What do we mean by clairvoyance? Clairvoyance is as simple as the ability to see other planes, at least, the etheric layer of reality. In the etheric layer, we see all energy which allows us to perceive how the astral layers and planetary spheres might be affecting our physical reality. This can lead to seemingly impossible predictions.
Clairvoyance takes years to develop, but there suddenly comes a point where you realise you are doing it. The more you practice the faster it develops.
Franz Bardon
The first person who I want to mention when it comes to exercises to develop clairvoyance is Franz Bardon. He’s one of the few magicians to have a complete system which runs from beginning to adept. We love Franz Bardon here at Magic Pure and Simple. Other books in the community often begin with a basic ritual setup and move on to basic energy work and then leave the learner there, while casually mentioning advanced summoning and mystical ascent without giving the learner any clue as to how to get there. Alternatively, Franz Bardon seems to have a step-by-step process from beginning to advanced practices, which is why he is very popular with us.
Firstly he has an energy work exercise. Hopefully, you’re getting used to doing energy work right now.
- The exercise begins with drawing in energy that resembles light. Divine light. Completely fill your entire body with this energy.
- Next you need to convince yourself that this energy is turning into seeing energy. You can imagine it is changing into a colour you associate with sight if that works for you. I do this by imagining that the energy opens eyes all over it like the creatures mentioned around the throne in Revelations 4.
- Compress all this energy into the eyes. I often visualize a blanket covering it, so no energy can escape and then the blanket is pulled tighter and tighter and eventually zip ties are used to squeeze the last of it down to eyeball size. This might take time to do and as you practice you’re developing the mental muscles necessary to compress energy. You don’t need to use blankets or zip ties do what works for you.
- Once you are finished keep the energy there for a while, but when you’re done using your clairvoyance you should switch it off by letting the energy dissipate through your system. You don’t want to be seeing other planes while you’re trying to do your taxes.
So why do I pick the eyes from the 4 creatures from Revelation? Well, let’s look at how those creatures are described. You might recognise some parts of the description.
Round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes in front of them and behind them. The first beast was like a lion, the second beast like a calf, the third beast had a face like a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. The 4 beasts each had 6 wings covered in eyes, on them and under them.
Revelation of John chapter 4
So we might recognise the animals for these 4 beasts. They match neatly with the kerubic beasts which are seen on the World card of the tarot, Crowley’s Universe card and Crowley’s Hierophant card. The 4 beasts are also mentioned in the tau path in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Tau path connects the earthly existence with the astral existence. It goes from the physical to the metaphysical which is exactly what we are trying to achieve by developing clairvoyance so it is perfect for this exercise.
Franz Bardon mentioned that if one was religious they could equate the light they absorbed with god and in this case, the 4 creatures, being symbolic of the tau path, are in their very nature an emanation of god. So it fits nicely.
Franz Bardon’s Eye Ointment (Fluid condenser)
A Fluid Condenser is something which has the attributes of all 4 elements and therefore acts as a magnet drawing energy together and condensing it. This allows for easier perception in the physical world.
This is an aid to help you develop clairvoyance, but it comes with a warning that it is a shortcut and it can be a crutch. I advise against this and you are responsible for any damage you might do to your eyes. Bardon suggests making an eye ointment by boiling an eyebright herb and chamomile and extinguishing a smouldering piece of hazel wood in the water. It is then strained through cheesecloth to remove any foliage that you wouldn’t want in your eye and finally, it is reduced. Once cool, it supposedly functions as an eye ointment that helps you develop clairvoyance because it is what Bardon calls a fluid condenser. I advise against this. There’s always a possibility something else could fall in the water and get in your eyes. Eyebright and chamomile are both anti-inflammatories which is fine, but many herb shops will happily swap one herb for another saying, “It’s the belief that matters not the herb” and you could end up putting stingy nettle infusion in your eyes or something. That’s without considering the possibility of a piece of lint from the cheesecloth getting in your eye and scratching it.
My Own X-Ray Method
My own method that I often use is to make a device for seeing energy. I pour energy into my hands to start with an energy ball or construct. Then I begin to shape this energy into a tablet like a large iPad. This is infused with the idea of it being an x-ray device which takes a picture of the space in front of it and displays an image on its surface, like an iPad in Camera mode. Because it is made of my own energy and close to me it is easier to perceive and it can do the work of perceiving something across the room. Give it a go!
Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics is an incredible find. If you’re interested in ceremonial magic then you can easily move from IIH into his work on the summoning of spirits The Magical Practice of Evocation (cheaper on kindle). If you know what you’re doing you can find a pdf online. While I tend to use the main books, if I cannot remember where I read something I have a friend search the pdf and tell me what chapter and approximately what page so the pdfs aren’t hard to come by.