Magick is the art of changing consciousness in conformity with Will.

–         Dion Fortune

Welcome to the second class in the Witch’s Eight Paths of Power! In Gerald Gardner’s Book of Shadows, the second of the Eight Paths, which he called the Eightfold Way, was “Trance; Projection of the Astral.” Why don’t we dive right in?

What, exactly, is a trance?

Technically, any state of consciousness; awake, asleep, comatose, hypnotized, and otherwise, is a “trance.” But when witches refer to a trance, we are generally speaking of an “altered state of consciousness,” or a state that differs from what we think of as “normal” waking consciousness. Much of the training in magick and Wiccan mysticism involves altering your consciousness from one state to another.

There are two ways to do this. We can "go deeper" by relaxing and descending into deeper levels of meditation, or we can reach for higher states through stimulation. Different brain waves (measured in cycles per second, or hertz (Hz,) indicate different levels of consciousness, and the ability to change consciousness at will is the only real ability that is required for successful magick.

In this class, we will examine brain waves and how they denote different consciousness levels and what that means; discuss trance states and how they have been used historically and in modern times to achieve things that human beings generally cannot accomplish in the normal waking state; examine (and practice) different ways to induce a trance state; and learn how to access psychic and mystical abilities.

A note about risk: This class is intended for responsible adults. Many of the practices mentioned in this course are not without a degree of risk. Changing your consciousness is something that should be approached with the utmost care. Some conditions make these practices even more risky, such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychosis, epilepsy, autism spectrum conditions, heart and circulatory conditions, brain or neurological injury, and so forth. And some of the methods mentioned in passing are inherently unsafe or illegal (like oxygen deprivation, or taking psychotropic drugs in most places.)

So, use your common sense. Stick to the exercises presented in the course, and only if you don't have any underlying condition that would make any of them unsafe. This should be informative and fun, not dangerous. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery while engaging in the exercises unless you already know how they're going to affect you. And never mix medications (or herbs) or engage in practices stressful to the body before you consult with your doctor. I'll be re-presenting warnings like this from time to time when I think they're especially important.

Videos are presented as an aid to study. If you're visually-impaired, they are not necessary for course completion. I'll be covering all the material in text anyway.

This course is highly dependent on exercises. I could lecture for days, but I would not be able to teach you half as much as getting the practical experience will. It's up to you whether or not you do them, but I highly recommend that you do in order to get the most benefit out of this course. Feel free to work at your own pace, and if you have any questions, I'll be along every step of the way!

Course Credits:

Music for the promo video - Magic by Wendy Rule (Support her on Patreon!)

Music for video opening sequences - Magic by Wendy Rule (Support her on Patreon!)

Suggested Reading:

The Witch's Eight Paths of Power by Lady Sable Aradia

By Oak, Ash & Thorn: Modern Celtic Shamanism by D.J. Conway

Flying Without a Broom: Astral Projection and the Astral World by D.J. Conway

Applied Magic by Dion Fortune

The Medium, the Mystic, and the Physicist: Toward a General Theory of the Paranormal by Lawrence LeShan

The Inner Temple of Witchcraft by Christopher Penczak