Tools of Power
In the long history of religion, magick, and spirituality, there have been many different tools used to try and direct Power or gain the cooperation of spirits. These tools have taken many different forms, yet their purpose and the reason they worked have all been the same.
Some of the earliest tools of Power were pieces of wood, animal teeth, claws, shells, and other things that were found or collected. Part of the reasoning that these tools may have a spiritual influence was the connection they had to living things. Life has always been considered the ultimate expression of Power.
Soon, however, other natural things were associated with Power, things like crystals, stones, and metals. Especially those that had a shiny surface, or were in some way out of the ordinary. Of course, the progression of items associated with Power didn’t stop there, and began to include shapes, symbols, words, and other more abstract things.
In general, most of these tools of Power were simply kept as an amulet, with the hope that the Power of the amulet would somehow rub off and create good luck for the person wearing or carrying it. As the ‘technology’ of spirituality became more sophisticated, the basic elements (wood, stone, crystals, and so on) were combined into pieces of jewelry, ‘rods of Power’, and even idols. And of course, the methods of using these new tools became more sophisticated as well, growing into full fledged rituals with dances, chants, costumes, and more.
But what makes these tools work? Do these tools somehow attract the beneficial attention of spirits (or of the Supreme Being itself)? Is there some higher scientific laws at work, like electromagnetism or radiation? Or is it all a matter of suggestion, and the resulting effects of blind faith? The proponents of each theory are able to demonstrate viable evidence for each.
Of course, before we can answer this question, we must come to some understanding of where the Power that is being used by these tools is actually coming from. Although it cannot be proved (if it could, why would we even need to discuss the idea), it is generally accepted that true Power comes from a spiritual Source. The scientific community will generally identify this Source as a natural phenomenon like electricity or gravity, but even so, there is a Source of this Power.
Science is actually closer to knowing the truth than anyone realizes. Quantum physics is finding that all matter is composed of a basic essence that is neither matter nor energy, but something unknown that somehow responds to thoughts and beliefs. And in the field of psychology, scientists are discovering that the human mind has far more potential than anyone ever thought possible!
In concise terms, the Source of all Power is accessible to the human mind, to animal minds, and to all forms of intelligence anywhere. Even inorganic substances like rock, glass, and air have a limited degree of intelligence. But in general, the higher the level of intelligence, the greater degree of Power that may be accessed and used.
Because of this, it would seem logical that the inorganic tools of Power would have very little Power themselves, but would rather act as a catalyst to helping us tap and use our own connection to Power. And while the natural tools of Power, such as wood pieces, teeth, claws, and so on have (or had) a greater degree of intelligence, they also would have much less Power than we have ourselves.
Modern psychology has discovered some of what causes these tools of Power to have their catalytic influence on the human mind. In a single word, in can be summed up as ‘belief’. If you believe that a shiny rock will give you good luck, then it will. If you believe that breaking a mirror will give you seven years of bad luck, then it will. If you believe that kissing the first person of the opposite sex you see in the day will give you extra strength and endurance, then that will become true for you. In the Keys To Power (and many other systems) this is known as the Law of Belief. The world will appear to you to be what you believe it to be.
The flip side to this is interesting. Since it is the inner mind that has a direct connection to Power. Whatever you believe to be an effective method of working with Power will cause the inner mind to work with Power more effectively when you are performing that method. In other words, if you believe that sitting in a yoga position chanting for hours at a time will increase your supply of Power, then the inner mind will give you access to more Power when you perform this ritual (an intangible tools of Power). If you believe that working with a metal tube with a crystal attached to one end will help you focus Power towards a specific goal, then your inner mind will focus Power even more strongly when you are working with the crystal rod.
But this is not to say that these tools of Power are worthless, that they have no value in and of themselves. If you are unable to focus your Power without a tool, and the tool helps you focus your Power, then by all means use the tool. We do not come out of the womb able to walk, so we use whatever it takes to move us around until that time when we are ready to walk. We do not have the ability (yet) to fly on our own, so we use tools to help us do that when the time calls for it. Tools are beneficial when we are unable to perform a task without them.
The bottom line on tools of Power is this. They work according to your belief. That belief is usually built by association and repetition. The more you are exposed to an idea, and the more you are exposed to similar ideas, the stronger your belief. If you have been exposed to the idea that crystals, or pyramids, or ley lines, or glass beads have a Power and will give you the ability to control Power, then work with that belief and use it. But also work to develop your ability to work with Power without the tools. In the Keys To Power, we acknowledge that tools perform a service, yet we work constantly to improve ourselves to the point where the tools are unnecessary.