A Key to Magick

I just realized a little key to effective magick. I heard this from Michael Beckwith in an interview with Bill Harris. He said that the universe can't recognize the difference between real action and symbolic action. So whenever you're working with "natural magnetism" (as Levi would put it), though you must act to bring about the results you want, those actions can be representations of the actual actions.
An intention without the will to act built into it is entirely impotent. You cannot just think and feel the things you want and have no intentions of acting on that. That sends a very definite intention out to the universe, and it's not really a very healthy one. Not only is it ineffective but it's libel to nurture some very disgusting habits.
There must be a will to act built into your intentions. The universe reflects back to you everything you put out. Every thought and emotion you experience literally changes the fabric of reality. So if your intention is idle you will see idleness, both in yourself and in others. But if you are willing to act you see willingness to act, both is yourself and in others.
Good news is, though, your actions can be symbolic. This is a great key to most practical magick. Now you can dance with ideas, have love affairs with your divinity, wine and dine your greatest potential, and thereby create them.

A man story from somewhere I don't remember.

I read this story several years ago about a certain follower of Jesus. I can't remember if this was in the bible somewhere or if it came from an obscure wise man, but something happened to me today that made me think of it.

Jesus was walking down a road with his disciples, talking about jesusly things and what not. Then they came to this great big tree, an oak or something, and underneath it there was a man lying in the shade. He was obviously distressed about something but he seemed almost to have given up on whatever it was. His eyes were cast down when they approached and he didn't look up when Jesus greeted him. He just kept contemplating a spot on the ground, trying to get away from himself. So Jesus asked him what the matter was, and this man replied that his son had just died, his wife was dying of some ancient disease, and his last cow had just gone dry. As he finished saying this he looked up and instantly realized who he was talking to. "You must be the son of God!" he said, and Jesus just kinda smiled. "I'm your most devoted follower, I would do anything for you" he said. "Anything?" Jesus asked with a little smile. "Anything!" he said. "Would you die for me?" Jesus asked. "A thousand times!" the man said. "I would stand on the tips of spears till I slid down the point so my calves were torn in two. Then suffer for days in the sun while I bled. I would tear off my own eyelids with my fingernails, tie a salted cod to each eye and spend a whole month slowly driving two nail spikes through the cods into my brain." "Would suffer lack for me?" Jesus replied. "I would go without air itself!" he said. "I would live out the rest of my life in pure wanting and tormentation for you. I would go wanting bread, water, and sexual release for you. I would want so fiercely and so completely that even the thought of appeasing my want would cause me to fall over in convulsions and throw up my stomach lining." "Would you kill for me?" Jesus asked. "I would start a war for you!" the man replied. "I would declare war on the known world and take it on single handed for you. I would kill little babies, still suckling their mothers. I would take them from the nipple with such violence that their mothers will live out their days with a scar as a reminder of the day their baby died. I would kick puppies in the stomach till they bled from the seams. I would kill a young girl with a fishhook in your name my Lord." "Would you cheat and deceive for me" "For you Jesus I would." "You would?" asked Jesus. "I would my Lord. I would do all these things and anything else you asked of me because you are my Lord and saviour, the divine pantocrator, son of God almighty. For you I would do all these things and everything else." "You would?" asked Jesus again, now looking very seriously at the man. "I would Lord. I beg you to let me prove it to you. I pray test me. Demand of me anything, anything that will please you most. Let me do whatever it takes to show you how much I love you." So Jesus looked at the man, still dead serious, and said "be happy!"