LETHE

By Lethe 29/07/22

So… first of all- what is discernment? That word gets thrown around everywhere in the community, overused to the point of meaninglessness, worn-down by constant claims about “discerning” and accusations about “lacking discernment”.

The dictionary definition states that discernment is simply “the ability to judge well”.

Wikipedia, which is a god-send sometimes, further expands upon this very bare-bones description with the following:

“Discernment has also been defined in the contexts; scientific (that is discerning what is true about the real world),[3] normative (discerning value including what ought to be)[4] and formal (deductive reasoning). The process of discernment within judgment, involves going past the mere perception of something and making nuanced judgments about its properties or qualities.”

I think this encompasses the concept of discernment in relation to a spiritual practice extremely well. It is not merely questioning to the point of an existential crisis, or purposelessly doubting every spiritual experience you’ve had. Rather, it is a process of applying your critical thinking skills to determine if your subjective feelings and initial conclusions/perceptions about something match up with objective facts and reality.

Discernment, though it seems tiresome and daunting, should not ever be a scary process. Skepticism is a healthy attitude to cultivate in any spiritual practice, and discernment is the stepping stone to through, genuine, fulfilling spiritual experiences. Without it, you’re left only with delusions, maladaptive coping mechanisms, and uncertainty about your reality and spirituality.

Now that we’ve covered that- let’s get to the fun part. What are some good and bad discernment practices and why?

A favourite discernment practice in spiritual communities that gets thrown around is “seek third party verification”.

As an idea, this sounds great. Sure, go find a reader who will perform a reading and they can confirm if you are genuinely experiencing something by comparing results.

However, there are a myriad of issues with something like this. First of all- not every reader is a legitimate one, or qualified, or capable, or ethical. Trudging through the piles upon piles of fake offerings, cold readings, and overpriced services that deliver nothing more than LoveLightDivine messages Can be frustrating at best and maddening at worst.

Now, let’s say you eliminate this by going to a trusted reader. You constantly engage with them. You are friends, even. However, you’ve shared so much with them that there is huge bias in their readings. They now understand you deeply, and a lot of the information they provide you with may (purposefully or not) feed into your biases, particularly if you have a friendship at stake.

Generally, this issue of bias in “friendly” readings can be eliminated by ensuring that the reader is not privy to every detail of a situation, and that the information they provide is not psychoanalytical, but instead something more tangible, provable, or actionable.

Another way to ensure that the readings you receive from practitioners (close to you or not) are legitimate, is by ensuring they provide information that you have not shared before and they couldn’t otherwise know. They should not be repeating the same issues back to you, but rather delving more deeply and allowing you to gain insight.

Lastly, you can ask for your spirit (if the matter at hand is involving one) to either give a sign in the reading, like mentioning something specific or showing a specific card (that the reader is not aware of) OR you can ask for a physical sign as confirmation after the reading to verify the validity of your results.

Another favourite discernment practice of spirit workers online is “sense the spirit’s energy/ learn to feel it.”

While someone who is experienced and has an established practice with a reliable spirit they commune with regularly and who has proved they can manifest in other ways may be able to get away with this- this never should be your first method of discernment, nor your only one. The mind is very powerful- so powerful in fact that it can even have some degree of influence on your health. Just look up more about the placebo effect or somatoform disorders!

Relying on intangible feelings only (when there is no other backing to a spiritual practice) is extremely dangerous and can ultimately become a pathway to enabling delusions, maladaptive daydreaming, avoidant tendencies, etc.

On the controversial method of asking for physical manifestations as discernment

Listen- if you want to work with a spirit- asking for physical manifestations of some kind should be your goal. Just as you are putting in effort into cultivating a connection with them, so should they showcase that they are willing to do the same for you.

When I suggest people request physical manifestations from a spirit- it invariably is met with some level of discomfort. Discomfort which is usually rooted in fear at the threat that their spirit might not be able to do so and what that might mean for them. Delusions? A collapsing spiritual practice? Invalidation?

To address this- I think that a few things need to be discussed.

Firstly, not all spirits are able to physically manifest to the same degree. A deity and a brownie are not on the same level in the hierarchy of powers, and as such expecting a brownie to do the same a deity can do is counterintuitive, unfair, and ultimately will lead to disappointment.

Furthermore, there are some misconceptions about what a spirit should be able to do physically right off the bat as a spirit companion/ upon first contact (or else they’re not legit).

In reality, because you’re not formally “pacted” with the spirit, because you have not cultivated a relationship with them, etc. physical manifestations with a spirit companion in the beginning might be very small. As you slowly grow in your work together, nurture your bond, figure out what works and doesn’t for you, and what physical methods of manifestation are most suitable for them- then the degree of manifestations you have will also increase in potency and frequency.

Having said that- what should a physical sign request look like?

Make it SIT.

Specific- Write down (this is important so you have proof and record) a specific request. No “show me an animal that reminds me of you.”

Improbable/Impossible- Make it something you’re (at the very least) unlikely to encounter in your daily life. Please take into account that Pinterest, Google, Tumblr etc all track your browsing patterns. Seeing something that might look like a sign online is probably the algorithm, not God.

Timely- Give a set, specific timeline by which you hope the request is accomplished. For example “By July 30th at 7PM CST”.

You can also agree to provide a spirit’s favoured offerings should they complete the task- but only so long as they have done so.

Remember! Sometimes a request might not be fulfilled for a myriad of reasons and that’s not necessarily something to have a spiritual crisis over. A reading from a third party (even a trusted one) might not always be completely correct.

Something you first thought was a spiritual sign might end up being disproved as such later down the line.

However, if a lack of signs, reading inconsistencies, etc becomes a frequent and pervasive issue, no other aspect of your spiritual life is flourishing, and your other discernment checks don’t stand up to scrutiny, then that means something is definitely wrong.

But you know what? That’s okay. Spirit work is uncertain, scary, and mistakes are going to happen. If they don’t, you’re absolutely doing something wrong. It is not invalidation that should scare you, but the idea of clinging to that which is verifiably false out of a desire for comfort and stability.

I hope this primer on discernment and small breakdown on some do’s and don’ts is helpful to you all.

Questions? Comments? Thoughts?

Not every practice is valid.

If yours is, then it doesn’t need the external validation from randos online.

If it does need external validation from randos online, either you’re a chaote or you need to read my first point again.

First (and I know I repeat this super often, but it is vital), have a good grasp and understanding of your current beliefs.

Ask yourself- How does the astral work? How does energy work? What are my values in regards to energy and the astral?

It might be tempting to jump in and rely on magical thinking in your practice- but that’s literally a death sentence for any growth you might be hoping for.

Take a shitload of notes. Every time you Astral and energy work, you should be writing stuff down. It gets boring, maybe tedious- but if you want to advance you want to also record where you’re starting and how you’re moving forward.

Have a Goal. Don’t make it something lame and vague, either. “I want to be a good energy worker” isn’t going to really do anything for you. Be clear, precise, concise. Know what you want to do and why you want to do it and don’t rely simply on motivation in order to do this shit. It’s work, and it’s not always going to be fun and interesting.

Have realistic expectation and practice strong discernment. If you want to really make progress in your practice, you can’t go in thinking that you’re going to be the next avatar. (And if you’re going in thinking you will be, I can promise you you’re going to be in for either a rude awakening or a cringey time).

Don’t idolize other people experiences, and don’t idolize other people. If you’re reading that Bob is an astral master who closes their eyes and projects solely through sheer force of will, you’re going to be really upset when that doesn’t happen for you.

Practice makes perfect. Practice as often as you can. If you’re struggling with an exercise (such as meditation or visualization) improvise and be willing to bend the rules a little in order to make things work for you. Learn what is and isn’t effective for your own practice and hone it through repetition.

Discuss your thoughts, conclusions, etc. With others. Don’t get lonely and don’t isolate yourself because it can lead to some really warped perceptions. Find a community you can engage in and actively speak with. It makes a huge difference.

Read everything critically. Just because it sounds right doesn’t mean it is. Question your sources, and question other people’s practices (politely of course).

Always go back to the basics. Make sure you don’t become so overconfident that you think you have no need for active wards or for practicing energy balls. Basic exercises should never be neglected in your own practice.

Be frank about what you can and cannot do, and realize that you will have a lot of limitations in your path. Don’t get discouraged, and, again, don’t rely so much on motivation. Rely on consistency.

Be willing to learn and grow. You’re going to encounter a lot of things which challenge your previous beliefs if you keep practicing. Take what serves you and be open to discarding what doesn’t. Spirituality is a constant process of death and rebirth- don’t be scared of it.

So, I am here today to argue that deities desire willing submission amongst the unwilling because it is tethered on a conscious, continuous sacrifice of the “self”. Unlike other sacrifices, to submit means that you are doing something long-term that isn’t only uncomfortable, but maybe even against your nature, and in doing so you are giving your loyalty and trust to someone you cannot comprehend.

Now if we go into the idea of certain offerings requiring sacrifice in order for them to be contextualized as offerings, you would agree with me that a continued sacrifice on the basis of faith alone, and which requires the breakdown of your paradigm in lieu of following something intangible, is one of the biggest sacrifices one can make. Not only because you are presenting the deity with something, but because it comes at a great personal cost.

In order for the submission to be willing, deities don’t necessarily care, from a moral standpoint, if the submission is consensual. (Because yeah, you can totally be willing to do something, but you might not necessarily consent to it in the fact that you are being placed between a rock and a hard place in order to make a choice. Coercion does not negate willingness, but it does negate consent). Does this matter to the deity? Not really. What they desire is willing, it doesn’t matter if it follows our own constructs on the basis of right and wrong.

“Well then why can’t deities just force us while we unwillingly worship?”

The answer is because the exertion of overt force in order to subdue your own will would negate your eager (if maybe coerced) agreement to work with the deity.

Anyways- back to the point- I don’t think the majority of people view worship and submission themselves as offerings (when they should) because they appear passive. However, they’re some of the most active forms of offering in, again, the continuous choice you have to make.

Does this mean you have power in your worship or that submission makes you an equal partner in the relationship?

Not really, no. Ultimately, while deities may desire our willing submission due to a variety of things (both from a logistics as well as an energetic standpoint), the fact is, we are still, in power, unequal to the gods. Moreover, while submitting willingly is something desired by deities, it is not something vital or required for their continued survival.

A short list of things to make you feel more #witchy.

Feel magical. It doesn’t matter if you achieved your results, what matters is your feels.

Have an initiation. The initiation will basically be you feeling Big Sad for a short period of time. It won’t change you. (P.S. if your bff is mad at you, this might be the sign of an initiation starting)

Get a Name. Go on google name generators and pick something aesthetic.

Reject the mundane. You’ve transcended it. The physical world is for losers and, by Merlin’s beard, you’re not one of those!

Ignore your physical and mental health and well-being. Magic can fix it all.

Find a group of people who enable you. If they disagree or question you, then they’re really not your friends.

Collect crystals and decks and other materials for display. Never use them or learn about them.

Fuck google. Real witches use solely their intuition and reject facts. The spiritual is not about facts or tangibility, anyways.

Continue investing your time and energy on things that are completely mundane and yield no magical results. Adding sugar to your tea? Call it magic.

Work with spirits. All of them are benevolent and want to be your friends.

Make fun of those silly, “more experienced witches” that are “gatekeeping” by questioning your discernment. Anyone who rejects your way of thinking is clearly a bully.

Get your information solely off of tumblr. They’re the only ones who can understand you.

Stop being cynical. Magic is all about not questioning yourself.

Reblog lots of things but never obtain any practical experience or step out of your comfort zone.

In the beginning, there was everything. Of course, this seems counterintuitive for most creationist narratives, but in Source Well Paradigm one fact is certain. There has never been (nor will there ever be) nothingness.

If we go by the idea or principle that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, then this fact is much easier to grasp and accept.

Rather than suddenly coming into existence from a single event, the universe as we know simply shifts states, going from a somewhat “comprehensible” existence, to a fully incomprehensible one. Inhaling and exhaling, being made into something lawful and understandable, and then being unraveled into something completely foreign.

What does this mean?

This basically means that our energy has always existed and will continue to exist. However, this does not mean we are immortal, or eternal beings (sorry if I got you all excited)! On the contrary, due to the cycles of creation and unraveling, our consciousnesses and our “selves” are actually quite transient. We exist but for the blink of an eye, as reflections of the universe experiencing itself, before who we “are” fades from existence, engulfed by an all-consuming mass of energy that is constantly changing, shifting, and chaotic.

On Life & Death

Admittedly, this is a somewhat dire paradigm. After all, this paradigm solely works on the assumptions of chaos and meaninglesness.

We exist without purpose, without reason, and we will ultimately disappear having left no meaningful mark upon this world (are you cheered up yet?). However, simply because our “selves” as we recognize and understand them will not exist, it doesn’t mean that everything is lost. Energy is permanent. After we (and all consciousnesses, deities included) die, energy will remain. Moreover, after this unraveling, there will come another time for creation. After all, energy is cyclical, and just as it ends, so, too, will it become something again.

Deities will die too?

Even the gods will fall at the unraveling. They will disappear, as all consciousnesses will, and become a part of the Origin Source once more. Having been reintegrated, the Origin Source will then, again, reach a critical point of instability, at which time it will collapse and the resurgence of fragments and primordials will occur, triggering a new era of Creation.

On Time & The Collapse

Now, here is where things get trippy (as if they weren’t already).

In the Source Well Paradigm, I make two key proposals that should severely affect how we perceive energy.

Time is a construct.

Time is non-linear.

If time is both a construct and non-linear, then all events (past, present, and future) will be occurring on top of each other. They basically “overlap”. What has been will be, and what will be has already been.

If we follow this train of thought, and believe that all events are occurring simultaneously, then what follows is that we are, at all “times” at the brink of Unraveling & at the bring of Creation (as well as everything in-between). However, our consciousness is constrained, and capable only of perceiving and processing time (as well as all events) in a linear fashion.

What does this mean for energy?

What this means for energy is that, in the grand scheme of things, energy alignments don’t “exist” because we are (always) at a point at which energy was fully unified and collapsing, as well as at a point during which energy had unraveled and was becoming fully unified again.

In other words, energy alignments only exist within our perception AND within our experience due to the fact that we are constrained by these two things.

Does this mean I can work with any alignment?

No. Because we are constrained by our own limitations (as all beings within this Creation are), so must we work within these constraints. Because we can only perceive and experience energy at a specific point in time (even though, really, there is no such thing), we must understand energy alignments fully in order to be able to work with them adeptly.

Lethe this sounds like you are high….

All energy is connected.

Before, I used to perceive energy source wells as isolated from one another- systems which are partially closed and only occasionally interact with their environment. However, what if this is not the case?

After some serious consideration and work, I have come to perceive source wells (and the veins through which energy moves) differently. They are NOT a closed system. In fact, quite the opposite is true. They actually exist closely tied to one another, with the branches of each source well constantly mixing and separating, interacting with each other.

Consider the following drawing:

If the theory of interaction is correct, then each colour represents a different energy. Some of them are intermingled (if their frequencies are compatible enough), creating new sources. However, the key take-away is that all energies are naturally mixed in with each other, and with their environment, coexisting in some semblance of harmony.

Why can we work with specific strains then?

During the process of channeling energy, we are able to concentrate the amount of a specific energy and draw it forward. It is almost like separating two liquids with different densities from one another. While minimal traces of other energies might remain during this process, the amounts of it are small enough that they are basically negligible.

Significance:

The significance of seeing energy as dynamic and interactive is twofold. By understanding that all energies are within an open system and that they interact and work with one another, we are better able to understand the process of source cannibalism, as well as the process of source well creation.

Source well cannibalism means that one source “eats” or overtakes another energy source. This process might be either instantaneous (which can be dramatic and rather devastating for those linked to the cannibalized energy source) or happen progressively. Progressive cannibalism is equally damaging to those attuned to the affected source well (but not to the cannibalizing source well). Progressive cannibalism is also the leading/ main cause of source well contamination. That is to say, the contamination of an energy source which leads to a change in its inherent properties and the eventual collapse of the source well.

Source well creation, on the other hand, means that a new energy source is created. This energy source will be stable, and might share properties of the two “parent” source wells.

Incorporating this understanding of energy into Source Well Paradigm:

By embracing the idea that energy is all interconnected, we are better able to come to the following conclusion in regards to the source well paradigm.

Source wells are constantly cannibalizing and creating new energy strains. Through this cannibalism, eventually, all energy sources will be reincorporated together, which will lead to the re-creation of the unstable origin source well. Eventually, this source well will collapse again, which will restart the process.

You currently have reached the end of a cycle. This card speaks about moving on, about leaving behind what is familiar to you in order to embark on a journey that might be dangerous, tiring, or somehow challenging. However, the obstacles you face will be for your own growth and benefit, and you will find yourself liberated and unburdened after this process of release. In terms of how to move forward with your path?

It is important you consider that you hold valuable and what has great importance to you. Furthermore (and even more importantly) you should think about why you are afraid to step out into the wild, when it holds the promise of great progress for you. Consider your options carefully, but be reminded that at times, comfort can equate to stagnation, and that, additionally, one must take risks in order to reach anything meaningful or worthwhile for ourselves.

Your spirit guides are closer to you than you might think. In order to connect with them, pay close attention to the signs around you. Particularly, focus on your dreams and the things they reveal to you, as they can be highly symbolic and relevant.

Another piece of advice the page of swords brings to you is to try novel methods of communication in order to be able to connect with your guides. The traditional methods may currently be failing you, but don’t be afraid to get creative. Embrace the experience and allow yourself to be guided by your intuition.

Lastly, this card speaks about enthusiasm in a new endeavour. While it is exciting to be embarking on this new aspect of your path, be cautious of rushing in head-first and stumbling, or getting in more deeply than you are prepared to handle.

Your perception in regards to a particular issue may be warped, somewhat clouded. Emotional issues are intervening with your usually clear-headed and pragmatic approach to things, keeping you from moving forward in your path. You are being reminded that to err is human, and forgiveness is necessary in order for us to continue advancing in our paths. Consider- in your journey towards healing you really must extend gentleness and understanding towards you. Are you doing so? It is okay to fail sometimes, even in our relationships with others. This does not reflect on who you are as a person.

People make mistakes, but this does not mean you should isolate yourself or simmer in resentment.

You are your own best ally in this situation, so gather your strength and allow your healing to finally begin.

Lastly, if you have lately been feeling alone or somehow disconnected from others, this is a reminder that you are in fact not alone. You are deeply loved and cared for, and those around you have tools to help you move forward, if only you reach out and ask them for their help.

Currently you are at a point in your life where you are holding on much too tightly to things that no longer serve you. Let go of your past beliefs, preconceptions, etc. as they are currently causing you to stagnate. Be unafraid of stepping out of your comfort zone, and taking risks. While it is sometimes challenging, it is worthwhile. Remember to seek out things that intrinsically resonate with you and bring you joy. Reach for that spark that previously ignited your heart, but which may have dulled as time went on.

Have faith and trust your intuition- as there is a strong message in this card that while things could look dire/ purposeless right now, some greater force is currently at play. It might be a good time to begin reaching out to a new deity, or to try and deepen a bond with one who is already involved in your life.

Do not forget- the hand of fate favours you, and guides you in your journey. Its end will be a fruitful one.

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Hello Anon!

Unfortunately I don’t know of any currently active Eldritch practitioners. If you have any specific questions about Eldritch stuff though, feel free to DM me here or through discord.