Self Defence for the Heart+Mind
Spiritual Fitness
“….the first in a course that will be ongoing, about how do we defend ourselves from the various challenges, obstacles, and attacks that we might face as we engage more seriously in our spiritual work….”
“….we have to realize that all of us on this path are trapped between the two realms. We have a bit of our consciousness which is free, which is longing for the divine, which is virtuous, with many beautiful spiritual qualities, and we also have a large percentage of our consciousness that is trapped in infernal psychological states…..”
“….many of us in many points in our lives have used black magic. We have used our mind and our cleverness in order to try to manipulate or harm others, but at the same time we have also tried to get others to lust after us or to be envious of us, to make others feel that we are better than them. These are all forms of black magic…..”
“….Our goal on the white path of initiation is to enter into the higher levels of consciousness, to enter into the divine and heavenly realms, and it is important to know that black magicians, as much power as they may have in the lower realms, do not have power in the higher realms….”
1hour 38minutes
“The most important question I want to begin with is, what is black magic? For many of us who are new to this path, we hear it mentioned, and it might evoke some fear or uncertainty. So I want to clarify upfront a simple basic understanding of what we mean when we talk about black magic.”
”Yes, black magic does include demons and individuals who are in physical bodies out there, performing rituals and cultivating energy, whether through sexual practices or other rituals― that we don't teach in our school, specifically―in order to be able to gain more power over other people and in the internal worlds. However, to clarify, the power that those people are gaining is fortifying their ego, which means that they will have power in the internal dimensions of the inverted Tree of Life, what we call the hell realms, the infernal dimensions.”
”Our goal on the white path of initiation is to enter into the higher levels of consciousness, to enter into the divine and heavenly realms, and it is important to know that black magicians, as much power as they may have in the lower realms, do not have power in the higher realms in which the divine law reigns. Some say that in the hell realms, whatever is the divine law is inverted, meaning that what is against the law in the divine realms becomes “the law,” the mandatory law in the hell realms. So if fornication and adultery is against divine law, in the hell realms, it is mandatory that everyone must fornicate. Everyone must commit adultery. This is a basic example to give us an understanding.”
Fasting
Fasting is abstaining from eating for a period of time. It is an act of discipline used to strengthen Willpower. When done for physical health reasons, there are five stages of intermittent fasting that offer various benefit. When spiritual fasting is practiced, the same physical benefits can be gained while also praying, subsequently cultivating a greater spiritual connection with the divine.
Prayer
An act of communion with “God,” such as in a reverent petition, devotion, confession, praise, or thanksgiving.
Positive Affirmation
Positive statements or mantras that instil feelings of comfort, courage, and peace while helping to change thoughts and attitudes.
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
with Commentary
Concentrate your Heart + Mind Rather than speaking it mechanically, take time with each petition.
The Lord’s Prayer
My Father who is in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Give me this day my daily bread
Forgive me my trespasses, as I forgive those who trespass against me
Lead me not into temptation
But deliver me from evil
For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory
Forever and ever,
Amen.
Our Father who is in heaven
Calling to the God of everything, in the highest sphere of the Tree of Life, Kether.
The necessity of seeing the spiritual aspect, God, with the consciousness; listening to the Verb, the Divine Word; preparing our spiritual organism for intuition.
Hallowed be Your name
First petition: calling to the sacredness of the name of God, the power of the Word, the Verb.
Your kingdom come
Second petition: Geburah the Divine Soul connects to Chokmah the Son or Second Logos.
With the pronunciation of the Word, the sacred mantras, the internal Kingdom of the Holy Masters comes to us.
Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven
Third petition: that we may use our free will to be in harmony with God’s will.
Give us this day our daily bread
Fourth petition: the soul calls to the essence of the physical body Malkuth.
“The phrase ‘daily bread’ means the ‘supersubstantial bread’ in Greek or the ‘bread from the Highest’. Gnosis gives us this ‘bread of life’ in a double meaning; this is ideas and strength, which allow us to disintegrate our psychological errors.” – Samael Aun Weor
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us
Fifth petition: that the Law of Mercy outshine the Law of the Talion(eye for an eye); that love and forgiveness reign, and that we utilize our vital energies for God, without trespassing or violating these forces.
It is important to allow ourselves to be forgiven by God.
Lead us not into temptation
Sixth petition: our interior essence asking to not be lead by the body of desire, the inferior astral body.
But deliver us from evil
Seventh petition: the interior essence asking to not be lead astray by the inferior mind, the inferior mental body.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory
“Malkuth the Kingdom, Hod the Glory, Netsach the Power form the basal triangle of the Tree of Life, with Yesod the Foundation or Receptacle of Influences as the central point.” -Dion Fortune
The Kingdom is Malkuth, the physical world. Glory is Hod, the astral world. Power is Netsach the mental world.
God is in all things.
Forever and ever, Amen.
“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”
― Bruce Lee
with Commentary
Concentrate your Heart + Mind Rather than speaking it mechanically, take time with each petition.
The Serenity Prayer
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Calling to the source of the highest good, requesting for a peaceful and holy state of receptivity to be bestowed upon us to cope with adverse situations that are out of our control.
Courage to change the things which should be changed,
Requesting the strength and willpower to influence difficult situations for the better.
and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Requesting the ability to discern between situations that are and are not within our own ability to manage.
Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time,
In hopes that we can endure the struggles of every day life, and find some sense of enjoyment from moment to moment.
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Admitting and recognizing that peace is found in acceptance of what is.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it,
Looking to the exemplary acts of arguably the greatest example of Christ Consciousness in human form ever, Yeshua, in order to humble ourselves and let go of our own expectations of how things “should be.”
Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will,
Displaying a humble submission in faith that there is a higher source of intelligence than us…
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next.
….and that it/God/Source/Creator will help us if we get out of the way, because we were created with the potential to overcome the temptations and tribulations of this life, and reach Heaven*
Amen. Affirmation of belief in truth that my prayer has been heard, from the heart.
*** Heaven is not a place “somewhere out there.” “Heaven” is available in the Here & Now, in this Space & Time present moment. Luke 17:21
“You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.”
― Kahill Gibran
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
with Commentary
Concentrate your Heart + Mind Rather than speaking it mechanically, take time with each petition.
The Peace Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
An authentic heartfelt call to Creator/God/Source/Highest-Intelligence/Higher-Self/InnerMost, requesting to serve the greatest and highest good.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Recognizing that remedy and peace is accomplished not through the application of the same negative force being experienced, and asking for the grace and ability to apply the suitable and required positive force.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
Rather than looking to the outside world to sooth our troubles, we ask for help to “be the change we wish to see in the world.”
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love.
Acknowledging our lack and needs, and that we must allow our hearts to open so we can be an inspired conduit whereby creative forces act through us.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Acknowledging that effort, charity, and sacrifice are required for love and peace to grow. This is easier when we “let go and let God.” It doesn’t mean we lose ourselves, it means we learn to live life fully by valuing the spiritual that moves through the physical.
Amen. Affirmation of belief in truth that my prayer has been heard.
“The wise man in the storm prays God not for safety from danger but for deliverance from fear.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Relationships and Environments
“….In addition to all of these practical steps that we can take to protect ourselves, we should also be very aware of our relationships and our environments, and what types of elements we are inviting into our environments and into our relationships….”
“…So, natural and religious sites can have a pure psychic atmosphere. This is what I find when I visit very old churches or temples. Nature as well. Some say that God's temple is nature, so that can be a way to purify your mind, to purify your heart, to get away from the city for a little bit if you live in a crowded place, and to be able to invite some of those higher vibrations into your life. Being aware that those environments are positive and healing and can be good places to visit on a regular basis…..”
“….Conversely, places like bars, clubs, cinemas, cemeteries, etc., attract astral larvae. So astral larvae, we say, are like little bugs that will latch onto you and suck away your energy. They are attracted to a lot of Gnostic students because we are conserving so much energy through our transmutation practice. You can say that on the astral plane, we are glowing like candles with the amount of energy that we are conserving, and that is why the more serious you are in your chastity and in your practice, you may attract certain attacks. If you go to places like this because you are unable to avoid them for some reason or other, put…”
