Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's just past midnight, so we can proceed with a new Magic Monday. Ask me anything about occultism and I'll do my best to answer it. Any question received by midnight Monday Eastern time will get an answer. (Any question received after then will not get an answer, and will more than likely just be deleted.) If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 143,916th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.0 of The Magic Monday FAQ here.

The diagram?  That's the basic footwork diagram from The Academy of the Sword by Gerard Thibault, a 17th century manual of rapier fencing based on sacred geometry (translation available here). That's Thibault over on the right -- a brilliant swordsman and also a close student of Renaissance occultism. He quotes a long passage from Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy in the introductory essay to his book.

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I've also had quite a few people over the years ask me where they should buy my books, and here's the answer. Bookshop.org is an alternative online bookstore that supports local bookstores and authors, which a certain other gargantuan corporation doesn't, and I now have a shop there, which you can check out here. Please consider patronizing it if you'd like to purchase any of my books online.

And don't forget to look up your Pangalactic New Age Soul Signature at CosmicOom.com.

With that said, have at it! 

***This Magic Monday is now closed. See you next week!***

Comments

star ruby

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I know you’re not a thelema person but I was wondering if I could benefit from your ritualist’s critical eye?

Question: Is there any unbalanced connection between the star ruby ritual and Daath?

Background: I have been doing LBRP and middle pillar for about a year.

I really like chapter 1 of the Book of the Law and have been very interested in the goddess Nuit.

Hence I tried introducing star ruby to my daily practice instead of LBRP twice now and both times I developed throat issues after a week or so (therefore my question re: daath)

Many thanks in advance!

I like the Book of the

Re: star ruby

[ecosophia]

I haven't practiced the Star Ruby or, for that matter, any of Crowley's rituals, so I don't have any personal experience as to their effects, balanced or otherwise. It does sound as though, for whatever reason, the Star Ruby isn't a good fit for you. You don't have to give up the LBRP just because you find Thelema appealing, however -- as far as I know, Liber O vel Manus et Sagittae remains an officially approved Thelemic system of practice, and it uses the LBRP in its classic GD form -- you can find an online copy here.

Carchar confusion

[(Anonymous)]

I've been working with geomancy through the CGD and am having some trouble with the interpretation of Carchar as judge. I was hoping you could help set me straight.

The question: What will be the result of me quitting my job?

1st Mother: Coch
2nd Mother: Bendith Fawr
3rd Mother: Elw
4th Mother: Gwyn

1st Daughter: Pobl
2nd Daughter: Colled
3rd Daughter: Elw
4th Daughter: Cyswllt

1st Niece: Pen Y Ddraig
2nd Niece: Pen Y Ddraig
3rd Niece: Colled
4th Niece: Bendith Fawr

RW: Pobl
LW: Carchar
J: Carchar

I see the judge is Carchar and the the LW is Carchar with the way of points proceeding from there to 3rd Niece Colled and 2nd Daughter Colled. My initial reading is the blandly straightforward: "If you quit your job then you will have quit your job and the job that you have spent the most time on outside of the home will be quit." The paired 1st/2nd Niece Pen Y Ddraigs then get reflected in RW Pobl so I will have a new beginning.

However:

1) Normally, I see Carchar as a big fat STOP sign, but in this case because I am asking about quitting, does that mean this is a favorable judge due to carchar's association with withdrawal?

2) How would I interpret favorability/unfavorability in this context? I know I have the ability to quit at any time, so "favorable" as in "you will be able to quit" is trivial, hence my bland reading, but would a favorable figure extend beyond that to indicate, for instance, a positive impact of some sort on my life?

3) I am extra confused by Carchar being the LW, or the thing asked about while RW, me, is Pobl or passivity. I'm the one actively quitting my job in the question, not my job quitting me! I've even investigated trying to get "sacrificed" by my boss for severance and been told (and I trust their info) the company had no plans to cut anyone in my area, so I'm stumped.

4) I see Coch as 1st Mother, or my personality and nature. I know Coch as RW means I should meditate on whether I am deluding myself or similar, but though I can't seem to track it down I seem to remember seeing somewhere on a previous MM that Coch as 1st Mother can have a similar meaning. Am I remembering that right?

Re: Carchar confusion

[ecosophia]

It seems to me that you've overthinking it. Carchar is in fact a stop sign, and it's saying "Don't do it!" The judge and witnesses suggest to me that the idea of quitting the job isn't really yours -- you may be being influence by another person, or by people in general -- and Carchar as the left witness is a very bad sign -- another "don't do it!" indication. By the way, Coch as the first mother warns you that you're not being honest with yourself about the question.

Swimming trough heavy waters

[vitranc]

Hi JMG,

1. I have recently found it hard to concentrate. My mind feels weighted down and just wanders. This is plaguing me in normal life, but is especially troublesome in meditation and my current scrying projects. Any suggestions or advice on how to get more focused?

2. for the last 5-6 days I have felt constantly tired and have a constant light to mild headache. ( unvaxxed) anyone experience any disturbingly lethargic as of late?

Best regards,
V

Re: Swimming trough heavy waters

[(Anonymous)]

Hi,
Yes, I have felt the same way for a couple of weeks now. It feels like the aftereffects of a bad flu.
Maxine

[jprussell]

Good evening!

Thank you as always for your generosity in sharing your wisdom.

1. Last week you answered a question with "If you practice magic, it's best to work with a single pantheon in your magical workings, but that doesn't restrict what you do in your religious life." I'm curious, is there a known reason for why it's best to work with a single pantheon for magic, or is it just one of those things that's been found out empirically?

2. On Saturday, right before invoking the fire gate in my SOP, I heard a knock on the door. I went to answer it, bought some candy from a kid raising money for an after-school program, and then came back and started the ritual over and completed it. Not too long ago, as part of an answer you said something like "Always finish the ritual!" - anything I could have done better in this situation?

3. In the Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic book club posts, you talk about the kind of "three-dimensionality" you get from meditating on each tarot card and its associations with the chapter. Any recommendations for what to meditate on to get such three-dimensionality from the Ogham fews, other than each of the symbolic associations listed in the Druid Handbook? If those are the best option, any thoughts on which set of associations to start with?

4. I believe our host has declined to answer this in the past, so for the commentariat: any recommendations for a good natal astrologer to consult for a high-quality birth chart?

Thanks much,
Jeff

[ecosophia]

1) In magic, the deities you work with form your basic alphabet of energies. If you use a complete pantheon, you've got a complete alphabet. If you grab a few from one pantheon, a few from another, and so on, you're likely to end up with an incomplete alphabet, and so there will be forces you can't work with -- in effect, words you can't spell because you don't have the letters.

2) Did your decision work well for you?

2) Eventually somebody's going to write a book on the Ogham that'll do that. Until then, start with the associations in the Handbook -- all of them -- and see how far you can get.

4) I recommend going to the American Federation of Astrologers website at astrologers.com and seeing if there's somebody in your area that they certify.

Don´t enter the Light?

[(Anonymous)]

A relatively popular "theory" or speculation on various "metaphysical" forums lately is the idea that near-death experiences can be malign, and that one should *not* enter "the Light" (especially not after your physical body really died), since the Light is fake. In the more paranoid versions, the Light is identified with something demonic. I´ve even seen people reference the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Coda" in this context! (It´s about an evil space alien who masquerades as a deceased loved one during a near-death experience, in order to lure the soul into its cosmic spider web in order to feast on it, or something to that effect.)

A less paranoid version (Damien Echols) claims that the Light comes from the Ouroboros or the Abyss, and that it hinders the soul from ascending to the divine spheres. Echols claims to have personally experience this during mediations: he saw the Light, entered it, and was immidiately cast down to Earth again.

What´s your take on this? Is there *something* to these speculations, or is it just paranoia, or some kind of strange fad? Note that Echols claims to work with the Golden Dawn material.

Tidlösa, Sweden

Sources (videoclip warning - I know you don´t like videos, so this is for reference only):
First, the Star Trek clip (mostly for fun). Next, the Echols clip, which is rather long. The Ouroboros material I´m referring to is around 32:00 - 37:00, but for context interested people should watch at least 19:00 - 37:00.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghSq2qlwrs0&t=17s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz3LV9tkU4g

Re: Don´t enter the Light?

[ecosophia]

Saints and sages down through many centuries have said that going into the light is the right choice. I trust them more than I trust random chatter on the internet. As for Damien, he's quite correct in a way -- if you're not ready to pass through it, it'll send you back. (That happens in near-death experiences quite often.)

[booklover1973]

Good morning, JMG!

Do you know if the book "Astrological Essays" by Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson is any good? Are there other astrology books by her which you can recommend (or advice against)?

Thanks!

[ecosophia]

Anything and everything Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson wrote about astrology is worth its weight in gold. She's one of the two astrologers who have most strongly influenced my practice. If you can get her book Simplified Horary Astrology, that's particularly good -- it's the book that taught me how to get clear interpretations from horary charts.

[(Anonymous)]

I've meant to ask this for nearly a year now. Having read Barbara McClintock's biography, I sense that her research was a spiritual project, yet exactingly rigorous in following the rule or empirical science. Yet she could "see" things that her peers missed, usually because they weren't even looking.... (Her attitude towards some things unaccepted by science was "Well, I don't know. I haven't studied that" ) It's as if she was married to the (a?) spirit of the corn in a sense, although in her day marriage to a human would have ended her career! Do you think she was in contact with a deva or other entity that drew her attention to specific phenomenon, and otherwise gave her a sense of the organism? -Berserker

[ecosophia]

I haven't read her biography and don't know that much about her, so I couldn't tell you -- might have been a connection with a deva, might have been a connection with her own higher self, might have been simply a well-developed presence on the mental plane.

[(Anonymous)]

Re Thibault—how did he die? 😄

Kidding aside, I tried his footwork pattern. I don’t know anything about European fencing, but found it interesting anyway. I started with stepping to the left, out of instinct, and when I finished I noticed a step on the bottom that I’d missed. Is that supposed to be the first step?

—Princess Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

1) Sickness. He had poor health from childhood onward and was introduced to fencing to try to build up his health. He was never defeated in a fencing match.

2) No, the foot positions are initial stances. Here's the basic stance:

Shadow people

[(Anonymous)]

Good very early morning JMG!

Here's some background in regards to my questions. I'm a new college student and live in a college dorm. Ever since I moved in, every so often I've been seeing things appearing in my room. Originally I thought it was just my imagination, but then a few weeks ago I had a friend of mine over and he himself saw something appear. He called it a 'shadow person' for lack of a better term, and he saw it during the day. He's been known to see figures like that appear before, so he told me to do banishing rituals and hope for the best. I have been, despite this, they, or it, still comes back. I've been going through an extremely emotionally hard time lately, and it seems like it more often than not shows up when I'm either being affected by the distress, or when I'm trying to rid myself of it, so I'm wondering a few things:

1. Can extreme emotional distress attract things such as 'shadow people' or beings of the sort that aren't always visible or physical?

2. How do I go about dealing with these figures if banishing is only keeping them away for a short time?

Thank you!
-Rose

Re: Shadow people

[ecosophia]

1) No, but strong emotiona;l states can make you more aware of the inner planes.

2) The universe is full of interpenetrating planes of being, and all of them are present everywhere all the time. Don't worry about the things you see -- one of my teachers used to call them "astral static," and they mean about as much as the static on an old radio. A daily banishing ritual is a good idea anyway; just do that, and don't worry about the minor weirdness you see.

My wife and I, when we were going through this same stage, had ghost cats. Our guests would see them from time to time, too. They eventually went away.

An Array of Questions

[goatgodschild]

Mr. Greer --

It has been a rather wild week, so I've got a lot of queries. Also, this week I received your Natural Magic book this week, and have been enjoying it immensely. Thank you for writing so well, and providing such sensible information.

1) What is the magical significance of ammonites? Previously, I have used mine as a magical battery and magical concentration device, but I wanted to check in with you and the commentariat as well.

2)I have been thrown out of my body quite a bit this week. Generally, I have been floating out, sinking down, or watching myself, but earlier this week I got thrown into a classmate's body! I was looking at him shift his right hand about in an odd way, and suddenly looked down to realize I was IN his body rather than my own! I hurried back to my own body, and was QUITE unsettled by the experience. I don't know if he noticed, though, and it's the first time it's ever happened to me.

3) Yesterday, I went on a short walk while reading Dion Fortune's Goat-Foot God, though it eventually grew too dark to read. At the park at the end of the walk, I hailed Pan, but was obliged to turn around and head back rather quickly. During this walk back, I received two peculiar visions.
- That my mind is like a sandstone wall or cliff, and there are vines prying the sandstone wall apart, changing it into something new. The vines were nasturtiums, incidentally.
- When I came to a crossing in the road, a car came up. I was standing in a certain way, and I was thrown out of my body so that I could see myself perceived as both a young man and a deer. It passed once the car did, and my soul returned to my body.

4) I asked my Tarot Cards about reaching out to the family who owns the goat farm property, and received an intriguing answer:

Present: (rev) 9 of Swords
Thoughts: 4 of Swords
Feelings: Strength
Direction from Spirit: The Emperor
Inner Wisdom: The High Priestess
Future: (rev) 2 of Wands

Most of it I understand, but I am not sure how to interpret the reversed 2 of Wands for my future. My best guess is "you're not ready"? Or general unreadiness? Thus the confusion.

As always, thank you for your aid and advice to all of us.

Re: An Array of Questions

[ecosophia]

1) I've never seen them discussed in the old lore, so you're breaking new ground as far as I know.

2 and 3) I'm not sure what the questions are in these cases.

4) You need more preparation. Get to work on it!

[reid_pnw]

JMG,

In the last couple weeks I’ve been getting drastically more sensitive to symbols and other visual stimulus than I ever have been before. For instance, last night I was randomly flipping through the GD Papers and landed on the colour plates with the Enochian tablets, and while looking at them I felt like there was a big gust of wind that blew against me. Granted, the tablets are obviously very potent so that’s not an incredible example, but you get the point.

Just curious if you have any thoughts or think there’s any extra magical precautions I should be taking on my day-to-day or anything being that this came on quite suddenly. Part of being on the spectrum for me includes being a ‘highly sensitive’ person (hate that term), but this is new.

Cheers,
Reid

(Also if any of you are reading this, thanks to everyone who helped me out with the exorcism recommendations on last week’s MM. They were all very useful.)

[ecosophia]

All you can do is make sure you're banishing daily, and also make sure you get plenty of sleep and plenty of B vitamins. Other than that, this is something that happens sooner or later to most people on the magical path -- all these things were happening before, you're just aware of them now.

I hate it when this happens!

[kimberlysteele]

Thank goodness it's not that easy...

Re: I hate it when this happens!

[ecosophia]

Definitely one step up from the famous "Table Cat" meme:

[(Anonymous)]

Is there a real life equivalent to the Jedi mind trick? "you don't need to see my v****** passport" "everything is in order move along" If so how do you do it?

[ecosophia]

If I could do it, would I admit it in a public forum like this? And if I could teach it, would I teach it in a public forum like this, given that plenty of people would like to use it for something rather less positive? "You don't need to see the signature on this check" comes to mind...

Bathing

[australiandreamer]

Is there a way to do the hoodoo bath in the FAQ if you don't have a bathtub?

Is there any correlation between that and the cold showers I seem to remember being recommended?

Re: Bathing

[(Anonymous)]

You can stand in a washing up bowl that's big enough for both your feet. I have a bath and still use one as it uses less water and it can all be tipped into the watering can.

Sorry about all the questions

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG

Thanks so much for your magic Mondays

1. I've been practising your version of the LMP for several months now. However I've just purchased Lyam Christopher's GD manual and his version is different (I'd say it is closer to regardies verson). I've been thinking of following Lyam's initiation guide so would you suggest I modify the ritual if I do or stick to your version?

2. Do you know much about Lyam Christopher's guide (Kabbalah magic and the great work of self transformation) and would you recommend it/ is there anything I should avoid or pitfalls to watch out for?

3. Is there any material available for moving beyond the 5=6 grade? I'm trying to gather resources for many years into the future given my location (close to the bottom of the global supply chain) and the unknown of how far down the slope of decline we will be when I get there

4. What does the word 'Intelligence' mean in the path texts for each sphere on the tree of life?

5. I've been practising the Neophyte meditation and I am utterly confused - consider a point as defined in mathematics, having position but no magnitude etc. I'm unsure how a point can possibly have position but no magnitude - isn't everything on the physical plane always at motion (a lot of it just too slowly for us to register)? Am I making a mistake by thinking too much of the physical plane or am I missing something? The only thing Ive been able to think of was that a point without magnitude must be an artificially defined point, made up by humans - as everything is moving, everything is composed of a flow of ether, everything is alive in some sense, except that which we define not to be like a point on a Cartesian plane? Am I missing something or way off base here? I've had a lot of frustrating meditations that have all looped back to these same ideas.

Thanks!
(Sorry about all the questions)

Re: Sorry about all the questions

[ecosophia]

1) If you're going to work with Christopher's manual, use his version. That's a good general rule, btw -- use the specific versions of rituals in whatever text you study. Knowing more than one version of a ritual is not a drawback!

2) I haven't read it -- I finished my work in the Hermetic GD tradition long before it was published. I know people who like it a great deal, however.

3) To move beyond the 5=6, you need to make contact with your Higher Self, and that will provide you with all the instruction you need.

4) It might be better translated as "state of consciousness."

5) No, you're fine. That's a good first pass through the concept. What I'd recommend -- and I'm pretty sure this was standard practice in the original GD, though things had fallen off by the time Regardie got to it -- is to go on and give a few days of meditation to each item in the First Knowledge lecture; meditate on the elements, the planets, and the signs, seeing what ideas they inspire in you. Do the same thing with each of the following knowledge lectures, after you do each of the assigned meditations, and you'll end up with a far better grasp of the symbolism of the GD than most modern students ever get.

Activity in the spirit world?

[(Anonymous)]

Lately I’ve been experiencing occasional accesses of rage or violent thoughts which take me some effort to set aside and to calm myself. It’s not out of control by any means, but it’s not usual for me and is disturbing. Do you suppose it is possible that at this turbulent time in history more bad spirits are more actively trying to influence human beings and overthrow our mental equilibrium than is usual? It would certainly explain a lot. In any case, I’ll keep on with regular banishings.

Re: Activity in the spirit world?

[ecosophia]

That might be the work of noxious spirits, but it might also be currents of rage in the collective consciousness of humanity -- a lot of people are angry and terrified right now, and we're all part of a common consciousness, so we can brush up against it from time to time. Keep making the effort and banish regularly -- you're helping to bring the collective mind back toward balance.

[(Anonymous)]

Do you think there's anything to the Trump Curse? The idea that people who publicly deride Donald Trump tend to have very bad things happen to them. Because Alec Baldwin's sure feeling it right now. There are large compilation images of Trump opponents who have met with other kinds of misfortune.

[ecosophia]

It seems quite possible to me that something of the sort is happening. Trump has a lot of people praying for him, after all, and prayer is a real force on the inner side of things.

[(Anonymous)]

See item 9. Why not indeed?

https://babylonbee.com/news/10-signs-you-accidentally-started-watching-a-christian-movie

More tentacles!

—Princess Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

It seems to me that having a Lovecraftian horror emerge from the oceanic depths and consume all of San Diego would cause the opposite of a faith crisis. Now of course some of us would be capering around in strange robes tracing the Elder Sign in the air and chanting "Yog Sothoth Neblod Zin," but that's faith, too. ;-)

Though it would be better if the Lovecraftian horror consumed all of San Francisco. If that happened I think you'd have plenty of people who don't worship the Great Old Ones falling on their knees to say a prayer of thanks!

Energy centers in feet

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG, hope you're well! Thanks for your time and this space.

I have a question about energy centers and the SOP. For a while now, whenever doing any kind of energy work, the soles of my feet have become intensely hot and painful, usually not unbearably so, but always quite noticeable nonetheless. This has happened since the first time I ever did energy work with concious intent at all, though I think I was secretly getting a tutorial from doing 9 years of Aikido before that, where we breathed into our womb center as a matter of course. Usually my whole body becomes quite hot as well; one time in Qigong, I was literally more sweaty and overheated than during my hardest, most intense workout. The SOP is getting to that level of heat and pressure. My old Qigong teacher (before I started to focus on western occultism solely) told me that the specific hot, painful feeling was energy centers opening up in my feet, and that once they were open, my chest, head, and the rest of my body would have much better access to the earth energy that is brought in by energy work. Plus, that my feet would stop hurting so much! However, this was literally four years ago! I still feel it quite strongly, with basically no change at all. My question is this; am I doing anything wrong? Four years feels like a very long time; should I just keep on trucking forward, or do I need to reevaluate what I am doing and maybe change something so that I can open these energy centers? I feel the flow of energy around my body reasonably strongly during the SOP, and this sense has slowly but surely developed as I have done it. I thought this was a good sign, but now I am a little more cautious after remembering this conversation.

-Derpherder

Re: Energy centers in feet

[ecosophia]

I'd encourage you to talk to an acupuncturist. That sounds like a blockage that a little work with the meridians could clear away.

planetary charity and full moon

[(Anonymous)]

I was thinking about starting planetary charity for the Moon but missed last Monday. Because it was a full moon on Wednesday I figured that must have some power and I made a £9 donation at an hour of the Moon that day. What should I now do? Can that be treated as a one-off? If I continue it on Mondays will I need to do eight Mondays or nine?

Re: planetary charity and full moon

[ecosophia]

You could also do it on the next eight full moons!

I don't recommend mixing planetary positions with planetary days/hours, so if you want to do it on Mondays, do it on nine of them.

European shamanic federation

[(Anonymous)]

Hello mr Greer, quite a random question but I thought it was worth a shot. I manage a nature preserve in Europe and a non-profit calling themselves "Fédération chamanique européenne" (european shamanistic foundation) or Shamanika just booked a guided visit in a few months. Have you heard of them by any chance? Their (italian) founder claims to be trained in the practice of siberian, south-american, and european shamanism.
In any case this will be a regular old nature-themed visit, curious to see the extent of their knowledge on this subject. Maybe I'll drop a line here once the visit takes place in 3 months!

Best regards,
Jeremy

Re: European shamanic federation

[ecosophia]

I've never heard of them, but then I don't have a lot of contacts in the modern shamanism scene. By all means let us know how it turns out!

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG, thank you for this space. In my younger and more foolish days I dabbled a fair bit with LSD and magic mushrooms. I never had a bad experience and if anything these experiences have led to a greater appreciation of the world and its mystery. I was just wondering if this sort of dabbling in psychedelics has the potential to open a person up to infiltration from the other realms, both from beneficial and malign entities? From people I have met who are long term crystal meth abusers I can see they have almost been completely claimed by some sort of malign spiritual influence. So I guess what I am getting at is do drugs and their use and abuse have the potential to open channels that should best be left alone to the untrained mind?

[ecosophia]

I did the same thing, and lived to tell the tale. ;-) Dabbling in psychedelics does tend to open you up a little bit, but if it's been a while you should be fine.

Skill transfer across incarnations

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

some questions about how skills transfer (or not) across incarnations

1) Is there a way to acquire/practice skills in the present incarnation with the intent of accessing them in the next incarnation? (say I want to have some musical skills in the next (and future) incarnations. Beyond just practicing music in some form in this incarnation, is there something I can do to ensure they actually manifest in the next?)

2) How can I, in this incarnation, access skills I've practiced in previous incarnations? Is there a ritual, or some other practice that would help with this? (of course I assume, I have picked up *some* skills, somewhen!)

3) If someone has a limited time to live, say with a diagnosis of a particularly untreatable cancer (happened to a friend, he has 6 months to a year to live as per his doctor) does it make sense to pick up a magical/devotional/occult system and practice intensely in the time remaining (so he can continue in his next incarnation)?

How would such a practice differ from a more normal/slow paced practice? Just the same practices, but perhaps multiple times a day?

As always,
Thanks in advance,
KaliDasa

Re: Skill transfer across incarnations

[ecosophia]

What passes from one incarnation to another isn't skill, but talent. Mozart is the great example -- he must have spent a dozen lives practicing music, but he still needed to take lessons in playing and composition to turn his talent into skill.

Everything you practice in this life lays down patterns that provide you with a talent you can use in lives to come. Similarly, every talent you have in his life is the result of practice in previous lives. There's no special trick, no ritual, just lots of hard work. I practice music in my present life with this in mind -- I have no talent for music at all, but that won't be true the next time around.

As for your friend, well, remember that all of us have a limited time to live. The only difference is how many years. Systematic practice of spirituality is a good idea in any case, and that builds the most useful of all talents -- the talent for connecting with the higher dimensions of the self and the cosmos. In a situation like your friend's, I'd say it would be best to start at the ordinary pace, and ramp up a little at a time depending on what his health will permit.

Geomancy

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

The eye doctor gave me a prescription for dry eyes,
consisting of a multivitamin complex with Omega 3.
I am afraid of overloading my body with too many vitamins.

So I cast a geomancy house chart.
The question: “Is this medicine good for me?”

1st house: Fortuna Major
2nd house: Populus
3rd house: Carcer
4th house: Laetitia
5th house: Fortuna Major
6th house: Populus
7th house: Laetitia
8th house: Amissio
9th house: Fortuna Major
10th house: Tristitia
11th house: Fortuna Major
12th house: Albus

Right witness: Albus
Left witness: Tristitia
Judge : Fortuna Major
Reconciler : Populus
Index: 4th house, Laetitia
Part of Fortune: 8th house, Amissio

My questions are:

- Where should I look for perfection:
Between 1st and 10th houses (is the medicine good for me) or
between 6th and 10th houses ( is it good for my disease)?

- Perfection is attained through Fortuna Major in 9th and 11th houses.
What additional information do these houses bring to the answer?

- What good fortune comes from 8th house, Amissio (Part of Fortune)?

Thank you.

Re: Geomancy

[ecosophia]

The house of the querent is always the 1st. The house of the quesited in any health question is the 6th. The chart perfects, so the answer is "Yes, this will be good for you." As for the rest, don't overthink it. You asked a straightforward question, accept the straightforward answer.

[malenkiyscot]

Greetings!


1a. Do you have biological children?
1b. If not, are there people that you consider your children?

While the above is not a question about magic, it's important for my understanding of your writings.

2. I read most of the post-war Hesse in my mid to late 30s. His books had such a profound depressing influence on me, that I could not make myself to re-read any of them. Suppose I go back to reading those books again, any thoughts on how I can avoid such a painful reaction?

3a. Why do you think there is a strict prohibition against magic in the Bible?
3b. What are your thoughts on why, despite the prohibition, devout Christians and Jews practiced magic under various guises?
3c. Is the above somehow organically connected to the essence of the Magian culture ?

4. How would you describe the difference between idolatry and paganism?

Thank you!

[(Anonymous)]

These are great questions!

—Princess Cutekitten