Magical Passes: The First Series - The Series for Preparing Intent
Magical Passes ©1998 by Carlos Castaneda.
The First Series: Introduction - The Series for Preparing Intent.
- The First Group: Mashing Energy for Intent.
- The Second Group: Stirring Up Energy for Intent.
- The Third Group: Gathering Energy for Intent.
- The Fourth Group: Breathing In the Energy of Intent.
Don Juan Matus stated that human beings as organisms perform a stupendous maneuver of perception which, unfortunately, creates a misconception; a false front. Human beings take the influx of sheer energy in the universe at large and turn it into sensory data which they interpret according to a strict system of interpretation that sorcerers call the human form. This magical act of interpreting pure energy gives rise to a misconception; the peculiar conviction of human beings that their interpretation system is all that exists.
Don Juan elucidated this phenomenon with an example. He said that tree, as tree is known to human beings, is more interpretation than perception. He pointed out that for human beings to establish the presence of tree, all they need is a cursory glance that tells them hardly anything. The rest is a phenomenon which he described as the calling of intent; the intent of tree; that is to say, the interpretation of sensory data pertaining to the specific phenomenon that human beings call tree.
He declared that, just as in the tree example, the entire world of human beings is composed of an endless repertoire of interpretations where human senses play a minimal role. In other words, only the visual sense touches the energy influx which comes from the universe at large, and it does so only in a cursory fashion.
He maintained that the majority of the perceptual activity of human beings is interpretation, and that human beings are the kind of organisms that need only a minimal input of pure perception in order to create their world; or, that they perceive only enough to trigger their interpretation system.
The example that don Juan liked the best was the way in which he said we construct, by intending, something as overwhelming and as crucial as the White House.
He called the White House the site of power of today's world, the center of all our endeavors, hopes, fears, and so on, as a global conglomerate of human beings- for all practical purposes, the capital of the civilized world. He said that all this was not in the realm of the abstract, or even in the realm of our minds, but in the realm of intending, because from the point of view of our sensory input, the White House was a building that in no way had the richness, the scope, or the depth of the concept of the White House. He added that from the point of view of the input of sensory data, the White House, like everything else in our world, was cursorily apprehended with our visual senses only; our tactile, olfactory, auditory, and taste senses were not engaged in any way. The interpretation that those senses could make of sensory data in relation to the building where the White House is would have no meaning whatsoever.
The question that don Juan asked as a sorcerer was where the White House was. He said, answering his own question, that it was certainly not in our perception, not even in our thoughts, but in a special realm of intending, where it was nurtured with everything pertinent to it. Don Juan's assertion was that to create a total universe of intending in such a manner was our magic.
Since the theme of the first series of Tensegrity is preparing the practitioners for intending, it is important to review the sorcerers' definition of intending.
For don Juan, intending was the unstated and unrealized act of filling out the empty spaces left from direct sensory perception; or the act of enriching observable phenomena by means of intending a completeness that does not exist from the point of view of pure perception.
The act of intending this completeness was referred to by don Juan as 'calling intent'. Everything he explained about intent pointed to the fact that the act of intending is not in the realm of the physical. In other words, it is not part of the physicality of the brain or any other organ. Intent, for don Juan, transcended the world we know. It is something like an energetic wave, a beam of energy which attaches itself to us.
Because of the extrinsic nature of intent, don Juan made a distinction between the body as part of the cognition of everyday life, and the body as an energetic unit which was not part of that cognition.
This energetic unit of our bodies outside normal awareness included the unseen parts of the body, such as the internal organs, and the energy that flowed through them. Don Juan asserted that it was with this part of our totality that energy could be directly perceived.
He pointed out that because of the predominance of sight in our habitual way of perceiving the world, the shamans of ancient Mexico described the act of directly apprehending energy as 'seeing'.
For them to perceive energy as it flowed in the universe meant the following. Since energy at large is independent of us as individuals, and is arranged in specific configurations that repeats itself consistently, those configurations could be perceived in the same terms by anyone who sees.
The most important example don Juan Matus could give of this consistency of energy in adopting specific configurations was the perception of the human body when it was seen directly as energy. As it was already said, shamans like don Juan perceive a human being as a conglomerate of energy fields that gives the total impression of a clear-cut sphere of luminosity.
Taken in this sense, energy is described by shamans as a vibration that agglutinates itself into cohesive units. Shamans describe the entire universe as being composed of energy configurations that appear to the seeing eye as filaments, or luminous fibers that are strung in every which way without ever being entangled. This is an incomprehensible proposition for the linear mind. It has a built-in contradiction that can not be resolved: How could those fibers extend themselves every which way and yet not be entangled?
Don Juan emphasized the point that shamans were able only to describe events, and that if their terms of description seemed inadequate and contradictory, it was because of the limitations of syntax. Yet their descriptions were as strict as anything could be.
The shamans of ancient Mexico, according to don Juan, described intent as a perennial force that permeates the entire universe- a force that is aware of itself to the point of responding to the beckoning or to the command of shamans. By means of intent, those shamans were capable of unleashing not only all the human possibilities of perceiving, but all the human possibilities of action. Through intent, they realized the most far-fetched formulations.
Don Juan taught me that the limit of man's capability of perceiving is called the band of man, meaning that there is a boundary that marks human capabilities as dictated by the human organism. These boundaries are not merely the traditional boundaries of orderly thought, but the boundaries of the totality of resources locked within the human organism.
The bulk of these resources are never used, and are kept out of our normal awareness by our preconceived ideas about human limitations; limitations that have nothing to do with actual human potential.
Don Juan stated as categorically as he was able to that since perceiving energy as it flows in the universe is not arbitrary or idiosyncratic, seers witness formulations of energy that happen by themselves and are not molded by human interference. Thus, the perception of such formulations is, in itself and by itself, the key that releases the locked-in human potential that ordinarily has never entered into play. In order to elicit the perception of those energetic formulations, the totality of human capabilities to perceive has to be engaged.
The Series for Preparing Intent is divided into four groups. The first is called Mashing Energy for Intent. The second is called Stirring Up Energy for Intent. The third group is called Gathering Energy for Intent, and the fourth group is called Breathing In the Energy of Intent.
Magical Passes: The First Series: First Group: Mashing Energy for Intent.
Magical Passes ©1998 by Carlos Castaneda.
The First Series: First Group - Mashing Energy for Intent.
Don Juan gave me explanations which covered all the nuances of every group of magical passes which are the core of the long Tensegrity Series.
"Energy which is essential for handling intent," he said when he was explaining to me the energetic implications of this group, "is continuously dispelled from the vital centers located around the liver, pancreas, and kidneys; and settles down at the bottom of the luminous sphere that we are.
"This energy ought to be constantly stirred and rerouted. The sorcerers of my lineage were very emphatic in recommending a systematic and controlled stirring of energy with the legs and feet. However, long walks, which were an unavoidable feature of their lives, resulted in an excessive stirring of energy which served no purpose."
In don Juan's view, energy for intending that was stirred up excessively ended up further depleting the centers of vitality, and long walks were their nemesis for this reason.
The inflow of excessive energy had to be balanced by the execution of specific magical passes performed while they were walking.
Don Juan Matus told me that this set of fifteen magical passes functions to stir energy with the feet and legs, and was considered by the shamans of his lineage to be the most effective way of doing what they called 'mashing energy'. He stated that each of the steps is a magical pass which has a built-in control for the mashing of energy. Practitioners can repeat these magical passes hundreds of times, if they so desire, without worrying about an excessive stirring of energy.
The first five magical passes of this group allow practitioners a quick surge of energy, in cases when energy is needed in the midsection or the groin, or, for instance, when they need to perform a long-distance run or a quick climbing of rocks or trees.
1. Grinding Energy with Three Toe Pivots of the Feet
Among other things, this pass is used to gain balance for the passes which follow.
The feet start about shoulder length apart pointing straight ahead. The body pivots on the balls of the feet from right to left and left to right in unison. The heels are slightly off the ground while swiveling, and touch the ground when the feet reach the maximum slant.
The first movement is to the left. After the third touch of the heels to the right, the feet return to a straight position.
For each of the first three passes, there is a pause that lasts an instant, and then the feet are swiveled three times again. The effect of these passes is increased by making the grinding of energy a discontinuous affair.
It is important to notice that in all the first three magical passes of this series, a key issue is the engagement of the arms, which move back and forth briskly.
The arms are kept bent at the elbows with the hands pointing out, palms facing each other. The arms move with an impulse from the shoulders and the shoulder blades. This movement of the arms in unison with the legs, as in walking (the right arm moves when the left leg moves, and vice versa), accounts for a total engagement of the limbs and the internal organs (figs. 20, 21).
A physical by-product of grinding energy in this fashion is an increase in circulation in the feet, calves, and thighs up to the groin area. Shamans throughout the centuries have also used it to restore flexibility to limbs that were injured in daily use.
2. Grinding Energy with Three Heel Pivots of the Feet
In the second pass, the weight of the body is shifted to the heels, and the pivoting is done on them with the toes slightly off the ground while swiveling, and touching the ground when the feet reach the maximum slant.
The feet are swiveled on the heels, in the same manner as in the previous magical pass, three times.
A physical by-product of this magical pass is a quick surge of energy for instances of running or fleeing danger, or for anything that requires a quick intervention.
3. Grinding Energy by a Sideways Slide of the Feet
Both feet, pivoting on the heels, move to the left; they pivot on the balls of the feet to the left again. Next, they pivot a third time, still to the left, but on the heels again (figs. 22, 23, 24).
The sequence is reversed by pivoting on the heels to the right; next, on the balls of the feet to the right; and then on the heels again, to the right.
A physical consequence of these three magical passes is the spurring of the circulation in the total body.
4. Mixing Energy by Striking the Floor with the Heels
This magical pass resembles walking in place. The knee moves up briskly while the tip of the foot rests on the ground. The weight of the body is carried by the other leg. The body weight shifts back and forth, resting on whichever leg stays put, while the other one performs the movement. The arms are moved in the same fashion as in the previous magical passes (fig. 25).
A physical consequence of this magical pass and the following one is very much like that of the three preceding magical passes: a sensation of well-being that permeates the pelvic region after performing the movements.
5. Mixing Energy by Striking the Ground with the Heels Three Times
This magical pass is exactly like the preceding one, with the exception that the movement of the knees and feet is not continuous. It is interrupted after the heels are brought to the ground three times, in an alternating fashion. The sequence is left, right, left- pause- right, left, right, and so on.
6. Gathering Energy with the Soles of the Feet and Moving It Up the Inner Legs
The soles of the left and the right foot move alternately up the inner part of the opposite leg, almost brushing it. It is important to arch the legs a little bit by standing with the knees bent (fig. 26).
In this magical pass, energy for intending is forced up the inner side of the legs, which shamans consider to be the storage place of kinesthetic memory. This magical pass is used as an aid to release the memory of movements, or to facilitate retaining the memory of new ones.
7. Stirring Energy with the Knees
The knee of the left leg is bent and swung to the right as far as it can reach, as if to give a sideways kick with the knee, while the trunk and the arms arc gently twisted as far as possible in the opposite direction (fig. 27).
The left leg is then brought back to a standing position. The same movement is performed with the right knee, alternating then back and forth.
8. Pushing the Energy Stirred with the Knees into the Trunk
This magical pass is the energetic continuation of the preceding one. The left knee, bent to the maximum, is pushed up as far as possible into the trunk. The trunk is bent slightly forward. At the moment the knee is pushed up, the tip of the foot points to the ground (fig. 28).
The same movement is performed with the right leg, alternating then between the two legs.
Pointing the foot to the ground ensures that the tendons of the ankles are tense, in order to jolt minute centers there where energy accumulates. Shamans consider those centers to be perhaps the most important in the lower limbs, so important that they could awaken the rest of the minute energy centers in the body through the performance of this magical pass. This magical pass and the preceding one are executed together for the purpose of projecting the energy for intending gathered with the knees up into the two centers of vitality around the liver and the pancreas.
9. Kicking Energy in Front and in Back of the Body
A front kick of the left leg is followed by a hook kick to the back with the right leg (figs. 29, 30).
Then the order is reversed and a front kick is made with the right leg, followed by a hook kick to the back with the left leg.
The arms are kept to the sides, because this magical pass engages only the lower limbs, giving them flexibility. The aim is to lift the leg that kicks to the front as high as possible, and the leg that kicks to the back also as high as possible. When executing the back kick, the trunk should bend slightly forward to facilitate the movement. This slight bending forward of the trunk is used as a natural means of absorbing the energy stirred with the limbs.
This magical pass is performed to aid the body when problems of digestion arise, due to a change in diet, or when there is a need to travel over great distances.
10. Lifting Energy from the Soles of the Feet
The left knee is bent acutely as it is lifted toward the trunk, as far up as possible. The trunk is bent slightly forward, almost touching the knee. The arms jut down, making a vise that grabs the sole of the foot (fig. 31).
The ideal would be to grab the sole of the foot in a very light fashion, releasing it immediately. The foot comes down to the ground as the arms and hands, with a powerful jolt that engages the shoulders and pectoral muscles, lift up along the sides of the legs to the level of the pancreas and spleen (fig. 32).
The same movements are performed with the right foot and arm, lifting the hands from the feet to the level of the liver and gallbladder. The movements are performed alternating between the two legs.
As in the case of the previous magical pass, bending the trunk forward allows the energy from the soles of the feet to be transferred to the two vital centers of energy around the liver and the pancreas.
This magical pass is used to aid the attainment of flexibility, and to relieve problems of digestion.
Shamans call the last five magical passes of this group Steps in Nature. They are magical passes that practitioners can perform as they walk, or conduct business, or even as they are sitting, talking to people. Their function is gathering energy with the feet and using it with the legs for situations in which concentration and the quick use of memory are required.
11. Pushing Down a Wall of Energy
The left foot, with the knee acutely bent, is lifted to the height of the hips; then it pushes forward with the tip of the foot arched upward, as if pushing away a solid object (fig. 33).
As soon as the foot is brought down, the right foot is lifted in the same fashion and the movement is repeated, alternating the feet.
12. Stepping Over a Barrier of Energy
The left leg is nimbly lifted as if going over a hurdle which is located edgewise in front of the body. The leg makes a circle from left to right (fig. 34),
and once the foot lands, the other leg is lifted to perform the same movement.
13. Kicking a Lateral Gate
This is a kick-push with the soles of the feet. The left leg is lifted to mid-calf and the foot pushes to the right of the body as if to hit a solid object, using the total sole of the foot as a striking surface (fig. 35).
The foot is retrieved then to the left side, and the same movement is repeated with the right leg and foot.
14. Cracking a Nugget of Energy
The left foot is lifted with the tip pointing acutely to the ground. The knee protrudes straight forward, deeply bent. Then the foot descends with a controlled motion, striking toward the ground as if it were cracking a nugget (fig. 36).
Once the tip of the foot strikes, the foot is returned to its original standing position and the same movement is repeated with the other leg and foot.
15. Scraping Off the Mud of Energy
The left foot is lifted a few inches above the ground; the entire leg is brought forward and then pushed backward sharply, with the foot lightly brushing the ground as if it were scraping something off the sole of the foot (fig. 37).
The weight of the body is carried by the opposite leg, and the trunk leans a bit forward in order to engage the muscles of the stomach as this magical pass is executed. Once the left foot returns to its normal position, the same movement is repeated with the right foot and leg.
Magical Passes: The First Series: Second Group - Stirring Up Energy for Intent.
Magical Passes ©1998 by Carlos Castaneda.
The First Series: Second Group - Stirring Up Energy for Intent.
The ten magical passes of the second group have to do with stirring up energy for intending from areas just below the knees, above the head, around the kidneys, the liver and pancreas, the solar plexus, and the neck. Each of these magical passes is a tool that stirs up exclusively the energy pertinent to intending, which is accumulated on those areas. Shamans consider these magical passes to be essential for daily living, because for them, life is ruled by intent. This set of magical passes is perhaps for shamans what a cup of coffee is for modern man: The slogan of the day, "I am not myself until I drink my cappuccino," or the slogan of a past generation, "I am not awake until I drink my cup of Java," is rendered for them as "I am not ready for anything until I have performed these magical passes." The second group of this series begins by the act that has been termed turning the body on. (See three pages back: "The Series Introductions - Six Series of Tensegrity", figs. 15, 16.)
16. Stirring Up Energy with the Feet and the Arms
After the body has been turned on, it is held in a slightly stooped-over position (fig. 38).
The weight is placed on the right leg while the left leg makes a complete circle, brushing the ground with the tips of the toes, and landing on the ball of the foot, in front of the body. The left arm, in synchronization with the leg, makes a circle, the top of which goes above the level of the head (fig. 39).
There is a slight pause of the leg and arm and they draw two more circles in succession, making a total of three (fig. 40).
The rhythm of this magical pass is given by counting one, slight pause, one-one, then a very slight pause, two, pause, two-two, then a very slight pause, and so on. The same movement is performed with the right leg and arm.
This magical pass stirs energy at the bottom of the luminous ball with the feet, and projects it with the arms to the area just above the head.
17. Rolling Energy on the Adrenals
The forearms are placed behind the body, over the area of the kidneys and adrenals. The elbows are bent at a ninety-degree angle and the hands are held in fists, a few inches away from the body, without touching it. The fists move downward in a rotational fashion, one on top of the other, beginning with the left fist moving downward; the right fist follows, moving downward as the left fist moves back up. The trunk leans slightly forward (fig. 41).
Then the movement is reversed, and the fists roll in the opposite direction as the trunk leans slightly backward (fig. 42).
Leaning the body forward and backward in this fashion engages the muscles of the upper arms and the shoulders.
This magical pass is used to supply the energy of intending to the adrenals and kidneys.
18. Stirring up Energy for the Adrenals
The trunk is bent forward, with the knees protruding beyond the line of the toes. The hands rest above the kneecaps, the fingers draping over them. The left hand then rotates to the right over the kneecap, making the elbow protrude as far forward as possible in alignment with the left knee (fig. 43).
At the same time, the right forearm, with the hand still above the kneecap, rests us full length over the right thigh, while the right knee is straightened engaging the hamstring. It is important to move only the knees, and not to swing the rear end from side to side.
The same movements are performed with the right arm and leg (fig. 44).
This magical pass is employed for stirring up the energy of intending around the kidneys and adrenals. It brings the practitioner long-range endurance and a sensation of daring and self-confidence.
19. Fusing Left and Right Energy
A deep inhalation is taken. A very slow exhalation begins as the left forearm is brought in front of the shoulders, with the elbow bent at a ninety-degree angle. The wrist is bent backward as acutely as possible, with the fingers pointing forward, and the palm of the hand facing to the right (fig. 45).
While the arm maintains this position, the trunk is bent forward sharply until the protruding left arm reaches the level of the knees. The left elbow must be kept from sagging toward the floor, and must be maintained away from the knees, and as far forward as possible. The slow exhalation continues, as the right arm makes a full circle over the head and the right hand comes to rest an inch or two away from the fingers of the left hand. The palm of the right hand faces the body and the fingers point toward the floor. The head is facing downward, with the neck held straight. The exhalation ends, and a deep breath is taken in that position. All the muscles of the back and the arms and legs are contracted as the air is slowly and deeply inhaled (fig. 46).
The body straightens up as an exhalation is made, and the complete magical pass is started again with the right arm.
The maximum stretch of the arms forward permits the creation of an opening in the energetic vortex of the center of the kidneys and adrenals; such an opening allows the optimal utilization of redeployed energy. This magical pass is essential for the redeployment of energy to that center, which accounts, in general terms, for an overall vitality and youth of the body.
20. Piercing the Body with a Beam of Energy
The left arm is placed against the body in front of the navel, and the right arm just behind the body at the same level. The wrists are bent sharply, and the fingers point to the floor.
The palm of the left hand faces right, and the palm of the right hand faces left (fig. 47).
The fingertips of both hands are raised briskly to point in a straight line forward and backward. The whole body is tensed and the knees are bent at the instant that the fingers point forward and backward (fig. 48).
The hands are kept in that position for a moment. Then the muscles are relaxed, the legs are straightened, and the arms are swiveled around until the right arm is in front and the left behind. As at the beginning of this magical pass, the fingertips point to the floor, and are raised again briskly to point in a straight line forward and backward, again with a light exhalation; the knees are bent. By means of this magical pass, a dividing line is established in the middle of the body, which separates left energy and right energy.
21. Twisting Energy Over Two Centers of Vitality
It is a good idea to begin by placing the hands facing each other, as a device to keep the hands in line. The fingers are kept open and clawed, as if to grab the lid of a jar the size of the hand. Then the right hand is placed over the area of the pancreas and spleen, facing the body. The left hand is placed behind the body, over the area of the left kidney and adrenal, also with the palm facing the body. Both wrists are then bent backward sharply, as the trunk turns as far to the left as possible, keeping the knees in place. Next, both hands pivot at the wrists in unison, in a side-to-side movement, as if to unscrew the lids of two jars, one on the pancreas and spleen, and the other on the left kidney (fig. 49).
The same movement is executed by reversing the order, putting the left hand in the front, at the level of the liver and gallbladder and the right arm in the back at the level of the right kidney.
With the aid of this magical pass, energy is stirred on the three main centers of vitality: the liver and gallbladder, the pancreas and spleen, and the kidneys and adrenals. It is an indispensable magical pass for those who have to be on the lookout. It facilitates an all-around awareness and it increases the practitioners' sensibility to their surroundings.
22. The Half-Circle of Energy
A half-circle is drawn with the left hand, commencing in front of the face. The hand moves slightly to the right until it reaches the level of the right shoulder (fig. 50).
There the hand turns and draws the inner edge of a half-circle close to the left side of the body (fig. 51).
The hand turns again in the back (fig. 52)
and draws the outer edge of the half-circle, then returns to its initial position (fig. 53).
The complete half-circle is slanted from the level of the eyes, in front, to a level below the rear end, in the back. It is important to follow the movement of the hand with the eyes. Once the half-circle drawn with the left arm is completed, another one is drawn with the right arm, surrounding the body in this fashion with two half-circles. These two half-circles are drawn to stir energy and to facilitate the sliding of energy from above the head to the region of the adrenals. This magical pass is a vehicle for acquiring intense, sustained sobriety.
23. Stirring Energy Around the Neck
The left hand, with the palm facing upward, and the right hand, with the palm facing downward, are placed in front of the body, at the level of the solar plexus. The right hand is on top of the left, nearly touching it. The elbows are bent sharply. A deep breath is taken; the arms are raised slightly as the trunk is made to rotate as far to the left as possible without moving the legs, especially the knees, which are slightly bent in order to avoid any unnecessary stress on the tendons. The head is kept in alignment with the trunk and shoulders. An exhalation begins as the elbows are then gently pulled away from each other to a maximum stretch, keeping the wrists straight (fig. 54).
An inhalation is taken. An exhalation begins when the head is turned very gently to the back to face the left elbow, and then to the front to face the right elbow; the rotation of the head back and forth is repeated two more times as the exhalation ends.
The trunk is turned to the front, and the hands reverse position there. The right hand is made to face upward while the left hand is made to face downward, on top of the right one. An inhalation is taken again. The trunk is then turned to the right, and the same movements are repeated on the right.
Shamans believe that a special type of energy for intending is dispersed from the center for decisions, located in the hollow V spot at the base of the neck, and that this energy is exclusively gathered with this magical pass.
24. Kneading Energy with a Push of the Shoulder Blades
Both arms are placed in front of the face, at the level of the eyes, with the elbows bent enough to give the arms a bow-like appearance (fig. 55).
The trunk is bent forward slightly, in order to allow the shoulder blades to expand laterally. The movement begins by pushing the left arm forward while it is kept arched and tense (fig. 56).
The right arm follows; and the arms move in an alternating fashion. It is important to note that the arms are kept extremely tense. The palms of the hands face forward and the fingertips face each other. The driving force of the arms is created by the deep movement of the shoulder blades and the tenseness of the stomach muscles.
Shamans believe that energy on the ganglia around the shoulder blades gets easily stuck and becomes stagnant, bringing about the decay of the center for decisions, located on the V spot at the base of the neck. This magical pass is employed to stir that energy.
25. Stirring Energy Above the Head and Cracking It
The left arm moves in a relaxed fashion, making two and a half circles above and around the head (fig. 57).
Those circles are then cracked with the outer edge of the forearm and the hand, which comes down forcefully, but very slowly (fig. 58).
The impact is absorbed by the stomach muscles, which are tensed at that moment. The muscles of the arm are kept fight, in order to avoid injuries to the tendons which could occur if the muscles of the arm were loose, or if the arm were whipped. Air is exhaled lightly as the arm strikes downward. The same movement is repeated with the right arm.
The energy stirred and cracked in this fashion is allowed to seep downward over the entire body. When practitioners are overtired, and can not afford to go to sleep, executing this magical pass dispels sleepiness and brings forth a sensation of temporary alertness.
Magical Passes: The First Series: Third Group - Gathering Energy for Intent.
Magical Passes ©1998 by Carlos Castaneda.
The First Series: Third Group - Gathering Energy for Intent.
The nine magical passes of the third group are employed to bring to the three centers of vitality around the liver, the pancreas, and the kidneys the specialized energy which has been stirred up by the magical passes of the previous group. The magical passes of this group must be performed slowly and with ultimate deliberation. Shamans recommend that the state of mind on executing these passes be one of total silence and the unwavering intent to gather the energy necessary for intending.
All of the magical passes of the third group begin with a fast shake of the hands, which are held at the sides of the body, with the arms hanging at a normal position. The hands shake as if the fingers were vibrating downward, taken by a tremor. A vibration of this nature was thought to be the means to stir energy around the hips and also the means to stimulate minute centers of energy where energy could get stagnant on the backs of the hands and the wrists.
The overall effect of the first three magical passes of this group is one of general vitality and well-being, since energy is carried to the three main vital centers in the lower part of the body.
26. Reaching for Energy Stirred Below the Knees
A small jump forward is made with the left leg, which is propelled by the right one. The trunk is bent markedly forward, and the left arm is stretched out to grab something that is almost at the floor level (fig. 59).
The left leg is then retrieved to a standing position, and the left palm brushes immediately over the vital center of energy on the right: the liver and gallbladder.
The same movement is repeated with the right leg and arm, brushing the palm over the vital center on the left: the pancreas and spleen.
27. Transporting Front Energy to the Adrenals
A deep inhalation is taken while the hands shake. Then the left arm shoots straight in front of the body ;it the level of the shoulders with the palm of the hand turned toward the left, as all the air is sharply exhaled (fig. 60).
Next, a very slow inhalation begins while the wrist rotates from left to right, making a complete circle, as if scooping a ball of solid matter (fig. 61).
Then the inhalation continues while the wrist rotates hack again to its initial position with the palm facing to the left. Next, us if carrying the ball, the left arm makes a semi-circle, keeping the same shoulder level; this movement ends when the back of the bent wrist is placed over the left kidney. It is important that the continuous inhalation be made to last for the duration of the swinging of the arm from front to back.
As this swinging movement is executed, the right arm makes a circular movement to the front of the body, ending when the hack of the bent wrist is brought to touch the area just above the pubis. The head is turned to the left to face the back (fig. 62).
Next, the left hand, which is holding the ball, turns to face the body and smashes the Kill against the left kidney and adrenal. The palm is then gently rubbed over that area as an exhalation is made.
The same movement is executed by reversing the arms and turning the head to the right.
28. Scooping Energy from the Left and the Right
The arms are moved to the sides of the body and then raised with the hands curled inward toward the body, brushing upward against the torso to reach the armpits, as a deep inhalation is taken (fig. 63).
Next, the arms are extended laterally, with the palms down, as the air is exhaled forcefully. A deep inhalation is taken then as the hands are cupped and made to rotate on the wrists until the palms face up, as if scooping something solid (fig. 64).
Next, the hands are brought back to the shoulder level by bending the elbows sharply as the inhalation continues (fig. 65).
This movement engages the shoulder blades and the muscles of the neck. After holding this position for a moment, the arms are extended laterally again, with a sharp exhalation. The palms face front. The palms of the hands are cupped and made to rotate backward, again as if scooping a solid substance.
The slightly cupped hands are brought back to the shoulder level as before. These movements are repeated one more time, for a total of three. The palms then rub gently over the two vital centers around the liver and around the pancreas as the air is exhaled.
29. Cracking the Circle of Energy
A circle is made by moving the left arm to the right shoulder (fig. 66),
then close around the front of the body to the back (fig. 67)
and out again to in front of the face (fig. 68).
This movement of the left arm is coordinated with the same movement done with the right arm. Both arms move in an alternate fashion, creating a slanted circle around the total body. Then a backward step to the left is taken with the right foot, followed by a step to the right taken with the left foot, so as to turn around to face the opposite direction. The left arm is arched then around the left side of the circle, as if the circle were a solid object movement which the left arm presses against the armpit and chest area. The right arm then performs the same on the right side, treating the circle as if it were a solid object (fig. 69).
A deep breath is taken, and the circle is cracked from both sides by tensing the whole body, especially the arms, which are brought together to the chest.
The palms then rub gently on the respective centers of vitality on the front of the body as the air is exhaled. The uses of this pass are quite esoteric, because they have to do with the clarity of intent needed for decision making. This magical pass is used for .pleading the energy of decisions accumulated around the neck.
30. Gathering Energy from the Front of the Body, Right Above the Head
A deep inhalation is taken as the hands shake. Both arms are brought to level of the face with clenched fists, crossed in an X, with the left arm closer to the face, and the inside of the fisted palms toward the face. The arms are then extended a few inches to the front as the wrists are made to rotate on each other until the fisted palms are facing down (fig. 70).
From this position, the left shoulder and shoulder blade are extended forward, an exhalation begins. The left shoulder is pulled back as the right one comes forward. Next, the crossed arms are lifted above the head and the exhalation ends.
A slow, deep inhalation is taken as the crossed arms make a complete circle, moving to the right around the front of the body, almost to the level of the knees, then to the left, and back to their initial position, right above the head (fig. 71).
Then the arms are forcefully separated as a long exhalation begins (fig. 72).
From there, the arms move as far back as possible, as the exhalation continues, drawing a circle which is completed when the fists are brought to the front to the level of the eyes, with the inside of the fisted palms toward the face (fig. 73).
Then the arms are crossed again. The wrists pivot on each other as the hands are opened and are placed against the body, the right hand on the area of the pancreas and spleen, and the left hand on the area of the liver and gallbladder. The body bends forward at the waist, at a ninety-degree angle, as the exhalation ends (fig. 74).
The use of this magical pass is twofold. First, it stirs energy around the shoulder blades and transports it to a place above the head. From there, it makes the energy circulate in a broad circle that touches the edges of the luminous sphere. Second, it mixes the energy of the left and the right by placing it on the two centers of vitality around the pancreas and the liver, with each hand on the opposite center.
Mixing energy in such a fashion provides a jolt of great magnitude to the respective centers of vitality. As the practitioners became more proficient in their practice, the jolt becomes more acute, and acquires the quality of a filter of energy, which is an incomprehensible statement until this pass is practiced. The sensation that accompanies it could be described as breathing mentholated air.
31. Stirring and Grabbing Energy from Below the Knees and Above the Head
An inhalation is taken as the hands shake. Both hands are brought up by the sides of the body to the level of the waist, and held relaxed. The knees are bent as the left hand is pushed downward with the wrist turned so that the palm faces outward, away from the body, as if it were reaching into a bucket full of liquid substance. This movement is performed at the same time that the right hand shoots up above the head with equal force; the right wrist is also turned so that the palm faces outward, away from the body (fig. 75).
A slow exhalation begins when both arms reach their maximum extension. The wrists are returned with great force to a straight position at the same time that the hands clasp into fists, as if grabbing something solid. Keeping the fists clenched, the exhalation continues while the right arm is brought down and the left arm is brought up to the level of the waist, slowly and with great strength, as if wading through a heavy liquid (fig. 76).
Then the palms rub gently on the areas of the liver and gallbladder and the pancreas and spleen. The knees are straightened and the exhalation ends at this point (fig. 77).
The same movement is executed by shifting the arms; the right arm plunges downward while the left arm pushes upward.
The energy for intending that is extracted from below the knees and above the head in this magical pass can also be rubbed on the areas of the left and right kidneys.
32. Mixing Energy of the Left and the Right
An inhalation is taken as the hands shake. The left arm reaches diagonally to the extreme right above the head and in line with the right shoulder as an exhalation begins (fig. 78).
The hand grabs as if clasping a handful of matter, yanks it out, and brings it to a position above the head and in line with the left shoulder, where the exhalation ends. The left hand remains clasped, and a sharp inhalation is taken as the left arm circles backward (fig. 79),
ending in a fisted position at the level of the eyes. The fist is then brought down with an exhalation to the vital center around the pancreas, slowly, but with great force, and the palm rubs softly on that area (fig. 80).
The same movement is repeated with the right arm, but instead of moving in a backward circle, the right arm moves in a frontward circle.
In the belief of shamans, the energy of the two sides of the body is different. The energy of the left is portrayed as being undular, and the energy of the right as being circular. This magical pass is used to apply circular energy to the left and undular energy to the right in order to strengthen the centers of vitality around the liver and pancreas by the inflow of slightly different energy.
33. Grabbing Energy from Above the Head for the Two Vital Centers
Starting at the level of the ear, the left arm circles forward twice (fig. 81)
and is then extended over the head, as if to grab something (fig. 82).
As this movement is executed, a deep breath is taken, winch ends at the moment that the hand grabs upward as if to fetch something above the head. Don Juan recommended that the eyes select, with a quick glance upward, the target for the hand to grab. Whatever is selected and grabbed is then yanked forcefully downward and placed over the vital center around the pancreas and spleen. The air is exhaled at this point. The same movement is performed with the right arm, and the energy is placed over the center around the liver and gallbladder.
According to shamans, the energy of intent tends to gravitate downward, and a more rarefied aspect of the same energy remains in the area above the head. This energy is gathered with this magical pass.
34. Reaching for Energy Above the Head
The left arm is extended upward as far as possible, with the hand open as if to grab something. At the same time, the body is propelled upward with the right leg. When the jump reaches its maximum height, the hand turns inward at the wrist, making a hook with the forearm (fig. 83),
which then slowly and forcefully scoops downward. The left hand rubs immediately around the vital center of the pancreas and spleen.
This movement is performed with the right arm in exactly the same fashion as it was done with the left. The right hand immediately brushes across the vital center around the liver and gallbladder.
Shamans believe that the energy stored around the periphery of the luminous sphere that human beings are can be stirred and gathered by jumping forcefully upward. This magical pass is used as a help to dispel problems brought about by concentrating on a given task for long periods of time.
Magical Passes: The First Series: Fourth Group - Breathing In the Energy of Intent.
Magical Passes ©1998 by Carlos Castaneda.
The First Series: Fourth Group - Breathing In the Energy of Intent.
The three magical passes of this group are for stirring, gathering, and transporting energy for intent from three centers- around the feet, on the ankles, and right below the kneecaps- and placing it on the centers of vitality around the kidneys, the liver, the pancreas, the womb, and the genitals. The recommendation to practitioners on the execution of these magical passes is that since they are accompanied by breaths, the inhalations and exhalations should be slow and profound; and that there should be a crystal clear intent on the part of the practitioners that the adrenals receive an instantaneous boost while the deep breaths are taken.
35. Dragging Energy from the Kneecaps Along the Front of the Thighs
A deep inhalation is taken as the arms hang by the sides and the hands waver in a continuous tremor, as if stirring a gaseous matter. An exhalation begins as the hands are lifted to the waist, and the palms of the hands strike down in unison, on each side of the body, with great force (fig. 84).
The arms are only slightly bent, so that the palms of the hands are a few inches below the stomach. The hands are three or four inches apart, held at ninety-degree angles with the forearms, the fingers pointing forward. Slowly and without touching, the hands make one circle inward toward the front of the body; the muscles of the arms, stomach, and legs are fully contracted (fig. 85).
A second circle is drawn in the same fashion as the air is totally expelled through clenched teeth.
Another deep inhalation is taken, and the air is slowly exhaled as three more inward circles are drawn in front of the body. The hands are then retrieved to the front of the hips, and they slide down the front of die thighs with the heels of the palms, fingers slightly turned up, all the way to the kneecaps. The air is fully exhaled then. A third deep inhalation is taken while the tips of the fingers press the bottom of the kneecaps. The head is held facing downward, in line with the spine (fig. 86).
Then, as the bent knees are straightened, the hands, with the fingers clawed, are dragged up the thighs to the hips, as the air is slowly exhaled. With the last portion of the exhalation, the hands are then brushed on the respective centers of vitality around the pancreas and the liver.
36. Dragging Energy from the Sides of the Legs
A deep inhalation is taken as the hands, held by the sides of the body, shake with a continuous tremor. The hands strike down exactly as in the previous magical pass. An exhalation begins there, while the hands draw, in a similar fashion, two small outward circles by the sides of the body. The muscles of the arms, stomach, and legs are tensed to the maximum. The elbows are held fight but slightly bent (fig. 87).
After the two circles have been drawn, all the air is expelled, and a deep inhalation is taken. Three more outward circles are drawn as the air is slowly exhaled. The hands are then brought to the sides of the hips. The fingers are slightly raised as the heels of the hands rub all the way down the sides of the legs until the fingers reach the outside knobs of the ankles. The head is facing downward, in line with the body (fig. 88).
The exhalation ends there, and a deep inhalation is taken with the index and middle fingers pressing the bottom of the knobs (fig. 89).
A slow exhalation begins as the hands, with the fingers clawed, are dragged up the sides of the legs to the hips. The exhalation is completed while the palms are brushed on the two respective centers of vitality.
37. Dragging Energy from the Front of the Legs
Again, a deep inhalation is taken as the hands, held by the sides of the body, are shaken. Both arms make a circle by the sides of the body, beginning toward the back, and going over the head (fig. 90)
to strike forcefully in front of the body with the palms down and the fingers pointing forward. A slow exhalation begins there, while the hands, starting with the left, move forward and backward three times in alternating succession, as if sliding over a smooth surface. The exhalation ends when the heels of both hands are touching the rib cage (fig. 91).
A deep inhalation is taken then. The left hand moves in a sliding motion to the left followed by the right hand sliding to the right; this sequence is executed a total of three times in alternating succession. They end with the heels of the palms against the rib cage, the thumbs nearly touching each other (fig. 92).
Next, both hands are made to slide down the front of the legs until they reach the tendons on the front of the ankles (fig. 93).
The exhalation ends there. A deep inhalation is taken as the tendon is tensed by lifting the big toe until the tendon seems to pop/up; the index and middle fingers of each hand vibrate the tendons by pressing on them (fig. 94).
With the fingers clawed, the hands are dragged up the front of the legs to the hips as a slow exhalation begins. The palms are gently rubbed on the centers of vitality as the exhalation ends.