Magick and Sickness

[Tess]

Has anyone ever used the disorientation of being ill to aid them in their ritual work?
That sense of not-quite-thereness is a state of mind for which we normally work to achieve for a brief and controlled period, however while sick this is a state of mind easy to achieve. I've heard of friends having strange experiences on the sickbed, and remember a few of my own during childhood. However, as an adult I am contemplating using this to aid me in meditation and projection - has anyone else ever done this?

I am concerned about performing rituals whilst sick: would it make me feel worse? It's strange, I'm not used to being ill much, when I am it's just tonsillitis and I know how to deal with that... this is different, I'm all gross and icky. I have a working I would reallly like to perform at full moon, but if I am ill will it ruin the work anyway?

Definately a new one for me, could someone with experience of this advise?

Tess

[Rain Gnosis]

I liken doing magic etc. while ill to doing it while drunk or high. Certainly you are more open at that time - I find I'm most open just as I'm waking up in the morning, when my mind's awakening but my body's not. However, in the case of being ill, drunk, or high, most people do not have a solid grip on themselves, IMHO. It's certainly well known that Shamans have historically intentionally taken drugs to be more open to trance etc., however those people have years (if not decades) of experience under their belt and have learned to control their wanderings to a degree, and often have others with them to monitor them both physically and spiritually. That sort of thing is usually undertaken under much ceremony, very carefully, and through methods trained through centuries of use - someone didn't just take a good toke and consider themself a prophet.

When you're under those conditions you are more vulnerable, and less in control of your self. Your brain is also slower and prone to wandering or outright hallucinating. A trained Shaman knows how to interpret what comes through trance, and when it's useful and when not - most people haven't been trained to know.

Also note, our spiritual, emotional, and physical selves are glued together - you can't affect the physical or emotional without the spiritual. This is why most adepts advocate healthy living and even psychotheraphy before doing magical work. If your physical body is ill it can definitely ground or hamper your spiritual wanderings. I think there is a certain negative energy involved that can be disruptive or in some cases even dangerous (probably not in the case of tonsillitis you realize, but with a serious disease), at least in the case of trance and directing energy.

In general I'd say if you want to try it, go ahead, but also realize what comes through might be patchy at best.

[Toad]

Also note, our spiritual, emotional, and physical selves are glued together - you can't affect the physical or emotional without the spiritual. This is why most adepts advocate healthy living and even psychotheraphy before doing magical work. If your physical body is ill it can definitely ground or hamper your spiritual wanderings. I think there is a certain negative energy involved that can be disruptive or in some cases even dangerous (probably not in the case of tonsillitis you realize, but with a serious disease), at least in the case of trance and directing energy.




Truly wonderful advice here... :D

[Ben Trismegistus]

Rain, while I see your point (and basically agree with it), I feel the need to stick in a wrench.

What do you think of those who attempt to open to trance through fasting or other deprivations, which can have the same effect upon the body as illness?

[Rain Gnosis]

I think fasting and deprivation is the same as using drugs - in a controlled environment and with the right training and background as well as safeguards, it can help one reach towards gnosis.

The problem is, most people don't have the training or safeguards in place to use fasting for that purpose.

I've considered fasting myself but I know I'd be useless for it - I'm the type of person who goes completely emotionally and physically nutty when my blood sugar is low.

[Tess]

I think I am a little too much of a scheduley type of person to accept being sick - I make a truly awful patient. I had a working I wanted to perform and was all like "being sick shouldn't stop me doing normal things, i don't accept that i'm sick, sick is bad!" :lol:
I guess after realizing that half an hour on the computer left me so tired I had to sleep until 7pm, I figured that anything beyond a little light meditation would probably be a bad, if interesting, idea. I'm a bit miffed that I got ill and had a time accepting I couldn't go into work, so the idea that I couldn't even perform basic ritual kinda upset me.
I'll just have to wait until next month for this working though, it won't kill me to be patient. Maybe I should concentrate on the getting well thing instead.

I am in favour of controlled fasting though, I think it's a good way to cleanse oneself and test your will. I don't think out and out starvation is a good thing, of course not, but many modern religious practices include an element of fasting and I believe that it can be a satisfying trial in moderation. Judaism, Islam and Christianity all have a time of fasting, and although Paganism is not the same *kind* of religion, I don't believe in throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Every person from another faith with whom I've spoken about fasting has held it to be a very satisfying and spiritual experience, and ultimately people all work in a similar way - different paths to the same thing if you see what I mean. If it has been a useful experience for people of other faiths then perhaps it could be a useful experience for Pagans too.

Thanks for the grounding though ;)

Tess