Emptiness or void sensation in ritual
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Something to try (I've seen this method work wonders not only in myself, but in many others as well): let yourself sit with the feeling of 'void'. Don't fight it in any way, don't judge it, just sit with it. At the same time, don't fight your aversion of the feeling of 'void'. Let the feeling, and whatever feelings of fear/sadness/anger/whatever that arise with it sit side by side in peaceful coexistence. Make a habit of doing this whenever the feeling presents itself. If any of the feelings that arise want to get bigger, let them. Just sit and listen to them and let them do what they want.
At the same time, give no weight or validity to the thoughts that arise in your head as you do this. Simply observe and take note. Let go of any impulse towards reaction of any kind (this includes internal reaction, ie: internal dialog).
The feeling of 'void' can't hurt you in any way. Neither can the feelings that arise in reaction to the feeling of 'void'. If you react to the feelings, those reactions can get you in all kinds of trouble. If you suppress the feelings, that's even worse than reacting to them. Do neither, simply observe and accept. The feelings will resolve themselves in time (you'll have let go of any resistance to their integration), and you'll find that you have a new level of freedom that you could never have known before that resolution occurred.
Lest you tell yourself that such a passive approach is not becoming of Thelemic work, keep in mind that the freedom that this method will bring is absolutely necessary to the accomplishment of your True Will.
Hope this helps some,
HM -
i think i've experienced this "void"... have you tried "spicing" it up as with a relationship? or maybe narrowed down your senses?(blindfolds for example if left long enough aid in "hearing" and sometimes shapes behind teh eyelids) just a thought.. maybe offer a drawing in return for a clearer path..? never know it could work?
i agree with the dude up top lol.. dont be scared of it and try not to let it depress you or you make you feel empty...there is a reason for everything, maybe Jupiter is giving his way of telling you there is moreto learn to accellerate.. positive thinking genrelly lead to positive communications
hugs
the pixie..
maybe you have "burnt out" a bit too and need to take these little rests
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I get that void sensation whenever I do banishings excessively. Not sure where it maps on to the Tree of Life - i.e. whether one is becoming aware of the astral ocean/Yetziratic dimension or catching a glimpse of the Abyss. What I have observed is that powerful magick occurs if you can stay within the void, without freaking out, and momentarily connect your consciousness to this infinite consciousness/space. I don't know why this is, but maybe someone else can explain this.. Somehow it seems related to quantum physics.
FWIW, Tibetan lamas learn to dissolve their individuality within this infinite space. Hence they acquire titles like "Mind of Infinite Space" etc.
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93,
It wouldn't be the Abyss - scarcely any of us will ever actually glimpse that (non)phenomenon. Such emptiness, in my experience, is related to temporary loss of the mundane ego. This ego-loss thing always sounds like a cool idea, except of course for the ego (oneself, of course!) that is temporarily unable to reassert itself.
Welcome the feeling - it's a sign you're doing something right.
93 93/93,
Edward
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@Kaliman said
" Would you believe I've been at this for nearly a decade?"
Absolutely - it's not unusual for people to get stuck for decades on these kinds of things. I remember the first time I had a really major shadow confrontation, which led at length to a much greater level of integration. After the whole thing was over, I couldn't believe that Id been able to practice assiduously for as long as I had without realizing that I was carrying so much unconscious baggage. The work brings us into greater and greater levels of self-awareness. Sometimes you can get pretty far into things before the need arises to integrate or let go of a particular issue (as Crowley's experience on Mount Da'leh Addin may attest).
Think of the 'void' feeling as a message from the unconscious to the conscious. Every message of this type (this includes all feelings) can be pinpointed somewhere in the body. By paying attention in an impartial way to the feeling produced in the body, and letting that feeling do or go exactly where it wants without hindrance, that message will be delivered. You may or may not consciously agree with the contents of the message - it doesn't matter, you don't have to act on it. Once the message has been delivered, in full, you'll be free of it (which will free up the part of the unconscious that has been tied up in thwarted attempts to deliver the message). Note that it may take multiple sessions of sitting with that feeling before the message is delivered in full.
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The void is a good thing for magick. For some work it is a prerequisite, establish the void and open a portal, aids in creation and summoning (invocation the magician IS the void/vacuum). It is also useful to experience the void in the lucid dream state. Since we live in a 'vacuum universe', the more consciously attuned the magician's being is to the null vacuum state, the more attuned she is to the forces of creation and better able to harness them.
Hence also the magickal maxim 'A restriction unto the void!'.
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You might want to check out Liber CLXV. (I know it's in Gems from the Equinox)
It's Crowley's comment on Frater VIO's magickal record.
I know I labored under the wrong assumption for about 5 of the last 6 years imagining that magick/ritual would bring some sort of lovely pleasantness. (I suspect that the further your initial position is off course from True Will, the more painful magick initially is, and this is part of what the initial ordeals refer to.) In Liber CLXV, Frater VIO is perpetually attached to the pleasant results, and feels like he's failing every time he feels bad. Which is hilarious, because Crowley's opinion is usually the opposite... Almost like a physical trainer when the student talks about certain muscles being sore...
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@Iugum said
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@Vlad said
"Sounds like you need to balance yourself.""Balance yourself" is prescribed way too often as a simple fix-all but the suggestion is far too broad to do any good. I am sure you are right, balance is needed always, but what aspects do you think he needs to balance?"
Now that I read the question again, I think that this sense of void may even be a good thing.That said, I still think some kind of balance work would be good. Getting back to senses?
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93
Hi all, I just noticed that people keep replying to this thread when the OP has already resolved this issue in another thread <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="http://www.heruraha.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6175">viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6175</a><!-- l -->
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