Category: Guest Authors

Geek Month in Review: June 2011

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

The hot has begun…

Because This Will End Well
Archaeologists in Mexico have found a previously unknown tunnel under the Temple of the Snake in Teotihuacan. They estimate that it’s been sealed for over 1,800 years and there are chambers at the end of the passage. Those SciFi movie plots don’t just write themselves…

Muppets, Fraggle Rock and Serenity
Nerd and geek combined into one: cross-overs that never existed.

Behind the Scenes Photos
From little movies like Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Other shots:
How they did the Empire Strikes Back text crawl (you’ll be surprised).
A shot of Alfred Hitchcock, Tippi Hedren and some birds.
A shot inside the giant alien spacecraft in Alien.
A picture of Max Schreck lounging creepily. (Bonus geek points if you know the Other Movie this ties into, all too eerily.)
Really, why are you still reading this blurb? Click on the link already!

Scary Great Toy Mashup or Sign of the Toy Apocalypse?
So, combine collectible action figures, with collectible card games, Pokeman, Gauntlet (yes, the venerable arcade game) and console-based video games. Oh, and throw in some old-fashioned leveling-up madness. What do you have? Skylanders. It’s a video game for consoles (all of them, I guess). It’s fairly standard Gauntlet-like collect things and smash monsters. However, the character you play is based on what actual toy action figure you plug into their USB-connected platform. Before your head explodes, you have to use one of the action figures (32 at release) they’re producing for the game. The plus side is that any items you collect or leveling-up you do with that specific action figure are stored — inside the action figure. You can take the guy with you to a friends house and have all those abilities and loot you got before. The game comes with 3 figures, and they’re going to be releasing “booster packs” with random figures inside.

Awesome People Hanging Out Together
It’s the name of the link and the subject matter all in one. Photos of unusual pairings, all looking like they’re candid shots. Lots of pop culture icons in there, plus some geek favorites: Niels Bohr & Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates (many, many years ago, looking all hippy and geeky), Neil Patrick Harris & Stephen Colbert, Chuck Norris & Bruce Lee (that’s a money shot). And something just for a conspiracy-theorist’s dream: Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Warren G. Harding, and Harvey Firestone (I mean, seriously); or Salvador Dali & Walt Disney.

Laser from a Living Cell
Are atomic mutants not far behind?

Well, The Assyrian Dictionary is Done
And it only took 90 years!

Now, This is Graffiti I Can Get Behind
Just an inspired piece of art. Imagine drawing a mustache on a famous portrait, and then take it up about ten notches.

From the ‘Dogs Can Smell Better Than You’ Files
Scientists have discovered that dogs are better at telling twins apart than, wait for it, DNA tests. Turns out there IS a genetic difference between twins, but it’s so small that modern DNA tests have trouble distinguishing between identical twins. Not so with dogs.

This is How Science-Fiction Becomes Reality
Austrian scientists have developed a new way to do what rotors on helicopters and airplanes have done before now. Heck, their flying machines don’t even need wings. They produce thrust by using rotating turbine-like blades, and because those blades can be adjusted, the D-Dalus can produce thrust in any direction, 360 degrees. It’s also fine with rough weather and nearly silent.

How to Build an Awesome Enclosure for Your Telescope
How? You make it into a TARDIS replica. Seriously.

Mars in a Bottle
Scientists create an artificial Mars-like environment and then toss in some Earth microbes to see how they fare. It does sound a little like a SciFi Channel Saturday movie, why do you ask?

Why Are Homo Sapiens the Only Hominids Still Hanging Around?
Maybe because homo erectus used the same axe design for a million years. Yeah, seriously.

The Lego(tm) Barad-dùr
It’s the heart of Mordor in Lego(tm) form. Evil Eye included. Check out the link at the bottom of the article to the Flickr pictures.

Print Anything: Input Just Sand and Sun
Ok, not anything, but lots of things. It’s a 3D printer powered by the sun that just uses sand as a material input.

Slow is Creepy, and Trippy
Ever wondered what that sound a modem makes when it does the initial hand-shaking connection-making with the host computer would sound like if you slowed it down 700%? Well, wonder no more!


Note: if you’re not old enough to know what a dial-up modem is, sounded like or was for, look it up on wikipedia already.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

NNYPRS Tech Council: Being a Paranormal investigator

by Administrator, posted in Events, Guest Authors, Paranormal

By Brian Leighton

I get asked by a lot people to join NNYPRS, they saw the shows and want to be a ghost hunter!!!! Now as soon as I hear the term ghost hunter, I usually cringe, then roll my eyes and politely respond with what is needed to join our team (sign up at our forum and start joining discussions) most people that contact me never follow through.

Now the TV shows out there are pretty entertaining but while they have done a lot to help bring the paranormal sciences into the main stream it also has not shown everything involved with a proper investigation. That’s not the TV shows fault, a lot of what is involved is REALLY boring…. For example, when you watch most shows they are reviewing data for about 3-5min. YA RIGHT!!!! Try 20+ hours for a 6-8 hour investigation. How is that possible?? Well when you have 4 cameras recording for 5 hours that is 20 hours of video that you have to review, plus EVP sessions, AND all the photos that are taken!!!! But wait there’s more…..That is just the investigation!

One thing that NNYPRS does is a historical research on the property. What this does is helps us separate fact from fiction. There are many times that we are told “I heard a guy hung himself in this room” or “there was a huge fire and someone died” The problem is without proof of the event it is simply just a story. We have a couple investigators that spend countless hours combing through newspapers, atlases and other resources. Now the internet has made this a little easier, it allows us to do this mainly from home as opposed to before when there were several trips made to local clerk’s offices to search deeds and land records. Sometimes this still has to be done. This allows us to give the clients a detailed history of when the property was settled, who lived there, possibly who died and if there were any traumatic events on the property. When we leave the client has a file about an inch thick about their property.

Now I don’t want you guys to think that I am bashing all the shows out there, some are kind of close to what we do, “Ghost Hunters” is one of them. Then you have a show like “Ghost Adventures”, also known as the “Jersey Shore” of the paranormal shows (not sure which one would be Snooki). Pretty much the farthest you can get from what an investigation should be, but it is entertaining…

The best part of this is that we do it for FREE!!! We NEVER charge for any investigation at all…NNYPRS is run with donations, member dues and fundraisers like the Expos we produce. Our next one is at Fort William Henry in Lake George, NY July 2nd and 3rd. We have a lot of awesome people that will be speaking at the event, demonologists, bigfoot hunters, yours truly as well as other members of our group. You can visit with the psychics or enjoy all the other vendors that will be there. So if you want to find out what it takes to be a paranormal investigator stop on by and we will be more than happy to show you all the equipment!!!!! See ya there….

About Brian Leighton:
Brian Is the NNYPRS Team Leader and head of the Tech Council. You can contact him at Brian@nnyprs.com with any question or comments.

Hey Folks,

It’s Rebecca and I thought I’d give you all some more details about the Lake George Paranormal Expo that’s being presented by the Northern New York Paranormal Research Society and the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center.

It’s a two day event being held on Saturday July 2 and Sunday July 3, 2011. The hours are 10am – 8pm both days with speakers starting at 10:30am both days. Speakers you ask? They’ve got a great bunch of folks coming out for the event! Gordie Little, who you may remember from “Spicy Italian Ghosts”, NNYPRS Tech Council, who keep providing The Magical Buffet with paranormal related articles, James Annitto, demonologist and paranormal investigator, Bob Canino, author of “UFO’s in Upstate NY”, and more! Like me!

There are assorted vendors attending, ranging from psychic readings to aura photography to soy candles featuring scents being created specifically for the expo! There will also be activities for the kids!

Admission is $12 each day for adults but you can save $2 by bringing a non-perishable food item for donation!

To learn more visit: http://nnyprs.com/lake_george_expo.htm

Hope to see you there!

What I’ve Learned From Bin Laden

by Administrator, posted in Guest Authors

By Cindy Chaney

I turned on the television and news of Osama Bin Laden’s death had just reached the air waves. Ten years after he changed the world with an act of war Navy SEALs finally found him. Like many Americans I felt relief but I also began to reflect and wonder what could we learn, what had I learned? Not just about war but about peace? Was peace possible and would the death of one man help bring us closer to this ideal? Almost immediately I could feel the resistance, reluctance, and skepticism trying to push through to the surface. I could hear my ego screaming “yeah, right buddy! You are totally out of touch with reality; peace is never going to happen.” As I began to listen more to what my heart was saying I realized that I wanted so badly to have peace in the world and within myself. Why was I feeling this resistance?

Thinking back I was actually able to pinpoint the exact occurrence in my life that changed the way I looked at peace. I was twenty-one years old and the year was 2001 and I had just moved to Italy. I was excited to move into a new chapter of my life and to finally be living with my new husband. We had been best friends, high school sweethearts, long distance lovers, and now husband and wife. Our marriage had taken place the summer prior but I insisted on finishing my last year at Chapman University before joining him in Vicenza, Italy where he was stationed for the United States Army. It was exhilarating to pack up all my things and move away from all I had known to start a new life in a foreign country. Italy was breathtaking and I loved feeling like every day I woke up I was on vacation. I arrived in July and by September I was still full of joy as I woke up each day pinching myself and wondering if this really could be my life.

I loved waking up and falling asleep next to my husband, I loved living in Italy, I loved traveling around Europe where everywhere I looked there was something I had never seen before, and I loved being a wife. I was eager to find a job and despite the constant assurance from fellow military spouses, Italians, and even the job placement coordinator that it would be almost impossible to find a job that wasn’t waitress or cashier I was soon hired as a Human Resource Assistant. Things in our country were pretty peaceful at this time and I definitely can say that I had peace within and I was more than abundant. This was the happiest time in my adult life. Even the smallest tasks such as; stopping for a morning cappuccino felt like an exotic holiday adventure. It was a joyous way to live.

By September my husband was in Germany at PLDC which is training to become a sergeant. While he was away we still had not received any of our house hold goods or my car, my job would not be starting for another month, I had not made many friends yet, and I had not learned much Italian. It was a bit of a lonely time for me as there was much solitude. However, I was able to begin to learn my way around town and use the quiet time to learn about myself. I guess you could say this was the calm before the storm. On September 11, 2001 everything changed as my life like many others became overwhelmed with fear. Would my husband be going to war? I began to immediately pray for peace. I prayed that our President would choose peace. I prayed that our leaders would be level headed and not blame a group for a small number of people’s actions. I prayed that the love of my life would be safe from harm. I prayed for peace externally every night before I went to sleep and constantly throughout my day but I never thought of claiming the peace within. I had not yet realized that I could claim myself to be peace and have that projected throughout all of my reality.

Soon our country was at war in Afghanistan and my husband was still in training in Germany. Although I wasn’t in America at the time I hear that many people were eager for revenge and supported our decision to invade Afghanistan and then Iraq (or at least that was the news we were getting in Italy). Other countries were protesting these actions but the Italians were the ones that I identified with the most. They didn’t protest rather they just called for peace. The Italians began to hang up beautiful rainbow flags that said PACE (peace in Italian) in big white letters. I felt the same way as all I wanted was peace. What army wife wouldn’t want peace? I decided to join the Italians in their call for peace and I purchased an exquisite rainbow flag that said PACE and hung it from my balcony.

My PACE flag flew in beautiful harmony for exactly five days before I was forced to take it down. The sergeant in charge of my building called me a communist and called my beloved flag anti-American. I asked him, “How can hoping for peace be anti-American?” He believed that my flag was protesting America. I think part of my soul died that day as taking down that flag went against everything I stood for as a human being. It was devastating for me to think that I was surrounded by people that had the same thought structure as this sergeant. If I only had myself to worry about I would have left the flag. Leaving the flag up would have be the best thing for my soul. Unfortunately, in the military your actions as a military wife affect your husband and so for him I took the flag down.

In this moment I realized that not only had September 11th created war externally, it had a created a war inside me. September 11th and my PACE flag had a domino effect of doubt, worry, fear, and cynicism on my life. Furthermore, I’ve learned that the first time you back down from something you believe in it becomes easier and easier to do so and before you know it you don’t even recognize yourself anymore. The PACE flag was one of the first in a series of decisions where I allowed myself to compromise who I was and what I believed in order to be the wife I thought my husband wanted. It wasn’t until this announcement of Osama’s death that I began to see how much I wanted to be the girl who never backed down again, the one who had high moral standards for herself and those around her, the girl who didn’t let anyone push her around. I need to look at the war that goes on within me. This is the war of the ego vs. spirit and the constant battle of right, wrong, positive, and negative which is where polarity is at.

One visionary, John Lennon, sang “Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, And no religion too, Imagine all the people, Living life in peace.” Perhaps if we are able to operate in the consciousness of total oneness and abundance, and without the need, desire, and want to compete, then we could have peace. As I write this I am making a pledge to myself to never let others make me question what I know is right, to be true to my soul, to allow myself to imagine what Lennon envisioned, to not let others fear influence me, and to wave my PACE flag for the entire world to see. Will you join me? As human beings we must go within ourselves and stop the war within. Once you have established this then the thought conscious level that creates the activity of war in masses and governments will also change.


About Cindy Chaney:Cindy Chaney is currently completing her PhD.D at the University of Sedona where she is studying Metaphysics where her focus is on Holistic Life Coaching. Prior to her PhD.D work she completed a B.A. and a Masters in Metaphysics with The University of Metaphysics where her thesis work was completed on channeling. Prior to her studies of the unknown Chaney was educated at Cameron University with a Master in Business and Chapman University completing a B.A in Organizational Leadership and Communications. Chaney has worn many hats in the business world including; working for the United States Army in Italy, working in finance for the notorious Lehman Brothers, creating a website for nerds called mynerdgirl.com, and as a Business Professor to name a few. Chaney is also an ordained minister, well-trained in the art of reflexology, a lousy but passionate ukulele player, and an avid cat lover.

Geek Month in Review: May 2011

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

And the weather is warming!

Fantastic Time-Lapse Movie
If you’ve never seen a cloud layer boiling and roiling like the ocean against a beach, you haven’t seen a real time-lapse movie. Must watch this in HD (full-screen).

The Amazing Transforming Apartment
Anyone else reminded of Bruce Willis’ guy from “Fifth Element”? Watch what this guy packs into 24 square meters:

It’s a Plane! No, it’s a Train! Actually, It’s Both.
A Japanese research group is working on a type of “train” that floats above the ground on a cushion of air. No, not a maglev train; apparently those are old hat. They’re working on a train that acts like a plane cruising right above the ground.

National Jukebox
The US Library of Congress (working with Sony) has put together a database of sound recordings from the early part of the 20th Century. It’s streaming-only, but has a wealth of stuff, all searchable. It’s not just music, but speeches, too.

Let Quantum Physics Officiate Your Wedding
No, really, that’s what the title of the article is. Apparently a scientist is using some machine to quantum entangle photons as they pass over the happy couple. Or something.

The New Domesday Book
In the 80’s the BBC and some historians cooked up a national effort to create something like the original Domesday Book, on it’s 900 anniversary. The original was a census of England at the time. The new thing was created with a population survey, tons of photos, virtual walk-throughs of historical buildings, etc. And then pressed onto special laser discs. That’s right, laser disks. Which required a special reader to read and a specific computer to display. Fast forward 30 years or so, and todays historians are worried the disks won’t be able to be read anymore (can’t think why).

The Project: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Domesday_Project

Here’s what they did to solve it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday

CDC Tells How to Prepare for Zombie Apocalypse
Do they know something we don’t? You ever read that story about a conspiracy that uses movies and tv shows (“fictional” ones) to prepare the wider population to accept and deal with an upcoming Big Problem? No? Oh, never mind then.

Surreal Monuments from the Future
So I totally stole this from the Illuminated Site of the Week, but here’s 25 monuments in the former Yugoslavia that look like they’re from the future.

Orchidarium Professor Ruth Cardoso
It’s a nifty looking building, but the name itself is just so much fun to say. It’s a memorial to Professor Ruth Cardoso (which is why her name is tacked in there), but the purpose of the building itself is to grow Orchids. Thus the “Orchidarium” part.

What If We’re the Forerunners?
An amusing little blog entry that posits, ok, there something like 500 million Earth-like planets out there, just in our galaxy. So why isn’t there a spaceship in orbit right now, offering to sell us cheap hyperdrives? Well, what if we’re the first sentient race? And then he has a very funny idea….

Concrete Tent
Brilliant, simple idea. Ship a canvas tent that’s been impregnated with concrete, put it up with an air blower, dose it with water and in 24 hours, you have a permanent concrete structure. Awesome!

Real, Functional Bionic Hand
Welcome to the 21st Century, where we have real bionic limb replacements. No, I’m not kidding. Yes, it is real.

When Your Museum Gets Raided by the CDC in Biohazard Gear…
…You know you’re doing something interesting. So this historical society in Virginia put on an “oddities” exhibit from their collection, including a letter from a smallpox sufferer who included one of their smallpox scabs. Call me crazy, but I think there are some things you don’t need to collect for posterity, and potentially viable smallpox is definitely high on the list.

Weather in Mordor Today: Overcast, 100% chance of Eye*
Official in Hungary are using locations from the “Lord of the Rings” instead of real places to test broadcast their automated radio alerts.

* Headline courtesy of Fark.com

Need a Drone?
Need an unmanned aerial drone cheap? Need to make 3D maps of the photos your drone takes? Look no further than Pix4D, a cloud-based company that helps stitch together your aerial’s photos and create nice 3D maps out of them. They also created a spin-off company that can sell you the drones.

Graphene: the New Plastic
The latest miracle material — wait, don’t stop reading. It really is. The discoverers/inventors have a Nobel prize to back up their assertions. Not to mention the over 200 scientists doing active research into it.

Icelandic Volcano Eruption, in HD
Because there’s nothing those Icelandic folks like better than a good volcanic plume. Video in wonderful HD.

Pigs Flying
Duke Nukem has gone gold. I know, hell has frozen over. (See the illustration in the linked article, it’s funny.)

Lost Pyramids Found
It’s not really news that infrared satellite imaging will reveal hidden structures. It’s certainly not news that Egypt has pyramids. What is news is that these researchers found 17 pyramids, over 1,000 tombs and over 3,000 ancient settlements, all previously unknown. Oh, and the city of Tanis. You remember that one, right? From the first Indiana Jones movie? Buried in the sands thousands of years ago, Ark of the Covenant? Yeah, that Tanis.

Robots Developing Their Own Language
No, not a headline from 2044. It’s a lab in Queensland (Australia) where the researchers are setting up their robots to develop their own communications system.

Ring Around the Moon
Japanese research firm is proposing building a ring of solar cells around the Moon’s equator, and then beaming the 13,000 terawatts of energy back to Earth. Yeah, seriously.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Recharge your Magick, Refresh your Spirit

by Administrator, posted in Guest Authors, Magic/Occult

by Melanie Marquis

Our magickal rituals are meant to be enriching, transformative experiences that have a real effect on both our inner world and the world at large. When our rituals become routine, however, it’s easy to switch from active participant to automatic bystander, simply going through the motions without really feeling (or working) the magick. As this rut develops gradually over time, it can be hard to realize just how deep of a hole we’re getting ourselves into. A failed spell, a backfiring charm, an empty and unfulfilling sabbat ceremony—these magickal mishaps shake us up and open our eyes to the fact that our practice is missing something. We become aware of a sense of disconnect, an inner knowing that, magickally speaking, things just aren’t like they used to be.

If this sounds familiar, look up! It’s very possible to recharge your magick and refresh your spirit, and it’s a journey you’ll likely enjoy. In fact, it’s a journey you will likely never end, as continued progress is the true key to satisfying, effective magick. Designing your own road forward is what my new book “The Witch’s Bag of Tricks” (June 2011, Llewellyn Publications) is all about. I believe we have not only an ability, but a duty, to make our magick the best it can possibly be, and to use that magick for the best things we can possibly imagine. If you’ve been feeling any less than totally powerful and enthusiastic when it comes to your craft, it’s time to boost your strength and rekindle the flame in a big way. Here are a few tips and tricks you can try right now to start revamping your magickal practice and renewing your spirituality.

Relocate!

Simply finding a new place in which to work our magick is often refreshing. Our craft is very much tied to the earth, and taking your magick to a new environment can be a source of inspiration and fresh power. Try this. Go out alone or with a group to a natural place or to the middle of a city—where you go is up to you, as long as it is a place you have never (or rarely) practiced magick before, and as long as it is a place where you feel safe doing so. Take in your surroundings with all your senses; tune in to the energies around you. What power sources do you sense in the area? What do you see? Are there any stones, plants, or water features that could perhaps be useful in a bit of magick? What thoughts and images are swirling through your head? What does this particular place suggest to you? On the spot, craft a ritual or spell using elements of this new environment. You might request the help of local nature spirits, or pick up a handful of soil to use in a prosperity spell. You might cast your charm into a stick you find lying on the ground, then toss the stick into a nearby creek to seal the spell. You might find a special stone that appeals to you and craft it into a luck-bringing talisman. Let the new environment guide your magick, and you’ll benefit not only from the spontaneity of the act, but also from the renewed sense of connection to the earth you’ll experience.

Skip the Tools!

Another easy way to recharge your practice is to do what you usually do, only without the aid of any ritual tools. The tools of magick are primarily intended to aid the spellcaster in performing the internal, spiritual, emotional, and mental actions of the magickal process. They are somewhat of an outer trapping, helpful but not necessary. When we rely too heavily on our magickal tools, we can lose focus of the true heart of spellwork, our attentions directed instead to the wand in our hand, the pentacle on the altar, the candle before us. Put yourself back in the center of the action by skipping the tools altogether every now and then and giving one of your favorite spells a go using nothing more or less than the enormous magickal power that lies within you.

Does the original spell call for a potion to be blended, or a talisman created? Ask yourself what the particular function of each ingredient and each direction in the original spell is, then decide how you can perform that same function using only your consciousness, will, and intent to direct and manipulate the magickal energy. You’ll become more aware of the essential steps of the magickal process, and as your technique improves, your spells will be more successful.

Rise to the Challenge!

When our magick has been a bit mediocre, we can lose faith fast. We begin to doubt our abilities and we may even hesitate to use them. If your spellwork hasn’t been quite up to par, don’t avoid it or ignore it. Face it head on and get to the bottom of it, so that you can clear your way back up to the top! One helpful technique is to test and track your magickal activity. Don’t just cast spells. Take notes, experiment, record results, and evaluate your magick. Try performing several spells with the same goal, a week or so apart, and see which sort of spell works best for you. For example, you might cast a prosperity spell using a candle as the main focal point, envisioning the growing flame of wealth. If the spell yields no results within whatever time period you specify, try another method, perhaps using a tarot card as a wealth-bringing talisman. If you still have no results, try a spell using image magick. Note what spells give you the best results.

Another exercise to try tests your banishing magick ability. Try this the next time you have some really hard-to-wash pans to scrub. Perform a banishing charm on one side of the pan, using a blast of psychic energy to separate the layer of crud and direct it away from the pan’s surface. Now scrub each side of the pan in equal measure, using the sponge with a uniform pressure. Which side cleans easiest? Did your banishing charm have any effect, or could your charmswork use some polishing?

What other experiments can you think of? Testing our magick and tracking results, noting successes and failures alike, allows us to see the “big picture” of our magickal development. Once we collect enough data from our magickal “experiments,” larger patterns become apparent. We’re aware of strengths we can utilize and weaknesses on which to work. We’re inspired to further our learning and empowered to make the most of our magick, which in turn, makes our magick more exciting, fulfilling, successful, and fun.

Next Steps

Whether you take your magick to new places, work it with only the bare essentials, or put it to the test through experimentation, trying new ways to shake up your magick routine and learning new techniques to improve your spellcasting will reinvigorate your practice. What other new tricks might you try? Are you curious to discover just how powerful your magick can be? From one witch to another, I urge you to go for it! Even the tiniest step forward can make us eager once more to sprint ahead on our own personal path to greater magickal and spiritual fulfillment.

About Melanie Marquis:
Melanie Marquis is a lifelong practitioner of magick, the author of “The Witch’s Bag of Tricks” (June 2011, Llewellyn Publications), and the founder of United Witches global coven. Her new book offers lots of ways to reinvigorate your craft and put the spark back in your spellwork. Visit her online at www.melaniemarquis.com.

Immortal Blues: The Wrap Up

by Administrator, posted in Guest Authors

At the end of January this year I started publishing a fiction serial by Greg Bullard called “Immortal Blues”. It was published every other Sunday with it just concluding on May 15th. I thought it would be nice, and convenient if I did a quick post that featured the links to each of the nine installments so you could easily just click your way through the series. However then I thought it might be fun to ask the author to share a few thoughts about “Immortal Blues”, and he did!

When I sat down to write “Immortal Blues”, I had a few thoughts that all managed to converge to turn into the story you (might have) read.

1. There’s so much great stuff in Urban Fantasy right now. I really want to be a part of that.

2. There’s way too much great stuff in Urban Fantasy right now, I’m not sure there’s anything original left to write.

3. What happened that we now depict Fairies as …well, Fairies? The Fae (or Fey) of legend were the original Bogey Men. They were the threats lurking outside the door that kept your kids in line. They were awe-inspiring, amazing, frightful, sometimes beautiful, sometimes hideous, often capricious and far more complex than the few stories most of us have been left with today.

So that made up my mind, I really needed a bad-ass Fae Detective.

That having been decided, my next struggle was how to handle all of the Fae lore. To put it succinctly, there’s a lot. It’s predominant in the history of Celtic culture, but differs greatly in Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh folklore (not to mention the presence of Fae in the mythology of other cultures).

Mostly I went with the great writings of W.B. Yeats and his tales of Irish Fairy and Folklore. However, even that is just a set of individual stories with some overlap, but not a consistent mythology. So I set out to build my own.

If you come across something in my story that makes you go, “Wait, that’s not what a _______ is!” Then that’s almost certainly my fault, because I put my own spin on it.

To be more precise, I went with the foundation that the Sidhe at the heart of the Tuatha Dé Danann were old lesser gods and goddesses in their own right, but subject to the Pagan goddess, Dana. The lesser or less regal Fae were their subjects, sometimes reluctantly.

As other cultures and religions came to dominance among the Celtic nations, the old myths were partial consumed by Christianity and partially discarded. Fae lore is the same.

Christianity gave us a rich character with a touching history in Saint Brigit of Kildare. However, for the Irish people of the time, they already had a Brigid. She had been a Pagan goddess for centuries.

Today we know that Christianity, in an effort to be accepted by the masses, tried to integrate itself as closely to their existing religions as possible; co-opting holidays, saints, holy sites, etc.

Knowing that, I wondered, so what happens if you accept that Brigid wasn’t just a goddess, co-opted by Christianity, but instead was a willing participant in the transition from one religion to another.

I took that willingness to change, and adopted it as the schism which fractured the Fae courts into Dark and Light (Seelie and Unseelie). In touching upon the two courts, I had moved firmly over into the Scottish Fae lore, rather than Irish. However, as I said, I wanted to try to bridge the different mythologies into one coherent history and mythology.

Now that I had a mythology I was happy with, I was ready to write a story about a bad-ass Fae detective. Of course, any time you have someone who is a bad-ass, it’s hard to write a compelling story about them that remains engaging, because they just bad-ass their way out of the problems you throw at them.

So what do you do? You take it all away, but leave them with a glimmer of hope, and that’s “Immortal Blues”.

Did you miss “Immortal Blues”? Want to relive it? Here you go!

Immortal Blues: Part One
Welcome to part one of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. In our first installment there is gun fire, spanakopita, classic blues music, and eventually a decision to visit The Crone.

Immortal Blues: Part Two
Welcome to part two of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. In part two we meet The Crone, Isabella, and her granddaughter Marisela. In search of answers do we instead get more questions?

Immortal Blues: Part Three
Welcome to part three of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. Returning to the scene of the crime offers few new insights aside from the fact that our killer means business.

Immortal Blues: Part Four
Welcome to part four of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. In the latest installment blues music reappears and leads the way to a discussion of why a demon might kill you.

Immortal Blues: Part Five
Welcome to part five of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. Ready? Fight!

Immortal Blues: Part Six
Welcome to part six of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. We say good-bye to The Crone, Isabella, and hello to a frenemy from the past.

Immortal Blues: Part Seven
Welcome to part seven of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. Aine Marina hangs around long enough to create more questions than answered and again, shots are fired.

Immortal Blues: Part Eight
Welcome to part eight of the nine part fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. The end game approaches. Motivations are revealed, as well as the blues man.

Immortal Blues: Part Nine
Welcome to the ninth and final installment in the fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard.

About Greg Bullard:
Greg currently resides in Austin, TX, trying to do his part to Keep Austin Weird. While his wife, Julia, and daughter, Emily, both work hard to keep him on his toes, it is Julia’s red editing pen that does the most work. When he is not muddling his way through some fiction, he usually writes about What Greg Eats.

Geek Month in Review: April 2011

by Administrator, posted in Geek Stuff, Guest Authors, Science

By JB Sanders

Early start for a warm month (well, it’s warm NOW).

Robo-fun
RoboGames 2011, the worlds largest robot competition. Do I need to say more?

Squishy Circuits
Ever wanted to teach your 4-year-old about electrical engineering and circuitry? No? Why not!? How about you show them about battery packs, LED lights and play-dough. Yeah, did you know that regular commercial play-dough can conduct electricity? Or that with a little work, you can make your own play-dough? With a slight variation of the recipe, you can even make a resistive play-dough to help create play-dough circuits. Very cool stuff.

First Legal Challenge to 3D Printing Repository
How long did you think we could go without a 3D link? The folks at Thingiverse, an open-source repository of 3D models and content, got a DMCA take-down notice because someone posted the CAD files for printing a Penrose Triangle. Read the details. (Tons of cool links embedded in the article on the subject of 3D printing)

And while I’m on the subject, some really amazing objects printed by a 3D printer.

Visualizing Fusion Propulsion
Using the designs from the Project Deadalus space propulsion project of the 1970’s, these folks put together an animation of how the system would and could work.

Commodore 64 Coming Out
Seriously. Again. Only this time, the guts are a LITTLE more powerful. Debuting 30 years after it first hit the market, this system (with the SAME exterior) includes a 1.8 Ghz dual-core processor, optional Blu-ray player and HDMI ports (for between $250-900). Crazy times, huh?

100 Classic Atari Games
It’s nostalgia month! Atari is releasing 18 titles from the arcade, and 82 from the 2600 on the iOS (iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch) platform, including the free Pong. They’re also releasing something called the iCade, which is a fancy case for the iPad that turns it into an arcade-like device with a real analog (but now Bluetooth) joystick and giant mashable buttons. Yes, exactly like the ThinkGeek April Fool’s Day of 2010 — apparently Atari liked the idea so much, they’re having someone make it for them. $100.

How Much is Smaug Worth, Anyway?
And of course, look no further than Forbes magazine for that answer. The article is a behind-the-scenes (“showing a little ankle” as the author amusingly puts it) look at how Forbes goes about evaluating the “Fictional 15”, or the 15 richest fictional characters. It’s humorous and a little surreal seeing a mainstream discussion of what I would have thought was just a fan-boy discussion of relative fictional fortunes. Possibly the geekiest article I’ve ever linked to.

Tallest LEGO Tower
Bigger than any LEGO tower you built.

UFOs, For Real
Where’s Mulder when stuff like this comes out? The FBI has released a document under the Freedom of Information Act that describes an interview with an Air Force investigator in Roswell New Mexico, where he talks about captured flying saucers and aliens in shiny metallic suits. Yes, really. Go read it for yourself. While you’re there, take a look at the FBI’s FOIA archives.

Garden of the Future!
There should be an echo on that title. It’s called Aquaponics, and it’s a hybrid of various “green” technologies to make food on 1/10th of an acre (2600lbs worth). It’s like the utopian convergence of every hippy technology into one location: wind power, passive solar heating, grey water systems, hydroponics and fish. Lots of fish.

A direct link to the project.

Origins of Language
Interesting application of biological methods (like DNA tracking) to linguistics.

Robots for “Sale”
Ok, so it’s an ad for a video game, but it’s got robots and a sarcastic ad-like voice-over. You be the judge.

Who Stole My Volcano?
A blog article about an interview with the man who was the production designer for such movies as “Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang”, “Dr Strangelove” and numerous Bond movies. The subtitle of the blog post is “Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dematerialisation of Supervillain Architecture.” Totally worth a read.

Sarah Jane Has Died
First Alfred last month, now Elisabeth Sladen, the actress who portrayed the character Sarah Jane Smith on Dr Who for over 40 years has passed away. There aren’t many actors who get to portray a character over that length of time, nor with such iconic strength that they stand the test of time so well. The BBC blog entry below quotes Steve Moffat (current Lead Writer and Executive Producer of current Dr Who) as saying that his son, when shown the old Doctor Who, immediately recognized the character of Sarah Jane and was surprised she hadn’t changed at all.

3D Scanner — Using Just Your iPhone
Some crazy guys at Georgia Tech have created an app for the iPhone that lets you make low-end 3D scans of objects (or your face!) just using the phone’s built-in front-facing camera. Also works on iPad 2 and iPod touch.

The First Theme Park
You know, it’s either this, or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and there’s some dispute as to whether those Hanging Gardens even existed. Anyway, this is History Geeky. Vauxhall Gardens were outdoor public gardens, which charged an entrance fee, and were described thusly:

“The main walks were lit at night by hundreds of lamps. Over time more features and eyecatchers were added: additional supper boxes, a music room, a Chinese pavilion, a gothic orchestra that accommodated fifty musicians, and ruins, arches, statues and a cascade.”

If that’s not a theme park, I don’t know what is.

Brooklyn in LEGOs
So this NYC guy builds a replica of Brooklyn, entirely made out of LEGOs. And there are pictures. Do you really need more than that?

Also, British warship made out of LEGO.

24th Annual Rube Goldberg Contest
First off, how did I not know about this? I feel cheated! Second, check out the video of the winning machine. Wow.

3D Photos of Earth, Moon and Mars
Plus some other random things. Requires those red/blue glasses.

All of Doctor Who in 6 Minutes
A light, and lightning-fast, overview of all of Doctor Who’s 47 years on television in 6 minutes. Fun!

What is IQ?
What does an IQ test really measure? Intelligence, or intelligence plus motivation. Spoiler: the study found that the more money offered to the test takers, the higher their resultant IQ score.

The Last Typewriter Factory Closes
To which pretty much everyone I know would respond: they still make those things?

Roads of Light
Solar-cells as paving stones, that is.

Zombie-proof House
At least, in theory. Testing still to be done. A little bit bunker-like from the road (as you’d expect) but pretty open-air from the other side. It folds up to be pretty much completely sealed, including the drawbridge to the second-floor entrance to the house.

Pictures.

More, with floor plans.

Pan-and-Scan Views of the Sky: 360
Full views of the night sky you can pan around to get a better look at. Feel free to ZOOM way the heck in, too.

Awesome Moon Video
And speaking of cool astronomy pictures, try this video of the moon, shot from Fenway park, with a fun guest interposed between the moon and the videographer.

About John:
John’s a geek from way back. He’s been floating between various computer-related jobs for years, until he settled into doing tech support in higher ed. Now he rules the Macs on campus with an iron hand (really, it’s on his desk).

Geek Credentials:
RPG: Blue box D&D, lead minis, been to GenCon in Milwaukee.
Computer: TRS-80 Color Computer, Amiga 1000, UNIX system w/reel-to-reel backup tape
Card games: bought Magic cards at GenCon in 1993
Science: Met Phil Plait, got time on a mainframe for astronomy project in 1983
His Blog: http://glenandtyler.blogspot.com

Immortal Blues: Part Nine

by Administrator, posted in Guest Authors

By Greg Bullard

Welcome to the ninth and final installment in the fiction series “Immortal Blues” by Greg Bullard. If you need to catch up, here is Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, and Part Eight.

“Taliesin, First of the Bards,” I said it slowly, menacingly. I said it slowly because I was trying to think up something witty to say along with it. I had nothing. Damn.

He sat his guitar aside, wiped his hands off on his trousers – needlessly I might add, the jackass – and looked up at me and said, “This is easy, Ciaran, just give up.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Give up?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “give up. The bridge will open in an hour, just take it. Go home.”

“Who sent you, Taliesin? Why are you here?”

He shrugged, “Does it matter if someone sent me? Couldn’t I have my own agenda? She’s gorgeous. We all love her. I love her. I have sat in that court for hundreds of years, and I have played. I have poured myself into my songs, my poems and my words and I have played. Do you know how hard it is to give everything of yourself every day for so long?”

It was my turn to shrug.

“I’ll answer for you, you don’t. If you had ever half-tried you could have been a god. Perhaps you are even, God of the Dilettantes maybe?” he laughed at his own little joke.

Continuing, he said, “The point is, I do know what it is like. So many years, so much of myself, do you think I gave it all for them? Do you think I tried so hard for her father, the King? For all of the first-born, the Elder Sidhe? I gave it all for her. I sang every song, for her. She’s my muse. My brilliant inspiration. Every day for 1500 years I’ve given her my heart, completely in song.”

I shrugged, “And tell me Bard, has she noticed? All those years, all those songs, did she ever see who was playing, or were you just another detail in the background?”

He seemed to genuinely ponder my question before shaking his head and saying, “I would give anything to know, Ciaran.”

I waved him off dismissively, “I don’t use that name any longer.”

“No one was certain what name you used now, it was the best I could do.”

“Good,” I said, “so, who sent you?”

“Better question would be, who didn’t send me? No one wants you.”

“It’s not really a choice for any of you,” I frowned. “Let’s get on to more important matters though – you’ve tried to kill me twice.”

“I wasn’t very serious about it though; think of it as a deterrent,” he smiled – smug, charming bastard.

“If it’s alright with you,” I replied, “I’m going to go ahead and think of it as, you’ve tried to kill me twice.”

“I guess it’s lucky for him that you aren’t in any condition to take your revenge.” I didn’t recognize the voice, but I knew her anyway. Turning, I saw her standing in the open doorway to my bedroom. I had not known she was there. Aine Marina could hop in and out of human forms with relative ease. She had chosen well this time, young, red hair, all the right curves, luscious.

I didn’t bother trying to mask the anger in my voice, “Aine Marina, you’ve crossed a line. Fix it while I’m feeling forgiving.”

“I would,” she shrugged, “if I had done anything wrong.”

“If you had done anything wrong? What the hell do you mean? I kiss you once, unintentionally, and suddenly, this,” I gestured up and down at my form.

“Consider how much older you are than her,” Taliesin said, “do you think it’s really fair to blame her for your looks?”

“Oh, he’s blaming me for the loss of his vitality, speed, strength and more, and he has a point, I stripped him of them.”

“Then you admit it!” I accused.

“Of course I do, that was never in contention. Right now, we’re discussing whether or not I did anything wrong. I did not, this was mandated – at the highest level.”

“What do you mean? Mandated?”

“Did you really think that spending 200 years on Earth, for one such as yourself, was any real trial or challenge? You’ve spent centuries here, willingly. You even seem to prefer it sometimes. No, no,” she shook her finger at me. “You want redemption? It won’t come so easily as a stroll along the streets of New York City for a length of time that will disappear in the blink of an eye for you.”

I stood in stunned silence, considering the ramifications.

“Your next 198 years on Earth won’t go so easily as the thousands before them. You’ll feel every day of it,” she continued with malicious glee, her voice building in rage and tempo, “you’ll ache and hurt, you’ll hunger, you’ll need to support yourself,” she gestured around her and spoke more softly, “absent these fine accommodations, you’ll need a job…”

She continued on, but I only listened half-heartedly, until something she was saying caught my attention, “Wait, repeat that.”

She smirked and said, “On the solstices and equinoxes, when our worlds are closest, you will be yourself entirely. On those days, and only on those days, you can back out. All you need do is cross the bridge, and this will all be over. This morning, when the bridge fades, if you haven’t crossed, ending this, then you are stuck here until at least the summer solstice.”

“You said this came from the highest level, who?”

In reply, she crossed the distance between us and held out her hand. I frowned and wordlessly extended my right hand, palm up, to receive whatever it is she held. Her look was pure evil as she deposited something in my palm.
“A token,” she said, “cherish it.”

Almost an hour later, near to dawn, Aine and Taliesin had both let themselves out as I still sat, staring at my palm and the lock of fiery red hair, tied with a simple linen ribbon.

With a start, I saw my hands fade to transparency. The stars outside my window extended a bridge to massive curved stairs reaching at once to both the light and the darkness. All I had to do was take a few steps and I would be on that bridge, my choice made, my way clear to the welcoming safety of the shadows that had sustained me for so long.

The pain in my side would fade, as I healed almost instantly. The fatigue in my muscles would disappear as vitality filled me. My drooping eye lids would revive with a rush of energy.

I was still staring when the sun broke over Central Park and the stairway was shattered into a thousand twinkling shards that disappeared in the dawn light.

Another day in New York City. I turned and checked my lunar calendar; April 30, 1961, it was less than two months until the Summer Solstice.

***

With a start, I snapped out of it. I don’t know how long I had stood, staring at the calendar as a torrent of memories came flooding back to me. Fifty years since that day, how they did not go by in a blink. I sat down at my desk, turning on my computer.

It was Monday, April 30, 2011, the office of Noble Investigations, Est. 1961, was once again, open to welcome a brand new day.

About Greg Bullard:
Greg currently resides in Austin, TX, trying to do his part to Keep Austin Weird. While his wife, Julia, and daughter, Emily, both work hard to keep him on his toes, it is Julia’s red editing pen that does the most work. When he is not muddling his way through some fiction, he usually writes about What Greg Eats.

The Mystical Pathway to Peace

by Administrator, posted in Christianity/Catholicism, Guest Authors, Religion

By Megan Don

“It is in your power to live and to die with this peace.” – Teresa of Avila

Our society is fraught with conflict, be it political, religious or personal. It might even be said that we, as a human race, thrive on conflict, as it seems to be a precursor to our growth and change. It provides a stimulus for disintegration of old thoughts and ways of being and regeneration for new modalities and paradigms. From the rebel teenager, to the warring couple, to international peacekeeping efforts or the political terrorist, their aim is the same – to overthrow, or keep at bay, what they perceive as a hindering force to their right to freedom (whatever that may be). But what is the real freedom we all seek? And can we not find another more peaceful method of change? First, we need to look at the nature of conflict and to see how and where it arises.

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), Spanish mystic and Carmelite nun, was very familiar with conflict. From a young age Teresa experienced a dichotomous inner relationship with herself. She developed a deep respect for the spiritual life through her father’s influence, but she also cultivated a great taste for the materialistic life through the nobility of her mother. She was ultimately split into two different modes of being and was unable to reconcile these two influences until late in her life, even while living in the monastery.

Conflict became as a personal paradigm for Teresa. She was incredibly strong-willed and began the battle with her own ego, which she clearly perceived as constantly rallying against the greater will of God. This caused her much internal pain and a sense of division, as she was unable to surrender her own thoughts and will. In her resistance, she felt the ego struggling to remain in control, and yet, she distinctly felt the pull of her inner spirit. This spirit was inviting her to another place – the place of freedom and peace. Separation from God was the cause of Teresa’s conflict, and only when she was able to join her soul with the divine spirit did she find peace. It was through surrendering the ego, not annihilating it, that enabled this to occur. It was not an immediate release however, but a gradual remembering and relearning by her soul.

As with Teresa, I believe that the paradigm of conflict is paramount in our society. The ego has been living a life of separation from the spirit, causing conflict to occur. On a personal developmental level change frequently occurs after a great inner tension and conflict has been felt and lived. On a political level that same tension and conflict causes a change in leadership and power, but unfortunately is often manifested and affected through violence and war. This framework and partnership of change and conflict now needs to be dismantled.

This regenerative process of change can be affected in a loving way. The great beauty about Jesus was that he brought the message of truth and love. Truth without love is harsh. Love without truth can become sentimental. The two together can bring about long-lasting and effective change, both in a personal and societal context. The truth can revolutionize the way we love and the way we love can revolutionize the way we live.

Acting in a loving and compassionate way was very important to Teresa and became the foundation for the success of her communal monasteries. Let us take this same concern into our workplace, into our homes, and into any situation that requires a breaking down of the old ways. Above all, let us be kind to one another and our selves. If we can affect a gentle process of change internally, then we can also manifest this in our external environment.

Teresa’s lifelong quest, though lived over four centuries ago, is still an example and inspiration for us to follow today. We can carry placards in the street demanding peace not war, but of what use is that if we are still warring within our own selves. We each have the responsibility to look deeply within and to be honest about the state of our own being. We each need to see how we are in conflict with the natural state of our soul. We need to look and see where we are split in our lives. Where we find conflict in our lives let us look deeply for the origin, and surrender it to God. Where we find places of unrest and lack of peace, let us surrender this too. In turning to our interior life we can lovingly heal any splits that may have occurred throughout our lifetime. We can release ourselves from the dichotomous relationship that so many of us have become accustomed to.

The definition then, of real freedom is inner peace, known through acceptance and surrender. And the way of truth and love is the way of change. Like Teresa, we can become examples of what it means to live a wholesome life, surrendered to the divine will, and living in peace on this planet.

Megan Don is the author of Meditations with Saint Teresa of Avila: A Journey into the Sacred.
Based on the book Meditations with Teresa of Avila © 2011 by Megan Don. Printed with permission of New World Library, Novato, CA. www.newworldlibrary.com

Liked what you saw? Then stay tuned! On Thursday May 12th we’ll be back with 10 Questions with Megan Don! We’ll talk about her book, Teresa of Avila, and her other work!

An Introduction to Meditation

by Administrator, posted in Guest Authors, Magic/Occult, New Age

By Jason Compton
(This article originally appeared on the Gates of Mysticism website and is published here with the author and site’s permission)

Many people believe they know what meditation is, and they do, but only in the most basic sense. If you look up meditation you will find such simple explanations as what I pulled from Wikipedia in about thirty seconds: Meditation refers to any of a family of practices in which the practitioner trains his or her mind or self-induces a mode of consciousness in order to realize some benefit. The Wikipedia article then goes on to state that it is an internal practice, lists history, and lists the benefits of meditation in a way which doesn’t explore what I feel meditation is all about. The definition and content of such articles are essentially true, but there is far more to meditation than simply going into a hyper-internalized state of being, and the benefits range from the personal to the metaphysical and occult. My goal for this article is to take you a bit beyond the basic definition of the word and show you the benefits of meditation as well as give you an insider look into the practice.

To me, meditation isn’t a focusing of the mind per se, it is adjusting your mind to exercise it in a way that goes beyond the bounds of what a mind in its normal awake state can do. Sometimes this means focusing it, sometimes calming it, sometimes shutting it off as much as possible, and yet other times heightening it’s activity to accomplish things you couldn’t do with normal awareness. I also meditate simply to re-center myself after a chaotic day, a practice which is commonly called grounding in occult practices, or to look inside myself to do inner reflection and introspect.

One thing I do in a meditative state everyday is I stop focusing on random thoughts, and instead focus purely on my senses. This brings me to (what I discovered a few years ago) what scientists and hypnotists describe as a light meditative state in which parts of the brain stop doing what they normally do to enhance a singular purpose of the mind. It took me a full year to learn to go into this state when I was young, and I use it primarily to keep my mind sharp and to sense things around me, and see the world in a different light. A bird becomes more than a bird, for example, it becomes a vibration of sound and light which can be observed in impressive detail. Memory improves when I am in this state and I can remember exacting details of the bird that I was not able to remember before. I can do the same thing when I focus on energy as well and while in this state it becomes much easier to work with energy closer to the physical level of existence, a practice which I do every day mostly to pick up details I would otherwise miss in the world around me.

A different kind of meditative state that I go into is focusing the center of my awareness elsewhere other than my head. When I say awareness I am talking about the physical place people feel that their awareness is located, including their self awareness. Most people feel their center of awareness just behind the eyes and nose close to the center of the head. What this meditation does is move that center of awareness to other parts of the body or, more impressively, out of the body altogether in what for lack of a better term I call a mental projection. Note this is far different than an astral projection in that the body does not need to be in a mind awake body asleep state associated with a projection (or, indeed, what most people consider a meditation,) for this to occur. Since I am focusing primarily on a single point, this is a meditative state which, I learned a few years ago from reading up on hypnotherapy and a few scientific studies, re-focuses the brain and puts much of it into an “automatic” mode, more specifically motor control. I have found that I can still move around while the center of my awareness was elsewhere. This has brought me leaps and bounds in my personal development for helping people heal, distance healing while typing on the computer, and exploring the universe in general.

A third kind of meditation I go into I use for personal development, personal healing, and Astral Projection. This meditative state requires that I be in a very comfortable position, preferably laying down, to accomplish. I later learned the specifics of what goes on during this. My brain slows the parts of itself that control motor functions down so I can focus purely on thought. During this time I can move my awareness throughout my conscious mind and focus in on particular thoughts I am having, stop those thoughts, make them run faster, and explore the how’s and why’s I am having them. This is the most powerful form of introspection that I undertake and I personally believe that it has helped stop me from becoming stark raving mad. I can also explore my subconscious in a deeper form of this state, and that has also helped clear me of many personal problems I used to have.

To me, meditation is a way of exploring both myself and the world around me through a different set of eyes, both physical and metaphysical. I can interact with parts of myself and the energy and thoughts around me through meditation, which I do on a daily basis and for many reasons such as healing others, helping myself, and finally learning about the universe around me. I have a personal quest for knowledge and self improvement which, without meditation, would be difficult, long, and I dare say impossible. Meditation is powerful tool that can be used for things besides the occult, you can look at yourself in a new way and view the world around you with eyes that see the world in a different way, and you can use meditation to calm yourself after a tough day.

There are many resources on meditation out there. None of them are wrong in their approach and I find that finding the correct approach for you is a very personal journey. I personally suggest the works of Franz Bardon as a starting point, and you can also look into specific classes in your local area, as having a teacher walk you through meditation is a wonderful and enlightening experience which I believe everyone can benefit from trying. Seeing a hypnotherapist or just someone who has a hypnology license is also a great way to get into a meditative state, though it can get expensive. I suggest lots of research into metaphysical sites as people on spiritual paths have been exploring meditation the longest and hardest, and finding someone with many hours or even years of meditation under their belt is a great starting point. A bit of advice is to find out how many hours of meditation the teacher has undergone, as someone can have done years of meditation yet not racked up as much experience as someone who is a monk but only had meditated for a month.

It is also important to keep in mind that experiences that you have in a meditative state, including going under hypnosis, can be very powerful and compelling. An open mind is required when going into the deeper meditative states since what you are seeing can be representative visuals. What I mean is that you may see yourself in a house from long ago, but that might not necessarily be you that you are seeing and the house might not have ever even existed. Your subconscious could be trying to communicate something to your conscious mind and when it does it often uses visualizations and representations, and in more powerful cases it will communicate thoughts and ideas directly without using words. These ideas can come in the form of you getting a sudden idea in the center of your awareness suddenly that didn’t come from your conscious. Sometimes these experiences can cause people to pull out of a meditation very suddenly as they don’t recognize what is going on. If you do have an experience that scares you or you don’t understand there are many avenues for you to explore what the experience is or what it means. A psychologist, if one is easily accessible to you, is a good step as sometimes scary experiences can represent inner conflict or troubling memories and pain that we have.

I have had many troubling experiences myself during meditation, each time I got through them I ended up a better person for it. One time I found myself in my inner mind and being the extremely troubled lad that I was, I found myself surrounded by things that wished me harm. After fighting them off and dealing with the how’s and why’s they were there I became a much calmer person, and felt much more at peace with myself and the world around me. The first troubling experience you have is always the hardest to work through, but once you do it will become easier and easier to work through them until you find that these experiences are years between each other.

This is not to say that all experiences when you meditate are going to be negative experiences, or that each time you meditate you are going to be doing introspection. The truth is that meditation is different for each individual and the experiences they have when they go further into the recesses of their mind vary greatly. If you are having troubling experiences it would be best to take it as a sign that there are simply some things inside yourself that you need to work out. You cannot truly be harmed by anything you see in a meditative state unless you allow yourself to be harmed, just remember that what you are seeing is a part of yourself and face it boldly.

Most experiences are going to be enjoyable and teach you more about yourself. I once found myself in the presence of a beautiful dragon during meditation. The dragon made me feel protected and safe, and I also felt a lot of love coming from it. After working with it for a long while I found a way to bring up this part of myself at any time and it has boosted my confidence and improved my demeanor.

Another experience that I had was probably one of the most powerful and compelling Astral Projections I have ever had. I was seeing just how far down my mind I could go one day, exploring the extremes of my mind when suddenly I found that I was approaching a blue and white ring of light. Part of why I went this deep into my mind was to explore if I could emerge on the other side and this felt like a validation of that theory. When I went through it I saw a beautiful phoenix on the other side and a calm but surprised voice on the other side spoke my name. The love that I felt from this being was so powerful that I was shook to my core, and I was pulled right out of the projection (much to my dismay.) I knew I wasn’t in my mind anymore at that point because I could no longer feel myself or my inner workings around me, as I had become very familiar with in projections.

The above experiences show two extremes of a specific form of meditation where you go deep inside yourself. It is the most common form of meditation and perhaps the one that changes people the most. I hope some of you reading this has took something out of it, and that it peaks your interest in trying out this very helpful practice.

About Jason Compton:
Jason Compton is a general practitioner of the occult and combines a few practices to form a loose likeness to what Franz Bardon teaches in his books. He loves painting miniature figures, playing video games, and is currently making plans to write books both for literary and informative purposes. You can find him at http://www.gatesofmysticism.net or anywhere on the net where occult sites can be found under the online alias of Spectral Dragon or variations thereof.