Wizards Way Index

• The First Step
• The Second Step
• The Third Step
• The Forth Step
• The Fifth Step
• The Sixth Step
• The Seventh Step
• The Eighth Step
• The Ninth Step
• The Tenth Step

Your hand now holds the wisdom of the ages, the guide to the Wizard's Way. It is small in size but large in wisdom and knowledge. It is intended to be simple, but do not hold it in contempt as all great wisdom is simple. Those who heed the word and try to understand will grow in strength and stature. Those who scoff will continue on as the frog trying to climb up the wall of a slick sided well. It labors all day trying to gain a few feet only to slide back down each night. This then is the Wizard's Way, and when souls follow the Wizard's Way, they are successful and happy. They will also prosper and live in harmony with each other. You see, there is more to humanity than meets the eye, and most are now much less than their ancestors because they have forgotten many of the great truths and principles apportioned to them when their days were short. Mankind lives in the Realm of Choices, but instead of choosing to travel the Wizard's Way, seeking the Power of the Force, most have traveled the hot, dusty road that ends in failure. Most have been mistakenly battling against something within the self which they don't understand, and the harder they fight, the more their situation deteriorates.

The reason is that humanity is incomplete. Yes, part of mankind lives in the physical world of earth and sky, but the rest, the spiritual body, lives in the Realm of Light, beyond the veil of mists which separates us from our greater selves and those who have gone on before. Whenever we forget our spiritual ties with that other realm, we lose contact with the Grand Creator or Force that sustains us. When the power of the Force is lost, we are doomed to failure no matter how hard we try. The purpose of this book is to help rejoin students with their greater self and the Force or Spirit so they can once again be complete and receive their rightful share of the All. This book is not about loss, fear and shame. This book is about getting well. This is a work of power.

This work is a gift to mankind by the many wizards who have left their legacy behind for the benefit of all who would come after them. Knowing that man must eventually seek the Force, they have left us the answers to the basis of the combined forces, known but as yet unexplained by the great academic minds. This book is about that Force, the All, which is all creation, mankind, and those who have been sent to help us find our way. Their directive is to bridge the veil of mists and carry the enlightenment of Spirit to mankind. Their purpose is to aid and assist all men and women who freely ask to travel the Wizard's Way, the Road of Light. However, one who wishes to learn must ask, for one wizard shall never be a master of another. As the pages turn, the voices of many great Olders, Mentors and Guides will speak their parts, revealing the right way to look at life. They will also present the keys of wisdom, knowledge and magic that will unlock the mysteries of the ages and open the doors to the future. But, this is only half the story, and as man is incomplete, so is this little book. You see, the true scope of this book is only to light the way to the bridge; the novice (new) wizard must then cross it. Once transcended, your association with the Old Ones, Mentors and Guides will be established and they will aid and guide you personally. The Legacy of Wizards has never been lost, and for as long as mankind has existed, the legacy has existed. It has been handed down from generation to generation to all who desired it. The legacy has been translated by the hands of many scribes into all of the world's major languages so the wisdom could be freely given to all who would ask. However, few could ask because the Old Ways have been suppressed by those who seek power, wealth, and personal gain. This then is a condensed version of the Wizard's Way written in simple language as a book of concepts. It is meant for the people as the time of upheaval nears, and the heart of the legacy must be in the hands of many. We are conservative in nature and take responsibility for our own actions. We play fair and help others to do the same. We discourage our dark nature and try to raise the natures of our fellow men. When we can fend off imbalance, we do so. We remain secure in the grand knowledge that though an ant can't kill a buffalo, an army of ants can sure eat one. But that is not all. We work in cooperation with the Force and the Mentor Guides so we never walk alone. Neither are we alone when trying to move the Rock of Stupidity out of the road as many hands make the work light. However, to move the rock one must first see it, and that is why we try to gather all of the wisdom and knowledge we can. Then by raising our own mental and spiritual sights, we can better see the stumbling block that threatens our way. Next, when we learn to see our own way clear, we can't help but try to clear the way of our fellows. However, this is often very hard work as many of the family of man won't listen and insist upon tripping anyway. Here is wisdom: although we choose to take responsibility for our own actions, we never take responsibility for others. After all, it's their rock, and they can do with it as they choose.

We are aware that we live in the Realm of Choices. Therefore, we consider well each of them. When there is just one water hole, we seldom stir up its mud. So it is that clear thinking is paramount to clear seeing and clear seeing is tantamount to clear understanding. Therefore, one of the first lessons a wizard learns is clearing the mind of errant thoughts so that what is really seen can be better assessed. Later, wizards learn how to look at what they see, the better to understand, and later still, they learn to focus what they see so they may change things more to their liking.

This is a book of concepts. You will make of them what you will. No one will ask you to believe in anything. The Mentors and Guides will just offer you concepts. If you try enough of them, you will find that some will work for you. However, no one expects you to move the earth with a stick, because there are easier ways to do it. We all start out small and grow at our own pace. Some grow faster than others, but all of us are better off than when we started. Why? Because we are more aware, and we have tried. One wizard might excel at seeing while another will excel at knowing, but none are greater than the wizard who pauses to help up one who has fallen. There is a place for everyone, you just have to take the time to find yours.

SECOND SIGHT

Up until now, most of us have been taught to see with our eyes, but think for a moment about a blind person who does not see at all. Do they not develop many alternative methods of perception? How about using one's hearing, or other tactile senses? A person is said to possess five senses, but what if there really were a sixth sense? Even if it only worked some of the time, that would be better than nothing. Here is more wisdom; when wizards speak of seeing we mean more than just seeing with the eyes. There is more to it than the use of the other senses too, even the sixth sense. We begin by noticing things. When we look at something, we try to really see it and understand it for what it is. For example, when looking out of an open window, we notice more than the trees, grass, and sky. At first we ask ourselves questions about the scene before us such as: where is the sun? What is the time? What is the season? What do the leaves have to say? Where is the wind going, and what secrets do the shadows hold? There are many answers in the world around us if we just learn to see them. We wizards also learn to sense the world around us, keeping a mental image of even that which is behind us or just out of our peripheral vision. The slightest change in the light or shadow or air or temperature will alert us, and we will know that something has changed. Some are so sensitive that even the tiny movements of a insect will not escape them.

As time passes, a wizard's senses, both normal and acquired, will develop as a rose unfolds from bud to flower. Know that there is more to humankind than meets the eye. Remember the greater self? Does it not know more than you? If you listened for its small, still voice, would it not tell you many secrets? The trick is to allow yourself to open up to that which is around you. Many wizards, especially the ones who live in the big cities head for the country whenever they have a chance. Some even have a special place upon their Mountain of Truth where they go to listen and learn. Nature has an expansive effect upon the mind of a wizard. The object is to combine all senses and faculties and input from the greater self into one great awareness that functions as a unit. When this new sense is combined with the power of the Force, the results are often spectacular. This is one powerful reason why wizards seek the Force and rely upon its power to complete the circuit. Anyway, once this new faculty is acquired, it is especially useful in the presence of other people. Seldom are wizards taken by surprise as they sense what others are going to do before they do it, even if they are far away. Perhaps, what we call seeing might be better defined as expanded consciousness.

THE AWAKENING

When wizards are fully awakened, they experience what we call the knowing. We simply know. The knowledge flashes into our minds like a bird that flies in through an open window. Some say that they hear a bell ring as the knowledge appears. We wizards call this the Bell of Node. Almost everyone has either experienced or knows of someone who has experienced this phenomena, as it is as old as the human race. The trick is to know what to do with it. It is a talent that can be developed by making use of the old three Ps: Prudence, Patience, and Perseverance. Mostly, it just takes practice, and most wizards work at it on the side until it begins to appear often enough to be of value.

EXPAND YOUR CIRCLE

Everyone has a Circle of Awareness. For most people it is about three feet in diameter and considered "Private Space" or a privacy circle, and most strangers or unfamiliar persons won't intrude within this limit as it is a natural boundary, common to all human beings. There is a small part of human consciousness that automatically monitors this space, sweeping it like radar or a man hunting spiders with a stick, detecting any intrusion or possible danger. Wizards work at expanding their Circle of Awareness as far as possible, not to keep other people out, but to know and understand what is going on around them in concentric rings or levels of importance. Also, this Circle of Awareness is not fixed in time or space. It can reach forward and backward and sideways throughout eternity. Wizards work at being aware of yesterday, today, and tomorrow so that they can better deal with their environment and its changing conditions, particularly those created by other persons. See? Already, your awareness is increasing. Just being apprised of this possibility is the first step, for to know it is to do it.

It is said that history has a way of repeating itself. Our records of the past will show us much if we just study them, comparing what happened then to what is happening now. We have accurate records reaching back several thousand years, revealing the causes of failure in individuals, tribes, and nations. Reading the old history books will reveal certain parallels that can be used as benchmarks in forecasting the future, and this knowledge, properly applied, will greatly aid and assist our decision making in the here-and- now. The main difference between sages and students is wisdom and knowledge; one difference between a wise person and a fool is the application. A fool may know better but take the wrong path anyway.

History reveals that civilizations tend to follow a pattern; they rise only to fall, and decadence and corruption are the main culprits in the destruction of the mighty. After once becoming infected, it only takes a generation or two to bring a great and shining empire to its knees, it's lofty ideals shattered like glass, and its citizens scattered on the winds like so many seeds. In as little as forty winters of the first little gray cloud seen upon the horizon of social and political corruption, a mighty empire may well lie in ashes. All successful civilizations start out with the lessons of the last great failure hot and fresh in the minds of the founders. They know what went wrong with the last attempt and try to model their new nations on foundations that won't crumble, proof against decadence and corruption. Therefore, the founders establish a reasonable form of government with a solid constitution, a strong defensive military force, and a sensible educational system to teach their offspring the correct way to live and to avoid ruination. This, coupled with a sound set of principles, rigid codes of honor, and justice, swift and sure, riding on the wave of public ridicule and indignation should make possible a lasting success. Wrong! There is one thing missing; the Force that binds the All together.

SOLIDARITY

Let it be well understood that true wizards never forget the Force that holds all things together. They remain convinced and steadfast (Convinsteadfast), secure in the growing wisdom and knowledge allotted them. This is why the Circle of Wizards has remained in existence for so long, despite the rise and fall of so many nations. The Force holds them together in spite of calamity and civil decay. The Force flows through each and every person, in and out and then in again. The Force passing from the left hand of a wizard will be restored through their right hand. A wizard's gift of knowledge will be repaid to them with the interest of wisdom. Never does any wizard stand so tall as when he or she pause to help another. There is much to learn, much to teach, and so little time in which to do it.

The life of man or woman lasts only a few brief moments, their allotted years passing as sand through an hourglass. They are similar to the flower that blooms, basks in the sun, and then wilts and dies after scattering its seed upon the wind. Wizards try to not let the sand pass through their fingers too quickly or let their seed be wasted and lost. The legacy of any wizard may be great or small, depending upon their desire to draw near the Force to create and do. The most important lesson any wizard can learn is that the Force will meet them more than halfway. Another important lesson is: never doubt that there is enough Force to go around.

WAKING UP

The way of the wizard is to learn, practice, and then teach. Each wizard is by necessity a student, a craftsman, and an advisor or Mentor. Each transaction strengthens us and brightens our light in its own particular way. The more we give, the more we get, and the greater grows our legacy. Practice makes perfect, and we all have goals in sight. However, it often takes a while to achieve them. Therefore, all wizards are taught the value of the three Ps. They are revered by all as Prudence, Patience, and Perseverance. Prudence helps separate the wise man from the fool as the prudent wizard thinks out his or her actions before doing them. Sometimes, it is best to let the sleeping dog lie; other times, it is prudent to run it off. Patience is the slow but sure crafting of a desired state, setting up the pins squarely in front of the ball, proceeding neither too quickly nor too slowly, allowing the energy to build to a crescendo. Perseverance is the ability to keep on trying even though failure is at first encountered. If one key fails to open the lock, try another key. Often, the value of a given success is measured by the number and diligence of the attempts required to gain it, and each attempt then, is a tread on the stairway to victory. However, as a wizard matures, and the Force builds within, fewer and fewer valiant attempts are necessary. One of the great secrets of success is to read the message written upon your heart and harken to its meaning.

The steps on the wizard's stairway are: awareness, guidance, learning, application, teaching, transition, and fulfillment. It seems a long stairway at the beginning, but in actuality, most find it much too short. The wizard's way is revered as The Right Way to Live, and you have chosen well. It is said that a long journey begins with the first step, and you have taken it. It is now up to you to complete it. However, help is available for the asking. Remember, there is strength in numbers, and it is those numbers that you will most certainly find interesting.

Here's how it works: any wizard is an individual unto their own self, but also a part of a greater whole called the All or all creation. The All is the Grand Creation of the Objective Force or Master who creates grand chaos and includes all things great and small in the vast handiwork. Wizards, you see, are simply the custodians of the All. Our job is to create order out of the Master's chaos. If this sounds rediculous to you, just keep a diary of your actions and all of the crap that befalls you for a few days and you'll get the idea. See, you will be dealing with numbers, a lot of them. Take a moment to ponder the implications! When something falls over, it's our job to pick it up. This can become a lot of work, so as time passes, we wizards tend to gather about us several other kindred spirits to help in the endeavor. By-the-way, most wizards find twelve helpers quite enough, though some require more. Mostly, however, twelve is considered an optimum Wizard's Circle. Of course, one circle will become associated with others, and in time, a tribe will form. This is handy as when something really big falls over, there are adequate resources to help gather it up.

Here, here! If we keep this up, we'll have a society on our hands. Oh well. Fortunately, the Circle of Wizards has taken all this into consideration, and there are many lessons devoted to handling that subject. You see, the Circle of Wizards is at its best when dealing with people. However, before we start dealing with people, we have to begin dealing with you. Order and stability are necessary to success, and all wizards, including you, must first begin by doing some mental house cleaning.

EXPANDING HORIZONS

The first thing to do is start a journal. All wizards keep a daily record of where they are at and where they are going and what they did when they got there. Not only that, but they also keep notes upon how they could have handled their various situations better. All this helps to fine hone the art of perception and broaden the Circle of Awareness.

STUMBLING BLOCKS

It is often said that a person should know their limitations. However, we don't have to be carried away with them. Many of our limitations really belong to someone else. Take time to list your limitations in your journal. Just jot them down as you encounter them or they encounter you. Once you have your list of limitations, ask yourself from whence each one came. Chances are that you will have learned most of them from other persons who taught them to you. Once you realize that a limitation is really someone else's limitation, you can cross it off your list, for it doesn't really belong to you. See, your load is getting lighter already. You have just created order out of chaos.

However, the majority of us will probably still have a few limitations left even after returning those that belong to others, so a portion of your wizard's training will deal with ridding yourself of those few left on your list. This is an early step in the process of awareness. When we are free of limitation, we are free of fear. Then when we are free of fear, we can remove our heads from the sand and take a close look at what is around us. More than that, we can do more than wait for something to happen to us. Yes, we can take steps to change endings. In fact, we may create endings to our liking. However, before we begin making changes, we must first learn to see their outcomes. Re- member, the Rock of Stupidity is large, but we may still trip over it if we can't see it.

THERE ARE NONE SO BLIND

We become aware by seeing; think about seeing. Ask yourself what is a seer. The simple answer is: someone who sees. Rest assured that there is more to it than that. Look out of your window for ten seconds, then try jotting down what you have seen without looking back at the object of your study. Then, after you are sure that you have written down everything you have seen, compare your notes to the actual scene and discover all that you have missed. Most of us will record the obvious, but neglect the fine detail. Many will be unaware that any detail exists at all. Try to discover the depth of your discernment. More than that, consider how the shadows deceive you. Where is the wind going? Why do sun drops dance on water? What did the clouds try to tell you, and why was there anything out there anyway? Often have sages expounded on the difference between looking and seeing. Once there were two Indian boys who were rivals, and each tried to outdo the other. As they grew older, their contests grew more exacting, and the difference between them became harder to discern. One of their favorite pastimes was target practicing, one trying to outshoot the other with bow and arrow. However, it soon became obvious that their scores were about even. What they needed was a real tie breaker. One morning, they met a medicine man, and one boy asked this old sage's advice on their dilemma. The old man simply said, "Go you hunting, one East and one West; he who brings me meat by day's end shall have a powerful charm, and all will know of his prowess!"

This seemed like a fine idea to the boys, and they quickly followed the old sage's advice, one traveling East and one traveling West. In his own way, each boy tried his best, traversing meadows and valleys in his quest. While the boys hunted, the old seer waited and peered into the shadows of today to see the bright light of tomorrow. Then, as those shadows lengthened and the moon rose pale in the evening sky, the boys returned to the old man. He stood waiting for them on the little hill where he lived near the stream his father had discovered so many moons ago. Later that evening, the boys came in from different directions, but long before they arrived, the old man could see that one of them proudly carried something over his shoulder. The other, only carried his bow and arrows.

It was clear to the old shaman that while both could shoot equally well, one boy could see while the other could only look. Then the wizened old man, true to his word, presented the successful boy with his prize in exchange for the meat. However, in the end he gave the other boy the greater gift. He taught that blind boy to really see. So, who turned out to be the great hunter? Who was the next medicine man? Could the hunter see at night? Could the medicine man see in spite of it? Who became really aware? Who could see the color of tomorrow from the shadows of today? What did the old man perceive in the boy who had not yet learned to see? Sometimes, the only thing needed is an awakening for the greater power to manifest. The trick is seeing the potential before the power is revealed. The steps on the great Wizard's Stairway are: awareness, guidance, learning, application, teaching, transition, and fulfillment. Do you see how each of these seven principles are fulfilled in this simple children's story? Is it really a simple children's story? How well do you see? Can you make order out of chaos?

WITAN

Lets think a little about living in the here and now. The past is history and can't easily be changed. However, one can learn its lessons. Both positive and negative experiences can be great teachers whether the events concerned are our own or those of others. The future has yet to come and is mostly, except for adepts, hidden somewhere behind the veil of tomorrow. Therefore, all must live in the here and now. The trick is to focus on what we are doing while we are doing it. This involves being in control of our thinking and our emotions. There are those who run free, mindlessly doing whatever seems like a passable idea at the time, never weighing past successes or failures or having any concern about how their actions may affect future events. These people never fare very well, and the product of their lives generally adds up to little or nothing. Mostly, they are a burden on society, and often they are shunned or expelled by their peers. Other more intelligent people learn by combining doing, seeing and knowing coupled with a high regard for history. Knowing that almost everything that will happen has probably already happened, they study the past as an oracle of the future. They then consider their actions before they do them, deciding whether or not they like the probable outcome based as much on past outcomes as any knowledge of the future. These people are usually successful in their endeavors and are well thought of by their family, friends and community.

Therefore, our doing should be a product of our careful considerations. Humankind is capable of thinking and planning. We are even able to forecast the course of future events based upon the outcomes of similar past situations. If in the spring a farmer cast a handful of seeds into the ground and later harvested a crop, it is safe to assume that another similar harvest should occur if the same actions are repeated the following spring. If a criminal robbed and killed a person and was later caught and hanged for that crime, another person contemplating such an act might well assume that he or she would suffer the same fate and therefore refrain from such action.

Wizards not only consider how their actions will affect their own future but also the future of others and society in general. A wizard is also conscious of the actions of other people and their affects upon the whole. Often, a wizard by some small act can ward off harmful effects from another person's actions. For example, let's suppose that a wizard knows that a criminal is about to perpetrate a crime. That wizard could warn the intended victim, convince the criminal to relent, subdue the criminal before he or she can cause harm, or simply call for assistance. Also, the wizard could cause a diversion, making an impossible situation for the criminal.

Be aware that for an event to occur, it must be preceded by a chain of events leading to its culmination. For a volcano to erupt, pressures must first build up deep within the Earth, exceeding the ability of the cap to safely retain them. For an accident to happen, its chain of events must proceed in an orderly manner as a row of dominoes toppled by a finger. This event is known as the domino effect. A wise wizard knows that if one domino or link in such a chain is removed or differently placed, the outcome of the event will be altered. Therefore, it can be assumed that one wizard in the proper place at the proper time could change the fate of the world. Should a wizard standing beside a road see an automobile approaching in the distance, then observe a small child playing in that same road the wizard immediately knows that an accident is possible. If the wizard removes the child from the road, there is little possibility of the auto running over the child. To extend this chain of events, let's suppose that the saved child grows up to be a great leader who in turn saves the world from disaster. Therefore, should another wizard or ken- youth be in danger, you should make every effort to render aid and assistance.

Getting your head on straight is one of the most difficult lessons to grasp, because it first requires a much greater personal awareness. Later, it requires mastering the fine points of a discipline similar in nature to that of the marshal arts. It also involves greater self control and a regular inventory and maintenance of your own personal mental, spiritual, and physical states, in addition to all that which is currently at your disposal. Most people aren't even aware of the time of day, let alone the real condition of their total self and all available assets. Let's face it, a workman needs to feel well, think well, have needed skills, and possess all of the necessary tools in order to accomplish a particular job in a satisfactory manner. So it is with each and every wizard.

Students of Wizardry should begin their personal effort by refining their mental states. This state is easily altered as the manner in which most people think is usually habitual. Fortunately, such thinking habits can be changed in as little as thirty days by the application of a little self control. Of course, the desire for self improvement must be present in the individual, for no one else can light its spark or do the job.

Pay attention to your thoughts as they filter through your mind. During waking hours, post a little part of yourself, a sentinel, to stand guard and keep track of what is going on inside your head. Then, ask your little sentinel whether your thoughts are positive or negative or beautiful or ugly. Ask often, for your thoughts will change faster than the speed of light. Most people find their thoughts are a mixture of black, white, and gray. Now, ask your sentinel if your thoughts are balanced. Ask if they are predominantly positive or mostly negative. In other words, honestly try to find out for yourself just what kind of person you are and what kind of shape you are in. You might be surprised. If you are too happy or too sad, ask why. Ask why you are aggressive, diminutive, bubbly, bleak, or just average.

When you make your daily journal entry, take a moment to assess how you are feeling and doing on that day. Assign a number from 1 to 10 as a rating. Then over the month, you can make a graph and establish a trend. That way you will have hard evidence of the shape you are in.

As you learn more, you will actually have four numbers. The first will be your mental state, the second your spiritual state, the third your physical state, and the forth, the state of your assets. These four numbers will reveal your whole-self condition and a history of how you got there. You may also add up all four numbers and divide by four, thus gaining an average of your daily condition and your progress as all four states affect the whole of your being. Are you beginning to see the importance of keeping your journal? The reason most people are confused or depressed is that they don't keep a journal. These people don't know why they have problems, and probably never will know. If a wizard suffers the loss of one leg, the very first thing he or she will do after being patched up and regaining their wits is to write down why they lost it. That way, they probably won't have to lose the other one.

THE CLEANUP PROJECT

Do you keep a journal? No? Then you have some catching up to do. This is as good a time as any to begin. Get yourself a loose leaf notebook, some paper and a pen. The task is to try to remember everything you can about your life to date. Just jot down what you can easily remember, leaving plenty of room between entries for those lesser events you will remember later. The idea is to clean up your mental house and in the process, learn more about who and what your are. Don't worry, as no one but you will ever know the results. Just for fun, picture yourself standing in a large attic, cluttered with many boxes stacked one upon the other. These old boxes contain the sum total of your experience. Many of the boxes are open and the contents easily viewed. However, a few are closed and tied up, their contents a mystery. Now, the idea is to bring everything out of the darkness and into the light so that you can see what it is and figure out what to do with it. The idea here is to get rid of all the hurtful memories, so think of this experience as you would cleaning out your attic.

Make yourself an inventory of what you can find right off and jot each memory down in your journal. Soon, you will have quite a list and can make some choices of what to keep and what to toss out. The process is to view and review all that you find, examine it closely, figure out how it effects your life right now, and jot the results down in your journal. Your job is to transfer memories, both positive and negative from your mind to your journal. This is thought transference is it not? We are removing data both helpful and harmful from your mental file and placing it on paper where it can't squirm around and hide. Now once this is done, we can make some choices as to what to do about all those memories that might be hurtful to you. The good memories are no problem, but the mistakes are another matter.

However, this job will not be as easy as it looks. Be aware that within your mental attic there are many stumbling blocks with which you must deal, either now or later. The human mind, especially the subconscious mind is capable of many tricks and ploys to keep the conscious mind from unraveling its mysteries. Events of long ago that have been totally forgotten by an individual's conscious mind are often boxed, indexed, and kept by the subconscious mind as a series of checks and balances (read limitations) to control the actions of that individual. The main thrust of the subconscious mind is defensive in nature as it wishes to avoid pain. Do you now fully understand the importance of clearing your mind? Do you see that there would be little benefit in filling a cluttered and therefore limited mind with further knowledge it couldn't use because of built-in limitations? Good, keep on writing everything you find in your journal! Once you have gone as far as you can, remembering everything possible for the time being, look it over very carefully, and consider its effects upon your here and now. More than that, look for chains and links that might lead down other avenues of your past. Next, take up a clean sheet of paper and write an essay entitled, "Why am I screwed up in the head?" Step two entails waiting a day or two before reading it. Never will you have read such a pack of lies. Should you believe them, you have a problem; no, you have many problems. However, if you can smile at the contents of your essay, there is hope.

Apply your gained knowledge and keep on sorting through your memories even if they are harsh until you have trans- ferred all memories that might drag you down or lift you up into your journal. Do not be afraid to open any box no matter how dark and smelly it might be as its contents can hurt you more while covered than when out in the clean air and sunlight. Even if the box is sealed up tight, your subconscious can see right through the carton as if it were clear glass. You see, the subconscious mind is very defensive and has a marked tendency to compartmentalize anything it fears, disapproves, or doesn't like. Never underestimate the latent power of your subconscious mind; it can make or break you. So, run down any lead you can find and transfer it to your journal.

Now that you've opened all the boxes in your mental attic and brought everything to light, transferring everything possible to your journal, you'll probably find certain aspects of your life that still disturb you. Most bad memories have, by the simple act of looking at them, blown away on the wind, and can no longer hurt you, for you have faced them and spit in their eye. However, the exposure to certain other unpleasant memories has probably left you unsettled. You are no different than most people who have glossed over certain past events, rattling your sabers at them in hopes they would go away. Most did. However, now you must deal with those that didn't.

The next step is a real kicker. As always, you must do it all by yourself, accomplishing the feat alone, uninterrupted. Sitting alone atop a lonely mountain with the wind in your hair is traditional, but any quiet place where you will be undisturbed will do. Yes, we are talking about reflection. Not only are we talking about reflection, we are talking about total remembrance. Not only are we talking about total and complete remembrance, we are talking about an absolute gleaning of your memories. In olden times, after a field was harvested, the gleaners passed through, picking up any grain that had fallen or was missed by the pickers. The gleaners were hungry, and missed little. Be a better gleaner and miss nothing!

We are talking about sitting down and forcing all memories to the surface, no matter how painful. Even the unpleasant memorys must hit the sunshine. Even if it was your fault, recount it anyway. Every candy bar you ever swiped must be reviewed as well as every positive deed. Do not bypass the positive memories either, as they must be carefully examined as painful or hurtful ex- periences tend to hide within their folds. Begin turning the pages of your life backwards from today until you feel the slap of the doctor's hand at birth.

Remember, don't leave anything out of your examination as there might be a pin cushion hidden within a pillow, and you might just sit on it. This process is for your benefit only. No one else need ever know anything about your fables and follies. They are yours, and you must deal with them. You are responsible for your own actions, and you must act in your own best interest, ridding yourself of all dead weight. Most wizards find that they have done more right than wrong. The suffering incurred by most wizards far outweighs their mistakes. Here is wisdom; the purpose of your personal recounting is to place your mental "Feet" on solid ground, understanding that everything has a price, and you have pay it. The object here is ending up owing nothing to anyone and restoring your essence to strength.

The result of all this mental thrashing around will be a near spotless mental environment as most of the junk memories are now transferred out of your mind and written in your journal. Now once your memories are transferred to your journal, there is no further use or purpose in remembering them. So, let them go. The floor of your mental attic should be fairly clear by now, but once you are down to the most pertinent items, the ones you really have to deal with, you have a little accounting to do.

THE BALANCE SHEET

As with any other asset and liability sheet, apply your own positive actions that you have done to the left column, and list your mistakes on the right. When you have done a full and honest recounting to the best of your ability, add up both columns, subtract the lesser from the greater, and you will have your true disposition. Most of the time, wizards find themselves on the asset side of the page. Should you find otherwise, see lesson one, hit the street, find those worse off than yourself, then bring your sheet into balance by your own hand. You'll know when you've done it right. Just don't get silly about it.

Do you have a debt you can't pay? Then send a letter of apology, explaining the circumstances and asking the lender to forgive the debt. If you wish, send them a penny on the dollar. If the lender won't forgive the debt, then it is their problem. It is better not to lend or borrow as a loan is only a gift with strings attached, and the lender knew the risk when making the loan. Mark the debt paid in your journal. You have done all that you could. Do you feel guilty at leaving a close friend and moving on with your life? Consider that the other person has no right to control you anyway. They can't even control themselves, how can they hope to control another? That amounts to slavery, and slavery is illegal. There is no apology needed. When it is time to go, it is time to go!

By the way, letters of apology do not need to carry a return address or even come from the town in which you currently reside. The point is that you are doing something positive to settle a matter in your own mind. Did you steal a candy bar? Give a candy bar. Did you take a life? Save a life. Do not forget that helping a stranger in need will settle many debts, and they do not even need to be of like substance. Balance is the key. As you deal with each and every memory both good and bad, right or wrong, mark its disposition next to it in your journal. When you pay a debt, mark it "Paid in full". When you settle a score, mark it "Settled". And when you have done all you could to set things right, mark that item "Canceled". So it is written, so it shall be! Out of mind, in the book, close the book. You have made an honest effort to settle your life, and the rest of the world will just have to live with it. Declare bankruptcy if you must, but clear out your mind and start fresh.

Once you have brought all of your life up to date and have figured out just what had happened, you may deal with the rest of your life on a day-to-day basis. You'll keep your journal up-to-date and have a running total of your whole- self balance sheet. You will have discovered your strengths and weaknesses and will be better able to deal with them in the future. That is the whole point.

Wizards don't kid themselves or anyone else. That is why we say that a wizard is neither good nor evil. No one is either all positive or all negative. There is a little negative in the best of us, and a little positive in the worst of us. Anyone who claims to be pure as the driven show is a liar. It's as simple as that. Here is wisdom: do not set impossible goals, for only fools would cast themselves into an impossible role. It is better to remain centered and balanced, answering to the call of reason being neither good nor evil. However, Wizards have to live with themselves and have an interest in growing spiritually. Therefore, they tend to consider their actions and their effects on themselves, others, and society as a whole. Maintaining their whole-self balance sheet on the asset side becomes second nature, and they become stronger with each passing day. So will you!

All of this mental horse trading is tiring. So often a wizard must rest his or her mind, putting it in neutral so to speak. One of the first gems of wisdom that wizards discover along the way is that they can only try so hard and so long to master the lessons before they burn out. Self strengthening is no different than manual labor or exercise in the gymnasium in that the mind or body can only be pushed so far before weariness overcomes. However, there is more than weariness to deal with. Often the sub con- scious mind buries packets of trash so deeply that the conscious mind can't find them- no matter how hard it tries. Fortunately, help is available if you ask for it.

THE WIZARD'S NOD

Try resting the mind and receiving illumination. Do it for ten minutes each morning upon rising, and ten minutes before retiring. Practice the Wizard's Nod anytime things get tough. Just stop right there, relax and ask the Force reveal the path and tha understanding be granted you. Then, after waiting for your answer, you may ask for more specific understanding or revelation. Here is one of the best ways to chip away at problems and seek answers. Asking only takes a moment. Then, use the quiet time following to listen for your answers. Spend more time listening than asking. What purpose to ask for an answer and then not listen for it?

This little ten minute period has another value: often, when we sleep our spirit leaves our physical bodies to travel about on its own business or adventure. Have you ever wakened with a start or with a bad feeling as though you weren't put together quite right? This happens. The cause is most generally that your spirit, probably traveling faster than the speed of light sprang back into your body and missed. Often the spirit enters the body so fast that it doesn't quite align itself properly. Sometimes, it even enters upside down. This jars you awake and the resulting condition is you feel uncomfortable or outright bad. Often when this happens, you wake with a start like you slipped off your bed.

Holding still for a few moments allows your body and spirit to seek alignment. Should you fail to give them time to recover, you'll feel off all day. If you do get up and still feel bad, lie back down for a few more moments, and you'll feel better for it. In any case, before getting up and facing the day, take time to assess your mental and physical condition. Also, take inventory of your assets so that you are prepared for any eventuality. After all, there is no sense in going off half cocked. Often questions you ask before going to sleep at nigh will be answered at the moment of waking.

During the day a few moments of total relaxation can revive you, allow you to collect yourself and get on track. The Wizard's Nod can make all of the difference even at the time fo contest. If you can drop out for a moment and charge up, you will have the advantage over your opponent, and the winning surge of strength will be yours..

KNOW YOURSELF

Take the time to get acquainted with yourself. We know that sounds odd, but few sleepers have ever paid enough attention to their thoughts and actions to actually have any insight into themselves. Often others know you better than you know yourself. That means that they can predict how you are going to act and react better than you can. That is why people develop what is called a reputation. People are known by the way they conduct themselves and handle situations as well as their skills. That is why we admonish awakening wizards to monitor their thoughts and edit them before they pass into existence. Even though an idea seems like a fine one at the time, examine it carefully before acting upon it. Try to see if it can backfire on you, causing pain to yourself and those around you. After all, the idea is yours, and you may give it birth or bury it. The choice, oh creator is yours. Therefore, consider your words and deeds. Words are like small seeds; once cast upon the wind, they cannot be called back. Deeds are stronger yet, for they have a toehold in the here and now. An idea can arrive in a blink, be executed in a flash, and take years to undo. Here is wisdom: the closer a wizard draws near to the Force, the better his or her ideas become.

Attitudes are really mind sets. They are also habitual and can be easily improved. There are those of us who have an attitude problem, and therefore lead miserable lives. The side effect of this condition is that they make everyone around them miserable also. Naturally, the victims tend to retaliate, and the problem is compounded. It is said that we are the sum total of all our experiences. Unfortunately, the experiences of some folks are worse than others, a lot worse. However, one of the great truths is that THOUGHTS CHANGE THINGS. You create your own environment with your thoughts. It is all in how you look at it. Realize that your happiness and the happiness of those in your circle depends upon how you look at a given situation or a series of events. Here is wisdom: a mind set can develop into a life set. "The mold must first be created before an object may be cast in it." Another way to look at this truth is if you don't like the object, change the mold. Human beings are ever malleable and can be changed either from the inside or the outside. Wizards are spiritual warriors, and any warrior in order to survive must always be cognizant of his or her mental and physical condition. They also must always be aware of their assets. Should any wizard have an attitude problem, they likely won't have many assets.

TRY THINKING RATIONAL THOUGHTS

Rational thoughts concerning yourself and others will produce for the most part, positive results. Negative thoughts will result in just the opposite. Usually, people's thoughts are mostly about themselves and how they are being treated. Be it known to you that a perponderence of negative thoughts will one way or the other cause unpleanant results. On the other hand, rational thoughts will more often than not bring satisfaction and happiness into your reality. Now try to expand your thinking to include others and their welfare, but do it in a rational manner. Remember: learn to pay attention to your thoughts, for the thoughts you dwell on today will surely later manifest themselves in your own reality. You are an accident waiting to happen until you become aware of the power in your thoughts. Your attitude is important: any task you approach or any transaction you make or any interaction you have with others will most certainly be affected by your attitude. A bad, evil or negative attitude is like a cloud of stink, and it will follow you like a cheese fart, permeating all you touch until you rid yourself of it or everyone else rids themselves of you. In other words should your attitude be negative, dark, evil or selfish, failure will loom upon your social horizon. On the other hand, if your attitude is open, rational, fair and honest, your chances of success in business and personal relationships are greatly increased. We don't say assured, because you may just have a less than perfect idea. If you do, it will become increasingly obvious or odious. Anyway, you'll learn. Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be lucky, enjoying the best fruits from the tree of plenty while others receive only the culls? The answer is that the so- called lucky ones have a lucky mind set. They have painted a great, wide, wonderful world for themselves, and they live in it. They are creators of reality, their reality. Wizards are all creators, and they begin creating their world each day, toward the end of their Rest of Light. Wizards think over what has happened and then think about what will likely happen. Next, they engineer the best outcome possible, trying several likely possibilities until they find the one that fits best. They learn from all past experiences and consider what might well have happened if they had acted differently, for they know that each event may have several endings. The final ending depends upon how a chain of events is allowed to progress. The process is something like setting up a chain of dominoes. The falling of the final domino is affected by all of the other dominos in line before it.

THE DIFFERENCE

Another difference between wise persons and fools is that the wise ones are consciously aware of their own attitude, and they adjust it moment by moment. This does take practice and no small amount of self control. However, wise persons realize that success depends upon their ability to do this. Therefore, they have created a positive matrix or attitude and live within its framework, never allowing themselves to step over the boundary lines.

For example, something is drawing you to learn more of the Wizard's Way. You may be aware of your reasons or not. It doesn't matter; you are here just the same. However, it is your attitude that counts. If you have a rational, questing attitude, and come looking for just one grain of useful knowledge, you will likely find it. On the other hand, should your attitude be sour, your attention focused upon some other problem, you will come away with nothing and will have wasted your time. Notice that the advisor's time wasn't mentioned. You can bet the advisor(s) gained something for their trouble if nothing but further understanding. Nothing is ever lost. The Wizard's Way is filled with little flecks, bits and gems of knowledge. No one can pick up on all of them at one sitting. That is why in a successful wizard's home, the Wizard's Way is read aloud, cover to cover over and over again, a lesson at a time. The children hear it from the cradle on until they begin reading it to their children.

"Raising worthy children is like finishing
a piece of fine furniture. Much polishing is
required to bring up the shine."


Note: Try these tactics for 90 days and
watch your life improve!

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Wizard's Way

by William L. Lampe
Step 10

"The time has come to gain control
For you can wait no longer
And when you do, it will come to you
That you are getting stronger

Use the time at setting sun
And then again at dawn
To martial all your energy
and make your essence strong."

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

All the world is a stage, but you are just an actor. Even so, it is possible to adjust the script to your liking. Remember, all wizards are spiritual warriors, and what do warriors do? They prepare for battle. One of the most important single variables of which a wizard has control is attitude. Here is a secret. We are all living an illusion. Call it a grand stage play if you wish or compare it to something that makes more sense to you. Whatever it is, you can rewrite the script simply by changing your attitude. Even the tone of your voice can have a profound effect. Try it and see... All great stage plays are made up of many scene changes, each one requiring a different attitude. Is life not treating you as well as you would like? Well, perhaps you need to become a better actor.

USE THE WIZARD'S NOD TO BEST ADVANTAGE

As wizards gain experience they learn to value the Wizard's Nod and greatly revere it. In itself, it is a valuable tool for gaining control of the attitude monster. Some even think of it as an instant replay device that enables them to quickly run through past events, plugging different attitudes into them and watching the outcomes change as if by magic. Successful military generals use this trick. They call it strategy. With a little practice, a wizard can even forecast the outcomes of future events and the effects of personal attitude upon them. The rest is up to how great an actor that wizard becomes.

Remember, one of the many excellent reasons for the Wizard's Nod is to solve problems, even attitude problems. It is amazing what this little ten minute period can do for you. Even if you don't have such a problem, it can be of benefit in solving a plethora of other problems, even the problems of others. It is a wise investment in time management. By- the-way, one of the best tools a wizard can develop is the lost art of assessment... That's looking at something and actually seeing what it really is, then assessing its value, its availability, and your access to it. During your Wizard's Nod, you might just try doing a little assessing, you might be surprised. Soon, you will find that you can adequately assess other people. Oh yes, when you find your answers, be sure and write them down in your journal as memory tends to fail in later years.

Is all this becoming a little heavy? Remember to pace yourself as these qualities take time to understand and even longer to accomplish. Is it worth it? Yes! Some wizards work on these lessons for years. For most, they become a lifetime project. This does not mean that you can't travel farther until you achieve success, but do keep on chipping away at them. The whole point of all this is learning self discipline and self control. Now, why would anyone want to do that? The answer is: wizards like to win. Any wizard who has ever amounted to anything at all and took all the marbles has learned these lessons and gained such control.

Ask yourself why should the spirits and forces of the Astral and Earth Planes hearken to your commands? Why should the Elementals pay you any attention or the Solos even grant your small wishes? If you don't know yourself, have no idea of your direction or purpose, are blind, limited, insecure, confused and unable to present a clear picture of your desires and motives, then you will be unsuccessful in capturing their attention, much less convincing them to do your bidding. More than that, you might attract some spirits of a darker nature who would delight in turning the tables on you. Quite simply stated, wizardry is not for wimps. If you don't respect yourself, why should any spirit, let alone the Force respect you?

These lessons are much like studying the martial arts only more difficult. Why? The martial arts only use a person's own spirit to tone and direct the body, focusing physical energy on a particular target. That is well, and most martial artists would make excellent wizards because of it. However, wizardry differs in that wizards not only martial their own forces, but contract, orchestrate, and direct external forces, focusing on larger events. In other words, a kick boxer focuses upon overcoming an opponent while a wizard may well thwart an army. And so it is that these lessons are geared to laying strong foundations that will be sorely needed later. A wizard who does not possess these skills and controls could not hope to control or even bargain with spiritual forces. Wax on, wax off...

"There have been those who could do magic.
Of course, the question arises as to how could
they accomplish such feats, and the answer is
always that they believed that they could. Their
word was law, and they lived by it. Naturally,
when they said that something would happen,
it did. Why? Because they said it would."

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