A 1997 newspaper poll in Great Britain
showed more than 90 percent of adults admitted to believing in the paranormal. But because this phenomena is elusive, preferring to lurk on the fringes of real life and almost never turning up for appointments in laboratories, the paranormal has been denied for decades.
—Uri Geller 82
These same paranormal forces that have powered religion and society since the beginning of ancient history do not officially exist for those who desire to control the minds of others, whether that control be for money, power, or simply by fearing that if others don’t believe as they do, their stability is lost.
Many new students mistakenly believe that psychic phenomena is the pathway leading to Wicca. Although studying the occult sciences and practicing the religion of Wicca can open psychic channels and enhance paranormal experience, the varied practices and results (scrying, dowsing, telekinesis, telepathy, remote viewing, reading a divination tool, clairvoyance, clairaudience, etc.) are not representations of the religion of Wicca. They are each a science and practice unto themselves, and do not require a Wiccan structure to be experienced. It is true that Wicca is one of the few religions that encourages the student to have an open mind on these topics, and it is also true that Wiccans who have practiced for many years develop senses other than sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch due to the various mental exercises they practice on a daily basis.
Some Wiccans have learned that by meditating and practicing the mental arts, psychic centers naturally open at the speed that is right for you. This is a lot of hard work and requires patience as well as daily practice. You can’t force psychic abilities, and you can’t turn them on and off like a light bulb; rather, they unfold within each person in a way that is right for the individual. If your intent is to reach a harmonious balance and work on self-perfection in a spiritual sense, then psychic skills can develop at a faster rate, yet the progress is still governed by your individual path.
For some, the Wiccan religion releases buried or ignored psychic skills that they had as children; for others, they are a new experience that must be developed if the person desires to use them. Regardless, most Wiccans believe that all humans and animals have psychic abilities, and that anyone can unlock these hidden talents. The first step is the acknowledgement that such abilities exist. The second, and much more difficult leap, is to practice the mental exercises necessary on a repetitive basis to encourage one’s own development.
Paranormal Glossary
These are terms you will often see in reference to paranormal and psychic studies.
Akashic records: Records of the Spirit. The universal library that records every thought, word, and deed of each individual, which can only be accessed through meditation. This library does not exist in three-dimensional form. Sometimes called the Hall of All Knowledge or Hall of Records. Discussed often by Edgar Cayce (deceased).
Altered state of consciousness: Accidental or planned process in which the brain accesses information that is otherwise unavailable. An altered state of consciousness can be reached through meditation, ritual, self-hypnosis, etc.
Anthroposomancy: Reading a person’s character by studying his or her face, expressions, and body movement.
Astral body: The energy of a soul or person.
Bilocation: Being seen in two places at one time, or being able to visit a place with your mind while your body remains in a different place.
Chi: Life energy.
Clairvoyance: Seeing objects, people, or situations as they occur without conventional vision.
Divination: Using a tool, such as Tarot cards, a crystal ball, coins, etc., to examine the past and view possible future events.
Dowsing: Sensing the hidden presence of water, minerals, people, animals, objects, or energy.
Extrasensory perception (ESP): Telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis.
Graphology: Examining a person’s character by studying their handwriting.
Kundalini: The free-flowing energy of consciousness.
Ley lines: Paths of energy that travel the surface of the Earth.
Lucid dreaming: Vivid dreams that are totally under the dreamer’s control.
Meditation: The focus of the mind.
Medium: A psychic individual who can speak with the deceased.
Mindpower: The energy of human intelligence.
Near death experience (NDE): An out-of-body experience at the moment of death, followed by physical recovery.
Numerology: The practice of using numbers as a divination tool.
Out-of-body experience (OBE): Voyages of the human spirit experienced in astral travel.
Palmistry: Learning the character of an individual by studying the size and shape of hands and fingers, and reviewing the lines in his or her hand.
Parapsychology: The study of extrasensory perception in humans and other natural phenomenon that appears to be supernatural.
Poltergeists: Noisy, sometimes violent physical phenomena that is usually caused by hormonal imbalance or regressed anger.
Precognition: Knowing the future.
Premonition: A forewarning of events to come.
Psychokinesis: (parakinesis/telekinesis) Moving physical objects with the mind.
Psychometry: Sensing a person’s or item’s past by holding an object.
Remote viewing: Seeing an accurate version of a distant site or person.
Scrying: Seeing the past, present, or future in a shining surface such as black glass, a crystal ball, or a bowl of water.
Synchronicity: What appears to be a coincidence that actually happens for a reason, and therefore is not a coincidence.
Telepathy: Sending thoughts to others, and reading others’ thoughts.
Transcendence: Experiencing the “oneness” of the universe.
Recommended Reading
ParaScience Pack by Uri Geller
Association for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena:
http://www.parapsychology.org
Uri Geller’s website:
http://www.uri-geller.com
Debunking rumors on all subjects, including parapsychology:
http://www.urbanlegends.com
http://www.snopes.com
Active Meditation to Increase
Spirituality and Psychism
Spirituality in any religion isn’t something you learn, it is a way of becoming. Learning to focus, however, can help to open the door to your self-confidence in magick, ritual, and spirituality in general, and allows psychism to peek through normal conscious thought. Try the basic exercise at least once a day for two weeks, then go on to the intermediate exercise, and then the advanced exercise, which you will practice at least once a week for three months using different clay shapes. Please do not skip the beginner’s exercise. Even if you are a pro, you could still use the practice at control.
supplies for beginner and advanced exercise: None. Optional: Incense and candlelight for exercise 1.
supplies for advanced exercise: Modeling clay of any kind (Crayola makes great single pack colors.) Optional: Incense and candlelight.
basic exercise: Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Ground and center. Visualize yourself sitting in the center of protective, white light. Count down slowly from 25 to 1. Imagine that there is a third eye at the center of your forehead that is currently closed. If you are good at visualization, you can get a bit fancy here. (Because I’m a girl, mine has cool eye shadow, some sparkles, and an interesting tattoo at the corner.) Take a deep breath and concentrate on that eye. It is not bad or evil, it is simply another sense—the sixth sense that you’ve read so much about. Normal. Natural. It can “see” things that your other senses may subconsciously pick up (and they do), but they aren’t strong enough to bring the information to your conscious mind—you need this eye (for the moment) to do that. Take your time visualizing with and connecting to the idea that you do, indeed, have this psychic gift. As we already know that everyone has this ability and that you simply have to work with it to succeed (like you are doing now), this won’t be too hard. If you have any trouble thinking you are psychic, look back into your childhood when all things seemed magickal. It won’t take long to capture that feeling again.
For the first two weeks, concentrate simply on opening this eye. What does it feel like as this eye slowly awakens? Do you feel hot? Cold? Is there a pleasant tingling sensation? Each person will experience different phenomena. Fear is not an option. If you are afraid, go no further. You are not ready to awaken your gifts, and don’t get all excited about it. Perhaps you need to study more, or overcome something more important in your life right now. Anger management might be an issue. If you are not afraid, move the eye around with your mind. (Remember, your other two eyes are closed.) Check out the room. What do you see? If it isn’t clear, don’t panic. You are exercising a talent that has been dormant for a long time. Don’t strain. When you feel you’ve had enough, concentrate on closing the eye. Ground and center again, then count from 1 to 5. Open your eyes and take a deep breath. If you had any psychic flashes at all (which for most won’t occur in the beginning), write them down in a notebook.
intermediate exercise: The intermediate exercise is not done in your home or apartment, but during moments of active life. Carry a small notepad with you to take notes, if necessary. The key to this exercise is to follow the directions without skipping anything. No matter when you open the third eye, you must always remember to consciously conjure that protective white light around you to avoid the emotional connection.
Step One: Ground and center.
Step Two: Visualize white light all around you.
Step Three: While your eyes are open, look at a particular person, where their third eye is located.
Step Four: In your mind, open your own third eye.
Step Five: Without emotion, catalog the impressions you receive, if any. Do not be intrusive or try to probe someone’s mind. That’s not what this exercise is all about. (It’s also rude and eventually you’ll be caught. The backlash you receive won’t be pleasant.)
Step Six: Mentally close your third eye.
Step Seven: Take a deep breath, pushing all negativity away from you as you exhale. Later, record your impressions without allowing your emotions or personal judgments to interfere (which is also an exercise well worth learning to control).
How do you know when this exercise has been successful? First, if you begin seeing the “spirit body” of the person when you look at them, then you are on the right track. When looking at a spirit body, all emotion you attach to that person drains away. You are seeing them for what they really are—normally glowing light (the wattage depends on a number of factors, including their health and state of mind). Second, if the information you receive later proves to be true, then you know that your sensing capabilities were accurate. One note of caution: Sometimes you will have off days, or your own state of mind won’t be the best, or perhaps you’re not physically feeling well yourself—in those instances, the information you receive may not be accurate, which is why we must always stay away from snap judgments and be patient when it comes to dealing with psychism and information gained in this way.
advanced exercise: I have nine different objects that you can make and the intent statements that go with them listed below. In a magick circle, cleanse and consecrate the clay, then make the object with your hands, considering the intent. Allow to dry.
When you are ready, situate yourself comfortably for meditation, holding the object in both hands in your lap. Think about the statement of intent associated with the object. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Ground and center. Visualize yourself sitting in the center of protective, white light. Count down slowly from 25 to 1. Imagine that there is a third eye at the center of your forehead that is currently closed. Take another deep breath and concentrate on that eye. Take your time visualizing with and connecting to the idea that you do, indeed, have this psychic gift, and that such a gift enables you to reach the intent represented by the object held in your hands. Slowly open your inner eye. Connect your psychic vision with the intent of the object in your hands. Relax and let the images come. What do you see? If it isn’t clear, don’t panic. Don’t strain. If nothing happens, don’t worry about it. Work with the object for one week. If you still get nothing, move to a different object the following week. Later, once you have worked with all the objects, you can use them again for purposes designed for yourself.
When you feel you’ve had enough, concentrate on closing the eye. Ground and center again, then count from 1 to 5. Open your eyes and take a deep breath. If you had any psychic flashes at all (which for most won’t occur in the beginning), write them down in a notebook.
Week 1—The Goddess. Intent: Connecting with Goddess energy.
Week 2—The God. Intent: Connecting with God energy.
Week 3—Your Favorite Totem Animal. Intent: Connecting with the animal kingdom.
Week 4—A Mountain. Intent: Connecting with Earth energy.
Week 5—A Cloud. Intent: Connecting with air energy.
Week 6—A Flame. Intent: Connecting with Fire energy.
Week 7—A Waterfall. Intent: Connecting with Water energy.
Week 8—An Angel. Intent: Connecting with angelic energy.
Week 9—A Wheel. Intent: Connecting with the tide of the seasons and the tides of life.
Week 10—A Circle. Intent: Connecting with all positive religions on the planet. Learning to feel oneness with the universe.
Week 11—A Pentacle. Intent: Connecting mind, body, and spirit to work as one.
Week 12—A Skull. Intent: Connecting with your ancestors in a positive way.