Customer Reviews

Magical Passes: The Practical Wisdom of the Shamans of Ancient Mexico

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book, the separate two video set (also entitled "Magical Passes") and Carlos's "Wheel of Time" book constitute Castaneda's legacy of "abstract sorcery" for the general public. CC's extended apprenticeship with Don Juan is detailed in the 8 or 9 books beginning with "Don Juan" and ending with the "Art of Dreaming." In the Nagualist Newsletter, privately published by Daniel Lawton, fans of the series reported how they had gleaned "not doings" and "dreaming techniques" from the Don Juan books. Then two of CC's cohorts, Donner and Abelar, gave bookstore lectures on practical application of the materials, such as recapitulation, and then began teaching movements they called the Magical Passes or later, Tensegrity. Most people who tried the Passes in the various workshops that followed reported a feeling of energy, or well being, and of a reduction in the "internal dialog." The public materials on Tensegrity consist of the three videos released before this book, this book, and the two video set that is based on this book. This book contains some complex and some simple movements. Some sets are easier to learn on your own than others. Some feel better to different people than others. In between the various sets described in the book are snippets of explanation written in the "Don Juan" style, that is ascribed to Don Juan with most of the wit and humor, and insights, that make the Don Juan series so interesting. Some of these exercises are more vigorous than they sound, and beginners are cautioned to work through them gently at first until they find their limits. The best description of these passes (to compare them with something else) is that they are a cross between qi gong movements, martial arts movements and Gurdjieffian body movements. Whatever they are, they do produce results.

When I read these reviews, I was looking for people that had actually tried the exercises and what the results were for them personally. Unfortunately, it does not appear that anyone writing the reviews actually did the exercises on a long-term basis. I tried two series, the dreaming series and the inner silence series. The first night after trying the dreaming series, my dreams were very powerful and tumultuous all night long. After doing the inner silence series for several days, I noticed the nature of my thoughts changing. Since both of these results were somewhat disturbing to me, I terminated the exercises, with the intention of trying them again at a later time. I would be interested in hearing from anyone that has continued to do the exercises and what the results have been.

Carlos Castaneda's books cannot be properly understood without an understanding of the chakras. This is the only one of Castaneda's books where the topic of the chakras is addressed. Each of the chakras has a specific function in terms of perception. The lower chakras play a role in perception of the world as we know it. The higher chakras play a role in perceptions that are classified as being paranormal such as telepathy, clairvoyance and bilocation. In order to become a sorcerer, one needs to activate these higher chakras. This is where the magical passes come in. These are physical movements that when executed, draw energy in to the chakra system, thereby allowing for the awakening of the perceptual functions of all of the chakras. These are not the only movements that can accomplish the energizing of the chakras. Certain forms of Yoga, and martial arts (T'ai Chi, Chi Kung) are also effective. All of the esoteric paths including those of the Yogin, the Taoists, the Sufi's, the Fourth Way (GI Gurdjieff) and the Theosophists (Rudolf Steiner, HP Blavatsky) involve a physical discipline aimed at the activation of the chakras. All of these paths when followed, allow one to expand one's perceptual capabilities. I recommend reading the Magical Passes for the information contained in the text. This book talks about an energetic force that has "infected" the chakra system of Man, thus preventing Him from accessing the full range of His perceptual abilities. Therefore, in order to become a sorcerer, one must cure oneself of this "infection". For other books that make reference to this negative force: 1) The Active Side of Infinity (Carlos Castaneda), 2) The Path (Esmeralda Arana), 3) Far Journeys (Robert Monroe), 4) In Search of the Miraculous (PD Ouspensky). For information about the chakras and how to activate them: 1) Chakras (Patricia Mercier), 2) Shaman, Healer Sage (Alberto Villoldo).

... I would recommend the movements to anyone willing to put an honest effort into them. If you half-ass them, you won't feel much and be any better for doing them. You are the one creating the tension in these movements and you have to work against your own range of motion to feel and release that tension. The passes really do work if you work at them. ... ...These movements have a powerful effect and they do increase vitality and the connection between mind and body. That means what you believe becomes more real, so if you have a lot of negativity in your head, don't start here.

This book by Carlos Castaneda is different then those before (9). Older books one can simply "read", this is a *REAL* Work-Book, and in order to benefit from it, one must do the work, the magical passes. For those out of the arm-chair and wanting to navigate infinity there is a way(s), and the magical passes may take you there, or not. Sorcery is a solo flight/fight. Don't get this book for a quick read, remember, it's a WORK-BOOK, so get to work! ..... Paul

Very simple. The path of the warrior-seer is impossible to follow without Magical Passes. Now, must these passes come from this book? Not necessarily. Those called to the path, there to acquiesce to the spirit, are often given passes in dreams. However, this book details the basic passes; and once they are begun in a routine of practice, very often more dreams follow detailing extra moves and even new passes not mentioned in the book.

Magical Passes the book is out, 486 photos with a woman calledKylie - she appears on the tensegrity tapes, and a man called Miles,both showing throughout the book how to execute a series of novel movements to promote energy and well-being. The black and white photos are of the highest quality in all respects. The only critique to the entire book is that the publishers should had given copies of the book beforehand to several selected people who had never seen these movements in their lives, write down and add their suggestions on how to make the descriptions of the movements more clear. Therefore I give the book a nine. The other critique is to the usage of the word tensegrity itself. Tensegrity is a term borrowed from architecture. It is a vast discipline today involving civil, structural and mechanical engineering, mathematics, calculus, algebra and geometry, applied to the design and engineering of primarily space structures, eg, bridges. First concocted by Buckminster Fuller back in the forties at the prompt of one of his cohorts Ken Snelson's sculpture, which he very convinientely ignored, it is two words glued together, tension and integrity, to form tensegrity....The series for preparing intent, womb, westwood, heat, left and right body and masculinity series, and at the very end the devices, balls and paper-weight, used in conjunction with specific magical passes are covered. Nothing on not-doings or the sorcerer's code. None of the passes shown on the tapes are mentioned. Lots of info on what each pass is for and detailed descriptions on how to do them which, as mentioned before the publishers could have learned enourmously by providing copies beforehand to physical instructors, gymnasts, tai-chi, anatomy folks, etc., for syntax, movement and taxonomy review in order to make the descriptions easier and clearer to understand. Often with more than one photo for each pass, the book's short intro is great, packed with Don Juan's unequaled prose and incredible sense of timing. This is exciting. If this works humans can for the first time from this point on in history easily do away with all leaders, bosses, tutors, instructors, gurus, presidents, popes, over the shoulder nerds and other self-appointed cooks, you name it, any ape with a stick, to freely and willingly plot their way into their own evolution, and into infinity. Keep all your fingers tensely crossed, and good luck to y'll. Mandatorily recommended. Yes, this is a dictartorship.

According to the Sorcerers of ancient Mexico, antagonistic forces intentionally bombard human beings from the moment of their birth. The result of this ceaseless bombardment is the dispersal of energy, which should be located in the vital energy centers, to the periphry of the luminous cocoon. After many years this energy becomes stuck to the periphery, stiff and hard, like bark, and unavailable. Thus we become stiff and lacking in energy, or old in the colloquial sense. The magical passes purport to jolt and unstick this energy, making it available to us again! However, it would appear unrealistic to expect the damage accrued over many years of "harassment" to be undone overnight! A ceaseless bombardment caused the problem, and a ceaseless process is needed to correct it. This process might be likened to the removal of calcium deposits from an old bathtub using a mild scouring cleanser; though it might take days or months, it could eventually be accomplished. Based on the above premise, the Magical Passes book, the Tensegrity videos, and/or the attendance of Tensegrity seminars are recommended.

Absolutely the best way to confirm that there is much more to us than meets the eye.
Our petty mind will do everything to oppose you doing these passes.

Good luck,

JCWhitefang

For me, it is depressing that I never will meet a human like Carlos, or Florinda, but their books are entertaining. Many people believe them. I believe that this book gives techniques which can help on many levels. And, you can contact the people involved with these techniques for group sessions and more info if you so choose. The writing is exciting and informative! See you at a workshop!!