The Astral Lightby Magi The astral can be considered as the energy double of the material. It is, in one sense, the stuff of which dreams are made. The substance from which their images are made is the astral light, which is the energy of Yesod on the Tree of Life. It is the same substance which gives light and life to anything you imagine, whether visually or using the other senses. The astral light, which is equivalent to the astral plane, is the realm of astral projection or travel. Astral projection works through the combination of will and imagination, creating the required and appropriate images. These 'come to life' in the astral light of Yesod. Although the quality of feeling about it may be different, the images created in visual imagination, day-dreams, night-dreams, guided fantasy or directed day-dreaming are all - in terms of their relevance and their substance - identical with the images of astral travelling. Various groups over the whole history of humankind have concentrated their energies, imagination and will on various symbols or symbolic systems - both mystical and magickal in emphasis - and have created 'permanent' astral planes; that is, places where the astral light has been imprinted with the symbols of a certain belief. For example, on the astral plane, various sub-plans may be found: an alchemical plane, a Tibetan plane, a Christian plane, a fairy plane, a Celtic plane and so. Wile there are more collective than individual in character, it is through Yesod that an individual may contact these planes. The astral plane is an intermediate and invisible level of reality between the physical plane and higher, more divine realms. It is the common boundary between the individual and noumenal reality. A non-physical level of existence that is the basis of the physical plane. Astral travelling is the practice of travelling out of the physical in the astral planes. It is the transference of consciousness from the physical to the astral body, in a way that the practitioner perceives and moves about on the astral plane in a body of light, while the physical body remains inert. By using astral projection, the magician enters this world and interacts with angels, elementals and other beings. Astral projection in the Golden Dawn tradition can be described as a form of self-hypnosis that uses symbols as doorways in order to cause change in consciousness. From these higher levels of consciousness the magician often tries to see the underlying cause of things. 
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