Diaries and Journals
by J. Patrick Fitzsimmons
Diaries and Journals play a major role in a number of tasks. I recently completed an archaeological dig for which Field Journals were an absolute necessity for each of the people involved in the project. It is a way of keeping personal record of the events experienced by all of the individuals involved in the project, and can be used later to verify findings and give insight into the work done. Using this kind of tool increased my personal awareness of the importance of keeping records in magical activities as well.
Magical Diaries have long been a subject of import to the contemporary magical revival, finding its initial major proponent in Aleister Crowley. All work done by members of Crowley's magical order, the A.'.A.'. were required to keep detailed accounts of their personal work. As in the field of astronomy, if it is not recorded, it did not occur. These Diaries, much like Archaeological Field Journals can be used by future Initiates to gain an understanding of other magicians Work.
This is all well and good, but what about using the Diary as a tool for personal change? Some later schools of magical endeavor have changed the emphasis of the use of Diaries from a historical perspective to a distinctly personal one. One example of this is the use of a "Personal Assessment Diary" by he Rune-Gild described in Edred Thorsson's The Nine Doors of Midgard (Llwellyn Publications 1994). The following is a personal adaptation of this technique beyond any particular magical culture.
Step 1: Acquire a Diary
Choosing a diary is very personal, but certain guidelines should be considered. Take these as simply some suggestions to consider.
Blank books can be purchased as well as pre-lined books. Which you choose will effect, to some extent, the kind of material you ultimately enter into the diary. Fully blank pages are more conducive to adding drawings and images; while lined pages are easier to organize. The size of the book should also be considered. Nothing to large and unwieldy should be used, as you will be taking this diary with you from place to place and possibly using it in some ritual contexts
When you have a diary which you feel suits you, take the time to personalize it. Adding in images, drawings, sigils and possibly even body fluids will increase your subjective connection to the diary. This subjective connection is very important within magical practice, and a good amount of care should go into this.
Step 2: Positive Meditation
Now that you have your Diary, take time to consider all the aspects of your self that you consider positive and that you would like to strengthen. This could take as much time as you feel you need, but should take at a minimum one day. On the first page of your Diary write down all of these attributes. The order in which you do this need not matter, but if you feel prioritizing them will mean more for you, by all means do this. Once this is done, close the diary and put it someplace safe away from the eyes of others.
Step 3: Negative Meditation
The guidelines here are similar to the last step, only this time deal with the negative aspects of your personality. List all the things you want to change about yourself as well as your personal shortcomings. Be as brutal with yourself as possible. Honesty with yourself is of vital importance and all results will need to rest on the foundation of this honesty. Once you have isolated these aspects of yourself, write them on the second page of the diary. When this is done, return your diary to its safe spot.
Step 4: Binding the Unmanifest
On the next page of your diary write a proposal for where you want to be in the next five years. Consider this a "perfect world" scenario, and be as honest as possible. Create this image as vividly as possible in your mind and in the words written in the Diary. Have this piece extend at least four pages, as it will require you to really consider where and who you want to be.
When this is complete go and re-read the lists from the previous exercises. See which aspect of both lists will need to be strengthened and which will need to be weakened. The rest of the diary is where you are to record your successes in strengthening the positive and weakening the negative aspects of yourself in your pursuit of yourSelf.
Optional Step 5: Sigilization
For those who favor freeform magical techniques, I have a suggestion for additional uses of the two lists. Using the sigilization method created by Austin Osman Spare and expanded by many members of the Chaos Magic movement, create personal sigils for each element of the two lists. In doing this you can create a kind of personal Grimoire of the elements of yourself which can be used in meditative as well as ritual/operative contexts.
Take the first item on either of the two lists, say for example "Procrastinates." Go through this word and strike out any repeated letters. In this case you will be left with "P,R,O,C,A,S,T,I,N,E,S." Create an image using these letters as though you were creating a kind of coded drawing. You can also create "word of power" in this way by creating personal mantras based on these letters. I would suggest doing both.
Suggested Readings
Frater U.'.D.'. Practical Sigil Magic St Paul, MN: Llewellyn 1990
Fries, Jan Visual Magick Oxford UK, Mandrake 1992
Thorsson, Edred Nine Doors of Midgard: a Complete Curriculum in Rune Magic St Paul, MN: Llewellyn 1994 (recently republished in a second revised edition by Runa-Raven Press)