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? I've decided to trace, as far as I can, my own occult lineage in photos. We're still tracing Juliet Ashley's end of the lineage. Last week I posted an image of her fourth teacher, Arthur Edward Waite, the Golden Dawn alumnus who passed onto her the rituals that became the foundation for the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose. Waite, in turn, got his knowledge from the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This is the most important of those, Dr. William Wynn Westcott, a London coroner and enthusiastic Freemason who was also one of the most active figures in the British occult community of his day.  It's hard to think of an occult order active in Britain in the late 19th century into which Westcott wasn't initiated, and he wrote extensively on Cabala, occult philosophy, and Rosicrucian mysticism. A London resident for most of his life, he moved to South Africa on retirement to be close to his daughter and her husband, and spent his last years being just as active in South Africa's Masonic and occult scene.

PayPal tip jar link

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 link above to access my online tip jar. (Dreamwidth is having trouble with crosslinks to other sites right now, thus the absence of the usual button.) 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 -- as in, no new comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I’ve just started with your book club posts on Lévi’s Doctrine, and the expression “lumber room” popped out at me, so I searched it and found “The Lumber Room” by Saki. Did you want me to find that story? It certainly fits my feeling of being a child when confronted by magic. Or is this another amusing synchronicity and personal lesson?
Also, since I have next to no experience with this sort of thing, the Magician in the Wirth deck is le Bateleur – the Mountebank. A travelling medicine show barker? That combined with Saki’s story intrigues me. Your advice on sorting trail from red herring is welcome.
Many thanks!
Rhydlyd

[ecosophia]

1) Nope. "Lumber room" is a common Britishism also found in some American dlalects, and I used it in tha sense.

2) Trump I was originally the Mountebank, and only in later decks got turned into the Magician. That said, if you find the synchronicity interesting, by all means meditate on it.

[(Anonymous)]

"Anonymous, the vending-machine approach I criticize might be better off with a different name, because the people I’m critiquing don’t want to make fair exchange for what they want. The pagan Romans called their concept do ut des, “I give that you may give;” it was understood as an exchange of gifts. As for planetary charity, I don’t suggest that it works because of some theoretical issue; many people have found that it works, and our ideas need to take that experience into account."

I have a question on this though, one that has bothered me for a while: compared to the benefits, isn't the cost of planetary charity fairly small? It does not seem like a "fair" exchange to me, simply because the benefits I've gotten from it have far, far, far outweighed the relatively modest cost.

[ecosophia]

Keep in mind that for a planetary intelligence, the thing you wanted was likely no more difficult than the donation was to you.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I recently did a magical working to meet the woman of my dreams and it worked spectacularly in my (and now, our) favour. I’ve gotten a little more than I bargained for, though.

1. The woman in question experiences psychism in the form of many voices in her head. Do you know of any good sources on this kind of psychism? I’d like to dig into it.

2. On one of our first nights together, she received some guidance for me. While I am generally sceptical of information like this, it was incredibly pertinent to a range of things I have been grappling with long-term and aligned with where my heart has been trying to get to, so I am inclined to give it some weight. One of the messages for me was that I should turn aside from my magical studies and focus fully on what is on my plate in this life. I have had some very challenging experiences lately that have left me questioning whether the considerable costs of seeking so actively and persistently to expand my consciousness have exceeded the returns for now. I self-initiated into the Bardic grade of the CGD a few months ago and began working on the Druid curriculum. Despite this, I feel I must try and put things into a holding pattern for the time being. Is there anything that you think I need to consider when attempting to do this?

3. My lover has told me of a deceased (suicided) family member and felt compelled to give me one of their possessions. A couple of nights ago, I woke from chaotic yet persistent dreams featuring her and the object and perceived the deceased person standing next to my bed. Based on what I know of their life, they are either stuck waiting or in a very bad place right now. They clearly want something from me, and while I will be doing divination and praying on the issue, I was wondering how you might recommend approaching the issue?

Many thanks for all you do.

[ecosophia]

1) This isn't something I've explored in any detail. Anyone else?

2) Since you're doing so after reaching one of the places where stopping is an option, it should be no problem.

3) If you're supposed to set your magical studies aside, I recommend prayer.

Helios Unbound for the Dolmen Arch path

[cs2]

Happy Halloween and Samhuin!

I am reading Helios Unbound, a reworking of the Abramelin program along pagan lines using Golden Dawn rituals. The dedication of the program is enticing, but I am not interested in switching to Golden Dawn rituals since the Dolmen Arch path seems is my home. For me I've still got my hands full with the DA, but I was curious whether you thought a program could be designed like this (Helios Unbound/Abramelin) using DA & Mabinogion symbolism? Thank you.

Re: Helios Unbound for the Dolmen Arch path

[ecosophia]

Yes, it certainly could. Before you do so, I recommend two things. The first is to finish the entire Dolmen Arch system and make sure you're fully familiar with it. The second is to read the original Abramelin document, which contains no Golden Dawn magic at all. Comparing that with the Helios book will give you a good sense of how wide a range of processes you can incorporate into a working of that type.

[alifelongme]

Hello JMG.

1. I wear protective talisman you described in FAQ. I put it on the first thing in the morning before I go about my day which frequently involves interactions with unfriendly people. The question is: should I take it off before performing LBRP or any other ritual for that matter?

2. As I think about the evolution of Cosmos, the myth of Progress, cyclical or linear nature of time, and incarnations, I get a bit confused. On the one hand, the concept of evolution requires assumption of linear time vector and notions of the past, the present, and the future as evolution unfolds. On the other hand, the time is cyclical. To resolve this seeming contradiction I tried to think of it as the spiral around the vector of time. But it still looks like evolution is the “progress” from the past into the future. It just does so spiraling around an arrow / vector. So, if this is the case, all subsequent incarnations are going to happen in the future in relation to now, right?

3. But what if this linearity of time is just the property of our human perception? What if there is no “unfolding” and everything already “happened,” and the past, the present, and the future exist all at once? Is it possible then for some souls reincarnate in the so called “past” relative to now?

Am I totally off the mark here?

Thanks,
Alifelongme

[ecosophia]

1) No, one of the good things about that specific amulet is that it doesn't lose effect by being around banishings -- quite the opposite, in fact.

2) Time is a dimension; it is neither linear nor cyclical. Things moving through time move in circles or lines, or what have you. In the same way, space is neither linear nor cyclical, though some things move straight ahead and others move in lines. It's the thing that moves, not space or time.

3) From the point of view of eternal beings, all time exists at once. You and I have not entered into eternity yet, and so we travel through time in a more or less linear fashion. As for reincarnation, all I can say is that all the lives I remember fit into a linear sequence in historical time.

Thought Shapes

[(Anonymous)]

Is there a way of visualizing philosophical concepts? Do thoughts have shapes?

Within meditation I can visualize scientific concepts, like geometry, physics, and fractal biology. However, shapes of love, truth, justice, these allude me. This bothers me, so I have written here. The smallest of threads to follow will be appreciated.
Thank you for listening,

Fundamental Harmonic Chimera

Re: Thought Shapes

[(Anonymous)]

Strangely enough I had the same issues many years ago. I started a workbook that combined geometric shapes I drew with some Buddhist concepts I was studying at the time.

This may be an opportunity for some creative journals !

[liamq]

JMG,

Many thanks for engaging with your readers in such a generous manner. I feel incredibly geeky admitting how much fun these are for me.

(1) Suppose I wanted to eventually train in both Druid magic and in classic Golden Dawn magic. In your opinion, which of those two would it generally be better to start with? Does one of those generally act as a better foundation than the other?

(2) Whilst performing the Circulation of Light, is it acceptable to imagine three separate and overlapping spheres moving simultaneously in the three distinct directions? Or must it be one sphere?

[ecosophia]

1) In that case you might want to have a look at my book The Celtic Golden Dawn, which offers a complete system of Golden Dawn magic reworked to fit the teachings and symbolism of Druidry. That would give you a foot in both camps.

2) The SoP is designed to handle many variations. That's not one I've seen before, but you can certainly give it a try and see how well it works.

What's happening here?

[(Anonymous)]

I have a menagerie of interesting acquaintances. One’s a clairvoyant and all-around psychic. When we first met we had quite a conversation in which I thought my thoughts and the clairvoyant responded out loud. It went on for some time. Another person I know can see the shining of the presence of the Shekinah. Normally the presence shines from the consecrated host at mass. Sometimes the presence shines from the priest when he’s reading the gospel or delivering the homily. Sometimes the presence shines from a reader, or outside of mass from speakers at religious gatherings.

My question is about a third person. First some background about this person. The person has no personal ritual ceremonial practice, nor any set of personal psychic practices, nor any set of traditional spiritual practices of any sort. Nor is the person outwardly religious, nor a churchgoer. The person is not psychic nor clairvoyant in any way. Nor does the person possess any special gifts, like being able to see the Shekinah. The person cares for and saves the lives of animals, insects, bugs, trees, and plants, and even prays for them when they pass away (including the bugs and plants). The person comes across to other people as being very kind. But otherwise the person is quite withdrawn and suffers from Complex-PTSD due to long term familial abuse starting in childhood.

Here’s the thing. The clairvoyant cannot bear to look directly at this person’s aura. The clairvoyant once pointed to the sun when it was on the horizon and said that this person’s aura was like that. The clairvoyant also says that this person has a very strong shield that’s always there. In one incident, the clairvoyant attempted to exorcise a demon that had taken possession of a religious icon. The clairvoyant failed and a larger more terrifying demon appeared instead. The clairvoyant fled and came to the person in question, who prayed for a holy angel to come and protect them. What happened said the clairvoyant was that this person’s shield simply expanded and drove the demon back.

My acquaintance who can see the presence of the Shekinah says that this person in question is the only one from whom the Shekinah has shone when the person was not doing anything religious in particular. Not reading from a sacred text, nor performing any religious act, nor hanging out in any religious place, but just silently sitting at table in the house.

What might be happening with this person? Are past lives involved? I ask in the general sense. In other words, when this kind of thing happens with a person, what in general is happening? I also invite insights from the commentariat. Neither the clairvoyant nor the person gifted to see the Shekinah have any idea what’s happening.

Obsidian Melancholic Mermaid

Re: What's happening here?

[ecosophia]

Hard to tell without meeting the person, but it sounds as though you're dealing with a bona fide saint. Yes, there's probably plenty of past lives involved, but the sustained practice of compassion all by itself is a spiritual path and can take you very far. I would encourage you and others to make sure this holy person has whatever they need, give them the solitude they require, and give thanks to the gods that someone of that stature is in the area -- such a person becomes a center of beneficial influences that can extend quite far.

Magical Potpourris

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG and Fellow Readers,
I made a potpourris of Saint John's wort flowers and leaves, Angelic seed and root, Blue Vervain leaf and seed and rose petals, all from my magic garden.

A magically-sensitive friend came over after a ghastly day defending her poor old father at our local hospital. She was very stressed out and had a bad headache. I handed her the basket of potpourris and asked if she could feel any magic. She could not so I asked her to smell it. After a few breaths, her headache suddenly reduced to a small point and was much less painful. Then, she said she could feel the magic. I gave her the basket of herbs to have by her bedside.

Funny thing is, neither of us expected such a reaction. What do you make of it?

Maxine

Re: Magical Potpourris

[ecosophia]

Um, you had her sniff a potpourri containing three of the most powerful protective and blessing herbs in the Western magical tradition, and you're wondering what happened?

Helping a startup

[sea_spray]

Hi JMG

What planet would you recommend working with, either through candle magic or planetary charity, to help a startup company get going to the benefit of everyone involved and hopefully the world.

Do you think I would need to ask for permission from anyone for this?

Thanks
sea Spray

Re: Helping a startup

[ecosophia]

1) Mercury. He governs businesses.

2) The state government, certainly, to get the business license! Other than that, I'd encourage you to use divination.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John and commentariat,

I have recently created a talisman for bringing out truth and clarity-- Or more correctly, the talisman sort of created itself with me holding the tools. It seems to work pretty well--but caused some of my secrets to be revealed as well as those of the folks around me-- Not the sort of thing to be holding if you want to keep secrets!

I would like to describe it in a members-only discussion list; Mindful of the principle of keeping quiet about one's magical activities, is there any downside to describing the creation of a new talisman, or would it be better to leave it largely unknown?

Thanks for all your hard work in the various forums!

--Ambergris Malodorous Cyclops

[ecosophia]

Er, the fourth virtue of the mage is not "talk about it, but only in contexts where it'll take a few hours at least for it to be blabbed all over the internet..."

[(Anonymous)]

Is the arbatel a good start for pgm style magic?

[ecosophia]

The Arbatel isn't PGM-style magic. That's like asking if a rowboat is a good first bicycle.

I'd encourage you to start with thorough study of the PGM documents, backed up with scholarly works such as Garth Fowden's The Egyptian Hermes and your choice of modern works riffing off the PGM rituals. Then choose a ritual and work with it systematically. My recommendation for a first working is always the Bornless One ritual, as it's been used so systematically of late that the tracks in space are very solid, but your mileage may vary, of course.

If you want to study the Arbatel and then cross-reference it with the PGM, that's fine, and might well be productive -- but I'd encourage you to get a good background in the original tradition first.

German Texans, Heart/Solar Plexus Adjustments, and Ritual for the Honored Dead

[jprussell]

Hello All,

First off, I wish everyone the best with however you do (or don't) observe Samhain/Halloween/Dia de los Muertos/mid-Fall. One of the few good things to come out of the COVID lockdowns around here is that our neighborhood started setting up tables outside to hand out candy for trick-or-treating, which pretty naturally turned into a tailgating/block party kind of event - parents sip on adult beverages, share snacks with the other grown-ups, and chat while the kids go for the candy. So, however you observe the season, may your community of the living and the dead bring you good things this year.

Secondly, thanks to JMG for providing this space and to the community for making it so lively.

To Share: Last week, fellow commenter causticus put out a thoughtful post (https://causticus.dreamwidth.org/66328.html) on how folks who consider themselves "Germanic" polytheists, especially Americans, have a wider set of influences to draw on than many folks look to. This led me to start looking further into Texas's history of substantial German settlement - a topic I was pretty familiar with, but had never considered from a religious point of view. So far I haven't found much, but I'll share as I do. If anyone would like to do their own poking around, the Wikipedia entry on "German Texan" has some good links to get you started: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Texan

To Ask: Two questions if I might this week:
1) I've seen you (JMG) in past comments talk about how the Middle Pillar has some flexibility in using the heart center or the solar plexus, and that a person ought to use the one that they most need to develop (solar plexus if you could use more strength of will, heart if you could use more feeling/compassion). Is there any equivalent tweaking in the DMH/DA approach, or does the balance between Solar and Telluric forces make it not as necessary?
2) For JMG and/or the commentariat: any recommendations for family-friendly and flexible ways to observe the holiday without the chanting and walking in circles of a non-magical Grove ritual? My wife is more toward the "spiritual but not religious" end of things, but she asked me about doing something in particular to honor and remember our dead (she's from San Antonio, so Dia de los Muertos is familiar, if not directly part of her cultural tradition). If it helps, I usually light a candle to my "forebearers" (both blood ancestors and important cultural figures) and offer a drink once a week, and I pray to the Anglo-Saxon Gods.

Many thanks as usual to JMG and the commentariat for one of the highlights of my week.

Cheers,
Jeff

Re: German Texans, Heart/Solar Plexus Adjustments, and Ritual for the Honored Dead

[ecosophia]

1) The balance between the forces -- and the use of both the heart and solar plexus centers -- make it unnecessary.

2) You can always have a feast, set an extra place for the dead, and say some prayers, then spend the evening looking over family pictures if you have them and talking about memories.

Card deck care

[milkyway1]

Good morning! :-)

I hope you and your wife had a wonderful start into the week.

A question to JMG and to everybody else, about card deck care:

My oracle card deck is showing signs of wear. Do you have any recommendations on how to take care of paper card decks to make them „last“ longer?

I‘d be happy about mundane suggestions (the equivalent of linseed oil for wood, sort of) as well as magic suggestions (preferably natural magic and the like; ritual magic is above my pay grade).

I wouldn‘t want to put them into plastic sheaths, though.

Thanks, and may you have a wonderful week!

Milkyway

Re: Card deck care

[ecosophia]

I've never encountered a good way to do that. My approach is to always have a backup copy, so that when one wears out, I've got a replacement.

Succubi

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I've been trying to practice semen retention for a number of reasons, which has actually been going fine, but about every month, I still get a, shall we say, 'nocturnal emission'.

In principle, this isn't a huge problem, just more of a nuisance, but the concerning aspect is that I tend to get very focused, disturbing, sexual dreams when this happens, and it's almost like a dark cloud has fallen over an otherwise normal dream. Then I tend to wake up with a startle and my heart racing.

Then last week I read a reply you made to another commenter about succubi and incubi and got a little concerned. I don't watch porn or anything, and do regular banishing rituals and prayers, and have a small silver crucifix and put a splash of Florida water in a dish by my bed each night, but something still seems to be slipping through - any thoughts on how to prevent this? I can't wear a talisman or any jewellery to bed, as I will definitely get tangled in any cords overnight - I'm quite an active sleeper!

Also, a more general question which relates to succubi, and demons as a whole - they exist on a sub-plane below us, so how can they feed off our life force (etheric level) or get into our dreams (astral level) if these levels are effectively 2 or 3 planes above them?
Does this also relate to the concept of "Loosh" that I've read elsewhere, where unpleasant creatures can feed off the energy caused by living things suffering?

Thanks.

Re: Succubi

[ecosophia]

1) You might try making a talisman and placing it between the mattress and the box spring, around the place where your crotch is when you're asleep.

2) One of the many awkward results of the Lemurian deviation is that demons, while they're beneath us in the great chain of being, can contact us via our astral bodies, and so can influence anything from the middle astral down to the physical, using our bodies as the medium.

Apologies

[(Anonymous)]

My apologies, as I was one of the ones contributing to the post-close comments last week. I hadn’t realized that the prior practice of a brief window for further posts on the existing conversations (as opposed to starting new ones) was no longer in effect, but I've noted it for the future

Re: Apologies

[ecosophia]

I've had to close that window because too many people were using it to ask new questions. One of those things.

Cell Salts and Hylands

[(Anonymous)]

Hylands, the most common cell salt brand, has changed to "single pill" dosing-- for example, bioplasma now comes in a bottle of 100 larger pills instead of 500 smaller ones. Who here has experience with other suppliers who still use traditional dosing?

Fuchsia Vacuous Hummingbird

Re: Cell Salts and Hylands

[open_space]

The other suppliers I know also do the larger pills that are the same as two and a smaller supplier in mexico that does single dose. When hylands announced that it stopped making 500 bottle I started looking into how to make but haven't tried those bigger pills. I think it was Boericke's book that had the method of preparation.

Spiritual Evolution of Trees

[lukedodson]

Hi JMG,

First of all, wishing a blessed Samhain for you and yours, and for all those who are marking the season this year!

A few topics of inquiry for this week:

1. I am curious about the spiritual evolution of plants and trees. I recall you mentioning that trees were on their own parallel path of evolution, but also that they were the point of transition between other plants and animal life, in terms of incarnation.

This leaves me wondering: are there beings similar to plants, trees, or indeed fungus in the higher planes? And what could the evolutionary path of those beings be? Could some plants or mushrooms 'skip' the animal phase of evolution entirely?

2. Do you have any idea of what the overriding social, political, or religious themes of the Age of Scorpio (which I estimate to be about 8000 years or so away) would be? The Age of Aries seemed to be characterised by warrior-elites, great empires, and blood sacrifices to the gods. As Scorpio is also ruled by Mars, I wonder if there will be elements of this, with perhaps a greater focus on magic, the occult, and secret societies.

3. A very common belief around the world is that stepping over an object of power - such as a musical instrument - will offend the spirit of that object. According to Russian fitness coach Pavel Tsatsouline, Russian weight-lifters will refuse to step over their gym equipment ("if you step over barbell, you get beaten up and thrown out of gym", he said in an amusing exchange with Joe Rogan). Do you think there is some truth to this belief? If so, in what circumstances might it apply (or not)?

Many thanks,
Luke

Re: Spiritual Evolution of Trees

[ecosophia]

1) Different versions of occult philosophy have different accounts of this. Over the course of my blogging I've moved from a tradition that assigns plants their own line of evolution to a tradition that sees plants as part of the same sequence we're on -- my own experiences and reflections on what's known about plants, animals, etc. led me to make that change. As this should suggest, however, we don't have a good objective source of information about this.

2) I have no idea.

3) I don't know, but I'd avoid doing it in any context where that's a traditional belief.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

With your permission, I am writing with a prayer request.

There are three people who used to be friends of mine but aren't any more. I've been having bad dreams about them and feeling like they're sending bad vibes my way. After a particularly terrifying dream I asked KS for diviniation: are they sending real harm my way? Or just shadows? Or is my mind processing crap from the past? The diviniation came back: they are sending real harm my way, and at least one of them is somewhat talented. This confirmed my feeling. I suspect one ex-friend is an energy vampire who also practices some kind of strong magic.

I've been learning natural magic forms of protection (crystals, amulet, salt bath). I pray regularly. I attempted a cut and clear spell but don't know if it worked. The things I'm doing don't seem to be enough so I am asking for prayers. If anyone feels moved to do so, and the Gods allow it, I would welcome prayer on behalf of me and my dog for protection from the harm sent by these people, cutting of ties so they can't find us even in the dream lands, and healing from the damage they've done.

I don't know if this is happening because I have a karmic debt...or maybe I need to do a course on magical self protection. If the Gods permit, I would be grateful for any help sent my way.

Sincerely,

Lilac lily-livered cheese ball

[ecosophia]

Positive energy en route! You might also consider learning a basic banishing ritual -- you might consider this one, this one, or this one</a.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

1. Over the weekend I had a pretty big realization about how my PMC job conflicts with my spiritual life. As I do more discursive meditation and read, I notice more and more that the way I handle my "corporate" life is very different than how I treat my spiritual life.

Right now, the two are compartmentalized, and my realization was that, to do my corporate job effectively, I have to behave and think in a certain way and use certain language, and that this could trickle permanently into my subconscious. What you contemplate, you imitate, and if I spend the majority of my waking time every week at work being forced to behave and speak with corporate values, then those could get deeply embedded.

I'm currently under a great amount of stress, and I realize why: the psychological burden of having to live not just separate lives but also separate value systems and deeply embedded modes of thinking. Furthermore, as I grow spiritually, this disconnect is going to get worse.

So I struggle now with thinking: can I solve the problem by applying my spiritual values to my corporate job? Or are corporate values so opposed to my spiritual values that this is a fool's errand to try to do so?

2. Even after years of meditating, I still end up realizing basic things. When I meditate and lose focus, I notice how different the quality of time is. If I drift off and daydream, I usually end up wondering where the time goes. If I focus, I feel every second that passes. Maybe I'm starting to notice the subjective quality of time?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

1) People have been trying to go into corporate workplaces and enlighten them for a long, long time. One of two things happens: (a) they get chewed up and spat out, or (b) they end up being sucked back into the corporate mindset. My suggestion is that you need to find another way to make a living, outside the corporate world.

2) It's precisely basic things that years of meditation will finally reveal to you! Yes, that's what you're noticing.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
From various odd remarks you've dropped over recent years about the nature of reality and the nature of time it sounds as though magicians in general adhere to some sort of non-dualistic belief. Is this so? Has any respected occult figure actually set out these beliefs in any form?
Thanks

[ecosophia]

Er, what exactly do you mean by a "non-dualistic belief"? That phrase can stand for many different things.

Energy channels

[(Anonymous)]

Dear John,

In descriptions of energy work in various occult and mystical literature I sometimes read about rising energy through a central channel at the center of the body and sometimes about energy rising over the back and through the spine.

My questions are:

1. What do your traditions teach about rising energy?

2. Do you know what causes the confusion? or are there multiple upward energy channels?

Thanks,
Aurowon

Re: Energy channels

[ecosophia]

This is a complex matter because, yes, there are multiple channels, and there are also many ways to use each channel. The most dangerous of the lot is the method usually associated with kundalini yoga, which involves bringing energy from the coccygeal glomus at the base of the spine all the way up to the crown of the head via the spinal column. That's risky even when it's done under close supervision by an experienced teacher; doing it on your own is a good way to fry your brain. Most of the other methods are less dangerous.

The one I use and teach is one of the safest of the lot. It directs energy from the solar plexus center up the vagus nerve to the pineal gland in the center of the brain, and then sends energy from tht center down the spine and throughout the body. It's a very gentle process, but it has significant benefits; it also clears blockages from the spinal channels so that the awakening of the kundalini force can happen naturally, in its own time, without problems.

Karma

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning, JMG. A quick question: If it is someone's karma to repeatedly experience loneliness in this life, is it better karmically to accept that and go on with life lonely, or is the loneliness a "test" that one is supposed to work to overcome and make connections with other people? I hope that makes sense. Thank you for your time.

Re: Karma

[ecosophia]

It can be either one, or both. Have you considered divination as a way to sort this out?

[(Anonymous)]

Not really a question in this just following up on my nature watch in this corner of this realm. Finally figured out the name of those "little purple flowers", the ones that always are the very last to bloom before frost. They are a variant of knotweed or smartweed. The particular variant is called "Oriental Lady's Thumb" or such, according to the picture on the internet.

So far after the early frost, things are back to normal, more or less. The only really weird thing I've noticed was the persistent 35% relative humidity there for a while. In this part of the world, anything below 50% is unusual and doesn't last for long. But the humidity is back to 50% or so.

I hear up north, some places are getting hammered with snow, so I wonder what January will look like down here.

[ecosophia]

Thanks for the data points!

Druid hunters, or hunting druids, or is it hunters and druids?

[vitranc]

Greetings JMG,

The local hunting lodge (this is in Europe) is having its young hunters course, and somehow I got the opportunity to take part. I even got to see the text book, and the chapters on wild ecology and the local wildlife look interesting. I kind of thought to do it in the scope of the Druid land path. Learning about the land.

Are there any considerations about ecology as understood by druids vs ecology as understood by hunters that one should consider?
Or more generally; have you had any bad experiences or Heard- bad stories about hunters?

Best regards,
V

Re: Druid hunters, or hunting druids, or is it hunters and druids?

[ecosophia]

The hunters I've known personally were among the most nature-aware people I've ever met, and they're always respectful of the animals they hunt and careful to use the meat in a proper way. (Many of them donate venison to local food banks, for example.) This sounds like a fine opportunity for you.