Meditation

Meditation is one of the most valuable tools and powers of the Occultist. In the balance of the Three Rays approach to training it is the Love/Devotional aspect of our work. Yet there are many types of meditation and those who have begun training with a school might already have some experience in one or more methods. This may make it difficult for them to approach new methods as they have trained their minds in a specific way.

Most common methods of meditation tend towards the passive. Transcendental and ZaZen meditation tend to empty the self and seek passivity. ZaZen especially allows one to observe without judgement or thought. Some may have experience in guided meditation or Pathworking, but again, in this case the images given are from an external source.

Early in the training of our school one is exposed to a very active method of meditation. This is a focussed meditation often using words, phrases or images as the center of work. For those who are used to totally stilling their minds when they being to meditate this can be difficult at first, especially if one is used to working cross-legged with eyes closed.

Since the instructions, at least in our school, are to assume the God-Form posture when meditating it is an easy thing to change the environment a little in order to aid in this form of meditation. Rather than sitting in an empty room in a chair, add a small folding table to your workspace. On the table place a note-book, pen and the focus of your meditation, preferably on some kind of stand to make it easy to observe while in the God Form posture.

Begin meditating as normal. Breathe as instructed and clear your mind of extraneous thoughts. Once established though, open your eyes and engage the meditation focus. Read the passage over and over. Allow yourself to digest it. You may even read it aloud if you will not disturb others. If it is an image, trace the lines, allow your eye to dance over the image, really look at the different elements and get a feel for what is before you.

Once you have done this, begin to formulate questions in your mind. At this point, begin writing. Write anything, write questions, write out the passage, write something to open the door of the subconscious and say "I am listening." Write what comes to mind. Do not analyse it too much, just let it flow. Whatever it seems good to write, write it down. If it is an image, imagine the figure is speaking to you and you are recording what it has to say.

This may be difficult at first but with practice it will help you to connect to your focus of meditation and not fall into the silent reverie of ZaZen or Transcendental Meditation. You have a pen in your hand, a focus before you and words to record.

I will tell you now, it feels different than passive meditation, yet there is a similarity of consciousness. It is a higher state of vibration, the brain is operating at a different rate than in normal waking consciousness. Engaging the focus feels different than just looking at it or reading the words. There is a sensation of something more.

You may feel that this is strange, or that you're talking to yourself. Well you are. The personality is only one part of the whole. You are trying to engage the focus will your whole Self, not just the part that's conscious most of the day. Project a consciousness, a personality upon images (especially Tarot since these are representations of your Inner Self anyway) and 'hear' what they have to say.

In some ways what you are doing is using a pass-phrase or image to unlock part of yourself which has always been there. The Inner School transmits truths all of the time and there are keys to accessing that information. You are literally accessing parts of yourself which are normally closed off, hidden, buried. You are not "talking to a picture" but using projection to talk to some part of yourSelf which you may not have access to in day-to-day life. It is a very valuable tool to learn.

Hopefully this makes it a little easier to make the transition to focussed meditations. I may update this article based on any questions or comments in order to make it more helpful.

in LVX
Bro Greg