Magic Monday
Mar. 12th, 2023 11:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ecosophia
It's almost 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 and the teachers who influenced them in turn. Last week's honoree, Theodor Reuss, got the idea and many of the teachings that went into the Ordo Templi Orientis from this man, Carl Kellner. Kellner was an Austrian chemist and a successful industrialist who made a tolerably large fortune by creating and patenting a new process for manufacturing wood pulp for paper. He was also, as the photo shows, something of a dandy; let it never be said that all occultists are dowdy!
In his off hours, he was an active Freemason and a student of occultism. A member of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor, he also studied with European students of our old friend, Paschal Beverly Randolph, and with several Hindu gurus and a Sufi shaykh. He drew up plans for an occult order that would pass on Randolph's sexual gnosis using rituals like those of Freemasonry. Before he could complete the plan, however, he was struck down with a sudden unexplained illness, recovered somewhat after a long hospital stay, and then suddenly died. (There's some reason to think that he'd been experimenting with kundalini yoga -- not the modern, simplified, safe version, but the old robust teachings that can drop you dead in your tracks if you don't have a guru watching you on a daily basis.) Since I'm not a member of the OTO, my only connection with any of that story is that one of my teachers was taught by a student of a student of a student of Kellner; still, thin as it is, the connection is there.
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***This Magic Monday is now closed. See you next week!***
planetary charity question
Date: 2023-03-13 04:00 am (UTC)Thanks.
Re: planetary charity question
Date: 2023-03-13 04:09 am (UTC)Safe meditations
Date: 2023-03-13 04:26 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 04:28 am (UTC)This might be whiny, and if so, I apologize; but The Dolmen Arch curriculum has been getting brutally difficult. I was expecting a challenge and some initiatic tests, but this has been something truly awful, far beyond anything else in my life. Is it supposed to be this hard? Or is this evidence that I am doing something wrong? Is there any encouragement you can give, or do I just need to suck it up?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 04:28 am (UTC)As I am progressing in meditation and having longer sessions, I tend to have more moments where my mind becomes flooded with a continuous stream of images (often random, cartoonish and agressivelly nonsensical). They are not really me daydreaming as I am in a state of involved concentration and stillness (my mind is fully pulled together) but they are similar in some ways to the content one might see before sleep. Today was striking as it felt almost like a tv station being opened in my skull that I found impossible to close without ending the meditation altogether. Would you know of a way to stop that, the only thing I wish is to have a still mind in order to go to deeper states of consciousness or to properly perform the exercises.
Thanks !
Completed the LRM course last week
Date: 2023-03-13 04:30 am (UTC)Thank you for this space.
Last Friday I completed the self-initiation ritual from "Learning Ritual Magic". It has taken me three years to finish the lessons (it's not that there were any breaks--I spent months on some lessons for no discernible reason). I wanted to share (a slightly edited version of) the course review notes that I made as part of the last lesson. These are in no specific order and may seem almost banal, but I wanted to share them all the same.
This is quite long, and it would be helpful if you could comment on some of these points, however, please feel free not to (or even not publish this, for that matter).
1. I am more awareness of the astral plane and am easily able to 'transit' to it, viz., bring readily to the mind's eye images of both real and imaginary things.
2. I have developed a more nuanced view of good and evil; most of the things we consider evil or bad are relative to our milieu and the set of conventions to which we have been exposed. On the flip side, I have become more 'cruel' and am accepting of things which would have earlier made me react in pity and kindness. The notion of revenge and doing something 'evil' in return to somebody is also stronger in me. I have been practising martial arts for more than seven years now and have reached an above-intermediate level of proficiency - I hope this confidence to handle physical conflicts doesn't have something to do with this (going against all the tenets of the martial arts).
3. I have noticed a significant enhancement of my will - in carrying out things that I would otherwise have put off, pushing my limits, sticking to a regimen of exercise or magical practice, and so on. On the other hand, this has made me more impatient towards those who do not have a strong will, in general those whom I perceive as being weak of mind.
4. My career and aptitude are in the abstract domain (computer science, to be precise), and I enjoy problem-solving and exercising my intellect. I guess I have an affinity to Hod - I prefer to dwell in the intellectual plane (puzzles, logic, reasoning out, understanding, and knowing).
5. The initial exposure to the Tarot cards in the early lessons have awakened in me an interest in and love for things European. I don't know if this is because a past-life connection to Europe. I also have a strong affinity for the Roman empire and Latin - so much so that I have been learning Latin for the last two years.
6. I seem to have acquired a strong streak of nihilism and a feeling of "What is the point of anything?". I don't know if this is related to magical practice or a consequence of growing old and becoming more aware of my own mortality. This is somewhat counter-intuitive to the fundamental magical principle that we are more than this life and the presence of other planes of existence.
7. I have been somewhat lax with the meditation and am still somewhat confused about discursive meditation; meditating on a symbol and its associated concepts and ideas seems not that different from 'associative thinking' where we allow the mind to lead us on a chain of thoughts and concentrate on what each thought means and implies.
8. Tarot divination has been pretty hit-or-miss for me. Though I feel a strong affinity towards the cards, I am not able to grasp what they are trying to say to me, or map the happenings in a day to the card I drew.
9. I am beginning to incorporate Tiphareth into my martial arts practice. It is early days yet, but I think I am able to bring out the so-called 'high feel' in each movement that my master talks about.
10. I have become more assertive and dominating/controlling of situations. There has also been an increase in my clarity of thought and analytical ability, with 'magical' intuition coming into play additionally.
11. When I am about to fall asleep or sitting/lying quietly with my eyes closed, unbidden/unrelated images sometimes pop up. These do not relate to any situation (past, present or future) and seem random.
12. I am more aware of patterns of synchronicity in my life.
13. I am a practising Hindu, but I have developed an affinity to other religions/philosophies, specifically Hermeticism and Christianity. I feel a powerful bond of love towards Christ and his suffering on the cross.
14. Affinity for history, old things, permanance (probably an artifact of growing older).
15. I am an introvert by nature. I feel that this trait has become more pronounced - I try to avoid crowds, even conversation with people if I can.
16. I think have developed more insights into people's motives, and read them better. In general, I pay more attention and notice information flows and cues where I wouldn't have caught them before.
17. I am quicker to anger and to take offence.
18. I have become more aggressive in my driving. I live in India where the traffic is, metaphorically speaking, 'eat or be eaten', and my earlier style of polite, safe driving used to get me a lot of stick from other (impatient) drivers. Now I give back as good as I get (though not compromising on safety, of course).
19. One worrying aspect is the reduction in my belief that all humans are equal. While I believe in treating everyone fairly, realism in terms of people's capabilities, potential, etc. has crept in. I also think the knowledge of things like karma is also a factor in this outlook.
20. There has also been a gradual shift to a right-wing ideology - I am drawn more to tradition, proven ways of doing things, order, and so on. I have developed an aversion to degeneracy and deviance.
21. I have stopped caring about what people (who don't matter to me) think of me. I still adhere to my own ethical code, of course, but social conventions no longer bind me that strongly.
Best regards.
Re: Safe meditations
Date: 2023-03-13 04:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 04:39 am (UTC)(Pro tip: every serious occult practitioner goes through the meat grinder at some point, usually somewhere in the first really serious system of training they tackle. Once you're out the other side, the doors start to open wide.)
The Well and the Tree Review and Whence New Thought?
Date: 2023-03-13 04:42 am (UTC)I hope everyone's starting to enjoy some early spring weather, and that the skipped hour last night hasn't done you too much ill.
To Share: I have taken a first stab at putting together my thoughts on The Well and the Tree, but I'm not totally happy with it. At any rate, in the spirit of "writing to work things out" and "put it out there and learn from it", here's the post as I have it for now: https://jpowellrussell.com/#thoughts_on_the_well_and_the_tree
Furthermore, it is my opinion that Daylight Savings Time delenda est!
To Ask: I've gotten used to digging through 20th century self-help and occultist stuff and going "oh, that's from New Thought", but what has been less obvious to me is where did New Thought come from?
As always, thanks very much to JMG and everyone else here.
To any who will have them, I put forth my blessings and best wishes,
Jeff
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 04:43 am (UTC)Ecosophia Prayer List
Date: 2023-03-13 04:50 am (UTC)If I missed anybody on the full list, or if you would like to add a prayer request for yourself or anyone who has given you consent (or for whom a relevant person holds power of consent) to the list, please feel free to leave a comment below and/or at the prayer list page.
This week I would like to bring special attention to these prayer requests.
Mr. Beekeeper (Beekeeper in Vermont's husband), who was airlifted to a hospital in Albany NY for heart issues, for blessings, protection, and healing. Mr. Beekeeper's condition is stable but he's in need of a bypass, with surgery scheduled for Thursday.
Praesepe, who got a double mastectomy on March 8th. Please pray that she overcome her cancer; for blessings and her protection, and for her healing. (Original request here).
Last but not least is Lp9's request on behalf of their hometown, East Palestine Ohio, for the safety and welfare of their people and all living beings in the area. The details coming out are still caught in the fog of war, and various claims of catastrophe and non-catastrophe are flying about, but the reasonable possibility seems to exist that this is an environmental disaster on par with the worst America has ever seen. At any rate, it is clearly having a devastating impact on the local area, and prayers are certainly warranted.
***
Finally, if there are any among you who might wish to join me in a bit of astrological timing, I pray each week for the health of all those with health problems on the list on the astrological Hour of the Sun on Sundays, bearing in mind the Sun’s rulerships of heart, brain, and vital energies. If this appeals to you, I invite you to join me.
Burial techniques
Date: 2023-03-13 04:50 am (UTC)Do you think there is a danger to exposing a dead body to chemical treatments like formaldehyde that impeded the decaying process? Could this retard or impair the reincarnation process?
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 05:23 am (UTC)Hearing you say, "this has been something truly awful, far beyond anything else in my life. Is it supposed to be this hard?" evokes a particularly joyous kind of nostalgia.
Excellent work!
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 05:44 am (UTC)Re: Completed the LRM course last week
Date: 2023-03-13 05:51 am (UTC)Re: The Well and the Tree Review and Whence New Thought?
Date: 2023-03-13 05:57 am (UTC)Re: Ecosophia Prayer List
Date: 2023-03-13 05:58 am (UTC)Re: The Well and the Tree Review and Whence New Thought?
Date: 2023-03-13 06:00 am (UTC)Re: Burial techniques
Date: 2023-03-13 06:01 am (UTC)Interesting channeled works from the 20th century!
Date: 2023-03-13 07:31 am (UTC)You have previously replied with this to a question about Crowley:
"As for the Book of the Law, channeled volumes handed down by discarnate intelligences were a dime a dozen in the 20th century. Crowley's contribution to the genre doesn't strike me as especially interesting."
Could you please elaborate on that, giving us a few of the channeled volumes you do consider interesting and worth seeking out (aside from the Cosmic Doctrine, of course -- love your articles about it, by the way)?
Cheers!
Divination
Date: 2023-03-13 08:10 am (UTC)I've been working my way through The Druid Path and have started with the divination using the Coelbren alphabet. I made myself discs from cardboard which I then select out of a paper bag.
At first I thought I would do it for a month or so to see what happens before I ask any questions here, but after only a week I'm building up resistance against it and I think it may help if I can get some guidance.
The book advises to ask the question 'what will I encounter today / tomorrow?'
I find this such a general question that it's difficult to write down anything meaningful as a prelude to see if what I 'intuit' comes to pass. Thus far I have basically written down what I have planned for the next day and any expectations I have of it. And thus far the outcomes have been as bland as the predictions. Maybe my life is just bland :-)
In some cases I had meetings planned that were cancelled and that fit with the readings. But that happens to me all the time, I don't need divination to know that meetings have a good chance of being moved or cancelled.
Also, I consistently get very 'negative' readings in the sense that they foretell difficulties or need for change. Apart from the fact that such successive readings with a similar message actually induces fear of divination in me, I often wonder whether I should be seeing these readings in a larger context e.g. perhaps the change required is that I should move to another country?
The danger I see here is that I start reading meaning into the divination that is simply not there but that are occupying my mind in general.
Where I live I can't get physical books from overseas easily and I can't find an ebook version of your book about the Coelbren alphabet to buy on the internet.
Could you or any of the commentariat give some guidance on how to approach the divination so that I treat it with adequate but not overdue respect? Or point me towards books / readings about divination in general that might help?
Thanks
Periwinkle Somnolent Raccoon in a far flung and collapsing corner of the world
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 09:54 am (UTC)Question from a beginner about upright or reversed card readings. For example the Sacred Geometry Oracle card 4 is named The Ellipse and its upright meaning is Flow and its reverse meaning is Adjustment. I'm wondering about the concept of reversion. Is upright an internal force you initiate, versus a reversed for an external force applied to you? Is upright good news and reversed bad news? Is upright the opposite of reversed, or a variation in the same direction?
What can you say about upright and reversed? If one knows a card is upright or reversed, but not its name or number, what could one read from that?
Question about etheric level protection
Date: 2023-03-13 10:36 am (UTC)As ever, my thanks to you for hosting these Magic Mondays.
To return to a much-discussed topic of yore: using sharp iron objects such as knives or needles for etheric protection. I have a silver jewelry pin, the sort of thing to wear on a jacket lapel. Would this serve?
And a related question: this pin has a needle that folds over and a little roundy thing to hold it in place. Therefore, when in place on the jacket lapel, the tip of the sharp needle is enclosed. Does this matter?
PS You might be amused to know, if you do not already, that in the book The Aran Islands, John Synge reports that according to the local storyteller, a needle hidden in a shirt collar is the trick to protect oneself against the good people.
Crimson Erudite Trafalgarsaurus
50 gates
Date: 2023-03-13 10:49 am (UTC)Last week I asked some questions concerning the 50 gates, and I’m afraid I have one more, which is how exactly are the 5 sets of the gates attributed to the tree of life?
With 50-41 and 40-31 it’s is pretty clear, but with some it’s hard to see if the numbers should go “up” or “down” the tree. 1-10 is when I started getting difficulty because it seems equally possible to have 1=kether and 10=malkuth or vice versa, though I lean towards the former.
(no subject)
Date: 2023-03-13 11:18 am (UTC)