How much is too much?
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I'm going to assume you meant "vacation"
How long depends on your condition. It doesn't sound too severe, so your "break" doesn't need to be too severe, perhaps a month, not likely more than two. You'll have a feel for it.
You didn't say how frequently you were doing astral work. On returning, I'd suggest not more often than once every one to two weeks, working back up to (perhaps) no more than once or twice a week.
Most importantly - most importantly! - you need to be sure that you don't "leak" into the astral. Any tendency to "live there," or to inattentively "slip into it," needs to be stopped by an act of will or technique! (There are simple techniques to program yourself only to "enter into it" at choice and by an act of intention. Ask about those if that's an issue for you.)
None of the above is a hard rule, except that you should (more or less) never inadvertently slip into that space without conscious intention.
In formal A.'.A.'. work, this is more or less taken care of: Once one has the basic skill in place, one more on to other matters, especially the yoga disciplines of 2=9 which stabilize what has been volatilized by the magick and astral work of 1=10.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Most importantly - most importantly! - you need to be sure that you don't "leak" into the astral. Any tendency to "live there," or to inattentively "slip into it," needs to be stopped by an act of will or technique! (There are simple techniques to program yourself only to "enter into it" at choice and by an act of intention. Ask about those if that's an issue for you.)"
I'd like some information about those techniques, please.
Also, would you mind attempting to describe what everyday life is "supposed" to be like after one has begun to experience some of these things? In other words, I can't imagine going a whole day without spontaneous intuitions or ...otherwise interesting moments. But I'm not sure if I'd classify that as "leaking" or "slipping into it." Well... sometimes... How would you describe the ideal?
Thanks.
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@Aion said
"Also, would you mind attempting to describe what everyday life is "supposed" to be like after one has begun to experience some of these things? In other words, I can't imagine going a whole day without spontaneous intuitions or ...otherwise interesting moments. But I'm not sure if I'd classify that as "leaking" or "slipping into it." Well... sometimes... How would you describe the ideal? "
I wasn't speaking of intuitions. I was speaking of shifting into the astral. I agree with you on the intuition issue.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"I'm going to assume you meant "vacation"
"Vacation for sure
@Jim Eshelman said
"How long depends on your condition. It doesn't sound too severe, so your "break" doesn't need to be too severe, perhaps a month, not likely more than two. You'll have a feel for it.
You didn't say how frequently you were doing astral work. On returning, I'd suggest not more often than once every one to two weeks, working back up to (perhaps) no more than once or twice a week."It was not severe, I was having some periods felling low, and those periods were getting longer. The “low” came with a feeling of oppression or tension at the “heart center”. After a while I started to get some clear dream imagery suggesting that I was overheating the “philosophical egg”.
Astral practices gave temporary relief just to get worse after a while. Middle Pillar Ritual sounded like a good idea but I decided that stopping completely for a while was a more reasonable approach.
I was doing astral 3 times a week and other practices (invocation, banishing and meditation) daily.@Jim Eshelman said
"Most importantly - most importantly! - you need to be sure that you don't "leak" into the astral. Any tendency to "live there," or to inattentively "slip into it," needs to be stopped by an act of will or technique! (There are simple techniques to program yourself only to "enter into it" at choice and by an act of intention. Ask about those if that's an issue for you.
None of the above is a hard rule, except that you should (more or less) never inadvertently slip into that space without conscious intention."Well, as far as I can remember there were no symptoms of "leaking" into the astral. Fearing that, I only practiced slipping in to the astral in a ritualized environment and made extra effort to ground myself with physical exercise and healthy food (to avoid insulin and sugar peaks). I do not know if those are some of the techniques you had in mind.
@Jim Eshelman said
"In formal A.'.A.'. work, this is more or less taken care of: Once one has the basic skill in place, one more on to other matters, especially the yoga disciplines of 2=9 which stabilize what has been volatilized by the magick and astral work of 1=10."
That is interesting information. I always thought that one should work yoga first, now it is starting to make sense why yoga comes after astral.
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The feelings of "low" etc. sound like one of two things:
(1) "Leakage" of consciousness staying absorbed in the astral and/or vulnerability to some astral entity.
(2) Subconscious matters insufficiently processed or "owned," and therefore preoccupying psychic energy.The first is addressed (given what you've said about precautions already taken) by more conscientious banishing and/or exercises that specifically fortify the aura as a clear shield.
The second is addressed by means that give subconsciousness the opportunity to communicate, "have its say," make itself known to you, etc., such as frequent simple meditation of the pratyahara type.
To address this and other areas of balance, I strongly recommend the Denning & Phillips book on psychic self-defense. Besides some specifically magical methods, it is full of "life-balance" counsel of enormous value.
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Thank you Jim, I will do both just in case. Better magical hygiene cannot do me harm.
Number 2 sounds very likely. I am already tracking some issues in my dream journal and will apply pratyahara as you suggested.Looking at my record, during my last astral practices the visions were starting from very troubled scenarios that only changed after some effort to “push through”.
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This is a very interesting conversation. Might I shed some insight by attempting to explain my own experience in this phenomenon:
I have had "astral slipping" since I was three years of age. Deja-vu is a good example of an imbalance between worlds. It is physiologically marked by the brain recognizing itself attempting to move or convert something from short-term memory to long-term, or instinctual memory. Or, to put it more clearly, one's attempted "jump" to survive normal consciousness before it becomes obsolete in terms of Akashic, (racial, instinctual, spiritual) energy.
My experience in astral slippage, however, goes further than deja-vu.
Sometimes this slippage of consciousness or energy is attributed to relative disillusion, marked by unexplainable highs and/or lows. Sometimes this is connected with childhood memories of relative disillusion, where one attributes something to "wonderfulness", or "peeking through the keyholes of the doors of perception." Birth through adolescence, we have more astral awareness than we shall ever have until we voluntarily take up the practice again.
Appropriate use of psychedelics, even cannabis or alcohol, can be used to trace patterns of relative disillusion. (Or, if used capriciously, can spurn them instead.) Some harder experiences with Manna and Lysergide have had the effect of "forced yoga" upon me, and have forced me to balance myself appropriately between worlds. I have, however, had experiences that have thrown me in the other direction, face-first, into that world of dark-light we are wisely instructed not to look into. And, these latter experiences, being the cause of my later astral-slippage and errily uncontrollable dreams/flashes, I shall comment upon how I attained balance:
The Lesser Banishing Pentagram Ritual. Invoking and Banishing are well used in conjunction with both Yoga, (in it's many forms,) as well as astral work, art, sex, and music. However, practicing the LBRP alone is a sure-fire, (pardon the pun), way to balance one, as the microcosm, within and among, the macrocosm and other microcosms, by virtue of it's own standing balance within nature, not to mention of the six-rayed star.
This ritual, in conjunction with pranayama in any resting position throughout the day or night, (or, as a long-distance runner practices in movement as well,) with proper meditation, is an excellent remedy for astral slippage. I cannot explain what daily and nightly grotesque ghastly nastiness I've bent to my will with this method. This, as well as proper sexual practice, is better than vodka and tonic for getting one back on one's feet, (though I prefer rum and lemon/limeade.) Lack of proper sexual release is worse, (but do not quote me,) than refraining from daily cannabis use in letting one's imagination get the better of them, though both in conjunction with understanding, is balanced magick at it's finest.
That's my sovereign on the matter. Let woman balance the man and likewise, in plant or animal form.
Love is the Law, Sorors and Fraters.
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In my experience so far, the best method if one of trusting one's instincts.
If you just seem lazy and uninterested then perhaps it's time for a break, but if there's a voice
telling you to move forward then try and see if that changes who you are.
If it doesn't change you, then perhaps its time for a break
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Just to report back after following the suggestions.
Better banishing and practicing the Tower of Light were effective in reducing the mood swings making the underlying symptoms much more clear.
It seems that from time to time some sort of inner tension will rise in my mind (felt almost physically in my solar plexus) and after a time an "intuition" will pop up in my mind and the tension will vanish, almost as a relief. Pratyahara meditation immediately triggers the “pop up” effect.I am starting to get used to it by now. The time between the setting in of the tension and the relief is getting shorter and less troublesome. It seems to be just some channel my subconscious has found to talk to me more directly.
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I hesitate to mention this, Faust, but banishing inverted pentagram rituals might be good for your peculiar situation. No disrespect to standard rituals, however even though I feel like I've exerted my spiritual energy strong enough, and in the proper fashion when performing an upright pentagram ritual, somehow it leaves me with myself, in my own way, which sometimes, for true seekers, is the worst thing imaginable. I cite the formula for 2 = 0.
After performing banishing rituals with inverted pentagrams, I seem to feel more "feet on the ground" than I do with upright pentagram rituals.
Balancing all energy with spirit with both feet on the ground seems to kind of "pull me into myself", which leaves one less prone to pay attention to one's self.
My Sovereign, and I leave it for the Woman.