Banishing in conjunction with an impressionable personality
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93 all.
I'm just curious as to your experiences.
It struck me a few minutes ago that I have been very impressionable lately. My personality has always been like that, but it seems to have waned in the past year or so, but it has apparently came back as of late.
Perhaps there is an astrological explanation, but I have another theory as well - it's been awhile since I banished regularly. Perhaps that has something to do with it?
Does anyone else have any experiences or thoughts about this? I remember being told that banishing seals one's aura in so that all the "astral junk" tends to bounce off it rather than mingling with it. I think being impressionable must have something to do with that kind of phenomenon happening a lot.
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"Perhaps there is an astrological explanation, but I have another theory as well - it's been awhile since I banished regularly. Perhaps that has something to do with it?"
It's most likely both. As far as an Astrological explanation, remember that the heavens merely reflect earthly events, and have no cause or effect status in and of themselves. It's a little like the chicken and egg syndrome. So whatever is happening in that realm is something latent and pre-existing in your Self coming to the fore. With a Moon in Virgo, you'll be forever condemned to long and painful self-analysis.
As far as banishing is concerned: regular banishing is the ideal, but it's also important to take a step back from Magick from time to time, to survey the scene, as it were. I recently took a long break from banishing while living with certain non-Magical personages, and returned for the same reasons. Contrary to common practice, I re-commenced with the Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, and to great effect. The idea was to completely assimilate these unwanted influences, come to terms with each one in turn, and then banish them. Why fuck around? It was akin to Magical electo-shock therapy. I'm not sure how this method would work for someone else, but it allowed me to integrate latent impulses into my personality as a whole. (I have 29.99999 degrees of Virgo rising, so I've found it important to develop various anti-neurosis exercises.
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@JPF said
"With a Moon in Virgo, you'll be forever condemned to long and painful self-analysis. "
Isn't that the truth!
If I ever decide to torment you all enough to actually post some of my journal entries, you'll readily see this.
@JPF said
" (I have 29.99999 degrees of Virgo rising, so I've found it important to develop various anti-neurosis exercises.
)"Would you care to share any of these exercises? I'm intrigued.
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"Would you care to share any of these exercises? I'm intrigued."
A neurosis being a psychological defense mechanism, in order to break down that mechanism one must confront the root of the neurosis, and destroy it violently. In other words, if one has a fear of dogs, then to destroy that fear one would go and seek out dogs and confront them in their natural habitat (the backyard?) until that fear be eliminated. The process varies according to individual. Personally, I experimented with taking psychedelics at what would be considered "the wrong place, wrong time,"--like a family wedding, for instance. The tension and (and sometimes downright hilarity) of the circumstances would work the mind up to a fever pitch. This delerium of sense would then have two consequences: either it would breed great strength and ease of personality, or in rarer cases I would find myself confronted by mental instability the like of which is difficult to describe. Either way, should the subject conquer his limitation, he finds himself bettered for the experience.
Yoga, pramayana, simple exercise, and devotion to an art form--these are also ways of breaking bad psychological habits. One needn't always drop acid at the family wedding, but it's worked for me.
This was years ago, I might add. My experiments have not always had positive results. I focus now on more "dermitologist approved" forms of self-improvement.
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@mr tree said
"Will this 'shock therapy' accelerate Enlightenment?"
Can't hurt.
Well, actually...
I don't recommend the psychedelic approach. A lot of people end up with permanent psychological damage from that sort of thing and it's not an exaggerated Nancy Reagan thing to say. The odds of "conquering" psychological problems on psychedelics without the right "set and setting," as they say, are slim and a great way to screw yourself up even worse.But, without psychedelics, this approach is pretty much necessary. You have to face your fears if you want to go beyond them. Chöd practice has the same purpose of overcoming fear and the illusion of self by sitting in charnel grounds (or whatever terrifying environments are available to you) and inviting the demons to feast on one's flesh.
But, if for example, you already know you're a hyperborean immortal superman with direct gnosis of Brahman, I don't see why you would be concerned. Is that your situation, Mr. Tree?
In any case, armchair philosophizing gets you nowhere. Practice makes perfect.