[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Main Index][Thread Index]

# RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)

#### Message 02976 of 3835

- To: "BardonPraxis" <BardonPraxis@yahoogroups.com>
- Subject: RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)
- From: "Rawn Clark" <rawnclark@...>
- Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2004 16:14:29 -0700

    Dear Richard,

    >> Both editions make it clear that the Step V trainee needs to master
    the condensation of the elements to the degree of physical tangibility -
    i.e. able to be observed by a non-initiate. <<

    Well, that's not exactly true. :) Let me throw a few quotes from the
    Ruggeberg edition (which, in my opinion, is the best, least biased
    English translation) into the mix here.

    "It is not absolutely necessary, in this step [i.e., Step 5], to
    bring about such an amount of physical warmth that it can be measured
    with a thermometer. But supposing a magician takes a keen interest in
    working in this more spectacular way, he can specialise himself in this
    problem with the help of these instructions. *The genuine magician
    however, will not be satisfied with such insignificant phenomenon, and
    rather prefer to further his own development, because he is firmly
    convinced that he an obtain much more, as time goes by.*" (p. 110)

    In other words, pursuing the accumulation and projection of an Element
    to such a degree, *through the Step Five exercise*, is *contrary to the
    magician's further development*. In fact, such a desire *at this
    stage* may well point to a character imbalance.

    "All the time he ought to feel the specific property of the element
    he is working with quite distinctly; he should be able to induce even a
    layman or ignorant people to see and feel the element in question."
    (p.114)

    Notice how he says "should be able to" and not "must do". In other
    words, the *ability* and the magician's confidence are what matters
    here, not the factual demonstration. Nonetheless, if one has mastered
    the exercises up to that point, the ability to condense any Element to
    such a degree that another person can be *induced* to sense it, will be
    a natural result.

    >> Bardon did on occasion discuss various abilities that a one-sided,
    unbalanced regimen of exercises would develop. However, his manner of
    writing is different in this section. Rather than describing
    possibilities, he's giving
    instructions as to how a student can test their level of mastery. <<

    This section about lighting a wick is important but not as a test of
    one's magical abilities. Rather, it is a test of one's character
    development because it asks again the question of why one is pursuing
    initiation. By exposing what *can* be accomplished -- at a point in the
    training when to accomplish such a "spectacular" phenomenon would mean a
    diversion from the furtherance of their true development -- the student
    is faced with a choice: do I spend my time pursuing "insignificant
    phenomenon" or do I further my development? If the character of the
    student *needs* the sort of gratification derived from lighting a wick
    magically with the Fire Element, then at this point they will surely be
    diverted from forward progress while they spend the next several years
    perfecting their accumulation of the Fire Element. If, on the other
    hand, they do not have that need within their character, they will move
    forward and master future exercises which make such a feat look truly
    silly.

    As Bardon wrote immediately after explaining the tricks with the
    lighting of wicks and cotton balls -- "The genuine magician will not
    waste his time with such dallying."

    >> Yet I do reckon these exercises are important, if not necessarily a
    prerequisite for Step VI, then important in the long run, especially as
    the true keys to magick are based round mastery of the elements. <<

    On page 115, Bardon wrote:
    "Who would not be reminded of the wedding at Kanaa where our Lord
    did transform the water into wine? Only such a high adept as Jesus
    Christ did accomplish this miracle, *not by the influence of the
    elements from the outside, but by mastering the akasha-principle of the
    water being transformed from the inside*"

    And further down the same page:
    "I take it for granted that it will not enter anybody's mind to
    stick to single exercises and methods only. The result would be fateful
    to the health of the person and the success would never come. These
    facts have to be considered very carefully."

    >> I remember Bill Mistele mentioning somewhere that he failed to master
    the basic condensation exercises to the degree that Bardon expected of
    his students. As a consequence, Bill has for many years continued to
    return to the
    basic exercises to try to master them to the extent that Bardon
    intended, but with greater obstacles in place than if he'd tried to
    master them fully the first time round. <<

    Throughout IIH, the student will encounter points where accurately
    understanding what Bardon truly *expected*, is critical to their forward
    progress. What Bardon *expected* is frequently different than what
    Bardon mentioned as *possible*. :) I think the first instance where
    this occurs is in Step Two with the sensory concentration exercises.
    Many folks get caught up in trying to condense their visualization to
    such a degree that they appear before the *physical* eyes as ordinary
    objects would. Unfortunately, this is *not* what Bardon *expected* of
    the *Step Two* student. Likewise, Bardon did not *expect* that the
    *Step Five* student would be able to light a flame with the Fire
    Element, freeze water with the Water Element, levitate objects with the
    Air Element, etc.

    When one misunderstands the difference between what is expected and what
    is possible, and therefore pursues the possible instead of mastering the
    expected, they are creating an imbalance. For example, in order to
    condense the Fire Element to such a degree as to succeed in the cotton
    ball experiment, one would have to focus exclusively upon the exercises
    of condensing the Fire Element for a *long* time. Such an extended time
    of working with that one exercise with the Fire Element will invariably
    induce a state of physical, astral and mental dis-equilibrium. On the
    other hand, if one were to master what is *expected* in Step Five and
    progress through the Steps, they will, in *less time than it would take
    pursuing the Step Five technique*, gain the ability to *cause a
    condensation* of the Fire Element sufficient to ignite an alcohol soaked
    cotton swab (if they desire to).

    My best to you,
    :) Rawn Clark
    26 Aug 2004
    rawnclark@...
    rawn@...
    http://www.ABardonCompanion.com
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis
    http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe

- Prev by Date: RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)
- Next by Date: Happy First Anniversary!!! Evocation
- Previous by thread: RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)
- Next by thread: RE: RE: Step V - a few questions (cont)
- Indexes:
  - Main
  - Thread

Main Index | Thread Index