Carlos Castaneda's Magical Passes
The Active Side of Infinity: The View from the Left Body
A Recapitulation and Tensegrity Workshop
Boston, Massachusetts- April 24, 1999
"All we need to pluck the wonders of this world of everyday life is enough detachment. But more than detachment, we need enough affection and abandon."
Don Juan Matus, The Wheel of Time
10a.m. to 12 noon
The Warrior's Stance
Gazing and Breathing Affection for the Earth: One
Stirring the Energy of the Left and Right Body
Walking the Steps in Nature
Gazing and Breathing Affection for the Earth: Two
Mixing Energy from the Left and the Right Body with the Eyes
Recapitulation
The Warrior's Stance
2 to 5 p.m.
The Warrior's Stance
Gazing and Breathing Affection for the Earth: Three
Stirring the Energy on the Left and the Right Body
Defying Gravity
Mixing Energy from the Left and the Right Body
Break
Stirring and Mixing Energy from the Left and the Right Body
Walking with the View of the Left Body
The Rippling Energy of the Left Body
Gazing and Breathing Affection for the Earth: Four
A Warrior's Gesture of Magical Intent
Recapitulation
The Warrior's Stance
The View of Abstract Affection
Intending a New View
From: Matilda <matilda@xxxxxxxxx.xxxx
Date: Thu Apr 29, 1999 5:56 pm
Subject: Forward from the Cleargreen web site
Magical Passes Practitioners' Log
To the Participants of the Recent Workshop in Boston, and all the practitioners of Tensegrity
At the recent workshop in Boston, the instructors of the magical passes had the pleasure of announcing a new video entitled Unbending Intent, which presents the Series for Preparing Intent and the Saber-tooth Tiger of Intent. The video will be available in June; please see this page for further updates.
Carlos Castaneda chose these as the series to present in the first video based on the book Magical Passes, considering them to be an important basis for intending a new perception. The participants of this workshop provided an excellent example of this intent in their exquisite openness, alertness and concentration. The freshness of the many new participants, combined with the experience of the more seasoned practitioners, allowed everyone present to move toward a new view.
Participants and all practitioners are invited to continue their practice of the Warrior's Stance as a means to carry this intent into their daily lives, and to accompany their practice of the Separation of the Left Body and the Right Body: The Heat Series and the Warrior's Gesture of Magical Intent -the series of affection for the earth- in the sequences and forms tailored for presentation in Boston, or in whatever form the practitioners know these magical passes. We also invite them to send questions and feedback about this practice to the Practitioners' Log. Some participants of the workshop in Boston have already done so, saying that they feel a new, affectionate awareness of the Earth, and that they found a new clarity in their recapitulation. Some who had never recapitulated in a group before mentioned that the presence of the group brought them focus and concentration that they had not experienced on their own. Others reported that they found new information in their recapitulation about "where they clipped their wings," or how they placed limitations on themselves, which they can apply to go past these limitations in their daily endeavors.
Thank you, Boston participants!
From: "x" <byron.z@v...>
Date: Mon May 3, 1999 6:36 pm
Subject: Boston magical passes
Here are some notes on some of the recent passes that I learnt from practitionners in the London group who went to Boston. (There was a very successful one day Tensegrity workshop in London last weekend. where we went through everything done in Boston)
Correction or comments on these notes are welcome.
The New Warriors Stance taught in Boston.
Numbers in brackets refer to the book Magical Passes -MP- all the passes come from the Intent series
1. Dust your link with intent starting with the left arm. (Similar to first pass from 3d video.- Begin slightly bending forwards with left hand facing in front of body,slightly bent at the elbow palm open facing upwards. Then the right palm brushes (back of the fingers almost touching) the left arm from the shoulder to the open palm back up to the shoulder (with inside of fingers and the down again to the open palm and extending the energy beyond. Repeat on the other side.
2. Rub hands together until they are very warm and then place them on your face and run them over your face (melt away the social mask), over the head to your neck and jawline. Throw hands to the sides and briskly shake them for a few moments. (get rid of all the tension)
3. Shake left foot then right foot.
4. Pivot on the balls (toes) of the feet ten times.(MP1)
5. Grinding energy with three slides of the feet (MP2)
just to clarify, this was done 2x (123,123)
6. Grinding energy with a sideways slide of the feet (MP 3 )- 3 to the left followed by 3 to the right.
7. Mixing energy by striking the ground with the heels three times(MP5) done 2 x
All the following do first on left then right.
8. Gathering energy with the soles of the feet and moving it up the inner legs(MP6)
9. Stirring energy with the knees (MP7)
10. Pushing the energy stirred with the knees into the trunk(MP8)
11. Pushing down a wall of energy(MP11)
12. Stepping over a barrier of energy (MP12)
13. Kicking a lateral gate (MP13)
14. Cracking a nugget of energy(MP14)
15. Scraping off the mud of energy(MP15)
16. "Turn on"
17. Stirring up energy for the adrenals(MP18)
18. Rolling energy on the adrenals (MP17)
2 x (r-l-r=forward, l-r-l=leaning back)
19. The half circle of energy (x3 L-R-L) (MP22)
20. Kneading energy with a push of the shoulder blades (x3 R-L-R)(MP24)
21. Stirring energy around the neck (Turn to left only) (MP 23)
22. Kneading energy with a push of the shoulder blades (x3 L-R-L) (MP24)
23. Stirring energy around the neck (right only)
24. Gathering energy from the front of the body, right above the head (MP30)
25. Reaching for the energy stirred below the knees (Rub on vital
centres)(MP26)
26. Reaching for energy above the head (Rub on vital centres)(MP34)
View from the Bridge (Left and Right body)
The Heat Series passes were performed in the following manner:
Each pass in turn was first performed at normal speed three times on the left and the right sides.
Then the pass was done on the left slowly and with fluidity and also taking a step forwards (or backwards ) by sliding the foot.
Then the pass was done once on the right side fast with a jump when stepping.
All hits with the left hand (such as punches etc) are low and hand or punch is very relaxed. Hits with the right hand are high.
Also when doing a pass on the left side of the body be also aware of the right side and vice versa.
Here are comments one each pass as done on left and right side (after you have done them three times each time as written in the book)
Stirring Energy on Left and Right Bodies.
1. One complete circle and then slide to the left as you push/strike energy to the left
Same on right but with a strike and jump.
2.One complete circle and then slide forward and pierce the circle twice with fingers
3. As in book
4.Both arms start high. Wrists are bent. As if punching down to the solar plexus
5. As in book
6.As in book
7. The left punch is low -solar plexus. Do with a step/slide forwards on same side leg.
8.The left punch is low -solar plexus. Do with a step/slide backwardson same
side leg.
9.The slow wheel with the left hand goes in opposite direction (backwards towards the face), with a step forwards.
As the left circle and step finish the right side snaps into action.
10. As in book
11.As the arm comes up in a fist the same side knee also comes uptowards the chest.
12.As in book
13 One and a half (backwards) circles with arm which returns to the level of the ear and then slaps to the centre line at the area of the belly button.
Done with a step/slide forwards.
14.One circle with arm and as the fist comes up the same side knee comes up too.
15 Do with one hand at a time and step backwards on final hit also looking
backwards at fist over your shoulder.
16. Do with step backwards.
Mixing Energy from Left and Right bodies.
17. As in book
18.As in book
19. Gather slowly with left and straight away strike with right while stepping forward fast, then gather fast with right and strike and step forwards slowly.
20-22 As in book
23. Do with a step forwards.
24. Do with a step forwards.
25. As you strike on the right (with the left fist) you simultaneously bring the right knee up to stir energy on the left.
Do at the same speed on left and right sides
26.Step forwards slowly with left while folding arms and strike with elbows fast as you step up (fast) to position where feet are parallel. Then step forward on right fast as you fold arms and then strike slowly with elbows as you step up level.
27.As in 26 but striking with the back of the fists.
28.As you strike to the left you also slide to the left .
As you strike to the right you also jump to the right.
29. Raise the left knee as you bring both fists down on either side of the knee then as you slide the left foot forward twist to the left and bring down fists, palms, fists then you raise the right knee fast and repeat the moves on the right side
30 As in book. Same speed both sides.(The energy has been already mixed)
Boston Stirring The Left And The Right Bodies
We basically did these passes in this way: 3 of the regular book-form of the Heat Series and 1 of the left body version. It makes for a very intense series.
The instructors gave no indication that this had to be the way we do this series.
Also, these passes were not performed walking-style as in Pomona. Rather, as we were only doing each pass of the left body form once, when a step was taken we then went back to our original position in almost every pass. Exceptions are noted. They occur in the mixing section.
We now have all of the passes from this series in both forms, including the ones that you will have noticed were not represented in the earlier Pomona version.
1. Perform "Gathering Energy in a Ball From the Front of the Left and Right Bodies and Breaking It With The Back of the Hand". 3 x each side.
Perform the left body form in which you loosen and relax the left arm, do the two slow circles, and when you slowly strike to the left, it is done at hip level, accompanied by a slide of the left foot then a step of the right foot. Gavin called attention to this step of the right foot. The right side is then performed as before, with a brisk step to the right. 1x
2. Perform "Gathering Energy Of The Left and Right Bodies In A Circle Which Is Perforated With The Tips Of The Fingers". 3x each side.
Left Body: As the fingers perforate slowly the first time, the left foot slides up a step. On the second perforation the elbow "opens up", causing the entire arm and hand to vibrate as it moves forward. As the right hand perforates the first time, the knee is raised, toe pointed, and the right foot steps forward on the second. 1x
3. Perform "Hoisting Left and Right Energy Upward", as in the book Magical Passes, 3x
Left Body: Lift the left hand as far as the left knee. The hand is relaxed and the back rounded as the foot is held suspended, the left palm facing the knee. Left foot is relaxed and faces the floor. The right foot, toes point down as before.
4. Perform the "Up and Down Pressure". The wrists are tautly bent. Perform 3x on each side as in book.
Left Body form: Let left hand be loose. Let it fall slowly inward, then perform right side as usual. No step taken. Right side as before. 1x.
Hands are lowered before next pass:
5. Perform the "Inward Turn". 3x each side. Wrists are allowed to rotate through the circle.
Left Body: Left hand loose, low, and slow inward turn of circle. Right side same as book. No step.
6. Perform the "Outward Turn".3x
Left Body: 1x.
7. Perform "A High Push with the Fists". As with all the passes, let the strength of the pass originate in the abdomen. 3x.
Left Body: The left fist is loose and is held a bit below the horizontal; the right fist is tight and perfectly level. As the left foot slides forward, the left fist strikes to the front, lowering as it strikes to about abdomen level. The right foot steps as the right fist strikes forward at shoulder level.
8. Perform "A Low Push With the Fists". 3x.
Left Body: The fists held to waist level, palms facing. Left hand is loose. As the left elbow punches slowly foward, engaging the abdominals, the left foot slides back. The left elbow is retrieved. As the right fist punches forward, the right foot steps backward. 1x.
9. Perform "A Wheel With the Fingers Contracted At the Middle Joints" 3x.
Left Body Form: The left hand slowly tears upward along the left of the midline of the two bodies. The right hand then strikes downward quickly as in book form. This pass was done 3x, not the usual 1x.
10. Perform "Smoothing Energy Out in Front of the Body" 3x each side.
Left Body: As hand comes around back side and over left shoulder, left foot slides forward with an accompanying slow strike downward. The hand strikes to a position slightly lower than usual. Right side is performed same way but brisker and with a sharp strike.1x
11. Performs "Hitting Energy In Front Of The Face With An Upper Thrust Of The Fist". 3x
Left Body: Following the hand with the eyes, the left arm pivots back from the shoulder twice. The back is rounded, foot lifted, loose fist held by the knee. The left foot steps forward as it descends. Finish right, knee raised and the toes pointing to the ground. 1x
12. Perform " Hammering Energy in Front of the Left and Right Bodies". 3x
Left Body Form: The left hand starts to slowly move backward from the left thigh. It draws one and a half circles til it reaches a point near the left shoulder where it makes a relaxed fist and begins a descending strike with the soft of the fist. As the strike is made, the left foot is raised and the strike ends low and just to the side of the left knee. Gavin kept reminding us to tuck in our pelvises to really feel the pass. Same on right except quicker. 1x
13. Perform "Drawing Two Circles of Energy and Smashing Them by the Navel". 3x
Left Body: The left hand is followed by the eyes as it makes one and a half backwards circles, then slowly shimmers/vibrates to a point just left of the centerline at solar plexus level, palm facing right. The left foot slides forward as the arm strikes. The right arm circles back quickly, and the right foot steps forward without raising the knee as it makes a forceful strike to a similar position. 1x
14. Perform "Drawing Two Circles of Energy Laterally With The Index and Middle Fingers Extended". 3x.
Left Body: The fingers are held loosely as the left knee is raised, the body rounded, and the fingers scoop down to the left side and end with a loosely held fist, middle knuckle extended, by the knee. (In Pomona they emphasized a deep downward movement, In Boston they said the hand thrusts out low to the side but they did not scoop deeply.) The left foot is raised and lowered without a step. The right knee is raised as the right completes the movement. 1x
15. Perform "Stirring the Energy Around the Temples" 3x.
Left Body: The left fist is brought up loosely with an inhalation. Exhale throughout the rest of the pass. Exhale down to softly strike by the thigh with the back of the 'fist'. The fist the swings out and up laterally and is brought to a point in front of the temple. It touches the temple as you lean back slightly. Then it strikes down and back as you slide your left foot forward while turning and looking back to the left to watch the strike. The right mirrors forcefully, stepping forward with the last downward strike, again as you turn and watch it.1x.
16. Perform "Projecting a Small Circle of Energy Out in Front of the Body". 3x
Left Body: Make a slow circle with a loose left hand. At the end of the circle, the hand gracefully turns into a fist and strikes slowly forward as the left leg makes a sliding step backward. The right is performed briskly, also with a quick step backward. 1x.
Corrections or additional comments welcomed
Boston Mixing The Left And The Right Bodies
We basically did these passes in this way: 3 of the regular book-form of the Heat Series and 1 of the left body version. It makes for a very intense series.
The instructors gave no indication that this had to be the way we do this series.
Also, these passes were not performed walking-style as in Pomona. Rather, as we were only doing each pass of the left body form once, when a step was taken we then went back to our original position in almost every pass. Exceptions are noted. They occur in the mixing section. We now have all of the passes from this series in both forms, including the ones that you will have noticed were not represented in the earlier Pomona version.
1. Perform "Bunching Necessary Energy and Dispersing Unnecessary Energy" 3x
Left Body Form: Left hand is relaxed, performs the pass slowly. Right side is brisker than usual. 1x each side
2. Perform "Piling Energy Onto The Left and Right Bodies" 3x
Left Body: We didn't do this pass walking-style as in Pomona so there was no effort made to halt the leg on the way back. The only note was that the foot should be inclined at a 45 degree angle to really scoop the energy to the other side.
1x each side.
3.Perform "Gathering Energy With One Arm and Striking It With The Other" 3x
Left Body: Differs from Pomona in that the first motion is made slowly with the left arm, and is then completed with a quick strike to the high upper right and a step forward. Then follow up with a quick right arm, and a low, slow left arm and sliding step. If you can't follow this, see the book Magical Passes. The instructors did mention that the pass is really in the swinging horizontal movement with the strike. The little scoop at the beginning is just preparation. 1x
4. Perform "Gathering Energy With The Arms And Legs". Simply adjust the feet at 90 degree angles to one another before beginning the pass. 3x each side. Some people have been doing this one time each side. Our group believes we were only doing this one time in the afternoon of the workshop for lack of time.
Left Body: Differs in that you begin the left side by sliding the left foot into position at a 90 degree angle and do the pass slowly on this side. The right begins by hopping into position and performing the pass briskly. 1x
5. Perform "Moving Energy from the Left and the Right Shoulders" 3x
Left Body: The left side is done nice and slow, with a loose strike with the back of the fist at (lower than usual) shoulder level and accompanied by a sliding step forward. The right is done briskly with a strike to head level and with a step. 1x
6.Perform "Gathering Energy From One Body And Dispersing It On The Other" 3x
Left Body Form: Relaxed and slow on the left side, striking with the soft of the fist at shoulder level, and with an accompanying sliding step forward. Brisk on the right, striking to head level, with a quiick step forward. 1x
7. Perform "Hammering Energy from the Left Shoulder and the Right Shoulder on the Midpoint in Front of the Face" 3x
Left Body: Strike slowly with the left hand loose, inclining the head to watch the strike from each side. Accompanied by a slide of the foot on the left and a quick step on the right. 1x
8. Perform "A Strike with the Hand Fisted at the Second Knuckle" 3x (l-r-l-r-l-r)
Left Body: This one is a little different from most. Start with arms held up in front in claws as usual, but left claw is loose and hangs a little lower than right. Slowly twist to the right as left foot takes a sliding step backward. Once you have done that proceed to swing the arms back to the left side entirely while the right foot takes a quick step backward having not reset the feet. 1x
9. Perform "Grabbing Energy From The Shoulders and Smashing It On The Centers Of Vitality" 3x. This is done by starting with the left arm first, not the right as in Pomona, even in the Left Body Form. I did notice that for this pass the whole upper torso should swing freely with the movements leading into the strike.
Left Body: This left body from is not slower than usual. It is done at regular speed. As the left fist strikes slightly down across the right vital center,the right knee stirs the energy by coming up to the left. As the feet reset, theright hand begins to mirror. 1x.
10. Perform "Pushing Energy Out To The Sides With The Elbows" 3x
Left Body: Same as Pomona. Bring fists of crossed arms to sides of upper chest as a slow sliding step forward is taken. Strike back with the elbows as a quick step of the right foot brings the feet parallel. This is followed by a quick step forward by the right foot as the fists are again brought to sides of chest/corners of armpits, then strike slowly back with the elbows as a slow sliding step forward of the left foot completes the pass. 1x
11. Perform "Drawing Two Inward Circles of Energy In Front Of The Body And Crushing Them Out To The Sides" 3x.
Left Body: Also same as Pomona. Arms crossed with wrists pulled back are brought to sides of upper chestas a slow sliding step back is taken. Strike back with the backs fists of vertical forearms as a quick step of the right foot brings the feet parallel. This is followed by a quick step back again by the right foot as the pulled back wrists are again brought to sides of chest/corners of armpits, then strike slowly back with the forearms/backs of fists as a slow sliding step back of the left foot completes the pass. 1x
12.Perform "Striking Energy In Front Of The Body And On The Left And Right With Both Fists" 3x.
Left Body Form. After slowly sliding left foot, followed by right foot, to the left, slowly strike up to the left with both fists and retrieve them to your sides. The take a quick step to the right with each foot, then strike quickly up to the right and retrieve fists to center.1x
13. Perform "Striking Energy In Front of The Body With Both Fists And On The Left and Right" 3x consecutively.
Left Body: the left knee is raised and the fists strike slowly to either side of it .The torso slowly twists left, and the strike/slap/strike sequence slowly performed, and the fists slowly recenter. The move is completed forcefully and quickly on the right--as the right knee is raised, the fists strike to the top edge of the coreof the energy body followed by the strike/slap/strike sequence, ending the pass by bringing the fists down at center in front of the waist.1x
14. Perform "Smashing Energy with the Wrists above the Head and on the Left and the Right"
Rylanda said that by now the energies of the two bodies were mixed and that it was not necessary to distinguish between a left and a right body form for this pass. Therefore we simply performed this pass 2x, one for each side.
Mixing Energy from the Left and the Right Body with the Eyes
Start in a seated position
pull on both eyebrows from the center outward, alternating from one eyebrow to the other, 2-4 x
open mouth wide
roll eyes clockwise twice
roll eyes counterclockwise twice
open eyes wide
close eyes tight
open eyes with soft gaze
1
Look down at left hand at lower left as it begins to shimmer(wiggle fingers), gaze past hand to infinity(throughout) as you move hand across to right and up over right shoulder, tracing an arc over your head to continue to left shoulder level (arm extended). From there bring arm across front at shoulder level all the way to right shoulder. At this point you twist your torso to the right. Next, bring hand back to left side extended, still looking to infinity let arm fall.
2
Mirror on right including twist to left, but hand is fisted and you gaze at HAND and not to infinity.
Perform steps 1 and 2 twice
3
Raise left hand up to shoulder level, palm up. Shimmer fingers as you turn hand over, tracing an arc through which you peer into infinity. 3x
4
Mirror 3 on right with fisted hand at which you gaze throughout 3x
5
Bring hands together at wrists raised to chin level
gaze past hands to infinity
gaze at hands
[Lower hands to left side, right over left, left palm up: gaze at left palm
Raise hands to chin level
Gaze up to infinity then shimmer fingers
Stop shimmer and lower hands to right side, gaze at upturned r palm
Raise hands up high and gaze at them] do this section 2x
Lower hands to left side, gaze at upturned left palm
Raise hands to chin level, gaze through them to infinity
Let hands fall and break gaze