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!

[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]

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.

[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) 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.

[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.

[jprussell]

On 2) Aw, rats, but fair enough. I first started reading him when I was approaching myth and religion from a materialist point of view and found his comparative methods helpful, but I haven't gotten back into his material since widening my beliefs on spiritual matters. He's not at the top of my list right now, but if I read more of his work, I'll share any interesting insights I come across.

[ecosophia]

I'd like to have the spare time to reread him -- his book on alchemy, The Forge and the Crucible, struck me as extremely insightful -- but there just haven't been enough hours in the day, and too many other things on the read-this pile!

[(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

[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]

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.

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

[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.

[open_space]

3) If I may, as an element of the under thirty set. Some of us do, but it's not the majority in my experience though many like to pose as if they did. Something that I've noticed is that people my age seem to be more sensitized to the damage nature has endured and try to look for answers on what to do about it. We don't seem to value the same things past generations used to value and since some of those things are part of the ecological disaster that might be part of it.

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.

[ecosophian]

Thank you for your prompt reply.

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.

[(Anonymous)]

If the universe was a curmudgeon-free zone, I wouldn’t be here!

—Princess Cutekitten

[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?

Re: Astral Sounds?

[(Anonymous)]

Otter Girl and JMG, a while back I was on the edge of sleep when a cheery voice just beside my right ear said, “Hello!” It got my attention but even JMG wasn’t sure what it was. It’s had nothing to say since.

—Princess Cutekitten

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

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.

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

[(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?