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 31, the Sphere, when upright tells you that the possibilities before you are much bigger than you realize; when reversed, it tells you that you're completely missing what's going on. 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.

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 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

Breathing the Gods

[cs2]

Happy Monday!

I know that in breathing the Cantrefs in the DA that it includes the associated god, but is there a technique like color breathing in which one can breathe all the gods at once/their influence?

At the end of the SOP, sometimes I've felt blobs on my hands that you told me is the beginning of etheric sensitivity, but sometimes I feel something else there that might be the gods or another nebulous sensation. I've been breathing that for as long as I can stand up and then lying down (feet flat on the ground) and breathing it some more, then standing again and closing with the Circulation of Light.

My guess is that this is safe and I can do it for as long as I want, is that correct? Or should I limit it to not stress my subtle bodies or anything? Thank you.

Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[jprussell]

Good Evening!

As always, thanks very much for your time and effort answering questions and facilitating further discussion. It is truly a wonderful resource for those of us who don't know anyone local to talk about these things with.

To Share: I've recommended Eirik Westcoat before, but this time let me recommend his book Eagle's Mead. Like his other book I recommended (Viking Poetry for Heathen Rites), it is largely a collection of poetry written in modern English following the metrical/alliterative rules of Medieval and older Germanic poetry, but rather than a collection of liturgical poems, this book contains poetry that he worked out while following the initiatory path laid out in Nine Doors of Midgard, and so is more explicitly magical as well as personal. Perhaps of interest to folks not as interested in the Germanic Gods, it includes some material related to the Grail myth, an area that Edred Thorsson has done some work to link with the Runes (mostly through some of the later, less-often-seen additions to the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc), and the system that Westcoat follows was laid out mainly by Thorsson.

Question: For JMG, or anyone in the commentariat willing to share, do you have any recommended resources on prayer as a practice, whether polytheist, Christian, or whatever else? I've started looking particularly at the Rosary as an example of a form of contemplative prayer that has been widely used for a good, long time, and I suspect it might be usefully adapted as a source of inspiration for prayers to other deities.

Cheers,
Jeff

[(Anonymous)]

I never really learned to put on a face and prefer to say exactly what I think and feel anyway. What would be the consequences for me of doing a working to make someone else get seen by people for exactly who they are?

[(Anonymous)]

A thought occurred to me today: Is philosophy a kind of exercise for our mental level, helping to develop the sheath into a proper body? Are there any other such exercises?

[(Anonymous)]

You might recall I asked about the slow grind to victory of the current conservative movement in the US on a previous Magic Monday. The general thinking seemed to be that Saturn was involved due to (I may be misunderstanding) the plodding pace and political stability as lawsuits reach the Supreme Court, legislatures change parties one seat at a time, and whole demographics jump ship… er… party.

My view here in Flyover Country is rather like the folktale about generations of farmers carrying away a pebble every day from the base of the warlord’s mountain until the mountain was no more. The people are quite self-aware, and the heat of their smoldering anger is directed into action by a racial memory of cockeyed optimism.

Given all that, does the date of the first broadcast of the Rush Limbaugh Show at noon on 1 August 1988 from ABC Radio in New York City make a reasonable birthday for the modern conservative movement?

I don’t know much about astrology, so a few words about how the date does or does not connect to or fit the events and trends mentioned would be very helpful.

Rhydlyd

[fringewood]

This is an update to last mondays question: https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/189366.html?thread=31982262#cmt31982262



I thank JMG, temporaryreality, Princess Cutekitten, and thinking_turtle for energy sent on my behalf!



As it turned out, I was able to do the SOP in front of two large Windows facing south. My side of the room had privacy screens that kept prying eyes out. My husband told me he could feel the SOP at our home. I had a clear picture in my mind of our place when doing the ritual and realized I had been building that picture for several months. I was able to see both the room and our land at the same time which is cool:-)



I had lots and lots of tests with major outcome learning my heart is weaker than it should be . I'll be going into rehab for a couple of weeks to build up my strength and then back home. I may need your imagination instructions, JMG, in rehab.




Thanks you JMG and this forum for a place to learn and develop my inner world. Blessings to you all.

Talisman Side Effects

[weilong]

I'm contemplating making a planetary talisman by the instructions in Circles of Power (my first one - I've made elemental talismans before). Have you (or others) experienced unwanted side effects from these? For example, if I were to make a Mars talisman to help me learn welding, would I also find myself becoming more aggressive or competitive because of the extra Mars energy it brings into my life? I ask because this is a concern with astrological talismans, and it is standard practice to run a check against the user's natal chart before making one.

In my case, I am thinking of making a talisman to bring customers to my business. Mercury would be the natural choice for that. However, my natal Mercury is afflicted, and divination suggests that the talisman would bring some difficulty with communication and relationships.
I figure that my options include:
1) Think about a different planet to help some other aspect of my business.
2) Get customers the old fashioned way (without magic).
3) Make the Mercury talisman and accept the consequences (it might be the impetus I need to finally deal with my communication issues).
4) Or, I guess the fourth option that I am hoping for is that you will tell me that it's not usually a big deal so I can have my cake and eat it, too.

Thanks, as always, for providing this service.

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[(Anonymous)]

When a Pagan Prays: Exploring Prayer in Druidry and Beyond by Nimue Brown.
I found this book had quite a bit of train the mind utility.

Cerridwen: Celtic Goddess of Inspiration by Kristoffer Hughes.
Just started reading it. Might be a good template for your work.

Rhydlyd

Re: Breathing the Gods

[ecosophia]

1) I don't think anyone has created such a technique yet. You might see what you can come up with.

2) Yes, that should be fine. Pay attention to how your physical and subtle bodies feel; if you end up feeling strained or giddy afterwards, it might be time to back off a little.

[jprussell]

Glad to hear you have a way forward, and more positive energy headed your way!

Cheers,
Jeff

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[ecosophia]

Ceisiwr Serith's A Book of Pagan Prayer is quite good, and my co-written book Pagan Prayer Beads has some material on rosary practice you might find helpful.

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[jprussell]

Thanks very much for these!

[ecosophia]

Do you have their permission to do this?

[ecosophia]

That's the central point of meditation -- especially the discursive meditation practiced in Western occultism.

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[jprussell]

Thanks very much - I've found both helpful in the past, but I likely ought to revisit with some of my changed practice and perspective.

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[(Anonymous)]

Last winter, I bought a Northern Tradition set of prayer beads from Raven Kaldera via his website. They are handmade and come with two and a half pages of short prayers.

I appreciate he’s controversial, but have no problem with that, as the beads are beautiful (I bought wood) and so are the short prayers that correspond to each bead.

It takes me about 15-20 minutes to pray each bead, and I do it every night. At this point, it’s from memory. I’ve found this practice very rewarding.

Best to you,
OtterGirl

[ecosophia]

That would make quite a plausible start date for the new populist conservatism. I took a moment to generate a chart on Astro.com --


It's quite an intriguing chart. Saturn and Uranus are dead conjunct, meaning that it's at once conservative and revolutionary; Sun and Mercury are conjunct in Leo in the 10th, very favorable for a movement that seeks political power. I may just want to do a full delineation of this and publish it as an open post on my Patreon and SubscribeStar platforms, so thank you for this!

[ecosophia]

Thank you for the update! Positive energy en route for a full recovery.

Re: Talisman Side Effects

[ecosophia]

Well, the fourth option isn't an option. If you invoke a planetary energy it's always going to be colored by the condition of the planet in your natal chart. In your place I'd check my chart for other planets in better shape -- the Sun, Jupiter and Venus are all good planets for workings meant to help a business prosper. Alternatively, if it has to be Mercury for some reaso, I'd look at doing another talisman with a different planet to help counter the negative side of your natal Mercury.

Re: Talisman Side Effects

[(Anonymous)]

"another talisman with a different planet to help counter the negative side of your natal Mercury"
I hadn't thought of that.

Thank you. I see that I wasn't over-thinking it after all.

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[jprussell]

Glad to hear it! I've been interested in those prayer beads for a while now, but I've held off on the notion of "Is buying these really what I most need to do right now?"

I'm glad to hear from someone who has gotten good use out of them.

Thanks,
Jeff

Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources

[(Anonymous)]

I may be able to help you, what do you need to know about the rosary?

—Princess Cutekitten

Re: Talisman Side Effects

[(Anonymous)]

Not the OP, but if you have a natal chart where all the classical planets are rather strongly afflicted, does this mean astrological magic is something best left alone? The only planets in my chart in decent shape are Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, and I don't think anyone knows enough about how to use them in astrological magic for it to be an option (and, working with those three seems like a recipe for some serious imbalances and danger anyway).

A few Qs

[adastra1111]

Hello JMG and all!

Thanks once again for hosting and generously answering all of these questions.

1. Is it possible for a person to progress along their path, eventually passing beyond human incarnation, without deliberately pursuing spiritual practice? In other words, is every atheist stalling at best, and going the wrong direction at worst, or can atheism be a necessary spiritual step somehow?

2. I recently read you mention that if someone monetizes some teaching they got for free on your blog, you should be paid for that. I’ve taught monetized classes where I shared things you’ve posted for free on your blogs. I figured that taking bits and pieces of things I’ve learned, whether for free or that I paid for, and sharing a mix of that combined with my own experience (monetized), is basically what every teacher and book I’ve learned from has also done, and thus, is normal and ok to do. But if the occult has taught me anything, it’s to be open to being wrong and owning up to it. What are your thoughts?

3. I noticed you mentioned on your other blog that John Gilbert had dealings with - and steered his students away from - 22 Teachings. Do you know what happened between he and them to leave such a bad taste or why he would ultimately decide to dissuade students from them?

4. I know you respect Duquette but what do you make of his belief that Goetic spirits are only portions of the human brain (parroting Crowley) rather than objective, independent beings? My experience with working magic is that I started from the former and experience led me to the latter, which is also your position, if I’m not mistaken. Is it the case that he’s simply wrong about this aspect of magic but he has other useful teachings to offer? To me, getting something that wrong makes me question everything coming from the source.

Thanks again,
Mauve Atomic Lorax

Re: Talisman Side Effects

[ecosophia]

Yes, in that case you'd be better off doing elemental talismans on the one hand, and talismans calling on divine energies (e.g., Sephirothic talismans if you do classic Golden Dawn work) on the other.