THE INNER ARTS · LESSON 1 OF 8 · 13 MIN · FREE
Contemplation from Plotinus to the Golden Dawn — three kinds of meditation and how to begin a daily practice.
Meditation is sometimes thought of as an Eastern import. In fact the West has its own long tradition of turning inward — and every school of magic depends on it. Visualisation, vibration, scrying and pathworking are all built on a mind that can be still and attentive.
Meditation is sometimes thought of as an Eastern import. In fact the West has its own long tradition of turning inward — and every school of magic depends on it. Visualisation, vibration, scrying and pathworking are all built on a mind that can be still and attentive.
| Kind | What you do | Examples | Trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration | Hold attention on one object | Breath counting, candle flame, a Tattva | Steadiness, will |
| Receptive awareness | Rest open, noticing without grasping | Silence, the "cloud of unknowing" | Calm, clarity, intuition |
| Imaginative / discursive | Explore a symbol, text or scene | Pathworking, meditating on a tarot trump | Imagination, insight |
A balanced practice uses all three. Concentration comes first: without it, imagination wanders and openness turns into daydreaming.
The Golden Dawn favoured the "God-form" posture of Egyptian statues: sitting upright on a straight chair, feet together and flat on the floor, hands resting on the thighs, head level. It is stable, alert and possible for almost everyone. Cross-legged postures work too; lying down invites sleep.
For one week, do ten minutes a day: two minutes of fourfold breath, five of breath counting (one to ten, then begin again), three of open silence. The Guided Meditations tool can time it for you.
4 questions — choose an answer to check it.
1.Which anonymous 14th-century English book teaches contemplation through a "cloud of forgetting" and a single short word?
2.Ignatius of Loyola is best known for which kind of meditation?
3.What are the three broad kinds of meditation described in this lesson?
4.Which posture did the Golden Dawn favour for meditation?
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