In the last article we looked at some of the effects that Radionics have had on traditional magick and ritual, plus some of the most well-known practitioners of the art. Having covered this it is time to look at some of the ideas behind this magickal technology and how we can use it.

At the beginning of the last century electricity and radio were still in their early stages. It was understood that the body’s nervous system ran on electricity and radio worked by electromagnetic waves and so it seemed entirely sensible that this was the underlying principle for telepathy, healing, and related ‘occult’ abilities. At the same time an interest in spiritualist phenomena was also on the rise and people were, rightly or wrongly, beginning to connect the two apparently separate fields. Books such as Podmore and Myers's “Phantasms of the Living” and the later “Mental Radio” by Upton Sinclair both show the style of thinking popular at this time, which connected the idea of electricity with the etheric or mesmeric field that surrounds the body.

When Dr Abrams first discovered that this field could be tuned into to diagnose and treat illnesses, it seemed that this was a form of ‘wireless healing’ using a form of electromagnetic wave to affect the auric field surrounding the body and heal ailments. The art of charging the aura with appropriate energy to attract love, luck, money, or a desired item or situation has been practiced for centuries by all types of magickal practitioners. So, at its inception, this theory behind how Radionics worked seemed reasonable at the time. However, as the physics behind conventional radio became more apparent it became equally obvious that radionics did not follow these rules. One of the most surprising findings was that you could still tune into someone while they were in a Faraday cage using radionics, but no radio waves could penetrate the cage. This suggested that the energy or principle behind Radionics was not a form of radio wave, and could reach areas that electromagnetic waves couldn’t. Also that it might not be subject to the inverse square law and be able to work over long distances without loss of power.

Because of the association between radionics and radio the first radionics machines were built along the lines of an early radio with graduated tuning knobs, coloured dials, and sample holder. Central to the design was a rubber membrane called a “Stick Pad”, and the idea was that you stroked this with a finger or thumb as you turned the dials. When your digit stuck to the pad- hence the term- instead of slipping over it, you were tuned in to the subject whose sample was in the holder. Curative transmission was achieved by re-setting the dials to the healing rate which was determined by subtracting the original readings on the dials from ten.

Inside the radionics box itself are crystals, magnetic wires connecting the components, and variable resistors to tune the biological energy it uses to achieve its’ effects. Bought commercially they are very expensive but, if you want to make one, plenty of plans are available on the net. Especially if you research the names and devices mentioned in the previous article. Remember, Radionics machines are a useful tool on your Pagan path but should not take it over completely lest you forget your self-development and sense of perspective.

Fortunately you don’t need to buy or build a Radionics machine to use the principle of tuned energy that lies behind it. Pendulum dowsing is a good example of how to focus your energy effectively, particularly to empower tools and items. One of the best ways to begin this is to use a pendulum to monitor the charging of a candle and accoutrements for candle magick. Hold the pendulum over the tools and prepare to empower them in your usual manner. Then concentrate on the pendulum circling in a clockwise direction as the tools charge, stopping when they are fully charged. As a way of seeing how the charging is progressing some Mages have the oscillations of the pendulum grow wider or smaller as the charge increases. A Witch who was a Shakespeare scholar told me she thought this might be the origin of the phrase “The charm’s wound up” mentioned by the Witches in “Macbeth”

You can also use the pendulum to signal when you ‘tuned in’ to a person or place as part of protection and contact spells, or drawing on the energy of a particular place or Deity. Usually you have to rely on chanting and/or intense visualisation and hope for the best, especially when you are a beginner. With experience you can ‘sense’ when you have made a connection, but this skill takes time to acquire. This time can be shortened by the use of the stick pad technique on the wand or Athame. Just point the tool at a picture or representation of the being or area you want to attune to and gently stroke across the hilt of the Athame, or body of the wand, while concentrating on your target. When the your thumb sticks to the tool you are using then it means your intent is attuned to your objective and you can work magick or ritual with the assurance that you are ‘on your contacts’ as Ritual Magick practitioners would say.

As you have seen, Radionics can be a powerful technique to add to your Pagan Path. Practitioners call it “The high technology of psychic power” with good reason, it enables you to contact energies and abilities that can be of great use in magick and everyday life. The art is to become aware of the principles and feelings behind the technique to make it truly your own as with dowsing. Then you can integrate it into your personal practice to make your Way the right one for you.