 From a psychological standpoint, personal Will is fairly easy to define: It represents the ego's desire to achieve its ends. In this context, "Will power" means to persist through time (and obstacles) to reach those ends. As the field of psychology never permits metaphysics to enter the equation, it defines Will in materialistic terms. It inquires about personal Will, but never about Divine Will. Will, in itself, is a power — a power to shift or, at least, challenge the environment. We do not have to summon metaphysical forces to make this so. If we accept the leading-edge theories in physics that describe how the universe is one intricate, multidimensional web of matter/energy, then our actions have all the more impact: Each point in the universal web influences all others. Seen in this light, our acts of Will influence our environment more than we can imagine. We can look beyond even this expansive scientific viewpoint and into the metaphysical realm. Metaphysically, Will — Divine Will — is the manifestation of the Intent of Spirit. Advanced practitioners of the various forms of magic, wizardry, and spirituality can tap higher-dimensional powers, and Divine Will is one of them. However, all higher-dimensional powers are not equal. Some are, let's say, purer than others. Take astral forces for instance. Some of them exert destructive energies, while others are helpful. At a still higher level — one of pure spirit — the energy is transcendent, beyond duality. It can do no wrong. While this pure spiritual energy is ideal to tap, it takes much inner work to reach that level: you have to purify your ego. Touching the lower realms is easier than having to reach the higher. Other Insights Taoism can indirectly add some insight into this matter. In that belief system, a spiritually advanced person — a master (guru, saint, enlightened one) — is no longer a "doer": the universe "does" through him. He is an empty vessel through which the universe flows effortlessly. When Divine Will directs his actions, he has little need of personal gain, especially at the expense of others. This represents the highest use of Will, when the dictates of Divine Will supersede the personal. Even masters, though, do not live constantly in that state. During the "off" times when the individual is not "plugged in" to (or channeling) spirit, he or she is just a regular person. Conversely, metaphysical neophytes often rely solely on the ego. Whether their works turn out for the better depends on the individual's psychological state. If he has an imbalanced ego and uses magic for purely selfish and destructive ends, then bad karma will come his way. If his ego is balanced, then he could see positive results. (Balanced in the sense that the goal is helpful for the individual and the whole.) The balanced/imbalanced polarity marks the distinction between white and black magic. Like most polarities, though, you can find a large gray zone between the two. Astrologically, the sun represents Divine Will. It gives freely and constantly and is the sustainer of life; it is not the product of some determined ego. True power, like the power of the sun, shines effortlessly, freely, and "from above." It supports life. Conversely, personal Will has an opposite, life-draining effect when used negatively. It can unleash destructive Plutonian energies — the unconscious force of the masses — that can eventually bring down those who misuse it. While Spirit routinely ignores negative requests from the ego, darker entities from the lower astral plane may volunteer to help. That is why a pure heart and a strong dedication to an evolutionary Prime Directive are advisable when summoning Divine Will. More on the Prime Directive in a moment. Rituals When working with the higher planes, performing rituals is useful. One of the benefits is that we can use them to bypass the astral plane — a dimension riddled with illusion — and summon Spirit directly. Unlike the psychological approach where the individual must do all the work himself, this metaphysical/ritual approach uses the ego to formulate the request (goal), but allows Spirit to open the doors of opportunity. Like that, the person can reach the goal with the least amount of resistance and discord. Of course, some effort is needed: you have to walk through the doors. A Technique for Summoning Divine Will For someone new to working with Divine Will, a ritual or technique can be useful. The form I'm presenting here is basic and mutable. I've adapted it from a technology that Earth Mission invented in the late 1980's. The technique is as follows and should be said aloud: "Spirit, by the Power of Grace, manifest within me and through me the highest possibility ___ [Request] _____. All this happens as soon as possible and in the easiest possible way and without causing me any harm or negative karma in this or any other life. And so it is." Analysis To begin, you say the words aloud (or whispered) because verbalizing lends more power to your request ("the Word"). Now let's look at the sections themselves: 1. "Spirit, by the Power of Grace, manifest within me and through me the highest possibility ..." Here, you address your Spirit and ask that it use the Power of Grace to fulfill your request. The Power of Grace is a pure, miraculous function of the universe that transforms environments without creating karma. You want your request to manifest within you and through you, as opposed to anyone else. You also want the highest possible outcome to manifest. 2. [Request] The fill-in-the-blank part is where you state your request. 3. "All this happens as soon as possible and in the easiest possible way and without causing me any harm or negative karma in this or any other life." Here, you want the results to manifest "as soon as possible" (rather than 300 years from now). You want the process to unfold as easy as possible. You do not want to struggle to make it happen - you can use personal Will for that. Instead, you allow the universe to unfold in the direction of your request. There is no doubt or expectation on your part. You do not dwell on it; you let it go and let the universe do its work. If you do not see results within a reasonable amount time, rethink and re-word your request and then repeat it. Remember that all technologies of mind and spirit have their limits, including this one. Of course, you do not want harm or bad karma coming your way because of what you are asking for, so you add the phrase ". . . without causing me any harm or negative karma. . . ." The effect is that if spirit cannot fulfill your request without causing problems, then it will ignore it. Alternatively, spirit could address the request in a roundabout way, which could take significantly longer for you to see results. Or, it could present a watered down version of what you wanted. A broad request is often more effective than a very specific one. You could ask, "I want to meet my soul mate who is 5' 7", weighs 130 pounds, and has sandy-blonde hair. She is a Libran born in the south of France at 3:15 PM." This could take awhile. Or, you could ask, "I want to meet my soul mate." Chances are the latter would produce better results. 4. "And so it is." This is the Biblical Seal of Will. Feel the power when saying it. Work on developing it. Prime Directive as a Guide and Safety Measure Within our context, a Prime Directive is a command that sets the guidelines of your request to Spirit and directs your choices. For best results, it should reflect your highest spiritual ideals. As a safety measure, you can use it in the Divine Will technique. Say for example that your Prime Directive is to "Support the spiritual evolution of the human race." You could say: "Spirit, by the Power of Grace, manifest within me and through me the highest possibility that every time I use this technique, my request must be in line with my Prime Directive. My Prime Directive is that I will support the Force of Spiritual Evolution of the human race. If my request is not in line with that, then everyone will ignore it. All this happens as soon as possible and in the easiest possible way and without causing me any harm or negative karma in this or any other life. And so it is." Like that, you've accomplished two things: First, you have aimed at the highest possible results. Second, you will not attract low-level astral entities. Using Divine Will Wisely While you can request divine help for almost anything, it's usually wiser to think your request through before making it. For example, say that you stand for peace and do not support the aggressive actions of imperialistic forms of government. It would make sense then to ask Divine Will to intercede and "help defeat those creatures in power." However, if your Prime Directive was the one cited above ("to support the Force of Spiritual Evolution"), then you would have to consider another possibility. What if the Force of Spiritual Evolution had put those minion-like beings in power to help wake up the masses? What if they were there to make it obvious (to most) that their politico-economic system creates immense advantage for a few while causing hardship and suffering for many? This could help awaken people globally, which could support an evolutionary leap in the species. This does not mean that you cannot take concrete action against war and the misery that imperialism brings. Protest or invent some creative "wake-up" activity that brings the truth to light. Calling cosmic forces into play, though, could actually hurt the cause. After all, few (if any) have the vision to read the complete Cosmic Plan of the Great Unfolding. Instead of trying to fight and fix the Old World with Divine Will, we could use that power to manifest an alternate reality. How about one more loving and just? Cold-hearted beings who value power and money over life have manifested their hardened reality for the last 5,000 years.1 Like the dinosaurs that ruled the earth and then finally died out, the imperialistic systems of Empire must pass away as well. It's a law of nature. We have the potential to manifest a system (a society, a civilization) based on cooperation, compassion, and love; one that values life over profit. It could grow (and is growing) while the old crumbles (and is crumbling). An Example of the Divine Will Technique You may want to begin this practice with a somewhat benign request. Say that you are in a crowded mall. You could ask to move through the crowd effortlessly. "Spirit, by the Power of Grace, manifest within me and through me the highest possibility that I may walk through this crowd effortlessly with the least number of obstacles. All this happens as soon as possible and in the easiest possible way and without causing me any harm or negative karma in this or any other life. And so it is." If all went well, you would stroll through the mass of people the way a bird flies harmoniously with its flock. Notes: 1. If you want to add something to your request later on, you do not have to repeat the entire ritual. You can just say, "Spirit, please add to my request _______." 2. Frame your request in a positive way. For instance, instead of saying "I'm against war," use "I'm for peace." 3. In appropriate cases, you can add the phrase, "And, I release to the Light all energies, entities, and energetic structures that could hinder my request." The Collective Use of Will A group of people using their Will collectively can usually channel more power than a single individual. A coven is an example of this. One reason is that their intent is precisely aligned. As Teilhard de Chardin told George Magloire in confidence, "Nothing in the universe can resist the cumulative ardour of a sufficiently large number of enlightened minds working together in organized groups."2 In a similar vein, solitary metaphysicians, if their intent or Prime Directive is somewhat aligned, may work in unison with one another even if they've never met on the material plane. This happens because spiritual power (as opposed to ego force) is not stored within individuals but hovers above the space-time continuum as a conscious, unified field. Creating Pathways: the Feel Factor After you have used this technique for a while, you may discover that you are creating an energetic pathway. Creating a pathway is similar to hiking through an unexplored forest. The first time you go through, progress is slow. You struggle with thick underbrush and stinging nettles. Landmarks are non-existent. And of course, there's no path to follow. The second time is a bit easier: you encounter a little less underbrush, you notice a few landmarks, and you can make out the faint outline of a path. After many trips, you will have forged an easy-to-follow trail. You can apply this to the psychological and psychic aspects of the Divine Will technique: what you are learning is to "feel" your way along that path. I first learned about the "feel" factor as a teenager when I met my first witch. Black haired, petite, and lovely, she explained softly — almost hypnotically — how she learned her craft from her mother. Although her mother never allowed her to be present while she cast her spells, her mother would leave the door to her sacred room open just a crack. The daughter would lean her head gently against the wooden door and, through that opening, she would "feel" and thereby learn her mother's skills. Some say that once you have mastered the "feel factor" you can implement your request to Divine Will with the twist of the wrist. Conclusion When you use Divine Will properly, your life can become more focused and powerful, because it requires inner work. This makes you more conscious and, consequently, you make the world a better place. All you need to do is practice. As you become familiar with the process, you realize that the highest relationship with Divine Will is to surrender to it. It's like the Buddhist analogy of taking a boat across the river. The point is to reach the shore of enlightenment and, once there, you leave the boat behind. Using Divine Will, once we become an open channel for spirit, we no longer rely on the boat of personal Will.
Michael 1. The Great Turning by David Korten  |
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