Tapping into Different Kinds of Energy
We devide the self into three parts. Each part represents a different type of energy and power.
In our Order, I use the model of the Three Selves - the Spirit self, the conscious mind, and the unconscious mind - in order to clearly define the three types of energy and power that are important to us, especially in the working of magic.
Drawing from the Divine: Energy of the Spirit
The energy of the Spirit Self is called the Neshemah in Kabbalah. Various books on the Craft refer to this energy as Deep Self (in Starhawk's books), High Self, Divine Self, True Self or Bird Spirit. The Spirit Self is directly connected to the unconscious mind.
The Spirit Self is a person's deepest resource, the place that transcends pain and limitation. This is the part of the Self that shelters a person's essence, the true nature. It transcends time, existing before birth and after death.
Deity is present throughout all creation, within and without, but the Spirit Self is the place where the Divine spark kindles an individual's soul. It is the Divine within.
Thinking and talking: Energy of the conscious mind
The energy of the conscious mind is known as the ego in modern psychology, and the Ruach in Kabbalah. In various books on the Craft, you may see it called Talking Self (in Starhawk's books), Middle Self, or Talker.
The conscious mind is the part of the mind that functions on an everyday level. The conscious mind experiences the world and communicates with language (words and numbers). It is the rational mind that analyzes and organizes. It also makes moral judgments and handles social relationships. It interprets and finds meaning for the unconscious mind's images, emotions, and sensations. The conscious mind enables a person to understand spiritual practice on a rational level. However, the unconscious mind is necessary, too, in order to connect the conscious mind with the Spirit Self or Divine Self.
Going deep: Energy of the unconscious mind
Did you know that the human embryo briefly develops structures that resemble the gills of a fish (the Deep Ones), as well as a noticeable tail? This short stage of human development dramatically reflects our animal ancestry and our long evolutionary journey. Along with the human body, the mind, too, contains a remarkable remnant of the ancient past: the collective unconscious, a part of the unconscious mind.
The energy of the unconscious mind is known as the id in modern psychology, and the Nephesh in Kabbalah. In various books on the Craft, you may see it called Younger Self (in Starhawk's books), Low Self, Child Self, Young Self, Child Within, Inner Child, Animal Spirit, or Fetch.
The unconscious mind has two parts: the personal unconscious and the collective unconscious.
The personal unconscious
The personal unconscious is the location of personal information that is outside of current awareness or consciousness, including memories that a person can call up easily and those buried deep within the mind.
The collective unconscious
The collective unconscious
is the inherited part of the brain. It holds the accumulated knowledge and experiences of all beings. The collective unconscious mind doesn't have many language skills. It experiences the world and expresses itself in images, emotions, sensations, and dreams. It uses symbols. A symbol is an image or object that represents something else.
The collective unconscious contains our instincts, which are patterns of behavior. Instinct tells a bird to build a nest, and a turtle to go to water. Humans also have instinctive ways of behaving. Instincts are ways of acting. The collective unconscious also contains archetypes, which are ways of perceiving. An archetype is a tendency for humans to represent certain ideas with a specific symbol.
So what does all this mind stuff have to do with our Order? Everything! Most of the practices of our rituals - especially rituals conducted for the purpose of working magic - are done in order to activate the unconscious mind.
Ritual, especially the working of magic, is more successful, more effective, and more fulfilling when the unconscious mind is involved. The unconscious mind is very powerful, and the images, symbols, emotions, and other information hidden within it are a valuable resource for understanding the self and bringing about change.
We use primal images of Cthulhu and Set, smells, textures, and sounds to arouse the unconscious mind. Candle flames, incense, stones, and drumming are some examples of traditional elements of the Craft that are used for this purpose. Spells are made to rhyme in order to engage the unconscious in the magic. We often raise power, which means to induce a light trance state, in order to activate the unconscious mind for magical work.