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Shaping Formless Fire: Distilling the Quintessence of Magick
SHAPING FORMLESS FIRE is Stephen Mace s distillation of magick down to the basics of psychic energy manipulation. Its application does not require the assimilation of any symbolic or theogonic scheme, and none is offered until the last chapter. What the book does offer is a technique that enables an open-minded exploitation of one s own psychic energy. We focus power through our attention, and with the technique of magick we may begin to focus both the entirety of conscious attention and its unconscious biases into the accomplishment of our wills. One striking feature of psychic energy dynamics is how analogous they are to physical energy dynamics. Every action brings on an equal and opposite reaction in psychic interactions as well as mechanical ones. Physical energy going to entropy works a lot like desire going to satiety. You can t get something for nothing is a psychic affirmation of conservation of energy. And yet the book affirms that magick can never be science. Science demands objectivity, measurement and replication, but psychic energy is the energy of the subjective, defies calibration, and its effect is upon the unrepeatable now. And its instrument is unique, the magician s own Self, which he or she must hone to a fine edge. SHAPING FORMLESS FIRE offers instruction for making a sound beginning, and a clear look at what is apt to come after. When people do the work, a whole realm of power opens up for their recognition and manipulation. And when they do not, power remains to manipulate them, just as it always has. Deep understanding is not required to start. Persistence of effort is essential to get anywhere at all.
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2005
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July 28, 2011Back in the 90's ,Stephen Mace wrote a series of Articles for a music magazine called "Zillo". The subject was the new occult phenomenon called Chaos magic. In Chaos magick as in all magick the power behind any and all magick is psychic energy. In order to manipulate this psychic energy you do not have to devote yourself to any set of Gods or master any Secret Keys of Truth. Psychic energy exists both within and outside of us. Sorcerers can raise and create psychic energy and then split it off from themselves in order to generate what they desire.
Mace's second article discussed Omen. Omens are occurrences in the world that seem to comment on what we are doing. Now when we receive an Omen it is a good idea to listen because it may prevent us from cleaning up a big mess later on. The Author goes on too give to examples of Omens. One when he was writing a rebuttal in a letter to someone who corrected him. As he was writing his rebuttal he knocked over a vase of flowers and soiled his clothes with rotten water. He read this as a sign and decided to let the matter rest. The second example was when the Russian troops left Hungary. This event was marked by festivities and doves were released. One of the doves was smashed under the treads of a tank.Later on these tansk were used for war against the Chechnya and the Afghanis.
The next topic of discussion was conjuring. This happens when a sorcerer manufactures a charge of psychic energy and and then discharges it to meet their own purposes. Energy can be manufactured by a variety of means such as chanting, rock music, calling on Demons and other entities. The magician then places this energy into a place where it will not easily dissipate. The object is not to let the energy into the consciousness where it will most definitely dissipate.The energy can be placed into a talsiman which is either buried or worn at certain times. An example would be a guitar player who wants to make a living. He sets up his altar and decorates it with items pertaining to music and calls on Deities connected to music. Through chanting he raises his energy then charges his talisman. He then wraps it into a black cloth and wears it only when he performs or buries it on the grounds of the record company.
Divination involves less energy then Omen. Items like Tarot cards are used for this and they must be treated like trusted advisers. Banishing rituals also need to be performed in order to get an accurate reading. The author advises against doing one reading after the other because that wears out the energy and decreases the accuracy. When the author first got involved with the occult he had a friend do a Tarot reading for him which had dire warning. Three days later the police raided his apartment.
The author also includes several exercises to increase your ability to raise psychic energy and control it. The first exercise cleanses your aura. You stand up straight and imagine a point in between your ears and in the back of your head. Now have a line go through that point starting several inches above your head and and end somewhere below your feet. Next imagine or draw a circle of blue white light going clockwise around your shoulder. Next have another circle stating from the top of your head going in a right arc down and under your feet and circling up through you left side. Next visualize a fire starting from your central axis and burning all the way through to envelope the circle. This should be done after every magickal action and also before becaUSE outside influences taint our aura.
The next exercise is adapted from Alister Crowley's teaching. It is a sort of Yoga where you sit in one place comfortably in a chair back straight hands on your knees and do not move. While you are doing this you can also strengthen your mind by focusing on your breathing. Do a 4 count as you breath in and hold it for another 4 seconds. Breath out in a four count also. You may also concentrate on a red box. It will be hard at first but you get better as time goes on.
This short books also covers astral projection and the entities you will encounter. Your objective is to bind them to you and have them serve you. Do not serve these entities because no matter how wise they seem they are not all knowing. Any sort of energy can be identified as a spirit. Sometimes though it can be hard to tell if it is external or internal. Internal ones generated by you are easier to control. Contacting your guardian angel and working with that entity will help you bind the other entities.
Sex is a powerful force that can help the sorcerer generate lots of energy. Even the bodily fluids themselves can be potent. This energy must save and not squandered. Menstrual Blood after the first day and other discharges can be used to fill a talisman or line a sigil. Crowley used to drink his fluid like a Eucharist. He would envision it as glowing. This part sort of turned me off.
Over all the book is a great introduction to Chaos Magick. Even if you are involved with other forms of Magick knowing the principle of manipulating energy will make your magick all that more effective. Remember a thing of two about organization and authority hang with them as long as they are good for you but don't let them limit you.
Mace's second article discussed Omen. Omens are occurrences in the world that seem to comment on what we are doing. Now when we receive an Omen it is a good idea to listen because it may prevent us from cleaning up a big mess later on. The Author goes on too give to examples of Omens. One when he was writing a rebuttal in a letter to someone who corrected him. As he was writing his rebuttal he knocked over a vase of flowers and soiled his clothes with rotten water. He read this as a sign and decided to let the matter rest. The second example was when the Russian troops left Hungary. This event was marked by festivities and doves were released. One of the doves was smashed under the treads of a tank.Later on these tansk were used for war against the Chechnya and the Afghanis.
The next topic of discussion was conjuring. This happens when a sorcerer manufactures a charge of psychic energy and and then discharges it to meet their own purposes. Energy can be manufactured by a variety of means such as chanting, rock music, calling on Demons and other entities. The magician then places this energy into a place where it will not easily dissipate. The object is not to let the energy into the consciousness where it will most definitely dissipate.The energy can be placed into a talsiman which is either buried or worn at certain times. An example would be a guitar player who wants to make a living. He sets up his altar and decorates it with items pertaining to music and calls on Deities connected to music. Through chanting he raises his energy then charges his talisman. He then wraps it into a black cloth and wears it only when he performs or buries it on the grounds of the record company.
Divination involves less energy then Omen. Items like Tarot cards are used for this and they must be treated like trusted advisers. Banishing rituals also need to be performed in order to get an accurate reading. The author advises against doing one reading after the other because that wears out the energy and decreases the accuracy. When the author first got involved with the occult he had a friend do a Tarot reading for him which had dire warning. Three days later the police raided his apartment.
The author also includes several exercises to increase your ability to raise psychic energy and control it. The first exercise cleanses your aura. You stand up straight and imagine a point in between your ears and in the back of your head. Now have a line go through that point starting several inches above your head and and end somewhere below your feet. Next imagine or draw a circle of blue white light going clockwise around your shoulder. Next have another circle stating from the top of your head going in a right arc down and under your feet and circling up through you left side. Next visualize a fire starting from your central axis and burning all the way through to envelope the circle. This should be done after every magickal action and also before becaUSE outside influences taint our aura.
The next exercise is adapted from Alister Crowley's teaching. It is a sort of Yoga where you sit in one place comfortably in a chair back straight hands on your knees and do not move. While you are doing this you can also strengthen your mind by focusing on your breathing. Do a 4 count as you breath in and hold it for another 4 seconds. Breath out in a four count also. You may also concentrate on a red box. It will be hard at first but you get better as time goes on.
This short books also covers astral projection and the entities you will encounter. Your objective is to bind them to you and have them serve you. Do not serve these entities because no matter how wise they seem they are not all knowing. Any sort of energy can be identified as a spirit. Sometimes though it can be hard to tell if it is external or internal. Internal ones generated by you are easier to control. Contacting your guardian angel and working with that entity will help you bind the other entities.
Sex is a powerful force that can help the sorcerer generate lots of energy. Even the bodily fluids themselves can be potent. This energy must save and not squandered. Menstrual Blood after the first day and other discharges can be used to fill a talisman or line a sigil. Crowley used to drink his fluid like a Eucharist. He would envision it as glowing. This part sort of turned me off.
Over all the book is a great introduction to Chaos Magick. Even if you are involved with other forms of Magick knowing the principle of manipulating energy will make your magick all that more effective. Remember a thing of two about organization and authority hang with them as long as they are good for you but don't let them limit you.
January 17, 2014
Nice & easily comprehensible introduction with links to further reading.
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