Hi, I have been reading Carlos Castaneda's books. Yesterday, I completed "A Separate Reality" and have began reading "The Journey to Ixtalan". I have read some of the posts here and a little confused where to start with the practices and some the terminologies used . I'm a complete beginner to this work but I give you my confidence that I'm really interested and earnestly willingly to learn. Your help and advice will be greatly appreciated.
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Check out the wiki while you read the books.
https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/wiki/index/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/wiki/index/goal/
https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/wiki/introduction/
https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/wiki/introduction-practices/
https://www.reddit.com/r/castaneda/wiki/terminology/ - I tend to think it easier to absorb the terminology if you actually read the books, since you're seeing it in context.
This question may sound like a novice, but are the practices provided in the wiki section of the group enough to learn sorcery or are they basics to prepare oneself to get in touch with teachers or allies who will teach you?
I read some posts and links shared and understand it requires hard work and a lot patience and persistence which are the key.
Just like anything else one is trying to get good at through practice.
Only you can answer that, for yourself, if you put in an honest and consistent effort.
But be aware that we must stay aligned with the intent of how this was presented to us by Carlos, Taisha, and Florinda (and Carol), if we expect to receive the same sort of response (from the forces at large) and outcome.
The way to do that, to stay on path, will become clearer as you study.
Could you point out what are some practices that I should doing from today? Please, if possible provide link and instruction to those practices.
One more question, is reading all the book by CC a must to progress in these teachings?
Once you start to progress, for real, I would suspect wild horses couldn't keep you away from reading the books. Or listening to the audiobook versions.
You can start with Tensegrity and Recapitulation right now. Those will build discipline, which will serve you well.
Links to those are in the sidebar, about section, and in the main index of the wiki.
One more thing. When I talk about history repeating itself I don't just mean external offense or occurrences.
Reality is sort of like a "groove." And if we work ourselves down into the same groove in the fabric of reality that the old sorcerers were in, it becomes much easier to flow along and have better success with it.
Intent is cumulative. It builds. And they were at this for thousands of years before us.
can you possibly simplify what recapitulation how it can be done in simple words. There seems to ample contents in the wiki and with complex explanation. If could possibly put it in simple words that a beginner could understand and try it right now, would be helpful. Could you also write down any practice along with instruction that I start right now that will produce some magical of physics and reality bending experiences?
That would almost entirely depend on your capacity for stopping your internal dialog.
Maybe there's some supernaturally gifted person out there, or who used to be out there, that can completely focus their intent and stop their inner monologue "beginners luck" style.
But that's unlikely to be you.
Even so, if you can manage to actually stop enough of a percentage of it, and have a looser assemblage point, you'd have your "proof of concept."
The mere act of trying this, would also demonstrate the supreme difficulty involved.
And recap sweeps away the anchors that bind us to this sole reality, thus preventing travel to others or simply being capable of perceiving the unknown of this one.
What you're saying is if someone can stop their internal monologue to some extent, that alone will be enough to perceive a different kind of reality? and that there's no technique to it but simply applying force throughout the day to stop it?
Do not eat cactuses! Don Juan said it's bad in later books!
In the course of the practices taught here, do we need to eat or smoke any plants like Carlos Castaneda did.
That's complicated.
The factors involved are age, how you were raised, your intent, motivation, and habits etc.
If you're young and didn't have a super sheltered and ultra religious upbringing, then no, it's not likely that you'll need power plants (or other psychedelics) to loosen your perception.
If you're under 40, and had a very religious upbringing by close-minded and patriotic type parents (soaked in tribalism), but you've rejected all that and we're searching for "the truth" before finding your way to this work. Then you probably don't need power plants.
As long as your are forthright, dedicated, and recapping away your burdensome influences.
If you're over 40, and had a mentally restricting upbringing that caused you to develope damaging habits as an adult...but you still strive to overcome the misfortunes of your past and can't abandon the quest, then you may need a smidgen of a psychedelic to get you back on track.
Bottom line, if you're young (enough) and put in effort and time, you can overcome almost any inadequacy.
As long as you're able to focus. Or at least put aside key traits and influences that aren't serving you, and recognize what to emphasize, instead.
But if you're no spring chicken anymore, lifespan is a consideration, and the need to make up for lost time and counteract inertia.
Maybe we could devise a quiz to determine who needs power plants, such as:
Was Henny Youngman funny?
Ignoring the revolution of showing belly buttons on TV, which Star Trek series was the best?
Do nose rings cause long term damage, by increasing the speed at which cocaine erodes the septum?
If you laugh while watching the Robot Chicken cartoon AND you’re not high, then no power plants for you!
If you can’t stand music from Phish or The Grateful Dead, then you need power plants.
Unrelated but I figure I’ll try you here since I’ve been thru A LOT of posts with your input on them and I can see you know your shit.
Why is Kabbalah/magick when used with proper ritual daily a “dead end”?
Wouldn’t making it to the green zone efficiently, charging energy centers, learning about how ALL spiritual practices are meant to solidify your aura, and other positive things from magick be seen as a step in the right direction?
Is it when people confuse this green zone stuff for red/orange/purple zone that is the problem? From my experience so far…western hermeticism(Golden Dawn) has a complete path of self realization..
It’s helped me figure out many things I had no possible way of conceptualizing before. I would compare the archons/demiurge to the Eagle in this system..
I guess with all due respect I am asking you why you believe these systems(western occultism with the 4 elements, planetary energies, and the pleroma/Godhead) are a dead end…?
This is @danl999^
With all due respect and love
It's a ridiculous over the top delusional religious view of reality which is not only not true, but will completely hold you back from going any further.
And every impotent "system" out there gets you to the green zone.
As does praying.
Rocking back and forth to brainwash yourself with bible verses, is a very inefficient way to get to the green zone.
We get there in 20 seconds once we're advanced, and don't even bother with it.
We go on from there.
Daniel Ingram the Buddhist "master" takes as long as 2 weeks to get to the deep green zone, using meditation.
Which beats Milarepa the Tibetan Yogi I suppose. Who had to live in a cave for years to get there.
When Ingram's really doing well, it only takes him 1 week.
But he's never reached the deep red zone. Nor managed to open his eyes.
I've been hoping he would for at least 3 years now, but instead he's trying to "prove" his greatness using science.
Of course, if you can reliably get to the deep green zone by any method, you can use that to "kick off" darkroom practice.
It's just that once you make it to the deep red zone, you'll realize the uselessness of Kabballah.
It's a pity.
Enochian magic, such as Abramelin, is interesting.
But Abramelin was too dull to realize his demon and his angel were both the same type of being. Likely even only a single one.
And they have nothing at all to do with God or heaven.
Those are just elements on this "Island of the Tonal".
His spirits were from outside it.
Thank you. I needed to engage you because reading the comments directed at others who think they “know” were quite charged with energy and I needed to get a read on you myself. This will do. Love and respect to you, I will be here learning silently for some years.
I practice a bit of enochian too, but again I can see this is “deeper”.
Now, I’ve had ONE dreaming double experience that I willed of my own accord(no psychedelics) and it was very recent. Hoping to dive deep into this sub and Carlos’s work to get there again consciously.
In general, if you don't do it daily it won't lead anywhere significant.
I hang out with my dreaming double nightly, for at least a half hour.
Lately I've been trying to learn how to make it "swarm", then "swirl", and then walk off into silent knowledge realms so I can tag along, hopefully to real places in the past instead of just random phantom realms like it does in sleeping dreaming.
So be careful of other systems where single experiences are considered important.
They're just hard up because what they have doesn't work.
This path, because it actually works, is VERY long.
No drugs at all. The only thing that matter is inner silence