Hypnosis and magick have been intertwined for so long that it’s not uncommon to find hypnosis books on the same shelf as those on Wicca, Paganism, and Crystal therapies. Especially in second hand bookshops. Needless to say modern hypnotherapists and psychologists have shied away from being included in anything that even sounds like it might be unscientific and can get quite irate if you mention trance and magick in the same breath. When I trained as a counsellor and hypnotherapist in the 1990’s I was open about being a Pagan, which got me some good-natured banter from my fellow students. This quickly turned into acceptance after a few weeks when they started having the same dreams as their clients, I had to explain to them that as they were using formal and conversational hypnosis as part of the counselling process this was a natural by-product of empathy and tuning in to a person in order to help them. The Occult equivalent of this being many types of divination, especially personal prediction such as the Tarot, and most forms of Shamanism. The result of this was that I ended up teaching my colleagues simple opening and closing techniques to lessen the chances of this happening unless they thought it might be of use during the counselling process to empathise with the client.



In ritual and magick most forms of hypnosis are self hypnosis used for attuning to the Divine, enabling a closer connection between mind and body, or for divination skills. To quote from an article on Tassyomancy (tea leaf reading)

“The cup itself is read in the form of a descending anticlockwise spiral starting by the handle, reading the rim first, then the middle zone, and finally the lowest level and the bottom of the cup. This spiral pattern, any underlying pattern in the china, and the subtle changing of focus of the eyes can encourage an altered state of consciousness in the reader which can enable abilities such as clairvoyance and telepathy to emerge. At this point the symbols become “jumping off points” for in-depth readings from each one, and their interconnections in a manner similar to the use of the crystal ball.”



Many people ask how divination actually works. The use of trance is a key part of the technique, when in a state of trance the conscious and subconscious minds integrate creating a gestalt union where the result is greater than the sum of the two parts. When using trance in therapy I use the analogy of the totality of the mind being like a dark room. The conscious mind is like an electric torch, illuminating only the area it is focussed on and a bit around it. Trance is like turning on the light so you can see the room and everything in it. This analogy can be expanded for magick and ritual by saying that trance in that context is like opening a window so you can see outside, or opening a door and not being bound by the confines of the room. In short trance enables you to transcend the limits of the everyday state of mind to enable you to use more of your mind and essence.

The most effective form of trance induction to use for psychic and magickal means is the mesmeric style because it works with Chi/Bioplasmic energy as part of the process. Many hypnotherapists and entertainment hypnotists think that all hypnosis is psychological hypnosis and that Mesmerism is a branch of this. However, as many Pagans and other magick users know it has a very real presence and effect which is greatly enhanced when contained within a cast circle. Another way of enhancing the mesmeric effect is to call upon a patron Deity associated with mesmerism or connecting with the Otherworld. Even archetypes can be very powerful enhancers of psychological trance induction. When I had my final exams in counselling and hypnotherapy one of the tests was to induce a trance using conversational hypnosis, a psychological technique. I enhanced this by mentally casting a circle and evoking the character of “Kaa” the snake from the Disney film “The Jungle Book”. The result was that not only did the person I was working with enter a trance in the fastest time the examiners had ever seen, but one of them was overheard saying that they had started to enter a trance too!



The classical mesmeric technique is to sit comfortably in a chair or cross-legged on the floor and breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth imagining that you are extracting energy from the air and storing it in your body or aura. When you feel you have built up a strong charge of Chi/Biomagnetic energy loosen and warm up your hands by shaking them vigorously in any direction that feels appropriate. As they loosen up allow the stored energy to flow into your hands, as the energy charges them allow the shaking sensation to permeate your body. This opens up the acupuncture meridians and allows the charge to be accessed more easily and focussed through the hands.



One method I have seen used in ritual groups is the the chair method. Having charged yourself with energy sit opposite the person you are working on take their right hand in your left and vice versa, firmly grip hands allowing the balls of the thumbs to touch. Lean in closely until your faces are about a foot apart and make sure your knees touch. Look into the person being mesmerised in the eyes and synchronise your breathing. Many people feel a sensation of tingling in the hand like a mild electric current which, in effect, it is and numbness might be felt by the person being mesmerised. The person doing the mesmerising should project their energy into their partner along with the intent behind the act. As you can see this is a technique specifically designed for ritual work or magick such as scrying where attunement amongst the participants can greatly enhance the chances of a successful outcome.



In the next article we will go more deeply into other methods of mesmerism and how they can be used to enhance ritual and psychic skills and experiences. Until then you might like to practice the charging exercise as it can help you charge your working tools and cast more effective circles.