by Théun Mares:  There is a mysterious force known as intent which exists throughout the entire universe.

It is this force which brings about perception, for it is intent which, firstly, aligns the energy fields, and secondly, causes awareness of that alignment.

Because the act of perception encompasses the mystery of intent, it too is a mystery, and these two mysteries interact to produce the Mists of Dragon Lore.

By virtue of its interaction with both the nagal and the tonal, awareness itself has two polarities, one which separates, and one which unites. The pole which separates is what is termed the thinking principle – mind; and that which unites is termed the feeling principle – intent.

The interaction between these two poles is what gives rise to the act of perception, and is therefore simply termed awareness.

There are two very distinct types of awareness. Firstly, there is that which can be termed inherent awareness, found at the very core of all life-forms. It is an awareness which seems to be the very fabric of manifested life, and is the source of that universal force we recognise as intent. This is an awareness which is simplicity itself, and yet at the same time demonstrates an intelligence which is strangely not like any other known to man. It is an awareness which is truly frightening in its apparent scope. In this respect it is the ultimate paradox; for when seen from one particular angle, it is simplicity itself, but when seen from another angle, it is the very essence of complexity.

From our human point of view the only thing we can say of inherent awareness, is that It Moves. It is only the movement of inherent awareness; that is, active intelligence, or the tonal, which the human mind can conceive of as manifestation in the true sense of the word.

The origin of evolving awareness is the pressure of intent.

Realise that it is only because of awareness that the nagal can define its purpose. The nagal expresses this purpose as intent, which is defined as the will-to-manifest. However, since intent is the principle which unites, it implies that the purpose of the nagal is to manifest, so as to experience that about itself which is as yet the unknown. In other words, the nagal desires to unite the known and the unknown.

Intent, being the expression of the nagal’s will-to-manifest, not only signifies unity, but is also the cause of mind commencing the task of separation. We see therefore that intent is firstly responsible for unity, but also indirectly for separation, and in this is a true reflection of awareness in its dual role of separating and unifying.

Toltec seers have given to the quality of inclusiveness the same title as accorded to its unmanifest counterpart, namely, It Is, and because it is defined as the manifestation of the nagal’s purpose, it has also been termed the Eye of the Eagle or, simply, The Eye. Realise, however, that ultimately it is intent which is the true expression of the nagal’s purpose, and therefore inclusiveness, or The Eye, is also the manifestation of intent.

It is vital to understand that by wanting to be fully aware, we are in fact intending perception. This is a crucial and indispensable prerequisite for walking the Warrior’s Path. In the Truths of Awareness it is stated that it is intent which causes us to perceive. Therefore the more we intend to be aware, the greater will be our perception, and hence the more personal power will be generated.

The importance of intending to be fully aware does not end here, for there is far more to this crucial act. By struggling to perceive we are in actual fact exercising our intent. Because it is the force of intent which makes us perceive, it is of course also this same force which indirectly accounts for the placement of the assemblage point. Therefore by maintaining our view of the world we are in reality using the force of intent to keep the assemblage point fixed at that particular spot.

In order to move the assemblage point, the New Seers defined three principal techniques based upon the nine Truths of Awareness.

* The first technique is termed the Art of Stalking * the second is the Art of Dreaming * the third is the Mastery of Intent

From these three techniques evolved three distinct areas of activity in which every apprentice must become totally proficient if he is to succeed in becoming a Toltec – namely, the Art of Stalking, the Mastery of Awareness and the Mastery of Intent. In this scheme the Art of Dreaming is incorporated into the Mastery of Awareness and is used only as a means by which the assemblage point can be moved in order to achieve altered states of perception.

These three areas of activity have been defined traditionally as the three riddles which warriors must face and answer as they walk the Path of Power. The Art of Stalking is termed the riddle of the heart. It is described as the bafflement warriors experience when they become aware, firstly, that the world appears to be what it is only because of our perception and, secondly, that if a different perception is brought to bear upon the world, then our view of the world, which seems to be so inviolable, changes dramatically. The Mastery of Awareness is termed the riddle of the mind. This is the awesome infinity warriors perceive when they realise the incomprehensible mystery and extent of man’s awareness. The Mastery of Intent is the riddle of the spirit of man. It is the ultimate paradox in that it is the ability of man to project his actions, physical, emotional and mental, beyond normal human comprehension.

The paradox which emerges at this point, and which always causes confusion, is that it is only through intent that it is possible to harness sufficient personal power with which to move or shift the assemblage point. It must be kept in mind that it is intent which causes us to perceive, and that personal power is the product of perception. Intent is defined as the one and only force present throughout the universe – it is quite simply the unwavering will or purpose of the Eagle. Intent is present within all forms of life, organic as well as inorganic, and therefore obviously manifests in a kaleidoscopic display of variations and differentiations.

The true purpose of the human being is to learn how to unfold and direct the force of intent, which is held as firmly within the awareness of man as it is within the awareness of the Eagle Itself. Intent, therefore, is not a strange and alien force, but the rightful heritage of man. Every one of us is born with the ability to develop intent to its maximum potential.

Only by listening attentively to every command issuing from his heart can the warrior hope to gain the advantage over power. There is no other way in which to survive the unrelenting attacks staged by power against the warrior striving to gain command over it. The warrior must never, not even for one instant, lose sight of the fact that power is not the sole property of any individual to be used for selfish gain – power may only be used for the benefit of all life, since the individual unit is but a fragment of the greater whole. If the warrior holds his intent unwaveringly upon this knowledge throughout his battle, then there comes a moment when he slips into a second state of serenity and, in that new quietness of life, grasps the purpose of the Eagle. It is then that the warrior’s command becomes the command of the Eagle, and from this moment on the warrior is free of the horrendous temptations posed by power. Finally the battle is over, and the power which the warrior has been struggling to control now quietly submits to his will. This is that true command of power which makes the warrior who walks the path of freedom an utterly invincible being.

There is no magic – there is only intent. What fools perceive as being magic is but the manipulation of intent, therefore a magician is merely a master of intent.

Superstition and old wives’ tales have led people to believe that magic is acquired through some supernatural process, but this is not true. The magic of man is acquired through an act of sobriety, which ultimately leads to an act of intent. Therefore what appears to be magic to the uninitiated, is purely an act of intent, a potential which is common to every man, woman and child. It is important to remember that in the final analysis there is nothing except intent – the will of the Eagle – and that this intent manifests within man, firstly, as the colour of his dreamer, and secondly, as the emotion of his tonal. Therefore, in all of the practical work the task of the apprentice is to learn how to cultivate his natural heritage, intent. Once he has understood this the road lies clear ahead. One thing will lead to another until finally the apprentice acquires the knack of manipulating intent, which in turn leads him into being able to work also with sound and movement.

Magic by its truest possible definition is nothing more than the use of intent through the manipulation of colour, sound and movement, or emotion, thought and action. With respect to this it is vital to understand that emotion is the manifestation of the dreamer’s intent upon the physical plane. Therefore, throughout all of the Toltec teachings it will be noticed that emotion is stressed again and again in one way or another.

In order to understand this it is necessary to know that there are only four pure emotions; namely, anger, fear, joy and melancholy. All other emotions are mixtures of two or more of these primary emotions, and as such are not pure. All four pure emotions are expressions of desire, the physical manifestation of the one universal force, intent. Anger is the desire to fight, fear is the desire to retreat, joy is the desire to live and melancholy is the desire to change.

Because of the element of time, we do not live in an absolute universe. The whole universe is relative to time, relative to the intent of the Unspeakable, and once this has been grasped for what it really means, science will come to realise that the manifested universe itself has an emotional quality which cannot be ignored. Just as emotion is the expression of intent upon the physical plane, so too is time the universal expression of intent within the manifested universe, of which the actual physical and visible universe is only a small part. Therefore, strange as it may sound, time is the primordial expression of what can be termed universal emotion. Time is quite literally the emotions of the Unspeakable.

Consequently we today know that there are no coincidences or accidents, but that everything within history is but the result of what may rightfully be referred to as the times or, more precisely, the result of universal intent manifesting first as power, and then as energy charged with emotional impetus.

Energy is technically defined as the product of power, accumulated through the focusing of intent.

The impeccable warrior dances in the most real sense of the word. In this dance intelligence is his music, whilst emotion is the colour of his costume, carefully cut to portray his intent. Fate itself guides the warrior in choreographing those steps which enable him to move his assemblage point, so as to dance across the stage of life with ease, grace and dignity. Sound, colour, and movement are truly the three magical qualities which make up the warrior, that being who has learned that life is not a burden, but in reality a most stupendous dance of innovation and creation. Rejoicing in this knowledge, the warrior spins across the stage of life; sometimes leaping for joy; sometimes moving slowly, gently, to the sad refrain of heartfelt tears. In this dance, light and shade blend one into the other to create one exhilarating sequence after another, each sequence spinning the warrior higher and higher into ever more profound levels of awareness and freedom.

What will materialise any dream is the act of nurturing a desire – not merely wishful thinking. This nurturing of a desire is what is known as dreaming the future in, or the act of shaping the future through the use of intent.

The games we play with ourselves, or with others, are very powerful because, although man is generally not aware of it, these games are games of power fuelled by intent. Any game we play starts off as a game, but if we play it well for long enough, it ends up as reality. Not-doing is a warrior’s game; a game he plays with himself, a kind of psychological solitaire. This is what is known as stalking oneself. By playing not-doing the warrior is slowly but surely loosening his assemblage point and moving it fraction by fraction. An analogy might help to make this point clearer. If the assemblage point is like a rusty nut on the bolt of our old habits, then not-doing is like a deep-penetrating oil, and our motive for practising not-doing is like the spanner with which we are trying to undo the nut. What we call motive is nothing less than intent! In time, not-doing will saturate and soften the rust of social conditioning, and our constant attempt at trying to loosen the nut will strengthen the intent until it is strong enough to move the nut.

BATTLE CHANT OF ATL’AMAN

Would you know the meaning of laughter and joy?
Then come play with us now the game of life,
If you care to try! If you dare to lose!
Roll now, roll, roll again, roll the dice of life.
Listen to the rhythm of life divine,
Feel, touch and absorb the pulse of earth.
Fly true the spear! Wield sure the sword!
And roll now, roll, roll again the dice of life!
What can you lose, friend, but an empty life?
What can you win, friend, but a full rich life?
Win or lose, try now! Roll the dice of life!
If you care to live, friend! If you dare to die!

Would you brave the meaning of sorrow and tears?
Then come see with us now the fount of life,
If you care to see! If you dare to feel!
Roll now, roll, roll again, roll the dice of life.
Listen to the rhythm of their hopeful hearts.
Feel, touch and absorb their pain and tears.
Fly true the spear! Wield sure the sword!
And roll now, roll, roll again the dice of life!
What can you lose, friend, but a dull dry life?
What can you win, friend, but a warm full life?
Win or lose, try now! Roll the dice of life,
If you care to live, friend! If you dare to die!

Would you know the meaning of freedom and power?
Then join us, come join us in this our hunt.
If you care to try! If you dare to fail!
Roll now, roll, roll again, roll the dice of life.
Listen to the rhythm of walking free.
Feel, touch and absorb the One Power.
Fly true the spear! Wield sure the sword!
And roll now, roll, roll again the dice of life!
What can you lose, friend, but a bonded life?
What can you win, friend, but the One Power?
Win or lose, try now! Roll the dice of life,
If you care to live, friend! If you dare to die!

Would you brave the meaning of duty and honour?
Then come join us now in the dance of death.
If you care to try! If you care to die!
Roll now, roll, roll again, roll the dice of life.
Listen to the rhythm of life and death.
Feel, touch and absorb the One Power.
Fly true the spear! Wield sure the sword!
And roll now, roll, roll again the dice of life!
What can you lose, friend, but a hopeless life?
What can you win, friend, but a hope-filled life?
Win or lose, try now! Roll the dice of life,
If you care to live, friend! If you dare to die!

In this respect it is important to know that our intent will activate and empower whatever it is we are focusing upon. If we place our attention on failure, we intend failure; but if we concentrate upon success, then we likewise intend success.

A warrior has to believe, otherwise he cannot activate his intent positively.

Inherent within the act of controlling folly lies the ability to manipulate the force of intent.

Intent is a quality of the dreamer’s awareness, and therefore where there is no intelligent co-operation, where there is no controlled folly, there can also be no manipulation of intent. True manipulation of intent can only come about where there is a full and conscious control of folly; an act that implies acknowledgement of the interrelationship of life, for it must not be forgotten that there is only one nagal, and that because of this, all the dreamers of mankind are fully group- conscious.

What is the dreamer? Put quite simply, the dreamer is the awareness of one unit of the nagal – the awareness of the individual. The overall vibration of the dreamer is determined by the potential of its inherent awareness, and this overall vibration causes it to fall into one of seven spectra seen as a colour. The actual shade of this colour is determined by evolving awareness, and is therefore progressively altered through the process of evolution. In order to evolve its awareness, the individual units of the nagal explore their potential through the act of dreaming, and are therefore termed the dreamers. In this respect, the immediate challenge for all organic life-forms upon this planet, including some forms of inorganic life, is to materialise their full potential upon the dense physical plane. In order to do so, the dreamers of man periodically fixate their attention by focusing their intent upon the physical plane, and the result of such fixation is physical incarnation.

It is the rate of vibration, or the colour of the group, which determines both the intent and the purpose of a group of dreamers, and it is this intent and purpose which is responsible for the moulding of individual destiny.

This fixation, which results in physical incarnation, is brought about whenever the dreamer focuses its intent upon certain aspects of its continuous dream. These aspects pertain to manifesting its full potential upon the physical plane – an act which by its very nature demands not only life upon the dense physical plane, but also challenges that can only come about because of physical incarnation. However, realise that as a result of clustering, the dense physical world has a much lower vibration than the world of the dreamer. Therefore, physical incarnation causes the dream of the dreamer to become ‘deeper’, and therefore also more intense. This deepening of the dream, and its intensification within the slower vibrations of the physical world, coupled with the fixation of the dreamer’s attention, is what creates the illusion of being trapped. Yet, it must also be remembered that incarnation is only a partial materialisation of the dreamer’s awareness. That ‘portion’ of awareness which comes into incarnation is composed of those aspects of itself upon which the dreamer has focused its intent, and which it dreams into physical existence by fixating its attention upon incarnation.

In the final analysis mind and intent are one and the same thing, namely, the awareness of the dreamer. Therefore, what is termed the first ring of power is that aspect of the dreamer’s awareness termed mind, whereas the second ring of power is that aspect termed intent, and inherent within the first ring of power is the reflection of intent in the form of the urge to separate or to discriminate. It is because of this fact that the first ring of power is subtractive in quality, and why it is stated that true intent only becomes operative when using the second ring of power. However, because intent unites, it is additive in quality, and this means that in order to manipulate true intent it is necessary to practise the interrelationship of life.

In this respect it must be remembered that the aim of the warrior is to co-operate fully and intelligently with the purpose of his own dreamer, and as the dreamer is already holding the purpose of this incarnation secure by focusing its intent, it stands to reason that what is required of the warrior is to make his perception fluid enough so as to be able to handle impeccably any challenge he encounters.

In exercising forbearance and therefore being in no rush to end the battle, the warrior uses his patience to build his intent which, of course, is necessary for extracting from out of his battle the gift of power he seeks. As a result of the restraints the warrior deliberately imposes upon his actions in order to hold his patience, his intent begins to gather strength, and as it gains in strength so that intent begins to move and shift the warrior’s assemblage point. This in turn brings about the necessary alignments of perception that enable the warrior to perceive with utter clarity, not only what has transpired in the process of getting to this battle, but also what the gift of power it brings him actually is.

When the individual is co-operating with his dreamer, the dreamer is capable of exerting far more intent than when the individual is fighting against his destiny. Secondly, because the dreamers are fully group-conscious, owing to the interrelationship of all life, intent is not only a personal force, but also a mutual force that can be augmented enormously by the greater group. In other words, intent, which it must be remembered is a quality of the dreamer, is both a force channelled by the individual as well as by the group, but the intent of the group is always far more powerful than the sum of the individuals’ intent.

Intent is a faculty of the dreamer, and because the principal centre of communication between the dreamer and the dreamed is the heart centre, the heart is also the principal center through which intent is activated. However, it must be pointed out that pure intent is actually expressed through that centre in the head of which the manifestation is the pineal gland. Nevertheless, since it is only through the instrumentation of the heart centre that the pineal gland can be brought into activity, Toltecs look upon the activating of intent as originating from the heart, in the same way that true mind can only be accessed through the heart.

It is the force of evolving awareness that curves inherent awareness back upon itself to bring about the element of inclusiveness, which is not only an expression of universal intent and therefore also the manifestation of the nagal’s purpose, but it is also an expression of what the Christian scriptures refer to as the Christ principle, and what Toltecs refer to as the heart.