IIH Immersion – Step IV Commentary
Posted: March 26, 2013 Filed under: iih | Tags: chaos magic, esoteric, hermetic, magick, occult, post chaos magick, sorcery Leave a comment »Spirit Training – Consciousness Transference:
In this exercise, the point is that a practitioner must be able to transfer their consciousness to another being/thing easily. Of course there are different levels of this practice, one of the highest is such a degree of control and power that one is able to override their target.
This is one of those kinds of steps which one can simply forget morals and ethics if they are quite gifted in this skill, Bardon warns that there is karmic repercussions for the practitioner who abuses this practice.
For the purpose of this exercise though, one can move on to the next step by achieving the minimum level – which is to be able to perceive the external environment through your target.
To me, if you’re naturally emphatic or could role play a character pretty well, if you are basically skilled at immersing yourself into something – these are good attributes that will help get through this part.
Soul Training – Elemental Initiation pt02:
In this section, Bardon explains a chakra/middle pillar type elemental exercise in which the practitioner absorbs a certain type of energy in a certain part of a body, and move on from there; from your lower body (Earth), stomach (Water), chest & throat (Air), the head (fire). Also, he reasons that once someone starts this practice – it’ll balance the practitioners elemental structure as a side effect of this technique.
Bardon explains his reasons behind the organization in a practical and logical way but personally, I’ve never really this order in other systems/traditions.
What I got out of this is do some sort of “energy” exercise everyday.
For me, do this daily for a year but move on after 6 months or when you are able to feel the effects of this tech.
Physical Training – Gesture Magick:
Here Bardon talks about the magick of gestures, he basically says that personalize your tech and keep it a secret.
What I got out of this is that create your own spells; not just through gestures but words, sounds, whatever – but keep it personalized and keep it a secret.
Start with one and make sure it works, then move on to the next, and the next one.
Recommended Training Regime:
Daily:
- Elemental Initiation part 02 (2x)
- Consciousness Transference (whenever you have the chance)
Weekly:
- Meditation Upkeep
- B&W Soul Mirrors
- Gesture Magick Creation
IIH Immersion – Step III Commentary
Posted: February 4, 2013 Filed under: iih | Tags: esoteric, hermetic, magick, occult, sorcery Leave a comment »Spirit Training – Concentration/Detailed Visualization II:
This part builds upon the exercise in Step II.
Basically, the practitioner has to visualize an object/person/whatever by utilizing all of their 5 senses; touch, smell, hearing, seeing, even tasting.
I suggest you try utilizing food first as your first test subject. Foods are one of those things, for most people, that will evoke such a clear picture – there is a science fact/research as to why food does this (and maybe I will find it and edit it in one of these days. For me, spaghetti is my favorite food and it can take me seconds to visualize it using all of my 5 senses at once.
Then move on to other things like places, people, things, etc. Must be able to do this on a variety of different things. The end goal is to visualize a person in detail using all 5 senses.
PROTIP: Think of it as daydreaming. Especially the ones where it takes you into a sort of trance that got you in trouble in high school.
Soul Training – Elemental Initiations pt 01:
This is really the step where the practitioner will start doing some magick, everything else beforehand were things to prepare the practitioner in stepping into the world of magickians.
This is my favorite step and was the step that really supercharged my practice and opened up different avenues for me to grow. In theory, there is nothing in this world and beyond that can’t be accomplished through mastery of the elements and the Akasha. I used to be so disappointed because I couldn’t get results with magick or whatever technique I used, I then picked up IIH and worked up to this step and finally, got some results – even though it was miniscule, it was enough for me to keep going.
I suggest to start off by doing an element a week and then list whichever gives you the most feedback, from most to the least. Once you know this, start off with the element that gives you the most feedback till you get to the one with the weakest feedback. If you have been doing your B&W soul mirror, that will give a hint as to which elements are you stronger or weaker at.
Physical Training – Vital Force:
What I like to call “chi” or mana at times.
Basically, the practitioner has to pore breath vital force into their body. The practitioner has to keep up with this practice till they can control it to a certain level of proficiency.
PROTIP: In regards to the elemental initiation and vital force accumulation exercise, IIH prescribes a certain way to go about it (by “inhaling” said energy at a minimal amount and building up day by day).
Another way to go about it is not worrying about what’s minimum and go at it as much as you want, and only stop once you feel physical symptoms like tingling (stop) or headaches/muscular/bone strain (definitely stop).
Recommended Training Regime:
Daily:
- Detailed Visualization Training II (2x)
- Elemental Initiation part 01 (2x)
- Vital Force Accumulation (2x)
Weekly:
- Meditation Upkeep
- B&W Soul Mirrors
IIH Immersion – Beginner Tips
Posted: January 27, 2013 Filed under: iih | Tags: beyond chaos magick, chaos magic, esoteric, hermetic, magick, occult, post chaos magick, sorcery Leave a comment »I took this from the comment section of one of my post and I thought I’d elaborate on my response here instead of small comment area.
The question was regarding Initiation Into Hermetics,
…..
Also, as a beginner of IIH, could you spare some tips that helped you in the beginning phases of your practice? I’ve read your commentary (its great by the way) yet I feel I get into periods where I neglect my meditation work from time to time and focus on other things in life. Did/do you go through this as well?
Off the top of my head, these are some of the tips that I think will really help a beginner who is beginning their journey in IIH.
- To Know: Read as much as you can on Hermetics and the Bardon books, read blogs about the Great Work, find people who seem to be on the same path as you, find people or magickal systems that you are interested in and read up on them. I’m not saying you need to memorize all of the magickal theory in the world but you should be familiar with most of it.
- To Dare: You actually have to practice the exercises prescribed in IIH, in the sequence it was prescribed to. I’m not a fickler on reading ahead but practicing ahead is a big no-no. Save yourself the hassle of trying to skip ahead and then hitting a wall that you can’t over because you lack the fundamental(s) that you initially skipped.
- To Will: You get what you put into this work, simple as that. If you want to advance faster, put some extra time in but most important is diligence; IIH will break you down so you need the diligence to pick yourself up and try again.
- To be Silent: Study smart, not hard – be silent and listen to your peers but throw away all of your preconceived notions and only believe what you have experienced. Experience is the best teacher and talking about stuff will only help for so long.
As for the second question, don’t get the wrong idea -we all have lulls in our practice, especially me. Some people can do a daily practice daily, I’m not one of those people – I need to be flexible but nonetheless, I do try to keep a daily practice because it is beneficial.
I do get into those phases where for a couple of months, my intensity will be at max and then I will get into a little bit of a lull but don’t worry about it too much, if you love magick – you will do whatever it takes to reach the level you want.
Hope this helps a little. 
External Input Useful in Self Introspection
Posted: January 16, 2013 Filed under: iih | Tags: beyond chaos magick, chaos magic, esoteric, hermetic, magick, occult, post chaos magick Leave a comment »“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.”~ The Tao Te Ching
This is one of my favorite steps in IIH is the Black and White Soul Mirrors, I think it’s crucial to get this sorted out ASAP because it affects the practitioner mentally and magickally.
This was actually one of the things I’ve worked on, long before I met IIH, and thus when this step came up – it was much easier for me to work on it.
Now, the traditional way of doing this step is ruthlessly being honest with yourself regarding your traits – once you’ve achieved this and has taken the steps to balance yourself, you will find a whole new outlook, and a new person, in life.
I’ve been told that practitioners more renowned than I have suggested that only internal input is the only way for this step but I, and a few others, think that external input is useful in the journey of introspection. It’s not that I don’t think the previous method is not useful, far from it – if you can successfully change by yourself, that is a power to itself. I just think that there are other paths to the mountain.
I’m going to keep my reasoning as simple as possible without going into some sort of PhD neuro/pseudo psychology.
- Objectivity: Sometimes, you might need a new set of eyes to look at things at a certain way. It never hurts as long as you, the practitioner, don’t take it as the truth.
- Delusion: This is especially a hurtful pitfall so early in the process. Delusion can take on many forms and sneak up on you and you won’t even know it – that’s why an external filter is useful. For example, those crappy American Idol contestants, let’s assume they all thought they were good but to everyone else in the world – they sucked. Wouldn’t someone telling them they suck be more beneficial?
- Ego: I don’t think I need to explain why this is hurtful in self-introspection. The ego will cloud you and it has a pretty strong holding on you as it is. It’s helpful that someone else can call your BS out.
I can go on about this subject for abit, especially these days where neuroscience are making leaps and bounds of progress. One cannot advance this practice without breaking some rules, thinking outside the box and applying the knowledge we have today.
Study and learn efficiently, not harder.
And on that note, I leave you with one of the principles of Hermetics and would ask you to contemplate on it and maybe you’ll see my reasoning for my points above.
As above, so below – as below, so above.
IIH Immersion – Step II Commentary
Posted: January 3, 2013 Filed under: iih | Tags: esoteric, hermetic, magick, occult, sorcery Leave a comment »We’re back on my little notes regarding IIH.
Spirit Training – Detailed Visualization:
This practice is one of the key ingredients to be able to create change through magick. As you can see, this practice builds upon Step I and advances it further. Basically, one must be able to visualize anything through their senses.
The simplest way to practice and refine this technique is to find an object that you are certainly most familiar with, something you’ve had for awhile and is fond of. Take said object and play around with it, contemplate its essence, etc. Put it away and then try to recreate it using all of your senses; touch, sight, smell, taste & sound.
For example, and one of the easier ways to go about this, is your favorite girl. (:P) Visualize her in her pretty sun dress, feel her body on you as you hug her, smell the perfume she constantly wears, hear her warm laugh, taste her…..Um, anyways – you get the idea.
This practice can be done on anything and should be done on everything; favorite toy, flower, pet, etc.
Soul Training – Refining Yourself:
Autosuggestion: This technique is introduced as a technique to help with the refinement of your soul. Basically, you are to create/buy a prayer bead in which you are then to choose what trait you want to acquire or get rid of. Once you selected a trait, you are to repeat your intent like a mantra.
To be most effective with this practice, the best times to do this practice is when you just woke up or about to fall asleep. These are the times when your mind is more susceptible to these suggestions. Bardon has it marked down as when your “psychic censor” are in its weakest.
This part just reiterates the importance of refining yourself with the help of the practices from Step I (impregnation) and auto-suggestion. If you are practicing consciously all of the techniques from Step I & II, you should be starting to see some subtle difference in your mindset.
PROTIP: Take your time in this practice, there is no rush. Unfortunately, habits and traits that has been ingrained within ourselves for so long is really hard to change and can be caused by deeper unresolved issues. As long as you are still willing to change, do not lose hope and keep vigilant.
Physical Training – Pore Breathing & Body Control:
In this segment, regarding pore breathing, the practitioner is just practicing the technique of pore breathing – you’re not actually accumulating any elements or vital force, etc. We are just practicing acquiring the sensation of pore breathing through any part of your body. I suggest to start with the upper body first then the lower body till completed; I find that the lower body is less sensitive than the upper body. This part is completed once you can pore breathe anywhere in your body.
As for body control, any pose that you can use to meditate will do as long as you can hold it for 30min max. I have 3 positions that I normally default to but I can meditate in the bus, subway, passenger seat, standing up, washing dishes, etc.
[EDIT] I’m always editing these articles, trying to make them better and expanding on them as I learn more about IIH and learn more on how to better share these knowledge unto others. Mind you, I’m always in the borderline of thinking of just cancelling these whole bit – I worked hard on learning and discerning these methods, I’m kinda greedy and don’t want to share to others, lol.
Recommended Training Regime:
Daily:
- Detailed Visualization Practice – 2x a day till you can recreate in your mind an objects taste, sound, feel, looks and smell (no particular order, up to you if you want to go work on your weakness first or your strength) and hold it for 30 minutes.
- B&W Soul Mirror – ongoing practice, use autosuggestion and impregnation to aide in this work.
- Pore Breathing – 2x a day
- Meditation Pose (aka Body Control) – 30min min.
Weekly:
- Meditation – upkeep of passive & void meditation.
Once you do achieve the minimum of detailed visualization, pore breathing & body control, then feel free to move on to Step III.
