The Magus’s Tension
In contemporary colloquial speech, the verb “to get worked up” has acquired a derogatory tone, and the question, “Why are you getting worked up?” carries a good deal of reproach.
At the same time, the Magus, immersed in the heart of his battles, must always remain tense and may not relax.
One might think that the Magus, in his constant tension and preoccupation with battle, would seem like a tormented, miserable being, deprived of rest and the joy of life.
Nevertheless, in practice, Magi who are connected to Power usually radiate joy and confidence. And however heavy their Way may be, they cherish it endlessly — not from masochistic tendencies but because of the deep satisfaction it brings them.
We have already noted that a person’s judgment of how hard someone’s progress is based on the “weight” of the burden they must carry. Accordingly, the heavier that burden, the harder the person’s Way, and the tenser and unhappier they become.
For the Magus, it is always obvious that his burden is inherently unliftable since he must, in effect, realize the entire universe within himself with all its potentials; therefore, the only way forward is to place the emphasis not on that burden but on the lightness of spirit. It is no wonder the very word “spirit” implies something inherently light, something that has no “rest mass.”
Indeed, people so preoccupied with the weight of their lives usually fail to notice their own heaviness, their inner disharmony, which often proves far greater than their “life problems.” A person’s soul is typically so burdened by internal contradictions, buried talents, and hidden problems that it is under its weight that a person bends on life’s path. And however much he may wish to shift responsibility for his suffering onto his surroundings, circumstances, or environment, deep down he usually understands that his only real problem is himself.
A simple and obvious way to understand one’s true nature, to reveal what attracts them, dead ends, and prospects, is precisely to relax. If one stops the race, stops thinking about “what must be done,” “how one appears,” casts off social roles, stops, and looks within — the processes underway inside will become clear. Of course, at the very depths of being, there lies the one ocean of the Great Spirit, yet slightly above that, where the individuality of the being manifests, where this ocean “stirs” in its unique way, there arise attractions that roughly match that individuality, the seeds of future desires and actions. Therefore, by “diving” to this depth, or, as they say, “relaxing into one’s natural state“, the Magus can see who he is at the present moment, how well his personality reflects his individuality, and at the same time, remember his essential unity with the whole cosmos.
At the same time, the Magus’s soul is light and free. He does not fight with himself; he is his own ally, and his struggle is for freedom and self-realization. We have said repeatedly the very word “struggle” in the context of magic does not denote a form of attachment, not a binary opposite of “acceptance,” but an active refusal to engage destructive flows, a resistance to that which is destructive and brings suffering.
That is why, however much the Magus exerts himself, he always remains relaxed, and his battles are a game he plays, even though the stakes in this game are not merely his life but his awareness. This is an extremely important and productive state for the Magus — a state of full alertness combined with detachment from the bustle — both in fighting and in confronting others, and in imitating others’ behavioral models and systems of values.
This is affirmed by the famous maxim of the Magus:
«Turn work into a game».
So there is nothing surprising in the seemingly paradoxical combination of the Magus’s absolute tension with his complete relaxation. The Magus understands that the most terrible thing — death — is nevertheless inevitable, and he accepts without complaint the challenges of his Way.
However, understanding and attaining this state is by no means simple. It would be very easy to declare, “I am tense, yet relaxed,” and instead of the Game, to begin pretending to practice magic. In reality, intense searching, followed by years of practice and discipline, is required in order truly to learn to be alert without inner tension and to relax without laxity. To understand that everything already exists within the Magus, he must first seek it long and painstakingly.
Nevertheless, a correct choice of strategy for the Way is possible when the goal is at least clear in broad strokes. Therefore, even one who is only taking the first steps toward Power and Freedom should already understand that he must not become either narrow-minded or a self-indulgent “enlightened magician.”
And at every stage of his Way, the Magus must remember that he is strong when he unites opposites, when he holds the balance and does not fall into extremes, while also without compromising. The Magus’s balance is the complete acceptance of both opposites, both poles of the binary, and their integration, not merely finding a midpoint. Therefore, the Magus strives precisely to be simultaneously completely tense and likewise completely relaxed.
I understand it this way: This feeling of simultaneous tension and relaxation occurs in sex, in play, in dance, in singing. When you are both concentrated and relaxed. When preparing for a performance on stage, during an exam – a clear mind, no worries about winning or losing, and complete access to available resources – you perform at 100%, as well as you can at that moment.
Is it possible to learn this? To train for it? How?
The rune Manaz teaches me this. It turns out each rune has its own awareness.
Thank you for the answer, even though I cannot make use of it. But are there simpler and more accessible methods or exercises?
A simpler way is to conceive and raise a child for a woman and a man. Children help parents, teachers, and caregivers to be simultaneously completely tense and completely relaxed. The longer they teach, the longer they remain in nirvana. The man represents tension, the woman represents relaxation, and their creation, the child, is their integration.
Palom, thank you for the “simpler way,” honestly – you are casting fog on this issue and over my head 🙂
If we are talking about the same state: simultaneous relaxation and focus, concentration – it can often be observed in animals, especially cats, in athletes, in people doing what they love. Very often, healthy children demonstrate it – in play, during walks. For adults – much rarer.
So I think entering into this state can be learned, and one can train their presence in it. I’m asking about simple exercises like “three-four – arms wide.” I’m sure there are some. And they should be simple. The difficulty lies in forcing oneself to do them every day. The option with conceiving and raising a child – there is no state one wouldn’t enter!
I recommend yoga and tai chi gymnastics; in both, tension arises while relaxing, and both are quite simple, there is plenty of material online. Overall, you have provided sound advice. =)
Yes, it turned out not difficult to find these exercises; they came to me themselves. Now the only thing left is how to make them part of everyday life? You seem to wield such alchemy: to turn knowledge into experience? What kind of magic wand should I rub? 😉
A found stream can become a magic wand, and these exercises will help in its movement.
What are these flows? How do you find them? How do you get into them?
I understand: you can feel another person, the atmosphere in the room, the situation, but how to feel, see, hear, perceive some (we must understand energy) flows?
A year ago I probably got into some ‘flow.’ It expressed itself in that a friend on FB, a poet, posts poems and this happens every time… very about me. And so almost weekly for several months. And he talks about such things that are about my innermost feelings – it takes my breath away. And we became friends afterward, so, an absolutely unfamiliar person thousands of kilometers from me wrote about my experiences as if peering into my heart. And as abruptly as it came, it left. Could it be so?
Here in the information flow, I definitely got. But something that would spin me and my arms and legs would make “swimming movements” – that hasn’t happened.
Although.. in parallel with the time when I got here there are subtle changes. For example, I started to spend more time outside, and breathing fresh air feels like drinking fresh water. Then, I began to feel synthetic additives in food – and I, a sweet tooth with extensive experience, can no longer eat sweets! (except for a few types), cakes and baked goods – only homemade, many teas and juices are replaced with boiling water and homemade compotes. Some postures have become uncomfortable; I always want to stretch – am I growing? Or on the contrary.. getting old, Volka, getting old.
That’s what I thought two weeks ago. Yesterday – I was clapping my hands – I had a feeling that I still got into that very flow. And today I felt down – sometimes not the most cheerful “circumstances” lead you into the flow. How should it storm for you to want – not want – it only left you to “relax and breathe” 🙂
The search for definitions of the flow in this blog has not been successful. Therefore, I give my own understanding, and if I turn out to be wrong, let someone who knows correct me.
A living being has a desire, and there is a goal. From the desire to the goal, the living being directs its energy and moves towards it. The movement of energy from desire to goal is the flow.
From this perspective, all movement of the world environment can be characterized as a combination of various energy flows.
Of course, a person can be in their own flows, which they create themselves, as well as in others, which facilitate their movement.
One’s own flow, of course, does not need to be found; it must be created and maintained. If other people are introduced into one’s own flow and directed towards a common goal, then the flow will certainly be strengthened.
Other people’s flows often find themselves.
In general, typically, a civilized person is at least in some kind of flow. Work is a flow. TV broadcasts are flows too. The movement of city transport is also a flow. The unconscious usually gets swept away by these flows and is usually carried away from his own desires.
For a conscious person, the question is to find the flow that contributes most to the realization of their desires. You can find them differently. Reviewing job offers with the goal of further choosing a job is one example. You can tune into the flow – purposefully imagine, and soon signs and events will start appearing on your path, which, with the right approach, will lead to just the right flow. However, as practice shows, this can turn out to be a difficult task.
As for the Internet in our time, it slightly blurs the boundaries, and therefore situations become possible in which people on opposite ends of the planet move in the same flows and therefore can meet on the Internet. But unfortunately, practice shows that such connections are quite difficult to maintain. But if you have found a partner on the internet and the connection is established, then my advice to you is to hold on to it with everything you can. Perhaps, you will get something that you could never obtain in reality.
Consciously breathing air is wonderful. There’s not far to go to pranic eating. Well, improving sensitivity to taste is also a very good bonus – yes. A healthy lifestyle in the external world is also a flow, and surprisingly, quite a strong one.
Stretching and looking for comfortable positions – that’s good too. It means you have become more sensitive to the energy flows in the physical body. You will undoubtedly be younger.
Flows can be changed and created as you please. The main thing is to clearly represent which flows you are entering and with what purpose.
For inspiration, I recommend two books:
* Vadim Zeland. “Practical Course of Transurfing.” He clearly explains everything in a simple way.
* A literary one (I already recommended it here). Michael Ende’s “The Neverending Story.” In the second part of this fairy tale, it is beautifully described with figurative language about desires and paths.
Theo, regarding sending desires (whirlwinds) to the goal, you will find it here in the blog, I think without problems.
Regarding the flow. I clearly realized, felt, understood it for the first time at the moment of a strong desire to liberate consciousness. There was a feeling that something was binding it and I need to detach from everything. Become empty. Only the empty can be filled.
Yes, on the keyword “whirlwind”, there is indeed a lot. 🙂
I understand what you mean. This is that very own, native flow, in which, ideally, one should be, where all actions are easy and the existing desires are almost realized by themselves, at the motion of a finger, and new ones arise easily too.
+ many themes for those who manage to be in such a flow.
Just I cannot understand why desire is exactly a whirlwind.
I see the picture this way. Let’s take a directed and strong stream of air. When do whirlwinds form? When obstacles meet along the path of the flow. From this point of view, a whirlwind is what remains from the flow, what has broken free from the flow.
I read the etymology of the word “desire”; it seems you are right, the desire initially implies the presence of obstacles, and therefore it is a whirlwind. And in my examples, the word “desire” is inappropriate. A word that is mentioned in transurfing – “intention” – fits better.
It turns out this way: the question of feeling flows comes down to 1) tracking what is yours, what is not yours – work, people, information, events, desires/intensions/goals;
2) the ability not to get drawn into someone else’s flows, the ability to yank yourself out of what’s not yours, and even better not to fall into someone else’s; I imagine what hearing one should have to distinguish and listen to one’s own sound in this symphony. And even if you are moving in someone else’s flow, to preserve yourself – not to dissolve.
3) creating your flows – from here, understanding yourself, your desires and goals, their hierarchy and ways to achieve them. Perhaps the most challenging is ordering the goals, as there are so many contradictions, and giving up is so difficult – from the outside, it seems like a folly, but in reality, it is a hidden desire.
Thank you, Theo, it has become clearer. And about pranic eating – you made me laugh – what a saving of resources, especially time ))
Returning to my initial request – I will find these exercises/movements myself, the ones that are mine will flow by themselves.
Although, my trick also worked – I made the exercises myself with a magic wand – I want to look in here – I have to rub the magic. And after a while, it will happen even without prompts.
In general, I agree. Wishing you success. Just one thing I would add: sometimes it is also useful to enter someone else’s flows, for example, for a skill that one cannot find in their own, or, say, to enter someone else’s flow, to find in it one’s own people, who found themselves there for some reason; if you have sufficient strength and realize the consequences, you can redirect someone else’s flow, or you can just walk through another’s flow in your own way and ignore attempts by outsiders to correct you; usually, outsiders get angry and fight in this case, and that is already a reason to defend yourself, dodge, or fight, so as to gain experience. And so on, there are many options.
For example, in a scenario where it is impossible not to react to someone else’s flow. When someone else’s flow is unpleasant and you want to block its path. Today there was such a struggle: right before Victory Day, fascist cockroaches crawl out. I wanted to discuss this small skirmish. How can I find you on the Internet?
An association with the flow – is excellent, much gives for understanding. It is clear that it is impossible to simply “not let it flow”. Just blocking it – the contents cannot just disappear and will accumulate until it bursts out. You can divert the flow aside – change its direction. You can dilute the flow, absorb it with your own, more powerful wave – but then your contents change as well. Then immediately the questions arise – where does the source of the flow come from, where is the “wind blowing from,” and where will the flow lead, what will it destroy on its way. And so on – the length of the flow – its history, width, depth, strength.
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