FORWARD

At the close of my professional life, post 9/11, I spent many a year wandering. You see, I’d had a brief stint teaching at U of I. I’d worked for the largest ad agency in the world, then a fast growing mid-sized agency, even my own agency. Then, I’d been made an offer I couldn’t refuse, and went to the client side. Five mergers in four years and finally the investment bank had formed up with Royal Bank Canada, which in turn disbanded the Capital Markets Group, which left me without a job, during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression, in a small market with few marketing positions in good times, soon to be followed by my mother-in-law being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. I couldn’t uproot the family and move. I couldn’t find a single business in the area that was looking for senior marketing people. I couldn’t be the professional me anymore.

This hit me hard. I spent way too much time feeling bad. I put my heart into it. I slept, I napped, I moped, I avoided, I withdrew. My stature shrunk to new lows.

Over the course of this chapter in my life I tried a few jobs. Jobs I hated. Loathed. Not one of them panned out. The cast of characters in these places were as shifty as the characters in a floating poker game. I was jogging in place, if at that speed, if not in arears. This wasn’t working. Nothing was working. I wasn’t working. All of which begged the question: Who am I? In the asking, so came the answer.

Anyway, here I am, in the clear again and damned thankful to be there.

While surfing around I came across articles, which led to videos, which spurred thoughts, which turned into trips to the book store and so was born this site.

Think of it as a somewhat protracted labor.

By definition, a sorcerer is of the source. In harmony with the source. Someone who is conscious of the source. Someone who then is able to tap into the source.

i-sorcerer is a handbook of sorts. It is shortcuts, concisely written, to harness that which is in all of us. Those elements essential to move beyond the here and now. It’s sum and substance are but seven steps to awaken consciousness, to live in the moment. It is intended as a pith of clarity in a world of distraction.

In the fifth century B.C. a citizen came to the Rabbi Hellel and said he would convert if the rabbi could teach him the entire Torah “while standing on one foot.” Hellel replied, “What is hateful to you, do not unto your neighbor. This is the entire Torah, all the rest is commentary.”

i-sorcerer isn’t nearly that concise. I couldn’t stop myself. I thought a bit of reference on how to implementing that awareness, on moving from awareness to enlightenment, would be important.  And then for more padding, daily reflection seemed pertinent, as well as to bolster the daily view stats. Yet, much more could have been covered, and in more depth. So, maybe a 5 on a 10 point scale.

Since this is the internet, posts will be kept short, sweet, to the point. Long, drawn out elocutions which elaborate points until they are mind numbing contrivances of lazy writers begone!

I had earlier tried writing a novel. It took two years, each sentence a struggle. It lacked character development, despite the 87 chapters it contained. This, from me, someone who was never accused of lacking character.

Which reminds me of the first time, when I was away at college, and someone came up and said, “Cory, I used to think you were so arrogant!” I was taken aback. Me? She continued, “But now I like you. I’ve found that you are really just confident. And you know what? You should be…”

Praise is a kind of spiritual vitamin, don’t you think? Or, are you more on the side of praise being a sugar coated placebo?

Truth is, I was a tad bit full of myself. Then, for a short while, I wasn’t. Now, I’m somewhere in limbo; aware of my ego’s needs, thus less in need of someone’s praise. Not that I wouldn’t take it, mind you. I’m akin to the reformed alcoholic. That fraudulent self confidence has been usurped by an awakened awareness of what’s inside me, as well as a dawning awareness of what’s without.

In contrast to that first novel, the writing of this site literally flowed out of me. It took no effort. It was a joy to do.

Here, to close the analogy, a rapid delivery.

The subject matter at hand is rather serious. Life tends to get messy, before its order is discerned. Our ego takes things very seriously. But I confess, I’ve had a smile inside the whole time I’ve been at the writing here. In that writing, in the total immersion it took, I’ve already begun receiving.

Be warned: once you read the handbook you cannot go back. At the very least, you will be more conscious of your thoughts as merely constructs, not reality. You will be aware that you are aware. And in that step, so will follow others still. You will be on the pathless path. You will be becoming the sorcerer that is already within you.

Cory

p.s. As someone once said (I can’t remember who), “The laws of life are founded on necessity, it’s charms on the non-essentials.” There were innumerable sources whose input spurred this site’s development. Those I can remember will become evident through individual posts. However, three in particular stick out in my mind and deserve special mention (in alphabetical order): Depak Chopra, Dr. Wayne Dwyer and Eckhart Tolle. Thank you all.