Original Magic: The Rituals and Initiations of the Persian Magi - Stephen E. Flowers Ph.D. 2017

The Ethical Record
Initiation into Magic

Around the third month of the initiatory process, we add another task. This is a record of your ethical work: What good have you done, what truth have you told, what insights have you had? When, on the other hand, have you done bad things, told lies, or thought negative thoughts? To begin making a record of this kind will quickly work its own kind of magic to turn your whole being toward becoming an ashavan: a person of truth. Truth is power. A part of one’s soul—the daêna—is keeping this record regardless of your awareness. It is said that after death the individual will meet this entity before the attempt is made to cross the Chinvat Bridge into the supernal realm. There the record will be played out in all its glory and all of its horror. By confronting this mechanism now and working with it in life, ashavans ensure for themselves safe passage over the Chinvat Bridge and secure for themselves great power in life. You can make two columns in the record: one headed by the word Asha (Truth/Order) the other by the word Druj (Lie). All thoughts, words, and deeds that belong in the first column are recorded there; all that belong to the other column are written there. It will be found that the act of shining the light of conscious awareness on the Lie will quickly cause it to shrink and shrivel and increasingly lose its power in your life.