You Gotta Want It (And Not Too Bad)
A couple of days ago I had this great conversation with my friend Art. We were talking about the principle of magic called “Lust of Result.” Basically, it’s this: When you desire something greatly, and want it above all things, you invariably push it away. The more you need something to happen, the harder it is to pull that thing to you.
I have been looking at my attachments lately. My career and writing attachments and aspirations, those are at the top of the list. And somehow, that is where some elusive, poorly defied design of “success” is constantly just out of reach. In romance, similarly, the want for love just keeps that magic at bay. I have been looking at giving up, and having what I already have being enough. It is an act of peacefulness. And those desires keep creeping back in. There’s a real trick to it. Wanting the thing, setting the intention, and letting it all go to the point that you forget you ever wanted it.
That’s the part I have trouble with. I keep thinking there is some hard work to it, some toil that I got to put in to earn my reward. And in many things, I am sure there is. But when setting intentions, it’s all about giving up all lust for result. I’m going to put it down here, as much for myself and my own thinking as anything.
The Structure of Magic
1. Set an intention. Write it down. Be specific.
2. Convert the intention into another form. Transformation. Change it into something that has no relationship to what you are creating. Convert the words of your intention into gibberish or symbols. Attach a nonsensical task to it. Speak in tongues. Draw a picture. Do a collage.
3. Charge that intention. This infuses it with your energy and the power of your thought and attention. This can be accomplished through meditation on the idea until it disappears from your mind. Focus on your nonsense symbol or gibberish mantra while you reach orgasm or get punched in the face (emotional intensity/no-mind). Run a marathon. Clean your house. Charge it.
4. Forget everything. Stop thinking about it. And when you notice yourself thinking about it, give that up.
Step 4 is the hard one for me. I think a lot. I want it to happen so bad (whatever “it” is). I gotta give it all up. Give up the finding of a lover, give up the finding of my perfect career, give up that being inspired to write that novella I have been procrastinating about, give up on Obama being president, give up on all the dreams I am so often desperately trying to cause.
It’s the paradox. You gotta let anything go for it to come to you, but you gotta want it for the universe to know. It’s a dance.
I’m just going want nothing. It’s not like I really need anything more, anyway. Life is so sweet.
Tags: Magick
October 24th, 2008 at 10:49 am
For me, it’s always been easiest to shift scope, instead of trying to force my mind off something. Forcing yourself to forget is like trying “not to think of an elephant.”
Changing scope, though, is different. When you’re thinking about wants and goals, your scope is less immediate, and more long term. Long, of course, is relative. You could be focusing on something you want 5 minutes from now, but it’s certainly further away than the immediate moment.
So what I try to do is this: build my goals, my plans, my framework, bend my actions/will toward those ends… and then scale back my scope to the moment, and just live it in a sense of immediacy. That way I’m not “wanting” or “lusting.” I’m simply doing.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
This reminded me of the Paradox of Change in counseling. The idea is that to create effective personal change, there must be personal acceptance first.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
And I woudn’t beat yourself up too much over not being able to force yourself to stop thinking about things. The principle that trying not to think ofsomething means you’re more likely to be thinking of it is so obvious that even cognitive psychologists have figured it out.