Qualitative Resonance in Magickal Practice
A missive for Those in the Throes of the Beginning.

**Disclaimer: There are plenty of you out there who detail reports already well within this capability.
There are more of you who do not yet… this is mostly for you. Hopefully it helps in some abstract fashion**

With the exception of the vaguely understood overlaps of the quantum world, it goes without saying that our rational, physical world is governed primarily by math and its associated "forces". It is measurable, quantifiable and does an adequate job of describing most observable phenomena. We can write about it, "prove" it and give it definition. Which, naturally, makes it easy for the observing masses to understand the "how’s and why’s" associated with the world around them.

Ahh… but what of "other" phenomena? All those little synchronicities that give rise to our prevailing belief in things behind the veil? What we can, for the sake of argument in this diatribe, coin; "Magick". Under this banner I will include, for simplicity sake, all that extraneous phenomena related to a Functioning Agent’s personal Work. Examples include recognizing Result, Entity Interaction, Development and Control of the Will, Divination, Subtle Affectation, and So On and So Forth…

If we pay attention to the admittedly limited language surrounding individual "Magickal" experience, there is a lot of talk regarding "Feel"… short of the odd experience overlapping into our spatial third dimension via a mechanism people might traditionally recognize (IE: Sight, touch, smell, etc). In this way, it seems the most direct mode of developing a capability for synchronous resonance with a multi-dimensional platform is to develop our capacity read or recognize "Feeling" like we otherwise might with words in a book or images on a sign. To begin to discern subtle variations in the "Feeling" present in a given situation, or even at given chronological points in Time, to help the Functioning Agent make sense of the information or result being provided.

So, where then is one to start? We must accept that there is remarkably little in the way of concrete literature on the topic and consequently a great deal of personal mapping and experimentation will need to be done "in the dark" so to speak.

Hell, for what it’s worth; The mechanisms in which subtle variations in "Feel" manifest themselves to each Functioning Agent may be utterly unlike those resonating with anyone else! However, that may be of little consequence at this stage since we are just looking to develop the initial capacity to begin concretely Sensing (or at least discussing) this "Feel" map in the first place. Naturally, the greatest challenge outside of developing a personal framework is along the lines of communication… How does one Quantify, in finite language, something that seems to be entirely Qualitative? Does it matter? Maybe not, but it sure makes for a doozy when attempting external communication with other Agents (at least in the spatial third…). Digression though.. Experiments for a later date.

With this flimsy framework in mind; let us consider some basic "practice zones" and building blocks.

As is tradition; I will discuss from an anecdotal reference point as I find personal approaches make for the most direct path to describing vague ideas. While it is arguably important to develop beyond the confining nature of the Spatial Third; it is necessary to keep in mind that we ARE confined to it (for lack of a better term) for a fairly prominent percentage of this Observable life. Unless we seek to leap into the void entirely (or next Evolution?); the body requires food and nobody has mastered 3rd Dimensional willed-flight yet, so in some cases the best we get IS related to what we are able to draw back from these "other" states/planes to connect with in the spatial third. When considering this idea from my personal perspective; I have seen the greatest frequency of developing success by improving awareness and focus in "Overlap" states.

In my language, these states are most directly represented by Dream States, Astral States and "Altered" States (for the sake of expanded definition; the ability to enact outward Will in any form in any of these states and across the Physical state could be considered the Magickal State). These "simple" states are important to consider when establishing a framework of subtle reads in "Feel" because they rely on a greater degree of Abstraction, Absurdity and Emotion that are then translated back as information into the Rational Mind. Most of us have, at some stage, a story buried in our back pocket of willing flight via thought in a Dream. Or having fear shift a trip from excellent to awful. The point here being, it is reasonable to assume that in these states "Feel" is considerably MORE important to governing function than modes of Physical Quantification. The point being; overlap states are essentially universally experienced Altered states that are still directly tethered to the Physical in some relatable way.

As I developed a greater capacity to use subtle Feel to develop and adapt my capabilities and modes of experience in these states, an unexpected side effect began to manifest with increasing regularity and prominence. Namely, aspects of the states that are generally described as simple "internal representations" began to define themselves via an entirely different sense of Feeling. These included anything from reactions to my "setting", interactions with entities, interactions with other individuals (or at least entity representations masquerading as said individuals while feeding back enough pleasant resonance that, frankly, it didn’t matter), sensations of a divinatory nature and etc. These sorts of experiences were not/do not happen ALL the time… but they did so, and continue to do so, with enough increasing frequency that I began to develop the capacity to "read" them as they were occurring.

While I had fully expected, based on previous reading and literature, to be able to affect my surroundings and experience using "emotion/feel"; I honestly had not expected to begin to experience states of Feel that were entirely alien (external) to my internal constructions. After all, we’re quite conditioned to believe such things an impossibility… And I am an admittedly "rational" Agent usually opting for an Occam’s Razor approach to most avenues of mystical inquiry… But, this is one of the driving motivators in Magick for me; Having my calling Bullshit quite patently heaved back in my smug face.

The sense of the Feeling itself will often vary and often resemble a skewed or intensified version of an "emotion" that is familiar to me. Except that it is also completely alien. Rather, they have now become associated exclusively with the Magickal State. Which is a key element to my capability to differentiate them from standard physical-emotional responses to stimuli.

Impossible to quantify through vague description but undeniable in Quality. I will make an attempt to place the idea into context by relating the "first" time I can truly recall experiencing it (while maintaining some relatable ego construction of ‘myself’): For those who have experience with some of my previous long-winded posts; this event occurred some years before I made the effort to truly establish my Dreamspace interaction. And may have been an event that catalyzed the need to do so.

"I can recall "finding myself" in a living room surrounded by people I knew (or at least assumed to know). It was darkened and there was music (though I do not recall the nature of it). A party ostensibly. I remember being unusually "aware" of my surroundings although nothing seemed particularly out of place. However, I remember a sensation oddly akin to a vague anxiety that seemed entirely unexpected.

I was vividly conscious of it to the point that I recall finding it unusual even in the disconnection of the dream state. As I socialized and drank and scanned the room I eventually found the gaze of an individual. It was an older "man"; balding, cloaked and bedraggled. Beside it was a near doppleganger a couple of feet shorter that I immediately knew as a "child". They were watching me. The second I noticed them an intense and unfathomable dread took over my body. I didn’t run as much as just walk elsewhere in the room, to dismiss it. But they remained for the duration always within my "zone" continuing to watch. They did not move although as my vision panned around, they would often appear closer. With each new appearance they would have undergone some manner of horrific body modification adding all manner of biomechanical oddity to their faces most prominently. Their gazes never wavered. With each appearance, this fascinating new dread intensified even further.

It was not the dread created by need to flee impending danger… but rather one that seemed directly related to experiencing something that should not, under any "circumstance", have been there with me. Eventually I woke up, with all facets of the experience as prominent in my mind as the evening’s dinner would have been."

As a vivid dreamer naturally, and moreso with focus, not once, ever, had I experienced a "nightmare" that had that feel. While I hesitate to use the term nightmare for any dream, any I have had since have lacked that feel.. with the exception of a vague few that I realized were operating along the same lines.. The only I way I can quantify it now is to state that the sensation vividly involved the realization that the sense of "familiarity" I believe exists unconsciously even in the most unusual of standard dreams, was gone.

As I began to develop the functional Dreamspace and my capacity to think Magickally, these sorts of experiences became more frequent.

Not all of them "ugly" (most in fact are quite the opposite… beautiful, resonant, utterly awe-inspiring), but each clearly communicating via this language of alien emotion. The Feeling. T

he Feeling becomes much more interesting when taken from this area of abstracted interaction and pulled, in some fashion, back to the "physical". From a state of physical operations; awareness of, and capability to be sensitive to, this state of Feeling can be an immediate indicator of resonance, synchronicity or Magickal significance. It can define internally the difference between an effective Magickal Trance and the "hope" that one has attained a functional trance at all. It can communicate the intensity of connection with a casting/sigil/ritual without the fear of over analysis. I, for example, will often become "aware" of events I am comfortable tethering back to some mode of Magickal significance as I often feel a Head Rush, not unlike the classic Psilocybin "wave", at moments of potential resonance.

It can make attempts at dream analysis or readings of "astrological significance" by other (sometimes well meaning) Agents entirely useless.

With development of this capacity I have noticed progressive improvements in the following areas:

  • The ability to gauge the potential for "success" in some workings by tuning into the quality and sensation of the Feeling surrounding it.
  • Improved protection from, or more importantly, improved capacity to not fear the aggressive ramblings of nutbar Agents with a shoulder chip.
  • The streamlining of personal workings in the Dreamspace by actively seeking to generate/call forth interactions of resonance.
  • Generally improved capacity to subtle Feeling as a way to cleanly separate the noisy chaff of practice from the genuine wheat.

It has had interesting effects on perception in general in the waking, physical state as well.. but they are arguably even flimsier when attempting to define them with words.

How this state is developed and how you choose to quantify frequency within a practical framework is entirely up to you. As referenced above, the initial impetus that was given enough weight to be made into a concrete initiative was quite serendipitous for me. I do not personally have a formal "language" with which I describe the implications, intensity or "meaning" of each subtle variation as I just sort of "know" why they are important. If any of you have any methods or intel on your process regarding an initiative of this nature; it would make for an interesting read!

I am certain that this is not "news" to many of you out there, even if you opt to use different language to define your experiences.

However, it is a somewhat abstract topic I do not see discussed in detail with any regularity and I think there may be a number of newer, or less focused, Agents who may be able to get some mileage out of developing a clean capacity to recognize moments of Magickal Resonance.

If nothing else, development in this area should help soften the need to seek guidance on "how a servitor ‘should’ work" or "which banishing ritual is ‘necessary’"… It is no longer of relevance how others have done their work outside of providing a context for function and logic… how does it Feel to you?

 

by by Alex Boyd

 

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