Reddit reviews Hands of Light: A Guide to Healing Through the Human Energy Field

Sorry for the delayed response. Honestly, after reviewing the book again, I have to say it's actually one of the better ones out there as far as REAL witchcraft goes. Witchcraft is not a religion, and it isn't politically correct. It's simply a set of practical methods to achieve one's goals, whether they be healing, defense, finding love etc. Though some of his ideas at the time are a little dated now, Paul Huson did an excellent job of laying out the principles of effective magick in simple terms. He even touched on elements of Hoodoo i.e. southern African-American folk magick, derived from African, European witchcraft, and Native American practices - see This Website for a thorough introduction to Hoodoo. This book by a real practitioner is also very good, though badly in need of editing.

Now that I've re-read sections of Mastering Witchcraft, I'm almost wishing I'd had it as my first book nearly 30 years ago heh. If you were to study and learn everything Huson's book has to offer, you'll have a better foundation in effective witchcraft than most Wiccan manuals out there today, many of which are extremely watered-down and geared more toward practices that make a person feel good about themselves without requiring much effort, or worse yet, practices that indulge a practitioner's need for attention or escapism. Pay particular attention to what he has to say about states of consciousness. Try to grasp the essence of why/how magick works as you read books such as this. Much of witchcraft/magick/ritual is done for symbolic purposes, with the physical objects/tools being used to focus and direct energy and intent, or as vessels for anchoring energy/intent to. Systems of correspondences help to link levels of reality and act as mental triggers to help re-enter specific states of consciousness.

At its core, magick is a Psychic skill. It is postulated that there are various levels of reality, from Oneness/God/Tao down to the Physical World and various points in between (see Yggdrasil, Tree of Life, Enneads of Plotinus, Plato's theory of forms etc. etc.). The most common forms of Magick work by injecting one's spell/intent into a higher level of reality (Astral Plane, Yesod etc.) in an effort to rewrite or reprogram the reality that is about to manifest. The effects then trickle down into manifestation through seemingly 'natural' means. Other forms involve creating energy links to targets and injecting power/intent through them while using poppets, photos, and other physical objects to help direct and focus the intent. Even more direct forms of influence can be performed through deliberate, conscious real-time energy manipulation, and this can become quite advanced.

Suggested books for developing your energy sensing/directing abilities include Franz Bardon's Initiation into Hermetics (he provides a fantastic though difficult set of exercises for self development) and Robert Bruce's New Energy Ways (ignore the new-agey way he writes - the methods are VERY effective for learning to sense and direct energy). To get ideas of what to do with energy for healing purposes and what energy might 'look like' to clairvoyants (or to you after you develop your clairvoyant skills), this book and this book may be very helpful. Ignore her new-age spin on the material. Her perceptions are pretty accurate.

I should mention that Paul Huson continued to produce useful books, btw. His book on the history of the Tarot is fantastic! There are other authors out there on Witchcraft that are worth perusing, but it is difficult to find authors who don't pander to new age feel-good beliefs. I tend to look for historical or anthropological works. Other areas that can be helpful are related topics such as Norse trancework and Runes (Jan Fries, Edred Thorsson), folk magick from various parts of the world, shamanism, hoodoo, brujeria (there are YouTube channels by serious practitioners of this), Egyptian and Greek religion/magick (again, look for serious scholarly books), and of course, Ceremonial Magick/Hermeticism. The origin of much of European occult terminology can be found in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, published in 1531.

Anyway, I hope that random collection of thoughts gives you some ideas for research. Mastering Witchcraft and similar books published in the 1970s are actually quite good introductions. I recommend absorbing what they have to offer, and looking deeper into the origins of the practices described.

Down vote when the post doesn't offer anything to the discussion, not when you don't like someone(s) mentioned in the post. I'm sorry to see closed minded actions on this reddit. OP asked for any help. Only one other reply gave a definite reference. Here's my third for anyone interested in this subject:

Another book to consider is Barbara Ann Brennans Hands of Light.

As far as I'm aware he works with energy beings he calls "guides" that are among us in some way. He calls on them mentally/spiritually to share their energy, and he serves as the bridge connecting you to the energy. Not very sure of the origin of the practice. It does involve a bit of being chosen by the guides but I'm not sure about the exclusivity. He does have children, and also some students he informally teaches to connect his way. Don't know where he started from yet.

Practices generally involve the patient standing with eyes closed while he stands by arms wide open. Next thing you know he takes a deep breath and exhales and you're spinning/twirling like a top involuntarily and your hands want to come up as if under water. If you don't twirl the force of the energy will make you fall over. This process connects you to the universe/guides opening up your crown. Always makes you giggly because the energy comes as a shock as it pushes you.

Then he will have you lie on your back and he'll place his hand on your head. His hands gets very hot as he guides you through a meditative journey to receive the energy you need. Meanwhile you see bright colors while eyes closed and you feel like you are radiating with energy/light. It feels amazing and your mood improves dramatically as your physical pain fades away. This practice may be different in some cases with specific illnesses.

Look up "subtle energy" and this book called "Hands of Light" both his suggestions. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0553345397?pc_redir=1404445078&robot_redir=1

Yes, it sounds/looks to me like you see energy ("chakras" are part of that). I could be wrong, but I'd look into it more if I were you anyways. You would probably make a really good energy healer and/or medical intuitive. Check out the Hands of Light book (http://www.amazon.com/Hands-Light-Healing-Through-Energy/dp/0553345397/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347945502&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+hands). I also prefer Pranic Healing over Reiki (Reiki is more commonly known). http://pranichealing.com/

I can send more info on people/books/etc if you want.

You CAN learn some of it from books - the rest you'll have to do through spirit work and guidance. There are 2 books by Barbara Ann Brennan that will get you started on viewing and manipulating the aura and structures within it. They're a little new agey, but the info is fairly solid and effective, and they're regularly used as part of the teaching curriculum for naturopathic/alternative health/massage/reiki type courses at accredited colleges. Go through her first book before delving into her 2nd book. As a supplement, you should also read and practice Robert Bruce's New Energy Ways material. It will get you in shape for energy sensing and manipulation. MUCH magick and healing can be done with the techniques in his book alone!

First, RESPECT, for working with the dying and grieving. That is profound, and highly important work.

To reiterate other's here, you don't sound 'crazy', only opening to something that had value and an accepted place in antiquity and pre-modern societies (arguably it does now also, but not necessarily through any official institutions, it still seems to be a fringe activity and 'gift' not accepted by the sciences).

A starting point to placing your inner experiences into a broader context, which may help with self-understanding and integration through the process, might be:
Channeling. There are numerous other texts of similar material around. Check them out?

As to matters of grounding, other's advice here seems sound.
A somatic practice might prove helpful, like hatha yoga, or perhaps continuing meditation but practicing it in a different way, seeing as you are already meditating? Anapanasati, how to practice breath meditation, which focuses on the breath and thus has more of a grounding and bodily based attention brought to the process could be useful in this context. I've personally had trouble with dissociation and found sitting with a piece of obsidian and/or black tourmaline held in both my hands while sitting cross-legged or lying flat on my back, and focusing into the stone with my mind while being mindful to both my breath and body a helpful way of grounding and generating containment in/as my body.

Although the following book is primarily about working with energy healing it discusses channeling and contains diagrams of exercises that help a practitioner working with subtle forces to stay grounded and balanced, it might also be worth your time Hands of Light.
Salutations!

I am a big book reader, specifically on energy healing and understanding how energy creates health or illness. I am a fully recovered bulimic -- and swear that these books changed my entire view and relationship with myself.

Here are my top 3 favorites, one is available for free as a digital book so I included that link.

xo tracey

Light Emerging - Barbara Brennan, free digital book http://t2mh.com/inspiring/Barbara%20Brennan%20Light%20Emerging%20-%20Journey%20of%20Personal%20Healing.pdf

Hands of Light - Barbara Brennan
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hands-Light-Healing-Through-Energy/dp/0553345397

Caroline Myss - Anatomy of the Spirit: Seven Stages of Healing
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Spirit-Seven-Stages-Healing/dp/0553505270/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FMJ18K9R9ZHN2Y8BFSWX

Read these books: The Field, The Holographic Universe and Hands of Light.

As for you, please provide citation for your side of things.

Hands of Light by Barbara Brennan - Read this for a class while in Massage Therapy school. Really made me look at things in another light. Might be a little heavy to digest, but lots of wonderful information.

Barbara Brennan's Hands of Light and Light Emerging are two classics --highly recommended.