Mandrake

UFA: Thank you for a good post. Indeed, I meant wealth in its obvious sense (financial) and not as a metaphor. "Another was that before the serious pursuit of esotericism can commence, one must seek to satisfy one's worldly desires. I had not the slightest inkling in those early days of how deeply buried the need for financial security was in my psyche. Tarot and astrology helped me to identify that urge and later, taught me what I needed to do to satisfy it." Great! I've seen a lot of denial, and burial in people who are spiritual aspirants. And I think the tricky aspect is that one can repress desires and then convince oneself that one doesn't have them, or that one has conquered them. In fact, one may have been succesful in pushing them into one's basement of the mind, so to speak. There is a tendency to explain away and defend an inability, and at least in the Western paths there is no excuse for not having mastery over life. Thank you for your input; much appreciated. M

Frater UFA: Would you care to expand? Becoming wealthy isn't easy. What in employing Tarot changes the situation? All my best, Mandrake

Michael: "Tarot can be very specific in its advice, to be sure. I prefer to use it with this emphasis over making predictions (which are only possible to a limited degree anyway)." Though I think there are valid occasions for asking about the future, oftentimes when we want to open that lid, we are better served by asking "why?" If we have a certain set-up in our being (karma if you will), then it will build the same situation in our life again and again. Uranus in the 4th house - moving a lot: understanding this mechanism in our psyche will enable us to really change the future; just asking about the future will merely produce a weak repeat of the past in cases like this. "I used the cards as part of that process, specifically for inducing insights into the client's psychological functioning in relation to their external experience. The insights would make a lasting impression in their unconscious mind and over time lead to a series of conclusions that help changing the client's life. The focus was generally not on telling the client what to do, directly." An interesting way to look at it. Have to consider it more deeply. The work one does alters the flow of decisions, and the subsequent healing is rolled out over time. Thank you for the recommendation, will look into it. Mandrake

Seconded. The OP-post displays ignorance of scientific evidence and the scientific method in general. M

Michael: Thank you for taking your time. Have been engaged in both a move and a flu, so have been delayed. There is a difference between the abstract - "get rid of ignorance" - and specific - "expand abroad"; between energetic - "clear this liver channel" - and, again specific - "do not take anything at work personally". I am at this moment more interested in behaviour, in getting direct feedback regarding them, and solution. Sometimes getting a specific example pointed out to you can be much more illustrative than getting told an abstract principle. And sometimes, your life hinges on something very specific that holds everything else hostage - but you don't know it. So although I am not well versed in the Tarot, it interests me. I have the impression that it can help in this regard, in giving psychological insight. I have been using astrology, but to a large degree focused on the future, but Tarot got me to reconsider using it as a print out of what I can change, and where my "lazy problematics" lie. "I then laid them out using whatever spread would seem most appropriate regarding the query. Ranging from the good old Celtic Cross to relationship and decision spreads." Where should one start? Are the spreads exclusive, and is there a spread that is a general-purpose one? "Lastly, using Tarot offers a playful approach to psychological problems that is quite in tune with the childlike nature of the unconscious mind which is very receptive to its archetypal symbolism. All the more due to the impression that a spot on revelation based on a seemingly random process leaves." Did you observe your patients following through? It is easy to fall in to a state that one believes is wisdom, to produce false insights from that state, but they just cement that state and never lead to any changes in one's inner and outer environment. I hope you understand what I am trying to express - i.e. not digging oneself deeper in to the hole. Did your patients act in a new, and fresh way as a consequence of the readings, and change their lives? Again, many thanks! Mandrake

Ok. I ask One question, and end up with loads : D How did you use it in practice? I.e. dealing cards, layout etc. Is there a wrong way of using it? There is a point where people can become obsessed and use it for everything, often. What did the tarot do that for example therapy couldn't (in the same degree)? This is fun, thanks! Mandrake

Michael: Regarding this: "On these grounds, Tarot offers solutions for all kinds of difficulties in life. Therein lies its great potential not least as a means of psychotherapy and spiritual growth. I was using it to that end in my work with psychiatric patients and self help groups in the 1990s." Would you like to expand on this, especially the latter part? I am intrigued by how you took the step to use it clinically. How did this work as a tool for you patients, and for what kinds did you find it especially powerful? With gratitude, Mandrake

Mike 134: Complex problem. Causes - depression, gonads, stress - can be many and hard to diagnose with the little information you supply. The body needs some cholesterol to produce testosterone (cholesterol is not bad, don't buy the myth), so you are doing the correct thing there. Another important booster is excercise - heavy lifting. For some more tips check this: http://www.artofmanliness.com/?s=testosterone Also. Go to a medic and measure your T and speak about your problems. The low libido may stem from something else. All the best, Mandrake

I've followed Trunk's posts since the time when we hang out at the forums at HealingDaoUSA. What in my opinion stands out with his approach to cultivation is the deep practicality, research into several modalities in order to explain what happens in cultivation, medical systems to clarify and to give hints for further fine-tuning and tricks, non-dogmaticism (he has not become emotionally invested in a system), and ability to add whatever experientially works. Many are the posts that elucidate some interesting fact about our physical and esoteric anatomy that I hitherto hadn't considered, but also usually connected to some technique making it accessible in the moment. Also, with experience comes maturity, and humbleness; humility to acknowledge and discuss the grey areas, and the void spots in one's knowledge of cultivation. I think this is exemplified by Trunk as well. To add to this, is a reservoir of pitfalls, do's and don'ts that have been encountered in various settings that I know Trunk has been part of; this is very valuable and at least some of it used to be on the homepage he maintained. So, although you don't seek to be in the lime-light, would you consent to an interview Trunk? It would be much appreciated. Mandrake

BKA: As I am a complete beginner, would you like to expand on the reasons why to walk lower and lower? Thanks! \Mandrake

SecretGrotto: Interesting, thanks for sharing. I've experimented wildly with diets, and thrived the best on something similar. Would you mind describing your body constitution, before and after? PM me if you wish. I'm just thinking about if we are similar in this regard. All the best, Mandrake

Many great points already. I would like to add this: If you are to undertake this because you want spiritual accomplishments, then there are things that are vastly more important. FIND A GREAT TEACHER first. In the long term, this is a factor that makes or breaks it, not if you do anything sexual or not. You do not want to be there, when you are 30, emerging from a celibacy with mediocre attainments and nothing else of accomplishment. With a proper teacher, our celibacy can really play for you, instead of against you. Best of luck! Mandrake

Clinical depression and psychological trauma is a horrendous illness that takes away so much good from individuals and humanity. The person who takes his own life is often already dead inside. My empathy goes out to you. My best friend's brother also decided to end his life at a too young age. Now, "But know this, you are blameless. We aren't omniscient, we don't know the future, we do what we can, with what we know at the time." I've thought about this lately, and tend to not agree with this thinking anymore. Why? A person doesn't die in isolation, but as a part of a group, that succumbs. Our lives are entwined in a myriad small -presences- and in each presence we take a choice to either act or not act. Those both choices are ethical ones. We know that people commit suicide - it's not as if it is the first time in history, totally surprising everybody - and we know that it doesn't happen out of the blue, but subsequently to deep inner problem-situation. So what do people tend to do? They discount the pain of others when it is expressed. "Oh, things will get better", "Cheer up", "Look at the bright side of life", "everyone is sad now and then" and other similar inane comments. Few people will reach out and outright tell "I'm contemplating suicide", so we need to be ready, and we need to go counter the taboo of asking "Are you thinking about suicide?" Usually, the suffering person only communicates very warily, often due to not being able to trust people out of the experience of her own history. People want to look good. They want to have clean hands. Thus they retort with surprise, even though deep inside they remember they noticed signs of things being wrong. But consider this: If you were squarely told that "X is going to die in this amount of time unless some counter force is coming up", would you sacrifice comfort, time, and money - a place in your apartment - in order to help a person become alive both outside and inside? I have seen this happen rarely, thus I don't believe most people are particularly virtuous, or a strong force for the good of humanity. I've met a handful, and they are the treasure of earth. But in the future, don't brush away those small signs. Don't belittle anybody's wary attempt to hint at their inner suffering. Mandrake

Yes, me too. "Hatred" is taking it too far. I don't for a second believe Malcolm "push[es] out hatred"; sensationalism. M

BKA: It makes sense. Thank you for putting it into words. Usually, many of the people who get attracted to magic in the first place, seem to go into it because there's a bruise somewhere internally that wants to control the outer environment. The "promise" to be able to shape the world to get riches, love, sex, power... of course that is good marketing. But what you describe is quite different. How did you enter magic, and how did you embark on self-betterment? Did it come gradually, or did you have the fortune to meet a good teacher early? When you speak about the intentional improvements, what tools are there out there? What teachings would you recommend one to look into to get started with this? Is the understanding of what to change and into what something that comes from magical practice and abilities themselves? With great interest, Mandrake

Oh, btw Trunk: You mentioned The Six Yogas of Naropa. In the instructions there he explains how to use compressed breath in the process (holding the breath with various locks, focusing on different chakra points). Have you experimented with this, and how does it differ, in your experience? Mandrake

Awesome post Trunk, and thank you all for your contributions. Let's keep this going. Feels a bit like the spirit of early days-ttb to me; ) Mandrake

BaguaKicksAss: You said: This complete inner change is something I've been looking at for many years, and is part of why I pursue these matters at all. Could you elaborate? Did you change your core - what now you consider it to be - and was it something you specifically targeted? Did your physiology change simultaneously? Thank you in advance! Mandrake

Dear Trunk: I echo the others regarding opening a fascinating topic - thanks. I know that you have meditated under Mark Griffin many times. The way he utilizes the breath, to connect all the centers from the perineum through the center of the body to the crown, is interesting. Do you have any thoughts on this, conneting it to this discussion here? Kindly, Mandrake

Goldisheavy: Nice to see you back! Mandrake

From Trunk's personal blog: "Also relevant to contraction around trauma, Sean recently introduced me to David Berceli's work (check him out on youtube & amazon) who has done work in war zones in 9 different countries - helping relieve people from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). Not just soldiers, often he worked with whole villages who were traumatized. He developed a set of exercises, "TRE" (trauma release exercises) that mainly access the psoas muscle (deep deep belly) that result in soothing and release of that deep trauma. Really interesting work and hard to think of a better resume than war zone work." I thought this so important/interesting that it should be posted here as well; since we have been discussing body armour, suppression, Reich... I think this supplements nicely! This is a short (2:54 minutes) intro by Berceli: Here is an interview in a couple of parts, I find his example of the body remembering a dislocation of a shoulder from an accident interesting, since there were good intentions only; also the discussion about vicarious trauma: Here is a video from a guy who recovered from fibromyalgia through Berceli's TRE-system; usually fibromyalgia emerges in conjunction with dee/longterm emotional distress. Notice also that he was in the military: War trauma: There are a lot more videos, Sudan, China, testimonials... I just encountered this, so if anybody has experience with David Berceli's TRE, I would be thankful for your input! Mandrake

Seth A: I would be happy if you could elaborate a bit on this. Why do you consider this important? Does it surve a purpose that goes beyond the mere individual and his desires? Benefits? And of course, how did you start, and how do you do all this? My best, Mandrake

Good, you have some guts; I appreciate this much more than some infantile pictures. For the rest, you can't generalize for all the other readers about my "Mahayana" attitude. With the way you have stepped forward, I can't say that you have come forward as having earnest curiosity, hence you may get the dry replies you did. Lastly, since this board was about sharing personal experiences and knowledge from the beginning, I don't know why are against that. I am firmly convinced that the other members are adult enough not to be "prevent[ed] others from writing their own experiences" [sic!]. Looking at your interactions, texts, likes, you seem to have an axe to grind. And you are correct, discussing with you will be useless. Mandrake

DrT: You think you are cool by posting this? Yin tactics like that may have been fun when you were 15, but here, be mature and direct or don't enter a discussion.

Don't worry, it's as efficacious in both cases. Not all mantras need permission/personal transmission. Mantras have different effects as well, purify you in different ways. Some directly attack your energy body; others work on all the interlinkages from you to cosmos, and hence you may not "feel" very much in the latter case. There is a correct way to mantra as well. You may "hit it", so to speak, after 1000 recitations, or two million. All the best to your cultivation! Mandrake