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Sure! First, since you're obviously new at this, I'll start you off with a definition of what the astral world is. Israel Regardie describes the astral plane thusly,
"An intermediate and invisible level of reality between the physical plane and the higher, more divine realms. It is the common boundary between the individual and nominal reality. A non-physical level of existence which is the basis of the physical plane. The astral plane has several "layers" of density and vibrational rate. The upper astral lies close to the angelic realms, while the lower astral is the world of dreams and phantasms."
Another words, you reach the astral level every time you dream, day dream, perform creative visualization, lucid dream, meditate and so on. Though, doing so is usually "lower level" astral traveling.
You'll notice some practitioners will talk about creating on the astral. Such as, making familiars and thought forms. When you create an entity of this sort on the astral plane, you create it's body and form elsewhere, even though it may interact on this plane. Usually not seen by the human eye, but by the sensitive and intuitive.
There are many entities that reside on the astral plane that have been created unknowingly by people. Every time you think or create something, such as an authors character in a story, it's essential body is created on the astral. Everytime the form is sent energy it becomes more powerful and it's ability to work on the physical is easier. Such as, the bogey man, that so famously inhabit children's closets. Or that nasty thing in the basement. A lot of times, it's something projected and then fed through either fear, hate, love, or admiration and made more powerful. If you're intuitive, you'll notice that when you enter a house that's had strong emotions projected there, you can feel them.
A good example of this is my in-laws house. They fought terribly, day and night. Usually this took place around the dinner table. Eventually, a feeling of dread would come over my husband everytime they called him for supper. They unconsciously gave this ritual a feeling, or a form. Eventually, everytime they fought, they unconsciously fed this entity. This being became so powerful, that when they divorced and moved, the next family that moved in the house began to fight terribly and divorced within months of buying the house.
Many practitioners of the occult have a sacred "Astral Temple" in which they've created a temple on the astral world. Through constant visualization, they've made each individual rock, plant, book, sceptre and blade of grass and can retreat there at any given time to escape this world. This is where their true ritual area lies...the physical one is only a tangible representation of the astral temple.
Now, to travel astrally, or Astral Travel. This is a practice of transferring your consciousness to your astral body. Everyone has an astral body. It's the body in which we dream with, our physical one remains stationary while our astral body moves about. Whilst dreaming, we are unaware of our physical body unless we are aware that we are dreaming. When we astral travel, we can make contact with angels, demons, and so forth on the astral plane..(think of the astral plane as a common meeting ground for humans, angels, demons, and otherwordly creatures like dragons and such.). Usually, many magicians reach the astral through using doorways. They "project" or strongly visualize a doorway before them with a sigil on it. Some use planetary sigils, sigils they've created themselves, or angelic/demonic sigils to come in contact with beings and entities. "Knowing" that the entity lies just beyond the door, they void their minds of any preconceived ideas as to what they'll see, usually letting it come to them.
Some also achieve reaching higher levels of the astral plane by self-hypnosis. William W. Hewitt has a great book for beginners of hypnosis. You can read through the "stages" and record it onto a tape or cd and then replay it in a headset. Or if you're really tech savvy, do it through an ipod or something.
Practice does make perfect. When you are there, try working with creating objects. Strongly visualizing them, the trick is to be able to "hold" the vision in your mind without it morphing or losing shape as it often does. This helps in creating entities. If you're artistic, you might find it easier to visualize something and create it.
In order to come back, that's rather easy, as is protecting yourself. There, visualizing is a strong ability. You can create weapons, armour, guides, and even a griffin to protect you if you so desire. Basically, the stronger your ability to create on the astral the better your magick becomes. Coming back is actually easier than trying to get there. I've never had problems coming back to my body, usually it's as simple as wishing or willing it so. There's a lot of worry surrounding beginners of astral travel regarding wether or not they can be "lost" or 'Lose' their astral body or of becoming unattached from their physical. To let you know, there's no worry of anything of that sort. You are connected by an invisible umbilical cord. This cord is attatched through your center chakra and helps keep the astral body connected to the physical. Honestly, your biggest worry should be the astral whiplash. That happens when someone or something pushes, touches, or disrupts your phsyical body sending your astral body reeling back into your physical. This is not only annoying but can leave you irritable, disorientated and tired.
A lot of rituals and spells often specify visualizing yourself with the object already. Meditate upon having it (Like a brand new car and such.) That way you've created it's astral body, now you need to work towards making it physical.
Hope this helps a bit.
This post has been edited by Angalor: Jul 12 2006, 08:44 PM
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By ignorance is pride increased; those most assume know the least. ~Gay Angalor.com |
Astral World
Jul 11 2006, 09:07 AM
