” I must first know myself, as the Delphian inscription says;
to be curious about that which is not my concern,
while I am still in ignorance of my own self would be ridiculous.

“Plato
(427?-347 B.C.)

In order to build an effective personal practice it is vital to engage and be familiar with all the bits and piece s that comprise your physical, spiritual and energetic make up. Last month we discussed using the parts of Self to create the Magickal Persona. Knowing how each of these energies play out in your day to day activities can help you draw upon those types of experiences, exercises and tools that will resonate harmoniously with your personal path of development. So, please reread through this excerpt from last month. This time from the perspective of how to engage each in an active way of regular, sustainable practice.

Review of The Parts of Self

“When we enter sacred space or engage in a magickal working, we do not enter alone. We bring onto that space the sum total of all the pieces of our experiences physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Each of these experiences are processed through our consciousness and it’s varied states of being.

A core component of the process of creating a Magickal Self is integration and communication between all the levels of our consciousness. In many spiritual traditions there are 3-5 levels or states of being that are embodied within the human being and are the holders of the Universal energy pattern. These parts act individually but are also interdependent upon one another to achieve a balance and bring the body into a place of Self-hood or wholeness.”

These Feed and Fuel our way as we cultivate the tools of choice in crafting our spiritual practice:

Lower/Physical Self
I Have

The Lower Self ( Lower Mental) is our primal instinctual nature. This is the physical body we inhabit and the conscious self that responds and reacts to stimuli in the physical world through our senses and tactile abilities. This is the self that we rely upon for the creating a practice that is satisfying and stimulating enough to keep us interested. This is the place that we seek the tangible and concrete results that provide us with the inspiration to continue.

Middle/Emotional Self
I Want (to Become)

The Middle self more closely relates to the subconscious mind. The place of dreams and aspirations; of emotions and feelings. In this space of selves the desire to Know, to be to dare and to dream are manifested. This is the fuel that we use to catalyze when doubt sets in. This is the fuel that ignites the will towards action and to keep going despite challenges. This is the food we sup upon when the hunger to do the Great Work of Self sets to rumbling the void that is needed for the Divine to fill.

Higher/Mental SELF
I Will Become

The Higher Mental self is the super or Higher conscious self. It knows the results of the subconscious desire working upon the conscious mind and has transcended to a place of “knowing it will be”. Accessing this self calls forth the awareness that everything is continually striving towards self-awareness and a deepening of understanding that connects us to the greater cosmos. We use this intention in personal practice as we reach out to our Deities, Patrons and Guides to assist us in our progress. We also hold this as the ideal towards which we are stretching, knowing that everything must change and in that process of change we become the version of ourselves that we are seeking.

The Spiritual SELF
The Divine Spark
I AM

The Spiritual SELF is the continued contact and communication with the impulse of the Divine. There is no longer a need to Have or possess. There is no desire for anything; for it is all and at once formed and formless. Using this Self to inform and enliven our personal practice is the affirmation that we are already Divine in nature and thus already possess whatever knowledge is required to advance our spiritual nature in accord with and for the highest good of all.

We discussed last month how these parts of Self interact as the Magickal Persona is crafted and called into being. We use these in the same way as we move through the daily pursuits of our practice. In fact, if we think in this way than any act we take that holds the intent of sustaining a viable spiritual practice will be done with the idea that the Magickal/Spiritual and the Mundane aspects of ourself are working collaboratively.

Take some time to go back and review Lesson Seven….

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The Path of Devotion