The Vision Quest
Among the rituals widespread on the Ways of Power, one method holds a central place in the initiatory process: a rite intended to awaken the Voice of Power within the wanderer.
This ritual is known in Elemental magical ways and shamanism as “The Vision Quest,” in Thelemic Magic as “The Colloquy with the Holy Guardian Angel,” and in modern Currents as a “dialogue with the Higher Self.” Whatever its outer coloring, it has one aim: to discern, through the chatter of the Parasite of mind, the voice of Power —Epinoia.
The essence of the Quest is this: the Magus, alone or with the help of a Master, crosses the Threshold of perception that separates his ordinary world. Exploiting the Parasite’s confusion that follows this crossing, he drives the mind into the depths of the Psychocosmos and finds there the Signs of Power.
Thus, the Vision Quest belongs to the so-called “Immersive” Rituals, because the activity of mind during it turns inward, into the Psychocosmos, and everything the Magus sees or hears rises from those depths.
We have already said that the human mind, sealed within itself and trained to exhaust its cognitive powers on standard patterns handed down by society, predators, and parasites, cannot break past its own boundaries. It requires a shove — an entry into a new state — an opening. That initiatory event must occur in the course of the Vision Quest.
In fact, the state in which the Vision Quest is performed is a waking dream, because the reality of this Quest is virtual and microcosmic.
Nevertheless, the events of the Quest are experienced as external, and the Signs also often arrive from without. This must be understood clearly: the Vision Quest, like other liminal states of mind, blurs the boundaries of the Psychocosmos. That blurring is only a source of energy for drawing Power; Power itself can take any guise and come both from outside and from within the seeker.
Vision comes when the seeker stands in harmony with himself — clean in thought and free of emotion. Then intelligence casts off its natural barriers, the senses break through, and the voice of Power becomes tangible. For that reason the Quest is usually preceded by preparations meant to cleanse the field of mind.
Yet ordering the Psychocosmos is not the only condition for Vision. Crossing the Threshold is also necessary. Therefore, all the seeker’s efforts must be directed both toward the utmost harmonization of his being and toward the destabilization of the Threshold / Liminal Realm. In different ways the Magus thins the Veil: the mind relaxes its guard, and through its borders the Unknown begins to seep. The danger is real — the loss of control over one’s boundaries leads to madness or possession. Therefore, in this Ritual, as in many others, precautions must be absolute.
The Vision revealed to the Magus during the Quest is individual and usually concerns him directly — his motives, inner dead ends, fears, and problems. Everything the Parasite of mind keeps masked, because it threatens losses of Power, can be exposed in Vision. Yet there are also visions that concern other people and even humanity as a whole. Moreover, because the Quest itself requires crossing the Threshold / Liminal Realm, the Vision may touch other worlds or beings.
With this comes a critical danger of the Quest: the seeker may enter a world unlike the familiar one and lose his way there — vanishing within it or going mad. In the latter case, the mind is fixed on one world while the guide stands in another.
Another danger of crossing the Threshold is this: behind the seeker, inhabitants of the beyond may also pass through the rift, including predatory ones.
Whatever method is used to perform the Vision Quest Ritual, its value is measured by its power to transform the wanderer’s дальней movement and to help him break the obstacles raised by the Parasite of mind. In this sense, the Vision Quest is akin to other Rituals of the Inner Hunt, opening a way for mind to reclaim authority in the Psychocosmos — authority usurped by the Parasite of mind.
“Knowledge and Conversation”: activation of the higher matrices
The Hunt for Power
Ritual of the Rift
Shaking the Vessel
Transitions and Initiations
Inspiration and Obsession
The Magus’s Vision
The Threshold in the Psychocosmos
‘Vision comes when the seeker… is free from emotions. Then the mind casts off natural barriers and allows feelings to penetrate…’
How do emotions differ from feelings from the perspective of Magic?
I’ve already written about this: https://www.enmerkar.com/en/way/emotional-traps
Is it possible to somehow influence the destabilization of the Boundary? Enhance it, speed it up?
Of course, that is the purpose of the Ritual.
The concept of ‘vision’ includes not only seeing (sight) but also arrived understanding, hearing of an answer (voice)?
In this case, ‘vision’ is any perception.
If there are any signs of completing this ritual – what next?
Further – the vision must be correctly interpreted and based on it adjustments should be made for the further Path.
What actions should be taken to avoid getting lost, to return and prevent predators from penetrating?
It can be said that everyone has their own Agreement (faith in something, perception of the world, laws, vision), and then everyone can receive their Voice of Power. If you believe in reincarnation, it may just be a dialogue with some of your past incarnations. But guardian angel, Higher Self – that’s something else. Are there reliable criteria to figure this out and not be deceived?
>>The essence of the Search comes down to the fact that a magician… overcomes the Threshold of perception, separating his mundane world, and, taking advantage of the confusion of the Parasite that arises as a result of this overcoming, penetrates the depths of the Psychocosmos with his consciousness and finds the Signs of Power.
Essentially, the Parasite should remain silent in the magician’s everyday life, and the Signs of Power (as described in several articles before) swirl around all the time. It turns out that the magician is constantly in a state of Searching for Vision?
It should be silent, but in reality, the Parasite continuously whispers its will to the consciousness. And the signs are, of course, always nearby, but perception and understanding of them require Power.
Okay, so what is “second attention” and how does it differ from the state of Searching for Vision?
Thank you! If you keep trying over and over again – will it work? I wanted to ask – what time is best to conduct it?
If the intention is strong – it will definitely work. As for when to conduct it – when there is inspiration, when the Power calls.
I did not quite understand how to conduct the ritual, do I need to become aware in a dream? And how to find the vision?
The ritual does not take place in a dream; consciousness simply enters a state of waking dream. And vision comes itself if you open your consciousness to it.
Good evening! This happens when there is a lot of tension and the vision is like a waking dream. A waking dream of someone else’s future, not mine, but of the person who is stressing. So, it’s the one with whom contact is established until a nervous breakdown. If in a calm state, then it is not so emotionally charged; one can calmly share with a cup of coffee what troubles their life. But it drains a lot of energy and causes stress. This is also a state of waking vision.
As I see it, any advice expressed in words is “approximate and somewhat incorrect.” Words can only convey hints or fail to do so 🙂 For example, it is well said: “Vision comes when the seeker is in harmony with themselves, pure in thought, and free from emotions. Then the mind sheds its natural barriers and allows feelings to penetrate, and one can then sense the voice of the Force.” It is also worth adding, “The only barrier that separates worlds is the barrier of perception,” as well as “One must pursue their fears,” but at the same time, “The true magician is destined for their service even in the womb. Others, those who decide to engage in magical work of their own accord, are unhappy.”
From those who have implemented the idea of rights, peculiarities, and superiority of birth, we know, for example, Hitler. And to speak of the misfortune of those who are not born for magic, to a person who considers themselves born for it, is mere speculation. You don’t know what it’s like, in the skin of those you think are unfortunate. Well, theoretically, you shouldn’t) you live in a completely different world)
One of the key assertions of the Magic Myth is “Everything is equally important,” and therefore, according to the Law of Analogies, “Everyone is equally important.” Hitler died, and Napoleon died, and we will all die. What makes one mortal superior to another mortal? Death is the great equalizer for all. As for the phrase: “The true magician is destined for his service even in the womb of his mother. Others, those who decide for themselves to engage in magical work, are unfortunate.” There is an author behind this phrase. If you’re interested, you can inquire at https://en.enmerkar.com/magic/magiya-arbatelya.
I think about where such a large number of people with a similar worldview come from) it may be considered an offense to the sacred, but I do not consider Enmerkar the ultimate truth. And I don’t consider anyone as such. Birth is just the initial data. That’s all there is to it.
“And any idea of superiority is realized only through someone else’s shortcomings. We can return to solid ground and personally address your ideas about my purpose, for example. The same Hitler, just from the side.”
Everyone has their own purpose. There are no better or worse purposes because all are equally important. In the article I mentioned earlier, there is a phrase: “anyone can understand whether they were born for Magic, and if so, for what kind.” By the way, the author of the phrase is not Enmerkar.
There is no one who determines someone else’s destiny. Both you and the author of the statement have tried to take this burden upon yourselves. The result is worth it if there is an intention to carry out a war.
The author of the statement is the Spirit. Does it care about your purpose? And if you see your own in my words: “Everyone has their own purpose,” then you know perfectly well what yours is.
The purpose of this spirit’s statement, quite human in nature, arises from the need to explain to oneself one’s significance, as well as to explain to others the exclusivity of a particular work, so that those who are intrigued do not meddle but turn to the one born of a womb and assured by spirits—the intermediary. You may think so. I remind you that you are personally acquainted with and have encountered a person who does not think this way. And he is quite happy and just as magical.