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 thirtieth card in The Sacred Geometry Oracle. Card 30, Unity of the Primary Roots, when upright tells you that you can find a reconciliation among the competing forces affecting the situation; when reversed, it warns you that what's happening will unfold in ways you can't predict, and will seem paradoxical to you. The sun in the upper left corner of the image tells you that this card belongs to the final third of the oracle, which corresponds to Nwyfre, the principle of spirit and meaning.  We've completed our passage through the first two of the basic root functions of sacred geometry -- √3, the principle of the vesica piscis and the equilateral triangle, and √2, the principle of the square and its diagonal -- and now we're working with the √5, the seed from which the Golden Section unfolds and resolves all back into unity.

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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 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

[(Anonymous)]

I recently bought a copy of your book A Magical Education. It’s wonderful and the essays are so fresh, even at 10-20 years old—thank you so much for it.

I am wondering if you can point me to more resources on Renaissance magic. Are there books or authors you recommend for studying it? I have a background of almost 20 years studying astrology, including mundane and horary. I’m very interested in the Neoplatonists as well.

I cannot practice ceremonial magic at the moment as I have young children, but I’m also curious for future reference which of your series of books/systems would be most pertinent to an interest in Renaissance magic (and astrological magic).

Many thanks!

[ecosophia]

Sure. If you're ready to jump in the deep end, Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy is the classic way in. If you want to take it a little more gradually, Chris Warnock has some excellent books on Renaissance astrological magic, available via his site renaissanceastrology.com . I've written almost nothing about it -- The Art and Practice of Geomancy covers a few things in presenting geomancy from a Renaissance point of view, but there's so much good material in primary sources from the period itself I'd encourage you to go for that.

[jprussell]

Good evening!

Thanks as always for this space and your efforts answering so many questions.

To Share: I know our esteemed host has wrapped up his mythos-inspired fiction series, but for anyone interested in the various fictional (and otherwise) books of dark lore in the extended Cthulhu Mythos, this list is very helpful: https://undertheirblackwings.wordpress.com/2018/12/06/list-of-grimoires-and-books-in-the-cthulhu-mythos/

Question: I asked a while back about Mircea Eliade, but it was after plenty of other questions, and you said it was too big a topic. So, for my only question this week, if you'd be willing to share a thumbnail summary of the strengths and pitfalls of his work for a practicing polytheist and occultist, I'd be very interested to hear it. If it's still too big for an MM question and is more suited to a full blog post, I quite understand.

Cheers,
Jeff

[ecosophia]

1) Well, I'm disappointed: Tales and Traditions of Old Innsmouth by Laura Merrill didn't find its way onto the list. ;-)

2) That's still a blogpost-sized question, and I would have to reread him to be able to answer it with any degree of accuracy -- it's been decades since I did a plunge through Eliade's works.

[jeanluc_12]

Dear Archdruid Emeritus,

Blessings to you and my fellow commentators!

1. How important is having an applying aspect in an election? Last week, you wrote, “If you have Saturn ruling the 7th, make sure that Saturn isn't debilitated in your election, and if you can have Venus applying to a neutral or well dignified Saturn by trine or sextile in your working, the results will be even better.” I found such a date on May 18, 2023, when Venus (in Cancer) will have a separating trine with Saturn (in Pisces). In addition, the Moon (in Taurus) will have a separating sextile with Venus. It’s an almost perfect election if not for the separating aspects.

2. Is there any connection between personal success and the 8th House? In traditional astrology, it is seen as an unfortunate house, connected with death, fear and anxiety. Yet, I have read and seen, for example, that many wealthy individuals have planets in the 8th, sometimes even stelliums.

Many thanks,
Jean Luc

[ecosophia]

1) Separating aspects are traditionally ineffective for most elections, since they relate to opportunities that have already passed by. If something good has happened and you want to hang onto it, a separating election can work, and of course malefic elections can make use of them, but the less said about those the better.

2) The 8th can be very prosperous indeed. First of all, it's the 2nd from the 7th -- the money or property of the partner. If you have a well-dignified planet in the 8th, or the ruler of the 8th well dignified, you can expect to benefit financially from marriage or partnerships. The 8th is also the house of inheritance, and a well-dignified 8th can bring you plenty of money in someone's will.

[(Anonymous)]

1. From the department of amusing and confusing synchronicities: Saturday morning, I considered the frivolity of art using the cute fairies dancing in circles motif. Saturday afternoon, I returned home to discover a group of small girls wearing iridescent gowns had wandered away from a neighbor’s family gathering and were sitting in a circle in my front yard. Clearly, the Universe is a curmudgeon-free zone. Should I enjoy the humor or go looking for more?

2. I’ve been having difficulty with the visualization for Sul as written in DMH – golden hair, white gown, red cloak. Orange-red hair kept appearing in my meditations, so I looked around online and found Thalia Took’s painting of Sulis with a gown in green with milky swirls like the hot springs at Bath and hair dyed orange by the minerals. (You can see it at thaliatook (dot com)/AMGG/sulis.php.) A favorable divination suggested that I may use this image, so I have been. Umm… is there any requirement for the appearance in the text, or anything I should know about it? Does this sort of announcement of appearance happen often? This is a new experience, so any advice is welcome.

3. I’ve made a habit of carrying a card printed with the Exercise for Lesson 36 from Green Wizardry, handing it to people and asking for help with my homework. I’m getting favorable responses from teens and twentysomethings. Are you or is anybody else noticing that the under-thirty set is able to actively think about their role in a de-industrial future?

Rhydlyd

[ecosophia]

1) Remember the rule: once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is eldritch action. You've got two appearances of the image, one in your imagination, one on your lawn. If you get a third, go deeper.

2) If your divination was favorable, go for it. The specific image in the book isn't mandatory.

3) Interesting! I don't have a lot of personal contact with people I know to be under thirty -- I'm pretty sure I've got readers in that category but they don't pin their ages onto their email handles. That's good to hear.

[ecosophian]

Dear JMG,

where can I find the names of God corresponding to the 22 paths on the tree of life?

For example, the 32nd path is ruled by Saturn, so the name is YHVH Elohim. And I assume it goes for other paths ruled by planets - just use the name that corresponds to the planet. Elemental Fire, water and air names I know from the ritual of the pentagram.

But some paths correspond to zodiac signs, and I don't know what names to use for them.

But I'm sure somebody already has this information in a table.

[ecosophia]

For the zodiacal paths, use the element that rules the sign. There are tables -- you can find them in Regardie's The Golden Dawn among other places -- but the rule is simple enough: elemental paths have the elemental divine names, planetary paths have the planetary divine names, zodiacal paths have the elemental divine names again. Note that you can also use ADNI, the name for Earth, on the 32nd Path, and AHIH, the name for Spirit, on the 31st.

Astral Sounds?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Once in a while, over the past few years, a loud doorbell rings in my head in the wee hours, while I think I’m asleep. Husband does not hear a thing. Sleeps right through whatever it is.

Last night, though, something new: a faint, delicate bell. Followed by a bark from a small dog. We don’t have a dog; the neighbor dogs are huge, and are indoors at that hour. Husband slept through it all.

Would these be random astral sounds? If so, anything I ought to do, other than just roll over and go back to sleep? If someone wanted my attention surely there are better ways of communicating that?

Thanks as always,

OtterGirl

Re: Astral Sounds?

[ecosophia]

Astral bells are the most common of all astral sounds. Astral dogs aren't quite so common but they're not all that rare. I'd say roll over and go back to sleep; if someone wants your attention they can indeed do better than that.

Seeing things

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
A few years ago, I realized I could see a pale outline of my hands in the dark with my eyes closed. I experimented with this for a few days and was getting the most astonishingly clear sight of my moving hands in the dark with my eyes closed. Then, I got scared and thought that seeing things might be dangerous, madness even, so I shut it down. Later, I read here that it is a usual ability to develop after some years of doing a magical practice consistently.

That has helped to make me relax. I have a magic bath outside in the garden each morning and then do the Earth and Sky exercise from the OBOD and either the telluric or solar current exercise from the Druidry Handbook. I have noticed I can see layers of pale, faint lines around my hands when I do this work in the morning sun. I am so thankful for this haven of practical magical knowledge. Now I know this is nothing to worry about.
Maxine

Re: Seeing things

[ecosophia]

Glad to hear it. No, it's nothing to worry about at all -- quite the contrary.

[pleiadesdreaming]

After reading last week's fascinating thread on round vs long barrows, your mention of the pyramids being an example of a round barrow brought to mind a story. Apparently, Napoleon Bonaparte spent a night in one of the pyramid chambers and was allegedly so shaken he refused to speak of what he saw over night. Maybe this is an off the mark question, but do have any theories of what would happen if one king like figure encroached in a dead and malefic king's barrow? Is there some interference of the transference of the spiritual energy sustaining the pharoahs that could have resulted in an attack of some sort?

American Mounds

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I too found this discussion on Barrows/Mounds in last weeks Magic Monday fascinating.

Do you have any thoughts on the Mounds in America as being part of the older, balanced tradition, or the new unbalanced one referenced in last weeks discussion? Or was something else going on? I read it a few days late and didn't have time to ask then.

Also, the only other place I've found mention of these traditions in contemporary occultism & magic is in the works of R.J. Stewart and in those by Josephine McCarthy, both of whose work I highly respect. Do you know of any others who have made public how to work with these Sleepers, the ones who did it the right way, or any other resources?

(I wish now I hadn't loaned out my copy of The Underworld Initiation by Stewart as copies are getting pricy... and I never got it back.)

It sounds like your own research may be connected to the work you started with The Secret of the Temple. I'll be looking forward to further books in that sequence, and I wish you success in teasing it all out.

Thank you for this space and all your work.

Justin Patrick Moore

The Magical Battle of Britain

[(Anonymous)]

In her war letter #87 Dion Fortune writes:

"[...] We too can evoke primordial energies from the primitive levels of the national group soul [...] When the Germans open up the primordial levels of their racial mind they release the elemental energies of the old gods - the bloodstained, mindless images of the heros of Norse myth. [...] The Kelts of these islands were among the earliest to be Christianised, as the Germans were among the latest [...] not the mindless heroes of Valhalla, but the chivalry of the Table Round; Excalibur instead of Nothung, and the Quest of the Grail instead of the looting of the Rhinegold. [...]"

I realize that one can write a probably very fascinating book based on this statement when the underlying history, myths and magic are properly researched. Unfortunately I have to push this at the very far end of a very long to-do-list, so it's going to take a while...

So for a start maybe just a few "small" questions:

1) I wonder if I'm grossly distorting something if I sum up what she says here with "My spirituality is better than yours (because I got it first)." From what I knew before reading it myself I got the impression that it was for a big part "raspberry jam" that made Fortunes strategy a success. And based on this I wonder if the raspberry jam she generated with the impression of superiority she promoted has something to do with the history of Britain that unfolded after WW II. At least, based on my limited understanding I sense that there could be a flaw in her strategy that didn't matter (or was even necessary) for securing victory but may have spoiled it's fruits?

2a) Disregarding a potential strategic flaw, she touches on the same theme as did Jung when he wrote "Wotan" and I don't think it can be denied that if you "toy around" with the imagery of Götterdämmerung, you probably get one. And one can also say that (as you once put it, if I remember correctly) [Germanic] myths always end with one sort of Götterdämmerung or another. But these myths are "written history". There is, however, mythology that's not yet entirely written and I wonder if history had taken a different road if the magical warfare of the Germans had been based on the imagery of the surviving Gods, like Vidar, for example. But then I guess they (the German leadership at that time) would have had to be different personalities altogether, which might prove Fortunes point. To what extend is this voluntary act of the German magicians or a build-in flaw of spirituality based on Norse gods?

2b) This leads me to the question that bothers me probably most: Concerning the very dominant role "Götterdämmerung" plays in Heathen mythology - If you want to follow a (long-lasting, healthy) spiritual path that might have the chance to take you beyond incarnation on the material plane based on Heathenry - is it at some point necessary to "invent history" and "write" the chapters that come after Ragnarök? If myths are stories that never happened but always are - it should be possible to find them somewhere, shouldn't it? But how does this happen (if only on an individual level)?

Ok thanks for your patience so far - I guess I am asking a lot...

Greetings,
Nachtgurke

Re: The Magical Battle of Britain

[ecosophia]

1) It's a little more nuanced than that, but not much. Keep in mind that Fortune had the prejudices of her place and time, and a very hard prejudice against Germany and Germans was an important part of that. As for the raspberry jam factor, Britain had a much easier time letting go of its empire than most nations do, so it doesn't seem to have amounted to much.

2a) It was a flaw on the part of the Nazi movement. The German cultural resurgence out of which they emerged included elements of both sides of the Germanic mythos, pre- and post-Götterdämmerung; there was a very Vidar-esque element to the Wandervogel movement and that whole end of German youth culture, which you can see with great clarity in Hesse's novel Demian. Hitler was fixated on the pre-Götterdämmerung side of things, however --that's why he banned performances of Parsifal, Wagner's post-Götterdämmerung opera, during the war years -- and so got what he asked for.

2b) Instead of writing those chapters, you'd want to invoke the gods of that age -- Vidar and Vali, Modi and Magni, Hoenir, et al. -- and ask them to prophesy.

Sun Music

[boulderchum]

Not really a question, more of a share. Some weeks ago I asked about an orchestral and classical theme for the Sun to go with Gustav Holst's suite as part of daily planetary devotion. JMG and other commentors gave some very good suggestions, but none of them felt quite right for me. I have since experimented and found that the Douglas Gamley arrangement - a slower and more dramatic arrangement - of Mussorgsky's The Great Gate of Kiev is exactly as royal, regal and uplifting a piece as I had hoped to find. Give it a listen and imagine the Sun rising:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vw7OM_Q810k
Hopefully somebody else in a similar situation finds this useful.

Re: Sun Music

[ecosophia]

Yes, that would work very well indeed. Thank you!

SOP in other parts of the world

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

Thank you for hosting this forum.

I have recently started the SOP and have progressed to the Calling of Air.

I live in the southern hemisphere and was wondering if the 'hawk of May' should be changed to a month closer to spring for us, since the visualisation calls for a spring scene.

Also, it's not clear to me if I should return to the original direction that I was facing (when doing the opening) after doing the calling of air and before doing the closing?

Not sure if I'm nit picking here but on the other hand my occult illiteracy might cause me to miss a crucial detail.

Thanks
Mauve Tumescent Wolverine

Re: SOP in other parts of the world

[(Anonymous)]

Hopefully I'm not butting in here, but the phrase "hawk of May" is a translation of the name of Gawain, Knight of King Arthur. So I suspect it has less to do with the actual season and more to do with the mythic aspects of Celtic/British lore.

--Carnelian Flummoxed Ladybug

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning Sir and Druid,

I recently had an Ogham reading by the excellent Kimberlysteele, with the few of Tinne being drawn. As it turned out, the events that resulted from this reading revolved around the number three and the Sun, with final resolution occurring three Sundays after the reading, with intermediate and final events occurring at the planetary hour of the Sun. The association with three was fairly obvious with the shape of the few, but the planetary association was quite surprising.

My question is, in the working out of the Ogham, have you seen or worked out any/other planetary or numerological associations with the Ogham fews?

[ecosophia]

I haven't worked out a planetary correspondence with the fews, though it could certainly be done, and might be a useful exercise. The fews come with their own numerology, however -- the Celts counted from 1 to 20 rather than from 1 to 10, and it's been suggested (though I don't remember by whom) that the Ogham letters started out as numbers, 1-20 in order, and only later got assigned sounds.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

1. Assuming that, like the physical plane, the astral plane is also composed of a network of interlocking ecosystems, is there a way to map out or understand it? For example, do entities eat other entities on the astral plane, and if so, what does a trophic pyramid look like on the astral? And what ecological roles exist? It could be that I'm using the physical plane too tightly as a model for the astral plane, which is after all a different plane with different rules. And I realize this might be too much for a quick Magic Monday post, but I'd welcome anything quick and general you might have to say about this.

2. I'm reading The Lost Language of Plants by Stephen Harrod Buhner, and he writes how plants will send out certain chemicals to attract just the insects and bacteria they need to grow, heal, and help other plants. Absolutely fascinating! So I wonder, do plants also have astral bodies? And if so, what does it feel like to sense the workings on plants on the astral plane?

Many thanks!

[ecosophia]

1) We don't know yet. At this stage of our evolution, our physical senses are the most highly developed and so we know a fair amount about the material plane; our etheric senses are somewhat developed and so there's a certain amount of lore about the etheric plane; our astral senses are still very much in the process of evolution and we've got a jumble of disconnected insights about the astral plane.

2) Plants have material and etheric bodies, and it's the etheric bodies -- the bodies of life force -- that coordinate communication from plant to plant and from plant to insect. Trees have astral sheaths -- the souls incarnated as trees are in transition from the plant to the animal level, and the astral sheath is the first rough sketch of an astral body, just as humans have mental sheaths as the first rough sketch of a mental body.

Plants, however, also have group souls, which exist on the astral and higher planes, and they also receive guidance from devas and elemental spirits, who have astral bodies. That makes plant life fascinating to watch via astral vision!

Religion of Aquarius

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Was having some thoughts the other day about the new age of Aquarius and what religious movements would emerge around aquarian themes. Linking a few threads of Ecosophia together, I remember Spengler forecasting the seat of Christianity for the 2000-3000 period would be Russia, and the Orthodox church.

There are some features of Orthodox Christianity to me that are compatible with Aquarian themes, namely that unlike the Piscean Catholic Church it is far more decentralised without the overarching papal hierarchy - each church is self governing. It also seems much more amicable to eccentric mysticism and monasticism.

Do you therefore think there is potential for the Eastern Orthodox Churches to become the seat of a new Aquarian Christianity?

Re: Religion of Aquarius

[ecosophia]

That's at least possible, but it will depend on the will of the spiritual powers at work in the Aquarian age, and so far, they don't seem to be saying much!

[lukedodson]

Hi JMG,

What do you make of the work of Michel Gauquelin and the "Mars effect"? It appears that, back in the 1970s, he discovered statistical correlations far beyond chance level between the movement of the planets and the births of certain notable people, but that his findings seemed to contradict what the astrologers would have predicted.

Thanks for hosting this space once again.

Luke

[ecosophia]

It's interesting, but it needs much more research either to confirm or contradict his claims.

[randomactsofkarmasc]

Manly P Hall (Secret Teachings…), in discussing Pythagoras: "These sounds of the seven planets, and the sphere of the fixed stars, together with that above us [Antichthon], are the nine Muses, and their joint symphony is called Mnemosyne. (See The Canon.)"

What is The Canon to which he is referring? Are there any good resources (in English) giving more information about how the Muses relate to the planets/spheres?

Thank you!

Alabaster Gaseous Octopus

[ecosophia]

He's referring to a famous 1897 book of occult lore by William Stirling, which you can download free of charge here.

[randomactsofkarmasc]

stcathalexandria posted a question last month, regarding "why the southern hemisphere countries are not as swept up in the Plutonian mindset of the last 100 years or so compared to the north."

I am not an astrologer, so this is just a 'something to think about'...

One of the ways that Pluto is different from the other planets is its inclination of orbit. From some of the images of Pluto's orbit that I found, it crossed Earth's equatorial (which has an inclination of zero) in (approximately) 1930 and 2020 (which is about 100 years). So maybe Pluto's location (relative to our equator) affects how Pluto affects the hemispheres?

links to images:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Plutoorbit1.5sideview.gif

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Pluto_skypath_1900-2050.png

[ecosophia]

Hmm! That's a fascinating supposition, and worth further research. If it's true, for example, other planets with even modest inclination of orbit should show changes in which of our hemispheres they affect most strongly, depending on where they are relative to our plane of orbit.

[(Anonymous)]

1. I've finally gotten to the point of doing the full Heathen LBRP and Middle Pillar. I switched over from the SoP at the beginning of the year (I was very slow to add the different steps), and in that time only missed one day on account of a migraine; it's the best I've ever done after years of struggling. What is the next ritual to take on? The ALU was published here, I know a temple opening exists; how long should I wait until tackling each one of those (just trying to set up the next goalpost here)?

2. As a possible point of interest, for anyone else who might have the same problem. When I switched banishing rituals, I discovered that the SoP had been the cause of a minor health problem I'd had during the years I was trying to work with it; I asked about it here at the time, and the guess was contact with the earth current was impeding normal function. In the last month those same digestive issues starting coming back, albeit in a milder form. I was trying to figure out what could be causing it and realized that, in doing only the first half of the MP, after that final sphere I was pushing the line of light all the way down into the earth and the energy pool therein, like in the SoP. So I rechecked the instructions, I made an inquiry here, found it's supposed to stop at the last sphere, and I corrected the visualization (adding in the final energy circulation helped with that). It's still early, but the issue looks to be clearing right up again. So just that bit of contact was enough to trigger it.

I find it so bizarre. Is there any reason my body should be that sensitive to the earth current? And in light of the fact that it is, are there any other occult practices you can think of off the top of your head that I should flat out avoid doing?

[ecosophia]

1) The ALU ritual is next, and then the temple opening and closing -- you can modify the version given here. After that you're breaking new ground; you can use the rituals and practices in The Celtic Golden Dawn as inspirations if you like.

2) That's fascinating. Some people just do better with a pure solar-current approach, but I've never known why.

Solar and Telluric currents

[thinking_turtle]

Last week I was reading the Druid Magic Handbook. I am at the chapter on the Solar and Telluric currents. Later on I was listening to a Jerm Warfare podcast about Polar Bears. It stuck me that all people talk about when they discuss the temperature is the warming power of the sun.

But what about the Earth itself? The inner part of our planet consists of seas of solid metals. The core of our planet is solid and even warmer. Surprisingly, the center of the earth is as hot as the surface of the sun. Now there's a puzzle! If all that heats the earth is the sun, the center of our planet should be colder than its surface, and certainly no warmer than the sun's surface. There must be a large heat engine in the Earth's center.

What do you think of the Solar current having blinded us to the Earth as a source of heat?

Re: Solar and Telluric currents

[ecosophia]

The internal heat of the earth is a significant factor in deep mines. If I understand correctly, it's a combination of heat left over from the origins of the planet -- it was white-hot when it formed -- and heat released by the decay of radioactive isotopes. Since there's so much rock in the way, it doesn't contribute much heat to the surface, but you're right that it's a factor that has been neglected.

[(Anonymous)]

We have a very challenging adult house guest suffering from severe depression possibly caused by a curse from unknown parties. Being too close to the person I commissioned divination that suggested etheric starvation as a result of said curse. I had found a very odd talisman in his house about 18 months ago that he hadn't seen, the likes of which you had no knowledge when I asked on this forum at the time.
I have a daily banishing practice that I perform in the room above and I wonder if it could have a negative effect on him, similar to effects on young children.
Where can I find information for treatment appropriate for this condition within my limited skillset? I'm slowly working through you Circles of Power/Paths of Wisdom after completing your LRM course.
Citrine Grumbling Gorgon

[ecosophia]

The appropriate treatment for such a person should be decided on by someone who's got a background and a license in mental health care, neither of which I have. Your banishing practice shouldn't have any negative effect on him; you might consider getting a copy of Israel Regardie's fine little book The Art of True Healing, which teaches a way of using the Middle Pillar exercise to provide spiritual healing. But severe depression is nothing to mess with in any more intensive way if you don't have adequate training.

Historical question

[(Anonymous)]

Good Morning, JMG:
Have been meditating on threads from the last 2 Magic Mondays regarding possible awakening of Germanic gods.
Is there anything in occult lore about the relationship/connection/etc. between ancient Germanic gods and ancient Celtic gods, and the respective people?
One notes that ancient Germanic people seem to have had sacred groves before the Romans (Appolonian culture) destroyed them, which sounds very Druidy; barrows and stone circles are found in what is now Britain, France, and Germany; your essay on the myth of Einigan discussed the ancient figure of Mannas, which seems to be common to both pre-Germanic and pre-Celtic; layperson reading of current archaeology seems to indicate La Tene culture, Bell Beaker, and Grooved Ware are all related to each other. My curiosity is piqued about this because, as you have pointed out, the river valleys of the Thames and the Rhine are where Faustian culture was born after the pseudomorphoses of Appolonian and Magian influence.
I get the sense that the pre-Appolonian landscape of Europe was something akin to pre-Columbian North America, with a dynamic mix of tribes in different parts of the land, with an equally dynamic mix of spiritual experiences, some of them shared across tribes and regions, some of them not. This seems relevant given the differing ways that Faustian history has played out when one compares the British Isles and Germany.
I doubt I am the first one to whom this thought has occurred, so am wondering what may already be out there in the occult lore...

Re: Historical question

[lukedodson]

There certainly was a very porous boundary between 'Celtic' and 'Germanic' peoples in ancient northern Europe. The Belgae and Cimbri spring to mind as possible examples of Celto-Germanic tribes. And then there's that rather fascinating La Tene cauldron found at Gundestrup in Denmark...

Egg yolks

[(Anonymous)]

Does it mean anything if you crack open an egg and see two yolks in the same egg?

Re: Egg yolks

[ecosophia]

Just that you got a double-yolked egg. They're about as common as twins among humans.

Faust and Magic

[(Anonymous)]

to JMG and readers
1) good English translations of Goethe's Faust, and Dante's Divina Comedia

2) is Goethe's Faust, Magically correct? it seems it goes to great detail and some things are accurate at least more accurate than any Harry Potter or other recent stuff

Re: Faust and Magic

[ecosophia]

1) I'll leave this to others.

2) It would take a lot of work to be less accurate than Harry Potter! Goethe had a fair amount of knowledge about occult traditions, and practiced alchemy for a while in his youth, so it's not at all surprising that he'd get some of the details right.

Levi Book Club

[d_mekel]

Thank you for providing this forum. This question is in regards to Ch.13 in the Levi Book Club.

This is what I'm trying to process or understand from the chapter. When people die, they leave an essence in the astral of what they were in that incarnation. Once they have finished their second death and have had time to process their past life, their soul moves on. When the dead are evoked and appear, they are not actually that soul(b/c its moved on), but some entity or spirit is sort of stepping into their essence like an avatar and are able to act through what remains of the dead. That was how I understood some of the main points from that chapter. Am I off the mark?

Also, he mentions ringing in the ears as the dead trying to speak to you. I've had that start happening to me often about a month or more before I started that chapter. It seems to happen during meditation or in odd times. Does he mean that the dead are trying to communicate literally?

Re: Levi Book Club

[ecosophia]

1) No, that's about right.

2) Good question. The next time it happens, you might try clearing your mind and seeing if you can sense anything.

Close Connections

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

In the past you have written about some aspects of sexual magic. Are there any guidelines for dealing with the etheric(?) level connections when relationships need to end in this lifetime?

For context I am not a practitioner of any magical path or study but this particular relationship has shown me a lot that I would not have believed as a younger man. So as far as I am aware there was no formal magic used but we were brought together by more than chance and built the relationship intensely through word and imagination. Even just writing this I already see the value of journaling as you recommend as I would very much enjoy being able to talk and share some of things to find a why this would happen. I think we allowed our wants to extend past what could be reality for our situation. However, we allowed ourselves to be tied together to the point of being able to affect each other emotionally when we are apart and now have to deal with it. I am not really sure how to describe this properly as my magical vocabulary is limited but in my experience this level of connection is not normal.

Re: Close Connections

[ecosophia]

Psychic connections between lovers, like those between parents and children, are entirely normal; the only reason they seem unusual is that so many relationships in the present time are so shallow. That's especially common when there are karmic connections -- e.g., the two of you have intense emotional business from a previous life. If the two of you break off all contact and have sexual relationships with other people, that might disrupt the connection -- but it might not. These linkages are extremely potent and you may just have to live with it.