Circumstances and States

Despite our inclination to regard the mind as self-contained and dependent only on itself, both scientifically and from a magical point of view this is not the case. All those manifestations of the mind — its emotions and states that can be observed and identified — depend on the supports, and therefore the work of a Magus involves refining that psychophysical complex in which his stream of consciousness appears.

Therefore, Magic as a system of development includes not only mental and sensory but also psychophysical practices. From Magic’s perspective, the path to the liberation of the mind lies through the thorough working of the whole of the psycho-energo-physical complex in which the mind of this incarnation is located.

And this view applies both to the entire system and to each of its branches.

We have already said that one of the most important levers for changing the mind’s self-identification is activating constructive matrices within it with significant creative potential — the so-called “yoga of deities.”

At the same time, a number of approaches have been developed that make such activation simpler and more effective. Among these are appropriate attributes, recitations, and relying on energies that resonate with the state of the given matrix.

Since a being is regarded as an integrated whole, it is evident that the state of its mind and its vehicles influence each other. In other words, which matrix is active in the mind is reflected in the entire set of vehicles — the “bodies” of thought, feelings, and life. And conversely, by changing the bodies, one can also shift mental states and switch its matrices.

For example, hatha yoga, as a set of practices that work on the physical body, ultimately aims at changing the mind: since each stable bodily posture corresponds to characteristic elements in the mind, by altering the connections among the body’s structures, one can change the mind’s connections.

In a similar way, the yoga of deities often requires manipulation of the body of desires — the being’s individual vortex — since, naturally, the state of the mind and the characteristics of its vortex vehicle are mutually dependent.

“Hunting for Power,” as one of the basic magical strategies, in fact comes down to precisely such a change: moving from place to place, from interaction to interaction, from energy to energy, the Magus gradually tunes his body of desires so that it becomes increasingly suitable support for higher constructive matrices, which in time leads to a shift in the level of attainment — an increase in the “degree of initiation.”

Therefore, in antiquity, one often encountered “wandering Magi” seeking places whose energetic profile best suited one or another higher matrix; by entering into interaction with such places, they induced the corresponding state in their vortex, and through it achieved the transformation of the mind.

Even on the “micro-level,” in the mode of Mysterial acts or Initiatory Rituals, the place where such a ritual takes place is very important, and typically the act itself involves a progression through several locations, each corresponding to a particular target experience or state of mind; the correct alternation of these leads to the desired transcendent state.

It also becomes clear why some people are “drawn” to certain places (when we are dealing with a deep aspiration, and not merely a passing whim): it is the energies of those places that induce in them important experiences that provide resources or impetus to live and develop. And although, of course, in any place, under any circumstances, in the stream of consciousness, one can, in principle, activate any of the matrices available to it, doing so without an appropriate set of levers and supports may not be effective. A successful Magus always acts according to the situation he is in, and when additional resources are available, he strives to use them; when there are no such resources, he relies solely on himself. In any case, however, the Magus’s work is total and fundamental; it concerns his whole being, and it matters little what serves as the visible “point of application,” the “entry point of Power” — “physical training,” “travel,” “meditations” or “rituals”; changes always occur on all levels and are aimed at the realization and liberation of the mind.