overcoming sloth?
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thanks for all your replies, they did motivate me to get off my ass and do my rituals although i barely had the patience to finish a whole Middle Pillar. I think perhaps the rituals are just becoming mundane to me, even though the feelings that accompany them are increasing in intensity (i noted that I did them regularly for 2 months but i have been sticking to Resh, LBRP, BRH, Middle Pillar, and the Circulation of Light for much longer than that). What kind of new daily rituals can I add to spice things up?
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I don't think 'spicing up' would be of any true help. just persist in what you do. these periods of loss of enthusiasm mark subtle but important tresholds in our progress; it's the easiest thing to abandon the practice then, or to add new; but it's the persistance in the simple chosen direction that leads to valuable results.
...the metaphor of sex comes to mind: yours and your partner's body (in a monogamous relationship) are always 'the same', but that does not make the experience always the same, or dull in any way! quality of the experience depends ultimately on your attitude, your state of mind.
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@RobertAllen said
"The journal can help a lot with both of these by making it harder to lie to yourself in the moment you are tempted to cave."
I enthusiastically second what Robert said.
93, 93/93.
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@Ash said
"I enthusiastically second what Robert said."
Heh, I personally thought this paragraph by danica was the bomb:
@danica said
"I don't think 'spicing up' would be of any true help. just persist in what you do. these periods of loss of enthusiasm mark subtle but important tresholds in our progress; it's the easiest thing to abandon the practice then, or to add new; but it's the persistance in the simple chosen direction that leads to valuable results.
"Love and Will
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I have been reading some interesting articles about womens health issues lately. Professionals are trying to determine why so many ladies are having reproductive issues, mental health problems and social (relationship) problems.
From many sources, and many different views the problems seem to point to the issue that ladies are not resting properly. That in modern culture ladies work in artifical environments, and attempt to be "supermoms" if you will. This leads many to medicate and ignore what the female body needs, ignoring messages from the body that females need period of rest. And i mean more then just a good nights sleep, I mean to actually take time off when menstrating and lay down and rest- take it easy, let the dishes pile and let the family eat sandwiches.
I think that the men in our world are also not resting properly, and re out of tune with the natural world.
When we step back and look at our planet, and the cycles that befall the whole planet-our seasons, our climates, the currents, in a perfect world (!?) our own physical bodies are strenghtened when we are like a mirror to that ebb and flow. All of our bodies.
I think that it is unhealthy to not take a break, to not rest- even with things that we are attempting to discipline ourselves to. The moon is not always full and bright, the sun itself has cycles of rest and activity.
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93 everyone,
I have also struggled with periods where there seems to be no desire to do any magickal work whatsoever. As others have mentioned I think jotting these times down in the journal (and also reading past entries, if one has kept a journal) helps tremendously.
One thing that I have noticed lately is that exercising really helps me to focus on ritual work. I have been thinking of going back to visit my Sensei and joining karate once again. Exercising daily and a relaxing walk afterwards really helps me get motivated as far as ritual work is concerned.
My 2 cents
93 93/93
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93 Laertes,
My favorite abs class instructor has a phrase he uses to keep the people in his class in the game mentally. He says:
"Don't let your brain tell your body you can't do it."
I think his advice is suitable for your situation.
Even though periods of dryness in your work are normal, keep your attention OFF the dryness. The main reason I suggest this is because the more you focus on the dryness, the easier it will be for you to succumb to it. Instead, keep your focus on completing your routine. You may have to coach yourself through it and it might be tough, but you're tougher. And you can plow through this phase with some persistence and extra focus.
Hope this helps
93 93/93
Shariyf -
I have been there too.....once I succumbed to it and then picked myself up again because it was eating me up big time. The second time I just kept it up. I usually do my work via meditation and have been looking forward to it daily, even getting a bit frustrated when I had people visiting and couldnt do it. Then all of a sudden a stopped caring so much and was finding every excuse in the book not to do it. But I had to persist and keep going.
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@Ash said
"93.
Laertes, what I have found to work best is simply persisting in the face of it and refusing to submit to the laziness.
93, 93/93."
93
This definitely seems like the way to go. Building good habits, learning to enjoy the work!
Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy & beauty! AL II.35
Bear in mind that all things are ritual unto Nuit. Being a Thelemite, for me, consists in finding joy in whatever I do. In his comment on AL Crowley speaks of the Thelemite forcing himself by will to find the purity in the quagmire and dung. I'm of course paraphrasing.
Even starting out just doing your daily Resh adorations and LBRP is highly beneficial, and enjoyable! This takes very little time, but the very act of doing it day in and day out not only fortifies you magically, it creates good habits that will help you on the Malkuthian plane as well as later in your magical career.
93 93/93