I have something that I wanted to share, but was unsure about which sub-forum to start a new topic in. Responding to this topic seems best.
I have used NAP as the framework for just about everything I've done in these arts, with little attempts at other systems. I've incorporated non-NAP things into NAP, but mostly everything I've done has the "I am beginning the New Avatar Power Ritual. I call on the Inner Planes to witness. I state my purpose thus: Ankar Yod-Hey-Vau-Hey" and eventually the call to Arzel (I sometimes stuff things between there in addition to the relax part). I still consider myself very much a novice, at best, partly because I'm still staying very close to home with this system. I still haven't felt the need to use the Pendulum yet, or other parts of the book nor all the spirits. Instead, I've incorporated outside elements into the system, improvising it and seeing how it goes.
But, what I wanted to share are the kinds of indications I get that the inner planes are communicating or working with me. Mainly I'm aiming this at people who are new and will be wondering how effectiveness of their work can be measured-- because we're not always working on things that have clear "yes/no" type results. I think the "OP" has found the answers already.
So, the most common ways for me to see some kind of results are: dreams, sudden (not very urgent) urges, a "thought-voice" coming into my head during the ritual with suggestions/answers, stumbling into what they're telling me, other people's actions, and the taking over of my mouth (the latest thing, but this was strange).
I don't always wake up with a dream in my memory, but sometimes I wake up with 3 from a night, and they tend to come in batches where if I have a dream I know to start keeping the notebook handy because I'll have more for some period of time-- not always daily. The dreams vary in cryptocity (a word?) and most powerful one took a long time to make sense. My consistency and intensity of practice varies, but when I'm working the practice well dreams happen. It is up to me to interpret and use what they are saying.
Sudden urges will be like I finish the ritual, start going about the next thing in my day and suddenly be like "man, this is buggin' me. I should just sit down and goggle this thing" and boom some path forward for me that was confusing becomes more clear. This more clear thing happens in stages it seems for me. The full picture may not emerge right away but over some time with subsequent "revelations". I could deny the urge, but I think I'm learning not to. It's not overwhelming (for me anyway), so be sensitive to it.
When I worked with the magic mentor, I got answers (not that I asked questions, but matters that were inscrutable became clear via little sentences) or inspirations for things I was working on. I described this kinda in detail in some other thread. This would happen after contacting my MM and then meditating in a very relaxed state. Keep the note book handy.
Many times I am wondering how to use NAP for some thing that isn't exactly covered. I'll do the basic ritual, hang with Arzel, do what ever else I do but feel like it's not the most accurate thing I could be doing (I should just ask, but this is only dawning on me now). Then I'll stumble into something either in conversation, or on line, or watching tv or reading some book that would otherwise be unrelated. Often it seems like it is the first new bit of information I stumble into after a ritual as I go about my day and something in my head says "that. that's the answer".
Here is a great source of answers and clarification for things I didn't even know I was looking for. If I end up sitting down at the computer after a ritual, the first new, to me, thread that catches my eye often has some info that then triggers the "that" moment. But it could be anything.
Other's people's actions is just that. Like today, I kinda expected to wake with a dream in my memory, but I didn't. But later on in the day I got a call with some information that surprised us both-- the caller and me. This also falls into the gradual unveiling of information mentioned above, as it added to information that came up the other day.
Taking over my mouth only happened once but it counts. every time I went to say one particular word, another one came out for about a day and half. It was weird. I don't want to go into specifics, but came to realize that this word was telling me to go and do some reading up on it and pursue it. She-bam, I get a giant chunk of information to move something forward with, more homework to do, and a titanic inspiration for a future project or 3.
So, while I hold out hope for the visual coupled with a "Hi, spirit, would you mind answering this short quiz?" kind of result (the reflecting on that kind of a result lead me to share this), I am not worried about it at all-- yet, anymore
. Ultimately what I am getting seems more useful to me for what I'm doing than a new pal to chat with-- but I can see where that would be great.