Uncle Setnakt would like to share with you a few exercises you can do with Darkness.

1. Close your eyes. Inside this Darkness, you can picture anything. Conjure up the notion of an
extraterrestrial invader. One entirely of your own making. The fact you can visualize this here-to-fore nonexistent object shows that your awareness is not bound to nor constrained by the natural order. The knowledge that your stand separate from the universe is the beginning of the Left
Hand Path.

2. Look at the stars. Find a grassy hill and look up at the stars on a warm, clear moonless night. Relax and let your mind soar towards the stars. That feeling of falling up into the Abyss of Stars is a predictable part of your natural self. The desire to project your psyche to its utmost limits is one
of the forces that drives the Initiate along the Left Hand Path. It is why we choose role models like Set, the first historic example of the rebel against cosmic injustice.

3. Sit quietly in a darkened room. Find a place away from radio, TV, family etc. Here alone and away from a constant stream of messages telling you what to think, just relax and see where your own thoughts go. Don't try to interfere. This may be the first time you've heard your own voice. When you've done this for a few minutes, light a candle and write down three things -- the thought that surprised you the most, the desire that appeared most often in your thoughts, and the thought from somewhere else (advertising jingle etc.) that intruded the most. The next day search out the source of the unusual thought - - this brings your actions in line with your godhood. Do something
that distances you from the unwanted mind control (even if it's just being aware of it and rejecting it) -- this bring you closer to controlling your own mind.

4. Make a list of associations. Write down all the things that Darkness implies. Start with personal things like, "Darkness is excitement -- Father Christmas brings me goodies in the dark. Darkness is the time of transformation -- many times has my mind made monsters out of the pile of laundry at the foot of the bed. Darkness is the time of sexual arousal --etc." Then add historical meanings of
Darkness, "Darkness plus the sound of the bullroarer creates the sacred space for Aboriginal initiation. Darkness is the time when Vampyres are said to roam. Etc." When you've made your list consider what the Prince of Darkness can mean as model for your own Initiation. Consider how these things stimulate your imagination and will.

5. Make of Night a personal symbol. It is in the nature of mankind to assign meaning to events in the meaningless natural order. They fashion constellations, omens, etc. and then bend themselves to their creations. The Black Magician can consciously assign a symbol to an operation and use that
symbol for his/her own growth -- and discard it when necessary. Since night is the traditional time for Satanic/Black Magical activity, you may wish to invest it with meaning. Hold a ritual that places a certain meaning in the dark of night -- so that its coming will begin to Work your soul automatically. I choose, "Night is a time of rebirth." This way, the nonego parts of mySelf begin to recharge the batteries of inspiration and magic every time the sky darkens. If I am doing some other kind of Work as part of my life work of Becoming, I can choose another meaning.

6. Seek out the Brothers of Darkness. Learning the art of magic goes a hell of a lot swifter if you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You'll accomplish your goals faster if you're drawing on the experience of others. It's a lot easier Working with people who think the way you do.

Look around for a group whose approach to Darkness is the same or very similar to yours. If the group has been around for a few years, you have the additional benefit that some of their magic has already Worked itself into the fabric of the objective universe and you have a greater magical lever to use for your own Work. Uncle Setnakt is, of course, a proud member of the Temple of Set.

7. Contemplate Darkness as a place of growth. In the soulcraft of the ancient Germanic peoples is a concept very useful to the Left Hand Path. The Sal is that part of the soul into which one evolves. It is a holder of potential, a dark vessel that cannot be filled. By using this imagery life is not a simple discovery of the self, but an active creation that may be consciously drafted. As long as their is Darkness, one can grow -- there are no limits except those you consciously create. If you become aware of this Dark container within you, it can become more than a mere symbol, but an actual vessel for awareness to survive after death.

8. Contemplate Darkness as a symbol of mystery. In the Right Hand Path, white light is used as a symbol of Initiation. In the light everything is quickly revealed and the self extinguishes itself because of boredom. There are no mysteries, nothing to discover, and ultimately nothing to think about since there is a total unity between the perceiver and the perceived. In the Left Hand Path Darkness is the symbol of mystery. By accepting Darkness, you accept dynamism -- you don't know what lies within your Black Heart. And as you discover more and more; the desires from within cause you to act to bring your deepest Self into Being in the objective world. In short as you become the Self created god you must create creations. Ultimately you will begin to have a sense
of the great twofold secret -- one pole of which lies deep within yourSelf -- the other is hidden deeply within the objective universe.

9. Seek to unleash the Darkness in others. Look for and strengthen the manifestations of Darkness in those around you. This should be done very gently and with great forethought. After you have begun to master steps 7 and 8 above consider that Darkness also resides in the other human beings around you. If you can transmit some of that excitement and potential for awareness into others -- not only will you have made the world a more darkly resplendent place to live, but you will have opened up the world around you for more exciting potentials for your own growth.

Uncle Setnakt hopes you have a pleasant day.