Highlights from a discussion at the East / West Bookstore in Menlo Park, CA on Jan. 7, 1994.

1. The human egg extends at about an arm's length around the entire body. The assemblage point is at arms length directly behind the shoulder blades.

2. Next book will be called "Stalking With the Double".

3. Definition of "Discipline", as used by a sorcerer: unbending hooking to a purpose. Only unbending intent can cure one of the indulgences of the ego.

4. The warrior's path is a quest for freedom. On the path he:

a. Accepts the fact that he is mortal;

b. assumes responsibility for perception. The warrior discovers that the assemblage point was given to him by the world, and learns to let the light of awareness shine on the other filaments available to him. The warrior uses discipline to move energy, by taking away the energy used to maintain the social order.

c. The warrior pays his debts. The warrior gives unconditional love so he knows that the world owes him nothing. He pays his debts so as to unravel his attachments to the world.

The Edifice is supported by three cornerstones: one's appearance, one's sexual needs and personal importance:

a. Our appearance - We all have our roles in society. The warrior only cares about how he is living his life (the quality).

b. Our biological need to reproduce and to be a part of a family unit - The true warrior needs to be truly alone. The warrior needs to learn to maintain silence to allow the world to collapse. The "warriors affection" transcends the ordinary love of the world. The stalker learns to give a warrior's affection while being ruthlessly indifferent.

c. Self-importance - undermines our ability to experience life. Playing the martyr or the victim are also forms of self-importance. You are not more or less important than anyone else. Self-importance is devised by the social order to act as a reward to individuals to help maintain the social order.

The idea of discipline, to most, implies following a specific ritual. But to the stalker it is the same as Intent. There is something termed the Selector which can be thought of as a big needle in the sky, able to shift to bring different things in the world to us. It shifts by the power of inner movement, by Intent. The work of stalkers is to create cognitive dissonances, which allow the assemblage point to move of its own. Pressure must be kept up to keep the assemblage point from shifting back. Sometimes on can feel the "shuddering of the assemblage point", but there is nothing to fear if one's intent is unbending. The Selector is also called Spirit.

The discipline of the Stalker is to remain fluid. Upon mastery of stalking, one becomes a master of controlled folly. Then one's life becomes a life of beauty and strength.

In answer to some questions:

By becoming free from the various roles she played in her life she became in touch with the fact she is nothing more than a phantom. For her the sorcerer's quest is to maintain the awareness of the assemblage point, even after death.

After the talk described above (which the reader notes are just the points he jotted down according to his own interests), this reader spoke informally with Taisha and two other students and reports the following:

1. In response to a question about how one could become an apprentice, she said that it is just as hard for the party to find new persons to bring in. First they must be guided to find someone by Intent (that is, Intent selects them) and secondly very few people are really willing to give themselves up to such a long commitment.
2. She said the most important thing one could do was the recapitulation - devotedly - for a year or two. Then one might be ready to undertake the path of sorcery.
3. In response to the "breathing questions" she said that the book just explained how she learned it, and that different variations were fine.
4. It became clear to me that the stalking work we were doing, including the recapitulation, was essentially the same.

Editor: This reader has described his own Nagual leader in a previous letter which he requested not be published. Readers shouldn't feel left out, the important thing to know is that Nagualism may not be as rare as we all thought. His leader sounds very real. He fits into don Juan's descriptions of early new seers who emphasized love instead of fear. His techniques are not exactly the same, but there is more in common than not. This reader gave permission to mention the following:

They have several groups that meet weekly to do recapitulation in a group lying on the floor, with their hands near, radiating out in a circle. They also have 2 dream groups - but this is very powerful work and he doesn't believe anyone should go past the most preliminary dream exercises without the guidance of an experienced teacher. They have a group of 24 dreamers that meet once a month to do 2 all night dreaming mitotes (in a row) with their Nagual. The results are phenomenal. The group is closed until next year.

One of these groups is in Sacramento, Ca. He has offered to allow the newsletter to include his name as a contact. This isn't an invitation to join up with his Nagual, his Nagual is bound by the Spirit. It wasn't clear if the newsletter could print his address. Since the newsletter is distributed all over the world, he might have regrets if we were to do that. Next issue there will be a special column for personal contacts. His address will be there if he approves it.

This reader has also volunteered more input to the newsletter. We believe that could be very interesting. In particular, the staff here wants to know if his Nagual's final goal is to take the body and leave this world, if the dreaming mitotes produce reliable dreaming together, what kind of a role power plants play (he states they are not used in the dreaming mitotes) in his Nagual's instruction, and whether his Nagual shares the exact same view of the assemblage point and of other complete worlds.

Thanks a lot for the comments from Taisha! That's the kind of input we all look forward to.  

Nagualist Newsletter and Open Forum / Issue 2 Aug. /Sept. 1994