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.

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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 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

Re: Astral Entities

[ecosophia]

The people I know who had that kind of experience have it only once, the first time they took up serious magic; changing to other modes of magical work doesn't seem to bring it back.

Re: archetype after image

[ecosophia]

Hmm! That's interesting. It may well have been that, yes. (And "Clare" says thank you.)

[ecosophia]

Experiment with both versions and see which works best for you!

[ecosophia]

Thanks for the report. I'm interested to note that here in Rhode Island we still haven't had any significant snow -- all the expected snowstorms turned into rain when they got to us -- and the cold snap wasn't noticeably colder than usual here. I know that wasn't true for a lot of other places!

Re: Numerology Year

[stcathalexandria]

A personal 5 year within a 7 year seems epic. Any idea what the dramatic change will be for you? I admire your welcomeness to it.

Re: Numerology Year

[stcathalexandria]

The word "shrapnel" paired with relationship makes for a visceral experience here. Hopefully that doesn't repeat this year.

[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?

Re: Numerology Year

[ecosophia]

The way year numerology works, every 5 year for me will be a 7 year for the world. I'm used to it. ;-) In my experience, the best way to tackle a 5 year is to go into it with energy and enthusiasm, prepared to make positive change.

Energy

[(Anonymous)]

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

Re: Bad luck or something else?

[ecosophia]

Some people just get better results with one form of banishing than with others. Your subtle bodies might be better suited to work with the LBRP. My wife's the same way -- she's never gotten the same results with the SoP as with classic Golden Dawn ritual.

Re: Special Forces?

[ecosophia]

Works for me --



-- but then tentacled gods are kind of my style. ;-)

Re: Ley Lines

[sirustalcelion]

I'm glad I asked, since my memory was way off! Thanks!

Re: New Year's Symbel

[liamq]

I will join you in this; it’s quite lovely, and it will help in my attempts to get closer to Nordic and Germanic deities.

And as an aside, thank you for always contributing something unique and insightful to Magic Mondays. After JMG, your comments are almost always the ones I learn from the most.

[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.

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.

[ecosophia]

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

Re: Qs

[(Anonymous)]

What about Mars retrogrades?

[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.

Re: Another pesky Tarot question

[degringolade]

Thanks for the help...Much appreciated.

Should anyone wish to follow what I am attempting (and please, if you do, remember that I am a near novice), you are welcome to stop by at my place.

https://degringolade.dreamwidth.org/

[(Anonymous)]

Are there any good books or other sources on the subject?

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!

[(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.

Re: Astral Entities

[(Anonymous)]

Similar question - when I first took up magic I experienced a huge dump of karma. I've had to pause my ritual practice due to pregnancy. Do you know if there is likely to be another dump of karma when I return or is it only when you first take it up? I'd say that the karma I've accrued in my pause is alot nicer than that which I accrued up until my early 20s.

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

[kayr]

Thanks much. I have only been practicing for a couple of weeks and it seemed to me that it evaporates very quickly once I have finished with the healing hands exercise. Practice, practice, practice.