Re: Careers?
Any career can incorperate the occult into its practice; it all depends on your confidence and skill. Any professional can add magic into his/her everyday operation. Energy work can be used in any situation where dealing with the general public; a customer service rep can use energy work to project a calming persona to the person on the other end of the line and perhaps solve the problem easier because of it. Just an example of the top of my head but you get the idea. Its not about the career but the professional working at said career to find his/her own components and methods.
Take me for example. I'm a tattoo artist. There is magic in what I do- from the ink I use, to the personal rituals that double both as proper sterilization of my tools and the infusion of personal belief. I'm a scorcher too. If you've ever gotten a tat, you know at the end of it the artist will usually slather on some stick deordorant or vaseline, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap and put a paper towel bumper on the bottom for seepage, right? (or at least they're supposed too....if your tat artist ever used gauze on you, there's a huge chance that the tat will smear and fade). Scorching is when the tat is finished and the guide lines/ink smears are cleaned off with soap and water, you then take rubbing alcohol (in a spray bottle) and spritz the tat. Then you take a lighter and set it on fire. Just for a second. I was tought this when I was still an apprentice and have been scorched 3 times. Aside from the obvious benefits of dealing with a wound with fire, this is a ritual that was passed down to me by my master, and by his master. Of course, I feel it prudent to mention I was an apprentice to a sanguine vamp named Juancho, so I honestly don't know how many artists actually scorch their canvases. When I go to tatcons its uncommon but certainly not unheard of. Its kinda accepted as a little occult in the artform... though, to be honest, a lot of tattoo artists like to bring personal belief and magic into what they do. I mean, we mark people's bodies forever, our hands draw the lines, our canvases bleed under our needles. There is tandum inking (which draws on a nearly sexual energy), hand-pushed bamboo needling (for those who want it the old fashioned way), cutting and ink rubbing (for the pain), pocking (scarification w/ or w/o ink)....both the canvas and the artist get something out of the experience.
I'm rambling....but that's okay, I think this is a great topic because its something I do everyday. I put magic into my work, it doesn't matter who knows it and who sees it. I do thngs by the book unless the person doesn't want to take from that book. Then, there is another book to take from. Then again, if you ever walked into my shop you'd know instantly that the artist wasn't a 'norm'. Its all from trial and experience. Like I know how any given person's skin is going to react to the ink after about 5 minutes of work. There are herbal deterents against keloids and the shiny after affect of a spanking new tattoo. I sell little bottles of aloe juice (which you can drink too! yum....*shivers*) and eucalyptis oil too. Ha! I guess I just love what I do. I actually fainted the first time I ever gave a tattoo; fell into Juancho's lap and stabbed myself with the dirty gun needle I was using (years ago, been tested many times since). I passed out because I was putting so much energy and concentration into the piece of artwork.
*sneezes*
Tai
"Will minus intellect constitutes vulgarity." -Arthur Schopenhauer
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