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If you’ve followed the comments on the old post about beta testing the ethereal software for my book, you know there was a mystery recently. Today, I solved it. And, as is often the case, the answer is less of a deep revelation, and more of a simple technique I was doing wrong.
A little background: To teach readers magick, I had some spirits I work with make some ethereal software. I tied the software to a sigil, so readers can access it. And I posted the sigil, to verify that readers would, in fact, get the connections.
A week or two ago, a reader said she didn’t notice anything while looking at the sigil. That’s common enough, since non-mages generally don’t notice connections, but in writing my reply, I looked at the sigil too, and didn’t notice any connections myself. Odd, but I tied the software to the sigil over a year ago, and I’m no expert at that. Maybe it wore off?
Then another reader tested it out again. (This is one of the reasons I love blogging: Getting this kind of feedback and help from readers. Thanks, guys!) He found that everything was working. So I tested it again, and again found nothing. My guess was that his mind was used to contacting the software, and looking at the sigil simply reminded his unconscious of the software, and it made the connection based on his memory of the software’s signature, without actually using the sigil itself.
A few days later, another reader tested it, and also found it was working. Which makes it less likely that the sigil has faded. I tested it again, and again found nothing. But I kept at it, and noticed a very light connection being blocked by my shielding.
Yup, that’s the software’s connection. Once I let it in, everything’s working again. And once I told my ethereal muscles to trust that connection from the software, the sigil works again for me, quite quickly.
Here’s what happened: I hadn’t used that software in a year or more, and my ethereal muscles forgot to trust it. Like if you don’t visit a website for a year, and then you stumble on it again, and you’re not sure if you recognize it. Since they didn’t trust it, my shielding wasn’t allowing its connections in. A simple error on my part, and a nice reminder that magick is really complicated.
And once again, thank you to Grab, Nikki, and all my readers who’ve helped me with this testing.
If you liked this post, consider visiting my current blog at mikesententia.com.Tags: Book's Ethereal Software, Debugging, Ethereal Software, Protection/Safety, Sigils
Not sure I am reading this correctly. So, if someone ‘gets’ nothing; they are non-mages. But if they ‘get it’ they are? How many posts does a ‘non-mage’ have to read before they qualify to ‘be’ a mage since I was under the impression the system was one that worked for everyone.
Guess since the sigil / ethereal software still ‘works’ — the question might be asked, what sigil or ‘software’ might be set up so a ‘non-mage’ CAN sense a connection?
I stumbled across your blog about a week ago and have been reading a lot of your posts. I found the one about beta testing your ethereal software. I’m definitely what would be considered a ‘non-mage’ as my interest in magick is new. I’ve tried using your sigil and the command to make obvious connections but I get nothing. I tried the command to awaken ethereal muscles a few days ago, and then tried the sigil again just now but again, I don’t feel anything. You’ve mentioned in the past that you were going to possibly add something to your software so that non-mages could sense a connection. Is that still your plan? I’ve been doing your energy meditation as well but haven’t felt any *obvious* sense of energy. Maybe I just need more time. Loving your blog, and thanks for sharing your knowledge!
I would love to set up my ethereal software to make connections non-mages can feel. That would most likely be something similar to the numbing effect I do on nerves, only in reverse. I looked into it last year, when I first made the software, and made some headway in figuring out the problem, but I just couldn’t see a path to a solution. Right now, I’m focusing on manifesting and communication, but in a year or two I’ll probably start focusing on healing and physical effects, and I’ll return to that problem then.
The series on my testing last year is here: https://magickofthought.com/2012/07/why-non-mages-dont-feel-energy/
For Kol, my answer on reading vs becoming a mage: https://magickofthought.com/2013/08/becoming-a-mage/
Is it possible to make ethereal software that runs locally instead of somewhere else?
the way you describe ethereal software sounds a bit like the server and the user sounds like a terminal.
or maybe it’s a metaphor problem?
Good question. Two answers for you:
1. Yes, to extend the metaphor, the software runs on a server somewhere, (or “in the cloud” is probably closer to accurate), and the user connects to it.
2. I think this is reaching the edge of the metaphor, where the metaphor stops being usefully accurate and becomes misleading. No, you cannot run ethereal software locally in your brain.