Magic Lessons (Magick The Occult Imagination Will)

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Magic Lessons magicalpath.net
INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................4
THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK.....................................................................................................................5
BELIEFS 1................................................................................................................................................6
EXERCISE – BELIEFS..................................................................................................................................6
THE MAGIC MIRROR..........................................................................................................................8
SYMBOLS AND SYNCHRONICITY....................................................................................................................9
DESTINY / FATE........................................................................................................................................9
EXERCISE 1 – INNER GARDEN...................................................................................................................10
EXERCISE 2 – NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE........................................................................................................10
IMAGINATION & WILL....................................................................................................................12
IMAGINATION..........................................................................................................................................12
WILL.....................................................................................................................................................12
EXERCISE 1 – IMAGINATION AND WILL......................................................................................................13
EXERCISE 2 – BELIEFS ABOUT WILL AND IMAGINATION................................................................................13
EXERCISE 3 – IMAGINATION......................................................................................................................14
EXERCISE 4 – WILL................................................................................................................................14
INNER WORK.......................................................................................................................................15
SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISM.......................................................................................................................15
IDENTIFICATION / DISIDENTIFICATION..........................................................................................................16
EXERCISE 1 – SYMBOL JOURNEYING..........................................................................................................17
EXERCISE 2 – SYMBOL READING...............................................................................................................18
EXERCISE 3 – DISIDENTIFICATION AND SELF-IDENTIFICATION........................................................................18
HIGHER SELF......................................................................................................................................20
GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING AUTHENTICITY OF THE HIGHER SELF EXPERIENCE................................................21
EXERCISE – SYMBOL READING 2...............................................................................................................21
SYNTHESIS...........................................................................................................................................23
EXERCISE 1 – SYNTHESIS OF OPPOSITES.....................................................................................................23
MAGIC...................................................................................................................................................25
MORALITY...........................................................................................................................................27
EXERCISE 1 – EXPLORING BELIEFS ABOUT MORALITY.................................................................................28
EXERCISE 2 – A NEW MORALITY.............................................................................................................29
BELIEFS 2..............................................................................................................................................31
EXERCISE 1 – BELIEFS REVIEW.................................................................................................................31
EXERCISE 2 – SYNTHESIS OF SUBPERSONALITIES..........................................................................................32
REVIEW.................................................................................................................................................33
BELIEFS.................................................................................................................................................33
THE MAGIC MIRROR...............................................................................................................................33
IMAGINATION & WILL.............................................................................................................................34
INNER WORK..........................................................................................................................................34
HIGHER SELF..........................................................................................................................................34
SYNTHESIS..............................................................................................................................................34
MAGIC...................................................................................................................................................35
MORALITY..............................................................................................................................................35
WHERE TO FROM HERE?...........................................................................................................................35
REVIEW..................................................................................................................................................36
FEEDBACK..............................................................................................................................................36
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ADDITIONAL READINGS.................................................................................................................37
INTRODUCTION & BELIEFS 1.....................................................................................................................37
THE MAGIC MIRROR...............................................................................................................................37
IMAGINATION & WILL.............................................................................................................................38
INNER WORK..........................................................................................................................................39
HIGHER SELF..........................................................................................................................................39
SYNTHESIS..............................................................................................................................................39
MAGIC...................................................................................................................................................40
MORALITY..............................................................................................................................................40
BELIEFS 2..............................................................................................................................................41
REVIEW / FEEDBACK................................................................................................................................41
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Introduction
Over the years I have contemplated writing a book about the various insights I have
had, and the techniques of magic that I have learnt. However, it has become my belief
that the world doesn’t need another book about Magic. Magic is something that must
be lived and experienced, not merely read and talked about. On the other hand, how
does someone go about learning about magic without learning from someone else
who has knowledge of, and had experience with magic?
It is with this in mind that I have decided to offer a basic, structured course to teach
some fundamental aspects of magic. I like a simple approach, one that looks at
principles and techniques. I like to keep the philosophy simple and not get lost in
cultural beliefs, teachings, and practices, as I believe that the core principles are the
same despite the outward expressions.
What you will get out of this course is really up to you. Your commitment to your
own personal evolution and willingness to learn and develop your magical skills is all
that is important. The course is designed to encourage you to practice various
techniques to aid in your magical development and understanding. Practicing magic is
even more essential than understanding the philosophy ‘correctly’, as it is through the
experiences that growth and true wisdom and understanding comes. Your personal
philosophy will develop organically, growing from your practices and experiences.
While this course is structured, it is not intended to be a comprehensive path to

enlightenment or magical attainment. There are no grade rituals that claim you have
reached a certain level of understanding and being (symbolically or otherwise). This
course is a starting point only, as magical advancement is a continuous process rather
than having an endpoint that can be achieved. You may reach various peaks and
plateaus, but there will always be somewhere new to explore, a greater quest to
undertake, and a deeper understanding to develop.
It is far more important that you learn to think for yourself, and develop an instinctive
inner ‘knowing’ about what is right and appropriate for you in any given moment.
Sticking slavishly to accept dogma and beliefs about magic and the nature of reality is
not going to reveal any genuine secrets to you. The secrets of magic are to be
unlocked by each individual ‘seeker after the truth’. They cannot be shared and
revealed, only gained through experience, reflection, and the understanding and inner
‘knowing’ that comes from actively participating in your own magical development.
The key to this brief course, and the entire magical world view, is summed up in the
ancient words: Know Thyself.
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The Most Important Book
Of all the books recommended on the subject of magical training and development, I
suggest that there is only one that is essential. This is a book that you create yourself,
to document your progress and understanding; it is a journal (diary). Keeping a
journal allows you to record your thoughts and experiences, and can be considered a
way of grounding your experiences by recording them in the physical.
In the future you can read through your journal and look at what you believed and
understood at that moment in time. You may observe patterns in your thoughts and
actions, and this can give you an opportunity to consider whether these patterns are
beneficial to your development or whether they are limiting you and need to be
overcome.
There are no concrete rules for journal writing. Below are some things to consider
when keeping a journal:
• Consider keeping a hand-written journal using pen (or pencil) and paper (e.g. a
notebook). The process of writing is less mechanical than typing on a
computer.
• Write for yourself. You are not completing homework to keep a teacher
happy, so write honestly and openly about your thoughts, feelings, and
experiences.
• Focus on feelings. Take note of your feelings and emotions as you study, both
in your day-to-day life, as well as during magical practices.
• Write freely. Don’t be concerned about spelling mistakes, correct grammar,
appropriate language, or the ‘right way’ of keeping a journal.
• Write poetry, draw pictures, diagrams, mind maps, fictional stories, or
whatever else feels right for you do add.
• If you recall dream, then record them. If you recall multiple dreams but don’t
have the time to record them all, focus on the one that seemed most important
or powerful, and write about it in as much detail as possible.
• Write down any questions you have relating to magic and self growth.
• From time to time, read over your journal and reflect on patterns you see in
your thoughts and actions. If you’ve written down questions, reflect on the
questions and consider if you’ve discovered an answer for yourself yet.
• Try to commit some time each day to writing in your journal. A few minutes a
day can be more valuable than a few hours once per week or month.
• Occasionally, if you feel inspired, spend additional time writing down your
thoughts and feelings about various concepts you’ve come across – for
example after completing the exercises contained in this course, or any
additional exercises you experiment with.
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Beliefs 1
Is magic real? What is the nature of reality? Do we have free-will? Is there a God?
What do you believe?
Everyone has beliefs. Even those who claim that they “believe in nothing” are
expressing a belief. Beliefs shape and define your personality and colour your
experience of life and reality. What you believe about life, reality, and the nature of
magic shapes and limits your ability to create change in your life.
Your beliefs are often unconscious, and you are not aware of many of the critical
beliefs that strongly affect your life. You can become aware of them in various ways,
for example by watching recurring thoughts that run through your mind. You may
become aware of them when you argue with other people on topics such as religion,
politics, and moral issues. If you feel that you are ‘right’ and other people are ‘wrong’
then you are expressing a belief that you hold about the rights and wrongs of an issue.
This course is shaped and limited by my beliefs. The various lessons are all
reflections of my beliefs about magic and what is necessary to learn and effectively
practice magic. The beliefs may work for me, making them personally useful.
However, they are should not automatically be considered to be truths. They may
reflect aspects of the truth, and of my personal reality, based on my personal
experiences. They may contradict your beliefs, causing a conflict – do you believe
what I have to say, or do you continue to believe what you hold to be true? Conflicts
like this are essential for your magical development, and can lead you to realise that
you can make a choice about what to believe. I may be wrong about various things, or
I may be only partially correct. It is for you to explore various beliefs and discover,
for yourself, what works for you.
The first exercise of this course an exploration of some of the beliefs that you hold
relating to magic and the nature of reality. It is beyond the scope of this course to
explore your broader beliefs in any great depth, but it is worthwhile taking the time to
look deeper into the various beliefs you hold, how you developed the belief, and how
they affect your life.
Exercise – Beliefs
I recommend that you explore the various concepts on separate days. Don’t be in a
hurry to complete this work, as it is essential that you explore each concept deeply
and not look at things only superficially.
Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed for the duration of the exercise.
Read through the instructions several times before performing the exercise.
Concept to explore: magic
• Sit comfortably and close your eyes
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• Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to relax

• Allow your mind to focus on the concept of magic.
• What immediately comes to mind?
• What feelings and emotions are present while you think about the concept of
magic?
• What experiences do you recall relating to this concept and the beliefs you
hold?
• Where did you learn about these beliefs?
• Who are the people who have influenced the development of these beliefs?
• What things do you believe to be ‘true’ regarding magic?
• What things do you believe to be ‘false’ regarding magic?
• Allow your mind to focus on various physical sensations relating to magic.
What tastes, sounds, smells, physical sensations, and images do you relate to
this concept?
• What do these beliefs and thoughts tell you about yourself?
• When you are ready, open your eyes, and write in your journal about your
beliefs and thoughts relating to this concept.
• Close your eyes again.
• Take some time to think about the concepts again, and see if anything else
comes to mind.
• Allow a single image to form in your mind that summarizes your current
understanding of magic. See it vividly in your mind’s eye.
• Open your eyes and draw the image you saw relating to this concept.
• Write any final thoughts into your journal.
Repeat this exercise for the following concepts: the nature of reality, fate/destiny,
God
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The Magic Mirror

One essential concept of magic is the idea that the external world serves as a mirror
for your inner world. Through the people that you meet, and the experiences that you
have, you can see a reflection of your inner condition. Further, if you change your
inner condition, then this change is reflected in the outside, physical world.
At first this concept may be difficult to understand. It is a deeply rooted concept

appearing in many cultures and philosophies. It can be summed up in the ancient
axiom “as above, so below” – or “that which is within is like that which is without”
(and vice versa).
If you review the experiences in your life you will see patterns, or variations on
themes. You will have met the same kind of people or experienced similar situations
and events because your inner condition remains the same. If you feel like you are not
learning something, and repeating the same mistakes, the best solution is to look
within.
As an example, consider a woman who considers herself a ‘loser magnet’ and attracts
the ‘wrong’ kind of men into her life. She has a series of disastrous relationships and
she feels as though she will never meet the ‘right’ kind of man. The answer lies
within. The men she has attracted are not the ‘wrong kind’ – they are exactly the
‘right’ kind to alert her to an inner condition. By changing her inner condition, she
will stop attracting the ‘losers’ and (if appropriate) she will attract the kind of man
who she can have a more healthy relationship with.
In modern, popular spiritual culture, the ‘law of attraction’ suggests that we attract
people and things into our life through the thoughts that we have. Adherents of this
suggest that thoughts create, and that you can manifest anything that you desire. In a
sense they are correct, however they seldom (if ever) give any genuine insight into the
process or the impediments to success. Likewise, they make it sound as though each
of us will be happy if we live in a mansion, with a trophy wife/husband, and drive
around in an expensive sports car. Perhaps for some people that is spiritual success,
and provides the lessons they need in this life. However, it is jut as likely that seeking
those things is actually neglecting the magic of personal evolution by seeking solace
in material things – a distraction from genuine advancement and spiritual growth.
It is by looking within, into our inner world that we begin to learn what processes and
beliefs are causing various patterns and experiences in our external life. Beyond mere
‘thought’ creating our external reality we will likely find that we have a bunch of
conflicting beliefs which give rise to contradictory thoughts, some of which limit our
growth, and others which manifest as ‘undesirable’ situations in our life.
By looking at the ‘undesirable’ situations in your life that you can become aware of
beliefs and that are limiting you. Awareness is the first step in being able to overcome
your limitations. While you remain unaware of the limitations, you are at the mercy of
unconscious forces. You may feel as though you are powerless to change your life –
because essentially you are. It is the destructive unconscious patterns that lead to
destructive behaviours and manifesting destructive situations. From a magical
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perspective, these destructive situations are not actually ‘bad’ or ‘wrong’ in the
greater scheme of things. They may be negative and unpleasant, but their purpose is to
teach you and allow you to grow.
Once you become aware of these unconscious beliefs and processes you can begin to
change the conditions, transform them into more beneficial conditions that will
manifest into the physical in new ways, and continue your growth and learning.
Symbols and Synchronicity
Within your inner world you will discover many symbols and experience many
symbolic experiences. You have likely experienced these types of things in dreams.
Through visualisation exercises you will ‘see’ and experience many more symbolic
events. You can learn to interpret the symbolism in dreams and visions, and this
becomes a language that helps you explore your inner world. There is no simple way
to learn this interpretation – there are no books or experience that can explain these
things in the way we need to learn them. It is an intuitive process that only experience
and reflection can teach. Of course, there are books and people who can explain what
the symbol means to them, or what it means on a cultural or cross-cultural level, but
not what it really means to you as an individual.
Signs and symbols can also appear to us in the physical world. Events can seem
highly symbolic, and occur at times and places that are significant to us. This has been
termed synchronicity, a meaningful occurrence. Again, it is only experience and
reflection that will help you know whether something is a genuine sign (to you) or
not.
To give you example of a synchronicity, consider a man who is thinking about what
he would like for dinner. He decides that he hasn’t had pizza for a long time, and
thinks about ordering pizza. The phone rings, and a friend of his invites him out for
pizza. This of course is a fairly mundane example, but it is a meaningful coincidence.
For another, more magical, example synchronicity, let us consider the woman in the
first example, who considers herself to be a loser magnet. The woman begins learning
about magic, and spends time reflecting on her life. She notices the patterns of the
men she attracts. One evening, while reflecting on these things, she happens to look
out the window and sees a shooting star. She walks outside her house, and sees a man
who happens to be passing by. Their eyes meet, and they strike up a conversation. The
woman realises that this man is different than men she has met before, and she
realises that the shooting star was a ‘sign’ that lead her to this chance meeting.
Destiny / Fate
As much of your inner workings are below your waking conscious level, you are
unaware of the processes going on. While these things remain unconscious you are
likely to manifest them in your physical world. These things play out as your fate, and
appear to be outside of your control, which they essential are if you do not know the
cause. It is important to realise that you can become a master of your own destiny. A
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big step in this process is to understand that the physical world is mirroring your inner
world, and that by working and changing the inner world you will bring about change
in the physical world. It is therefore essential to become skilled at looking within, and
learning to interact with the processes going on there and transform the inner world
into a more harmonious state.
Exercise 1 – Inner Garden

• Imagine a garden. See it clearly in your mind’s eye.
• Take time to focus on the various parts of the garden.
• Spend some time exploring it. Touch the various plants and objects within the
garden, taking note of all the smells, sounds, tastes, sights.
• What kind of plants are in this garden?
• What other objects are in this garden?
• What is the state or condition of the garden?
• Reflect on what the plants, objects, and state of the garden tell you about your
life.
experience.
Exercise 2 – Negative Experience
1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes

2. Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to relax.
3. Spend some time recalling a negative or bad experience you have had in the
past few years.
4. What happened?
5. Where were you?
6. When did it happen?
7. Who else was involved?
8. How did you feel?
9. What beliefs do you hold about this experience?
10. Get a good sense of what beliefs were present during the experience.
11. Now, remind yourself that experiences in the physical world are caused by
inner conditions.
12. Get a good sense of any feelings and emotions that were present at the time.
13. Breath into these feelings and concentrate on intensifying them.
14. Recall any earlier experiences that feel similar to this experience.
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15. What happened?

16. Where were you?
17. When did it happen?
18. Who else was involved?
19. How did you feel?
20. What beliefs do you hold about this experience?
21. Get a good sense of what beliefs were present during the experience.
22. Breath into these feelings and concentrate on intensifying them.
23. Repeat steps 12 through 20 until you cannot recall any earlier experiences.
24. What patterns did you observe?
25. What similar beliefs?
26. Take a moment to reflect on these things.
27. When you are ready, open your eyes, and write in your journal about your
experience.
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Imagination & Will

The concepts of Imagination and Will are frequently recurring themes in the
philosophy of magic. They are also some of the least understood, or neglected, aspects
of spiritual development. Developing an understanding of these two faculties of the
human psyche is essential for the successful practice of magic.
Imagination
There is no such thing as “only your imagination”. Imagination is a type of reality; it

is so much more than an illusionary, dream-like condition. The Imagination becomes
active in many ways, and its effects can be seen in the physical world through the
many clever inventions and creative works (music, paintings, poetry, and prose). You
may be familiar with your Imagination through dreams and fantasies – any state
where you ‘see’ images in your minds eye. However, while the word Imagination
derives from the word ‘image’, it is important to realise that we can imagine all the
physical senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch, as well as stimulate physical
feelings, sensations, and emotions.
By learning to use your Imagination in a focused way, and combining it with the Will,
magic happens. To begin using Imagination is easy, and you can do it with your eyes
open or closed. You can begin by imagining familiar things: people; places; object;
music; smells; tastes. You can start to imagine more abstract symbols such as
geometric shapes (triangle, circle, square, tetrahedron, pyramid) or letters of the
alphabet (Roman, Hebrew, Greek, Enochian). Once you can imagine these simple
things you can start to develop moving images within your mind, for example by
recalling a dream you had and visualising it again, and exploring it in more depth.
You can always find ways to be more imaginative, and develop your skills. It is this
creativity, through the Imagination, that is essential in any magical work. Imagination
is always more important than what you are taught to believe about magic. A
willingness to diverge from ‘accepted’ practice, and be spontaneously creative is a
valuable attribute for successful magic.
Will
The concept of the Will is generally misunderstood, if they are consciously aware of
the word or faculty at all. Often it is purely associated with will power, and the
strength of determination possessed by an individual. While it is possible to look at
many aspects and concepts associated with the Will the important thing to understand
is the function that the will has from a magical perspective. The Will is the psychic1
faculty that transforms thought into action. Here is a good point to stop reading and
put into practice Exercise 1, which is given below.
1
Here the word psychic is used in association with the psyche, rather than the common association with
clairvoyance and mediumship.
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After performing the exercise below you will realise that your arm did not rise until
you actually ‘did it’ – that is, the moment you actually willed your arm to rise, it
indeed rose. This is, for many people, the first direct experience of associating the
Will with the part of them that translates their thoughts and desires into physical
actions. In magic, the Will is the part that transforms the desired outcome into a
physical reality, when engaged in conjunction with the Imagination.
It is not necessary to delve into intellectual ideas about the Will. To begin with,
practical experience and reflection on the process of willing is far more valuable.
Exercise 1 – Imagination and Will
1. Stand comfortably with your arms by your sides.

2. Now, think about raising your right arm above your head.
3. Imagine the feelings and sensations associated with raising your arm.
4. Visualize where your arm and hand will be, once you have raised it.
5. Now, raise your arm.
6. Write about this experience in your journal.
Exercise 2 – Beliefs about Will and Imagination
Explore the concept of Imagination.

• Allow your mind to focus on the concept of Imagination.
• What feelings and emotions are present while you think about the concept of
Imagination?
hold?
• What things do you believe to be ‘true’ regarding Imagination?
• What things do you believe to be ‘false’ regarding Imagination?
• Allow your mind to focus on various physical sensations relating to
Imagination. What tastes, sounds, smells, physical sensations, and images do
you relate to this concept?
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comes to mind.
understanding of Imagination. See it vividly in your mind’s eye.
Repeat this exercise, preferably on a separate day, for the concept of the Will.
Exercise 3 – Imagination
This exercise is to be performed with the eyes open. Initially, you might find it helpful
to look at a relatively neutral surface such as a blank wall or the blue sky.
Spend time going through the alphabet and seeing before your eyes each letter of the
alphabet. Imagine it clearly before you, and hold that image for approximately 5
seconds before moving on to the next letter.
Exercise 4 – Will
For this exercise you will need a piece of paper (approximately A4 / Letter size) and a
small container such as a matchbox.
• Tear the paper into at least 100 pieces

• Slowly and deliberately take each piece of paper and place it in the container.
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Inner Work
The process of magic is facilitated by inner work, utilizing primarily the imagination
and Will. I believe that all magic is essentially internal magic, as it is not important
whether or not there are physical rituals or ceremonial elements; it is the inner powers
that the magician uses to change reality.
There are many different labels that can be given to the inner work process.
Commonly used terms include: creative visualization, trancework, conscious
dreaming, astral work, and willed daydreaming. As the process uses imagination it is
similar to types of meditation, astral projection, and self-hypnosis. However, all the
different names and terminology start to obscure the commonality between
techniques, so I believe it is easiest to consider it simply ‘inner work’ as you ‘go
within’ and conduct the work in via an imaginative process.
Symbols and Symbolism
Of primary importance to the inner work process is the use of symbols. Symbols may
be used to enter the inner world, acting as a doorway, or they may appear
spontaneously, as imagery, during a session. It is essential to learn to interpret the
symbols and symbolism of all entities, places, and events that you experience. The
exercises for this lesson provide examples of working with symbols and learning to
interpret the symbolism of the inner realms.
It is important to realise what a symbol actual is. A symbol represents a concept. By

reading this lesson you are already working with symbols. Each letter represents a
concept, in this case the building block of a word (and perhaps a clue to its
pronunciation – although English pronunciation can be difficult to deduce from the
written words). Each word represents a concept, some concrete (such as tree, dog,
fire, human), and some abstract (such as love, time, Will, magic). What you
understand about each of these concepts may be different than what another person
understands, depending on things such as culture, education, experience, and
religious or philosophical knowledge.
For example, a tree is a simple, tangible concept, familiar to most people. However, to
someone living in an arid dessert, their concept of trees may be limited primarily to
palm trees. An Amazonian shaman may think of the medicinal properties of various
trees in his environment. A botanist may be reminded of the broader family of trees of
this species. A builder may consider the suitability that various trees have for
construction. However, these things are only aspects of the actual physical reality of a
tree.
Consider the concept of fire. Not only is physical fire a concept familiar to most
people, but in religious and magical symbolism fire has a complex spiritual
symbolism also. Most people will be unaware of the deeper philosophical and magical
symbolism of fire, even though they are very familiar with the physical properties of
fire.
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While the interpretation of symbols from your inner world is a personal and intuitive
process, it is also worthwhile exploring some of the historic and cross-culture
interpretations given to various symbols. If you doubt the intense power that a symbol
can hold, consider the swastika, made infamous by the Nazi regime of World War II
era Germany. To many people, both Jewish and non-Jewish, the symbol evokes
feelings of horror. Yet the symbol is found, throughout the world, and used by many
cultures. Contrast the use of the swastika by the Nazis with the use of the swastika by
Buddhists. This is a good example of a symbol being different to the concept that it is
used to represent, as the Buddhists and Nazis both had different reasons for using it,
and contemporary Western interpretation has taken on a highly negative view of the
symbol. The symbol itself is not important, it is the concepts represented by the
symbol.
In a similar manner, non-English speakers are unlikely to be offended by hearing

words such as fuck if they do not know the meaning. And the meaning of the word is
dependent on context, fuck being used in so many varying and contradictory contexts
– both positive and negative.
To interpret symbols, both physical and from the inner world, the first step is to
practice ‘reading’ it intuitively. This is a process of paying attention to thoughts,
feelings, sensations, and impressions you get when looking at, visualising, or thinking
about a symbol. The most important thing is to pay attention to the very first thought,
feeling, or image that comes into your mind, and use this as a starting point. The first
impression is before self-censorship sets in, and before your faculties of critical
judgement starts offering contradictory interpretations or doubting the validity of your
intuitive impressions. This takes time and practice, but is really the only way to know
what you are supposed to get from a symbol.
I recommend that you read lesson 2 again, and pay particular attention to the section
Symbols and Synchronicity. Also, the section on Beliefs in lesson 1 is important to
keep in mind throughout the entirety of this course.
Identification / Disidentification
Identification refers to the state or process of being identified with a particular

concept, belief, or rôle. An identification can often be spotted when someone states “I
am…” when describing themselves. For example, a woman may refer to herself by
saying, “I am a mother.” This is a rôle that she has identified with, most likely
unconsciously. It is not necessarily a bad or negative thing, however it is important to
understand that you are not a rôle, concept or belief that you hold about yourself.
Think of emotional states also. When you say “I am angry” you do not mean that you
are literally anger, the emotion. You mean you are experiencing this emotion.
When working in the inner realm, learning to identify with a concept or entity
becomes a conscious process of shapeshifting through which a lot can be learnt. By
identifying with, and perhaps transforming into, a particular symbol that represents a
concept or belief, you are performing a magical process that can lead to powerful
transformative events. This will be explored later in the course.
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Disidentification is the opposite of identification. In general it will always be a

conscious process, although overtime people often lose the identification with
concepts, beliefs, or rôles. When the process is conscious, it is again a type of
shapeshifting, and a kind of psychological distance with an idea is intentionally
created. It can be a temporary separation from the physical body, particular feelings or
emotions, or a permanent way of breaking the identification with a concept, belief,
rôle, or emotion. It is seldom performed by itself, and usually after disidentifying with
something the process of identification is performed to align the psyche with a chosen
concept or condition.
Exercise 1 – Symbol Journeying
This technique is often called pathworking in new age literature. It is a method of

exploring a symbol, using the symbol itself as a doorway. Find an appropriate symbol
to use for visualising. To begin with, a simple geometric shape (such as a pentragram
or circle) or the letter of an alphabet related to magic (such as Hebrew, Runic, or
Enochian) can be used. Later, a more complex symbol such as tarot card can be used.
Draw or paint your chosen symbol on a small piece of white card.
• Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

• Sit comfortably with the symbol containing card positioned at an appropriate
distance in front of you.
• Gaze fixedly at the symbol, trying not to blink.
• Breathe deeply and regularly. The connected-breath method is ideal. To perform
this, breathe deeply, from the diaphragm, and as soon as your lungs are full
breathe out. You push the air out of your lungs by contracting your stomach
muscles, and allow the air to ‘fall’ into your lungs rather than sucking it in.
• Allow the image to fill your consciousness. Imagine that you are soaking in the
energy associated with this symbol. Feel the qualities and sensations associated
with it.
• Continue this for approximately 5-10 minutes. Experience will teach you how
long you require to stare at the image to be ready for the next stage.
• Put aside the card and close your eyes.
• In your mind’s eye, see the symbol glow strongly before you.
• Imagine the symbol glowing on a doorway, or that it is a portal through which
you can pass.
• Enter through the symbol doorway.
• On passing through the gateway observe the scene around you.
• Take time to let the scene build up before you. Use all your senses to take in the
sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile sensations of the place.
• You may summon a guide to help you explore and to explain the symbol to you.
Do this simply by requesting a guide appear to assist you. Alternatively you
could call upon your Higher Self to assist you.
• Explore the environment thoroughly; take note of any additional symbols your
find, entities you meet, or thoughts and sensations you experience.
• When you have finished exploring return to the portal, and return back through
it.
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• Start to bring your attention back to the physical world by listening to any
sounds.
• Take a few deep breaths, and when you are ready open your eyes.
• Record every detail in a journal. This is essential for improving your skills,
correcting problems, and gaining some insights into certain symbols and events
which occur during a session.
See the Tattva Vision exercise on the Magical Path website for a similar process using
the Tattva symbols: http://magicalpath.net/tattva-vision/
Exercise 2 – Symbol Reading

• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents you at this present moment in
time. The first symbol that appears is the correct one, do not attempt to change
or choose a ‘better’ one.
• Concentrate on the symbol. See it clearly in your mind’s eye.
• What does this symbol tell you about yourself?
• Explore what concepts and beliefs this symbol represents, and how those
things relate to you.
• Keep scanning the symbol for concepts, words, thoughts, feelings, and
emotions, and how they relate to you.
• When you are finished, open your eyes and write about this in your journal.
Exercise 3 – Disidentification and Self-Identification
This is a short form of the disidentification and self-identification exercise. It can be

expanded and reworded depending on your own needs. Close your eyes, and repeat
the following sentences:
“I have a body, but I am not my body. My body may experience different

conditions of health or wellbeing; my body may be rested or tired. My body is
an important instrument of experience, and the vehicle through which I act in
the physical world. I look after my body, and seek to keep it in good health,
but it is not my self. I have a body, but I am not my body.
I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. My emotions are countless,

contradictory, changing. As I can observe, understand, and judge my
emotions, I know that they are not my self. I have emotions, but I am not my
emotions.
I have an intellect, but I am not my intellect. It is more or less developed

and active; it is undisciplined but teachable; it is an organ of knowledge about
the outer and inner worlds; but it is not my self. I have an intellect, but I am
not my intellect.
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I recognise and affirm that I am a centre of pure self-consciousness. I am a

centre of Will, capable of mastering, directing and using all my psychological
and magical processes and my physical body. I am a centre of awareness and
of Will.”
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Higher Self
The Higher Self is the highest part of your psychological make-up. It is known by
various names including Superconsciousness, Christ Consciousness, Deep Self and
Transpersonal Self. Sometimes it is associated with the Neschamah (in the Kabbalah,
associated with Wisdom and the reconciliation of opposites), or the Holy Guardian
Angel (HGA), although these associations are more likely to be disputed.
What is important to understand is that the Higher Self is the part of your psyche that
connects you with God / the Universe, and which is beyond duality, therefore making
it a reconciler of opposites. It is the bigger picture of you, and contains the blueprint
for your potential, but at the same time, as a divine aspect, it is perfect and pure, and
not bound by human qualities. It is often associated with height and depth,
representing its ability to ‘see’ and understand the overall territory of our lives and
experience.
General symbolism for the Higher Self includes ascending into the sky on a cloud, to
survey the environment or your life, or climbing a mountain and standing atop a lofty
peak to see all that exists. In a more shamanic context, shapeshifting into an eagle and
flying high into the sky is another symbolic expression of the Higher Self. Some
people see the Higher Self as their Guardian Angel, giving them wise advice and
assistance on their life path – watching over them. Another common expression is the
Wise Old Man or Wise Old Woman, aspects of the Higher Self that can spontaneous
arise in dreams or inner work.
One important quality of the Higher Self is its ability to reconcile opposites. That is, it
aids in the synthesis of opposites into something new and holistic. It is through the
Higher Self that we are able to actively and consciously transform paradoxical or
diametrically opposing beliefs into a new workable belief.
The Higher Self is a source of unconditional love – love energy that is harmonising
and able to heal our inner wounds and unite conflicting parts of our psyche. This is
not a touchy-feely New Age concept, but something important to experience and
understand.
Some of the qualities associated with the Higher Self experience include: stillness,
peace, an ‘inner knowing’, an all-pervading aura of unconditional love, contentment,
feelings of being outside of time, sudden bursts of flashes of insight or inspiration,
and inclusiveness.
Other spiritual or transpersonal qualities include: beauty, comprehension, creativity,

goodness, joy, serenity, will, calm, confidence, energy, harmony, love, silence,
wisdom, compassion, courage, enthusiasm, humour, patience, and simplicity.
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Guidelines for Assessing Authenticity of the Higher Self

Experience
As with all inner work, knowledge and understanding of the Higher Self is an
intuitive process that takes experience and the development of skills to effectively
achieve genuine results. Primarily, you must ensure that the communication with the
Higher Self is ‘pure’, and that you are not simply accessing a lower part of your
psyche and deceiving yourself with justification and rationalisation for your desires.
Intuition is a type of immediate understanding of something without conscious

reasoning. Working with the Higher Self enables more effective use of intuition, to
see the bigger pictures and work in an integrated and holistic manner. Working with
the Higher Self brings the experience of an inner knowing, which produces feelings of
inner calm, certainty, joy, and resolution. This knowing has a sense of truth with it –
that is, you understand and intuitively know it to be true. This truth may be personal
to you or Universal. The experience should reveal something new to you, or at least a
new way of looking at the current situation. The new information will be beyond polar
opposites of positive or negative options. In simple terms this can be considered the
‘And’ that lies beyond the ‘either’ / ‘or’ alternatives. The knowing may be received in
a symbolic form and require you to go beyond the simple, literal interpretation.
Only repeated experience will allow you to build your skill and judgement for
working effectively with the Higher Self.
Exercise – Symbol Reading 2
This exercise develops the Symbol Reading exercise (Exercise 2) from lesson 4,
Inner Work. It adds the new dimension of the Higher Self perspective.

• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents you at this present moment in
time. The first symbol that appears is the correct one, do not attempt to change
or choose a ‘better’ one. Alternatively, use the same symbol as you saw in the
previous exercise.
• What does this symbol tell you about yourself?
• Explore what concepts and beliefs this symbol represents, and how those
things relate to you.
• (Optionally, you can stand up to perform the next part of the exercise – try it
standing and sitting)
• Now, imagine that you are ascending high into the sky on a cloud, rising up,
higher and higher.
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• Once you are high above the ground, you can now see a bright, luminous
being – your Higher Self.
• Take a moment to get a sense of the energy of your Higher Self.
• Now, imagine a cord of energy coming out from your Higher Self and
connecting to you.
• Take some time to feel this connection with your Higher Self. Get a good
sense of the feelings, emotions, and energy of Higher Self.
• When you are ready, imagine that you are turning around so that your back is
to your Higher Self. Then step backwards into your Higher Self.
• Allow yourself to feel what it is like becoming one with your Higher Self
energy. Breathe into this energy.
• Once you feel completely immersed in the energy of your Higher Self, bring
to mind the symbol again, and allow thoughts, feelings, and more images to
come into mind and allow yourself to receive the holistic perspective of your
Higher Self.
• Once you have finished, step back out of your Higher Self.
• Turn to face it, and thank it for what it has shown you.
• Imagine yourself descending back to the ground on the cloud.
• When you are finished, open your eyes and draw the symbol and write about
this experience in your journal.
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Synthesis
The concept of synthesis is essential to magical understanding. In simple terms, the
synthesis is the ‘And’ that lies beyond (or combines) the ‘Either’ / ‘Or’ polarities. It
has been described in philosophy as thesis + antithesis = synthesis. An excellent
symbolic representation of it can be found in the yin yang symbol, where the totality
combines two opposites, each opposite containing the seed of the other. In Alchemy,
the process is often described as Solve et Coagula – separate and combine.
Through an understanding of synthesis, and the ability to synthesize opposites, it is

possible to take it a step further, and find a creative solution to paradoxes. Even if the
solution would not work in physical reality, a symbolic representation of a
synthesized paradox can be discovered, through which various insights can be gained,
and a tangible real-world solution might then become apparent.
The first step of synthesis is to identify the two existing polar opposites. A polar
opposite is the extreme opposite, or reverse/inverse of something, such as the positive
and negative poles of a magnet, yes or no, 1 or 0. An obvious synthesis of opposites is
with shades of grey, when black and white are combined. For example, if we are
fearful of something, we could identify a part of our personality as the ‘fearful part’
and then discover or represent what the ‘opposite part’ is (which might be more-or-
less fearless and reckless). This is the separation phase. When the opposites are
discovered, the positive and negative aspects of each can be identified, and then a
synthesis of the two created. In this case the polarities may be labelled fearful versus
reckless, and the synthesis may be courageous, recognising the positives of both the
fearful and reckless parts of the personality.
The ability to reconcile opposites is only limited by your imagination, creativity, and
ingenuity. Learning to work with your Higher Self, as your primary aid to reconciling
and synthesizing opposites, is essential to truly overcoming the polarities that the
lower part of your mind operates.
Exercise 1 – Synthesis of Opposites
This is a long form of the exercise. Once you are proficient, and have enough
experience of the Higher Self, it is possible to shorten the process. Before working
with this process you should have either a problem or a concept for which two
opposite positions can be identified.

• Allow the problem or concept to come to mind and spend some time thinking
about it.
• Identify the two polarities that exist for the problem or concept. Do not worry
about them being positive or negative as such, only that they are seemingly
incompatible and diametrically opposed to each other.
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• Once you have identified the polarities, focus on one of them – the first
polarity.
• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents the first polarity. The first
symbol that appears is the correct one, do not attempt to change or choose a
‘better’ one.
• What does this symbol represent?
• What are the positive and negative aspects of this polarity?
• Explore what concepts and beliefs this symbol represents (and how those
things relate to you).
• When you have discovered all you need to know about the first polarity, set it
aside.
• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents the second polarity.
• What are the positive and negative aspects of this polarity?
higher and higher.
• Now, imagine an equilateral triangle before you, with the single point at the
top.
• Visualize the two symbols, representing the two polarities, at opposite points
of the triangle’s base.
• Talk to your Higher Self, explaining that you seek a synthesis of these two
opposites, and ask it to assist you.
• Imagine the two symbols from the base moving up the sides of the triangle
until they merge and become a new symbol – the synthesis of the opposites.
• Concentrate on this new symbol. See it clearly in your mind’s eye.
• Talk with your Higher Self, seeking its assistance in learning about this new
holistic symbol.
• When you are finished, open your eyes and draw the symbols at the relevant
corners of a triangle, and write about this experience in your journal.
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Magic
From the time you started practicing the exercises in lesson 1 you have been
developing skills needed to for successful magic. The exercise contained in lesson 6,
Synthesis, is essentially a type of inner magick. You are working an inner process to
transform opposites into something new – essentially creating change at will, under
the guidance of your Higher Self. Utilizing imagination and will, combined with some
skills and beliefs (concepts), you can now begin experimenting with other possibilities
that magic has to offer.
A simple distinction could be drawn between internal magic, where you seek to
transform your inner world, and external magic, where you seek to transform your
outer world. However, the distinction blurs once you realise that changing your inner
world will always lead to changes in your everyday life. Once again, re-read lesson 2,
and consider again the ancient axiom “as above, so below” – or “that which is within
is like that which is without.” By changing your inner world you are creating changes
that ripple out and become manifest in the physical world. This is the focus of
teachings on the so-called Law of Attraction, where it is taught that “like attracts like.”
In my belief, it is a little more complex than simply saying “like attracts like” and
“whatever you think will manifest.” That is why I structured this course the way I
did. I believe that beliefs are fundamentally important – you must believe that magic
is possible (truly believe). You must understand how (and possess beliefs relating to)
Imagination and Will are combined to create transformation, and it is helpful, if not
essential, to be able to interact with your superconscious (Higher Self). These are the
essential elements for success in magic, whether you chose to work in a meditative
(visualization) way, or through physical expression via the performance of ritual
(where you still need to use the powers of your psyche while performing physical
actions – which are outward expressions, symbolic of the inner, magical process).
Belief, combined with Imagination and Will, aided by the Higher Self, is a powerful
formula for magical transformation of both the inner and outer worlds.
While there are a lot of other concepts and words that can be associated with the
process of magic, most of them will relate in some way back to the concepts
mentioned in the previous paragraph. Beliefs include your knowledge, understanding,
and wisdom relating to any particular concept or process. Imagination broadly covers
all forms of inner creative processes, and is linked to meditation, hypnosis and other
forms of trance. Will has associations with intention, skill, determination,
concentration, focus, and single-mindedness. The Higher Self is the highest (deepest)
part of your psyche, a symbolic representation of superconsciousness and provides a
direction connection to the Collective Consciousness, the All, the Source, the
Universe, to God. Anything not broadly connected to these concepts is likely
superfluous to magic. There are many ways to call these things, and ways to express
magical concepts and powers. However, whether magic is shamanic, Enochian,
Egyptian, wiccan, Eastern, or Western, it shares common threads, common concepts –
the core concepts which exist beneath the outer expressions.
A word of caution. It might sound clichéd, but it is worthwhile keeping in your mind
that old saying, “be careful what you ask for; you might just get it.” The magical act
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is amoral, and when transformation changes your external world you may well
experience side effects that you never considered. This is why it is particularly
important to work with your Higher Self, to insure that the outcome is beyond the
lower polar opposites (beyond negative and positive, and beyond good and evil). It is
wise to cultivate beliefs in bringing about changes that are holistic and transpersonal,
not simply selfish desires to meet your lower, basic needs and desires. The next
chapter, on morality, will look a little more at this.
Aside from the unexpected side effects, there are other possible dangers inherent in
delving into the deeper and latent parts of your psyche. Magical transformation is not
necessary pleasant, and the side effects to you personally could be having to deal with
repressed psychological content, and deal with an immense amount of stress, and
anxiety as you break apart the beliefs you hold and patterns that shape your day to day
life and activities. For some people, a psychotic break is possible. For others,
depression can set in. It can become difficult to function in the real world (the
physical, tangible world). So it is important to keep yourself ‘grounded’, and keep in
mind that the physical world is the real world. Magic is not about fantasy and
escapism. You still have this physical life to live; magic is an aid to it, and another
dimension or level to seek knowledge, wisdom and understanding about. It is a good
idea to keep doing (or start doing) some form of physical activity that is (or seems) far
removed from inner, magical realms. Walking, running, chopping wood, and keeping
up normal social contact with non-magical people, are all good ways of keeping
grounded and reminding yourself that it is the physical world we are incarnate to
experience. Seeing a counsellor, psychotherapist, or hypnotherapist (especially one
who works in the Jungian or Transpersonal schools of thought) is useful if repressed
memories begin to surface. It might be you, your friends, or your family that start to
notice your behaviour becoming too disconnected from consensus reality. As a
magician you walk (journey) between worlds (the inner and the outer), but should
never lose grip on either.
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Morality
Magic has often become polarised into the concepts of white magic and black magic.
Some philosophies attempt to reconcile the opposites and propose grey magic or
rainbow magic as alternatives. I believe that such classifications are unhelpful. Magic
is a practice at the fringes of society. It is commonly associated with madness,
fantasy, fraud, and deception. Even many who accept paranormal phenomena link
magic with evil spirits or great dangers. It is the intent of the individual that is
appropriate or not, and labelling it black, white, grey, or octarine is irrelevant. It
becomes rationalisation and justification based on preconceived notions and beliefs.
Magic, and transformation as a concept in general, is both destructive and creative.

The existing form of a thing must be broken down, or re-patterned, in some way for it
to be transformed. Synthesis can be considered the merging of the best parts of
something, while the less useful, or counterproductive, are discarded. The butterfly is
often used as a symbol of transformation, as it has changed its form from the original
caterpillar stage. The old form is destroyed, and the new form arises. The process is
embodied by the birth-life-death-rebirth cycle, a process that is creative and
destructive. So it is too simplistic to say that destructive magic is black magic or evil
magic And just because something can be created, it is also too simplistic to call it
white magic or good magic.
Consider for example the use of magic to kill a dictator like Hitler or Stalin. Would
this be an act of black magic, especially if it was to save the lives of millions of
people? Would the use of magic to heal such as tyrant, should he be sick and dying,
be an act of white magic? Morality becomes blurred on these points, and
philosophical arguments arise around the notions of good and evil, and whether
interfering in the lives of others is good or bad karma. These arguments are based on
beliefs. That is unavoidable.
For the most part, your concern as an individual magician is your own welfare, health,
and personal evolution. This may be best balanced by aiming to find solutions and
manifest situations and outcomes that are best for all people involved in the events
that follow. The difficulty is in knowing what is ‘best’ for others – we do not know
this (although we can imagine, guess, or believe we know). However, the intention of
involving only those who are ‘best’ served by our mutual experiences would seem a
sensible compromise to our not knowing what is best for anyone else. The simple
solution, from a magical point of view, is to work with your Higher Self, to create
solutions that are holistic and balanced, and serve the “greater good” so to speak
(keeping in mind that all transformation comes with creative and destructive aspects).
Morals and ethics derive from beliefs, and are certainly not universal. Killing
someone is wrong, unless it is sanctioned by an authority such as church or state. The
age at which two people can have sex varies from 14 to 18 years of age in most
countries, so would it be bad, wrong or evil for someone from a country where the age
of consent is 18 to have sex with a 14 year old in a country where it is legal? Is
homosexuality good or evil? Are the use of drugs a good or a bad thing? Should
someone who kills another human being have their life ended as a punishment? Is
using magic to heal someone, without that person’s permission, an act of white
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magic? Is using magic to kill or harm an enemy an act of black magic? Answers only
indicate beliefs, not universal truths. Moral and ethical laws, codes, and guidelines
may be useful to the integrity of the society or group that holds them, but they may be
limiting to personal growth and magical development (for example laws forbidding
the practice of magic).
For magical development, breaking down existing beliefs, and synthesizing new
beliefs, will eventually lead to a confrontation of the moral and ethical beliefs you
hold. This is unavoidable. The consequences of your magical workings will lead you
to question many things you unconsciously believe about fairness, truth, rights, and
wrongs. What I propose is a following process that is stripped of all moral and ethical
obfuscation. In any situation you make a choice. This leads to an action (or inaction if
you choose to do nothing), which will provide you with an experience that has
consequences. You can expand these four concepts and add in other concepts, but
basically that is the sequence of events. A fifth stage could be defined as reflection
and synthesis of what was learnt from the events that occurred. I believe that this
simple formula is what karma is about, the law of cause and effect. It is amoral,
simply observing that all actions have cause, and all actions have an effect. It is
inescapable, at least in our physical existence.
What you are left with is personal responsibility. This is primarily an understanding
and willingness to take responsibility for the consequences of your actions – magical
or mundane. Working outside of your societies moral and ethical codes and laws is
not a licence to “do whatever you want” without any form of responsibility. It is
about accepting the responsibility for all your actions without rationalising and
justifying them as “it was okay because the law allows me to do so” or “I was just
following orders.”
What I am suggesting may sound like an aspect of Anarchism, and it may well fit
with some anarchist and libertarian philosophy. However, I don’t like to label and
confine such concepts with an –ism. Doing so starts to enforce limitations and may
slow the progression of the way that beliefs and understandings need to progress,
mature, and develop into new ways of understanding and doing things. How you
define or label the concepts and beliefs I discuss is your choice, but I suggest keeping
all these things in your mind as mere starting points for exploration.
Exercise 1 – Exploring Beliefs About Morality
I recommend repeating this exercise several times over the next week.

• Allow your mind to focus on the concept of morality.
• What feelings and emotions are present while you think about this concept?
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hold?
• What things do you believe to be ‘good’?
• What things do you believe to be ‘evil’?
• Allow your mind to focus on various physical sensations relating to morality.
What tastes, sounds, smells, physical sensations, and images do you relate to
this concept?
comes to mind.
understanding of morality. See it vividly in your mind’s eye.
Exercise 2 – A New Morality
This exercise is based on the Synthesis of Opposites exercise from lesson 6. You need
to use the symbol from Exercise 1.

• Bring to mind the symbol from exercise 1.
• Bring to mind what this symbol represents to you?
• Set this symbol aside for now.
• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents the opposite of all the beliefs
and associations of your symbol for morality.
higher and higher.
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top.
• Visualize the two symbols, representing the two polarities of morality, at
opposite points of the triangle’s base.
holistic symbol.
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Beliefs 2
By now you will be aware of various beliefs you hold, and some of the ways you can
work on changing them. There are a couple more things to keep in mind when
beginning to explore your beliefs and work on transforming them into more beneficial
things.
Beliefs can be considered to form structures (belief structures) which comprises

various similar beliefs (variations on a theme), and interconnections with other
beliefs. When you tinker with one belief you are going to affect the structure in some
way, and undoubtedly bring about awareness of similar and connected beliefs, as well
as polar opposites to those beliefs.
One way that a belief manifests is through a subpersonality, which is a smaller aspect
of your personality. Subpersonalities always come in pairs – the polar opposites of
each other, although one is usually dominant and its opposite is repressed. It is
common for people to swing from polarity to polarity, which can be seen in so-called
“mood swings” or manifested in indecision (where you cannot make up your mind, or
feel in “two minds” about something, noting the positives and negatives in both
potential decisions). Disparate and conflicting thoughts and behaviours can often be
observed in others, and also in our own lives. For example, someone may profess
beliefs in never telling a lie, and yet is observed telling lies on various occasions. This
is because they are swinging between, and operating from, the two opposing
subpersonalities, one which has a central belief that lying is wrong, while the other
has a central belief that lying is ok (perhaps as long as the end justifies the means).
This is why it is essential for you to learn to go beyond these polar opposites and
synthesis new and holistic beliefs that are do not cause an inner conflict between
opposing points of view.
One solution to maintaining very fixed beliefs is to develop a belief that your beliefs
are only temporary working hypotheses. A temporary working hypothesis is still a
belief, but it is not held to be immutable true, nor as unchangeably false. It is a belief
that you can work from, and understood to have elements of the truth, but are willing
to discard or adapt if experience brings about new knowledge and understanding, or
as you work on synthesizing conflicting beliefs. Even these new synthesized beliefs
are not immutable, but will eventually be transformed or discarded.
Exercise 1 – Beliefs Review
• Spend some time reading through your journal entries from the past few
weeks.
• Identify beliefs contained within the statements you have written.
• Do you still agree with, or identify with these beliefs?
• Do you feel in “two minds” about some of the things you have written, or
notice a particular mood you were in when you wrote an entry? (This would
indicate subpersonalities at work)
• Start to identify some of your subpersonalities, and write a little about them.
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Exercise 2 – Synthesis of Subpersonalities
You should be familiar with this process from the lesson on synthesis. The exercise
here is therefore slightly shortened.

• Focus your mind on one of your subpersonalities (from exercise 1).
• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents this subpersonality.
• Spend some time getting a sense of this subpersonality, and the core belief it is
formed around.
• Spend some time talking to the subpersonality and find out what it does in
your life.
• What are the positive and negative aspects of this subpersonality?
• When you have discovered all you need to know about the first
subpersonality, set it aside.
• Allow a symbol to come to mind that represents the polar opposite to this
subpersonality.
• Spend some time getting a sense of this subpersonality, and the core belief it is
formed around.
• Spend some time talking to the subpersonality and find out what it does in
your life, or what it could do if it was able to play more of an active rôle.
• What are the positive and negative aspects of this subpersonality?
• When you have discovered all you need to know about the first
subpersonality, set it aside.
• Connect with of your Higher Self.
top.
• Visualize the two symbols, representing the two subpersonalities, at opposite
points of the triangle’s base.
holistic symbol.
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Review
You have now completed this introductory course covering some of the basic
concepts of magic. The aim has been to offer some concepts and exercises to enhance
your understanding of magic and the philosophy surrounding it. The information and
exercises are outside of any one particular system or tradition, although common
themes will be found amongst all such systems and traditions.
As stated in the introduction to this course:
“The key to this brief course, and the entire magical world view, is summed up
in the ancient words: Know Thyself.”
Now would be a good time, if you haven’t already done it regularly, to read over your
journal. Consider any questions you had written down, and look for patterns in your
thinking, as well as noting any changes you have undergone through this process.
Below is a quick recap of the concepts covered.
Beliefs
This course contained two lessons on beliefs. This reflects the importance that beliefs
have in shaping our lives, as well as from a magical point of view. While I have
avoided adding quotes from third parties throughout the lessons, it is now apt to
consider a quote from Paracelsus that illustrates the importance of beliefs in regards to
magical acts:
"Determined will is the beginning of all magical operations. It is because men

do not perfectly imagine and believe the result, that the (magical) arts are so
uncertain, while they might be perfectly certain." (emphasis added)
[More quotes can be found in the Additional Readings appendix to this course]
This quote ties together three of the important concepts covered in this course: will,
imagination, and beliefs.
The Magic Mirror
It is important to cultivate the belief and understanding of the interaction between the
internal world and the external world. Keep in mind the sayings, “Know Thyself” and
“As Above, So Below” as you continue to develop your magical practices. Self
honesty is an important personal attribute to develop, and finding ways to keep your
ego in check will be immensely beneficial to your magical development.
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Imagination & Will
You will find it beneficial to discover new ways to develop and enhance your
Imagination. Creative writing, solving puzzles (such as cryptic crosswords), and
visualisation are all useful for honing this skill.
The Will is perhaps the critical concept to understand, explore, and develop. It is a
concept that is mentioned time and time again in the Western Tradition, and a concept
that is in the background of many practices and techniques, whether explicitly
described or not.
Again, developing your knowledge and understanding of the three concepts of will,
imagination, and beliefs will be a continuing process throughout your magical
studies.
Inner Work
Successful Inner Work can be achieved by developing a significant understanding

will, imagination, and beliefs, and how these concepts interconnect within one’s self,
and externally, to transform both the inner world and the external world. Aspects of
Inner Work can be found under various names and guises, including creative
visualization, trancework, conscious dreaming, astral work, and willed daydreaming.
Understanding symbols and how they can be utilised to transform and synthesis
energy is essential to magical development.
Identification / Disidentification are also critical concepts to understanding your own

psychic processes. Learn to identify and disidentify at will.
Higher Self
A concept of some form of higher consciousness is a basis for all magical and
spiritual training. If there was nothing beyond normal, mundane consciousness there
would be little or nothing to aspire to or develop. Conceptualising higher
consciousness into an archetypal form is useful for inner work. Understanding the
connection between the higher consciousness and a higher power (God) is another key
to developing your magical understanding.
Synthesis
Synthesis is a natural process. Synthesis is the basis of alchemy – spiritual or physical.

Learning to reconcile opposites, through the higher self, is key to transformation of
one’s self.
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Magic
Magic is the term popularly used for the knowledge, skills, and practices of
transformation – internal and external. It has become popular to use a terminal –k to
differentiate between illusionism (stage magic, magic tricks) and supernatural (for
want of a better term) magic. A point to consider – both practices work with the
realms of illusion, trickery, and transformation. Principles of illusionism can in fact be
related to occult principles, although they are of a different kind. One important thing
to consider is the use of deception, and how our minds can so easily be tricked and
fooled into seeing and believing something, when the actual process and wisdom is
hidden from view. Both types of magic and occult arts.
Morality
Morals and ethics are something that provide a personal challenge for anyone
studying and practicing magic. Magic has been popularly polarised into white and
black, with varying definitions of what is good and what is evil. At some level, all
magic must transcend polar opposites. If postulates about reconciliation of opposites,
and transcendent states of consciousness and being are correct, then how can powerful
magic remain locked into concrete beliefs of right and wrong, good and evil, black
and white?
Where to from here?
Where you go from here depends on your needs, desires, and current level of
understanding – some people would suggest your destiny plays a big part also. The
ideas and concepts that I have presented in this course provide a foundation for further
research, study, and practice. It is up to you to adapt and extend this knowledge, and
discover through intuitive means exactly what you need to learn and implement in
your own practices.
The type of research I advocate is primarily through experiential means. While there
is nothing inherently wrong with someone who only wants to study occult philosophy,
it is a self-enforced type of limitation. Keeping things only on a safe thinking level
will do little more than provide diversion for the mind. It will not reveal any occult
secrets or allow you to genuinely understand the processes involved. If magic is being
practiced, then it must have real, tangible results. That is, transformation must occur,
internal and externally.
While the division of levels of reality, consciousness, and being are somewhat
arbitrary, it is necessary to consider developing and transforming all levels as you
understand them, or believe them to be. A simple classification of levels or divisions
is the following: physical (body and physical existence), mental (mind), spiritual
(spirit), and emotional (emotions and feelings).
The Additional Reading document contains quotes for you to contemplate, as well as
links to articles and books that you may wish to consider reading.
35 / 41
Review
I suggest you spend some time reading through the lessons again, making notes in
your journal about aspects you want to explore further. Take note of things you
disagree with. These can be essential for your learning and growth. It may be that
what you currently believe and understand is incorrect (completely or partially) and
you may need to challenge yourself to dissolve the old belief structures and develop
new ones. On the other hand, you may well be correct (completely or partially) and
have experience to back you up. Keep in mind, your personal experience and belief
may be correct for you, but not for others.
I suggest that you write (in your journal) a complete review of what you have learnt
and gained from this course. Aim for about 2000 words, which means only one or two
paragraphs (100-200 words) per lesson / concept. The idea is not to be exhaustive, but
to narrow your focus to several key points.
Feedback
Okay, you now have the opportunity to give something back to me. Whether you have
found the course beneficial, or not, I request your feedback. You are welcome to
include part (or all) of your course review (as per the suggestion above). What have
you learnt from this course, and how has it benefited your magical practices?
However, don’t focus only on positive points. What were the negatives or downsides
to the course? What do you feel is lacking? What would you have preferred?
I will take into consideration all feedback, and over time I will adapt and extend the
course so that future participants can potentially gain more from course.
Email your feedback to magicalpath@gmail.com
36 / 41
Additional Readings
Now that you have completed the basic course, here are some quotations and
additional readings that may be useful to challenge your beliefs and assist you in
gaining additional insights. They are not provided because your personal beliefs and
discoveries are ‘wrong’, nor are they provided because the authors are ‘right’. They
represent various individuals’ or groups’ views on the topics already covered.
There is no requirement for you to read them; however, doing so will provide the
opportunity to further explore the concepts you have learnt about. Remember, reading
is not a substitute for doing; the constant practice, development and refinement of
your magic skills is essential.
Introduction & Beliefs 1
“The magnum opus is pre-eminently the creation of man by himself, that is, the full
and complete conquest which he can make of his faculties and his future; it is pre-
eminently the perfect emancipation of his will.” – Eliphas Lévi
“A gardener has to have a knowledge of the unseen root of the tree before he can be
expected to give his concentrated effort to watering its root so that the whole tree
remains fresh and green.” – Mahrishi Mahesh Yogi, Transcendental Meditation
Additional Reading:
• Definition and Theorems of Magick (from Magick in Theory & Practice) by

Aleister Crowley
http://hermetic.com/crowley/book-4/defs.html
• The Alchemy of Magick by the Order of Nine Angles
http://www.nineangles.info/alchemy1.html
The Magic Mirror
“When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate.” – Carl
Jung, Psyche and Symbol
“Of the Means of Arriving at the Secret

The requirements necessary in order to arrive at this Secret, are: the knowledge of
Nature and of one’s self. One may not understand the first perfectly, or even the
second, without the aid of Alchemy. The love of wisdom, the horror of crime, and of
falsehood, … the association of the wise, the invocation of the Holy Spirit; not to add
secret to secret, to attach one’s self only to one thing (because God and Nature
delight in unity and simplicity), such are the conditions necessary for obtaining the
divine revelation.
37 / 41
Man being the epitome of all Nature, must learn to know himself as the summary, the
miniature of Nature. By his spiritual part he is allied to all immortal creatures, and
by his material part, to all that which is transient in the Universe.” – Antoine-Joseph
Pernety, An Alchemical Treatise on the Great Art
Additional Reading:
• As Above, So Below by Alan G. Hefner

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/below_above.html
• The Gospel of Thomas
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl_thomas.htm
Imagination & Will
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we

now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all
there ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein
“Each man is the painter for his own life; the craftsman in this task is the will.” –
Latin Proverb
"Determined will is the beginning of all magical operations. It is because men do not
perfectly imagine and believe the result, that the (magical) arts are so uncertain,
while they might be perfectly certain." – Paracelsus
Additional Reading:
• Magick Wiki - Imagination

http://www.paxprofundis.com/wiki/Imagination
• Magick Wiki - Will
http://www.paxprofundis.com/wiki/Will
• Training the Will by Roberto Assagioli
http://www.synthesiscenter.org/articles/0117.pdf
• The Will Project Wiki
http://www.willproject.org/
• Thelema Exercises
http://www.scribd.com/doc/23356494/Thelema-Exercises-Develop-your-Will-
Power
• Learn Magick series on Will & Imagination
http://www.learnmagick.com/will.html
38 / 41
Inner Work
“Intent creates edifices before us and invites us to enter them. This is the way
sorcerers understand what is happening around them. I want you to understand the
underlying order of what I teach you. It means two things: both the edifice that intent
manufactures in the blink of an eye and places in front of us to enter, and the signs it
gives us so we won't get lost once we are inside.” – Carlos Castaneda, The Power of
Silence
“We are dominated by everything with which our self becomes identified. We can
dominate and control everything from which we dis-identify ourselves.” – Roberto
Assagioli, Psychosynthesis
“The psychological mechanism that transforms energy is the symbol” – Carl Jung,
On Psychic Energy
“Images, mental pictures and ideas tend to produce the physical conditions and
external acts that correspond to them. Some psychologists have formulated this law in
the following ways: a. Every image has in itself a motor element; and b. Every idea is
an act in a latent state.” – Roberto Assagioli, Training the Will
Additional Reading:
• Liber ‘A’ by Trance Guild

http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/liber-a/4003290
Higher Self
“We fear the sublime because it is unknown and because if we admit the reality of
higher values we are committed to act in a more noble way. Goodness, cooperation,
the loss of self-centredness, and responsibility for spiritual growth go along with
acknowledgement of the Higher Self.” – Roberto Assagioli, Psychosynthesis
Additional Reading:
• The Self: A Unifying Center by Roberto Assagioli

http://www.psykosyntese.dk/a-163/
Synthesis
“The day of the analytical mind is past … you've got to go beyond mere analysis and
on to synthesis, or you will be a galley slave all your life, chained to the System or the
Machine!” - Harry Kahne, Multiple Mentality
39 / 41
Additional Reading:
• Dynamic Psychology And Psychosynthesis by Roberto Assagioli

• The Balancing And Synthesis Of The Opposites by Roberto Assagioli
Magic
“All you need to begin the practice of magic is concentration, imagination and the
ability to laugh at yourself and learn from mistakes. Some people like to dress up as
Egyptians or monks to get themselves in the mood; others wear animal masks or
Barbarella costumes. The use of ritual paraphernalia functions as an aid to the
imagination only.” – Grant Morrison, Pop Magic
“In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth, and the Paths, of Spirits and Conjurations;
of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist. It is
immaterial whether they exist or not. By doing certain things certain results follow;
students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or
philosophic validity to any of them.” – Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and
Practice
Additional Reading:
• Modern Shamanic Techniques trilogy by Phil Hine

http://www.philhine.org.uk/writings/index_e-books.html
• History of Magick by Summer Woodsong
http://www.realmagick.com/5481/history-of-magick/
• Pop Magic by Grant Morrison
http://www.grantmorrison.com/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=195&Itemid=83
• Magick in Theory and Practice by Aleister Crowley
http://hermetic.com/crowley/book-4/aba3.html
Morality
“It is the mass-ego that constructs dogmas and laws; for while the individual soul is,
if free at all, self-poised, the mass-mind is always uncertain, driven by vague,
wandering aims; conscious, in a dim fashion, of its own weakness, it builds round
itself a grotesque structure in the everlastingness of which it implicitly believes. When
each unit of humanity merges itself in the mass, it loses its bearings and must rely on
externals. The whole effort of evolution is to the development of individual souls who
40 / 41
will dare to be free of the architecture of crowd-morality. For when man is herded, he
remembers the savage.” – Mary Webb, The House in Dormer Forest
Additional Reading:
• Maybe later…
Beliefs 2
“For Magic does not countenance a retreat from life, an escape from the turmoils of
the world; it seeks only to transmute what was dross into gold, and transform the
base and low into the pure and splendid.” – Israel Regardie, What You Should Know
About The Golden Dawn
Additional Reading:
• Maybe later…
Review / Feedback
“Only the development of his inner powers can offset the dangers inherent in man's
losing control of the tremendous natural forces at his disposal and becoming the
victim of his own achievements” – Roberto Assagioli, The Act of Will
“Sciences are acquired only by study, by meditation, and not by dispute. Learn a little
at a time; repeat often the same study; the mind can do all when concentrated upon
one sole object, but nothing when trying to embrace too many.” – Antoine-Joseph
Pernety, An Alchemical Treatise on the Great Art
Additional Reading:
• Maybe later…
41 / 41

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Magic Lessons magicalpath.

While this course is structured, it is not intended to be a comprehensive path to

The Most Important Book

Concept to explore: magic

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

• Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to relax

The Magic Mirror

At first this concept may be difficult to understand. It is a deeply rooted concept

Symbols and Synchronicity

Exercise 1 – Inner Garden

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Exercise 2 – Negative Experience

1. Sit comfortably and close your eyes

15. What happened?

Imagination & Will

There is no such thing as “only your imagination”. Imagination is a type of reality; it

Exercise 1 – Imagination and Will

1. Stand comfortably with your arms by your sides.

Exercise 2 – Beliefs about Will and Imagination

Explore the concept of Imagination.

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

• Tear the paper into at least 100 pieces

Symbols and Symbolism

It is important to realise what a symbol actual is. A symbol represents a concept. By

In a similar manner, non-English speakers are unlikely to be offended by hearing

Identification refers to the state or process of being identified with a particular

Disidentification is the opposite of identification. In general it will always be a

Exercise 1 – Symbol Journeying

This technique is often called pathworking in new age literature. It is a method of

• Find a quiet place where you will not be disturbed.

Exercise 2 – Symbol Reading

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Exercise 3 – Disidentification and Self-Identification

This is a short form of the disidentification and self-identification exercise. It can be

“I have a body, but I am not my body. My body may experience different

I have emotions, but I am not my emotions. My emotions are countless,

I have an intellect, but I am not my intellect. It is more or less developed

I recognise and affirm that I am a centre of pure self-consciousness. I am a

Other spiritual or transpersonal qualities include: beauty, comprehension, creativity,

Guidelines for Assessing Authenticity of the Higher Self

Intuition is a type of immediate understanding of something without conscious

Exercise – Symbol Reading 2

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Through an understanding of synthesis, and the ability to synthesize opposites, it is

Exercise 1 – Synthesis of Opposites

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Magic, and transformation as a concept in general, is both destructive and creative.

Exercise 1 – Exploring Beliefs About Morality

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Exercise 2 – A New Morality

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

Beliefs can be considered to form structures (belief structures) which comprises

Exercise 1 – Beliefs Review

Exercise 2 – Synthesis of Subpersonalities

• Sit comfortably and close your eyes

As stated in the introduction to this course:

Below is a quick recap of the concepts covered.

"Determined will is the beginning of all magical operations. It is because men

The Magic Mirror

Imagination & Will

Successful Inner Work can be achieved by developing a significant understanding

Identification / Disidentification are also critical concepts to understanding your own

Synthesis is a natural process. Synthesis is the basis of alchemy – spiritual or physical.