Astral Magick
Mystical Development: Rituals of Initiation and Empowerment
Ritualistic practice has developed across religions and across cultures as a way to connect with A Power Higher Than Ourselves. Rituals involve religious practices as well as more esoteric magic and occult rituals. The definition of Ritual is any repetitive action with spiritual intent. By this definition then Chakra or Kundalini Mediation is also a form of an Ascending or Empowering ritual.
Mystical development therefore can be considered the gaining of “inner” as opposed to “outer” knowledge. All prayer in this respect is a ritual of empowerment. As are most forms of mediation or contemplation on the Divine. Christians reflect and pray upon the nature of Jesus, the compassion of God, or specific attributes of The Saints. There are also many forms of contemplative prayer involving continued recital in a manner that is very constant with Magic Rituals of Empowerment, Oriental, Buddhist and other philosophies.
In Judaism, love and study of the Torah, The Five Books of Moses, is the focal point of all spiritual contemplation. In the Hindu traditions meditation is a universal practice, as a way to send and receive emanations to and from their central concept of Divinity.
All of these forms of meditation or Ritualized Empowerment have in common the idea or presupposition that mystical development comes from an understanding of and communion with, something external to the practitioner’s consciousness. However diverse these rituals are, all of these spiritual systems acknowledge that self-actualization only occurs through some paranormal supernatural practice.
They all clearly recognize that True Enlightenment can only be developed beyond the context of formal knowledge and standard perceptions of reality. Upon closer examination the apparent extreme differences within the various schools of mystical development and ritual practice invariably stem only from their descriptions of their understanding of the practice itself, which is largely based on historical and cultural references. What one doctrine calls “The Will of God” another views as “Spirit of Krishna”, and so on.
Zen sects also use a great number of rituals of empowerment. The Zen temple practices many diverse forms of mystical rituals throughout its year. Much like Shamanism and Modern Occultism, Zen Buddhism uses elaborate rituals of Initiation and Empowerment to express mystical development and greater levels of understanding.
Rituals of Empowerment are used by traditional and contemporary Native Americans, and other Shamanistic societies to foster empowerment, transformation and a collective “tribal” identity. One such ritual performed by the Odawa is called reaching a state of “pimadaziwin”. Which coincidentally sounds strikingly like “Nirvana” “Pimadaziwin” has been described as a state of well-being and ethical goodness to be achieved and then shared with all.
People in many animistic or shamanistic cultures are empowered spiritually through finding their Totemic Animals. In these cultures the Totem serves as a spirit guide, that helps with mystical development and eventual enlightenment.
Much as in the Zen Rituals of Empowerment The Master plays a key role as the Guide for the Student or Acolyte, cross culturally esoteric empowerment rituals usually involve the manifestation of some kind of “guide”. This guide can take the shape of a totem animal, a Spirit, Elemental, Angel, Fairy, Jinn or Ancestor. The key is, as humans we always need someone or something, to put us on the right path towards Enlightenment.