On Mon, 05 Feb 2007 08:58:17 -0800, mika wrote:
> Satyr wrote:
>>
>> Sounds rather heavy,
>
> Hey, I've got a lot of friends, and most are over 40, so as heavy as
> life gets I better get used to it already!
*gulp*
You shouldn't go 'round scaring old men like that.
>> but great to here life is being good to you. Hope your friends are
>> okay.
>
> Only one is terminal... but he just found out the prognosis is years
> rather than months, so, it's a small win. Just makes you appreciate
> life and friends so much more.
Sorry to hear that one is terminal, but then suppose we all are,
whether we acknowledge that fact or not. Some of us can make good use
of a timely reminder.
>> Indeed, some things cannot be rushed. There is some risk of getting
>> 'stuck' somewhere, when working through the Aethyrs, but what is
>> the difference between being 'stuck' and successfully integrating
>> the lessons learned therein in one's own good time? It's something
>> only the individual in question can know for sure.
>
> Have you read Tom's recent post about Malkuth, and inertia? It used
> to be much harder for me to tell the difference between patience and
> being stuck, or lazy. I guess my attitude is, if there's a lot of
> change happening in my life, then this kind of ritual work can wait.
> Either to make sure previous lessons are fully integrated, or just
> to make sure I'm completely present for the new work.
I just read Tom's post about Malkuth and thanks for bringing it to my
atttention. Good observations and insight, I thought.
There was a time when I was a real hard-ass about maintaining forward
momentum, but these days I'm not so sure. Depends on what the goal
might be and the state of the individual more than any hard-and-fast
rule.
In theory, when working one's way up through the Aethyrs, there comes
a point where moving on to the next becomes very difficult, or should,
anyway. We used to use that as a gauge for where one was on the
"ladder", where one's current work lies.
>>> The sex magick activities are kicking fucking ass. Just last
>>> night I got a deep understanding of the futility of fearing what
>>> is beyond my control, but of course that kind of clarity is
>>> fleeting, so I'm just going to have to keep doing the hard work
>>> until it all sinks in :)
>>
>> Hmmm... Not to make light of your moment of clarity, but the
>> juxtaposition of "sex magick", "fucking ass", and "the futility of
>> fearing what is beyond my control" is playing havoc with my ability
>> to concentrate, here.
>
> Ha! Must be spring coming on.
Yep, I think so, despite dipping to 6°F last night with gusts of wind
heralding the dawn. My 'sap' started rising a couple of weeks ago and
hasn't let up.
> It's fun to play with you again!
Ah, I wish...
>>> How 'bout you? What's the word?
>>
>> Doing quite well, all things considered. I'm freezing my ass off
>> here in the Dark Tower, but that's to be expected this time of
>> year.
>
> mmm hmmm. Keep those home fires burning.
It's a hell of a thing to admit, coming from an HVAC engineer, but
this is without a doubt the coldest place I've ever lived.
>> Curiously, I'm working through control issues as well these days. I
>> find myself facing the fact that among those things I can and do
>> attempt to control, there are many that are simply not worth the
>> effort. It's easier to just let go and allow nature to take its
>> course, accepting the outcome in advance, whatever it might be, in
>> exchange for greater peace of mind.
>>
>> Sounds easy in theory, but isn't so easy at all in practice.
>
> Yes. I remember talking with you about this a while ago, and imagine
> we'll be having the same conversation again years from now. I mean,
> even if we 'get it', new issues will always come up where we have to
> ask the same question all over again - is this something that could
> or should be controlled or is it not worth the effort? I think it's
> part of the nature of practicing magick to try to control something
> until realizing it can't or shouldn't be and letting it go, as
> opposed to most others who act as if everything is beyond their
> control altogether.
>
> Of course, it seems to me that most of the time, "controlling"
> something means changing one's perspective about that thing (and
> thus one's reactions to that thing), so for the most part it's all
> in the mind anyway.
I think that's true, or at least that's the reminder I'm getting these
days. Rather than attempt to put a lid on the chaos and keep the
flying monkeys properly corralled, it's often a far more efficient use
of my time to just wait and see how it all turns out.
The shift is ultimately one of perspective, as you say, getting away
from the belief that things will go better with my meddling than
without. In any situation, we always have a choice, even if it's only
how we react.
