'MAGICAL PASSES' BY CARLOS CASTENEDA

I came across this book in the local library while browsing about and as I had never actually read anything, except others statements about the author and his claims, and his 'shamans' and so on, I decided to look at it and when I saw the photos, I immediately recognized some of the things I do that I have been doing for some years now but not in the exact or same way as shown in the photos

Many of these motions and movements seemed to me to be derived from martial arts of different kinds and I wondered how this would fit into the claims of coming from  NATIVE AMERICAN SHAMANS of both North,Central& South Americans. Of course, the Spanish brought a lot of Filipinos and others from the nations they conquered and some of them stayed in those places where they were used or taken.

Of course, the CHINESE influence was seen in some and then when I sat down and read it more carefully, I found out the reason why. I also noticed that he calls the system he depicts TENSERITY, which involves the use of TENSION, DYNAMIC OR STATIC, which Charles Atlas and Maxicke and other body-builder, athletes, and martial artists utilize in various ways. I have used this the system of CHARLES ATLAS on and off, along with other systems, such as,UECHI-RYU and some others, and now practice some things that I find useful, along with certain yogic exercises, too numerous to mention in detail right now.

The various 'postures','stances',' poses', and movements, motions, I also do, allowing my body,etc. to set them up without too much thought and direction on my part. I shall have to describe this better, of course, when I have more time to do so.

I will discuss CARLOS CASTANEDA in my other blogs, like THE FOURTH WAY, GURDJIEFF'S CHILDREN, SACRED DANCES,ETC.