Shelle Wrote:

Markus,
You are so sweet. I've asked in so many places, to no avail! What I'm really after is a start. I read in this book that I should sit in front of a candle, in the dark, watch it for 2 minutes, then close my eyes and see it for another two. I should keep this up until I can do it. Also, I read to make a block from paper and hang it from a string, watch it til I can make it move. I would like to learn slow. Any other ideas? Would you agree with these? If you had a student, where would you begin.

One of the things in this book I'm reading was to say that Moses was a witch, having wrote books not only for the bible but magic ones too! Catholics believe moses to be a prophet, miracle worker, etc. Sounds like they could be similar!

Anyway, let me know what you think.
Shelle

Markus Replied:

[Markus, You are so sweet.]

*blush!* awwwww shucks!

[I've asked in so many places, to no avail!]

You mean I'm not the first you came too? THE NERVE!! ;)

What I'm really after is a start. I read in this book that I should sit in front of a candle, in the dark, watch it for 2 minutes, then close my eyes and see it for another two. I should keep this up until I can do it.

Absolutely... many folks think visualization is BS and a waste of time. I don't agree. Especially if you are planning on getting into Scrying and similar divination areas, visualization is invaluable! Most see visualization as you "creating" Images in your mind, which in itself isn't very helpful, true , but they don't take it beyond that. What it DOES help you do however, is to build a great perception of the images and other signals that your subconscious can send to you! If you can create in your mind the image of a horse running, when it comes to scrying, if that image (or another) appears, you are that much more ready to recognize it and interpret it.

Another fun elemental training technique is to sit at the candle and Bend it using your mind. It's not hard, and there are many approaches to it. Some can actually work with the fire and bend it (talking to Fire spirits would help but not necessary if you aren't comfortable with it.) Others don't work well with fire (personally I love playing with the flame) and instead use the air currents around it to bend the flame, working with the Air element instead. Other ways exist, but those are the most common and I encourage you to try them and if you develop a technique that works better for you, by all means USE IT!! Creativity and Enjoyment is the major principle here... focus is one thing, but if you are not interested, it sux (to be frank ;)

[Also, I read to make a block from paper and hang it from a string, watch it until I can make it move. I would like to learn slow. Any other ideas? Would you agree with these? If you had a student, where would you begin.]

Aye, actually, on my site under the Lessons page I have a technique called the Psi-generator... it is very similar to the block but a little better. (Go to the page to see how to build on, it's easy) Instead of a block it is a sort of a caved in pyramid, with the points sticking out well defined from the edges. This helps in focus a lot, another thing you will want to do is color only ONE of the corners of it. And from there focus on that singular point. This stops the "which edge to chose?" tendency people will have which results in jumping indecisively from one corner to the next and never truly focusing on one.

[One of the things in this book I'm reading was to say that Moses was a witch, having wrote books not only for the bible but magic ones too! Catholics believe Moses to be a prophet, miracle worker, etc. Sounds like they could be similar!]

Interesting!! I'd never even thought of it... when you get further into this book, I'd appreciate a brief summary of the theory behind it! That would be Great! Last reminder for this letter: be sure to keep your journals! Every day is no necessary, but every time you do a training exercise it will help to scribble down how it went, what the conditions were.. were you tired? annoyed at family? was it raining? Sunny? What was the condition of the lighting? Did you have just the candle or was another light on? And other similar things. You will begin to recognize a pattern of which exercise work best under which conditions.

Above and beyond that stuff, be sure to write down any thoughts you have related to Craft and the exercises! Again, these notes are very important and for beginners Craft related thoughts are often fleeting and rapidly forgotten which is why you MUST scribble them down quickly (this means ANY thought about Craft and how it relates to you, the world, reality, whatever) even if it is on a piece of scrap paper at work. Then after work you would elaborate on them. (Yes, I would like some of these entries for my site, but it that is not the motivation behind recommending them :)

And even further than that, record how your daily routine has changed and you mental state.. do you feel more at peace? more energetic? both? etc. How does your family react? friends? (this is the more personal stuff that you may not want others to read, so it would be understandable to deny me these types of entries if you are uncomfortable with them being on the web.) But they are still important to record.

Wow, that was a little longer than I had planned... gotta run,
Peace and Energy!
Markus