spirit – Xenofact.com

The Spoons of Taoist Energy Work

No, this isn’t about a highly obscure magic item (yet). It’s a bit more exposition on how my takes on “energy” work in mysticism has some benefits even if it’s not scientifically true. Energy as a metaphor is quite useful in my meditative practices, if only because it gives me better ways to understand myself.

In my meditations, I practice a kitbash version of “Internal Alchemy” from Taoist practices. Essentially I clear blockages of energies, generate energies, and circulate them. There’s 3 basic “treasures” (vitality, chi (sort of general energy), spirit), meridians, etc. But the key thing for this column is you conscience of your body’s forces as having certain functions and being able to be refined, expended, and conserved.

Taoist works often talk about conserving these treasures (usually all three, as they affect each other). One does not wish to waste one’s vitality in pointless sexual and physical indulgences as one cannot generate chi. One does not waste chi with poor habits and racing emotions as that is the powerhouse of the body and source of spirit. One preserves the spirit so it does not drain away, limiting your mental abilities and your ability to achieve higher states.

This may sound complicated, but it really comes down to “stop randomly expending your energies with worries, disconnected indulgences, etc.” One “guards” these treasures and refines them into mental and physical health and even enlightenment.

I found this simple idea of “guarding one’s energies” to be very useful for understanding how I waste the resources of mind and body. Pointlessly pushing oneself at work, obsessing over things you can’t change, etc. just burns you out. Having a more complex and poetic framework just makes it easier, no matter how “real” it is.

In fact, I realized how these ideas go to the idea of “Spoons,” the metaphor used for how much attention/mental energy one has in popular culture. Though a recent invention, it compares to multi-aeons old practices rather well. Another reminder of how metaphors for complex human behaviors are so useful, even if they are not technically or scientifically real.

Now admittedly Taoist practice isn’t just spoons – it’s sort of more forging spoons, using spoons wisely, and making better spoons. But in many ways, the preservation of one’s powers (especially spirit, which is closer to “spoons”) is part of both metaphors.

Ancient practices and modern metaphor. A reminder that a little poetry goes a long way towards our spiritual health.

Plus I get to make jokes about the title of my essay.

-Xenofact

Having decided to share some of my esoteric experiments, I wanted to share a fun and practical one – contacting the spirit of bookstores.

Let me reiterate my previous statements about gods, spirits, and the like. They are a useful concept that lets us interact with the universe by acknowledging its complexity, living nature, and complex systems. I do believe there is “something there” but know that like any relationship some of it is what I bring to the situation.

Now with that said, let me move on to my experiment!

I love bookstores and especially love used bookstores. Many is the time I’ve found some life-changing book or wondrous weird tome that sent my life in better and more interesting directions. Most bookstores have a kind of magic, anyway, so why not work some real magic with them?

Inspired by Patrick Dunn’s “Divine Magic” and previous experience, I decided to form relationships with spirits of bookstores I was fond of. They had provided me useful books, so why not reach out to them in a more personal way and form a relationship!

The path I followed was simple:

Take a coin as a gift. I prefer quarters.
Enter the store and wander around. Speak to the store mentally, thanking it, acknowledging it, and saying you want to develop your relationship. You may also acknowledge relevant literature/writing gods.
Leave the coin in some out of the way place. I slipped it behind some books or down a shelf. Note this gift and state your goal to build and grow a friendship.
Visit the store when you can and simply talk to it. Tell it’s what up, ask how it’s doing. Bookstores are rife with synchronicity potential, and you may find answers appearing in covers, displays, and more. Speak to the store and see what happens to come up or catch your eye.
Support the store when you can. Buy something, sell your books there, clean up a disordered shelf. This is a relationship.
See what happens at the store, what books you find, and what messages seem to appear.

So what happened in my experiments!

Bookstore One – A used bookstore I’m fond of. After the invocation I’ve had several interesting synchronicities/communications but also found some very rare books. We’re talking books I’ve never seen sold off, one of them extremely rare. The store has been a great source of books for other projects and for walking around having “conversations via synchronicities.”

Bookstore Two – A used bookstore I like, but I never felt we “clicked.” I decided to visit and walk around, chatting with the store’s spirit and hoping to connect. I stepped outside a bit, and suddenly saw a poster for a book that fit one of my other projects. Dashing inside I discovered not just the book but a load of other relevant material I hadn’t appreciated. Since then we’ve just “felt” more connected. The store has it’s own focus, it seems.

Bookstore Three – Yet another used bookstore that I had some great findings at. This relationship feels pretty chill, and it’s a great place to walk around, have a mental conversation, and ride synchronicities. This store seems to be good at “ask what you what, you can find something.”

Bookstore Four – A corporate bookstore. When I did the ritual it felt very confined, afraid, restrained. I walked around during the ritual chatting with it – and ended up with a shelf staring at a book I’d been wanting to get (and not a common one). I had the sensation of someone glad for the attention.

Now of course some of what went on was clearly my interpretation – as in any relationship. The unusual books I found were very appropriate to my works and in most cases, very rare and unlikely. The synchronistic “conversations” were usually insightful. My take is “something was definitely up.”

If you try this experiment – and I hope you do, bookstores are wondrous – some advice:

Do not force conversations. Talk to the spirit of the store and see what response comes up in synchronicities, books you find, or those moments something “happens.”

Be a friend and partner. Respect the store, buy from it, sell books at it, etc. It’s a relationship.

I hope you do decide to try these experiments. Let me know – who knows what we might try in the future?