What do I do now? Don’t Panic!

So, you have been following the program up to this point, maybe it’s been a week or even a couple of months, but suddenly you find yourself being woken up in the middle of the night by an unseen force. You may have chills going up and down your spine, maybe there is a shadow moving in your room, or perhaps you just feel uneasy; but you know that SOMETHING is there and that you now feel very uncomfortable. Your mind begins to fill with doubt and fear and you think, “Did I just call a demon or unfriendly spirit into my home? What do I do now?”

Our own spirits can show up in strange and intimidation ways when we are out of touch with them.

The first step in a situation like this is: Don’t Panic!

You have spent time and energy preparing yourself for the moment that you have been working towards, but why are you getting this uneasy feeling and a sense of fear? Oftentimes when first contact with a spirit is made it can be dramatic and nerve wracking. The spirit seems to be intimidating you with its presence and it has come at an inconvenient moment disrupting your pleasant dreams. You feel rather certain that it must not be friendly because of the way you are feeling, but, in reality, the spirit may be feeling just as intimidated by your presence as well.

Initial contact with a non-physical entity, even your own ancestors, can sometimes be disruptive and intimidating if you are not used to the presence of spirits. Your senses are telling you that something is present with you, but your eyes are not able to perceive it. This is normal and doesn’t mean that you have made a mistake and accidentally conjured the devil into your home, far from it, the present being could be an ancestor that became aware and interested in you from your ceremonies. It may have been trying to speak with you all day, but the hustle and bustle of life had distracted you from being aware of the subtle messages it has been trying to communicate. Now, you’re face-to-face with something that is quite real and very intimidating, so take a deep breath and calm down.

A simple method to quickly gain control of your thoughts and emotions is to deliberately control your breath. The Golden Dawn practiced a breathing exercise called the four fold breath. In essence it is making your breathing patterns controlled to slow down your mind and emotions. In a later article it will be explained in detail, but for now here is the basic technique:

Empty your lungs.

Slowly inhale through your nostrils with to the count of four, filling your lungs from the bottom up. Only your belly should move with your chest and shoulders remaining in place.

Retain the air in your lungs for the count of four.

Slowly and evenly exhale from the top of your lungs to the bottom letting your belly return to normal, again to the count of four.

Remain “empty” in your lungs for the count of four.

Repeat as necessary.

Now that you are in control of yourself, it is time to address the entity before you. This can be as simple as doing the ancestor ceremony pouring libation on the ground in the four directions, or simply lighting a tea candle to honor the presence of the spirit. As you do this, tell the spirit that you are pouring libation in its honor and let it know that you seek peace between the two of you. Generally, the uneasy vibes will begin to fade and the spirit’s true nature will gradually begin to manifest. Seize this calm moment to introduce yourself and ask the spirit their name and why they have come to visit you.

Pouring libations will calm and cool the spirit as well as let it know that it is a welcome guest.

Watch your manners!

You may not have yet realized that your ceremonies have summoned this entity, so be polite in addressing the spirit and speak in plain language without colloquialisms. Saying, “What’s up, dude,” can definitely be misconstrued by a spirit, so keep your words formal and appropriate. Be sure to thank the spirit as well for showing itself to you and making its presence known to you. There is no need to bow or prostrate yourself before the spirit, if however, you feel so inclined do a slight curtsey without lowering your head when you address the spirit.

It is important also to take this opportunity to set boundaries for yourself as well, and be sure to inform the spirit that startling you at 3:00 am may not be the most convenient thing for it to do. Even though you may now be super excited to have made contact, you must set the rules by which future contact can occur. Whether you dictate that the spirit comes to speak to you in dreams or while you are praying at your spiritual altar, you are the one who must dictate the terms! Failure to do so may come with disturbed sleep, disruptions while you are at work, or even the spirit trying to bother you while you have company over.

Last, yet very important, talk to the spirit about your life and problems. Your spiritual court is comprised of entities that are seeking to help you and better your situation. In return they seek offerings, prayers, and attention. Starting your relationship on the right foot is extremely important to becoming successful in working with spirits and growing as a magician. Don’t be shy to say that you need love in your life, you need a new job, or maybe you just need to have more fun in your free time. Whatever the concerns may be don’t be too shy to express them honestly. Let the spirit know that you are willing to bring them reasonable payment for their deeds (such as tobacco, libations, or candle light), but also that you will spend a little extra time acknowledging them as well.

There are so many different situations you will encounter in your spiritual journeys and this simple blog article can’t cover every single situation, but starting with the right knowledge can give you a step up in your spiritual growth.