De'Lun Hudel
Apr. 9th, 2018 12:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ecosophia
(That's "Magic Monday" in Cornish, in case you were wondering.)Once again, it's technically Monday now -- past midnight Eastern time -- and here I am on Dreamwidth, so it's time for another 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, though it may be Tuesday sometime before I get to them all.
(By the way, no, I haven't forgotten about the series of posts on writing a novel in public. I've been swamped with other projects this week, but should have a new installment of the novel shortly. Stay tuned!)
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to help a friend stop smoking
Date: 2018-04-09 05:19 am (UTC)I want to help a friend stop smoking. She wants to stop and has agreed to let me help her.
I plan to pray for her and to make her an amulet. I was thinking of putting in the amulet, lavender to calm her, cinnamon to clear away limits, an amethyst for protection from drugs and some dandelion to overcome negative energies. Then I will open a grove and ask the Gods to bless and strengthen the amulet.
Do you know of an ingredient I should use in the amulet or a practice that works well to help people stop smoking?
Thank you for your attention,
Max Rogers
Have you ever heard of these people before?
Date: 2018-04-09 05:25 am (UTC)Have you come across a group called the Wayfinders Association of Modern Wizardry in your studies of esoteric groups?
Re: to help a friend stop smoking
Date: 2018-04-09 05:33 am (UTC)Re: Have you ever heard of these people before?
Date: 2018-04-09 05:34 am (UTC)Meditation
Date: 2018-04-09 06:05 am (UTC)I've attempted meditation, Vipassana I guess, for almost 3 years. Initially I was getting good results, I thought. Many positive sensations and easy focus plus lots of long sessions. Then I fell of the wagon and recently wanted to start again. No previous easy access resumed. Images are completely different and I had two very disturbing accounts, one with obscured image but very disturbing feeling to it, and recently such scary creature in clear focus that I am too afraid to go back to meditation.
I only recently discovered your occult teachings; if i attempt to follow your guidance in discursive meditation plus the protective ritual would that in your opinion help against these kind of visions?
Also, what happened to me?
Re: Meditation
Date: 2018-04-09 06:25 am (UTC)I'd encourage you, if you find that occultism appeals to you, to learn one of the basic protective rituals (the Sphere of Protection or Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram) first, and practice that every day. When you've done that for a month, then, yes, discursive meditation should be fine. I've never had a student have significant trouble with the kind of experiences you've had, so long as they stuck with regular protective rituals and discursive meditation on occult topics.
One other thing that helps a great deal is prayer. If there's a deity you feel comfortable invoking, call on that deity before you begin to meditate, asking for him or her to protect you and grant you wisdom. I know a lot of people back away from that sort of thing, but the inner planes are inhabited, you know, and there are plenty of beings in them who are wiser and stronger than our species; establishing a good working relationship with such beings is basic common sense.
A Magical Amends
Date: 2018-04-09 06:32 am (UTC)I first began practicing magic more than five years ago. At the time, I was jobless, living in a slum apartment in a run down city on the California coast. That was, actually, a step up-- two months prior, I'd been living in a tent in someone's back yard in the same town. I was a heavy drinker, unable to hold a job for more than a few months; I was also a dedicated member of the anarchist movement.
This is all by way of setting the stage for the confession, which is as follows:
For the first six months of my magical practice, I stole every single book I used for my practice via the internet, including a number of yours.
The first one was Donald Kraig's Modern Magick. I didn't go looking for it-- I knew that I hated my life, and I needed something to give it meaning. I had been turned on to the idea that magic might be something worth pursuing by The Archdruid Report, which I'd been reading for years. And I remembered that I had had an interest in Wicca in high school, and I wondered if there might be a book on it on The Pirate Bay, a popular torrent site. In fact there was. It was Kraig's book-- which, of course, has nothing to do with Wicca-- and, if I recall correctly, you'd written one of the forwards. I downloaded it and printed out 22 tarot trumps from the internet onto card stock to use with it. And it saved my life. From the very first lesson, I was completely changed. My sleep cycle, which had been roughly 3am to 1pm, normalized (literally). My appetite came back, my cravings for alcohol diminished, and I started to make money-- a very, very small amount of money at first-- but it was more than nothing.
And I immediately began stealing every book on occultism I could find online. As I'm sure you know, there are many of them.
Virtually every person who ever does harm to another does so in the belief that they are right. Because of that, justifications aren't really meaningful. Everyone has a justification. Nevertheless, I'm going to share mine: I was, as I said, an anarchist. I sincerely believed that copyright laws were antiquated relics of the dying capitalist era. I bragged to a friend that, by stealing my book and printing my own tarot cards, I was in fact bringing a new world into being. A post-scarcity anarchist utopia, where 3d printers and similar techno-nonsense guaranteed that no one would need jobs or money. "The future is already here, it just isn't widely distributed yet." All that nonsense.
I worked through the first six lessons of Modern Magick, initiated into that system, and began working through the Celtic Golden Dawn-- for which, after an initial electronic theft, I paid full price at the local book store. This entire process had taken about ten months. By the end of that time, my view on all of this had completely changed. And that isn't really surprising. It would be impossible for me to hold the worldview that I'd learned through my magical practice, and also adhere to the idea that it was morally acceptable for me to steal the work for other magicians without paying for it.
I was, at the time, still very poor. I was doing much better than I had been-- but for "much better" you can read "making around 200 dollars a week, in a good week." But it was enough money to start buying books, and so I did. And I deleted the electronic copies that I had, and swore an oath in my temple to repay every author who had helped me on my journey.
That was quite a while ago, and at this point I have a shelf full of JMG books. But a few weeks ago I realized that there were still a couple of books of yours that I'd read that I hadn't paid for. I had meant to, had been meaning to for a while-- actually for years-- but I'd never gotten around to it, and in the case of two books, had completely forgotten about them.
Tonight I sent in an order to Llewellyn publications for the remaining books that I owe you for.
I would like to take the opportunity to apologize for any hardships that I may have caused you and Sara by depriving you of income from your work. I would also like to apologize for not resolving this sooner.
If there is a question in this, it is-- Is there anything else I can do?
-Steve T
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 06:52 am (UTC)The questions:
Ceres is a good equivalent of Coel in your opinion?
Where can i find ideas for colective rituals?
One thing i did, is setting a person in each corner who then pick the element and do the circling. But i would like to know how professionals do it ;)
Thanks,
Guillem.
dreaming
Date: 2018-04-09 07:00 am (UTC)Well, I spent the rest of the day somewhat uneasy. True, you *could* be feeding *anything* in the astral, and I don't particularly want to attract or feed negative energies. Still, the added phrase feels a bit too much like checking whether someone is "deserving" before giving a handout on the street, or whether the local critters are "deserving" when putting my scraps in the compost heap. It would feel more "right" to my "way of being" to let whatever is hungry for a plate of astral food decide for itself that it wants the help and to take it, than for me to stand in judgment. On the other hand, there is this caution I keep hearing, that we should beware of the inhabitants we may find on other planes. I'm really not sure about the implications (either way) of what I did. I would welcome any feedback at all.
God's forms
Date: 2018-04-09 08:22 am (UTC)Do you think that the anthropomorphization of gods is associated with cultural shifts from a telluric to solar perspective (or societally from unicorn to phoenix to dragon, for that matter)?
That is, there are gods which are conceived in animal form, there are gods that are basically human with animal features (such as the Welsh revival pantheon or later Egyptian gods), and there are gods that are just fully human in appearance (the Greek gods).
Do you think these are on a sliding scale of telluric to balanced to solar, or am I focing a Druidic perspective here?
(Or are gods increasingly anthropomorphized as a society enters ages of increasing abstraction?)
Curious to hear what your take on this is!
Yours in Druidry,
Brigyn
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 08:56 am (UTC)Books
Date: 2018-04-09 09:03 am (UTC)If one has "The Academy of the Sword", is there a lot of overlap with "The Spirit and the Sword"?
(From my understanding, the one is a living, lodge-based form of Qabalistic self-development, whereas the other is a translation of a manual on a sacred-geometry based form of swordsmanship from the 17th century. That would suggest they contain vastly different material... but do they?)
Yours in the western martial arts,
Brigyn
Dean Radin - Real Magic
Date: 2018-04-09 09:44 am (UTC)Potentially of interest is his Youtube talk on it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKCyvFZNL7I
He gets most of it right and encapsulates it well for a modern audience (apart from his definition of theurgy), one would almost think he's been reading your blogs.
I do see "Real Magic" as one more marker towards that second religiosity, which is gathering steam.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 10:11 am (UTC)I have two questions this evening, the first: Are there any dangers in pursuing magic, as a beginner, if you closely follow the instructions in your published works?
And secondly: I was recently reading your essay about "Three Lessons in Operative Magic" and I was wondering if the "power balance" (for lack of a better word) in magic is weighted towards offense or defense? If I can try to clarify, if somebody were to send a working your way that had evil intent would it be generally easy to guard against? Or are the two aspects in balance?
A question about a place and some denizens in the astral
Date: 2018-04-09 11:16 am (UTC)On your Ecosophia blog Steve T left a comment
https://www.ecosophia.net/the-truths-we-have-in-common/#comment-17228
He writes:
"I imagined pulling a column of light down from the heavens and in my hands forming it into a little green goblin. As forcefully as I could I filled the goblin with the thought, “Remember your shirt,” and then set it next to my bed with instructions to repeat those words when I woke up. I then went to bed and did not think about it again. As soon as I woke up, much earlier than my nature would prefer, I felt, rather than thought, the words “Remember your shirt,” as if they were beamed into my brain. I picked up my shirt, thanked the goblin, and asked it to disperse. After that I started using the goblins, which I referred to in my mind as “memory buggs,” on a regular basis. Mostly I used them to remember things I would otherwise forget, and here their success rate is close to 100%– I don’t know if they’ve ever failed. I also on 2 separate occasions found myself without an alarm clock, and used the buggs to wake up at a certain time. On both occasions they worked flawlessly. This went on, until I decided to get to know the buggs a bit better. I entered into meditation and tried to find out where they came from and what they might want. I discovered a very strange twilit realm of endless, tangled black branches; a colossal tree with no trunk set within a red sky. There appeared to be hundreds, thousands, millions of the things there. I spoke with one, and asked it what I could do for them. It asked for 3 drops of blood, which I gave– in my imagination, that is. I didn’t actually cut myself. Nevertheless, the experience creeped me out enough that I stopped using the buggs. Now, when I need to remember something, I imagine a small angel, rather than a creepy goblin."
I for one would very interested to know if you have anything more to say about that! (What's with the blood?!)
Thanks for taking questions.
Sincerely,
DOPPELGANGER VON LURKING
Limits
Date: 2018-04-09 11:57 am (UTC)Many thanks for providing this forum and for your time.
When I was a kid, adults used to tell me that: ‘I could do anything I wanted’. It was clearly an absurd claim, and I realised that at the time because - well, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it (and I may have mentioned it to you before), but - after watching the dodgy BBC sci-fi show 'The Tomorrow People', and reading Alfred Bester's sci-fi book 'The Stars my destination', I tried really hard to do that teleporting trick. It seemed like a very handy skill to have. But no, it is not possible, and so I clearly couldn't do anything I wanted - and I sure would have like to have done that trick.
You know, I see that story of limitlessness eating peoples lives and energy. And I'm curious whether from an occult point of view, what is the something that is eating their lives and energy? Like is it an entity, or is it a diffusion of energy into the background, or even a diversion of energy away from certain interests? Clearly something is benefiting by that narrative because it comes at a cost to people. Or is it all tied up with where a person exists on the continuum of the great cycle of reincarnation and consciousness? Dunno. I just feel there is more to the story than meets the eye.
Hopefully the answer is not as long as an extended essay! :D
Cheers
Chris
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 01:14 pm (UTC)My mother died last week, from refusing to eat. Two weeks prior, a doctor examined her and found nothing wrong. All tests were normal, and she was scheduled for a scope in April for further investigation. She was 81.
But she believed she had something wrong and that the end was near, and because she had a great loathing of doctors and hospitals, she stopped eating, drank very little, and let herself die of starvation. It was quite a moral struggle for those watching to honour her wishes and not interfere, as one usually does when someone is committing suicide. My dad would not have permitted us to interfere anyway, and the rift if we had would have killed him (he is 87 and had a stroke last year).
My mother, the narcissist, controlled everything with an iron fist her whole life, and her death was no different.
It was the most pointless, senseless death I've ever seen. And ugly. She was unrecognizable in the last few days. A simple IV drip would see her right now relatively healthy, alert, and plaguing everyone as normal. But as a good Catholic, and (because of her narcissism,) belief that she was the holy prophet of god, a saint, an incredibly wise old woman everyone should bow to (this is not hyperbole or bitterness, she actually said that of herself) in her mind, she was enduring suffering as a saint, and offered her suffering up so that those in her family who did not accept God's redemption could be redeemed. My dad tried to explain to us some of what was going through her mind, but not all. And she kept insisting no doctor, no hospital. So this is all we have. But in recent conversations with my brother she gave hints to him that she was doing a life review and that she was facing the pain of realizing that her beliefs about herself were not true, and everything she touched failed (my brother's words.) As a narcissist, the pain may have been too much for her to face.
My questions, (your patience and kindness are much appreciated) are along the lines of:
In the Christian understanding, Jesus has redeemed everyone already, but he doesn't force it down anyone's throats. It's our choice to accept it or not. I can't help but feel that my mother is mistaken to think she can redeem anyone with her suffering. She doesn't have the right to decide the direction our souls take. Would you agree with that? Her suffering is for herself only, which I hope works for her. In the occult tradition, each of us must walk our own path in our own way, and no one can interfere with it. Am I right in this? What effects on my own soul, who is currently following a pagan path, would her attempts have?
On her deathbed, she talked about an argument we had three years ago where she thought I had said that I hated her. I told her I never said that and she rolled her eyes, as if exasperated with me for denying it, and I had the feeling that her death wasn't about holy suffering, but extreme control. What I said during the argument, and reiterated on her deathbed, was that she did not have the right to control what I thought, said, did, or felt. Her response was that she forgave me for everything I had done. It was as if asserting that I am my own self was something to be forgiven for. I told her that whatever I had done, it was never my intention to hurt her. That much is true.
She also asked for my forgiveness and when I asked her for what, she didn't answer that. I didn't say anything. It seemed to me her asking me for forgiveness was just something that was supposed to be said, so she said it. It's hard to know how much of all this was because her brain was already shutting down at that point.
The next day, after she died, there was complete pandemonium (some 10 firefighters, paramedics, resuscitators, police (who must attend when someone dies at home) and the coroner) along with all the family members dealing with everyone else questioning what happened, then hours later the undertaker took her body away. I left to go home (my father wanted to be alone) and as I pulled out the driveway, I felt like a hand on my cheek, and felt very strongly a plea for forgiveness. I'm guessing she had her life review and, finally free of a mind that was not functioning right, was able to see clearly the effect she had had on others. JMG, would this occur so soon after death? When we are free of the body that we inhabited, do we immediately have clarity? Or would this come later, after the second death? What exactly is that anyway? Or would the soul have to go through many lives to come to the point where we have developed enough to understand clearly what we have done during our lives?
It is my understanding that forgiveness is for the forgiver, not the forgiven. It is a way for us to let go of any negative feelings we have towards others so that we can be free to move forward. Was she asking me to forgive her so that I would move forward? Or is my forgiveness necessary for her to move on? (If that is the case, my sister is so filled with anger and hatred for her, that she did not come to the funeral (she has refused to see her for decades), and if anyone of us is holding my mother back, it's not me.) More importantly, how clearly does one see after death, and how much of the personality of the person still lingers to colour their thoughts and actions after death? And how would that affect those who remain if she continues to try to have an effect on us?
I am deeply saddened that the incredibly talented, intelligent, creative, artistic person she was could so mess up her life. What she could have done without the narcissism, and what my dad's life could have been without it! In my mind, there is no need to give forgiveness, because she was mentally ill and could not have done otherwise. There is simply nothing to forgive. I simply wish her peace, wish her wellness on her journey, and hope that she has learned what she needed to learn so that she does not have to go through that lesson again. I cannot imagine the pain of having to clearly see and feel the pain and damage she has inflicted on others during her lifetime.
My own journey forward will focus on healing, on healthy boundaries, on notions of the self and the right to assert one's being within a whole, and letting go and acceptance. JMG, your thoughts are much appreciated, and I welcome anything you have to say about all this.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 01:37 pm (UTC)When doing a working or fashioning an artifact, what role do the temperatures and their degrees (fiery, etc.) of the material components play? If I am wanting to do vision-work or fashion a protective amulet, for example, do I want to select components (obviously tied to the purpose of the work) whose temperatures reinforce each other? Or counteract one another and cancel out? Or is there some other objective?
Thanks.
David, by the lake
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 02:24 pm (UTC)Do any of the systems you've practiced have a place for magic tattoos?
As a moderate Burkean conservative and someone who knows the power of ritual, do you cheer for the established order in Gormenghast? :) More seriously, how much mystical power do citywide rituals have, for example those that comprise the Siena Palio?
Space Clearing
Date: 2018-04-09 02:56 pm (UTC)Thanks as always for the opportunity to ask these questions!
I have been practicing the Elemental Cross and SOP for several months now. Is there another ritual that is best for purifying and protecting a physical space? The SOP seems suited to protection of the individual. I am wondering about which occult practices would serve an analogous purpose for a home or workplace.
Samurai_47
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 03:14 pm (UTC)A second question. Do the elder/younger gods and goddesses invoked in the elemental cross necessarily include the deities associated with the calling of the cantrefs or one's personal patron deity (or patron deities)? Or could the deities in question all be distinct from one another?
David, by the lake
three questions
Date: 2018-04-09 04:07 pm (UTC)you have experience in communicating with gods and spirits. If they wish to convey information to you, how do they do it? I assume they don't speak English or any other human language.
This may sound silly to you, but for a long time I've been struggling with my materialist background. It has been a big roadblock on my path to studying magic, so I've been developing intellectual arguments against materialism to cope with it. So far, I think the best argument against materialism is the existence of the laws of nature as something immaterial that rules over matter; and that opens the gates for magic. Do you think its a good argument, are there better ones?
You mentioned that performing magic in Rhode Island felt different, more "crisp" or something to that effect. Is it a special place full of Lovecraftian eldritch beings or is it just a different environment that affects magic?
Diolch yn fawr.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 04:29 pm (UTC)Choosing a deity?
Date: 2018-04-09 04:51 pm (UTC)Most people seem to treat deities as if they just appeared to a person, or if they were brought up to believe in them and thus accept their existence in a sense without question. For me, I've questioned everything heavily, so thus I don't feel a particular draw towards any deity, theology, or magical school of any sort, and nothing in particular resonates with me either - not that it's a put off, either. There's just no real sense of "oh, clearly Odin is who I should be calling up in my ritual here because he's a positive effect in my life in that space".
What advice would you have for someone in my situation - who can value the possibility of non-material interaction and relationships (even if we don't necessarily believe in all the woo) and want to open our minds to the benefits of a cultivated mental sphere, but don't have any particularly emotional or relational connection to this space and its inhabitants on which to anchor our mindset and give us a frame of reference?
(no subject)
Date: 2018-04-09 05:28 pm (UTC)https://photos.app.goo.gl/xezEgG2UKLxRs1an2
Thanks!
Kyle