Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

34 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

Earth’s magnetic field around the magnetic poles. This

is just like what happens inside a fluorescent light,

including a “black light.” Your etheric body, then, is

equivalent to the Earth’s auroras. And if you learn

how to look for it, it can be just as visible.

Magickal Exercise: Seeing Auras

The aura around the head is called the nimbus; around

the whole body it is called the aureole. Have a friend

sit in front of a blank wall or curtain—something tan,

beige, or off-white is best. Have the lighting be low,

with the light source out of your view (a few candles

can work well). Sit about ten feet back, settle your-

self into a light meditative state, and stare blankly at

your friend’s “third eye”—right between the eye-

brows. As you do so, open your eyes wide and let

them go into a soft focus, as if you are actually focus-

ing on a spot about halfway between you. You may

find this easier to do by hanging a white thread from

the ceiling at this distance, and focusing on it. Breathe

smoothly and maintain your off-focus. After a bit, you

will begin to see a clear light outlining your friend’s

head, as if they were glowing softly. But if you shift

your focus to try and see it more clearly, it will disap-

pear. The trick is to not look directly at the aura, but

rather catch it at the edges of your vision.

Practice this awhile until you can do it easily.

Then try the same thing under differing lighting, dif-

ferent backgrounds, and with different people. Even-

tually, you will be able to see auras around anyone—

in school, on the bus, in restaurants and theatres. And

when you can see auras around people, you will be

able to see them also around pets, plants, and espe-

cially trees (which have enormous auras!)

What you will have learned to perceive in this

way is the etheric aura. As your perceptions improve,

you can also learn to detect the energy that radiates

into the astral body and beyond. You may be able to

see it flowing, ebbing, wavering, and shimmering like

the Earth’s Aurora. With practice, you may become

able to see colors, which can indicate a person’s emo-

tional or physical condition. Any state of the

individual’s being causes reactions in the aura. Emo-

tional states will primarily affect the color. Physical

conditions not only affect color, but also cause pecu-

liarities in the patterns of the aura, such as ragged

edges or holes over injuries or sore spots. Learning to

see these patterns will be of great use if you become a

Healer.... (See 5.II.4: “Auric Healing.”)

Seeing the colors of auras takes considerably

more skill than merely perceiving a glowing light

around someone. And such colors, when they are per-

ceived, will be very individual to the perceiver. You

and a friend may both learn to see aura colors, but

they may seem to be different to each of you. This is

normal. With time and practice, you will learn your

own system of what these colors mean to you.

NOTE: Don’t feel bad if you simply cannot man-

age to “see” these auras, no matter how much

you try. Just as some people are color-blind, or

tone-deaf (as I am), we may develop some senses

more strongly than others. After all, what we sense

and experience really occurs in our brains, not

actually in our eyes and ears. You may find that

you can sense auras in other ways—“feeling” them,

perhaps, or “hearing” a hum around people....

Magickal Exercises:

Controlling your Aura

Seeing the auras of others is a passive exercise. Now

here are some exercises for you to actively expand

and contract your own aura.

Hold your hand out in front of you, back towards

you and fingers spread wide, as if you were pushing

something away. Use the same technique you have

just learned to see the aura of your hand and fingers.

Now start breathing intensely, rapidly in and out,

through your nose. Without changing your position,

tense your muscles, and stare at your aura as if your

eyes could emit laser beams. As if you are turning

up a burner on the stove, focus your intention on

“pumping up” your aura, so that it seems to “burn”

brighter and brighter. Visualize the auras lengthen-

ing from your fingertips, extending like the flames

of a blowtorch as you level your hand and point your

fingers away. Then, when you have extended them

as far as you can, suck in a deep breath, and retract

them back to the normal glow as you slowly close

your fingers into a loose fist. Practice this over and

over. If you have friends to work with, you should

each take turns practicing pumping up, extending,

and retracting your auras while the other watches.

This will help each of you learn to both see and con-

trol your auras.

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