| The Application of Hands in the Spiritual Path. Hands | | | | hands play a prominent role in everyday life. This can |
| as used in Magick and Occultism. [Note: This paper | | | | also be seen in the way we have invented all sorts of |
| contains images which may be seen as originally | | | | idioms regarding them. For instance, "lend me a hand," |
| published at our website] | | | | "hands-off," "hand-in-hand," "old-hand," "hands-on," etc. |
| In ceremonial magick of the Western Tradition, the | | | | The Application of Hands in the Spiritual Path |
| hands and fingers are used for various purposes | | | | In the Spiritual Path hands are used for the following |
| among which is to trace symbols, sigils, and signs in a | | | | purposes: |
| consecrated space or object. They are also utilized to | | | | As an instrument of healing. |
| banish, invoke and direct forces to certain targets. In | | | | As an instrument of blessing and consecration. |
| contrast to the adepts of ceremonial magic, stage | | | | As an instrument of general service. |
| magicians apply the hands to entertain audiences with | | | | As an instrument of teaching. |
| their many illusory tricks. They call this, "prestidigitation," | | | | As an instrument of purification, invocation, prayer, and |
| or "sleight of hand." In prestidigitation, the hands are | | | | communion. |
| used in various ways to deceive and mislead the eyes, | | | | ********** |
| and also in guiding the mental focus of the audience. | | | | As an instrument of healing |
| The saying that "the hands are quicker than the eye," | | | | Chakras, or energy-centers are to be found all over |
| is a well-known cliché used by stage magicians. | | | | the body. There is a chakra to be found in each palm |
| While still on the topic of entertainment, we have to | | | | of the hand. There is likewise a minor chakra at every |
| consider the applause. The clapping of hands in | | | | fingertip. The size, activity, and power of these chakras |
| modern usage is an expression of delight, agreement, | | | | are dependent upon various factors. One of these is |
| an accompaniment to music, or appreciation for | | | | the purity of the subtle channels terminating at those |
| someone's stage performance. Metaphysically, it is | | | | chakra points. These subtle channels or etheric nadis |
| said that ovation dispels the presence of angelic | | | | convey the life-force all over the body and may be |
| beings. These creatures of light dislike the vibrations | | | | projected outside of the body through the hand |
| produced by the applause. From the occult point of | | | | chakras. Healers of various metaphysical traditions |
| view, therefore, clapping is regarded as a negative | | | | make use of the hands to convey healing energy or to |
| practice. | | | | break up toxic crystals imbedded in the tissues. Since |
| In dance, gestures of the hands are essential in | | | | ancient times Chinese doctors have been diagnosing a |
| conveying or expressing symbolic messages and | | | | person's state of vitality through sensing the strength |
| metaphorical meanings. They possess a rich | | | | of the energy radiating from the hands, from the |
| vocabulary and tell non-verbal stories that evoke our | | | | phalanges of the fingers, and the pulse at the wrist. |
| primordial emotions as well as divine sensations. This | | | | Among the many systems of alternative therapeutics |
| can easily be seen and experienced in the hula-dance | | | | that make use of the hands are acupressure, Shiatsu, |
| of the Polynesians. These dances and hand | | | | Chakra healing, Reiki, Rosicrucian Contact healing, Body |
| movements narrate various myths of the land that | | | | Electronics, various forms of massage work, etc. Like |
| transports us to another world. In Hindu classical texts | | | | Jesus the Christ, every Initiate on the Spiritual Path is |
| regarding dance, hundreds of hand gestures are | | | | essentially a healer, though he may not blatantly |
| mentioned, together with descriptions of the thirteen | | | | proclaim or advertise himself to be one. When |
| positions of the head, thirty-six of the eyes, and nine of | | | | circumstances and necessity calls for it he would |
| the neck. In the Hindu dances based on the Carnatic | | | | gladly offer his services to the suffering one, always |
| music composition, the following mudras are used | | | | stressing, however, that it is not he that works, but the |
| among many others: Raaga mudra, Tata mudra, | | | | "Father " within him. |
| Aachaarya mudra, Naayaka mudra, Vamsa mudra, | | | | As an instrument of blessing and consecration |
| Biruda mudra, Lakshana Grantha mudra, Prabandha | | | | Metaphysics teaches and proves through various |
| mudra, Sthala mudra, etc. | | | | experiments which may be personally verified by |
| Although the many poses of the hands in traditional | | | | skeptics that energy radiates from the hands. This |
| dance may portray symbolical meanings, they are also | | | | energy may be used to magnetize objects, places, |
| functional in the sense that they modify the | | | | spaces or people for various purposes. The religious |
| morphogenic or auric field of the human organism, and | | | | term for magnetization is consecration. Blessing is a |
| likewise meant to regulate the energy flow within the | | | | form of consecration. It refers to the magnetization of |
| etheric body. | | | | a human being rather than an object with a spiritual |
| There are numerous forms of dance or dancing style | | | | force. Generally, in the act of consecration or blessing |
| prompted by the various levels of the psyche. | | | | we seek to raise the vibrations or frequency of a |
| Basically, we can classify three types of dance | | | | person or an object, or to empower it with certain |
| originating from the subconsciousness, consciousness | | | | energies that would turn it into a psycho-spiritual |
| and the superconsciousness. The instinctive or primitive | | | | generator that would influence its immediate |
| dance originating from the subconsciousness is well | | | | surroundings in a certain way. Thought-forms imbued |
| known and is displayed by both man and beast. Most | | | | with mental suggestions and emotional power are |
| of these movements and their awkward gestures | | | | often attached to these blessings. Curses operate |
| usually are mating courtship dances and the release of | | | | much in the same way as blessings, they however, |
| pent-up energies. Cultural dances evolved from these | | | | bring about negative effects. The curse on |
| unrefined movements. They are a projection of what | | | | Tutankhamen's tomb is a classic example of this. |
| the psyche understands of beauty, grace, form, | | | | Where people are concern in the act of blessing, the |
| rhythm, etc. The third category may be called mystical | | | | metaphysical practitioner would also seek to clear |
| dances. They originate from higher levels of | | | | obstructive or congested energies preventing the |
| consciousness beyond the reach of the conscious | | | | person from being aware of or communing with his or |
| mind, but whose energies may be channeled through | | | | her Higher Self. Once this purification is achieved the |
| the physical body producing divine movements. Some | | | | person would possess a clearer line of communication |
| forms of dancing are the amalgamation of all three | | | | with his hidden god or genius and acquire a stronger |
| classifications. The traditional dancing styles of Eastern | | | | sense of protection, faith, and a constant guidance |
| countries such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia are | | | | from the Most High. |
| typical of these. In these dances mudras are often | | | | In the act of blessing or consecration, the hands work |
| formed to alter the consciousness of the dancer and | | | | in harmony with the power of the spoken word to |
| indirectly affect the consciousness of the spectators. | | | | modify the magnetic-field structure of people and |
| About 16 years ago the writer personally witnessed | | | | objects. |
| one of the traditional Javanese dances performed by | | | | As an instrument of general service |
| a very talented young man. The dance was called | | | | The hands are tools of service and humanitarian aid. |
| "Kesadaran," or "Consciousness." We were spellbound | | | | Spiritually and socially, it is applied in extending a helping |
| from start to finish. | | | | hand to our fellow beings, to those in need of bare |
| Music often make us move and sway our hands, feet, | | | | necessities, comfort and solace. In spiritual teachings, |
| and body unconsciously. Why does it do this? For the | | | | karma yoga is often associated with the hands in |
| simply reason that musical energies have the power to | | | | active giving without any thought of remuneration or |
| possess our beings and cause an altered state of | | | | recognition. This is a vital principle. The desire to serve |
| awareness making us lose a certain degree of control | | | | humanity must come from the heart without any |
| over our physical motor system. All beings are | | | | thought of self or ego. Selflessness, self-sacrifice, and |
| susceptible to the influence of music. Animals and | | | | active service are important virtues that the spiritual |
| plants are especially vulnerable. In Greek myth we | | | | aspirant has to embody and express at every |
| often hear tales of Pan, the personification of Nature, | | | | breathing moment. When self-comfort, self-importance, |
| dancing to the mystical tunes of his pan-pipes, and all | | | | and self-aggrandizement are the sole motives of help |
| those who heard him play would also join in the fun, | | | | to others then the hands are misapplied and any act |
| the mirth, and the merry-making. Similarly, when the | | | | carried-out is unmeritorious. Spiritual disciples should not |
| Greek sage Orpheus played on his lyre, all became | | | | attract attention to the fact that they are serving. The |
| entranced, even the rocks listened attentively. | | | | best service is done quietly in the shadows without |
| In the Hindu tales of the gods, as found in the | | | | any fanfare or advertisements. The Master Jesus |
| Bhagavata-Purana and the Gita-Govinda, Krishna is | | | | explained it concisely in this manner: "Do not let the left |
| said to have enchanted the gopis, or shepherdesses | | | | hand know what the right hand is doing." Occultly, the |
| of Vrindavana with his lila dance and magical | | | | left hand is used for receiving energies, while the right |
| flute-playing. Each gopi was so mesmerized and | | | | hand is employed for giving them. |
| distracted by Krishna that they would forget | | | | As an instrument of teaching |
| everything else around them. They would become so | | | | Spiritual Gurus teach in various ways. They give |
| one-pointed that they would believe that they were | | | | teachings orally, in writing, telepathically, through |
| the only one present before their Lord. Evidently, music | | | | example, symbols, drama, and by the use of gestures. |
| has the power to cause ecstatic feelings. | | | | The hands can convey lots of information when |
| The god Shiva is often portrayed in iconography in a | | | | knowledgeably used. Symbolic movements of the |
| dancing pose as Nataraja, or "Lord of Dance." | | | | hands may portray the workings of Cosmic laws and |
| Representing the Consciousness aspect of Nature, | | | | spiritual principles. It is said that a picture is worth a |
| why does Shiva engage in a Cosmic dance? It is | | | | thousand words. Sometimes the hands may tell what |
| because Shakti or divine energy, flows through his | | | | the mouth cannot. A loving touch tells something that |
| being and causes spasms and convulsions at first, and | | | | words are often unequipped to. In Zen Buddhism, the |
| then rhythmic movements in attunement with the beat | | | | Guru often gives shock treatments to his students with |
| of the Cosmos. Amidst spiritual flames, Shiva dances | | | | the use of the hands. A rap on the head or a slap on |
| rapturously, burning and transmuting all of the old | | | | the face at the appropriate moment and psychological |
| outworn forms of life hindering cosmic progress. | | | | condition after intense meditation is supposed to cause |
| In a microcosmic scale, a Shiva-dance likewise occurs | | | | a student to suddenly apperceive the natural state of |
| to a practitioner of mudras. Spontaneous dancing may | | | | his mind and thereby become enlighten. |
| transpire as a result of the awakening of the life-force | | | | As an instrument of purification, invocation, prayer and |
| in the lowest psychospiritual center of the etheric body. | | | | communion |
| While conducting the mudras the practitioner's whole | | | | Perhaps the most common use of hands in religious |
| being would often move involuntarily. The physical | | | | and in metaphysical spiritual work is its application in |
| body might sway forward and backward, left and right | | | | prayer. Basically, this does not require any specialized |
| or rotate on its axis. His or her hands would move on | | | | knowledge. The hands are instinctively used when |
| their own accord in circles, in arches, in figure-eights, in | | | | appealing to God, to higher intelligences for intercession |
| a chopping upward-downward movement, or oscillate | | | | or when used simply as gestures of adoration or |
| in a left-right or forward-backward direction; | | | | reverence, just as we instinctively scratch our |
| sometimes the hands are mysteriously placed at | | | | foreheads or pull our beards when we seek to arouse |
| various layers of the aura, or even at certain focus | | | | our mental powers. The hands may be clasped, |
| points--at the chakras or energy centers of the body. | | | | outstretched or assumed in any other way that the |
| While Shakti is active, she may also induce the | | | | heart dictates while in silent prayer. Esoteric teachings, |
| practitioner to assume unlearnt mudras. The energies | | | | however, teaches various mudras, or hand gestures |
| invoked through mudras have an intelligence all of their | | | | that have specific purposes for the invocation of |
| own and they do their work through movements. They | | | | cosmic forces and spiritual beings. The liturgical formula |
| know what to do to balance, purify, transform, or | | | | "The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen" in the |
| integrate celestial energies into the microcosmic | | | | Christian Tradition accompanied with the touching of |
| system. | | | | the appropriate points of the head and body at the |
| In the martial-arts field, hands are used as weapons of | | | | conclusion of a prayer conveys a certain power to the |
| defense or destruction. The "Tiger's Claw," the "Iron | | | | etheric body when correctly done. However, the |
| Fist," "the Drunken-style Fist," etc, all indicate the | | | | perfunctory manner in which it is performed provides |
| manifold lethal forms that the hands may assume to | | | | very little of worth. In Hinduism, such placing of the |
| strike an opponent or to ward off blows. In contrast to | | | | hands upon certain parts of the body with magical |
| this, the finer arts make use of the hands | | | | intent is called Nyasa. |
| constructively and creatively to produce wondrous | | | | To commune with the divinity within us we may apply |
| objects of art, and to compose and produce heavenly | | | | various mudras that facilitates mystical communion. |
| music. Like the Cosmic dance of Shiva, the | | | | Mudras establishes a psychic condition in the mind and |
| movements of Tai Chi, Pencak Silat, and other forms | | | | body that temporary elevates our consciousness, and |
| of self-defense have part of their origin in an | | | | disperses the etheric webs that protects the psyche |
| awakened source of energy moving through the limbs | | | | from being prematurely bombarded by psychic |
| producing involuntary movements. These movements | | | | celestial energies. It aligns and unites our objective |
| were later noted down and turned into the various | | | | consciousness with the superconscious mind. An |
| steps of martial-art discipline and training. | | | | altered state of consciousness is easily achieved |
| Some systems of metaphysical development teach | | | | through the use of the hands in the performing of |
| us to move the body in a certain way. Though this has | | | | mudras. Through mudras our communion with the |
| an effect in stimulating energies in the body it is not | | | | so-called supernatural is controlled. We open and close |
| quite as effective in producing the desired results as | | | | the portals to higher worlds through the application of |
| when compared to the assuming of mudras that | | | | our will. |
| cause the energies to produce natural movements all | | | | In ceremonial magick the hands are extensively used |
| of their own accord. | | | | to direct and build up forces in one's sacred place of |
| When we clasp our hands by interlacing our fingers, | | | | worship and practice. Symbols are drawn on the |
| the thumb at the uppermost, whether right or left | | | | ground or in the air with the power radiating from the |
| indicates which hemisphere of our brain predominates. | | | | hands and chakras to invoke and evoke cosmic |
| Psychology tells us that if the right thumb is uppermost | | | | metaphysical forces. The avatar Sai Baba is often |
| it is logic or reason that is predominant within us, or if | | | | seen making gestures in the air. He does this for the |
| the left thumb, intuition. | | | | purpose of dispersing and cleansing the ambient |
| The hands play an important role in empowering the | | | | surroundings and atmosphere from negative energies. |
| mind to function optimally. Since energy radiates from | | | | The metaphysical practitioner or ceremonial magician |
| the palms and fingertips, they are often unconsciously | | | | makes use of the hands in manifesting certain things |
| utilized as stimulators re-connecting lost or poor links | | | | and conditions. |
| between synapses of brain neurons. In the book Body | | | | To conclude this article we would like to praise the |
| Magic, an important work on esoteric man, Benjamin | | | | hands for what they offer us--the opportunity to grow |
| Walker describes how the operations of the hands | | | | and serve. The fingers and thumbs of the hands |
| often attempt to improve the mental processes by | | | | should not quarrel among themselves as to who is the |
| certain placements: | | | | greatest, as related in some ancient fables, for they all |
| "When the fingertips of the two hands are placed | | | | have their place in supporting the need in us to further |
| together, a circuit is set up with the brain that is | | | | pursue our dreams, in fulfilling our earthly tasks and |
| believed to assist thought. People in deep thought will | | | | cosmic mission. The harmonious conjoined functioning |
| often talk with their fingertips pressed together, as if | | | | of the fingers and thumbs of the hands is a metaphor |
| unconsciously aware of the need to establish such a | | | | for the right relationship and cooperation between the |
| current to assist their concentration. If a man wishes to | | | | sons of men to manifest the Will of God, just as the |
| recall something he has forgotten, his hand will | | | | fingers and hands manifests the will of its possessor. |
| instinctively touch his forehead to contact with his | | | | The noblest use of our hands is to extend it in |
| fingers the source of his thinking." | | | | friendship, in kindness and in unconditional love. |
| From what has been written thus far, it is evident that | | | | |