And Old Point That Bears Repeating

From: sgraves
To: zee-list
Subject: It's an old point that bears repeating.
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 17:59:40 GMT




I don't know much about chaos magic in any academic, I-read-it-in-XXX sense. Here's my recent experience with real chaos magic.

A good friend of mine was in pain, and in an effort to lessen her pain, I "healed" her. Along the lines of an old post Lauranz made entitled Occam's Pot Scrubber, or something similar, I should more rightly say that she reported feeling less pain after I perceived an action on my own part.

We got into a discussion of how I do it. My answer didn't satisfy me, completely, because I'm overly analytical. I told her that I healed because I know it works. That's all.

No paradigm. No invocation. No visualization. I lay on my hands, and I concentrate on the knowledge that it Works, and it Works.

They call it Faith Healing.

I can analyze it. I really can. But my friend made an astoundingly concise and insightful statement that removes my desire to do so: she said, "Steve, it works because it's yours. You didn't read it in a book. It won't fail because you're not doing it Hine's way, or Caroll's way, it will work, because you're doing it your way."

Similarly, her house is "haunted." By this I mean that upon entering a particular room for the first time, I commented that it felt like someone had hung themselves there. They have, or will. Her name is/will be Colleen. The same night, this entity moved into the room we were sitting in, and caused me great discomfort, in addition to lowering the ambient temperature. Rather than invoke some great deity to cast it out, or banish this "ghost," I simply calmed my self inwardly, felt my inner temperature, and concentrated on feeling my temperature rise. I then asked the spirit to bide its time, that the pain it would cause us would in no way lessen its own, and that, in time, I would help it if I could.

Nothing I've read or put supreme effort into has worked. When I want results, I simply focus on what I know is true: that I have a modicum of power within my Self, and that I can use it externally. It is my chi, my Soul, my life force, and my aura.

Chaos magic? This is chaos magic. Chaos magic is doing what works, for you.

Enjoy the story, folks, and I'll be seeing you in your dreams,
Rev.Graves.

MCH(RU) S* W(-) N++++ PCM/NO(++) D A->++ a>++ C*(+++++) G+(++) Q++ Y