Ancient Cycle

The Tonal and the Nagual – In Nagual’s Time

Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power / By / 32 minutes of reading

Carlos recounts his Thursday return to the market where don Juan had “shoved” him, only to find the coin and book stands only appear on Sundays, confirming the unreality of his previous experience. Don Juan and don Genaro appear, teasing him about his physical appearance. Don Genaro demonstrates extraordinary feats like standing horizontally on a tree trunk and gliding through the air, which Carlos struggles to comprehend and often experiences with physical discomfort or an altered state of perception. Don Juan explains that these are manifestations of the nagual, a non-rational aspect of reality, and emphasizes the importance of a clean tonal (the rational self) to interact with the nagual without being overwhelmed or destroyed. He clarifies that while his role as teacher is to work with Carlos’s tonal, don Genaro, as Carlos’s benefactor, introduces him to the nagual, demonstrating its boundless possibilities, even if the “how” remains indescribable and outside the realm of rational understanding.

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The Tonal and the Nagual – The Whispering of The Nagual

Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power / By / 26 minutes of reading

Carlos returns to Don Genaro’s house and is greeted by don Juan and don Genaro, who playfully tease him about his physical appearance. They then accompany him to a field of eucalyptus trees, where don Genaro performs gravity-defying feats, such as standing horizontally on a tree trunk and gliding through the air like an eel. Carlos experiences these events with a mix of awe, physical discomfort, and altered perceptions, such as seeing don Genaro as a furry crocodile. Don Juan explains that these are manifestations of the nagual, a non-rational aspect of reality that can only be witnessed, not explained, and that his role is to protect Carlos’s tonal (rational self) from being overwhelmed. They also discuss the importance of a clean tonal, how the nagual “splits” an individual, and the dangers of indulging in bewilderment when confronting the unknown. Don Juan emphasizes that a warrior must maintain impeccable control and distinguish between the world of the tonal and the world of the nagual, using his will to navigate between them.

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The Tonal and the Nagual – The Wings of Perception

Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power / By / 22 minutes of reading

Carlos spends a day in the mountains with don Juan, receiving instructions on his path. Upon returning, he talks with Pablito, don Genaro’s apprentice, who reveals his own terrifying encounters with the nagual, including a bizarre incident with a “breathing” basket. Don Juan and don Genaro later join them, teasing Carlos about his note-taking and sharing a humorous story that subtly highlights the nature of reality. They then induce a state in Carlos where his perception is “split,” allowing him to directly experience the essence of objects and the ground, and later to perceive his own body as an alien form in a surreal landscape. Don Juan explains that these experiences are about “splitting” a man to access his totality and that Carlos’s encounters are a glimpse into the “wings of perception,” which he must learn to unfold without his rational mind interfering.

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The Sorcerers’ Explanation – Three Witnesses to The Nagual

Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power / By / 28 minutes of reading

Carlos spends a day with don Juan in the mountains and later converses with Pablito, don Genaro’s apprentice, at don Genaro’s house. Pablito shares terrifying experiences with the nagual, including a detailed account of a possessed basket that transformed into don Juan’s face. Don Juan and don Genaro then return, teasing Carlos about his note-taking and his fear. They engage in a dual whispering technique that “splits” Carlos’s perception, allowing him to experience the essence of a tree and the ground directly, rather than through rational thought. He also has a vivid, dreamlike vision of his body as a distorted, inert form in a surreal yellow landscape with a giant female figure. Don Juan explains that these experiences are crucial for understanding the totality of oneself and are a manifestation of the “wings of perception” and the interaction between the tonal and the nagual. Carlos is left exhausted but with a deeper understanding of the sorcerers’ world, as the experiences demonstrate the possibility of perceiving beyond the ordinary and the importance of allowing the nagual to guide perception.

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The Sorcerers’ Explanation – The Strategy of a Sorcerer

Ancient Cycle, Authors, Carlos Castaneda, Tales of Power / By / 39 minutes of reading

Upon returning home, Carlos finds that his usual bewilderment after extraordinary experiences has diminished, and he feels ready to see don Juan again. Don Juan finds him in a Mexican market and takes him to don Genaro’s favorite spot, where he begins a thorough recapitulation of his teaching strategy. Don Juan explains that his role as teacher has been to “clean and reorder” Carlos’s tonal (the rational self) by guiding his attention, while don Genaro, as benefactor, is responsible for demonstrating the nagual (the non-rational, unknown side). He details various techniques used to achieve this, such as “grabbing with his will” to stop internal dialogue, the “right way of walking” to flood the tonal with information, and seemingly nonsensical “joking tasks” to teach acting without expecting rewards. Don Juan also explains how the worthy opponent, La Catalina, was used to force Carlos into choosing the warrior’s path. He emphasizes that the “sorcerers’ explanation” involves understanding that our perceived world is merely a reflection within a “bubble of perception,” which the teacher helps to rearrange and the benefactor helps to open from the outside, allowing access to one’s totality.

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Part Two: The Sorcerer’s Ring of Power

Ancient Cycle, Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan / By / 61 minutes of reading

Castaneda grapples with the profound implications of “stopping the world” and becoming a sorcerer as explained by Don Juan and exemplified by Don Genaro’s story. Castaneda learns that this path means abandoning all earthly attachments, including loved ones, and embracing an unknown reality from which there is no return to his old life in Los Angeles. Despite the deep sadness and loneliness this realization evokes, he is told that only as a warrior, balancing terror with wonder, can one survive this path, and though he experiences a fleeting moment of “seeing” their profound loneliness, Castaneda ultimately decides he is not yet ready to fully embark on this transformative journey.

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Part One: Stopping the World – A Worthy Opponent

Ancient Cycle, Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan / By / 26 minutes of reading

Castaneda faces further encounters with the enigmatic sorceress, “la Catalina,” whom Don Juan reveals to be his designated “worthy opponent,” crucial for his development as a warrior. Don Juan uses these events to teach Castaneda about living strategically, emphasizing control over one’s “doing” and the importance of specific actions and postures, like the “rabbit thumping” dance, when confronting non-ordinary threats. A key lesson revolves around Don Juan’s demonstration of manipulating perception through the “ring of power” and the “ring of not-doing,” explaining how our collective “doing” creates reality and how a sorcerer can transcend it. Castaneda’s fear, self-doubt, and previous social “doings” are highlighted as weaknesses that his struggle with la Catalina forces him to overcome, pushing him to adopt a disciplined, strategic approach to life.

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Part One: Stopping the World – The Ring of Power

Ancient Cycle, Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan / By / 23 minutes of reading

Castaneda’s journey with Don Juan continues as they explore “not-doing” in the lava mountains, where Castaneda practices altering his perception of light and darkness and acquires a power object. They encounter four young men, who are sorcerer’s apprentices, and Don Juan teaches them about power objects like quartz crystals and the methods for attracting a spirit or ally to imbue these objects with power. A dramatic demonstration by Don Juan, where each observer saw him in a different “disguise,” leads to a discussion of the “ring of power” and the “ring of not-doing,” illustrating how “doing” shapes our shared reality and how not-doing allows for different perceptions. Castaneda grapples with the strenuous nature of the sorcerer’s path, while Don Juan emphasizes that a warrior transforms their ordinary world into a “hunting ground” by skillfully navigating between “doing” and “not-doing.”

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Part One: Stopping the World – Not-Doing

Ancient Cycle, Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan / By / 32 minutes of reading

After confronting “entities” in the wilderness, Castaneda accompanies Don Juan to a “place of predilection” for cleansing and to learn the profound concept of “not-doing.” Don Juan explains that “doing” defines our everyday perception of the world, while “not-doing” allows a warrior to manipulate reality, access hidden truths, and even enhance dreaming. Castaneda experiments with not-doing by observing shadows and a pebble, leading to extraordinary perceptual shifts and a deeper understanding of the lines of the world and personal power. Don Juan also advises Castaneda to challenge his negative self-perception by consciously “lying” to himself, viewing it as a new “doing” to ultimately achieve the “not-doing of the self.”

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Part One: Stopping the World – The Gait of Power

Ancient Cycle, Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan / By / 45 minutes of reading

Don Juan instructs Castaneda on the nature of personal power and “the gait of power,” a special way of moving in darkness. Castaneda is left alone in the treacherous night, confronting terrifying “entities of the night” which Don Juan later explains are real dangers attracted to those with insufficient power. Don Juan emphasizes that Castaneda’s frightening encounters are a sign of his accumulating personal power and his body’s need for new experiences, contrasting this with Castaneda’s “chintzy” habit of humoring people, which he must overcome. The practice of “not-doing,” such as focusing on shadows instead of leaves, is introduced as a key method for acquiring and storing this vital power.

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