On energy
White Sophia
On energy
In witchcraft, we talk about energy a lot, but what is it?
In physics (as I understand it) energy is the innate ability of matter to move or change, to influence its surroundings. A simple example is the way an incredible amount of change (or destruction) is released during a nuclear explosion. Another example is burning coal - the coal is inert or non-reactive, but is full of energy that is released when you put a flame to it. Energy is stored up ready for use, and you have to create the right conditions for the energy to be released. Otherwise everything would be exploding all the time!
So the first thing you need to be able to do is recognize how to access the energy, how to create the right conditions to release it, and make sure that you direct it exactly where you want it to go! In witchcraft we do this using the sacred circle and the four Watchtowers or Guardians to aid us.
The next question is, what kind of energy are we harnessing in our magic? I don't think anyone has a definitive answer to this (in a scientific sense), all we have is descriptions of what the energy is like. The simplest energy to harness is life energy or qi, since we've got so much of it and ready access to it. However, qi is a much higher vibration than that if physical matter - the skin and bones you are made of. The word 'vibration' is a way of describing what kind of energy or how much of it is present in the system, and is at least a useful analogy for describing qi when it manifests. So if qi is a higher vibration than the body, then how are they linked? How does the body affect the aura, for instance, and vice versa? How does healing work?
My view is that physical matter emanates qi automatically, just as matter automatically creates gravity, and mass, simply by its existence. Whilst matter automatically emanates some qi, it doesn't have very much, or it is of a lower vibration (or both). When life develops, say at the level of bugs and worms, the biological functioning of the creature accumulates or manifests more qi (though I've no idea how). Higher organisms do this much better, and each organism has it's own kind of qi, just as it has its own unique physical make up. It is the fact that we humans have consciousness, in addition to instinct, that we can manipulate the life energy for our own purposes.
...Um, weren't we talking about magic? Sure! So, just as we can consciously manipulate life energy, we can significantly magnify the effects we want to achieve, as well as focus the energy, by using a spell. It's like when you use a magnifying glass to focus the sun's rays and create a flame. The spell raises the energy you need, as well as focusing it in a specific place, which is dictated by the spell itself. We can call on our guides, the angels, and deity, to help us, and by creating a sacred circle, we make a place where this happens easily, a place between the worlds.
We can perceive many other kinds of 'energy': emotional, mental, personal will, karmic energy etc. My feeling is that these are different aspects of the way that life energy and the physical self interact and exist. They are different 'vibrations', for want of a better word. As such, we can perceive them as different colours of the aura, and can seek to find balance within ourselves or others by addressing the associated physical, emotional, mental or karmic issues. We can also try to manipulate the life energy, by giving or grounding it, where necessary to help the body to rebalance and heal.
Blessings to all,
White Sophia
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