Buddha, Christ, Merlin by Christopher Penczak (A Book Review)

I am just about done reading a great book by Christopher Penczak, Buddha, Christ, Merlin: The Three Wise Men For our Age, two of them historical figures, the third a legend. The title caught my eye. I was raised Catholic although I'm also drawn to Buddhism, and from a "what if" point of view very drawn to magical traditions. This book is about how we can blend the three for a more balanced and inclusive approach to spirituality. It's funny because all along, I had an image of a three legged stool in my mind, each leg representing the teachings one of these traditions (Wisdom, Love and Power) and how we topple over if one of these is missing. Imagine my surprise when Penczak used the same metaphor in his conclusion! 

The most obvious and potentially worrisome dysfunction would be the use of power without a conscience or concern for others, whether it's magical, economic or political power. I think this is where Buddha and Christ come into play. The first teaches us to be happy with less, following the middle road and separating ourselves from our ego/mind. Whereas in theory, Christianity teaches you to love others and not to be so harsh or judgmental. See here for my earlier posts, Buddhism 101 and Christianity 101. Once we've assimilated both of these lessons, we can work our magic in a responsible and compassionate way. 

Penczak also suggests that magic is most effective when it is aligned with the Highest Good of All (Divine Will). This reminds me of a line in the Lords Prayer: Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. We can frame our Intention this way to ensure that we're working for the Highest Good, whether it's a healing session, a visualisation or practical magic. I'm interested in learning to use magic for healing, where you use personal alchemy to shift your energy into a more balanced and harmonious vibration. I had a taste of it this summer in magick class, when we worked with the planets to shift our energy. You feel the effects for days or weeks and then it settles. 

I haven't read Penczak's more witchy books but I would definitely recommend this one, or Magick of Reiki. Otherwise Brandy William's Practical Magic for Beginners is also great, from Llewellyn Publishing. As a healer, the book that best represents the Love of Christianity is one called The Power of Healing Prayer by a healer-priest, also one of my favourites. I know they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but trust your intuition and go with the one you are drawn to. 

 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

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> Español: @AngelMedium33

The Magical Law of Individual Realities

I have been getting ready for the New Year with a series of posts on Achieving Peace and Prosperity. My New Years Resolution will be to apply these insights in my own life. It's time to put my theories to the test. Last week I covered The Magical Power of Compassion, and how we can use kindness and generosity to consciously transform our lives. Compassion is an essential quality on the road to Peace and Prosperity. 

Today we're moving onto The Magical Law of Individual Realities, and how we can work with it to influence our surroundings. The theory is that our unique experiences, and how we interpret those experiences create a set of beliefs. Those beliefs act as mirrors and magnets to create and attract situations that reinforce said beliefs. We create our reality: what is true for me may not be true for you. And what's possible for one person may not be possible for another. We all live in the same physical world, in theory we're all capable of the same progress, but sometimes our beliefs get in the way. There's a terrible anecdote I heard a while about about circus elephants, and how one of the baby elephant's legs is chained to the ground. As a child the elephant isn't strong enough to break the chain and it grows up believing it can't. As an adult, that false belief is the only thing that keeps it from breaking free and escaping the circus.  

This is why its vital to examine our beliefs, our assumptions and to release the ones that colour our worldview in a negative way. These might be the result of conditioning, what we grew up hearing from our parents - or even things we experienced in past lives. There are plenty of tools that we can use to release these beliefs, including energy healing, affirmations, introspection and even education, if there's a topic that we are not particularly knowledgeable of. To give you a human example, someone with a business background may tell you that you have to spend money to make money. Invest in your business, in yourself, build and strengthen your capabilities, etc. Whereas someone with a miser mentality may be prone to hoarding their wealth and seeing it dwindle over time. A good finance, marketing or business class would help the miser expand his or her perspective about wealth creation.  

It's about unlearning beliefs that hold us back, so that we can unlock our true potential. Our beliefs influence our actions, and these shape the outcome. So take some time to consider your beliefs, your fears and any assumptions about the world. The idea today was to give you food for thought. Please comment with any ideas, questions or experiences related to individual beliefs and realities. 

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Regina Chouza is an energy healer, angel medium and the author of A Personal Guide to Self-Healing, Cancer & Love and Chakra Healing & Magick. Blogging at Diary of a Psychic Healer since 2010, her passion is bringing the qualities of love, joy and empowerment to healing pursuits. Read her books to unlock your intuition. 

Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Youtube

> Español: @AngelMedium33