Merry Meet -
Haven't given up on me yet, eh? Sorry I'm a couple of days late - I was off work for the last month due to a car accident and find my time somewhat limited now that I'm back at the old grind...
You often see this week's first concept, "Fractal Nature of the All" expressed, "As Above, So Below".
This theory is that within each particle of the universe exists the universe itself. Other ways to express this are: that the Divine is just like us or that we are made in the image of the Divine; that each grain of sand has equal importance with every planet; or that, at our core there is a unifying thing, we are One. The Still Point Within, reached in meditation is the attainment of a close linkage with that oneness, and is much the same as expanding your awareness into the universe so that your mind simultaneously contains all of it that you can comprehend.
This is the concept on which is based the law of sympathetic magic (common to most magical systems), that two things which resemble each other are linked in such a way that actions with intent carried out on the one will affect the other.
The other concept for this week, "Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Realms" follow fairly directly from the concept of the Fractal Universe. Most courses do not put much emphasis on these realms as they're evidently of the opinion that they are self-explanatory. I'm of a differing opinion (there's a news flash)...
The Physical realm, by which I mean that which is perceived with the 5 senses; Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch, are the limits which most people put on "reality" and everything else is "just in your head". Many of the persons who have some concept of the mental realm also pass it all off functions of the brain. There are those who also cheapen feelings and spiritual experiences as malfunctions of brain activity caused by chemical imbalances.
I submit that there exists an error based on the confusing of cause and effect by those who relegate everything to the physical realm. To paraphrase Paul Huson: "There are many things outside the small circle of firelight we are pleased to call an enlightened scientific civilization."
The concept of a Mental Realm is approached in Isaac Bonewits "Real Magic", I believe it was his Master's Thesis in Magic at UC Berkely. He postulates a 'mental switchboard' where we are all connected. This network carries all of the experiences of humanity, all our ancestors live on forever within the network (and so, in our subconscious), and many (if not all) of the 'unexplained phenomena' of the world are where memories from the network are perceived by a person as happening now.
That there is more to the Mental realm than this network is evident by the fact that there are new ideas and inventions all the time. It is true that many of the 'new' ideas are merely old ones dressed up in new names, but there are also the truly new ones...
When you combine the Fractal concpt with the Network one, I think a closer approximation of the Mental realm is found. If the Universe exists in each thing, that thing is also connected to the Network. This is the mental connection between Familiar and Witch, Shaman and Allay, or the pictures formed in a crystal ball being used. This is not a one-way street, commands, sensations, and effects flow in true communication along the network. Learning to control these communications is important.
Then we get even further afield into the Spiritual Realm. As the Brain is a conduit into the Physical from the Mental, so is the Mind a connector into the Spiritual. In the Spiritual Realm we encounter the Divine, the Infernal, and all the other Spirits which can be conceived, including our own. These exist whether or not we believe in them, but they are more active in our physical world when someone communicates with them.
The Witch's Circle, as other holy places, is a bridge between the Physical and Mental realms. The Circle's very shape represents the Mental Realm, that plane where the Physical and Spirtual intersect. Consideration to all three realms should be given when setting one up. Bear in Mind that Magic is not confined to any realm but permeates the All, this is why it is used to set up the Circle...
I know this is old hat to a several of you, but jump in with comments anyway, it'll help those to whom this is new territory...
Blessed Be
Tom
