Magic and Draíocht (The Gift of Imbas)
Searles

Wed Sep 13 01:27:34 2000
This is a Celtic Workshop that I once gave on CompuServe.  It has somehow managed to find its way into many popular online Books of Shadows (BOS).  Some of these BOS give me credit for the work while I've noticed others that have carefully eliminated any references to me or my name within them.  I've cleaned this version up a bit from the earlier ones and offer it here to the An Daire Draiochta members as an example of how to experience Drai/ocht in one's life>*p*Searles*p*****p*Magic and Draíocht (The Gift of Imbas)*p*by*p*Searles O'Dubhain*p*The ancients were a lot more in tune with their entire minds They didn't really draw a line between intuitive things and rationality. To receive the "Gift of Imbas" as they did, (which is sometimes called Awen), requires us to achieve heightened or altered states of consciousness. First let's describe what an altered state is. An altered state of consciousness is just that, a different state from that which we normally experience. This can be anything from a heightened awareness of our physical surrounding to a totally different way of perceiving all of reality. I have basically recognized the following states in myself:*p*1. Sensing The Mood Or Spirit Of The Land Around Me*p*This is not limited to the Land but also includes the trees, the streams, animals, the wind, and the soul of the Earth. This state is achieved by quieting the spirit and/or the mind. Being at peace allows the world around us to communicate and touch us. I do this by relaxing and releasing my thoughts and emotions. I float and accept. I observe what IS. Not what I expect to see. Reality is as it is and not filtered by my conditioning. It is in its Natural State.*p*2. Having Access to Imbas for Inspiration and Divination. *p*This usually comes in flashes. I blank my mind in a manner similar to the above process but usually do this in a secluded room without light and external distractions. I fix my purpose in my mind and seek for an answer. I do not allow anything to distract me. When my answer comes, I can immediately recognize it.*p*3. Being Out Of "Time Sync" With Others. *p*Being slightly in the future of what's happening around me. This usually happens to me without trying and sometimes accompanies other heightened states. It also happens when I've taken anything with codeine in it.*br*4. Seeing "Visions" *p*These are phenomena and things that are happening in the future or the past as if they are happening right now. This state comes on me when I have a quest that requires me to see through a different set of eyes or a different point of view. I actually let myself just look into another world or time through the eyes of a native being (sometimes me or a relative, sometimes an artificial construct.)*p*5. Sensing People from Previous Lives. *p*I usually have no control of this. It just happens and can be triggered by some familiar gesture word or other similar event. I just feel very at ease and comfortable (or hostile at times) with the person I've known before.*p*6. Reading Minds. *p*(This also just happens). This is not in words. It is in images and feelings. I just know what someone is thinking or feeling.*p*7. Going Out Of the Body. *p*I have to relax totally, isolate all external distractions. I start at my extremities and work inward. (Did I mention that I am lying down on a comfy surface?) I release all the tension in my physical body first. I next calm my emotions, then my thoughts. Once I only exist within my head, I start releasing all external inputs. I shut down all my creative centers. I turn off all the monitoring that goes on. I relax and float. If Thoughts or emotions enter in, I sink them into the Earth away from me. I banish them. I float. Once I am completely isolated and floating in total darkness, I try to see behind me and in front of me at the same time. This is not possible while embracing the normal physical existence. It can only be done in our Spirit forms. This takes total concentration and practice and not force, just persistence and release. I liken this process to what happens when one is born or . a long persistent pushing through the birth canal surrounds us. The physical barriers thin out before our efforts and suddenly we are born anew on the astral plane. I can then see in all directions and at the same time I am aware of all around me. Physical barriers are only thought forms to be ignored at Will. I can go anywhere I desire to go. (However I am only a child in this existence and am also very aware of the far greater Powers around me). I exercise extreme caution when traveling the Astral. It is very easy to be "noticed" and to become the object of unwanted attentions. My conscious mind distracts me continually as I maintain a hold on my physical existence. When I return to me body, I actually have to struggle back into it! Part of me wants to stay on the Astral. The barriers that separate and protect us from Astral Intrusions are tough to penetrate even when we hold the keys! Be careful and cautious and you can learn a lot. Slip for a minute and you can be trapped, possessed or lost.*p*8. Communing with the Deities.*p*I commune with the Deities in several ways. I recognize that all things have life and Power within them. I especially feel closeness to trees, plants, rivers and lakes. The ocean just overwhelms me with its Power. The clouds constantly change in their forms and interactions. Celts believe that places have Spirits. I am a Celt, by birth but also because I feel this Oneness and connection to Nature. You can be a Brother or Sister the same way. Birth is unimportant. Who we are in the Spirit is very important. The first way to commune with the Spirits is through Nature. When in this state my physical senses are extremely heightened.*br* *br*The next way to commune with the Deities is through Ritual. In Ritual we open the Pathways within us to be filled with the Power of Spirit. We invite It within and share Its Touch. Magic is nothing more than specialized Ritual and is also a focusing of the Power of Spirit. We can actually become the God or the Goddess or some otherworldly presence at these times. They can have a physical body through us. I have sat back at such times and been amazed at the words pouring forth from my mouth from the Energy that possesses me. This Power is benevolent and will vanish anytime we reassert ourselves. I caution those who would try this to be CERTAIN that they are within a Sacred Space and are Protected before opening up to a Spirit Entity. All Spirits are not benevolent and some WILL try to violate your presence and assume complete control of your body. It happens all the time. Watch the news and see for yourself. When out of the body and feeling no constraints, it is possible to experience the touch of the Deities. I have felt Their Wonderful Presence filling me. I usually feel Their approach as a feeling of tremendous anticipation. I sense that something monumental is going to occur. Something coming to me. The space around my spirit begins sparkling in golden crystals. Then I experience a thrill of joy and happiness. I am completed and embraced by the Knowledge of the Ages and The Love of my Fellow Spirit. It's beyond words but so very uplifting, comforting and peaceful. I feel that I am where I should be. My sense of my life's purpose and my need to finish my work on this plane pulls me back. I also feel that I need to share myself with those on the physical plane I love. I cannot yet abandon the world of form. I bid Them adieu in Perfect Love and struggle back into my body. I carry Their Blessings and Love within. I try to share this in my life with others.*p*9. Working With Power.*br* *br*I always work within a Circle when connecting with Spiritual Power. This can be a Circle surrounding my person in an emergency. I prefer to use traditional methods to create Circles more formally. Circles tend to hold residuals of the Spells of Protection that are cast for them. My Circle at home is such a place. Anyone can enter it but only those that are invited may work with Power there. Sleeping within this Circle is guaranteed to make you travel and have the strangest of dreams!<G>*br* *br*To use Power I merely open myself to it. No meditation is necessary, though it helps me to be more sensitive to the nuances of Power. All I really need is a Magically isolated place, a Circle. Once I am open, I reach for the Power of the Earth and the Sky. I let the Energy flow through me. (It feels like it comes into my feet and out of my hands and head! This is similar to the way lightning flows.) I leave the stream open and charge myself as full as I can get. My hair usually stands up a bit and I get all "goose pimply"! I keep in mind the goal of my working and I release the Power I've stored. (At the same time the Power leaves me, I see it going as a beam of energy. If the Working is large or systemic, I tie the beam to the same source I've tapped. This permits it to continue after I've released it. (I actually visualize the beam remaining and pumping the energy out.) I leave the beam with a spell that allows it to quit when the Work is done. I release the Power back to the Earth and Sky and thank the Deity for their help. It helps to eat or drink or something equally grounded in Physical Reality after such an effort.*p*10. Dying.*br* *br*This is the Ultimate altered state. I myself have never actually died in this lifetime yet. Maybe there is no lasting state of death? I have been at the Portal many times. I have sensed the Ways to Tír na n'Og. Always when I am close I sense a peace and surrender within me to the call of the Guardian of the Door. I actually laugh from happiness. I have been told to return to this life because my Work is not yet done. I have spoken to members of my own family about their own near death experiences and they are remarkably similar. A releasing and a faith in what will come. A sensing that all is right and that the Ultimate Will Accomplishes Its Purpose. I have read many books and accounts of the experiences of others that have gone through that door and returned. My belief in the Afterlife is strengthened by their revelations. The ancient Celts and Druids believed so strongly in such an afterlife that they sometimes chose to voluntarily accompany their loved ones through the Door. Druids would even borrow money to be repaid in another life! Needless to say their strong beliefs in another Life after this One caused the Celts to have no fear of Death!<G>*br* *br*I have watched the Spirits of those I love leave their bodies and have seen the Light that surrounds them in Happiness. I have seen their smiles to have finished their Work and receive their New Lives. Death is no End, Death is an Accomplishment and a Release.*br* *br*How do we tell when these states occur? We don't have to!!! We are in them! They happen to us and we react to them!! We can't mistake them!! They are beyond all Time and Space!*br* *br*Seriously, If you are in one of these states, you feel very "charged up" and full of energy. You sense an Exaltation of the Spirit. You are extremely "Alive"! You will know and You will enjoy!<G>*br* *br*How do we induce altered states of consciousness? The answer to this is that we "open" ourselves up to them. We release our grasp on the Normal state of Consciousness. We expand ourselves to the limits that are actually there and not the ones we are conditioned to accept. Seeing things that can't exist in Normal Reality helps sometimes. It shakes us out of our conditioning. This can be as simply as seeing a glorious Sunset or as strange as seeing a UFO or a Demon. I have achieved altered states through meditation, drugs, Circles, Rituals, Drumming, Singing, Reading, Dreaming, Involuntary or accidental occurrences, sickness and by being Possessed. I don't recommend narcotics or heavy drugs, sickness or Possession. Incenses and herbal drinks are ok though. (We'll discuss these next week).*p*"Practical Meditation for Imbas"*br* *br*I'll try to elaborate a little here on the practical side of meditation. I usually meditate lying down with my head to the North and my body relaxed. If I am in Ritual I can Meditate while standing or kneeling. The most important aspect to remember is to relax each part of your body and mind. I usually start at my extremities (feet and hands). I tell myself, "Relax your right foot, relax your left foot, relax your.... and so on. I release all the tension in each part and let it flow out. I do this several times until I don't feel my body any longer. Next I start on my breathing and my heartbeat until they are automatic and transparent. Then I quiet my thoughts until only Darkness persists. Next I try to ignore the Darkness until I am floating. To go further requires additional techniques. At this point I am a blank tablet and can just rest or I can receive "messages" from Others. It's very important to be where you are absolutely secure from unwelcome intrusions of the Spirit or the Physical at this time. Without such a safe place, you will always be slightly on your guard. It helps if another Being you trust will watch over you at this time. This can be anyone from an elemental, a totemic animal, a Spirit Guide, a person to a God/dess. Just thinking about how it feels to meditate and then writing this answer, makes me meditate.<G> I guess that remembering how it felt to meditate makes it easier to meditate the next time you try! Practice makes Perfect!<G>*p*"Druidic Meditation"*br* *br*Some of this material was covered previously but I repeat it here for clarity and the benefit of those that may no have seen that particular Workshop yet!<G> Druidic meditation was usually done for divination and foretelling the future. This was called by the names: Teinm Laeda, Dichetal Do Chennaib and Imbas Forosnai.*br* *br*Teinm Laeda (Illumination by Song) is an altered state usually achieved by chanting or singing of a repetitive pattern. This can also include drumming and dancing. These activities synchronize the body and mind to an external rhythm allowing us to cast off the chains of normal existence. This allows you to float at peace within the song (dance, beat, mantra, etc.) This is a strictly Druidic or Shamanic practice even though it may look like TM.*br* *br*Dichetal Do Chennaib (Cracking open the Nuts of Wisdom) is a state achieved by relaxation and clearing the mind in a Ritual environment. It usually involved using some Magical implement such as a knife, a sword or a staff to touch a subject (usually upon the head) or by handling an item to discover what secret knowledge was contained within it. This information could be events from a person's past life, a detailed history of who and what had happened to an object or how and why the subject was being hexed or spelled. I know this sounds like ESP but it was enhanced through Ritual and relaxation techniques.*br* *br*Imbas Forosnai (Knowledge that Illuminates) was a form of altered state used by seers and bards to create or see visions. The Druid would be totally isolated from all sensory inputs, sounds, lights and feelings. This was usually a very dark room or a covering of hides. The Druid would attempt to float and relax. When in the proper state he would signal for the hides to be removed or he would open the door out of the darkness. The sudden, instantaneous transition from darkness to light would cause them to see visions or to spontaneously utter poems, prophecies or achieve a total awareness of the secret knowledge of their surroundings. This sensory deprivation was their Ultimate Meditation technique.*br* *br*The Druids also used music, colors, trees and numbers to alter their consciousness. They were familiar with the Pythagorean Mysteries and may have actually been the source of them!<G>*br* *br*Druids shared Indo-European roots with the Indian Brahmins but I don't have any hard data to support any similarities in their practices.*p*"Drugs"*br* *br*I have experienced Magical states from drugs but I don't think the technique is sufficiently controllable or repeatable. It's like playing your Steinway with a sledgehammer. Sure you can play a song but at what cost to the instrument? Plus I find that the songs are usually more sophisticated if I don't use the sledge!<G>*br* *br*I would caution anyone using drugs to know their track records, side effects and purity before starting. Then do them under gradually increasing controlled and supervised conditions. Never experiment with drugs. There is always a documented lab record of their effects. Know your suppliers and don't get the wrong ones! The best recommendation is don't do drugs. Your Mind, Body and Spirit can achieve better and more lasting results. (As I mentioned previously, some natural herbal drinks and incenses seem to aid meditation and ritual. We'll discuss those another time). Well there we have it! All the different ways to achieve illumination, Awen or Imbas!*br*