Published by Of course I will never tell you that anythingis required in any form of ritual. Meditation, however, is one of those things that brings controversy into the conversation. Some say you must, others say you must not, and some say that it doesnt really matter. This can be quite confusing for the new-comers to the craft so I thought that an article on the subject was needed.
Like I said before, absolutely nothing is “required” in any magickal rite, the ritual should be built on impulse, designed specifically for the need at hand, but meditation doesnt actually have anything to do with magick. This can be quite confusing until you relize exactly what is the purpouse of meditation.
Meditation has one simple purpouse, acknowledging and eventually overcoming thought-forms that may prove hostile in ritual. You see, thoughts are key when it comes to ritual. A successful rite will be one that is performed with emotionbehind it. Certain thoughts, however, can actually work against the power. You see, when moving energy it’s ultimately up to your thoughts to tell it what to do. If you are thinking someone in your sub-concious that whatever it is that you are doing will not work, you’ve just created a hostile thought-form that will do it’s best to work against you. This can be very problematic, but there is a way to control it.
Meditation is simple; sitting in a comfortable position, trying to relax, and simply observing your thoughts. There are many different positions and forms of meditation, yoga being the most popular, the lotus position being the next and so on. Position, however, is up to you. Find the position that comes most naturally to you. Just remember, posture is key. Successful meditation consists of align chakra in order to better the flow of emotion and thought. You can sit straight up or, if you have trouble keeping your back straight, lay down on a flat surface. Just remember that you absolutely must be comfortable, being uncomfortable will cause harmful thought-forms.
How to meditate? It’s simple, simply observe your thoughts, see them flowing through your mind and leaving on their own. You should never try to remove a thought from your mind, this will only prove to hold the thought in your mind for (as long as you think about removing the thought you will continue to think it). No matter what the thoughts are be ok with them, acknowledge that they are temporary and will not work against you in ritual.
Alot of people struggle with another problem due to meditation, they get extremely tired. This is ok, it is completely natural. You see, when you successfully align the chakra it can be extremely relaxing; to the point that some people will fall asleep. Falling asleep, however, is not what you wish to accomplish; so if you feel yourself getting tired simply get up and move around. When you wake up some, resume your position and continue to meditate.
Some people enjoy lighting incense while meditating. This is ok, some herbs can aid you in your meditation and rite, but some have trouble breathing due to the amount of smoke; if you have trouble breathing do not light incense, simply light a scented or anointed candle instead. Neither are needed, it’s completely up to preference.
If you are full of emotion and ready for ritual then this may be the time to skip the meditation, you don’t want to interrupt the flow of energy and have to start over. If you are on a role, don’t worry about having to skip meditation this time around.
Meditation can be extremely helpful when having trouble controlling thoughts, I practice and recommend it.
