{"id":19987,"date":"2019-02-01T01:10:54","date_gmt":"2019-02-01T06:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=20251"},"modified":"2019-02-07T13:24:44","modified_gmt":"2019-02-07T18:24:44","slug":"finding-your-own-way-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/02\/01\/finding-your-own-way-9\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Your Own Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\nChapter 9 <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nCandle Meditation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nCandle meditation and candle\n‘magic’ have a wide application in modern paganism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThere are many variations on\nthis method. One can use different colour candles to focus on\ndifferent aspects of our life and our intention. There are many\n‘tables of correspondences’ which link various coloured candles to\ndifferent intentions. The most effective colour correspondences are\nto be found in any book on colour psychology. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nFor example, focusing on the\ncolour red will raise our blood pressure, and perhaps, help to build\nour determination for a particular task. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nRed<\/strong>\nis the colour of action and passion. Try wearing red if you feel a\nlittle fatigued or in need of a boost of energy. It works!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAgain, we are building rapport\nwith our subconscious minds through the effect of symbols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhite<\/strong> is the\ncolour of purity, meditating on a white candles helps us to gain\nclarity, and to focus on higher ideals. Mix it with red and you get\npink. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nPink<\/strong>\nis considered by many to be the colour of love. For those who wish to\npractise candle ‘magic’, I would simply say that I have never known a\nlove spell that worked unless the person intended already had fond\nfeelings, – except perhaps to focus the feelings and confidence of\nthe person meditating on the candle!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nDark\n<\/strong>B<\/strong>lue<\/strong>\nis the colour of peace and calm, of night and rest. It is soothing to\nthe mind and brings restfulness and sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nYellow<\/strong>is the colour of the intellect, of enquiry and\nexpansiveness. The researcher and the explorer are very much under\nthe influence of vibrational yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nViolet<\/strong>\nis considered the colour of the spiritual minded the imaginative and\nthe ethereal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTurquoise<\/strong>\n(blue-green)<\/strong> is the colour of healing, acquisition and\nmaintaining personal boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\nMagic is happening all the\ntime. It is the flow of energy between our total selves and the\nuniverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nColour is the simplest way to\neffect beneficial changes by manipulating our moods and desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nMeditating on the various\ncolours has a marked effect on our moods. Surrounding ourselves with\nbright vibrant colours helps us become more cheerful and energetic.\nCool, soft colours, such as blues and green help us become calmer.\nMany hospitals have changed their d\u00e9cor based on the discoveries of\ncolour psychology. I believe that the tables of correspondences are\nmost likely based on an intuitive understanding of these principles.\nAs we tune into our own inner worlds, – this wisdom and knowledge\nbecome available to us in dreams, visions and sudden inspirations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn the Kabbala, the candle is\na symbol of the four worlds,- Aziluth (fire), Beriah (air), Yesirah\n(liquid, water), and Assiyah (the physical, the earth) The wick is\nconsidered to be the fifth element, Ether,- or the path that links\nall the worlds from the base of Assiyah to the crown of Aziluth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nFor this exercise, use a white\ncandle in a secure candle holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSit at a comfortable distance\nfrom the candle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAs you begin the breathing\nexercise, take time to think about the candle as a gateway to the\nhigher worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThink about the wax, melting\ninto a liquid and flowing up the wick. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe fire which melts the\ncandle turns the liquid into a gas and ignites it, creating more\nflame. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLike the cycle of spiritual\nenergy which flows into the matrix of the universe and flows back\nupwards to its source. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSee the candle as a point of\nfocus for divine energy. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSee the energy flowing out and\ncreating a circle of light which expands to surround you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAllow your eyes to close and\nvisualise your self-being drawn to travel through the flame back to\nits divine source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAllow them to open slowly and\nfocus on the candle again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSee the light open into a\nprotective sphere all around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAs they grow tired, allow your\neyes to close, and repeat the exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nImagine yourself drawn through\nthe flame into the higher worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTake note of any feelings,\nsensations, memories, images and write them down later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWhen you are ready, return\nthrough the flame and open your eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThank any helpers or guides\nthat you may have and absorb the circle, creating a fine mesh of\ngolden light around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAfter practising the\nmeditations for a while, you will begin to have full, detailed\njourneys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAlways remember that you can\nopen your eyes at any time if they are making you uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nTry to always have a drink and\na small snack after journeying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candle Magic – Colour Magic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI have avoided the rather\nthorny subject of magic up to now, – mainly because there has been\nmore waffle and downright lies written about it, than about almost\nany other subject.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nDo I believe in magic? A\nbetter question would be, \u201cDo I even know what it is?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nAfter 45 years of study, I do\nhave some theories. However, this book is too short to cover more\nthan a few basic questions. One neither needs to believe nor\ndisbelieve, in the existence of other worlds for the exercises in\nthis book to work well for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLet us start with my favourite\nquotation from Aleister Crowley, \u201cMagick is the ability to make\nchanges, in conformity with will\u201d. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI would say that Magic is the\nability to make to make changes in consciousness at will.\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nHow we see the world around us\nhas a huge control over our feelings, actions, and inevitably, our\nfuture and our happiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nWe hallucinate all the time.\nWe imagine attitudes and feelings in others that are in fact\nprojections from our own unconscious self-images. Because we are\nunaware of the true source of our feelings, we live our lives in a\nrandom unbalanced way. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nSigmund Freud believed that\nthe subconscious mind was a garbage bin for all the things we cannot\nface in our lives, and he was partially right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nCarl Jung opened up the\npossibility that beyond the personal images contained in the\nunconscious mind, there is a vast fund of helpful imagery to be\ndiscovered, which will help us make more sense of our lives and\nfeelings. Our ancestors intuitively tapped into this reservoir and\nused it to help make useful decisions and live in a balanced\nharmonious way. Many believe that this gave them a deeper connection\nwith nature and helped in finding food and timing planting and\nharvesting, but that is for the reader to decide for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI believe that by gaining\nrapport with our unconscious minds we can free ourselves from many\nunexamined beliefs that hold us back from happiness and success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn a nutshell, meditation\ngives us a way to reach beyond our habitual way of thinking. We\ndiscover symbols during meditation which help us, on reflection, to\ngain rapport with our own inner worlds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBy reflecting on these\nsymbols, we can begin to slowly unravel the threads of our\nunconscious impulses and beliefs. These beliefs have remained\nunexamined because of the non-literate form in which they exist. Our\nmost important and far-reaching opinions about the world around us\nwere formed before we had developed language. This mirrors our\ndevelopment as a species and gives us a link to our distant ancestors\nwho lived in natural harmony with the world around them. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nLanguage brought many\nadvantages for our ancestors, – as it does for the individual. But it\ncomes with the cost of division and disassociation. As we developed\nlanguage, we learned to assign new meaning to the world around us,\nwhile, at the same time, our culture imposed its own particular set\nof standards upon us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magic and ritual attempt to communicate with this non-verbal part of consciousness and to understand the meaning of the communications which we receive in dreams visions and intuition. Music and art attempt to express the contents of these inspirations, as do dance, poetry and mime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nMagic offers us symbols to\nspur our unconscious minds to cooperate in our efforts to succeed in\nlife. Unfortunately, with magic, we are usually asked to adopt\nsomeone else’s symbols and try to force them upon ourselves in a one\nsize fits all approach. I would recommend that anyone who wishes to\nmake immediate positive changes in their lives to use colour\nmeditation\/magic as a starting point. Refer to the basic colour\nassociations above to begin. Wear the colours in your clothing, – or\ndecorate a room in the colours that apply to the change you wish to\nobtain. Coloured cloths are an easy way to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThe effects are pretty much\nimmediately evident. They will help to build confidence in the work\nthat you are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nIn my own Celtic culture,\nmagic and mysticism were considered to be very much the province of\nthe bard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the magical revival of the late 1800’s, it was again the poets and the artists who were the chief motivating forces. In the pages that follow, Bill and I will offer the reader a selection of emotive and mystical art and poetry based on various themes. We have found that the chosen works resonated with many people and helped them to get in touch with their own inner worlds and symbols. As blocked and hidden energies are released, you may well experience tears or laughter. This is nothing to worry about as it merely shows that your meditation has been effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nBarefoot\nAngel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nY<\/strong>ou\nare my light in this dark time,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nMy\none true friend,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hope of better things to come.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nYour\nlaughter is the sparkling bell,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nThat\nlifts my failing spirits with its chime,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Making heaven where there once was hell.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nYou\nare the sun that makes my shadow tall,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nthe\nrock on which I stand<\/p>\n\n\n\n

without you, there is no one at all.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nYou\nare my life, my day, my night,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\neach\nhour, each minute aches for you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You are the star that makes my evening bright.

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nYou\nare the shining jewel in the flower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nthe\nfull bright moon that lights my darkest hour,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nMy\nPrincess in her shining tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nI\nnever thought that I’d know joy again,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nuntil\nI saw the love in your blue eyes,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

and found myself reborn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

***<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\nthe Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick\nW Kavanagh, <\/strong>Featuring the inspirational art of Bill Oliver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer,\npoet, Patrick W Kavanagh<\/strong>\nwas born in Dublin and now lives and works in Lincolnshire in a small\nrural town. Patrick became fascinated by the strange abilities of the\nhuman mind from watching his mother give psychic readings using\ntea-leaves and playing cards. With a lifelong interest in metaphysics\nand parapsychology, he has given tarot and spirit readings for over\n40 years. He travels to many events with his wife Tina, exploring the\npower of shamanic drumming to heal, and induce therapeutic trance\nstates. They also hold a regular drumming circle in the picturesque\nLincolnshire Wolds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Patrick W Kavanagh<\/strong> available at most retailers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding Your Own Way: Personal Meditations for Mastery and Self-knowledge on Amazon<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 9 Candle Meditation Candle meditation and candle ‘magic’ have a wide application in modern paganism. There are many variations on this method. One can use different colour candles to focus on different aspects of our life and our intention. There are many ‘tables of correspondences’ which link various coloured candles to different intentions. The most effective colour correspondences are to be found in any book on colour psychology. For example, focusing on the colour red will raise our blood pressure, and perhaps, help to build our determination for a particular task. Red is the colour of action and passion. Try wearing red if you feel a little fatigued or in need of a boost of energy. It works! Again, we are building rapport with our subconscious minds through the effect of symbols. White is the colour of purity, meditating on a white candles helps us to gain clarity, and to focus on higher ideals. Mix it with red and you get pink. Pink is considered by many to be the colour of love. For those who wish to practise candle ‘magic’, I would simply say that I have never known a love spell that worked unless the person intended already had fond feelings, – except perhaps to focus the feelings and confidence of the person meditating on the candle! Dark Blue is the colour of peace and calm, of night and rest. It is soothing to the mind and brings restfulness and sleep. Yellowis the colour of the intellect, of enquiry and expansiveness. The researcher and the explorer are very much under the influence of vibrational yellow. Violet is considered the colour of the spiritual minded the imaginative and the ethereal. Turquoise (blue-green) is the colour of healing, acquisition and maintaining personal boundaries. Magic is happening all the time. It is the flow of energy between our total selves and the universe. Colour is the simplest way to effect beneficial changes by manipulating our moods and desires. Meditating on the various colours has a marked effect on our moods. Surrounding ourselves with bright vibrant colours helps us become more cheerful and energetic. Cool, soft colours, such as blues and green help us become calmer. Many hospitals have changed their d\u00e9cor based on the discoveries of colour psychology. I believe that the tables of correspondences are most likely based on an intuitive understanding of these principles. As we tune into our own inner worlds, – this wisdom and knowledge become available to us in dreams, visions and sudden inspirations. In the Kabbala, the candle is a symbol of the four worlds,- Aziluth (fire), Beriah (air), Yesirah (liquid, water), and Assiyah (the physical, the earth) The wick is considered to be the fifth element, Ether,- or the path that links all the worlds from the base of Assiyah to the crown of Aziluth. For this exercise, use a white candle in a secure candle holder. Sit at a comfortable distance from the candle. As you begin the breathing exercise, take time to think about the candle as a gateway to the higher worlds. Think about the wax, melting into a liquid and flowing up the wick. The fire which melts the candle turns the liquid into a gas and ignites it, creating more flame. Like the cycle of spiritual energy which flows into the matrix of the universe and flows back upwards to its source. See the candle as a point of focus for divine energy. See the energy flowing out and creating a circle of light which expands to surround you. Allow your eyes to close and visualise your self-being drawn to travel through the flame back to its divine source. Allow them to open slowly and focus on the candle again. See the light open into a protective sphere all around you. As they grow tired, allow your eyes to close, and repeat the exercise. Imagine yourself drawn through the flame into the higher worlds. Take note of any feelings, sensations, memories, images and write them down later. When you are ready, return through the flame and open your eyes. Thank any helpers or guides that you may have and absorb the circle, creating a fine mesh of golden light around you. After practising the meditations for a while, you will begin to have full, detailed journeys. Always remember that you can open your eyes at any time if they are making you uncomfortable. Try to always have a drink and a small snack after journeying. Candle Magic – Colour Magic I have avoided the rather thorny subject of magic up to now, – mainly because there has been more waffle and downright lies written about it, than about almost any other subject. Do I believe in magic? A better question would be, \u201cDo I even know what it is?\u201d After 45 years of study, I do have some theories. However, this book is too short to cover more than a few basic questions. One neither needs to believe nor disbelieve, in the existence of other worlds for the exercises in this book to work well for them. Let us start with my favourite quotation from Aleister Crowley, \u201cMagick is the ability to make changes, in conformity with will\u201d. I would say that Magic is the ability to make to make changes in consciousness at will.\u201d How we see the world around us has a huge control over our feelings, actions, and inevitably, our future and our happiness. We hallucinate all the time. We imagine attitudes and feelings in others that are in fact projections from our own unconscious self-images. Because we are unaware of the true source of our feelings, we live our lives in a random unbalanced way. Sigmund Freud believed that the subconscious mind was a garbage bin for all the things we cannot face in our lives, and he was partially right. Carl Jung opened up the possibility that beyond the personal images contained in the unconscious mind, there is a vast fund of helpful imagery to be discovered, which will help us make more sense of our lives and feelings. Our ancestors intuitively tapped into this reservoir and used it to help make useful decisions and live in a balanced harmonious way. Many believe that this gave them a deeper connection with nature and helped in finding food and timing planting and harvesting, but that is for the reader to decide for themselves. I believe that by gaining rapport with our unconscious minds we can free ourselves from many unexamined beliefs that hold us back from happiness and success. In a nutshell, meditation gives us a way to reach beyond our habitual way of thinking. We discover symbols during meditation which help us, on reflection, to gain rapport with our own inner worlds. By reflecting on these symbols, we can begin to slowly unravel the threads of our unconscious impulses and beliefs. These beliefs have remained unexamined because of the non-literate form in which they exist. Our most important and far-reaching opinions about the world around us were formed before we had developed language. This mirrors our development as a species and gives us a link to our distant ancestors who lived in natural harmony with the world around them. Language brought many advantages for our ancestors, – as it does for the individual. But it comes with the cost of division and disassociation. As we developed language, we learned to assign new meaning to the world around us, while, at the same time, our culture imposed its own particular set of standards upon us. Magic and ritual attempt to communicate with this non-verbal part of consciousness and to understand the meaning of the communications which we receive in dreams visions and intuition. Music and art attempt to express the contents of these inspirations, as do dance, poetry and mime. Magic offers us symbols to spur our unconscious minds to cooperate in our efforts to succeed in life. Unfortunately, with magic, we are usually asked to adopt someone else’s symbols and try to force them upon ourselves in a one size fits all approach. I would recommend that anyone who wishes to make immediate positive changes in their lives to use colour meditation\/magic as a starting point. Refer to the basic colour associations above to begin. Wear the colours in your clothing, – or decorate a room in the colours that apply to the change you wish to obtain. Coloured cloths are an easy way to begin. The effects are pretty much immediately evident. They will help to build confidence in the work that you are doing. In my own Celtic culture, magic and mysticism were considered to be very much the province of the bard. In the magical revival of the late 1800’s, it was again the poets and the artists who were the chief motivating forces. In the pages that follow, Bill and I will offer the reader a selection of emotive and mystical art and poetry based on various themes. We have found that the chosen works resonated with many people and helped them to get in touch with their own inner worlds and symbols. As blocked and hidden energies are released, you may well experience tears or laughter. This is nothing to worry about as it merely shows that your meditation has been effective. Barefoot Angel You are my light in this dark time, My one true friend, My hope of better things to come. Your laughter is the sparkling bell, That lifts my failing spirits with its chime, Making heaven where there once was hell. You are the sun that makes my shadow tall, the rock on which I stand without you, there is no one at all. You are my life, my day, my night, each hour, each minute aches for you, You are the star that makes my evening bright. You are the shining jewel in the flower. the full bright moon that lights my darkest hour, My Princess in her shining tower. I never thought that I’d know joy again, until I saw the love in your blue eyes, and found myself reborn. *** About the Author: Patrick W Kavanagh, Featuring the inspirational art of Bill Oliver Writer, poet, Patrick W Kavanagh was born in Dublin and now lives and works in Lincolnshire in a small rural town. Patrick became fascinated by the strange abilities of the human mind from watching his mother give psychic readings using tea-leaves and playing cards. With a lifelong interest in metaphysics and parapsychology, he has given tarot and spirit readings for over 40 years. He travels to many events with his wife Tina, exploring the power of shamanic drumming to heal, and induce therapeutic trance states. They also hold a regular drumming circle in the picturesque Lincolnshire Wolds. By Patrick W Kavanagh available at most retailers: Finding Your Own Way: Personal Meditations for Mastery and Self-knowledge on Amazon<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":220,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/220"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19987\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}