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 picture?  I'm working my way through photos of my lineage, focusing on the teachers whose work has influenced me. Sylvester Gould, last week's honoree, was an active member of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, one of the more interesting occult orders of the late 19th century. (After many reorganizations, it's still around as the Church of Light aka Brotherhood of Light.) The H.B. of L., as most people called it back in the day, was founded by two British occultists, T.H. Burgoyne and Peter Davidson. The photo is of Burgoyne. It's also the photo of another gentleman, one Captain Norman Astley, who took over the reorganized H.B. of L. in America from Burgoyne, married another H.B. of L. adept -- the remarkable and talented Genevieve Stebbins -- and helped Benjamin Williams aka Elbert Benjamine aka C.C. Zain re-reorganize the H.B. of L. into the Brotherhood of Light aka Church of Light. Yes, Burgoyne and Astley were the same person. It's a complicated story. But Burgoyne and Peter Davidson, whom we'll be talking about next week, were among Sylvester Gould's teachers -- and behind them stands another and a considerably stranger figure.

Buy Me A Coffee

Ko-Fi

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 either of the links above to access my online tip jar; Buymeacoffee is good for small tips, Ko-Fi is better for larger ones. (I used to use PayPal but they developed an allergy to free speech, so I've developed an allergy to them.) 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 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

Bad luck or something else?

[illyria2001]

A little over three months ago, I decided to switch from the LBRP/MP as my daily protective ritual to the SOP (after doing the LBRP/MP for over two years). I'd been hoping to get more in touch with the telluric current, and I'd done the SOP in the past, so I figured I would go back to this. But in these past three months I've had the flu, Covid, and a cold. Was this just a case of incredibly bad luck, or could it have been some sort of attack by someone or something waiting for me to drop my guard? I never got sick at all in the two years prior to this, and I can't help but feel something sinister was behind it. I've done some divinations about it but the answers were unclear, and I was wondering if there are any telltale signs of a psychic attack I might have missed. Needless to say I've gone back to the LBRP/MP, and I don't know if it's purely psychological or not, but I am feeling much better now.

Re: Bad luck or something else?

[kimberlysteele]

You might want to look into vitamin supplements -- if I don't take mine every day, I start running low grade infections that get worse the second I under-sleep or encounter too much stress, Sphere of Protection or none. So this is not construed as medical advice in anyway, I once knew of a lady (who may or may not have existed) whose routine was to take a B spectrum, lots of vitamin C, one small vitamin D, and zinc 1x per day with a full meal, so she could trick her digestive system into thinking the vitamins were part of the food. She also drank matcha from powder/hot water every morning and had a big cup of strong nettle and mint tea every evening.

Special Forces?

[happypanda]

Well here's one more Y/N Tarot 1 card draw I just did for Russia.

Q: Will Russia attack & hit outside of Ukraine using special forces (not merc troops) in January?

A: The Blessings of Ganesha!

Re: Special Forces?

[(Anonymous)]

I hope it is not Cthulhuganesha!

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning, JMG! Happy Magic Monday to yourself and all reading this.

I have some protocol questions pertaining to the FHR I’ve been wondering about.

1) How do we give each other the step, grip, and sign? For example, if I approach you, do I give you the step grip and sign of whatever grade I’m at and then you give me the step grip and sign of whatever grade you’re at? Or are we supposed to try and do it at the same time?

2) How does speaking the word of the grade with others work? Presumably after the step, grip, and sign but how does it work if we’re at two different grades? Do we complete each other’s different words? How does this work if one person is at a higher grade than the other? Is the person of the lower grade still permitted to respond with the second half of the word even though they’ve not initiated that far?

Thanks very much!
J

[ecosophia]

I should have put something about that into the material, shouldn't I? Steps, grips, and signs like that were originally invented for use in workings in magical lodges and temples, not for general signs of recognition outside that setting.

Say you're going to the local FHR temple tonight and it'll be working in the Seeker grade. The traditional way of opening the temple would include a part when the conductor goes around to every single person present, and the person gives the conductor the step, grip, sign, and word of the Seeker grade, partly to demonstrate that they have the right to be there and partly to key yourself into the state of consciousness.

If the FHR was an old-fashioned order, there would also be a secret sign of recognition and a password you could use to identify yourself to other members outside lodge -- it would be something very casual, so nobody who wasn't a member would notice. If you read my novel A Voyage to Hyperborea, the main character had a couple of people make the recognition sign of the Esoteric Order of Dagon to him -- it involved brushing something off one shoulder with the other hand, and then including the word "fish" in the next sentence. Of course Toby missed that completely.

Another pesky Tarot question

[degringolade]

So, I am trying to learn about the Tarot/Quabala. But I am a little bit concerned that all the readings that I have be using (your and Mssr. Miktuk's book being a part of my syllabus) seem to be lacking in discussion of the pip cards in the lesser ancana.

Is there any books that you can recommend that have a more thorough discussion of the pip cards in the Tarot?

Happy New Year all.

Re: Another pesky Tarot question

[ecosophia]

The pip cards didn't get as much attention as they deserve. You might try Robert Wang's book The Qabalistic Tarot, which iirc discusses them in more detail.

[(Anonymous)]

Is there a name for the type of magic that involves making statues - like gargoyles for protection?

If Antony Gormley knows magic, he could have a massive otherworld workforce doing stuff for him: https://mymodernmet.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/archive/7ecIqOzOBZ6LgY86gMq4_1082095496.jpeg. :)

[ecosophia]

There should be a name, shouldn't there? I don't know of one, however.

[tamanous2020]

Happy New Years JMG!

Q- To assist with my ongoing affirmation this year, I've been thinking of offering up regular prayer/incense to Miyomoto Musashi (as much of his work seems related to the goal of that affirmation).

A) Is that a good route to go?
B) Do you happen to know if there are any special rules regarding offerings to a Japanese cultural figure?

Thanks,

Tamanous

[ecosophia]

You'd want to ask someone who has more knowledge of Japanese religious customs than I do. However, as far as I know, that's a common and respectful thing to do.

[(Anonymous)]

If you encounter something nasty while out and about, what are the magic anti-surveillance and break contact drills to stop it following you home?

[ecosophia]

Well, what kind of magic do you know how to do?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,
Did the New Thought movement emerge as a vehicle to reveal some secrets of occult teachings in diluted form to the general public at a time when they were ready to hear it? If so, do the occultists practice this kind of partial revelations according to a certain calendar, based on some astrological cycles?

[ecosophia]

No, not originally. The New Thought movement was launched by one man, Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, who had no known connection to occult traditions other than some contact with a traveling Mesmerist. You can read his story here:

https://www.ecosophia.net/the-power-of-the-mind/

After New Thought found its feet and its market in 19th-century America, occult schools borrowed many of its ideas, and also inserted occult teachings into New Thought books and periodicals; you also had a lot of hybrid traditions that combined New Thought and occultism -- in fact, most of American occultism from 1880 to 1980 can be described in exactly those terms. But New Thought wasn't invented by occultists. It was wild-caught, not farmed. ;-)

Numerology for the New Year

[(Anonymous)]

Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone.

I’m using numerology to get an idea of how the year ahead looks for both my business and myself. Using the numerology system you posted last year it was easy to make a prediction for my personal life. Doing the calculations for the business seems alittle more complex and I'd like your help on the following.

Some questions:

1) For calculating the birth number for the business would I use the date I formed the corporation or the first day of business?

2) The name number is 5. Reading the description of a "5" name number for an individual doesn't seem to translate directly into a description for a company. Since this is a small company where I am the principal, along with my wife, would the personality of the company be more along the line of my personality? (Interestingly my personal name number is a "5" as well so the point may be moot.)

3) The business time number for 2023 is 5...lots of 5's here, which is ruled by Mars. Since this indicates "...a number of unexpected changes in which the risk and rewards are both considerable..." would there be any value in doing planetary charity to Mars throughout the year?

4) My plan is to develop and grow the business to sell in a few years. Is there a preferred time number year in which to sell a business? I was thinking an "8" or "9" year, which would correspond well with my personal plans.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Numerology for the New Year

[ecosophia]

1) I don't know of any source for that detail. Try both and see which fits best.

2) That's another good question. I don't know of any source that discusses business numerology! Keep detailed notes -- you may find that you're breaking interesting new ground.

3) It's certainly worth trying.

4) A 9 year would be very suitable for that.

Weather radio and MOE Healing Hands

[slclaire]

I've recently begun working with the MOE Healing Hands technique. A few days after I began, the display on my weather radio went dark at some time overnight, although the radio itself still worked. I left the radio alone the next day until it was time for bed. The display was still dark. Then I performed the MOE Healing Hands on the radio, with the intention to heal the display. Sometime overnight, the display started working again, and it continues to work!

This brings up a discussion of life in what we usually consider machinery. I've always had friendly feelings toward the weather radio. Here in the Midwest, knowing when to take shelter from an approaching tornado is a big deal. The December 2021 tornado that hit the Amazon warehouse in Illinois about 10 miles away was one it had warned us about, and we were in shelter and the radio with us when it hit. Treating the machinery in our lives in a respectful manner honors their lives, so it may not be such a stretch to use healing techniques on them, especially if, like the weather radio, there are no user-serviceable parts aside from changing the battery.

On another note, I'm enjoying the practices in the Way of the Golden Section. A zoo of constructed polyhedra has an honored place on a coffee table. Thanks for the GSF; I'm looking forward to working my way through all the books!

Re: Weather radio and MOE Healing Hands

[ecosophia]

I'm not at all surprised. If the basic teachings of occultism are correct, all material objects have some form of life and consciousness, and so can respond to healing and blessing. Glad to hear you're enjoying the GSF material -- once I finish the current round of Magic Monday responses, I'll be getting back to work on the next book in the series.

[(Anonymous)]

Last week, I mentioned my uncomfortable theory that part of what drove the vaccine madness was accidental magic on the part of large parts of the middle classes to make sure they died before they lost their perks and privileges. Well, something very uncomfortable happened last night: my mother, always a good example of where the middle classes will be going next, said something I find very troubling when my sister said she was still not vaccinated against Covid-19 and brought out the evidence of harm to try to convince my mother to get off her case about it:

"Even if the Covid-19 vaccine kills me, it was a good deal, and given the chance, I'd do it again even knowing that it would cost my life."

This suggests two things to me: first, things are about to get really, really weird, since my mother is quite reliably about three months to a year ahead of where the majority of the middle classes will go; and second that if the vaccine does kill a lot of people, it won't be entirely unwelcome by all of them, and may even at some level have been the point for some of them....

[ecosophia]

That's one of the most horrifying things I've heard in years. That said, thank you for telling me; it's good to know. I think your theory has just passed its first test.

Brrrrrr.....

D&D as the Road to Perdition

[(Anonymous)]

Mr. JMG,

I have a question prompted by your December 14 post on role playing games. I grew up in a Christian church which taught that any involvement in the occult was a surefire way to deliver one's soul to the Adversary. "The Occult" was defined widely enough to encompass yoga, D&D, rock music (especially if played backwards!), etc.

I no longer hold these beliefs, and my experience with the occult, particularly the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose, has been nothing but positive. However, occasionally I wax paranoid. Is it possible to inadvertently start down a dark path by way of a song, game or other sort of entertainment?

Let me give a specific example. Yesterday I rang in the new year by avoiding alcohol and spending the day out in nature in the company of good friends. It was an extremely positive day. Driving home I relaxed to the song "By Demons be Driven" by Pantera.

I've contemplated this question, and believe that intention is key. I did not focus my consciousness on the negative, I did not perform any ritual in the plane of Malkuth designed for any malign purpose. My conclusion is that it's just a song, just a game, etc. I'm interested to know how you view the matter.

cheers,

Anonymous

Re: D&D as the Road to Perdition

[ecosophia]

It's just a song and it's just a game. Two centuries ago you could find devout Christians who insisted that using matches would start you on the road to perdition -- godly people used flint and steel, by gum!

(I'm still not sure why the fundamentalists didn't just come up with roleplaying games of their own. Your characters are ancient Israelites, contending with the swords and diabolical sorceries of Philistines and Canaanites while trying to build up enough Grace Points to rescue the lost Ark of the Covenant or what have you -- it would have been great good fun, and as theologically correct as all get-out. Were they that terrified of their own imaginations?)

Numerologicaly finally in a year of 6.

[(Anonymous)]

Last year was pretty tumultuos I was in a year of 5.

How will this year be for me.

I haven't fixed all the issues last year, but given the battles I am quite content.

What should I have in mind this year?

Thank you

Re: Numerologicaly finally in a year of 6.

[ecosophia]

You can find the details for each of the year numbers here:

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/164394.html

[(Anonymous)]

1) I'm meditating on the triads of the third grade of the DA, which discuss the relationship of the higher self to the personality, and the potential for the soul to fall back into the Cauldron of Annwn.

What would you expect to see, if anything, in a person who is headed down that path, putting the higher self at the service of the personality's desires?

-Cliff

[ecosophia]

Psychic and metaphysical gifts being used purely to feed the ego and its cravings. You see this pattern very often among corrupt spiritual teachers -- they've got genuine powers, but everything comes down to preening their egos and providing them with whatever material items they happen to crave.

[liamq]

JMG,

My apologies if this is a loaded question. The subject is one of my pet hates and I’m seeking some perspective.

I find that it is common in the relevant circles to own scores of tarot decks. And I notice my wariness of this trend because it strikes me as out of control consumerism. I also have suspicions that utilising so many decks in a skilful way is nearly impossible.

But maybe I’m being harsh and missing something. Are there any serious divinatory reasons one might consider owning an arsenal’s worth of tarot cards?

[ecosophia]

Divinatory reasons, no. I know quite a few people who find that different decks are better suited to different subjects of divination -- this one for questions about love, that one for questions about magic -- but half a dozen is usually enough.

There are two other reasons, however, why someone might want a larger collection of tarot cards. The first is that different cards have different symbolism, and if you work with the symbols of the decks in magic, meditation, or what have you, it's helpful to have any deck whose symbolism you want to work with. Since decks go into and out of print without warning, for that matter, having a good collection guarantees that you can use a deck when you want it.

The other reason is if you're going to be teaching tarot to other people. In that case it helps if you have a copy of the deck your student is using, so you can point them to symbols and other elements of card design they can use for mnemonic and divinatory purposes.

Energy

[(Anonymous)]

Are there any etheric or astral techniques you know of/recommend for having more energy throughout the day?

Re: Energy

[ecosophia]

Start by getting adequate sleep and eating nourishing meals. The planes are discrete and not continuous, so if your material body is easily exhausted, you need to address that with changes on the material plane.

Michael Ende

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

I think Michael Ende has been mentioned somewhere in your online writings, especially with regard to his famous book, The Neverending Story.

Could you please mention your take on this book? I've felt it would make a wonderful study material for developing the imagination, but how solid is it from an accomplished occultist's perspective?

Of course, if you have already written about it, a link to the relevant post would be appreciated.

Thank you for your time!

Re: Michael Ende

[ecosophia]

As it happens, I've never read it. Do you think I should?

[(Anonymous)]

Are the Lords of Flame, Form, and Mind the beings who show up in various culture's pantheons as deities and other entities? For example, might Bast simply be the Lord of Mind that is the group soul of cats? Native American religions also come to mind where animal spirits seem to be a focal point.

[ecosophia]

That would make a great deal of sense of the traditional lore, wouldn't it? I don't know of any work of occult philosophy that discusses the possibility, but it's definitely worth exploring.

Asian folklore

[(Anonymous)]

Hey jmg

Not exactly a question so much as a sharing of something of interest to everyone here.

I have found these resources on Vietnamese and Chinese folklore and tales that people may want to read and which I share here.

“Under the starfruit tree” by Alice M terada

“Vietnamese stories for language learners” by Tri C Tran & Tram Le

“Chinese myths & folktales” sterling publishing.

Interestingly, the 1st & 3rd books all have a story involving the soul of a recently dead man reanimating the body of a different recently dead man and returning to their previous life to the confusion of the second man’s family.

J.L.Mc12

Re: Asian folklore

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Thanks for this. These sound interesting.

Day by Day

[(Anonymous)]

Hello, and thank you for offering this forum.

For a year and half now I've been practicing daily the Sphere of Protection, the simple meditation on Eliphas Levi that you recommend in your blog posts, and a four-card Tarot divination.

I have now reached the point of finding these practices exceedingly onerous. The SOP often feels like slogging through a swamp of distracting thoughts, and the meditation wanders off in all directions. The four-card draw seems to be getting harder to interpret, and frequently the meaning of one or more cards is completely opaque to me.

Nevertheless I persevere, even if it takes me much longer some mornings to drag myself to the task than others. I'm tempted to move my practices to some time in the evening, but I think that would only make it easier to contemplate skipping a day.

My question is simple. If I understand the sum of your writing and teaching aright, this is the point at which I need to Just Keep Going. Am I right?

Re: Day by Day

[ecosophia]

Yes, emphatically. You're facing the test that will determine whether or not you become a mage. If you persevere -- if you keep doing those practices exactly as you're doing them now, no matter how dreary or opaque they seem to you -- you'll come out the other side, and then doors will start to open for you.

Everyone I know who's taken up magical practices has faced this same experience, and of course I certainly have. It sucks -- but knowing that it's a test, and knowing that all you have to do to pass it is to keep trudging onward, can help.

[(Anonymous)]

If someone knew they were going to be heading into high-stress situations is there magic they could do to protect themselves from PTSD? (Assuming they were doing the material world things as much as possible - being well trained, well fed, well rested, and debriefing after incidents.)

[ecosophia]

Regular meditation helps a lot with this. That's the one thing I've found most useful.

Curses

[(Anonymous)]

Happy New Year, JMG!

I think we all agree that the Hex Trump movement was a very bad idea. But I'm wondering whether you think a curse against someone (not a national figure, I'm thinking someone you know personally) is ever justified. I've read varied opinions on this. Some say they should be confined to people that do very bad stuff (people making threats, putting your life in danger, etc.). I do know one well-known occultist who thinks a curse against someone threatening your livelihood (like spreading malicious gossip at work) is justified, especially if you live in an area without many opportunities.

Or do you think curses always have negative consequences for the magician? I'd be interested to know your viewpoint.

Thanks!

Re: Curses

[ecosophia]

You never gain anything by stooping to negative magic. Partly it's a matter of unity of will, the most important factor in magic. If someone's threatening your livelihood, what's your will? To preserve your livelihood. Cursing the perp is a distraction. Put all your intention into succeeding in your business or career. Let the magic work out the means -- and if it really is the perp who's the problem, they'll suddenly have to move to the other side of the continent, or get a new job with no contact with you, or what have you. (Yes, this has happened in cases involving me, quite reliably.)

But there's also what I like to call the Raspberry Jam Principle. Magical energy is like raspberry jam; you can't spread it on anything else without getting it on your own fingers. If you're going to curse someone, you have to make contact with the nasty energies involved, and those energies are sticky; they'll affect you as well as your target. The more often you engage in nasty magic, the more of the same energies you'll get on you, and the more miserable your life will become. You can really, thoroughly trash your life that way. I've watched it happen, rather more than once.

Instead, concentrate on positive energies. Take the example mentioned above, where someone's trying to wreck your livelihood. If you focus your magical efforts on success and achievement and prosperity, what kind of energies stick to you? Why, energies of success, achievement, and prosperity. This is also why a lot of old-fashioned occultists go out of their way to do magical blessings and healings; they know that some of that blessing and healing energy will do the raspberry jam trick and stick to them. That approach works, and works well. Give it a try!

Mundane Astrology: How far ahead?

[milkyway1]

Good evening,

And thank you very much for hosting another Magic Monday - this is a real treasure trove. I hope you and your wife had a pleasant start into the week! :-)

How far ahead can one reasonably look with mundane astrology?

My understanding is that one needs a certain background knowledge about the current situation of a country etc to do meaningful predictions - or putting it differently, the further one would look into the future, the less fine-grained the predictions would become.

But could mundane astrology also be used a bit further out in the future to get a very general idea about some „coarse-grained“ stuff which will happen in a country‘s future?

As an example: There are predictions talking about a „war cycle“ in upcoming years, say the second half of this decade. If somebody simply wanted to check the most important mundane astrology „markers“ for war in their country, could this be done five to ten years ahead? Or do you think it would be hard to predict even major trends this far out?

(And yep, I‘m aware that this would be assuming that the capital would stay the same and the country wouldn‘t break up or otherwise rearrange in a major way… ;-) )

Milkyway

PS: I‘ve skimmed through the mundane posts on subscribestar, but haven‘t worked with the material yet. Subscribestar makes printing it a royal pain, so I‘ve decided to wait for your book. Apologies if you‘ve already covered this question somewhere in your posts there and I missed it!

Re: Mundane Astrology: How far ahead?

[ecosophia]

That's a very interesting question, but it's not one I've seen discussed in the traditional literature. The only long term cycles that seem to get much discussion there are the great conjunctions of outer planets. That doesn't mean that "war cycles" and the like aren't potentially valid; it's just that I've been focusing on reviving the traditional approach to mundane charts, and the literature I've seen rarely looks more than a year or two ahead.

the value of Mystery Schools

[(Anonymous)]

I have been interested in esoteric studies for several years and have allowed my curiosity to guide my intellectual wandering. Lately however, I am feeling that this approach is leading nowhere in particular. I have recently learned about The Modern Mystery School, which would offer me a more structured approach to the information, but also requires incremental financial investments for healing and training milestones/levels of advancement.

If you have any knowledge about this group, would you please provide me with any impressions or opinions that you may have? Thank you for any guidance you may be able to offer, I appreciate it.

Re: the value of Mystery Schools

[ecosophia]

My interactions with it were brief, and quite a while ago. I wasn't impressed at all, and the money end of things was part of the reason why. Most esoteric schools require some kind of financial support, for obvious reasons -- somebody has to pay for the secretarial help, lessons, etc. -- but if you're looking at more than a couple of hundred dollars a year at most, it's pretty likely that the point of the exercise is to make money, not to teach occult wisdom.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you once again for hosting Magic Monday!

I am curious about your thoughts on where the Western occult / magical community is headed. I have been thinking about this after reading some of your work and learning that magical lodges were once all the rage, but gave way to Wicca and covens, for instance. It's difficult for me to see the current iteration of neo-paganism having any kind of lasting roots, for a wide variety of reasons.

[ecosophia]

My take is that the Neopagan movement has passed its peak and is contracting rapidly. Over the last ten years, quite a number of Pagan conferences have folded, most of the little "witch shops" that used to be found in most cities have gone out of existence, and publishers are beginning to rein back on books on the subject. Where now? Good question, but I've noticed that quite a few people seem to be becoming interested in old-fashioned magical lodges and correspondence courses again. Still, we'll see.