The Power of Words: The Magic They Produce.

Recently I've been working on presence and self awareness as it relates to how people perceive you. I've come to the conclusion that outside of how one dresses or carries them self,  a big 25-65% of how one is perceived is determined by how one speaks, and what they speak about. That means that from head to toe you may dress the part, walk the part, and essentially look the part; but once you open your mouth you may have lost the part. Inversely however, you may essentially come off as completely unworthy of acknowledgement UNTIL you actually start speaking and in that there is great power; not only for perceptions sake but also had the need arise for you to be a chameleon.

A chameleon is an animal known to blend into its surroundings by being able to change the color of its body to whatever colors in nature it's most frequently around. Being a "social chameleon" (the act of being able to communicate in a myriad of environments with different people) is an acquired skill but a useful one. Being able to talk to one group of people at a level that relates to them and makes them feel comfortable, then being able to switch it up and speak to a group a people that demands a totally different caliber of language and articulation is not something that most people have a desire to do or even  find easy.

But I digress...

Recently I got a tattoo of Arabic lettering above it's English translation that reads "I SEEK REFUGE IN ALLAH FROM SATAN THE ACCURSED".  I have to admit that in standing there showing the tattoo artist the design I felt a slight air of discomfort and judgement. Here I am, some young guy with visible tattoos and a fitted cap on asking for another tattoo in Arabic..."Oh he must be one of those mooslems" had to be a thought as I was immediately asked "Are you Muslim?" Which led into a variety of questions and my poised, non defensive answers that concluded in the man saying,  "Nicely stated young man" to which I thought to myself f*ck yea! #winning (who got that Charlie Sheen reference?)

 I was raised in Islam, I love Islam, and I live in accordance with the foundation Islam has provided me, but I do NOT call myself Muslim. I got this tattoo however because it is a phrase I use everyday, multiple times a day in seeking the protection of a higher being against any and all entities that may threaten me. Against myself, the master of my actions, and against any destructive force that may come my way.  It's in a language that I do not speak but have been taught to pray in. They are some of the most powerful words I know. 

 Taking a sharp turn down mystical lane, in most all forms of magick, worship, or otherwise reverence based activities there are 3 stages. Conscious collection of a thought, the conscious direction of that thought in the form of will, and the projection of that thought/will through SPOKEN WORD and physical actions. That being said, words are a necessary point in the manifestation of ANYTHING in this material world and thus should be used with careful intent and caution. Not only due to the power present in influencing how you are perceived, but also due to the power present in influencing reality as a whole.

I want to close by saying some of the worlds most powerful and influential people are indeed magicians of a sort. They move and shape spirits, moods, loyalties, entire lives with their words. They exemplify the quintessence of all that magick is; willful influence of one's environment. I don't think that the only thing separating man from animals is intellect because I believe animals to have quite the intellect. I believe the separation to exist in man's ability to declare and exclaim! Be! and what follows is creation.

Watch your words my friends!

Ramadan Day 30!!: Eid Mubarak

Well...Eid Mubarak to all the muslim's who struggled through the sacred month of Ramadan. 30 grueling days of fasting till sunset, raising early to eat and pray, keeping God in mind throughout the day and distancing yourself from the impurities of this world on some level or another. I have to say that though I am far from perfect, and have been far from perfect in my fasting, I'm VERY proud of myself and having completed Ramadan this year. This is the first Ramadan I've completed since 2006...that's a whole 5 years ago! This day comes with a breath of fresh air for many, while leaving a bitter sweet after taste. Ramadan proves to "pay out" what you "put into it" and therefor can be (has been for me) quite rewarding physically, mentally/emotionally and most importantly spiritually. With the end of Ramadan many will go back to the same dead end, physically gratifying train's of thought they did before they started it. They will not sympathize with those less fortunate, they will indulge in the physical pleasures of the world, they will swear and be violent, and most sadly of all they will forget about the living breathing God Consciousness they have been feeding these last 30 days.

Although I'm excited for this Eid celebration, (the celebration Muslim's observe for the end of Ramadan) Ramadan has reminded me to focus on the important things; things that I will bring into practice on a grander scale throughout my daily life the other 11 months of the year. Things like realizing that there are people less fortunate than you; Like food is and should be valued not eaten or discarded at luxury; Like DISCIPLINE and RESTRAINT! Finally, this Ramadan has encouraged me to continue to learn, seek, and grow spiritually as well as mentally/emotionally and physically. I want to take this time out to show my undying gratitude to those people who supported me and respected me the last 30 days as well as those who doubted me, for they fueled in me even MORE a desire to reach the finish line. I am blessed to have participated and to have made it though; to have documented and shared with all of you; and to have walked away from this experience with something more than I came into it with! Peace and blessings to you all!

Ramadan: Day 5!!

Ramadan Mubarak! It's a common greeting among the muslim participants of the 30 day Sacred Holiday that means "A blessed Ramadan". So far, my Ramadan has been very involved and I'm going to explain what I mean by involved in a second...

Most of my life I've celebrated Ramadan being raised in a muslim household where it wasn't really an option to "opt out" on fasting. Eventually Ramadan developed it's own special meaning to me such that even given the option (which as a muslim you never really are) I would decline and fast anyway. One Ramadan I got so frustrated with my situation that I had a break down and through another's guidance I realized that I was fasting out of obligation and fear of consequence more so than a genuine desire to fast. I took a day off and came back to it the following day feeling more free, lighter, and more focused on the divine. That was also my last Ramadan and the end of my tenure as a "religious" practitioner.

I have since attempted (and failed) to practice Ramadan however without the right frame of mind, sense of obligation, and discipline it's nearly impossible to undertake such a huge sacrifice in denying yourself the pleasures of the physical world. I am however, a person who knows the value in self restraint and discipline and although not religious, could appreciate the act of fasting and thus felt called to once again take the month long sacrifice and get my head together.

Prior to starting this year's Ramadan I told a few people, "The hardest part of doing Ramadan won't be the not eating but will be my friends." I also stated that "the first 15 days will be the hardest due to the period of time I've not fasted...the first 15 days will be about gaining discipline." Following that logic I did not expect to feel, learn, question, or understand things until at least the second week. So you can imagine my surprise when the first day I had no trouble at all, the second day I began to question myself, the third and fourth days I became spiritually confused, and the fifth day I'm here with a sense of cool about it all. I expected Ramadan would make me more religious if anything and I'm finding it's more turning me away from religion, that it would make me feel God and I'm finding I'm learning a healthy fear of God (in terms of respect and power). To document everything to date that I'm dealing with and involved in spiritually would demand an entirely different post however one thing has become certain to me...if Ramadan has been THIS involved THIS early...I can only imagine how much MORE involved it can get by day 30!

Peace and blessings to you all!

Ramadan: My 30 day path to En-LIGHT-enment ! Day 1

Wooo!! It's been awhile since my last posting! There's a variety of factors that goes into that however the biggest one being my enjoying the summer and 21st birthday. (all smiles) As the summer comes to an end however it's time to begin to refocus and get things together mentally, emotionally, physically, and lastly but perhaps most importantly spiritually. That being said it's about 4:43 AM Monday morning, the 1st of August 2011. I'm up this early (yes early rather than late for those of you who are familiar with me actually going to bed around this time) because of a special time every year for Muslims called Ramadan. On another blog I maintain I stated that:

"In short, Ramadan is a muslim holiday that celebrates the gift of the qur’an to man given in 30 parts to the prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel. Ramadan encourages man to dig deep and exhibit the highest forms of discipline, respect, and love for his fellow man through good and kind deeds, patience, and charity. It also encourages a purging of negativity via thoughts, actions, and environment while moving to get closer to God. During Ramadan, muslims sacrifice and discipline themselves to arise before sun rise, pray and prepare for a long day testing faith and determination as one observing the holy time isn’t allowed to Eat, Drink, engage in Sex or other indulgent behaviors during day light hours for a period of 30 days. Intense prayer and reading are required during this time with a focus on God and strengthening the bond between the individual and the divine while focusing on the “higher self”. I’ve been raised in the Islamic faith and although I don’t claim to be a practicing muslim currently I will be observing this years Ramadan…it’s an occasion to purge yourself of the toxic this physical world provides on a physical mental and spiritual level…I will be blogging my progress. I will also at the same time be focusing on other aspects of spirituality and my personal connection to the divine. I wish you all nothing but light peace and happiness and know that I’m not here to preach to you just to share."

I think those statements about sum it all up! So I've set my alarm to wake me up at 4 AM in order to raise before the sun, drink a cup of coffee, pray, and prepare my long Summer day of praying, reading, and fasting. One of the most important things about successfully completing Ramadan I think is stating your intentions the night before. It's not easy to fast from food, sex, violence, vulgar, and the vices of this world...especially if you engage in them on a daily basis, but even if you do not and are simply surrounded by them. When you state that intent you coat yourself with a will to complete that maybe won't guard you against temptation but will provide you with barrier enough to acknowledge it as being temptation and to carry on successfully!

Now for the important part... why am I doing it?
Well there are a variety of reasons why I decided to observe Ramadan this year. Those who keep up with and know me know that I do not currently profess to observe any particular religious tradition; that my focus is more spiritual in nature. It's important to note however that I was raised in Islam, my HEART is in Islam and that the TRUE nature of the term Islam is submission (in what ever form that may come) to the will and power of the Almighty and Divine and that for as long as I may live regardless of what path I take I will always bare witness to the POWER and authority that is God through whatever name it's channeled! That being said no, I'm not doing it out of religious obligation but more out of personal preference; To close in on the relationship I have with the divine and the TRUE nature of the world. I'm doing it for the discipline, for the detox of negativity, for the clarity of thought, for the spiritual tuning, for the refocusing needed to continue on my spiritual path, in short I'm doing it all FOR ME! Today is day 1 of 30...I know the road won't be an easy one, but it's be a necessary one! I'll be blogging to update and document my progress...for those of you who made it through the entire post BLESS YOU! I appreciate your on going support and interest in what I have to say! Ramadan Mubarek and a very peaceful Ramadan to you!

-5:04 AM