[Help] I really need urgent help with my self image :( can magick help?

[ZapataLunac]

Hi people, before my current state (very bad self esteem, very bad self confidence, very poor self image), I used to have a very decent self image, decent self confidence and self esteem and that happened before one guy I know cursed me, the story is long, but I really did all the work of discernment, to make sure I was cursed, so I attended to a cleansing (a.k.a. barrida or limpia here in Mexico) and after the cleansing, I really felt very uplifted, like the effects of the curse (having very low self esteem) were gone, and the shaman who cleansed me, gave me a black tourmaline to protect me from future attacks, but recently, the tourmaline broke from the necklace and were lost, so I lost all the protection and again, started to feel with very low self esteem and self confidence, is there something in magick that can ignite that spark of self confidence and self esteem again in my self? I give all the details because maybe I am cursed, or maybe this has nothing to do with a curse but with an infestation of astral parasites who enjoy my suffering. And even if I cover the possibility of being cursed and/or having astral larvae, what else can I do to build strong self-esteem and self confidence with the help of magick? Please don't recommend GoM books because they honestly haven't worked for me.

 

[Yazata]

Could it be that you subconsciously want to feel like you have been cursed?
If that shaman cleansed you, and nothing happened in between there's no reason to think you are, right?
The tourmaline might have helped your self-confidence so it can't hurt to get another one (doesn't have to be from the same guy), but starting a daily self cleanse like the old trusted LBRP in combination with some physical exercise seems like the best thing to do (in my opinion). Build yourself up and improve every day.

 

[ZapataLunac]

@Yazata, I really think the main problem lies in being parasited with astral parasites, I think this because after posting this, I watched a live healing session with a shaman who practice shinto, and he did a ritual of cleansing and healing called misogi, and after watching and hearing this ritual, my body started to move abruptly, and this was a sign I have already seen before when another person cleansed me in the first cleansing where i felt uplifted. I think I need to research some good cleansing techniques and more techniques to kill the parasites, and after all the cleansing and extermining, a way to avoid in the future to be infested with this parasites.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

Magic is done for very serious and out-there goals that can't be reached by simpler means. You've been cleansed so many times to no avail, at this point it's like trying to clean a tractor when the problem is the engine. Really it sounds like you're using magic and cleansing as a way of bypassing the real work you need to do on yourself.

Your problems are very simple, nothing basic psychology can't fix, or commonplace self-help books. Your ego and self-perception are intangible code, someone could have very well rewritten it, but you have the strength to rewrite it yourself too, more than anyone, since you live with it. You just need to develop your Will. It sounds like you're helpless, not just to your environment, but to your own moods and concepts. Why would you want to live like that? Your self image is just a story you tell yourself, it should be the thing you have the most control over.

Consider it a challenge the universe has given you to develop your Willpower. What's more powerful, you, or your thoughts and feelings? Are you really content with staying weak enough to allow others to influence something as intimate as your self perception?

 

[ZapataLunac]

@IllusiveOwl I don't really think that my problems are very simple, from your perspective given your background and written genetic abilities it should be that way, but in my own perspective, given the lack of any ability for emotional self-regulation and very poor self image, it really feels like if i were mental or emotional handicapped somehow (I even have been diagnosed with bipolarity), that's why I am looking in the only world I think I could find some relief: in the world of magick, maybe high magick, maybe alchemy, I really do not know, I only want to know what could be the best path in magick for personal evolution, for deep personal growth, for regulating better my emotions, and stoping the negative thoughts to have any power over my life. I have been in therapy since my early puberty and barely 10% of the techniques in therapy have worked for me.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

I think I could find some relief: in the world of magick, maybe high magick, maybe alchemy

I only want to know what could be the best path in magick for personal evolution, for deep personal growth, for regulating better my emotions, and stoping the negative thoughts to have any power over my life.

I would recommend steering clear of all of these. The practices of Magic, Magick, and Alchemy all require a disciplined and in-control individual, otherwise you're likely to botch the processes and become a Monster, or at best some kind of Black Magician.

I recommend the path of Mysticism, Meditation, and Unity with God. Given your ability to feel so profoundly with your bipolarity, you have the key to access states of divine ecstasy most of us never reach. There is the way of Fire, which is Magic and Alchemy, and the way of Water, which is Devotion, Emotion, and Mysticism. You are much more suited to water.

In the end only you can help yourself, some Shamans may be able to trick you into doing that through their rituals, but I believe anyone who can SHOULD help themselves. Your path needs to suit who you are. There are an infinite array of individuals, and so there are many many paths. The path of Magic and Alchemy are for those who want Sovereignty and to turn all - including themselves - into gold. You want to evolve, regulate yourself, and grow, these are all done through Meditation and Mystic Gnosis.

 

[ZapataLunac]

@IllusiveOwl wow, thank you, finally someone gave me the answers I was looking for, it is really interesting what you are saying, I did not have idea that there existed another path apart from Magick and Alchemy. Now the main question is: where should I start? I mean, what books do you recommend that belongs to the way of Water (Devotion, Emotion, Meditation, Mysticism and Mystic Gnosis?). The only paths I previously know are the path of self initiation Golden Dawn by ciceros, the path of Builders of the Adytum a.k.a B.O.T.A, or the path of High Magick as instructed by Damien Echols and similar authors. Is there a path equally structured like those I mentioned, but that corresponds to the way of water? Thank you!

 

[IllusiveOwl]

where should I start?

I highly discourage any organized systems of initiation like the Golden Dawn or magical development, given what you've shared. The Way of Water can be simplified to just being referred to as Mysticism as opposed to Magic.

I recommend researching Bhakti Yoga, it's the way of liberation through Love. I recommend researching all Mystic Traditions, like the Sufi's (Works by Rumi specifically), there's plenty of wonderful Christian Mystics but really every religion has it's Mystic branches, I recommend reading everything that Mother Teresa published, as well as Imitation of Christ. There are many good Yogis you can read, Ramana Maharshi and Jiddu Krishnamurti are good examples. You could look into the Theosophical Society if you want to stay Esoteric. Really any Monk of any tradition would be worth giving your ear to, I personally prefer the profound peace of Zen literature. Shamanism could be something you could look into as well, there's plenty of wonderful things recorded from Native cultures and peoples who are in touch with the Earth. You can really go any direction that interests you personally.

Truly this path has to guided by your heart, meaning that no one can tell you what to do or where to go, you find your own way there by listening to your heart, there's no set system, rather than development of the individual through painstaking work, Mysticism focuses on unity and understanding through love, surrender, peace, and the way of emotions.

 

[ZapataLunac]

@IllusiveOwl Thank you very much, I will take in consideration all that you shared. My last question is, What are the goals in following these paths of Mysticism? the development of my inner strength? the development of myself and personal growth? Merely Union with God and nothing else? or does they also bring some results in the practical life?

 

[IllusiveOwl]

What are the goals in following these paths of Mysticism?

Merely union with God, that's funny.

that's why I am looking in the only world I think I could find some relief

You said you wanted relief, and that's what you'll find there. Freedom from all suffering, Heaven, Nirvana. Peace. Yes, you'll develop inner strength and fortitude through meditation and develop yourself and achieve growth.

 

[HoldAll]

Daily meditation can help you to step out of yourself, as it were, and take a real sober look at yourself - mind you, without actually pursuing that specific goal. I mean zen-style empty-mind meditation (or 'not-thinking' as some Western authors on magic call it) that is not practised with a definite aim like blissful calm or anything else in mind but as an end in and of itself. Without having any idea beforehand that such insights could be achieved at all, it gradually showed me the web of emotions and false narratives I've been caught in all my life, a cluster of conditioned habits and knee-jerk reactions I've always stubbornly identified with because I was so used to thinking of them as my 'real self' .

Again I would like to stress that such a detached perspective cannot be achieved deliberately and directly; I'm not even sure every meditator has the same experience. It's just that I think that all those self-help books purporting to show you how to 're-program' yourself by means of contrived affirmations or phony positive thinking are a lot of baloney. Your emotions will invariably sabotage any conscious effort your intellect may make to alter them. Solemnly declaring "I am a likeable confident person worthy of love and respect" several times a day will not make a iota of difference if such notions are completely alien your subconscious self-image. Authors claiming that habitual, deep-rooted emotions can be changed by means of words alone should be prosecuted IMHO.

Introspection is a funny thing. If performed by the mind alone - the stereotypical musings of a so-calle 'self-awarethinking person' - it can easily lead to even more useless verbiage (that's how I describe the contents of my own private journal these days ) that will get you precisely nowhere, and I should know, having cultivated this embarrassing bad habit for decades. You go round in circles because you're still tangled up in that web of emotions and false narratives I mentioned above. The answer, in my opinion, is not modfied, clearer or (heaven forfend!) even more intense thinking but not thinking at all, only experiencing without any running commentary in your head. It's hard to develop that mental knack but can be achieved.

When I first succeeded in stilling my mind for whole ten seconds or so at a time while walking, I was overwhelmed by the feeling how utterly banal everything I saw was. I expected some sort of crystal-clear mystical perception but instead I was blown away by the sheer mundanity of it all, which is how I came to develop the following theory (which may be even more useless verbiage on my part )

Most, if not all, of our ideas about ourselves are illusions. You were raised to perceive yourself in this or that light, had experiences that confirmed this perception or added yet another false layer made up of mirages - after all, high self-esteem (esp. when unfounded) is just an illusion as low self-esteem (esp. when unfounded as well), which genuinely bipolar people will wholeheartedly confirm because they know how it is to cycle from being an omnipotent god one day to feeling like the lowliest vermin on earth the next. This is exactly the point where many NewAgers and armchair occultists will nod sagely and piously declare that everything was an illusion anyway. No. It's not simply a matter of changing one's perception (which can't be achieved deliberately anyway). It's a matter of being and truly becoming.

I'm not trying hard to sell you on the benefits of empty-mind meditation here. In my mind, explicitly suggesting "Meditate and you'll see…" or "Meditation can help you realize that…" is like putting a hex on someone, thus robbing a person seeking transformation from his or her genuine meditation experience (which, however, doesn't stop almost every author on the subject under the sun from doing just that ). Meditation, for example, doesn't calm me down. It just doesn't, sorry, no matter how glowingly most books describe all its alleged stress-relieving effects. I've made a promise to myself to treat all meditation-related experiences with the utmost sincerity and will therefore resist any attempt on my part of hypnotizing myself into any artificial state of mind that has got nothing to do with the way I actually feel, so if all the houses, cars or people on the street appeared utterly banal in their normalcy in the beginning, fine, because that's what I actually experienced back then - which btw has changed in the meantime and turned out to be yet another layer of illusion.

If you're interested in the subject, I recommend Culadasa's "The Mind Illuminated" (about a dozed free copies can be found on annas-archive.org) and/or its companion volume "A Meditator's Practice Guide to the Mind Illuminated".

 

[IllusiveOwl]

I was overwhelmed by the feeling how utterly banal everything I saw was. I expected some sort of crystal-clear mystical perception but instead I was blown away by the sheer mundanity of it all

Could you elaborate on this? Is the banality of mundane existence still something you struggle with? Is it something you've accepted and live with, or has it transformed into something else by going deeper into it? And how did this play into your insights exactly because I wasn't able to gleam into it through the original message you've written.

 

[HoldAll]

Could you elaborate on this? Is the banality of mundane existence still something you struggle with? Is it something you've accepted and live with, or has it transformed into something else by going deeper into it? And how did this play into your insights exactly because I wasn't able to gleam into it through the original message you've written.

As I said, it was only a transitional stage, there is no pronounced special feeling right now. I think that maybe my exaggerated expectations stemming from reading all those books on Buddhism were to blame; I didn't draw any philosphical conclusions, I was simply surprised. I think before that it was fear and loneliness, possibly because my inner dialogue stopped for a few seconds and suddenly left me hanging in the real world. The Culadasa book I follow warns against being distracted by such insights (much in the way Buddhist teachers warn against lusting after siddhis), so I only make some general notes in my journal and keep them matter-of-fact, mostly because I'm aware of tendency towards drama and overthinking, also due to my growing disgust with all those gushing Western narratives about meditation. Consequently, no philosophical inferences for the time bing.

At the current stage, I'm content with just experiencing the void, or at least taking the first laborious steps towards experiencing the void; I have a feeling that any transformation will happen in the background without me noticing anyway. In short, I'm seriously distrusting words now - and so do you, from what I've read in your posts.

 

[IllusiveOwl]

In short, I'm seriously distrusting words now - and so do you, from what I've read in your posts.

I'm replying for the benefit of the OP, given that their self-narratives that are giving them trouble, even though I know we've gotten somewhat off-topic.

I would say that words are kind of like a veil, they're familiar because we have been dividing/simplifying/explaining the world using them since we learned how to use them growing up, they filter out the intensity of reality . There's a reason why metaphor - like the one I just used with the veil - points to something similar that can't really be spoken about because of how complex it is, sort of like how "Love" is just a word, but the feeling of it is infinitely more, or like when you try to describe the curls & swirls of incense smoke you lose the whole experience of the smoke when you call it "beautiful".

Recently I've been going through Gurdjieff and he touches on something similar. Experience is vastly more informative than the analysis of that experience. How do you get to that experience? Not by explaining it, or naming it. Look at a tree. You'll call it a tree, focus on it's body and call it "bark", look up and see "leaves" and "branches". You'll find if you do the same thing again without labeling every damn thing, landscapes of intricate designs become visible, you'll see little things crawling on it, depth and vision become more vibrant... it's not just a meditation exercise, it's a way of interfacing and living life. He called the mind "A useful cop" but absolutely not a thing to live your life through.

I've completely seen through the sham of thought, sometimes when I'm tired or lazy, or when falling asleep, I'll get tricked by them and get hooked like a fish on a line, but that doesn't last too long, I recognize with disgust what has been going on, see the childish futility of idle thinking, and put an end to the whole ordeal to return to the present.

 

[HoldAll]

I'm replying for the benefit of the OP, given that their self-narratives that are giving them trouble, even though I know we've gotten somewhat off-topic.

I would say that words are kind of like a veil, they're familiar because we have been dividing/simplifying/explaining the world using them since we learned how to use them growing up, they filter out the intensity of reality . There's a reason why metaphor - like the one I just used with the veil - points to something similar that can't really be spoken about because of how complex it is, sort of like how "Love" is just a word, but the feeling of it is infinitely more, or like when you try to describe the curls & swirls of incense smoke you lose the whole experience of the smoke when you call it "beautiful".

Recently I've been going through Gurdjieff and he touches on something similar. Experience is vastly more informative than the analysis of that experience. How do you get to that experience? Not by explaining it, or naming it. Look at a tree. You'll call it a tree, focus on it's body and call it "bark", look up and see "leaves" and "branches". You'll find if you do the same thing again without labeling every damn thing, landscapes of intricate designs become visible, you'll see little things crawling on it, depth and vision become more vibrant... it's not just a meditation exercise, it's a way of interfacing and living life. He called the mind "A useful cop" but absolutely not a thing to live your life through.

I've completely seen through the sham of thought, sometimes when I'm tired or lazy, or when falling asleep, I'll get tricked by them and get hooked like a fish on a line, but that doesn't last too long, I recognize with disgust what has been going on, see the childish futility of idle thinking, and put an end to the whole ordeal to return to the present.

I'll probably reply in detail later when I have more time but you're right, we went off-topic a bit. I'll probably lead over to the OP's problems by adding that insight, be it purely intellectually and emotionally, does not automatically to transformation and change, as early psychotherapy assumed because it's even more frustrating when you understand all your issues clearly but are helpless to do anything about them. Insight may not even be the first step or an absolutely necessary prerequisite for change. Something like that.

Post automatically merged: Jul 23, 2025

In my assessment you depend too much on outside validation and assistance. Seen from a chaos magic perspective, it could be additionally said that you accept other people's belief systems and paradigms too readily. After all, it's matter of debate whether astral parasites exist at all, are only products of our over-active imagination, a mix between those two, or neither. Speaking for myself, I really felt disgusted when I read about well-known occult author Josephine McCarthy picking astral parasites off her children like so many burrs each morning before driving them to school. That's not a paranoidal world I want to live in (and in which children should ever be dumped). Germophobia is bad enough but being scared of invisible astral parasites lurking around every corner all the time? No way!

According to a long forgotten theory (and I can't even remember where I've read it ), the cause of depression is a certain narcissistic deficit. Narcissism is regarded as something awful in popular psychology but consider - isn't low self-esteem a sign of insufficient self-love? For which the usual trite response is "You simply have got to love yourself!"; to well-meaning advice formulated like this, I usually retort "I don't have to do anything, and it's never simple anyway, thank you!".

I think "Love yourself!" is a little bit too exaggerated a demand from oneself. Ok, "accept" then. That's still not it, I'd say. In my mind, being yourself should be a matter of course and not a source of endless solipsistic speculation if you want to get anything done in your life. During meditation, you don't judge yourself because mental activity ideally ceases anyhow. Outside meditation you won't be able to stop judging yourself of course if that's your favorite vice, and any conscious effort to stop you from hating yourself is sure to fail - the harder you try, the worse it will get.

The merciless Big Bad Ego being pitted against your divine Higher Self, with pathetic you as the poor piggy in the middle, is a favorite NewAge trope. While doing some research on breathing methods for my forum Journal here, I came across the so-called 'Ego Eradicator' in Yogi Bhajan's kundalini yoga. Erm, ok, but who's going to do tomorrow's grocery shopping for me then, my oh-so-holy Higher Self or what? What people colloquially call 'ego', what Freud actually meant by the term and what specific role it plays inside your own personal psychological ecosystem are different things.

Like I've mentioned before, I tend to ignore insights that can be easily expressed in words. I once read about this poet who got high on nitrous oxide and then blissfully declared, "The universe is entirely made up of ideas!". Well yeah, ok. Would make a nice bumper sticker but otherwise it's absolutely useless. Here is one of those insight bastards that recently got through despite my best efforts: a) "You don't really matter" b) "You're all you really have". The first one is directed exclusively at myself and my tendency towards self-aggrandisement; the second one though could be considered universal (and make a nice bumper sticker too *lol) and may even apply to my self-love topic if you think about it (please do ).

I realize I'm unable to outline any precise linear course for you to steer; instead I rather think you're confronted with a cluster of issues that should be tackled from multiple angles. That cluster may mutate and change shape, adapt in part while remaining stubbornly the same in other respects, etc. That's why I don't like those cheap self-help books because they usually describe self-transformation as a simple steady progression within predictable stages while in practice it's usually much more chaotic, with plateaus, spikes, sudden breakthrough, setbacks, you get the 3D picture. If nothing else, meditation should provide you with some robust self-knowledge as well as a much clearer picture of potential approaches towards strengthening your ego and thus your everyday self.

 

[SeekerPS]

Hi people, before my current state (very bad self esteem, very bad self confidence, very poor self image), I used to have a very decent self image, decent self confidence and self esteem and that happened before one guy I know cursed me, the story is long, but I really did all the work of discernment, to make sure I was cursed, so I attended to a cleansing (a.k.a. barrida or limpia here in Mexico) and after the cleansing, I really felt very uplifted, like the effects of the curse (having very low self esteem) were gone, and the shaman who cleansed me, gave me a black tourmaline to protect me from future attacks, but recently, the tourmaline broke from the necklace and were lost, so I lost all the protection and again, started to feel with very low self esteem and self confidence, is there something in magick that can ignite that spark of self confidence and self esteem again in my self? I give all the details because maybe I am cursed, or maybe this has nothing to do with a curse but with an infestation of astral parasites who enjoy my suffering. And even if I cover the possibility of being cursed and/or having astral larvae, what else can I do to build strong self-esteem and self confidence with the help of magick? Please don't recommend GoM books because they honestly haven't worked for me.

Go to therapy. Magic is not a replacement of mental health

 

[Dona]

I highly discourage any organized systems of initiation like the Golden Dawn or magical development, given what you've shared. The Way of Water can be simplified to just being referred to as Mysticism as opposed to Magic.

I recommend researching Bhakti Yoga, it's the way of liberation through Love. I recommend researching all Mystic Traditions, like the Sufi's (Works by Rumi specifically), there's plenty of wonderful Christian Mystics but really every religion has it's Mystic branches, I recommend reading everything that Mother Teresa published, as well as Imitation of Christ. There are many good Yogis you can read, Ramana Maharshi and Jiddu Krishnamurti are good examples. You could look into the Theosophical Society if you want to stay Esoteric. Really any Monk of any tradition would be worth giving your ear to, I personally prefer the profound peace of Zen literature. Shamanism could be something you could look into as well, there's plenty of wonderful things recorded from Native cultures and peoples who are in touch with the Earth. You can really go any direction that interests you personally.

Truly this path has to guided by your heart, meaning that no one can tell you what to do or where to go, you find your own way there by listening to your heart, there's no set system, rather than development of the individual through painstaking work, Mysticism focuses on unity and understanding through love, surrender, peace, and the way of emotions.

Zen Buddhism helped me a lot when my father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I highly recommend it, but I also put in the work reading books and practicing. I was never a Buddhist, so it’s really interesting how I ended up there. There is something very comforting in the void.

 

[FireBorn]

or maybe this has nothing to do with a curse but with an infestation of astral parasites who enjoy my suffering

That line right there? That’s the one worth digging into.

You’re not crazy. You’re not weak. You’re under attack, and it may not be a curse in the dramatic, ritual sense. It might be something much more common, much more insidious: astral parasites. Most people in the occult overlook this. They chase grimoires and spirits, or debate systems and initiations, while parasites just sit there feasting on the shitstorm in your mind.

These things feed on energy, especially the distorted kind. Fear, shame, despair, addiction, sexual compulsion. They don’t just sit and wait; they provoke those states. They know your triggers. They amplify them. And then they feed.

Ever have thoughts that don’t feel like yours? Sudden rage over nothing? Obsessive sexual imagery that doesn’t even align with your usual desires? That’s not just your shadow. That might be them.

And here's the ass kicker: they require consent. Even passive consent is enough. That means if you give up, or wallow, or just accept the noise as yours, they win. You have to revoke it. Out loud. With will. “You have no right to me. I do not consent. I will not feed you. Leave.” Then do it again. And again. Until they get the message.

I spent years with one latched onto me, maybe even generational. It wasn’t some dramatic exorcism that ended it. It was me starving the fucker out. Daily refusal. Daily awareness. Banishing. Calling my fire back. Not feeding it. It sucked and it was a long process, but it worked.

If you want a practical, grounded look at all this, grab The Exorcist’s Handbook by Josephine McCarthy. It’s not a dramatized Hollywood take. It’s real-world tools. You’ll recognize yourself in what she describes, and more importantly, you’ll recognize them.

This stuff gets called “demonic” because it’s scary and hard to explain. But demons aren’t your enemy here. These things are. And they’re subtle as hell. That’s why people miss them.

So yeah, others can argue about initiations or elemental kings. But I’ll die on this hill: if you’re practicing magic and not learning about parasites, you’re flying blind.

This is the real enemy. And the real battlefield is you.

 

[Dona]

First, make sure to see a doctor to check your physical and mental health.
Next, learn self-compassion,it is more powerful than self-esteem. There are books available on this topic.
Then, establish a foundation of daily practices:

• Greet the sun three times a day.
• Begin a daily meditation practice.
• Add regular physical activity (stretching, yoga, tai chi, or any other gentle form of movement).
• Drink chamomile tea before sleep.

For deeper cleansing and regulation:

• Take a ritual bath (Quareia Apprentice Module 1, Lesson 7) once a week or every two weeks to cleanse yourself and your space.
• Practice stillness. Zen Buddhism can be a strong support for self-regulation. You may begin with Thich Nhat Hanh’s books or Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind.
• Incorporate sacred chants into your routine and use clearing scents such as frankincense (as mentioned in this lesson).

Regarding Fireborn’s mention of redirection:
This is the method he refers to, originally written by Josephine. I do not recommend reading her book directly, as it may increase paranoia, and your main goal is not to feed such emotions.


Excerpt on redirection methods:


"One way of using elements is to use a candle flame.
To redirect through a candle flame, you need strong mental focus and concentration. The exorcist (or person being attacked) lights a candle and ‘sees’ the attack and its manifestations forming in the flame. Any feelings of pain, emotions, and the problems it is causing are imagined into the flame. Once you are sure the burden of the attack is fully in there, blow the candle out—sending the flame and its contents into the void. This should be done a few times a day for several days until the attack eases. It can be continued as needed, but must always be directed into the void and nowhere else.


Another simple redirecting method works for lesser attacks through thought and speech. Every hour or so, the victim should pause, sense the attack and where it is coming from, then say: ‘No, I don’t accept it,’ and blow it down into the earth or out of the window. It may sound simple, but when done correctly and consistently, it builds great power. Over days, the focus strengthens, and the blowing begins to mediate the power of air, attracting elemental beings to support you. As always, ensure it is directed into the earth."

Post automatically merged: Aug 17, 2025

I haven’t personally tried the redirection methods, so I can’t vouch for them but everything else I mentioned (self-compassion, meditation, Zen, baths, chants, incense, physical activity) has worked very well for me.

 

[FireBorn]

Regarding Fireborn’s mention of redirection:
This is the method he refers to, originally written by Josephine. I do not recommend reading her book directly, as it may increase paranoia, and your main goal is not to feed such emotions.

Hey, just to clarify, what I wrote about wasn’t Josephine’s redirect method. I’ve read her stuff, and she’s solid, but what I was referencing is what happened when I actually did the work. I lived with a parasite for years. I didn’t redirect it, I starved it. I didn’t blow it into a candle, I stopped feeding it. No theatrics, just daily refusal.

So I totally respect that others may be coming at this from different angles, but I wasn’t quoting McCarthy, I was adding to her foundation with field notes. Accuracy matters here, its an important topic. I am in no way minimizing your take hell, its not wrong. In fact you added some valuable context and scaffolding from her book.