Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for 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. (Please note:  Any question received after then will not get an answer, and in fact will just be deleted. I've been getting an increasing number of people trying to post after these are closed, so will have to draw a harder line than before.) 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 image?  That's the second card in The Sacred Geometry Oracle, which is hot off the press and starting to reach buyers as I write this -- my copies arrived Friday. (Huzzah!). Card 2, The Point, when upright tells you that it's time to begin; when reversed, it cautions you that you've already committed yourself and have gone too far to back out. The oak leaves on the sides of the image tell you that this card belongs to the first third of the oracle, which corresponds to Calas, the principle of solidity and materiality. 

I've had several people ask about tipping me for answers here, and though I certainly don't require that I won't turn it down. You can use the button above to access my online tip jar. If you're interested in political and economic astrology, or simply prefer to use a subscription service to support your favorite authors, you can find my Patreon page here and my SubscribeStar page here. 

 

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

Symbel, Meditation, a Request

[jprussell]

Good evening, and a happy early solstice to you and all here!

1) This one is as much for the commentariat as JMG: In honor of the solstice, and because I got the idea for how to challenge myself from JMG, I would like to ask the help of any here willing in a virtual version of the heathen ritual of symbel. At important ritual occasions, heathens pass around a blessed drink (usually mead or ale), and as each person gets the horn, he or she makes a toast or a boast. "Boasts" can be of something accomplished, or of something intended for the coming year. Despite the modern connotation of the word, arrogance or excessive pride in boasts are poor form. They're meant to be a way to strengthen the individual's commitment to acting rightly by creating public accountability with Gods and Men for what you will do, and to get some public recognition in front of the same when you succeed. In my case, I'm planning to challenge myself to read only books written by dead people in 2022, with a handful of potential exceptions (if work somehow requires a book read, if I'm learning a skill I will immediately put to use, or if a family member or close friend writes something).

So, if you will, join me in a toast (with whatever beverage suits you), or else send good energy in whatever way you're comfortable with, to my following boast, I'd be much obliged (kindly forgive this early stumbling go at Germanic alliterative verse, I'm pretty new to this):

"Hail Woden, high king,
wide-faring God of Wisdom,
back me in this boast:
Only books by those unliving
will I read while this year turns,
unless needed by unbending work,
or teaching a craft taken on soon after,
or those called up by kith and kin.
Let all here who love learning,
and forbearers of free-thinking fond
witness my bold words
and wish well my work!"

A couple of questions on discursive meditation, but first, thanks very much for your suggestions from Way of the Golden Section to include a standard prayer at the start of each meditation and a spontaneous one at the end - I have found those have already added much to the practice. As for questions:

2) First: What led you to not include color breathing and/or the cleansing breath in the chapter on discursive meditation in The Way of the Golden Section?

3) Related: in the Dreamwidth posts on Discursive Meditation, you suggest a few cycles of Four-Fold Breath at the end of a meditation, but that instruction is not included in either the Druidry Handbook or The Way of the Golden Section. Any thoughts on the pros/cons of ending with some amount of the Four-Fold Breath besides "experiment and see what works for you"?

4) Not so much a question as a longer-term request for consideration: I read After Progress this week and found it very helpful, even if most of the ideas were familiar from the blog. It struck me that there were some complimentary ideas to World Full of Gods, but that you were soft-pedaling the spiritual/occult dimension to make a more palatable case for folks of a materialist bent. So, I, for one, would love to see a work of theology/occult philosophy from you that integrates your current thinking on religion, the theosphere, the subtle planes, and so forth, but "with the gloves off" (i.e. with as frank a discussion of the occult side of things as you're willing to include). So, with all of the spare time in your writing schedule, if you could just knock out that tiny little undertaking, I'm sure I'd not the only one that would be grateful :)

Thank you again for providing this forum and sharing your knowledge, it has been truly valuable.

Cheers,
Jeff

Re: Symbel, Meditation, a Request

[ecosophia]

1) A glass duly raised!

2) I vary the instructions I put into each book, in order to discourage fundamentalism. Some people find color breathing and the cleansing breath useful, others don't; both options are now out there, so that students can choose whether they want to do one, the other, both, or neither.

3) Experiment and see what works for you.

4) Hmm. I'll consider that at some point.

[australiandreamer]

1) In answer to the question in last week's MM “Do you use blinds in any of your books/writing? What's your general opinion on the use of blinds?” you responded “I dislike them and don't use them.” I tried to search what that meant but nothing seemed to match … what is a ‘blind’ in terms of writing?

2) In your response to my tale of red-headed awesomeness in the Empire of Dreams post you replied “Dreamer, funny! There was a UFO book some decades ago titled Celtic Factor Red, if I recall correctly, which insisted that the Irish were descended from aliens or what have you. You could probably use it as raw material for your bestselling conspiracy theory book.” I tried to find any reference to it and the only thing I found was your post … I tried looking for the title and also searching for UFO Books and redheads etc – I found some interesting articles but nothing about a book – any suggestions?

[ecosophia]

1) The idea is that some old occult books contain deliberately false statements, and you only found out the real information if you joined the author's order and became an initiate. It strikes me as a very silly idea.

2) I read about it in another UFO book a very long time ago -- no, I don't recall which book it was. I haven't been able to find a reference to it online either.

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Solstice!
Since winter is upon us, perhaps you and the commentariat might advise us in the hinterlands about seasonal food gathering.
Who do Druids ask to bless hunts, hunters, arms, and – while we’re at it – arms makers?
Any pointers on how would be very welcome, too.
Many thanks!
Rhydlyd

[ecosophia]

It depends on the Druids, of course! I'd invoke Cernunnos to bless hunts and hunters, and Toutatis to bless arms and their makers, but ask another Druid and you'll get a different answer. As to how to do it, why, an extempore prayer and the sign of the Three Rays of Light would be my choice.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello cher druide and mage,

Do you use electional astrology to decide or help in the planning of your works or enterprises ? What is your take on the subject.

Apart from Vivian Robson's book, do you know of any other authors or books that you could recommend.

Many thanks,

Sapienter Si Sincere

[ecosophia]

I use electional astrology for timing fairly often, but I do it in an idiosyncratic way: I time things based on transits to my birth chart. I don't know of a good book on that, which is why I'm about halfway through writing one.

Healing the etheric body

[(Anonymous)]

A poster responding to another topic on this blog recently remarked that the condition of vertigo is related to depletion of or damage to the etheric body. Since you did not rebut this assertion, I am guessing it may well be the case.

For several years my sister has suffered from severe vertigo. All the standard medical modalities have been tried, with very limited success. I am able to give her some relief by massaging certain carefully located points, but the benefit only lasts so long.

Is there any magical practice or operation that can help to heal a depleted, unbalanced or otherwise damaged etheric body? If so, I would like to do this for my sister, with her informed consent of course.

My background is in GD, working with Hellenic deities. I use Tarot for divination.

Re: Healing the etheric body

[ecosophia]

I recommend having her go to a licensed alternative health care provider -- an acupuncturist, a naturopath, a homeopath, an Ayurvedic doctor, or whatever you can find. This isn't something you can treat without specific training, but in my experience it's something that most forms of alternative medicine can treat effectively.

More a comment than a question

[(Anonymous)]

I’ve just ordered a recently published book, “Helios Unbound,” by Nick Farrell. It is an adaptation of the Abramelin operation for those who prefer to work with the Hellenic pantheon rather than the Judeo-Christian tradition. I assume it’s valid; at any rate, Tony Mierzwicki has reviewed it favorably, and he is the author of a couple of books on that general topic.

I understand the Abramelin operation requires a serious and sustained commitment, and that there is no guarantee of success even if you put in the full effort. Nonetheless, I’m rather excited. I can hardly wait to open the book.

Here’s wishing you a happy Solstice.

Re: More a comment than a question

[ecosophia]

I'm glad to hear this. Yes, the Abramelin working takes 6-18 months, depending on which version you do, and it's very demanding, but if you decide that that's the path for you, go ye henceforth and do that thing.

Figuring out the difference between external and purely personal phenomena

[(Anonymous)]

I like to think my main goal in life is self-knowledge, but I also like to feel empowered to accomplish what I want in life. Both of these motivations feed into my recently-begun magic practice. I worry about failing to see where the inner world ends and the outer begins, e.g., misapprehending imaginative psychic responses to a difficult emotion as a malevolent sprit. I really want to avoid this kind of pitfall, which could threaten both empowering and understanding myself. Saturn (tightly conjunct Venus, ouch) is square Neptune in my birth horoscope, so I struggle with illusion. I have meditated and done divination with this problem in mind and will continue to do so; one of my thoughts was that the boundary only becomes absolutely clear at death, when inputs from the gross body cease. What advice do you have for not succumbing to self-deception in magic?

Re: Figuring out the difference between external and purely personal phenomena

[ecosophia]

The main risks of self-deception in magical training come early on, before you have enough experience to deal with the complex boundary between the worlds. The crucial rule is to remember that for all practical purposes, everything you'll experience for the first decade or so of your magical work will be purely psychological in nature, and what isn't psychological can be treated as though it is -- for example, the banishing ritual you should be practicing daily will banish hostile spirits even if you think of those spirits as psychological phenomena. So assume that it's personal for the time being, and you should be fine.

[(Anonymous)]

How common is it for divination to tell the diviner the story he or she needs to hear at the moment, rather than the literal truth about the future?

(I'm thinking of course about current divinations maybe helping postpone domestic hostilities)

Thanks,
Omer

[ecosophia]

In my experiences divination always tells you about the Now, not about the future. Sometimes it allows you to glimpse where things are headed, but the future isn't fixed and so there's only so much that can be said about it. I've never had an oracle tell me a false story I needed to hear. On the other hand, your mileage may vary...

[australiandreamer]

Where does the concept of mages tossing fireballs and lightning bolts etc come from - is it just a fantasy thing or a different kind of magic to the making changes in accordance to ones will (or do the the two work together as per the will and the word in the Belgariad et al).

[ecosophia]

It's entirely a product of bad fantasy novels and the hard limitations of cinema special effects. The Belgariad was clever, but don't take it as a guide to real magic. (You can say "Be not!" until you're blue in the face and not come to any harm, for example.)

Oracle card No 2

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

Upright the crad reads "Beginning"
But upside down it reads: "commitmrent" I guess a missprint for "commitment"?
Regards

Re: Oracle card No 2

[ecosophia]

Yes, it might well be a misprint! I have yet to have any book or other project of mine published that didn't have at least one typo.

[tamanous2020]

Hi JMG,

It occurred to me while reading the eddas, how parts of the cosmology there (the different groups like the Jotun, Vanir and Aesir) correspond to the general layout of Dion Fortune's cosmic doctrine. Jotun= Lords of Flame, Vanir= Lords of Form, Aesir= Lords of Mind.

1. Is this a potential correct hermaneutic? Normally Jotun are considered maleficent, but at least to my reading they're more of a mixed bag, sometime beneficient and other times antagonistic.

2. Did Fortune draw a significant amount of her work from pagan mythology? Or was she primarly getting her schema from the Christian pseudo dionysius tradition?

3. Unrelated matter, have you ever heard of the Japanese manga Bezerk? I just found out the author actually based his magic system on the Golden Dawn of all things. It really adds to the power of his drawings of the 4 archangels which appeared within its pages. That plus his mixing in of Nietzche/Jung seemed like something up your alley, as long you were ok with the quite admittedly dark/disturbing artwork at times.

4. Is it the solar sysyem as a whole that serves as the "physical body" of the solar logos? Or is it just the sun itself, as the name would imply?

Tamanous

[ecosophia]

1) That's a fascinating suggestion and one that I think Fortune herself would have appreciated. I'm far from sure hermeneutics can be correct, or for that matter incorrect; they're tools, not truths, and so the proper distinction is whether they're useful or not.

2) She had some knowledge of Pagan mythologies -- a little Classical, a little Norse, a little Celtic, about as much as most literate people in her time and place. Her schema, however, didn't come from those or from the pseudo-Dionysian tradition -- it came from Theosophy, with a hefty admixture of American Rosicrucianism.

3) No, I don't follow manga, but that's interesting to hear.

4) The body of the Logos is the sun, but his aura extends out to the heliopause, around 9.3 billion miles out from the sun (for comparison, Pluto is 3.6 billion miles from the sun). So we're not in his body, but we're in his aura.

Magic and prayer

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

What is the fundamental difference between magic and prayer? If magic is about causing change in one's consciousness, than I have had some magical experiences during prayer.

One time for example I was praying for a resolution of a personal conflict I had that will both be peaceful but also involve the other party recognizing my way of thinking has some merit. The next day, when I confronted the person I felt as if my entire attitude is different, as normally I do poorly in such situations. Eventually things turned out exactly as I hoped. What makes prayer in situations like this differ from magic?

Re: Magic and prayer

[ecosophia]

People have been fussing over that difference for a long time. Since "magic" and "prayer" are both abstract categories, it's like arguing whether a particular plant is a tree or a shrub: it depends on your definition, and the definitions themselves are among the things that are contested. If you get good results, why worry about the label?

Card 2

[(Anonymous)]

Hi

Upright Oracle card 2 is about beginnings,reversed it means "commitment" but not endings.
(1) Presumably when revered cards do not necessarily mean the opposite?
(2) Which card refer to endings then?

Thanks

Re: Card 2

[ecosophia]

1) No, reversals in the SGO don't mean the opposite of the upright meaning -- the two modes are comfortable and challenging versions of the same concept. Upright, the Point means you've made a start -- yay! Reversed, it means you've made a start, and now it's too late to back out -- oops. Same concept, different emotional valences.

2) Card 32, Squaring the Circle. Upright it means you've succeeded; reversed it means what you're trying can't be done; either way, it's over.

Oracle card No 2

[(Anonymous)]

I managed to write "crad" instead of card!!!!! LOL!!!!
It just shows...

Sacred Geometry

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

(1) Sacred Geometry is nearly always about 2D shapes. Presumably it should make some sense to extend the philosophical aspects of it with 3D shapes. Has anyone written about it yet beyond the platonic solids?

(2)Has fractal geometry been in anyway incorporated into thinking on sacred geometry? It sounds challenging though!

Thanks.

Re: Sacred Geometry

[ecosophia]

Until quite recently, sacred geometry was almost totally neglected, and had been since the Renaissance. What's more, nearly all the work done in the Renaissance focused on recovering the classical Pythagorean teachings! With a few exceptions, very little new has been done with sacred geometry for a very, very long time.

Thus the answer to your question is "No, nobody's had the chance to get to it yet." Maybe that's something you can start working on...

December Solstice

[(Anonymous)]

Hi!

In many nature based religions the solstices and equinoxes are important dates in the calendar. I am also thinking of the many alignments found in ancient monuments. It must have been painstaking to accurately track the heavens and build accordingly.

Beyond agricultural uses and timing of the seasons, why would ancient people spend so much time and effort in tracking the solstices, equinoxes and precessions with great precision?

Are there occult reasons for such endeavours? What were they seeking in doing all that?

In the meantime, allow me to wish a Happy Solstice or a Merry Xmas and/or a Happy New Year (as the case may be!) to our host and commentariat!

It's such a pleasure coming here (and on the ecosophia blog) for sane, polite, scholarly and intelligent discussions in an increasingly insane world.

Many regards and thanks to all!

Re: December Solstice

[ecosophia]

Good heavens, yes. The solstices and equinoxes are extremely important in occultism. At each equinox, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, there's a surge of astral and etheric energy from the Sun to the Earth; if you know how, you can tap into that flow to charge your own subtle bodies and the subtle body of, say, a magical lodge. At each solstice, the energy that flowed in at the previous equinox finishes percolating through the subtle bodies of the Earth, and there's a little "hang time" before it begins fading out; if you know how, you can use that moment of stillness (it's actually about 96 hours long) to bring your subtle bodies and that of a magical lodge into balance.

Many religions use those times, or times derived from them, for special ritual work. Consider Easter -- the first Sunday after the first full moon on or after the spring equinox. Thus you've got the aftermath of the solar influx at the equinox and the early stages of a waning moon -- which is what you want, of course, if your religion works mostly with the solar current and follows an ascetic-Apollonian rather than an ecstatic-Dionysian path.

Full moon

[(Anonymous)]

I’m a Gemini and the full moon was amazing last night. Every time I closed my eyes I was showered with bright white flashing light full of vivid images from what appeared to be the a different version of the astral light than I am used to. They went by so fast I could not tell them apart, like I was standing under a waterfall of images. It was difficult to sleep at first, but when sleep came it was very deep. Not sure if there’s anything I could do with that but it helped my Levi mediation tremendously, and this morning’s meditation had a very helpful insight waiting. I didn’t know the astral light came in “flavors” if that is indeed what I experienced, or maybe it was something completely different?

Re: Full moon

[ecosophia]

I also noticed something strong and positive about the full moon, and someone I know well also had unusually deep and sound sleep last night. Interesting; something seems to be changing. We'll have to watch and see what it is.

Possible Poltergeist

[winterknight]

Dear JMG,

Thank you for fielding our questions, and a very happy Winter Solstice to you and yours.

I've got a friend who has been dealing with what (from his descriptions) sounds like a poltergeist. It is some kind of negative entity, at least, that can move around physical objects in his house, as well as attack him in dreams and mess with his mind.

I would like to help him remove this poltergeist. Although I would not expect you to provide step-by-step instructions for how to effect this removal, nor the training required to do so, are there any resources you could point me to that might in some way facilitate the achievement of this end? Do you have any guidance you might share with a novice exorcist who would attempt to remove it? It would be my first poltergeist removal, if indeed I can remove it.

Thank you! Very best wishes to you. I appreciate all your insight and wisdom.

Kindly,

Winter Knight

Re: Possible Poltergeist

[ecosophia]

Well, is your friend practicing any form of protective magic, such as a daily banishing ritual? If not, teach him one. If he won't practice it, walk away -- this sort of "rescue game" is a common bad habit of people who think that their lives will be less dreary if they have a problem they can get other people to try to fix.

If he's doing a daily banishing ritual and he's not getting any results after several months, it's probably the kind of situation that calls for a skilled and experienced mage or exorcist, and my advice would be to look for one of those.

[(Anonymous)]

Wich are the gods that protect magicians, also is it sensible that some gods are angry when magicians as Giordano Bruno and Culianu are killed?

[ecosophia]

1) Depends on the pantheon, of course. In the Greek pantheon, for example, the patron deities of occultists included Hermes, Persephone, and Hecate, depending on what kind of magic we're talking about.

2) Why should they? Deities know perfectly well that all that happens when somebody gets killed is that they shed the lowest and least useful of their bodies, and another one can be obtained promptly if needed. Death is not a big deal from the perspective of the higher planes: it's just one of those things that mortals have to go through until they evolve far enough to do without it.

Geomancy Special Questions

[weilong]

I have a question regarding what, in The Art and Practice of Geomancy, you call special questions. Should I be looking for a mode of perfection in those cases, or only at the house that pertains to the quesited?

For example, if I ask about whether to do a magical working, do I just look at the figure in the 8th house? Or should I also be checking for a mode of perfection?

Re: Geomancy Special Questions

[ecosophia]

It really varies depending on the type of special question, but more often than not you look for a mode of perfection. In the case of your example, you'd want to see if there was a mode of perfection connecting your significator (the 1st) with that of the question (the 8th); if not, the answer would be "no, don't do it."

[(Anonymous)]

First a request for healing prayers for my father who has suffered injuries to his head, ribs, and pelvis from a two story fall.

Secondly, a few questions:
1) What is the proper way of disposing a bundle of hair grown over 7 years before being cut? A coworker related encountering difficulties from relatives on the topic of disposal after cutting his dreadlocks and presently has them in a bag.

2) Yesterday there was a close encounter of a physical nature between Comet Leonard and Venus. The last time there was a similar close encounter with a heavenly body was the impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 with Jupiter. There is also a class of minor dim comets that routinely crash into the Sun, and on a slightly silly note, the 1910 comet and the earth, complete with anti-comet pills and other paraphernalia. Astrologically, what effects do these physically close encounters with the heavenly bodies have on the planets’ expression in charts, mundane or otherwise?

3) apropos for my father’s current medical status, planetary charity for Mercury is appropriate for general body healing, and the Moon for particular issues for healing any possible brain damage? Or instead of the Moon, should it be in accordance with the ruler of the astrological signs that rule the affected body parts (here Mars for the head and pelvis).

[ecosophia]

Positive energy en route for your father!

1) Hair can be buried, so that the energies cycle back into the earth.

2) Until the invention of the telescope, nobody anywhere had ever seen a comet hit another celestial body. A conjunction, on the other hand, is like a malefic aspect -- comets are always malefic in astrology -- and so in the case of Comet Leonard, that conjunction would afflict Venus. The astrology of comets is very poorly known as yet, since astrology is an empirical science, it would be a matter of looking at the chart and seeing what happens as a result.

3) It's Mercury all the way. Don't overthink planetary attributions!

Geomancy interpretation

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG
I had several divinations with populus as judge and identical witnesses. Sometimes three times after another in related questions. The last example was to the question: will I obtain together with friends a property to start an agriculture project? The witnesses were caput draconis. I see this as positive/favourable answer. But how should I read the neutral judge?
Thank you for your hints

Re: Geomancy interpretation

[ecosophia]

That one's very straightforward! The witnesses indicate that you'll be able to do it, and that you're at the beginning of a long process. The judge indicates that you're not the only person involved!

[(Anonymous)]

Some questions on journaling.

If you journalled to a personfication of a relevant emotion would you get a understanding of the emotion generally or as it relates to you?

Are there any dangers in journalling to a "part" of yourself and if so how can they be mitigated?

[ecosophia]

1) That varies from person to person, and even from one session to another.

2) As long as you remember that the "part of yourself" is not a separate being but simply your way of getting into touch with aspects of your own self you might be neglecting, it's perfectly safe.

Language, Social Egregore, and Mental Clarity

[cs2]

I am upgrading my language proficiency at a time in which the local egregore is quite tumultuous, and I'm wondering what I can do to keep my mental clarity.

On Saturday, after one study session I felt a strong sense of chaos and stress that I knew wasn't mine. This language is beautiful and doesn't stress me out. But when I tried to study again, I'd tap into it and feel the stress and chaos myself, so I had to leave it the rest of the day.

I can't delay studying either...I put off this exam for my visa thinking I could wait out covid and not have to take a speaking test with a mask on, whoops.

To be clear, I support the will of the citizens, but I'm an immigrant on the sidelines just trying to keep my head straight. Is there anything I can do? Thank you.

Re: Language, Social Egregore, and Mental Clarity

[ecosophia]

Do you practice a daily banishing ritual, and meditation? Those are the things that come to mind just now. The collective mind in most parts of the industrial world is in a state of shrieking hysteria just now, and yes, that can be hard to deal with.

[(Anonymous)]

Alban Arthuan blessings to you and yours!

Often during a full moon, I am restless and energetic, sometimes cranky, and sometimes I notice others in a bad mood as well. From an occult perspective, is there anything happening at the full moon?

[ecosophia]

Of course -- ask any werewolf. ;-)

The etheric plane, the plane of life energy, is governed by lunar tides. When the Moon is full, the etheric tides are strongest, and that means your etheric body is stronger than usual; the passions belong to the etheric body, and it also connects you to other living beings, so if they're upset, you'll feel it. The new moon, by contrast, is the time of weakest etheric force, and so your etheric body is calmer and weaker, the passions less intense, and emotional telepathy less evident.