Magic Monday
Jan. 22nd, 2023 11:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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. I'm going to jump back here a bit because I managed to trace down another significant figure from a lineage I've already discussed. Bishop Richard, Duc de Palatine was an Australian spiritual teacher and Gnostic bishop who played a crucial role in bringing the alternative sacramental movement to the United States, and strongly influenced both of the bishops who consecrated John Gilbert. Born Ronald Powell in 1916, he became a member of the Theosophical Society and then a bishop in the Liberal Catholic Church. After the Second World War he moved to Britain and founded the Pre-Nicene Christian Church, one of the major fountainheads of Gnostic Christian spirituality in the English-speaking world, and later traveled widely in the USA and elsewhere, teaching students, ordaining priests, and consecrating bishops, until his death in 1977. I've recently had the chance to study more of his writings and have discovered that he was much more influential a source for the Gnostic material I received than I'd realized -- so he's this week's honoree.
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***This Magic Monday is now CLOSED. See you next week!***
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:04 am (UTC)In the GD system, given that the work is structured into successive grades of initiation, is it be possible for someone practicing consistently for an extended period of time to 'outpace' a certain grade, even though they may never have been formally initiated into it (either through self-initiation or more traditional forms)? For example, can someone doing a standard course of practice such as the LBRP + MP + divination + discursive meditation eventually perform at a rate above Neophyte, even though they may never have been initiated into it?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:25 am (UTC)The thing to keep in mind is that the grade structure of any order is to some extent arbitrary -- it's one way of trying to see to it that each student in that order gets a good general education in occult philosophy and practice. If a student takes up the basic practices and performs them relentlessly, especially if their practices include discursive meditation and they also put some time into reading and study of occult books, they're going to end up learning a great deal about occultism and achieving spiritual development, whether or not they do it according to some specific system of grades.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:27 am (UTC)1. Tristitia is in conjunction and company compound with the quesited in the fifth house. I note that Tristitia is also in the seventh house. Does Tristitia in the sixth house, since it is also a significator in this chart, form a conjunction with Tristitia in the seventh house? If that's so, I assume that means I must also include the effects of Tristitia in the seventh house in my calculations
of the indicators and in my interpretation of the reading.
2. Tristitia in the twelth house counts as a translation since it's conjunct with Laetitia in the first and fifth houses, correct?
3. You said in The Art and Practice of Geomancy that aspects only come into play when one of the significators passes to a different house. Laetitia is in the first, fifth, and ninth houses. Do I count only the trine aspect between the first and ninth houses, or do I count *both* the first-fifth trine and the first-ninth trine in my calculations? Same question would apply to the square and opposing aspects between Laetitia and Tristitia here.
4. As Tristitia is a significator in this chart, does that mean Populus - which is in company of houses with Tristitia in the eight house, and is also in company and conjunction with Laetitia in the first house - also count as a significator?
Sorry if this is a lot of questions, just trying to understand what parts of the chart do figure into the calculations/readings and which don't.
Much thanks!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:34 am (UTC)Good evening JMG and everyone,
1) We seem to be always a part of something else. The more I look into it and the more I meditate on the symbols of my day as if they were a tarot card the more I realize that I am indistinguishable (symbolically) from things that happen outside of me. Escaping that is like trying to escape life, no hope in that. Would you say then that the way of 'becoming' is more an act of better navigation rather than actually doing something truly by yourself? I don't know if that is a clear question, but I think for most of my life I have tried to distance myself from the world (ugly bullying) instead of trying to engage with it and see what currents I can surf. But it seems to go deeper than that, for example, it is very clear that my family has been experiencing synchronicities related to my occult practice, in their own way.
2) What is this medium that seems to reflect things from one brain to another and from one being to another? Is this part of the functions of the astral light? Acting like a sort of fractal perhaps.
3) A geomantic question. I am getting a little confused with loss and gain because that it a little bit like the half empty or half full glass analogy. As an example I tried to come up with, say, if one is having a rough patch and asks a question about if doing X will help improve the situation and the Judge is Colled, could that count as losing the sadness? The same for Llosgwrn and Pen Y Ddraig. The beginning of something is the end of another thing. Or am I just getting tangled in overthinking it?
Music to share: Cymande - Dove
Pathworking
Date: 2023-01-23 05:40 am (UTC)Questions:
1. When doing pathworkings on the tree of life, why is it important to return to the sphere of origin?
2. Can I "chain" several paths for a longer journey? Is there a benefit to doing that?
3. There should be a path between Chesed and Binah, but I couldn't find any notes about it. A hint, please?
4. Are there any dangers to pathworking on the tree of life?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:49 am (UTC)Now of course this chart *also* perfects by translation, with Tristitia in the 6th and 12th, and it has Laetitia in the 9th trine both significators. Those simply reinforce the basic meaning, which is "yes." The crucial point, though, is that the answer to your question is determined by the presence or absence of at least one mode of perfection between querent and quesited. The rest is much less important, and when there's a definite answer given by the mode of perfection, the rest doesn't really matter.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:52 am (UTC)2) Lévi would certainly describe it as the astral light.
3) You're overthinking it. Try to ask questions that avoid such ambiguities. "Will X help" is fairly good -- if you get Colled, no, X will be a waste of time.
Re: Pathworking
Date: 2023-01-23 05:55 am (UTC)2) I don't recommend it. That usually results in not paying enough attention to each path.
3) No, there is no such path. You can't get from Chesed directly to Binah. You have to return to Tiphareth and start from there.
4) If you take the imagery too literally, and forget that it's all symbolic, you can go off the deep end mentally to some extent. That's the only danger I know of.
Astrological Literacy Russia
Date: 2023-01-23 05:57 am (UTC)Would this suggest coincidence to you or astrological literacy on the part of the Russians? What do they say again, once is chance, twice is coincidence, and thrice is enemy action?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 05:58 am (UTC)Re: Astrological Literacy Russia
Date: 2023-01-23 06:00 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 06:17 am (UTC)Many thanks!
1) My brain definitely seems to want to grasp some conclusion in the process of meditation. Perhaps it is just feeling the pressure of the work and wants to squirrel away and arrive at something. You might be delighted to know that when I asked, I got The Wheel of Fortune, Death and the Two of Swords... I'll keep circling the meditative roundabout and see where it takes me :-)
3) That helps a lot actually. If I want clear answers, I have to ask clear questions!
--Dinji Lenticular Platypus
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 06:20 am (UTC)🐇
—Princess Cutekitten
Prayer Request
Date: 2023-01-23 06:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 06:36 am (UTC)There are a few things that have been notable here. Number one was Greg Reese of Infowars effectively rehashing/shortening a Mark Passio lecture on de facto Satanism. Now, anyone who is knitting their underpants in frenzied anticipation of a new Satanic Panic should take a chill pill. Passio's schtick is to point out how materialist Christianity and materialism in general is essentially worshipping the other side. Passio is an ex-Satanist who inveighs against Satanism and encourages serious study of the occult.
The second synchronicity is a bit more personal and has to do with the Orphic Hymns. There was a weird night about a month ago where I went to a local open mic here in the western suburbs of Chicago, borrowed a guitar, and sang some Orphic Hymns because that is what I have ready and practiced. They went over surprisingly well, and since it was a slow night, I did have a moment to explain what they were. There has been another surprising positive development that I will reveal only if it all works out with the Hymns -- suffice to say there is far more interest in a bunch of folk songs about the Greek gods with super-nerdy lyrics than I expected.
The third and fourth synchronicity can be bunched together -- there are a couple of Bitchuters reposting occultists and esoteric materials. One was a link to Youtube occultist Theoria Apophasis and the other was this video that mentions the Essenes and Manly P. Hall:
https://www.bitchute.com/video/wqnDuLix3jIW/
Magic is in the air... specifically Western magic. Fingers crossed that this trend continues!
Annotated Bibliography on Germanish Religion and Request for Sources
Date: 2023-01-23 06:40 am (UTC)First off, thanks much to everyone here for all of the wonderful questions and insights you share, and to JMG for answering questions week after week.
To Share: I always love an annotated bibliography, so I thought I might get started on one for Germanic Religion/mythology here: https://jpowellrussell.com/#list_of_books_on_germanish_belief_with_thoughts I'm still adding my thoughts and organizing some of the entries (weekend got busier with kids than expected), but I thought I'd share what I have so far in case it's helpful to anyone else.
To Ask: As large as the list above already is, I'm always happy to add more. So, JMG if you have thoughts I'd love to hear them, but given the subject, I suspect the commentariat might have more: do you know of any works relevant to Germanic religion/mythology you can recommend? Note that I don't expect anyone to go through my whole list linked above to check if a suggestion is already there. Also, to save JMG work in approving comments, feel free to comment on my dreamwidth post here with any such suggestions: https://jprussell.dreamwidth.org/2951.html
As always, thanks very much to JMG and those reading and posting here for your time and thoughts.
To any who will have them, I put forth my blessings and best wishes,
Jeff
Re: Pathworking
Date: 2023-01-23 07:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 07:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 07:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 08:36 am (UTC)Would it be ok to ask for prayers/positive energy from yourself and/or the commentariat for 2 of my family members?
-Firstly for my wife, who is really suffering with back and joint pain
-Secondly for my father, who has been getting chest pains and insomnia
Any help would be appreciated by all 3 of us (because there definitely isn't any help from the medical establishment!).
Thank you.
Mr. Crow
Souls of suicide
Date: 2023-01-23 09:01 am (UTC)2) My father was an alcoholic and died from liver disease much younger than he would have if he didn't drink. For a long time I think he communicated with me. Would this kind of death also amount to a suicide?
3) If you do only basic practice (SOP, meditation, divination) is it possible that after some time you start becoming more receptive/attuned to supernatural phenomena (such as in question 1)?
3 rays of light
Date: 2023-01-23 09:33 am (UTC)I received your book the Druid path last year as a birthday present. I find the Druid grove ritual a delight, simple compared to the full OBOD one, but very effective. I’ve also woven the three rays of light ritual into daily practice. It seems to have enriched itself. I find at the end of the it, I’m surrounded by light from all sides with it concentrated on the centre of my being. I suspect the ritual is working at a sub conscious level in some way. I’m drawn to do it every morning. Is there an underlying idea you had in creating the ritual? I find each ray, is like watching the sun in a wood, with the three rays passing between the trees.
Kind regards
Averagejoe
(no subject)
Date: 2023-01-23 09:50 am (UTC)Aquamarine Invisible Moose
Sacred Geometry
Date: 2023-01-23 09:58 am (UTC)As a follow up to my flower of life question, the Ad Quadratum and Ad Triangulum systems were used in Western Europe. Are you aware whether similar systems were used elsewhere? For instance in Ancient Egypt, in the Islamic worlds, in Ancient India and China?
Many Thanks!