In a recent post, I introduced the topic of magic, and how it’s related to the law of attraction.
With a proper understanding of magic—what it is and how it works—you can learn even more ways of successfully shaping the world around you.
And so for that reason, today I want to deepen our exploration of magic with a discussion of the 3 elements that make magic truly work for you. There are large parallels between the principles that will be discussed in this post, and the principles of the law of attraction, as you will soon discover.
What Is Magic?
But first, let’s briefly discuss what exactly magic is. I know I discussed it somewhat in my previous post on the subject, but I believe more can easily be said.
I found the perfect definition of magic in a book I recently read. Actually it was defining witchcraft, but they are largely one and the same. The definition was: “The manipulation of energies in order to obtain a desired end.” That definition comes from A Real Witch’s Guide to the Law of Attraction: Manifesting What You Want by J.R. Cinder.
I’ve said for a long time now that the law of attraction is basically just the manipulation of energy. In The Art of Reality Creation, I teach exactly how to manipulate that energy to achieve your desired goals.
When you have a goal in mind, that goal is energy. It’s just not energy that is flowing in the direction you want it to, for now, namely, into the physical world. But, it is an energy signature that can be homed in on, focused upon, purified and refined, and willed into existence.
That process is called magic or witchcraft. At least, it was for thousands of years, before we decided to name it the “law of attraction”.
Actually, I see them as very slightly different, but the difference is hardly worth noting. But, for the curious out there, I see magic as the force itself—the energy—that shapes our reality, and the law of attraction as the principles by which that force acts.
Gravity is a force. The principles of how gravity works is, to me, more akin to the law of attraction.
Magic works, but the way it works, and why it works the way it does, is the law of attraction, not to mention some other related principles.
So, learn the law of attraction, and you’re learning magic. Some people take on the label of magician, mage, or even witch. Again, those were the labels of old. Now, well, an LOA practitioner is… an LOA practitioner, I suppose. I, personally, have decided to label myself as a witch, because it makes me feel more empowered, and it identifies the way I practice (mostly nature-based magic). Those distinctions are better saved for another post, if there is interest.
But, as with any field that’s been around for thousands of years, the understanding of magic goes far deeper than anything you’ll find in a law of attraction book. I hope to delve into some of those deeper topics in the future, starting with this post.
So, with the definition of magic out of the way, let’s discuss the 3 principles of all successful magic.
1. Will
The first principle seems simplistic, but it is one of the most important. In reality, none of these principles can exist without the other two.
Will is simply the decision of what you want, and the dedication and commitment to achieve that goal no matter what. It’s the willingness to firmly decide on your path, and follow it to the end. It’s the persistence to hold that goal until it is realized fully.
In short, it’s to know what you want, and to decide that you’ll have it.
I’ve given up the old language of asking for what you want. Asking implies subservience to something else. But, as a practitioner of magic, you realize you have the right to simply decide what you want, and make it yours. It takes boldness, confidence, courage, and decisiveness, but these are all necessary elements in the successful use of magic.
Why is this so important? If you are half-hearted about your goal, or unwilling to focus on something specific you want to create, how can the Universe possibly bring it into your life?
There are two aspects of this that I see:
First is the choice of what, exactly, you will create. I’ve said before it’s okay to have a general goal, and it is. But it’s far preferable to have a specific goal. Specific goals are far more inspiring and motivating than general goals.
Just imagine each pair of goals, and see which is more inspiring to you:
-
- Greater abundance
- $5,000 per month in income
-
- A happy relationship
- A relationship with a person matching these exact descriptors
-
- A good job
- A job where I practice my specific passion, have an easy commute, and have a boss that’s supportive of my needs
Is #1 more inspiring in each pair above, or #2?
Of course the second one. It’s more specific, and hits more directly on our desire.
Again, if you can only be general, that’s perfectly okay. But you want to have the aim of eventually upgrading to a more specific goal.
The second aspect of this principle is the will to stick to the goal.
Too many of us will choose a goal, and then when the resistance hits, backpedal to some easier, less challenging goal.
Certainly if you choose a goal that’s too big for you at this time, and the resistance is overwhelming, you can and should back off a bit to a smaller goal. But, if you keep doing this every time a bit of resistance hits, well, you won’t move very far.
Magic works on the tension between your current reality and desired reality. The greater that tension, the faster the energy, and the bigger the resistance. But, also, the greater that tension, the more fulfilling and enjoyable when you reach the goal.
If you keep slackening that tension every time you feel it, well, you can’t move anywhere. The energy won’t flow nearly as fast, and you’ll become stagnant.
So will also includes sticking to your goal in the face of all opposition that life brings your way.
2. Focus
The second essential element of magic is focus.
In the law of attraction, we talk about focus endlessly. But why is it actually so important?
Focus is your magical driver, so to speak. It gives direction to your magical working.
You should know already the basic principle that whatever you focus on, expands. Focus on lack, and you get lack. Focus on abundance, and you get abundance.
As important as will is, it can’t do anything without focus. How many people do you know who hold wishy-washy intentions for the future? I won’t even apply the word “goal” here, because a goal is a real, definitive desire that you are actively working towards.
But how many people say something like, “One day I want to become an author,” or, “One day I’m going to start a business,” or, “One day I’ll learn how to play an instrument.”
But, one day never comes. There are plenty of people in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who have never achieved their “one day” intentions.
The reason? They never actually focused on their goal. They never put forth the effort to achieve it.
Or, if they did try, they were so focused on the fear of failure that they could never succeed.
Focus gives life to your goals. It is the catalyst to magic actually beginning to work for you. As you focus more and more on your goal, it activates the energy that will flow with greater and greater momentum towards the manifestation of that goal.
So focus decides the direction and nature of your manifestations. But, it also impacts the magnitude and momentum of those manifestations.
For instance, if you focus on abundance, you’ll definitely start seeing certain signs of abundance in your life. Perhaps you’ll find a dollar on the ground. Maybe you’ll get $10 out of the blue.
But the more you focus on that, the faster the momentum and the bigger the manifestations. Pretty soon, $10 here and there has turned into $100, and then $1,000.
The same goes for lack. If you focus on how little money you have, you will start to feel that pinch of not enough money more and more. Eventually, unexpected bills will come, large repair costs, and so forth. Lack will get bigger and bigger, until you switch your focus.
At one time, one or two comments were the norm on this blog. But, as I focused on the goal of growing those comments, they slowly increased to the point they are at today, with anywhere from 15-50 comments on any given post. It took time for that momentum to grow, though, and the manifestations to get bigger.
So, as you focus on the same thing more and more, it gets bigger and bigger, until you focus on its opposite. Abundance will grow, until you focus on lack, and vice versa.
In essence, then, when you have chosen a goal with your will, you have the choice to focus either on that goal, or on its opposite.
Well, no one chooses to focus on its opposite. But, because of the law I mentioned above, that magic acts on tension between your current reality and desired reality, it becomes all too easy to focus on the opposite of your goal.
Remember, the bigger the goal, the bigger that tension, and the bigger the resistance. You then have two choices:
- Focus on current reality, along with that tension
- Focus on the desired reality
If you focus on current reality, that tension is magnified, and you get more of current reality, along with even more tension.
If you focus on the desired reality, where the goal is achieved, then that momentum gets bigger, and you move closer and closer to your goal.
Now, you might instead choose a third option, and not focus on the goal at all, because you’re afraid of the resistance. But, that puts you in the camp I mentioned above of the “one day” intentions.
No focus, no goal. That tension, while scary, is essential to the process.
3. Emotion
The third essential element of magic is emotion.
I consider will and focus the primary elements. Emotion, however, is the means by which it all comes together and works.
Without emotion, well, energy doesn’t move. Emotion is a magnet to energy. Positive emotion is a magnet to positive energy, and negative emotion is a magnet to negative energy.
If you have will (by choosing a specific goal), and you have focus (by successfully focusing on that goal and not its opposite), but you have no emotion, then the energy won’t flow towards your goal.
That’s why I said a specific goal is more effective. Specifics trigger greater emotion than generalities. With increased emotion comes increased momentum, and greater flow towards your goal.
Similarly, unless what you focus on triggers an emotion in you, focus won’t make anything grow. It’s not the focus by itself that makes the energy grow, it’s the emotion behind that focus.
So, if you’re goal isn’t all that inspiring to you, the energy just won’t flow very quickly towards that goal, because there’s little emotion involved.
That’s why I say that the best way to overcome resistance is to not react emotionally to that resistance. Without the emotional reaction, that resistance is starved of focus, and it has to diminish.
With some simple NLP tools, you can learn how to quickly and easily manipulate your own emotions, so you can feel what you want to feel, and stop feeling what you don’t want to feel. Emotional management is much of the process of working magic.
Putting It All Together
A lot of information was shared in this post, some of which might be new to you.
It can be understood with a simple analogy. Of course, I’ll use my favorite: the car analogy. 🙂
You’re in your car, and it’s started. You need three things in order to get to your destination:
- A destination in the first place
- The ability to drive in the right direction
- The gas to fuel the engine
Without any one of these elements, you simply can’t get to your destination.
Let’s start with the first: your destination. This is equivalent to will as discussed above.
Your will is your destination. Without a destination in mind, you’ll just be driving aimlessly. Maybe you’ll like some of the scenery you pass, and maybe you’ll dislike some of it. But, there’s no sense of purpose in this excursion.
Now, you also need a direction. You need to know when to turn down certain roads and so forth. This is equivalent to focus.
Actually, focus is both your direction, as well as your speed. Without focus, you’re standing still, moving neither towards nor away from your destination. With focus on the wrong thing, you’re certainly moving, but in a direction you’d rather not.
For instance, say you’d like to travel to the grocery store, but instead you make some wrong turns and end up somewhere totally different. You certainly had momentum, but it brought you to the wrong destination.
Now, the final element is the fuel, which is equivalent to emotion. Without the fuel, you can’t even move in any direction. You’re stuck, until you can refuel and set out on your way.
Without emotion, you can’t move the energy necessary to accomplish your goal. It’s simply dead in the water. Once you start feeling inspired, then the energy starts moving, and you can much more easily achieve your goals.
So, all 3 elements are absolutely necessary. Without any one of them, magic just won’t work. When you get all elements in play, though, you’ll achieve your goal quickly and effortlessly.
This is the basics of magic. I’d like to cover it in much greater detail in the future, but these are the elements you must understand to proceed.
Try looking at your own goals. Do you have a definitive goal in mind? Is it specific enough?
Do you regularly focus on that goal, or are you more focused on its opposite, due to the resistance that comes up?
And finally, does the goal inspire you? Do you feel good when focusing on it?
Determine where your goal might need a bit of work, then work on improving those elements that were lacking. If you do so successfully, I think you’ll find your goal being much easier to achieve.
How About You?
Now it’s your turn. Do your goals fulfill all 3 elements of successful magic? If not, what might you do to implement these principles? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
What Lies Beyond the Law of Attraction?
What if the LOA isn't enough? Enter your info to get my free e-course, What Lies Beyond the Law of Attraction?
Your recent blog posts have really hit home for me!
I think that the post on how to really let go has been golden to me. You wrote in a recent comment to someone that there are 2 approaches. One is to embrace the state of being fine even if something doesn’t manifest. That has never fully resonated with me. The second one however, embracing the state of sure knowing and confidence that it’s coming, or already taken care of, that I don’t need to see it right now, or doubt it, resonates with me completely!
Even before I heard about the law of attraction, there was one exam I was studying for. That was more than a year ago. The material was interesting, but challenging. What popped inside of my mind was seeing the goal (passing the exam) as something fixed, something that can’t move, something definitive. My starting point was also definitive. And there was a string or rope connecting these 2 fixed points. No matter how the path goes, the end is already fixed, I’m passing the exam! I actually felt that, I had the confidence of passing. I didn’t pass the exam lol, but on the second try I had the same confidence, and I did pass it! This confidence and determination and proactive attitude suit me really well.
That has also showed up in the recent days. I only have to intend like what, 10 minutes? Probably even less. And then the whole rest of the day I just float on peace. If something happens that evokes positive emotions in me, especially if it’s related to a goal I’m working on, I celebrate it with emotions, and then within a minute or two I let it go. And when a series of bad things start happening (like yesterday), it’s so cool knowing that with that small time of intending or appreciating, everything’s taken care of already, so all I have to do is to remind myself of that, and I just allow things without reacting. My judging of other people has also been decreasing furthermore. Filtering reality is awesome, once we know how to allow the negative, instead of repressing it.
Also, I upgraded my monthly goal, and now it feels just the right way. It’s not too easy, plus more resistance has showed up, and I’ve dealt with it really well.
P.S. How come you call yourself a “witch”, and not a “warlock”? xD Isn’t a warlock a male, and a witch a female?
lol I just realized that I mentioned “warlock”, but not the super famous “wizard”. I like this concept of magic and connection with nature. You mentioned how you found a local wicca group. How’s that been going?
Yeah wizard isn’t used very much, either.
I also wanted to mention that a witch—i.e., one who practices witchcraft—is a very specific type of magic user. Wishes usually are very close to nature. They generally celebrate the cycles of the Moon and the seasons, etc. High magicians focus more on planetary energies, or even spirits, thought forms, sometimes even demons.
Hope that makes sense. 🙂
The group is going very well. I met another Pagan recently, too, who has really been able to help. I appreciate you asking. 🙂
Hi Z,
Great comment! You really have been making amazing progress, and I’m so happy for you.
The confidence thing has also been resonating with me lately. If you can get to the place of knowing, well, there’s not much that can hold you back. Actually, there’s really nothing that can hold you back. 🙂
The warlock thing is actually not true. Warlock means oath-breaker, so modern witches generally tend to avoid that term.
Witch is a term for both male and female. I think it was mainly associated with female because many women were the ones who stayed home and practiced witchcraft, while the male went off and hunted. The women were primarily the ones who learned the art of healing, the power of herbs, etc.
But there’s nothing that specifically says it is only for women.
Here’s a good article on the subject: http://www.malewitch.com/articles/male-witch-or-warlock.html
Oh, I didn’t know that there was a difference among those terms! Thanks for the link and the explanation.
Your recent blog posts have really hit home for me!
I think that the post on how to really let go has been golden to me. You wrote in a recent comment to someone that there are 2 approaches. One is to embrace the state of being fine even if something doesn’t manifest. That has never fully resonated with me. The second one however, embracing the state of sure knowing and confidence that it’s coming, or already taken care of, that I don’t need to see it right now, or doubt it, resonates with me completely!
Even before I heard about the law of attraction, there was one exam I was studying for. That was more than a year ago. The material was interesting, but challenging. What popped inside of my mind was seeing the goal (passing the exam) as something fixed, something that can’t move, something definitive. My starting point was also definitive. And there was a string or rope connecting these 2 fixed points. No matter how the path goes, the end is already fixed, I’m passing the exam! I actually felt that, I had the confidence of passing. I didn’t pass the exam lol, but on the second try I had the same confidence, and I did pass it! This confidence and determination and proactive attitude suit me really well.
That has also showed up in the recent days. I only have to intend like what, 10 minutes? Probably even less. And then the whole rest of the day I just float on peace. If something happens that evokes positive emotions in me, especially if it’s related to a goal I’m working on, I celebrate it with emotions, and then within a minute or two I let it go. And when a series of bad things start happening (like yesterday), it’s so cool knowing that with that small time of intending or appreciating, everything’s taken care of already, so all I have to do is to remind myself of that, and I just allow things without reacting. My judging of other people has also been decreasing furthermore. Filtering reality is awesome, once we know how to allow the negative, instead of repressing it.
Also, I upgraded my monthly goal, and now it feels just the right way. It’s not too easy, plus more resistance has showed up, and I’ve dealt with it really well.
P.S. How come you call yourself a “witch”, and not a “warlock”? xD Isn’t a warlock a male, and a witch a female?
lol I just realized that I mentioned “warlock”, but not the super famous “wizard”. I like this concept of magic and connection with nature. You mentioned how you found a local wicca group. How’s that been going?
Yeah wizard isn’t used very much, either.
I also wanted to mention that a witch—i.e., one who practices witchcraft—is a very specific type of magic user. Wishes usually are very close to nature. They generally celebrate the cycles of the Moon and the seasons, etc. High magicians focus more on planetary energies, or even spirits, thought forms, sometimes even demons.
Hope that makes sense. 🙂
The group is going very well. I met another Pagan recently, too, who has really been able to help. I appreciate you asking. 🙂
Hi Z,
Great comment! You really have been making amazing progress, and I’m so happy for you.
The confidence thing has also been resonating with me lately. If you can get to the place of knowing, well, there’s not much that can hold you back. Actually, there’s really nothing that can hold you back. 🙂
The warlock thing is actually not true. Warlock means oath-breaker, so modern witches generally tend to avoid that term.
Witch is a term for both male and female. I think it was mainly associated with female because many women were the ones who stayed home and practiced witchcraft, while the male went off and hunted. The women were primarily the ones who learned the art of healing, the power of herbs, etc.
But there’s nothing that specifically says it is only for women.
Here’s a good article on the subject: http://www.malewitch.com/articles/male-witch-or-warlock.html
Oh, I didn’t know that there was a difference among those terms! Thanks for the link and the explanation.
Well, here is another comment. 🙂
Excellent post! As Z mentioned, this totally resonates with me too! I also think reading and participates on the blog lifts one’s energy because the vibe of the blog is a high one.
I was also going to ask about the warlock thing, and thanks for providing such a good website!
That list you provided made me understand why most people do not get anywhere with their life. They believe it is just not possible, they look at reality and think there is no way out, they believe it is no use even having dreams/goals and settling is the best remedy and then complain for the rest of their life. I am telling you, being in the city this past week was tough because of the protests but the thing is, people are crying out without really knowing the true issues at hand. I mean, I voted for Hillary too, but come on, let’s not jump to conclusions about anything and keep calm. I just had to bring this up because my next question is, how do you stay cool in the midst of fanaticism, when the others are in your face? Witches did bear a lot, so you see how things get because people assume things about topics they do not know or do not even want to know about, and jump to conclusions from their limited understanding. For example, last night, it was mentioned that Trump is advertising on a government website, when all that was mentioned in the bio was what his wife did as a job. That is not the same thing. I won’t be tuning in the programs anymore, but my husband was watching. I know you will say to ignore, focus on yourself and what you want it to be and feel, and I have kept my cool and even calmed a few people down; will this make it go away?
And thank you for explaining the technique and breaking it down. I am always fascinated by Jesus who actually became Source and even bypassed the technique, I mean, it happened instantaneously.
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
I know, the witch thing is often misunderstood. I figured there would be some questions about it, but didn’t want to go off on a tangent in the post itself. 🙂 That website is really a good one, and has lots of good resources.
I agree about how so many people just complain about life. They really go against all three principles outlined here: they don’t will the outcome they want, they focus on the opposite of their goal, and they allow negative emotions to magnetize negative events to them.
As you say, this election has really brought that out in people. I’ve been saddened by the response, much as you have. I have friends on Facebook who have said they would unfriend anyone who voted for Trump. I think that is a shame. As with anything, saying “no” to what you don’t want will only make it bigger, and I wish I could make people understand this.
How to deal with it? Well, limit your exposure to it as much as possible, first of all. If someone brings it up, be noncommittal and try to change the subject, unless you know that person will listen to what you have to say. If there are pages on Facebook that only post negative things, then unfollow them. I was following Occupy Democrats on Facebook, but ever since the election they’ve posted nothing but garbage on Trump and trying to instill fear in others. Very low-vibrational, and I will likely unfollow them.
Well, here is another comment. 🙂
Excellent post! As Z mentioned, this totally resonates with me too! I also think reading and participates on the blog lifts one’s energy because the vibe of the blog is a high one.
I was also going to ask about the warlock thing, and thanks for providing such a good website!
That list you provided made me understand why most people do not get anywhere with their life. They believe it is just not possible, they look at reality and think there is no way out, they believe it is no use even having dreams/goals and settling is the best remedy and then complain for the rest of their life. I am telling you, being in the city this past week was tough because of the protests but the thing is, people are crying out without really knowing the true issues at hand. I mean, I voted for Hillary too, but come on, let’s not jump to conclusions about anything and keep calm. I just had to bring this up because my next question is, how do you stay cool in the midst of fanaticism, when the others are in your face? Witches did bear a lot, so you see how things get because people assume things about topics they do not know or do not even want to know about, and jump to conclusions from their limited understanding. For example, last night, it was mentioned that Trump is advertising on a government website, when all that was mentioned in the bio was what his wife did as a job. That is not the same thing. I won’t be tuning in the programs anymore, but my husband was watching. I know you will say to ignore, focus on yourself and what you want it to be and feel, and I have kept my cool and even calmed a few people down; will this make it go away?
And thank you for explaining the technique and breaking it down. I am always fascinated by Jesus who actually became Source and even bypassed the technique, I mean, it happened instantaneously.
Hi Kat,
Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂
I know, the witch thing is often misunderstood. I figured there would be some questions about it, but didn’t want to go off on a tangent in the post itself. 🙂 That website is really a good one, and has lots of good resources.
I agree about how so many people just complain about life. They really go against all three principles outlined here: they don’t will the outcome they want, they focus on the opposite of their goal, and they allow negative emotions to magnetize negative events to them.
As you say, this election has really brought that out in people. I’ve been saddened by the response, much as you have. I have friends on Facebook who have said they would unfriend anyone who voted for Trump. I think that is a shame. As with anything, saying “no” to what you don’t want will only make it bigger, and I wish I could make people understand this.
How to deal with it? Well, limit your exposure to it as much as possible, first of all. If someone brings it up, be noncommittal and try to change the subject, unless you know that person will listen to what you have to say. If there are pages on Facebook that only post negative things, then unfollow them. I was following Occupy Democrats on Facebook, but ever since the election they’ve posted nothing but garbage on Trump and trying to instill fear in others. Very low-vibrational, and I will likely unfollow them.
Brandon,
What other books on the craft do you recommend?
Honestly, none at the moment that I’m aware of. That one on witchcraft and the law of attraction is really good, though. But a lot of others are very… well… basic. Let me ask a few of my friends and get back to you.
It also depends what aspects you’d like to focus on. Ritual? Worship of the gods? Communion with nature? Herbs? Crystals? The possibilities are endless.
Yes, it appeared that way, that is why I asked. I read “How to Get Everything you Ever Wanted” by Adrian Calabrese. It is really good, but very ritualistic. Perhaps this is an indicator to me to go back to rituals, but I want to do it in flow and inspired, not dragged, so not yet.
One that focuses on health, communing with nature would be good for now. Though I am interested in everything. I found a good health spell, but it did not last too long. Oh well…
Kat,
I think you’d like this book: Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. It’s more focused on the spiritual aspects, rather than ritual, so I think you’d enjoy it. 🙂
Why is it that we can’t just be happy and feel positive emotions and still have our desires manifest? Do we have to specifically focus and think about them? I guess maybe the answer relates to our subconscious programming as you’ve discussed in a previous blog post. It’s just frustrating because a lot of loa teachers including Abraham say all we have to do is get happy and feel good and everything we want will flow into our lives.
In my own experience, I’ve been not thinking about my desires at all, neither in a postive nor lackful way for many months. I’ve been very happy and feeling very good and yet my desires elude me.
Hi Natasha,
In my view, it’s not enough to just generally feel good. It can certainly help, but it’s not enough for your major desires.
I think good things will start happening in general, but your desires aren’t realized because there is resistance in the way. I’m guessing that in a very subtle way, every time you begin to think of your desire, or reality reminds you of it in some way, you feel that resistance.
Like I said, the LOA / magic relies on the tension between current reality, and your desired reality. That’s been my experience. If you don’t allow that tension to be there, then the energy won’t move towards your desire.
That tension isn’t a bad thing. It just means that there’s a noticeable difference between current reality and desired reality.
In the terms of this post, you have emotion in play, but haven’t definitively willed your desire, nor focused sufficiently on the attainment of that desire. Get those two elements in play, and it’ll come quickly.
Hope that helps. 🙂
Yes it does thanks. How do you go about focusing on your desires?Do you have a list of all your goals? Do you take time to focus on them each day?
Yes, I focus on each one every day. The more regularly and consistently you focus on your goals, the greater your momentum will be.
I offer a good process for doing this in The Art of Reality Creation.
The best time to do it is within an hour or so before bed if possible, as your subconscious mind will have a chance to ingrain the goal.
That sounds interesting! If I continue to not make any progress I will check it out! 🙂
Hi Brandon,
My goal of feeling good (physically comfortable, relaxed, peaceful, happy) isn’t happening. Is the only way to achieve this by letting go and allowing completely? The only other option I can imagine is getting stuff, but that’s more a self-image sort of good feeling, and much less stable.
Hi CJ,
When I was taking my NLP certification, they said something that has stuck with me: essentially that a state can never be a goal. A state is like you described: feeling good, relaxed, etc. A state is something that can be triggered immediately in the moment, if you have the knowledge of how to do it.
When I work with my clients, I encourage them to choose a real, definitive goal. Feeling good is not a goal. It is something you choose.
I’ve written on this blog quite a bit about how to release resistance and feel better. Letting go is definitely a big part of that. There are NLP techniques that can definitely help as well.
Brandon,
What other books on the craft do you recommend?
Honestly, none at the moment that I’m aware of. That one on witchcraft and the law of attraction is really good, though. But a lot of others are very… well… basic. Let me ask a few of my friends and get back to you.
It also depends what aspects you’d like to focus on. Ritual? Worship of the gods? Communion with nature? Herbs? Crystals? The possibilities are endless.
Yes, it appeared that way, that is why I asked. I read “How to Get Everything you Ever Wanted” by Adrian Calabrese. It is really good, but very ritualistic. Perhaps this is an indicator to me to go back to rituals, but I want to do it in flow and inspired, not dragged, so not yet.
One that focuses on health, communing with nature would be good for now. Though I am interested in everything. I found a good health spell, but it did not last too long. Oh well…
Kat,
I think you’d like this book: Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner. It’s more focused on the spiritual aspects, rather than ritual, so I think you’d enjoy it. 🙂
Hi Brandon,
My goal was to feel good most of the time. By this I meant I wanted to feel very comfortable physically, peaceful yet fully energized, happy and vibrant.
Now I’m realizing such a goal is not directly possible, but must come through better connections with others. That’s how most people achieve this goal.
Maybe if I get this goal then the other goal of finding my true calling (job/work) will appear.
Hi CJ,
As I said, just do what you must to feel better. It’s not really a goal.
Now the connections with others, and finding work—those are goals. 🙂 So feel what it would feel like to have those things already.
ok, thanks.
Do you have some favourite NLP techniques? Or just the standard stuff is fine?
Submodalities are probably the best when you’re dealing with states. Anchoring is also good.
Since you mentioned crystals in response to Kat above, I’d like to ask something. More than a year ago I bought tiger’s eye pendant and bracelet, because I figured they’d help me with my 3rd chakra, which I perceived to be critical at the time. I haven’t been wearing them for a long time now. Anyway, I know you told me that you see the biggest issues in my 2nd chakra. So I’m wondering if wearing tiger’s eye again would benefit me much. If it wouldn’t make much a difference, then I probably wouldn’t bother with it again. I mean, since it needs to be regularly cleansed with water, etc.
Why is it that we can’t just be happy and feel positive emotions and still have our desires manifest? Do we have to specifically focus and think about them? I guess maybe the answer relates to our subconscious programming as you’ve discussed in a previous blog post. It’s just frustrating because a lot of loa teachers including Abraham say all we have to do is get happy and feel good and everything we want will flow into our lives.
In my own experience, I’ve been not thinking about my desires at all, neither in a postive nor lackful way for many months. I’ve been very happy and feeling very good and yet my desires elude me.
Hi Natasha,
In my view, it’s not enough to just generally feel good. It can certainly help, but it’s not enough for your major desires.
I think good things will start happening in general, but your desires aren’t realized because there is resistance in the way. I’m guessing that in a very subtle way, every time you begin to think of your desire, or reality reminds you of it in some way, you feel that resistance.
Like I said, the LOA / magic relies on the tension between current reality, and your desired reality. That’s been my experience. If you don’t allow that tension to be there, then the energy won’t move towards your desire.
That tension isn’t a bad thing. It just means that there’s a noticeable difference between current reality and desired reality.
In the terms of this post, you have emotion in play, but haven’t definitively willed your desire, nor focused sufficiently on the attainment of that desire. Get those two elements in play, and it’ll come quickly.
Hope that helps. 🙂
Yes it does thanks. How do you go about focusing on your desires?Do you have a list of all your goals? Do you take time to focus on them each day?
Yes, I focus on each one every day. The more regularly and consistently you focus on your goals, the greater your momentum will be.
I offer a good process for doing this in The Art of Reality Creation.
The best time to do it is within an hour or so before bed if possible, as your subconscious mind will have a chance to ingrain the goal.
That sounds interesting! If I continue to not make any progress I will check it out! 🙂
Hi Brandon,
My goal of feeling good (physically comfortable, relaxed, peaceful, happy) isn’t happening. Is the only way to achieve this by letting go and allowing completely? The only other option I can imagine is getting stuff, but that’s more a self-image sort of good feeling, and much less stable.
Hi CJ,
When I was taking my NLP certification, they said something that has stuck with me: essentially that a state can never be a goal. A state is like you described: feeling good, relaxed, etc. A state is something that can be triggered immediately in the moment, if you have the knowledge of how to do it.
When I work with my clients, I encourage them to choose a real, definitive goal. Feeling good is not a goal. It is something you choose.
I’ve written on this blog quite a bit about how to release resistance and feel better. Letting go is definitely a big part of that. There are NLP techniques that can definitely help as well.
Hi Brandon,
My goal was to feel good most of the time. By this I meant I wanted to feel very comfortable physically, peaceful yet fully energized, happy and vibrant.
Now I’m realizing such a goal is not directly possible, but must come through better connections with others. That’s how most people achieve this goal.
Maybe if I get this goal then the other goal of finding my true calling (job/work) will appear.
Hi CJ,
As I said, just do what you must to feel better. It’s not really a goal.
Now the connections with others, and finding work—those are goals. 🙂 So feel what it would feel like to have those things already.
ok, thanks.
Do you have some favourite NLP techniques? Or just the standard stuff is fine?
Submodalities are probably the best when you’re dealing with states. Anchoring is also good.
Btw, remember when I told you that I have so many goals, and didn’t know what to focus on? Then you wrote this:
Will focusing on a “big” specific goal clear up the resistance for some smaller goals, without me actively focusing on them? I ask because I probably have hundreds of smaller goals, and pinpointing them all would be too much of a task. If realization of them could spontaneously dance into my life just by me clearing resistance on my biggest goals, then that would be awesome!
Also, what do you think of the idea of throwing in a weekly goal while already having a monthly goal? Like, if I’d like to manifest an amount of money that’s somewhat too small and easy for a monthly goal, but still a challenge for a week? Is there a danger that setting a weekly goal and failing at it would negatively impact my monthly goal? I ask because I don’t know if for someone at my level of global resistance, a weekly goal would be a good thing. For you it probably would, since you’re already experienced. I kind of wouldn’t like to plunge into too much too soon. Like, overburning myself or something.
Since you mentioned crystals in response to Kat above, I’d like to ask something. More than a year ago I bought tiger’s eye pendant and bracelet, because I figured they’d help me with my 3rd chakra, which I perceived to be critical at the time. I haven’t been wearing them for a long time now. Anyway, I know you told me that you see the biggest issues in my 2nd chakra. So I’m wondering if wearing tiger’s eye again would benefit me much. If it wouldn’t make much a difference, then I probably wouldn’t bother with it again. I mean, since it needs to be regularly cleansed with water, etc.
Very encouraging post Brandon. Thank you for bringing missing pieces together.It helps me to cross check if I am on the right path or not.I think when you have a strong will your mind stays focused no matter what but sometimes I feel emotions are not that strong. They don’t go away completely but energy behind them varies in intensity.
But like you said before just go with the flow and keep checking if your thoughts and emotions are suppprting your goal or not helps to stay focused. I think It’s ok to have some down feelings if 90% of the time you were feeling good about your intentions. And I think when you come to the point where NO is not an answer then you don’t even have to think too much and you feel like whatever you want is already there :).
Hi Rhea,
Thanks for the comment.
Yes, I agree entirely. It’s not all or nothing. You will always have some negative thoughts here and there. What matters is that for most of the time, you feel good about your goal. 🙂
Btw, remember when I told you that I have so many goals, and didn’t know what to focus on? Then you wrote this:
Will focusing on a “big” specific goal clear up the resistance for some smaller goals, without me actively focusing on them? I ask because I probably have hundreds of smaller goals, and pinpointing them all would be too much of a task. If realization of them could spontaneously dance into my life just by me clearing resistance on my biggest goals, then that would be awesome!
Also, what do you think of the idea of throwing in a weekly goal while already having a monthly goal? Like, if I’d like to manifest an amount of money that’s somewhat too small and easy for a monthly goal, but still a challenge for a week? Is there a danger that setting a weekly goal and failing at it would negatively impact my monthly goal? I ask because I don’t know if for someone at my level of global resistance, a weekly goal would be a good thing. For you it probably would, since you’re already experienced. I kind of wouldn’t like to plunge into too much too soon. Like, overburning myself or something.
Very encouraging post Brandon. Thank you for bringing missing pieces together.It helps me to cross check if I am on the right path or not.I think when you have a strong will your mind stays focused no matter what but sometimes I feel emotions are not that strong. They don’t go away completely but energy behind them varies in intensity.
But like you said before just go with the flow and keep checking if your thoughts and emotions are suppprting your goal or not helps to stay focused. I think It’s ok to have some down feelings if 90% of the time you were feeling good about your intentions. And I think when you come to the point where NO is not an answer then you don’t even have to think too much and you feel like whatever you want is already there :).
Hi Rhea,
Thanks for the comment.
Yes, I agree entirely. It’s not all or nothing. You will always have some negative thoughts here and there. What matters is that for most of the time, you feel good about your goal. 🙂
Hi Brandon,
I’m quite new to LOA and have found your blog recently. It’s very helpful and I love how direct and honest you are.
What is your advice on relationships and wanting a specific person? Is this too specific?
Other advice says go general, feel happy/love doing anything else, ask for ‘someone better’ – that specifics cause resistance and not manifesting.
I have a current reality that is the opposite of what I want with someone – reading here that feeling resistance is something you need to be comfortable with is very new.
Hi Brandon,
I’m quite new to LOA and have found your blog recently. It’s very helpful and I love how direct and honest you are.
What is your advice on relationships and wanting a specific person? Is this too specific?
Other advice says go general, feel happy/love doing anything else, ask for ‘someone better’ – that specifics cause resistance and not manifesting.
I have a current reality that is the opposite of what I want with someone – reading here that feeling resistance is something you need to be comfortable with is very new.