     The following is from Magickal Blend Magazine, a 
bay-area periodical that publishes four editions a year.  
The magazine deals with many branches of the magickal world 
and can be useful to all aspiring magicians.  Subscriptions 
cost $12 per year.  They can be reached at:
                     Magickal Blend
                     P.O. Box 11303
                     San Francisco, Ca. 94101-7303


             WHEN MAGIC DOESN'T WORK
                 by Van Ault

1     Every magician has occasions in which the magic he is 
directing does not seem to work.  The desired result, whether 
internal or external, does not come into manifestation.  
These occasions are opportunities for greater developement in 
the magical arts, and by working through the disappointment 
and discouragement, he can reach greater self-knowledge and 
technical expertise in the art.

2     I believe that magic always works.  Magic is a tool, a 
reality shaper.  Like any tool, however, its ability is 
limited to the operator's knowledge and skill.  For an 
illustration, let's use the bow and arrow.  Your intention is 
the arrow and your magical technique for directing that 
intention is the bow.  You use the bow/technique to poise, 
balance and guide the intention/arrow with the strength of 
your arms and hands/ determination and will.

3     What happens when this all works together optimally?  
The will firmly grasps the clear intention, balances it upon 
the technique, you gather your emotional and mental force, 
and then fire the intention into the invisible world to be 
made manifest.  In its own time and way, your wish 
materializes.

4     Conversely, if you haven't got the skill to bring all 
of these efforts together, things can go askew.  Your arrow 
can veer and stray, or it may travel a few feet before losing 
power.  Your bow can break, or not be strong enough to propel 
the arrow.  Or, you may find that you've got your bow and 
arrow ready to use, but you haven't got sufficient strength 
to manipulate it.

5     I offer the following meditation process for those 
times when it seems that your magic doesn't work.  When 
you've tried all the techniques, when you've gotten no 
results, when you're wondering if any of this matters at all, 
the process in this meditation can produce miracles and 
create a sense of completion.  You can read the script into a 
tape, or have a friend lead you through it.



             
             RIVER OF LIFE MEDITATION

     Find a comfortable place where you can relax and be 
completely quiet...relax...allow your thought snow to just 
come and go...come and go...and take a deep breath in and hold 
it...(pause)...now gather up the tension in your body, and 
release it as you exhale...take another deep breath, and as 
you exhale, let go of anybody else's energy or thoughts you 
may be carrying....and breathe in new energy...breathe in new 
possibilities...and allow your body to fill with 
lightness...feel it becoming lighter and lighter as you relax 
more and more...relaxing deeply...going deeper...feeling very 
light now...so light you could almost float away..........

     And as you relax, imagine a beautiful colored mist is 
swirling up around you, billowing up around you into a 
cushiony, soft, cloud of energy...and you are resting 
completely upon this cloud...and you are safe...as you breathe 
in and out, let your thoughts just come and go...relaxing more 
and more...and the cloud of energy now lifts you up into the 
air and carries your down into your own inner world...down 
between the boundaries of time and space...to a place of 
timeless beauty and infinite possibilites...floating down now, 
going deeper and deeper,leaving the outer world and its 
concerns far behind, as you drift and float on this beautiful 
cloud....going further and further...down below you is a rock, 
a giant rock...and the cloud gently and effortlessly lands 
upon the rock and you step off it, as the cloud swirls back 
into a mist and disappears for now...

     Stand upon this rock now, and feel the strength of it 
under your feet...and as you turn around, you look out upon a 
great river...flowing as far as you can see...seeming to come 
from some infinite place...and disappearing into an infinite 
place,,,a flowing,endless river of energy...this is the river 
of all life waters...all of life draws upon the lifeforce that 
moves through its steaming currents...look closely at the 
water...what color is it? it may look like liquid light to 
you...look deeply into it, and sense the power and depth of 
the river...what sound does it make as it courses through its 
channels?...as you stand securely upon your rock, notice and 
fragrance...and bend down and cup your hands in the living 
water,and splash some of it on your face...feel the life 
giving force on your skin...take a sip of the water...allow 
the river of life to nourish you....

     Now relax a moment upon the rock...and bring into your 
mind the magical intention that never seemed to go 
anywhere...what were you trying to accomplish?...what was the 
basic intention you had?...what was the emotion behind the 
intention?...feel the energy of that emotion moving onto the 
palms of your hands now...feel the energy 
glowing...pulsating...breathe and allow your intention that 
you're still clinging to externalize...the energy of it is now 
shimmering,glowing...swirling into a sphere...allow all of 
your desire to flow into this sphere...and allow this sphere 
to appear to you however it appears...and just observe what 
you see...you may see pictures or symbols emerging within the 
sphere...whatever you see is fine...

     When your sphere is completely filled with the last of 
your desire,emotion,and intention, hold it aloft...feel the 
power of it in you hands,a globe of power that you can now 
release...and look out into the river of life...watch as its 
currents of possibility flow for ever and ever,as far as you 
can see...and whenever you're ready,with as much and as little 
force as you need, throw the pulsating sphere into the 
river...and give this intention to the life force of this 
great river...watch as the sphere touches the water...and 
gradually disappears into the current...

     Take a deep breath... as the sphere disappears the last of
your intention and emotion and desire merges with the source 
of all life, from which it orriginally came...and leaves 
you...

     Now complete any business here that you need to 
finish...take a few moments to enjoy the flowing river of 
life,and know that the possibilities it nourishes can bring 
miracles into you life too...

     Take another deep breath, and notice tha colored mist is 
once again swirling around you...billowing up underneath you 
to form a beautiful cloud of cushiony energy, which is lifted 
up into the air, with you upon it...relaxing into the cloud 
you are returning the way you came...lifting up up through 
time and space, coming back from the inner world...coming 
up... further and further...floating and drifting 
back...coming back...bringing you all the way back into your 
body now, into this room...brining your attention completely 
back into this time and place...take a deep breath and begin 
to re-orient yourself to the outer world...and when you're
ready, count to three..., and on the count of three open your 
eyes,and return feeling relaxed,alert and at peace.

                     * * *
   As always, change any of the wording or images in this 
   meditation if it suits your purpose better.  The 
   important part is just to finally and completely let go 
   of your intention, so that the energy can be recycled in 
   whatever form the creative force and your own 
   consciousness will allow.  Out of this release, new 
   lives, new opportunities, and new magical opportunities 
   are born!

