The Secret. Cosmic Ordering. Law of Attraction. Creative Visualisation. The Power. Etc ect tec. Books like these and similar are available from the Mind Body Spirit section of every book store across the globe (I wait until they are available through my local library though, if I read them at all). The more I do read of them, however, the more I am convinced that they are all saying the same thing but expressing it in different words. Equally, however, when I read them, I almost never get a satisfactory explanation as to why they should work if at all.
Well: I have decided for the benefit of poor benighted mankind to give away the real Secret behind The Secret, as it were, for free, by revealing how the modern fancy for the so-called “Law of Attraction” was anticipated by the occult-revival of the late 19th century – and in doing so I hope to indicate a practical method which you, my readers, can put to work yourselves.
The key to it all is in Theosophy.
I have been an aficionado of the Golden Dawn for an extremely long time. The more I look into it the more I am convinced that the Theosophy of H P Blavatsky is a far greater influence on it than is generally accepted. According to certain researches I have been doing, I believe that both Mathers and Westcott intended the teachings of the higher grades – which have never been published – to be “westernised” versions of the more recondite teachings of Theosophy. Moreover: at the time the Golden Dawn was founded, just about everyone into the occult scene of the late 19th century was into Theosophy anyway, so the founders of the GD fully intended the teachings of the order to be interpreted in the light of that movement. It is as if the Golden Dawn provided the How; but Theosophy provided the What.
So to cut a long story short, there I was researching the origin of the concept of Artificial Elementals, and I decided to find out what the various Theosophical sources had to say about the subject.
I had read various people describe extremely convoluted methods of creating Artificial Elementals for magical purposes – more shame them! – but the reality of the subject is actually quite simple:
A Thought, which is contemplated with enough effort, takes on a life of its own on the Astral plane.
That is, essentially, the whole secret of Artificial Elementals in one sentence! The thoughts we have day to day, moment to moment, each create some presence on the astral plane: but because we do not devote much effort to considering them, they soon fade away into nothingness. However: a Thought which is considered often, for long periods at a time, which is invested with much emotional significance and so forth persists on the Astral Plane to the extent that it can attract energy which is sympathetic to it to feed it and prolong its existence. These Thought-Entities (“thought-forms”) can even become so animated that they instinctively perform acts which are consonant with their nature, which have an effect on the physical plane.
The classic example of this is that of a mother who loves her children so much, that quite unconsciously her love for her children creates “guardian angels” for them.
So therefore, the wise magician could attract good fortune unto him or herself, by filling the mind with strong feelings of positivity, concentrating on this hard and repeating it often. This positivity would then form a kind of Artificial Elemental which coalesces into a helper-spirit which naturally aids the magician.
Similarly, one can wish good fortune unto another by e.g. visualising the subject and concentrating on good feelings towards them.
This is an infinitely flexible method of working: it could be used for Health (by visualising the subject being happy and healthy), or Wealth, Success or something more specific, by altering the precise nature of the visualisation that one concentrates upon.
However: there is a corollary to all this. Just as good thoughts create Artificial Elementals of a benevolent nature, so do bad thoughts create ones of a malevolent or unpleasant nature. Hence, it is not just enough to concentrate on positive thoughts and emotions, one must free ones mind from all negative ones as well. Dwelling on bad, unproductive thoughts lock you into a downward spiral. Moreover, if you were attempting to think your way to success, but retained any small idea that you did not deserve it, or doubt that it would occur, this would serve to negate or lessen the good work that you do.
This is also the best reason for avoiding attempting malevolent or evil magick, because it invariably involves attracting bad influences around you, even if you purport to try and then direct them to someone else.
So I hope you now see how this fits in with the “Law of Attraction” – basically, the various forms which it takes are all methods of creating Artificial Elementals which influence others – whether you know it or not – into bringing the thing thought about to you. Theosophy predicted it over a hundred years ago – but still there seem to be new books coming out about it all the time, none of which acknowledge the source.
Incidentally: I have come across a number of people who claim to be “white magicians” who refuse to cast spells for other people, claiming that even something well-intentioned is somehow black magick. This seems to me utter nonsense – and dangerously hypocritical as well. As far as I am concerned, there is no moral difference between shaking someone’s hand and saying “I Wish You Well,” and casting a spell to wish them well: because if you shake someone’s hand and mean it, you are casting a spell! A little spell, maybe, but still with an effect on the astral plane nonetheless. NB: these people of whom I complain did actually shake my hand supposedly heartily, so you may appreciate why I have a suspicion of insincerity about them.
Practical Exercise – for attracting general Good Fortune.
As promised I will end with describing a simple little exercise which you can put into practice immediately. Note carefully, however, what I say about dwelling on negativity. If you do not banish – e.g. with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram – every negative influence from your life, you will find that the exercise is not likely to work.
The exercise is this:
Every day, spend about 5 to 10 minutes in meditation, meditating in the following manner. Visualise that you are outside your body looking at yourself. As you contemplate yourself, mentally repeat the phrase “I LOVE YOU” like a mantra. As you do so, allow yourself to feel pure, unselfish Love filling you and projecting out towards this visualised image of yourself.
In the short term you will experience an immediate effect of feeling good about yourself. In the long term, by repeating this exercise every day, you will begin to notice that you are attracting good fortune into your life (i.e. because you are forming a benevolent Artificial Elemental on the astral plane).
From a magical point of view, I wonder if purposefully (ritually) creating an artificial elemental/thoughtform with a specific intent, charging it with energy, and willing it to be regularly reinforced by the practical exercise you give would have a stronger effect. Or a faster effect. Or be less prone to being damaged by negativity.
You are most probably correct, although that would be an exercise for more experienced magicians. The blog post was intended for people who may be complete beginners to magic: also I wanted to make the point that creating artificial elementals is only as complicated as you want to make it.
I think you made your point quite clearly, and I agree with the notion that many people are not mindful of the effect that every thought, especially repetitive ones, have on the astral. The ideas above were simply thrown out off the top of my head, but for younger magicians who experienced the “psionics” fad ~10 years ago, I don’t think it’s too far of a leap from “incidentally creating an elemental by repetitive thought” to “purposefully thinking an elemental into existence through visualization”. Of course, this is all just dressing on the basic principle, as you say.
Very nicely put indeed.
I wonder if all of the people who invest thousands on the courses of self proclaimed self help gurus etc would be happy to find out that all they are doing is being encouraged to create positive artificial elements.
As for purposefully willing an elemental into existence I have for sometime now performed a daily ritual with the sole intent of creating and strengthening an artificial element focused on my overall protection and physical wellbeing.
I agree wholeheartedly with the cautionary note as it all too easy for what starts out as a beneficial thought to become tinged with something darker, after all the road to hell is paved with good intentions!
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