Formulating Links (1987)

I've been connecting with a lot of allies who are geographically distant.  During a recent conversation, some of us discussed whether it is  feasibile to send messages psychically or astrally, and I remembered this little gem I wrote back in 1987.  Although I stand by most of what I wrote then, I would have taken a very different position on much of this had I written it today, but think it still stands on its own merits, both as a basic how-to, and as a historical document. I've cleaned it a bit and added a couple of asides for context and currency, but have preserved my original exuberance and perhaps naiveté.  

FORMULATING LINKS

Suppose you want to communicate with an ally but they are too far away for you to speak to or see in person. How do you communicate with them across the seemingly unbridgeable gulf that separates you? In those dark days before the Internet, magical links were one of the only alternatives.  A magical link is a means of transcending geographical distance in order to communicate with persons not physically present. Whether this communication is collateral-i.e., whether the sender actually communicates with the receiver in such a way that the receiver is conscious of it-is open to debate and will be discussed in depth later.

Many people are somewhat skeptical about so-called "astral" workings, and with good reason. There is something very metaphysical, and therefore unscientific, about any magical process that presupposes “other worlds”. The methods described in this piece require no belief in any supernatural phenomena, in fact require nothing but a bit of privacy, concentration, and a few (easily obtained) raw materials. More on these a bit later.

In order to form a link, there must be some form of attraction, a compelling force that enables you - or even makes you want - to form said link. There are several types of attraction: physical contact, sexual attraction, a linking talisman, and what I call "blind links”.

Sexual attraction seems to me to be the easiest means of formulating a link. Anytime you are attracted in this way, it is easy to visualize the object of attraction. Unfortunately, exactly the same reasons that make sexual attraction the easiest means of ingress also tend to make it the most likely to backfire. Be sure that the object of desire feels the same way about you as you do about them. For this method to work effectively· it is not necessary to have met the object in person. It is, however, preferable to have some sort of personal link with the person at hand - a Playboy centerfold or Instagram post is, by itself, a tenuous link at best. Obsession abounds in this particular branch of magical meeting, so be sure to keep a clean mental house.

The second method, physical contact, is less open to trouble. It requires merely that you know a person intimately enough to know his mannerisms, speech patterns, physical appearance, etc. Loving, caring for, or respecting a person makes it a cinch to hook into their "vibe" and connect.  You don't have to be particularly close to the person for this to be effective - you just need a couple of mnemonics to help put you on their wavelength.

Linking talismans is effected by having a piece of the object: hair, handwriting, photos, or perhaps symbol or diagram you both agreed on previously.

The blind link is tricky. That consists of making a link with someone you have never met and with whom you have no direct connection. I can't recommend this type of meeting, however, as this type of link is often assumed by the receiver to be of hostile nature, and retaliation can be fierce. Be careful!

A talisman of some sort is very useful in formulating links. This talisman should in some way contain a part of the object of your focus. It should also remind you of the object, enabling you to focus your concentration on that person and also to amplify your consciousness of them. There are three forms of talisman I intend to discuss: Physical, Pictorial and Sonic.

Physical talismans are the most widely-used form of link and, while effective, are not necessarily the best. The cliché hair, fingernail clippings, clothing, former possessions, all fall under this category. The theory behind talismanic linkage is that any of these items can hold the vibration of their former owner long after they have left his or her possession. This makes a good link.

Don't forget that an item given to you by the object of focus is an excellent talisman, too, as a gift contains an aura of your relationship with that person and may have been given to you in order to strengthen the bond between you. A bouquet of flowers, jewelry, a book, letter, or card, any of these can be used successfully.  I have found that merely sharing favorite scents can be extremely evocative.

Physical mannerisms can be imitated to good effect- a particularly peculiarity of gait, facial expression, an often-used hand gesture, there are no fixed rules regarding talismanic links- use anything. however silly or banal it may seem, that reminds you of your object.

Photographic links are extremely powerful tools for concentrating the attention on a person or place. Before embarking on this particular method, it is best to decide on a standard pose which you can assume in all your magical photographs. I always either sit or stand with my fingers interlocked and clenched about 6 inches in front of my face, elbows slightly apart. Every muscle should be kept tight, but comfortably so. Having a mirror in front of me helps, but if none is handy, I treat the camera lens as if it were a mirror itself. Before taking the photo, I try to "zone out" as much as I can, visualizing myself back home again, looking at the photograph of myself where I am in present time. I try to visualize a thread or tear in time which will enable me to travel back and forth in time-space at will.

If you are photographing yourself to send as a link to another person, try to try to imagine that person as being with you. Where is that person now? Be with them- try to visualize being both places at once.

Photographing yourself and the object together may be the best, if it is possible. You should both be in your set poses, both imagining you are separated again, focus on being alone, of reaching out to be with your friend again. Perhaps you could both face one another and each picture the other as being your reflection in a mirror at home. Click!

To illustrate a method of re-evoking a specific place, let me now cite at length a personal example. While walking along a faraway stream, I tripped and cut my hand on a piece of quartz. I held the rock in my palm, stretched my bloody hand out, each finger strained as far apart as possible. As I snapped the picture, I imagined looking at this photo at home, of longing to be in this beautiful place at will forever. Now, I merely have to project this slide on a wall, zone out, outstretch my hand in that same position and place the piece of quartz on my palm and I am there again. I hear the birds scolding, the rustle of the trees, the rushing water. My hand stings where it has been cut. It's uncanny!

The last form of talisman I want to discuss is sonics. This is one of the most outmoded and overlooked devices in modern magic, and its potential is nearly limitless. It is complex as well as neglected, therefore I will devote a bit more space to it than I did the others, to encourage more research in this area. First off, you’ll need a portable, fairly good sound quality tape recorder is essential. Don't leave home without it! (Of course in 2022, we all have a good recording device in our pocket!)

The three types of sound talismans I'll discuss here are voice, music, and incidental or ambient sound.

 A recording of a person's voice is an almost unerring link. It contains the mood, personality, and a piece of their very soul, regardless of how you define that elusive critter. By recording a person's voice, you are literally trapping or encapsulating a part of them in time, one that you can go over again and again. Using the cut-up method (very simple with audio tape), you can restructure what they originally said, either randomly or by design. With two tape recorders, you can make new tapes of edited or cut up versions of the original speech. Cut-ups introduce the random factor and can be used for divining the person's real intention behind the words spoken. Inflection and emphasis of key words can be more easily perceived when heard out of context. So you mix it all up like a shaker full of dice and see what sort of random patterns you end up with. It can be quite oracular at best, and utterly incomprehensible at worst. That's the random factor for you!

The inflection and accent of the object can also be mimicked, perhaps along with their physical mannerisms. This too is an almost certain link, Is there a song that reminds you of that person, perhaps one you first heard with them? You can evoke that person by listening to or singing that song. Or maybe the lyrics use that person's name or remind you of them. You'll be amazed at how evocative a schlocky pop song can be if it contains memories of a certain place or person, or even a phase of your life.

You can make up your own lyrics and perhaps sing them to the tune of a well-known song. I've made tapes of little ditties I made up about different people or situations, and they prove very useful in forming links with people and in making dreams come true.

Ambient sound is a very complex subject which I haven't explored in nearly enough detail to describe in the depth I'd like to. It appears to be most useful when used in conjunction with other sounds that are more directly linked with your object via the cut-up method. Record the ambient sounds that you feel make up the environment of the person you wish to form a link with. Their favorite TV show, the neighbor's dog barking, the neighbor's baby crying, the cars going by their house, the loud hi-fi next door. Mrs. Jones borrowing a cup of sugar. These all are aids in capturing the mood of that person's environment, thereby bringing you mentally closer to them. You can also capture the essence of a whole city by walking around randomly recording things you encounter on your walk. It serves as a mnemonic device to help you recall the feeling you got while exploring that city. There is an account in Ted Morgan's Literary Outlaw and elsewhere of William S. Burroughs using ambient tape cut-ups to drive a London coffee shop out of business. Ambient sound magic certainly merits a lot more research…

Incense, candlelight, DreamMachine, slide projector on automatic rotating slides of object desired. Ambient audio growing more specific feeling environment. Looking at photos, touching gifts from object. Look in the mirror at object beside you touching you. What are they saying? Imitate their voice greeting you, hug them kiss them. Greet them as you would on seeing them in the flesh. Close your eyes. drift towards their gravitational pull. Meet them in waking dream drifting…

If the links and the desires are strong enough, you should feel the presence of your object almost upon starting. If you don't, don't be discouraged, just try another time. Not succeeding is not always failure - maybe they're not home!

A few last remarks:

You can’t have too many links. Try to accumulate as many as possible, to flood each of your senses with reminders of the person on whom you are focusing. The closer to sensory overload, the better.

A link with a person is always a violation of that person's space - make sure you are welcome there.

Links can be used for an attack, as well as friendly visitation. Be aware that people under attack often retaliate. Also remember that unforeseen side-effects almost always occur in such attacks, they have a nasty habit of bouncing right back to Sender, with a little additional backspin. A wish to injure someone can easily result in a much more serious injury than you had wished, which might make you feel guilty or regret your action. Only attack someone you really want to destroy, and be merciless. No half-steppin’ allowed…

Beware of obsession. I personally avoid banishing rituals but linking up with other people can easily lead to obsession. Make sure it's a person you want to be obsessed with or banish after each meeting. And be mindful that they may not reciprocate your desire to be obsessed.

Never base a decision solely on the results of a link-up without checking those results with the object for accuracy, or at least using logic, i.e., what you already know about the issue at hand, and intuition. Never make a decision that goes against your gut instinct, no matter what a link-up tells you.

Above all, don't take anything that transpires between you and the object of your link as being objectively true. I have found that each transmission contains some truth, but it's hard to separate unless you approach the object with the results of your meeting. Then they'll tell you which parts are accurate, and which are wishful thinking on your part.

I hope this little piece is helpful to you as a guide to formulating and using links. Every method I discussed is one that I have tried myself and each one works for me to a greater or lesser degree. However, this article is based solely on my ideas and results. I would like to expand this rough beginning based on your ideas and research. I would greatly appreciate any feedback from readers on their research. Please help enlarge and expand on this admittedly feeble beginning on a subject that could, if fine-tuned, could be so useful and beneficial to us all.

 

Coyote two (Tom Banger) 11/27/1987

Light Edit 11/6/2022

 

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