Welcome to the fifth letter of instructions of Rune Yoga. While in letter #4 we focussed on ourselves by balancing our chakras, this fifth letter introduces us to energies that we perceive as external.

In many metaphysical systems, there is mention of life energy. Life energy is explained as the kind of force that is at the basis of life, or, at least, is found in conjunction with living organisms. Like energies belonging to the electromagnetic spectrum, life energies are considered to be everywhere in the living universe.

Hindoo philosophy refers to life energies as Prana. The Eastern Yoga developed specific methods of directing and using Prana. In the pacific, it is refered to as "Mana", carrier of psychic energies and life. There, too, specific methods were developed to direct and use Mana.

In Western metaphysical and scientific systems, life force is described with many different labels. Scientists studied these energies under many various aspects. (see www.orgone.net for updated info)

For your practice you will develop a model of life energies that will prove to be very useful. For an in depth understanding of these energies, it is helpful that you look at a few historic developments in the scientific understanding and use of life energies.

One of the early pioneers of a scientific understanding of those energies was Franz Anton Mesmer, a medical doctor from Stuttgart, Germany, who lived 200 years ago. He discovered an energy that he thought to be emanating from the hands. He labeled this force "animal magnetism." Mesmer developed methods of healing with passes of the hands along the body, at a distance of 1 to 3 inches. In our days his methods are still practiced by thousands of professional healers, or "magnetiseurs" in France.

PRACTICE I

People pair up. One person sits in a comfortable position in a chair, or lies down. Preferably relaxed. However, relaxing is not necessary because the application of life energies will relax.

Next, the other person makes magnetic passes along the body of the first. The palm of the right hand is facing the body of the person to be magnetized. Always make the magnetic strokes coming from the extremities toward the center of the body. When the center of the body is reached, then withdraw the hand in an upward movement, and lower it again at the end from where you begin again the pass toward the center. Move slowly. Allow ae to 40 seconds for each pass.

You may apply "animal magnetism" to any part of the body. Proceed slowly. Feel the flow of energies when receiving energy and when projecting it.

As a next practice, consciously PROJECT energies from your right hand toward the body of the person whom you magnetize. Also, begin to draw energy through your left hand and then project it out through your right hand, palm open and facing the body of the receiving person.

Next, you practice a Runic hand position with your left hand. First FA to energize, then UR to strengthen, etc.

Again push through your right hand which makes the passes.

Both partners feel the specific energetic feeling for each Rune they practice.

At the end of the practice, both persons ground with Is.

Vicious attacks from his less capable and less successful colleagues of the medical profession led Mesmer to leave Vienna and to move to Paris. He went on to research animal magnetism and soon developed another useful device: a barrel filled with iron filings from which iron rods protruded. People who wanted to be energized with life energies (animal magnetism) held on to those iron rods to draw life energies. The effects of this energetic charge were quite dramatic. Miraculous cures were observed which, again, drew the envy of Mesmer’s medical colleagues who were less fortunate with their rather limited skills.

Today we know that those barrels were Orgone accumulators (accumulators of life energies) and that Mesmer’s animal magnetism was the same thing as Orgone, the life energy discovered and put to practical use by Wilhelm Reich. Mesmer was the first person we know of who invented and built a functioning orgone accumulator.

Movement of the hand over the surface of the body is actually intensifying the energetic fields of life energies in the body.

Use of life energies is a very important facet in your practice of Rune Yoga. In order to make a very effective use of those energies, we have to develop a picture, or mapping, of those energies which will prove useful to our practice.

First, we have to establish how those life energies fit our universe as we experience it. A metaphysical model of the universe incorporating life energies will be most useful for our work with life energies in combination with Runic energies from the realms of creation.

Perhaps you are familiar with the metaphysical mapping of the universe which accepts four planes, each of which relates to one of the elements: to the fire element the highest plane, the world of emanation, or the sphere of will. Next the mental sphere, world of creation, relating to the air element. Next the astral sphere, world that relates to emotions and the water element. Last the sphere of consciousness-matter, which relates to the earth element. The material world is subdivided into two parts: the dense-material plane and the etheric plane. Again, I have to point out that in this case we deal with mappings of the consciousness, the sole purpose of which is usefulness for our methods of working with life energies’ Whether this mapping is accepted by "academia" or not is irrelevant when considering this purpose.

On the dense-material plane we arrange that which we experience as "tangible", while the etheric plane contains the most primal energies: electric and magnetic. What we call "electric" belongs to the electromagnetic spectrum: heat, light, radiation, etc. What we call "magnetic" is what we experience as raw life energy: orgone, chi, prana, mana, odic force, animal magnetism, Solar ether, whatever the name.

As we go to higher planes, we find again many energies of a higher order, astral energies, mental energies, and will related energies. Planetary energies, for instance, are complex energies which relate to all planes: mostly astral and mental, but also components that reach into the etheric planes.

Orgone energy, or animal magnetism, are raw life energies belonging to the etheric plane. Odic energy, on the other hand (discovered by Baron von Reichenbach) has some direction: Besides being the raw life energy of the etheric plane, it has also relation to the astral and mental worlds. As such, Odic energy gives direction to the raw life energy.

In our practice exercise, we first drew and projected simply life energy. Both, Franz Anton Mesmer and Wilhelm Reich devised machines to accumulate this energy from where living beings can draw it. We may have a barrel with iron filings and draw with our left hand from the protruding iron rod, or we may draw from the opening of a Reichian Orgone accumulator, or we may just draw from our surroundings (which draw would be not as intense, of course), and then project this energy upon ourselves or someone else.

The second part of our exercise consisted of programming the Orgone and actually developing Odic energy. We programmed Runes into the Orgone (life energy) and thus made this life energy charged and modified with energies from the realms of creation for very specific action: Fa to initiate, to activate; UR to strengthen, etc., depending on the Runic correlations with body functions and life functions (see letter * 1).

I mentioned that life energies can be accumulated (even generated) with some specific devices. We can go one step further and generate specific Odic energies with devices. An ideal device to generate Odic energies is a Runic circle which is made up of crystals. The advantage of devices, of course, is to maximize the effects and intensity of Odic energy at the same time as the personal effort is minimized. Like every technical device, it is designed to save time and effort for riumans. Crystals, pyramids of various, Rune Crystal grids, and other arrangements can allow you to be more and more specific with the energies you want to generate. RUNE YOGA, on the other hand, ALLOWS YOU TO COMBINE LIFE ENERGIES WITH ENERGIES FROM THE REALMS OF CREATION AT ANY TIME. The ceremonial setting which you use when practicing Rune Yoga, as well as group arrangements, are useful additions, not found in other major Yoga systems.

PRACTICE II

Set Your Rune circle, ideally with a set of crystal Runes. At least, take a center crystal.

Put the Rune UR (strengthening and healing) on the center crystal.

Everybody stands up, chant UR three times (or nine tines) while making the handposition of UR with the left hand and projecting the energies in the center of the Runic circle to energize the UR on the center crystal. This way, the "atmosphere" in the practice room is charged with the Odic energy of UR.

Now practice energy transfer as metnionned in the first practice of this lesson: magnetizing passes over the body of another person.

As an alternative, draw UR with the left, project UR with the right upon another person. First one to one, then several people project upon one person.

As with all other practice, always share experiences afterwards. Sharing and exchanging ideas is very important, because it helps establishing familiarity with the energies you are working with.

End the practice by grounding with IS