Another variation on the technique of channeling energy through the hands involves working with others. One or more people focus on sending energy to someone else, who then gives it shape and intention. For example, once I did this with two other magicians, one of whom wanted to bless the threshold of his home. I gave him a small vial of ash from my altar, which I had collected by burning frankincense resin. Before using it, he held it between his palms while I stood on one side of him and the other magician stood on the opposite side. Both of us put one hand on his chest and one on his back, so that his energy center was between our palms.

We focused on breathing energy into the centers in our own chests, and then allowed it to travel down through our hands and into his chest as we exhaled. We didn’t try to give it a direction, or program an intent into the energy. We just focused on sending it to him, to do with what he chose. He then focused on sending the energy directed by the three of us into the ash, with the intent of blessing and protecting his home.

There are no restrictions on the number of people that can be involved in a ritual like this. It can be done for just about any purpose. It’s powerful to form a circle—a meeting of people who decide to get together once a month to help each other do work for whatever needs arise in their life. Such an act of communion and fellowship can be a ritual unto itself.