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. With certain exceptions, 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. Also: I will not be putting through or answering any more questions about practicing magic around children. I've answered those in simple declarative sentences in the FAQ. If you read the FAQ and don't think your question has been answered, read it again. If that doesn't help, consider remedial reading classes; yes, it really is as simple and straightforward as the FAQ says. 

The image?  That's the twentieth card in The Sacred Geometry Oracle. Card 20, Gnomonic Expansion, when upright shows that expansion is an important theme in the situation, and things are moving onto a bigger scale; when reversed, it lets you know that expansion has gotten out of control and the situation is going to excess. The waves on the sides of the image tell you that this card belongs to the second third of the oracle, which corresponds to Gwyar, the principle of fluidity and change.

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

Astrology

[jeanluc_12]

Dear Archdruid,
Blessings to you and my fellow commentators! My questions for this week’s edition of Magic Mondays revolve around the subject of astrology.
1. In my natal chart, Mercury Square Mars. My Mars is also in detriment in Taurus. I know I’ll have to do planetary charity to both planets. I would like to ask, what is an appropriate charity for Mars? I started doing research and came across a local organization that provides financial support to military orphans or children of fallen soldiers. Would this suffice?
2. My Mercury is in Aquarius. According to some, Mercury is exalted in Aquarius. Others disagree, saying it is exalted in Virgo. What is your take on this?
3. I have a bit of apprehension of doing planetary charity with Mars, He is the God of War and the Lesser Malefic, after all; even though I know that this devotional act of magic is safe. Upon further reflection, I realize that this is something I need to do. I am guilty of people-pleasing (especially before), peace at any cost/avoidant personality, and have had my kindness taken advantage of. Methinks that doing this planetary charity could be the beginning of bringing in beneficial Mars energies that will balance out aspects of my personality.

Thank you again for hosting Magic Mondays.

Re: Astrology

[tamanous2020]

Hey JeanLuc,

As a similar Mars in Taurus and Mars square Mercury, I've done planetary charity to veteran's organizations and a dog charity to good effect. While Mars may be a malefic, that doesn't necessarily means it's a bad energy, just challenging at times. I found the charity to be of great help dealing with conflict avoidance, sloth and a bad temper so I'd highly recommend you follow through with this plan of action.

Tamanous

Western Feng Shui and Scrying Outside of a Grove/Temple

[jprussell]

Good evening!

Thanks very much for hosting these, as always, and I hope Spring is getting into full swing in your corner of the continent.

Before my questions, something to share: Winifred Hodge Rose has released her second volume of Heathen Soul Lore, Heathen Soul Lore Volume II: A Personal Approach, which is the practical exercises to Volume I's theoretical grounding. I just ordered my copy today, and it'll likely be a while before I start in on these practices with an otherwise full occult plate, but I'm very interested to give these the time they deserve after I work my way through my current commitments, and I hope some others here might find them helpful.

As for questions, two this evening:

1) Is scrying without opening a Grove/Temple an actually bad idea, or just a less-than-ideal one?

2) I've been listening to some old Podcasts with you on them, and in one or two, you talked about how your first book on Geomancy got ineptly marketed as "Western Feng Shui", which has got me wondering about what might actually qualify for that label. You've talked a bit about some Western parallels to Eastern traditions that we only have tiny scraps of (energetic aspects to martial arts, energetic healing, and so on), and so I wonder, besides the fertility-related stuff you talk about in The Secret of the Temple, do we have any hints of western approaches to arranging spaces for luck/prosperity/happiness? Or, perhaps more to the point, do you have any recommendations for resources on "Feng Shui or Feng Shui-like approaches", whether Western or Eastern, that are compatible with Western occult practices?

Thanks for your time and attention, and hosting this community,
Jeff

Re: Western Feng Shui and Scrying Outside of a Grove/Temple

[ecosophia]

0) I'll be talking about Winifred's latest book as soon as I have the chance to read my copy!

1) It's less than ideal, but it's workable.

2) The authentic Western traditions I know of focus almost entirely on the correct positioning, orientation, and geometry of sacred places; Nigel Pennick has several good books on that subject. Feng shui wasn't about "arranging spaces for luck" until it got dumbed down by several generations of talented marketers, you know...

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

I've always been comfortable with natural magic but find rituals intimidating. I recently sought help from a deity and wish to thank her with an offering of fruit. What protocol do you use to set up an offering space - can it be done by someone who doesn't practice rituals? And what do you do with the offering afterward? The answer that seemed obvious was to bring the fruit outside after a while but I don't want to attract scavengers.

I've been wanting to learn more about the old gods of Ireland. Can you recommend a good book?

With thanks,
Psychedelic jocular puca

[ecosophia]

1) Any action that has meaning is a ritual. Making an offering to a deity is a ritual all by itself. Most people who say they don't like rituals have an overly formal sense of what ritual is or can be. If you want to make an offering to a deity, start by praying to the deity, letting them know that you want to make an offering and asking how they'd like it to be done. Then listen inwardly for the response, and act on what you perceive. The same thing goes for what to do with the offerings.

2) There I can't help you -- my background in Celtic lore is Welsh, Cornish and Breton. Anyone else?

[(Anonymous)]

Your latest Pluto-themed podcast went up on Coffee and Divination on Thursday but I did not see an announcement here yet. Just finished the episode. She's a great host.

[ecosophia]

I have several podcasts to post -- I don't happen to recall if that's in the stack yet. It was a good lively conversation, though.

Geomancy

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG. Last year I cast this geomantic chart asking "Will I have to move out this year?"
https://amissio.net/gen/tradhouse/69/6e.svg
It looks like an extremely clear yes, right? Except I didn't have to move out last year. It's now been well over a year since I cast the chart, so no tricky fairy tale wordplay is at work either. It could be the gods of my new polytheist practice and the spirits of the Warnock talismans I purchased that year intervened on my behalf, but could it also be possible that this isn't a third house question? For example, looking over some geomantic charts I made about the various price levels of cryptocurrency investments, a bunch of puzzling charts with mixed corectness all became stunningly accurate when, upon reviewing them, I used the fifth house (house of speculation and gambling in traditional astrology) as the house of the quesited rather than the second, seventh or tenth. Could something similar be at play here?

Re: Geomancy

[ecosophia]

Um, it's not a third house question at all. Questions about your residence are fourth house questions.

[(Anonymous)]

Is it okay to repurpose my used alter candle nubs as fire starters? I was thinking of melting them and mixing them with dryer lint inside a toilet paper tube, then cutting off slices as needed.

[ecosophia]

Sure. If they haven't been formally consecrated, you can use them as needed for other purposes.

[(Anonymous)]

Can you/should you still do the SOP when you’re sick? I got a cold and am feeling a bit crappy, but not so much that I'd need to spend the day in bed.

Umber Choleric Seahorse

[ecosophia]

I do my daily practices unless I'm literally too sick to get out of bed. Your mileage may vary, of course, but that's always worked for me.

Shades on a Sphere

[goatgodschild]

Mr. Greer --

I hope that your week has been productive, and at least comparatively pleasant.

1) I have been working through the SoP, and I have added the Calling of Earth this week. Since then, I have had an increasingly intense reactions to many preserved or processed foods -- even store bagels have become hard on my stomach. My guess is that this is the effect of "May my body thrive according to the ways of nature". Is this something your or the commentariat have noticed?

2) My cat seems to have undergone Second Death, but now I have started seeing and hearing other "echoes" of cats, ones I've never even seen in real life. The area I live in is high-traffic, so there are a lot of cats who have died around here. I am wondering if:
2a) The echoes are appearing because they know there was a shrine arranged for a cat to enter into the afterlife.
2b) I should work to be a psychopomp for the local creatures (especially cats).

Re: Shades on a Sphere

[ecosophia]

1) Not specifically from the SoP, but one thing that magic tends to do is make the practitioner more sensitive to the etheric plane, the plane of life force. That means that you notice when things aren't good for you!

2) It might be either of those, or it might simply be that you're attuned to feline ghosts now. There was a while, early on in my systematic training, when my wife and I were constantly seeing phantom cats. So was our cat, and she got very irate about them!

[(Anonymous)]

I've read your book on Pluto with great interest. One of the questions that I have after reading it, is if you think we can position homeopathy in the frame that you propose in the book. It seems to me, that homeopathy has strong Neptunian qualities: elusive and often dreamy, with many practitioners and clients interested in alternative lifestyles and philosophies. But maybe it has taken on a Plutonic signature during Pluto's age, hence the focus on the individual in some styles of homeopathy? Maybe, if it manages to transform into to a more Neptunian form again, it can become a more important force in healthcare again? I love homeopathy, and I quite dislike the Plutionan allopathic medicine that is now dominating the healthcare field, but homeopathy is not living up to its potential right now. However, I don't see the seeds of improvement as yet, instead many practitioners seem to go almost in hiding, which is understandable from the point of not wanting to be attacked by the AMA, but may limit the possibility of growth and flourishing of homeopathy.
Of course, not everything can be neatly categorized into a model, and maybe homeopathy just won't fit in neatly.

[ecosophia]

Homeopathy was discovered by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, not much more than a decade after the discovery of Uranus and well before Neptune was thought of, and so the timing suggests it's Uranian, not Neptunian. That's why it's so important in homeopathic practice to find the simillimum, the one unique medicine that best fits the full symptom picture of the patient. Alternative lifestyles and philosophies are Uranian, too -- Uranus is the planet of eccentricity and going your own way, remember.

I think it's quite possible that homeopathy will see another robust revival in the decades ahead, as the corporate-medicine model of the mainstream is busy shooting itself in body parts far more painful than feet. I've been trying to contribute to that, as it happens, by discussing the eccentric offshoot of homeopathy I use, Schuessler's biochemic cell salts. But we may have to wait until Pluto has faded out completely before that really takes off.

Astrology/planetary charity questions

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I am have been practicing the DMH material for a little while now and have just begun to study astrology. I have been working largely out of Lilly’s Christian Astrology, and I have been perusing Christopher Warnock’s website. I have a few questions. Hopefully it’s not too much for one post!

1) Are there other books on natal/horary astrology that I should check out?

2) My natal chart has the Moon in Capricorn square Mars in Libra which seems kind of doubly inauspicious since not only are they square, they are both in their Detriment. I think I remember reading in a past Magic Monday that when planets are square or in opposition, you can do planetary charity for both of them. Would this be a good idea in this circumstance, or does the fact that they are both in Detriment change this? I was thinking of doing charity for 5 Tuesdays for Mars and 9 rounds for the Moon. Should I wait to complete charity for the Moon before starting charity for Mars, or is it ok to do charity for the Moon on Monday and then the next day, Tuesday, do charity for Mars, and repeat this for 5 weeks (and then finish the last 4 weeks for the Moon)?

3) Maybe you’ve answered this before, but I couldn’t find it in a search of past Magic Mondays. What are some good charity ideas for Moon? What about Mars?

4) I also have Neptune in Capricorn. Some sources say that is Fall, but others say, no, that’s Aquarius. What’s your take? If Neptune in Capricorn IS in its fall, is planetary charity with “new” planets a thing? Also, in my case, Neptune is in retrograde. What day, hour, and charity would I use?

5) I am trying to better understand peregrine planets. According to Lilly, these seem quite bad, but it appears that many modern, pop astrologers consider it to be more or less neutral. What are your thoughts/experiences?

Thanks for giving us these great opportunities to pick your brain! They are truly appreciated.

Re: Astrology/planetary charity questions

[ecosophia]

1) I'm a major fan of Ivy Goldstein-Jacobson's astrological writings -- her Simplified Horary Astrology is the book that taught me how to make accurate horary predictions, and she also has some very good books on natal astrology. Llewellyn George is also great.

2) You can certainly do planetary charity for afflicted planets, no matter how they're afflicted, and as far as I know there's no reason not to do them concurrently.

3) The Moon rules childbirth, the ocean, and mental illness. Mars rules war, livestock, and wolves. If you can't come up with a charity from each of those lists, you're not trying hard. ;-)

4) The system I use gives Sagittarius as the fall of Neptune. Retrogradation is no big deal; does your natal Neptune have any other afflictions?

5) I find them a debility, but a minor one.

[(Anonymous)]

Time for the periodic “Thanks, JMG!”

—Princess Cutekitten

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

Last week there was a brief mention of astrological magic and magical astrology.
I must admit I am a bit confused.
Can you enlighten me?
Thanks

[ecosophia]

Astrological magic is magic that gets its power from the influences of the planets and signs. Magical astrology is astrology that's used to choose a good time for magical workings. They're closely related but not identical.

Menopausal magic

[miow]

Good morning from England and as always thank you for all you do. I read your FAQ again today (had to smile at how VERY simple and declarative you've recently edited certain sections to read). I noticed there that you said that magical energy is the same as sexual energy. So it makes sense to wait until after puberty to start practicing ceremonial magic. But what about the other end? Are there any effects, blockages, disabilities, etc, connected to menopause, for instance? I appreciate this may not be something you know about nor may potentially even be interested in, but if any commenters have any thoughts I would be very grateful to hear them. In particular, I hope for some reassurance that the ability to practice effective ceremonial magic does not disappear together with one's reproductive capacity and/or decrease as your libido does! Conversely, since I am myself recently entered both into menopause and magic I could keep record, provide data points if there is any interest?

Re: Menopausal magic

[ecosophia]

Magical energy is the same as sexual energy, but that doesn't mean that magic begins at puberty and ends at menopause -- quite the opposite. The energies of the cosmos flow through you, and through every living being; at puberty, a certain portion of those energies are specialized for the purpose of reproduction; at menopause, that specialization ends, and those energies are free for other uses. (This is true for men, too, though the "male menopause" is a slower and subtler process.) That's why it was the old woman down the lane who people in traditional village culture sought out to get spells cast -- she no longer has a chunk of her energies set aside for the possibility of pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing, so she can put all her power into magic.

It's quite common, in fact, for women to become interested in magic when they hit menopause, or to have a previous interest suddenly shift into overdrive. As someone who's started menopause and magic together, you're in a grand tradition!

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Egg (LBRE, pronounced Libre, Spanish for Free)

[open_space]

Good morning JMG and commentariat!

I learned a cleansing/banishing ritual this week using an egg after a series of what the heck's took me to a Traditional Mexican Medicine weekend class. It seems it is a common practice in America and some parts of Europe and Asia too but the version I learned comes from the Mexica (pronounced Meh-SHEE-kah) line of tradicional medicine. I've written up a detailed post after this comment went too big, I've put it up in here:

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Egg

I was surprised to see that it works very well! According to lore it is particularly good at getting rid of curses and evil eye. Here are some instructions in case anyone wants to attempt it. Paired with a hoodoo bath and an LRP in banishing mode I feel unstoppable. *cue SIA*

In general I feel the egg reaches deeper within but doesn't work as powerfully on the aura so I guess it works for denser ethers; nor does it leave a protective film as the hoodoo bath that lasts after ceremony. I've been working with an acupuncturist to put an end to a blockage/void in my head and the egg did something there, it felt it was sucking out stuff from my body and some points along the troublesome meridians (gall-bladder and san jiao) became active.

Of course the opening invocation can be adapted to any pantheon, and in fact I would like to hear recommendations if anyone is interested in coming up with their own and share it. This one is the one most used in Mexico using Archangel Michael and God. I'm working out one with the local pantheon but I haven't had the chance to ask my teacher yet what she thinks, Quetzalcoatl is a good option as he battled the night stars for the sun to rise up again victoriously at dawn.

Here is the opening invocation:
"I petition thee Lord Almighty, by your divine grace and the intervention of Archangel Michael that my roads may open, that all negativity and noxious energies be banished from within me and that they be absorbed by this egg. May the ill wishes, hexes, curses, bindings, psychic attacks and obstacles disappear far away from me where nobody will be harmed by them even well after their time of disintegration. May it be so, in the name of God. Amen."

Re: The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Egg (LBRE, pronounced Libre, Spanish for Free)

[homeopathic_meditations]

I will comment directly on your post, after I have had some time to read and understand what is going on. For now, all I can say it sounds powerful indeed: the egg is the quintessential symbol of potentiality just about to manifest itself.

I'd be careful to trace all the similarities and differences it has with blood, though. I suspect that, as long as the egg is unfertilized, you should be fine; but I will defer to my seniors if JMG or other experienced practitioner would please chime in.

Partners in the woods

[vitranc]

Greetings JMG,

My question is about including lay people in druidic rituals.

My partner has so-far not taken any interest in my “meditation hobby”. So much so, that she does not even know about druidry. All she knows is, that I do some meditation each day. “Not interested in the invisible stuff”
But this weekend while visiting my family I went and bought a bottle of wine that I like and only use for seasonal rituals. So she asked why I need it and I said I make something like a toast 8 times a year. She got interested in it, but I answered short and diplomatically and redirected.
Still, next Sunday it will be Beltane and although improbable, the possibility remains.

1. If a complete newcomer, who up until the day in question didn’t even know what druidry is, wanted to participate in a druid seasonal ritual. Is it possible to include them? If so, how? To what should one pay attention.

I should add, that I am a wholly solitary practitioner and have never, to my knowledge, even meet another druid in person.

Best regards,
V

Re: Partners in the woods

[ecosophia]

Most Druid seasonal rituals are traditionally open to everybody, whether or not they're initiates. It used to be quite common, in fact, to hold them in public places and invite anyone interested to join the circle and take part. As for what newcomers can do, it depends entirely on what they want to do. Back in the day, they could always join in repeating prayers and chants, and might be asked to help purify the grove with one or two of the elements in the opening, etc. Of course they can drink from the Hirlas and receive any other gift that's handed out.

Faerie/nature spirits

[tjololo]

Good morning,

What is an appropriate offering/gift for nature spirits/faeries?

Thank you,
Tjololo

Re: Faerie/nature spirits

[ecosophia]

Anything that benefits the local plants and other living things. Pouring water on the roots of trees and shrubs during dry weather is a good offering; if you can, set aside a little corner of your yard, behind a low fence, and let whatever grows there grow without any cutting or trimming on your part -- just water regularly. If moths or other insects come into your house, catch them without harming them and put them outside -- the nature spirits appreciate that. Anything else that's good for nature is welcome to them.

Dream and divination experence

[sea_spray]

Hi JMG and fellow commenter's

More of an anecdote than a question but I would also be very interested in hearing if anyone else has had anything similar.

A little over a week ago I had a dream in which I was aware that I was dying calmly went through that process and then was aware that it was over. The out of place part of it was that when I pictured myself in the dream I got an image of something like a home made circuit board.

I woke up from it and prayed to Brigid and got the distinct impression of "in a few weeks" and that she'd be there for me. So for the past week I was thinking that I should really get that will filed, which is still a good idea.

Then a couple of day's ago I did an Ogham divination asking "what do I need to know now?" and drawing the following Past: Fearn, Present: Quert reversed, Potential: Straif reversed. Then I asked "Is the Straif reversed referring to my personal life or the wider society?" and I drew the following, Personal life: Ioho reversed, Wider society: Muin.
I read that as a no to it being my personal life and a yes to wider society from the upright vs reversed and that I've got my own things to work on in my personal life and that through the trial in society will come freedom.
I then asked how well I'd interpreted it and got Nuin reversed which I took to mean that I'd be isolated from the issues in the wider society and should keep working on my own stuff.

While saying my nightly prayers to Brigid that night she nudged me to meditate on the dream of dying I'd had it and gave me some hints. After that I came to the conclusion that the dream was about a system that I'm part of dying, hence the circuit board. Though from my perspective life will go on, as shown by the continued calmness and awareness throughout the process in the dream. The timeline that I was given in prayer after I woke up from the dream also seem's relevant.

My plan is continuing to live my life basically the same though I am trying to organise to get eggs from a friend with chickens. I'm planning to get him to "water glass" them, or store clean UNWASHED eggs in 4 parts water 1 part slacked lime/hydrated lime/CaOH by weight. If they're washed the taste of the CaOH gets in. I've heard they will keep for 8 to 12 months like that.

I'm in NZ so it may also be a local thing but given what's been on the news lately ...
Anyone else had a weird dream like that?

Thanks
Sea Spray

Re: Dream and divination experence

[vitranc]

Well, I do not have so specific communication, but the general feeling that I have had for the last while, years really, has been the same.
Something is dying and I will live trough it.
How I do it is entirely up to me.

Pentangle

[revert2mean]

Yes, it's a word. I think it's for people who don't want to say pentagram. Anyway, I'm not sure if this belongs here or in the pentacle of earth bit.

I recently bought a pentangle-shaped little wooden bookshelf. I put it next to my bed and put two crystal balls that are incredibly significant to me on it, one on each side. I didn't consecrate it or do any rituals. It immediately started belting out protective energy. It seems to make sure I remember my dreams and it talks to me and gives me advice. Often dietary advice, sometimes social advice, sometimes moral advice. Anyway, I feel incredibly confident that it's working, and that it protects me from negative energy. Sometimes I stand in front of it and just put my hands over the crystal balls. Even that much is a bit hard to do because of the energy. I'm definitely working on a prayer to ask for its purpose (to support my highest good?).

What maintenance does it need?

Re: Pentangle

[ecosophia]

I can't answer that; you're the one who has a relationship with it! Ask it what maintenance it needs and see what answer comes in your dreams.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
Last week you answered a question about time passing quickly in meditation. I have a related, but perhaps more obscure, question.
I've been doing magical practices for the best part of three years now, and I have recently found that, in certain situations, time just seems to pass instantly and imperceptibly. I have listened to podcasts, fully awake, that seem to take much less time than they should from the information given. I'm an insomniac, and I sometimes find that, when I do some kind of calming ritual (breathing etc) two or three hours pass without me realising it. Now the obvious explanation would be that I'm falling asleep, but that doesn't really convince: I have no sense of having slept, don't feel refreshed and feel, literally, as though someone had just taken anything from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours out of my life.
Does this mean anything to you?

[ecosophia]

I wonder if there's any chance you have narcolepsy. That's certainly what it sounds like.

Mundane astrology and non-ritual magic

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning! :-)

Two beginner‘s questions today:

1. To JMG and everybody else:

I‘ve signed up for Subscribestar to give back at least a bit, and have ended up reading the mundane charts. And while I very much enjoy reading them and puzzling over them, there is one little bit that leaves me stranded:

That’s the part at the end which says „This chart will be modified by all the following charts [list of a dozen other charts inserted here]“.

My understanding is that I should compare the charts, weigh them (or their parts) against each other, and combine their different aspects into a meaningful whole.

But I have no clue how to do that in practical terms, so… how do you guys do that?

Right now, I‘m kinda reading each chart separately, and while I surely appreciate a bit of drama to go with my cuppa tea, I don‘t feel that this is giving me the full meaningful picture of the forecasts.

2. to JMG:

In last week‘s Magic Monday, you wrote „there's an entire world of occultism that focuses on meditation, divination, and study, with ceremonial magic playing little or no role“ and then you referred me to the Golden Section as a starter.

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/179202.html?thread=29001218#cmt29001218

This left me a bit confused. :-) In the Golden Section, there is an altar, a lodge opening and closing ceremony, and an initiation ritual. I somehow filed that as „ceremonial“.

Would you mind expanding on the difference between the Golden Section and more ceremonial forms of magic, also with regards to the upcoming sequels?

(As a background, I‘ve read the Druid Handbook and DMH as well, but no books from other paths of magic.)

Wishing you and your wife a wonderful week,

Milkyway

Re: Mundane astrology and non-ritual magic

[ecosophia]

1) That's for serious astrologers. Synastry -- the art of relating two or more astrological charts -- is a fairly advanced technique. At your level, you might glance back over the older predictions from time to time, and remember that the indications in one reading don't cancel out those in another; they all have to be taken together.

2) Ceremonial, yes; magic, no. Magic is there to cause change, and most people who take it up want to cause changes in their lives -- improve their financial situation, find a loving partner, or what have you -- and they want rituals to do that. The kind of occultism I'm teaching in the Golden Section books won't do that; it'll improve your life no end, but it does that by cultivating wisdom rather than power.

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings John,

I have just finished the neophyte self initiation but will not continue further as I have a small child and hopefully more in the future.

Looking for some advice here. Could I continue the GD work without the ceremonial magic side and focus on theory/meditation? Or just leave GD alone and continue it fully down the road?

Thanks

[ecosophia]

Did you read the Magic Monday FAQ?

Financial astrology sources

[(Anonymous)]

Earlier you mentioned that you had begun the study of financial astrology. Could you share some sources that you will be using in your studies?

Will you be using your newly acquired skills to make predictions on the general state of the market, to time your investments, or some other practical use?

Thanks, as always, for the time and effort you take in responding to these forum questions. I am sure I am not the only reader who is exceedingly grateful for your input on our queries.

A

Re: Financial astrology sources

[ecosophia]

1) So far, I've collected a variety of sources, including books by Sepharial, Louise McWhirter, David Williams, George Bayer, and W.T. Gann; I'll be collecting more as I proceed. (My approach to learning something is to look at a very wide range of sources, and experiment with them, before choosing one or two to focus on.)

2) I expect to factor financial astrology into my general political and economic predictions, and no doubt I'll experiment with timing my own investments as well. Beyond that? It's early days yet. When I was this far into astrology, I had no idea yet that I'd specialize in mundane astrology! I'll have to see what appeals to me as I proceed with my studies.

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings!

What would be the best planetary day/hour to submit a request for deferment of a vaccine mandate for a medical reason?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

Jupiter day and hour. You want them to be generous and openminded.

Magical essence

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning JMG,
Do you know if any studies have been done on when a women gives birth part of her magical essence leaves with the child? If this is the case does the essence renew in the female over or time or could she deplete her essence by having children?
Thank you for your time and insight.

Re: Magical essence

[ecosophia]

In women, part of the life force that flows through the body becomes specialized at puberty to make pregnancy and childbirth possible, and during pregnancy, birth, and nursing, a lot of the life force goes into those activities. There's a much more limited connection until the child turns seven and finishes developing a wholly independent etheric body. That's probably what gives rise to the mistaken notion of "depleting your essence."

The thing to keep in mind is that you don't have a limited supply of the life force. The force that flows through you comes from the universe and returns to the universe; it's as close to infinite as anything created can be. Prayer and spiritual practices -- anything that opens you to the cosmos -- will recharge you with more magical force than you can imagine, and enable you to bless yourself and everyone around you with an abundance of life and love.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG (or anyone else who knows) does the St. Michael prayer have the same effect as a banishing ritual?

[ecosophia]

Since I'm not a Christian, I've never tried using it. Anyone else?