyes again. You will remember all
you saw and felt on your journey... write it all down in your scrying journal.
Blessed Be
Lady Pavane Maya
"Cherished Peaceful Afternoon" is playing.
