I’m seeing more people post videos on YT about inner temples, worlds, palaces, etc as a magical technique. I wasn’t sure if other people did it, and thought it would be a great discussion!
Megan, your video building your inner temple in Sims is absolutely wonderful, and I’m tempted to make some art of mine. Now that I think about it, I haven’t made any pages for it in my BOS or Grimoire, and that may need to change soon.
So who all does it? I stumbled upon it. I’d done plenty of meditative wandering, but as far as a dedicated space that I return to, that didn’t happen until around 7 or 8 years ago during a yoga class. We had a section for quiet meditation at the end, and I found myself in a dying but familiar forest. It was part of a fantasy world I designed for stories I was writing in middle school, which lead me to discover real world witchcraft and Wicca. Without those stories, I don’t know where I would be today, so post-shitty relationship, it was so heartbreaking to see that world withered and dead. I left that class absolutely drenched with tears, but knew I had work to do.
I spent time there in meditation, watering the trees and nurturing the landscape. It eventually recovered, and I found a place in the trees to build my “witch’s hut” and modeled it after the one in my stories. I have done full rituals there, but also use walks in the forest to learn about myself. I’ve been so surprised by what’s found behind my emotions, and it’s been so incredibly helpful!
I love how flexible this technique can be, and would love to share ideas!
I’m unable to visualize at all. Period. I usually dream in really fuzzy black and white if there are images I can recall.
Since almost all magical traditions that borrow from the HOGD use extensive visualization, it cuts me and folks like me out from these workings.
One downside is that everyone in a group needs to be in the same Astral space, not 7 people in their own similar spaces. There’s an extensive literature on how to do this in a lot of the older literature on group workings, though there isn’t much training in this these days.
Inner world building wasn’t something I discovered until a year or so ago! I’m still working on getting back to mine it seems like any time I close my eyes lately, I’m more likely to fall asleep than do anything else. It’s funny because the places my mind wants to go to for these inner worlds changes. Sometimes it’s a beach with a small bonfire. Sometimes it’s next to a river in a forest at dusk. And sometimes, when I’m very conscious about where I go, it’s the circle of trees in the middle of the forest.
I think when my mind gets pulled in other directions, it’s because I need to sit in that space with a Spirit or deity, and those are places I associate with them.
I’ve seen different methods people with aphantasia have used for visualizing without the “vision” part! It’s all based on personal experience and no formal training, but if I can find the links and stuff, I can grab them if you want!
Megan, I’ve had a few decades to develop alternatives. The problem is that the assumption in magic that everyone is capable of visualizing and materials are written accordingly. An all visual reference set gives me nothing to work with save a massive headache. I’ve read the Aphantasia works for a few years.
@MeganB it’s so interesting that the scenery changes for you! Do you feel like it’s the same location, but changes in how it looks, or are you visiting different areas? I’ve walked through my inner forest to different parts, but it’s all part of that same place, if that makes sense.
@nwlorax is there a non-visual way you approach this or similar techniques?
@nwlorax – That makes sense. I figured you had read some Aphantasia work but I didn’t want to make the assumption. I’m glad that you’ve been able to develop alternatives. I would imagine it’s quite difficult when the resources are all visual-based.
@Ashen_Curio – It’s very interesting! I feel like the places are all different locations, not part of my own built inner temple. I haven’t quite worked out if I’ve been guided to those places or if they’re other places my mind is just familiar with.
When I was a teenager, I lived in Houston. Which meant, unfortunately, I sometimes went to the Galleria Mall. I learned to enter and exit the Mall by keeping one hand on the same wall. Then all I needed was the name of the store next to the door I entered through.
I use discursive meditations, where I unpack and extend a concept or an idea. You can start with a word like “flow” or “river”. Then apply it to a circumstance like “time” and a place. I add in experiential sounds, sensations and body postures.
I extend this with a lot of listening in ritual.
Most of my magic in ritual these days is centered around spontaneous oral ritual poetry, which is something I’ve worked with for decades.
it seems like any time I close my eyes lately, I’m more likely to fall asleep than do anything else. It’s funny because the places my mind wants to go to for these inner worlds changes. Sometimes it’s a beach with a small bonfire. Sometimes it’s next to a river in a forest at dusk. And sometimes, when I’m very conscious about where I go, it’s the circle of trees in the middle of the forest.