I would tend to agree with this in theory. Generally, when I have put an "intention" out there -- I have simply called it "putting it out to the Universe." In return, I have always felt some kind of "hit" that some external energy/force was receiving this intent and working with me to help bring it to fruition (assuming that I was willing to take care of the other steps to manifest). Although it differs slightly, I tend to feel a similar (and very pleasant) energetic download/communication whenever I deeply engage in the creative process (e.g., creative writing).
On the other hand, I don't fully understand what this energetic force/communication is, as it lacks a face/physical body and feels more like a direct energetic communication/download rather than a particular "spirit." I also took a "bastardized version" of Kabbalah suited to the Western Magical Tradition, which as you know, is a hierarchical system that involves praying to/communicating with formally named archangels and specific spirits/forces, etc. But this formal hierarchy of spirit beings and need to call upon particular angels/archangels for particular needs/desires didn't seem all that necessary to me (of course, maybe I'd get an even better response if I did utilize such a "spirit drenched" process).
Moreover, even though I've always felt this communicative external "hit" when I've put out my intentions to the Universe, I sometimes wonder why it would be so. Are there desires that are too petty/small for these forces/spirits to get involved with? I have personally only engaged in this process for what I consider the "big things" (i.e., ability to earn a living, serious relationship, important creative project) -- but others utilize a similar process more regularly and for "smaller" things, and also claim success. For example, someone I know (practicing Christian) believes that "God" helped her to find her knock-off handbags and purses, and I've heard NFL footfall players enthusiastically claim that "God" helped them win their game, etc... Is there a cadre of spirit beings who just like to be put to work -- but only some people take advantage of this readily available support system? Or is there an impersonal energetic force that can be tapped into -- with enough intention/Will to manifest? Or are these the same thing?
I don’t know the answers to the questions, and I struggle to make sense of my own experiences. I can assume, self-referentially, that things that happen to me, arising from desire or intent, happen entirely because of my formulation of intent. But I do not believe that. Sometimes I think that formulating intent is no more than good manners.
My life has been a combination of me getting what I want, sometimes in ludicrously spectacular fashion, and being impelled, sometimes compelled, into situations that turn out to be profoundly influential upon me – usually through suffering.
The idea that I am a sole agent, or even a major agent, seems more and more ridiculous to me. Rather, I participate in an event that is the coming together of multiple agents. I had a role to play – but so did other human agents. But there was way more than that at work.
This is a problem of breaking out of the materialist mental mold. The forces that came together to create the outcome that has a benefit to me are not the agents of material physics, but the agents of consciousness. So there is an intentionality beyond my own. And a sense of benefit too.
My self-focus makes me think that getting this highly desired job is all about me. But I could be actually no more than a minor player in a far bigger plan. Magic is not like building a car. It’s more like negotiating a treaty. You succeed because others agree that what you are doing should be allowed to succeed. Your skill and virtue are still critical elements – they are just not the causative elements.
One of the things I took from Kabbalah was idea of the integration of influences – no essential idea could be defined entirely of itself, but only in relation to other essential ideas. But because my exposure to Kabbalah came via the rationalistic magical tradition I did not appreciate it as a proper wisdom tradition – but as a knowledge tradition.
It was really only when I came across the Sirach that the penny dropped about wisdom. Wisdom is about awareness of the relational interplay of agents and intentionalities in the construction of a reality – and sometimes it can be only intuited or rendered as poetry or mystical imagery.
Tom Peters, the almost archetypal management guru of the 1980s described reality as ‘sloppy’and ‘messy’. He was talking about business, but that insight applied everywhere. Ideas were not Lego blocks but torn off bits of marshmallow that mashed together in an intimacy of association and connection. Rationalism and reason were hopeless alone. You needed good instincts (intuition). Now I see that what Peters meant was that you needed wisdom.
Wisdom is associated with age for good reason. If you are stupid, but well meaning, time and experience will knock the crap out of you. But you can have wisdom earlier with intuition, compassion, empathy and an openness to magic. I grew up stupid, despite having a ridiculous advantage of having metaphysical agents who were always messing with me.
You reminded me of the athletes who credit God with their success. It is nice that they do not take more credit than doing their bit of incredible hard work. It's a kind of humility that is a refreshing contrast to those with the penile champagne bottle ejaculating over an adulating fan crowd. But God also caused the water in my kettle to boil this morning.
There is a difference between being humble and gracious, acknowledging that God played a part in your victory as an affirmation of your faith – and thinking that victory so unlikely that God’s intervention alone made it seem plausible. I get the affirmation of faith thing. It's a sense of gratitude that affirms no action is by self alone.
But it’s not the miraculous. It’s not an outcome that is so unexpected that the normal pathways of causation are insufficient to deliver what happened.
You will know, I suspect, that when things happen beyond the normal range of chance repeatedly you are forced to wonder if you have a special power or whether you are getting unusual assistance. When that becomes your normal then attributing success to God takes on a whole different dimension of meaning.
I think ‘accidental’or ‘natural’magicians always wonder why them. And you can come up with any number of bullshit explanations to ‘explain’your ‘gift’. I am not a decent ‘psychic’so I struggle when I ask what is going on. I write with a strong sense of guidance – to the degree that I am often reluctant to claim authorship – a mere scribe. But when I try to write in a way that might bring insight to my experiences I get the same message – you have to think this through yourself. Bugger that!
This isn’t an intellect challenge. It's a wisdom challenge. That’s all I know with certainty.