Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's just past 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 taking a momentary break from chasing down photos of my lineage. Today is the spring equinox here in the northern hemisphere, one of the holy days of the Druid calendar, and this is a photo of the spring equinox sunrise as seen from an ancient stone chamber at South Royalton, Vermont -- one of many astronomically oriented megalithic sites here in New England. The photo's courtesy of New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA), which was gracious enough to send it around yesterday morning.

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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

[(Anonymous)]

I have this strong feeling I was in a previous life into something related to Enochian Magic, the bad part of it ala Jack Parsons, now there is a strong component of Enochian magic in the Magical Ressistance

and it seems that although I am unwaxxed I still have some pains and health issues although I've been healthy before, which I treat as some karmic debts since I get some problems with the Magical Ressistance egregore having some problems lately although I don't have symapties with them.

What would be a magical path to follow to avoid the pitfalls of Enochian magic?

I am also an Orthodox Christian and as influences from the past and although I avoided it a lot Tarot stuck with me as an influence from the past. which comes to the second question:

Golden Dawn has some Enochian magic influence it is said, so how did they manage to keep the good parts and how they dealt with the dangerous parts?


Thank you

[(Anonymous)]

I am feeling that in the past I contributed to their magical empire, now egregore and now they did me wrong maybe through unwaxxinee discrimination so that both I get karmic retribution and also the spells we did together will break since our house is divided this is non-rational information, and might as well be just simple fiction, or magic fiction I am not really sure, just that the hunch is very strong and is for years now


Can ceremonial magic you did in the past lives with others still be up there, what the magic lore say about this?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG!

In addition to my earlier post about ES, I also wanted to wish you a happy Equinox and say thank you for hosting this space and everything that you do.

I enjoy the Magic Mondays and I read them every week even though I don’t always post anything. I’ve also been really enjoying working my way through the FHR materials. I started the FHR work right when you first started posting about it since divination gave me a big fat “YES!” On the topic.

Even though the work is still very much in progress I’ve found it to be very helpful to my life on multiple levels. I’m more balanced, less reactive. I had a long-standing practice prior to this, but I think I’ve really benefitted from the FHR and the practices being done. I feel more confident in myself and my magic. It’s gone to another level. I like that the FHR grades take one through things in a fairly linear and clear way but the system is flexible enough to be sort of my own and encourage my own agency and thinking. I choose which occult books I’m going to read, I choose my own meditation topics, I choose my own daily banishing ritual, I choose what Divine names I’m going to vibrate during SoP and the Temple O&C, etc. I genuinely appreciate that everyone in the Fellowship is in the work together but none of our practices look exactly alike.

I’m going to continue working through the materials and doing the practices. Thanks again. ♥️

[ecosophia]

You're welcome and thank you! I learned a great deal from the Magickal Order of the Golden Dawn under John Gilbert's tutelage, and I'm pleased to be able to pay that forward by giving students the chance to have the same experience with the FHR.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

A blessed Alban Eiler to all who will have my blessings. No question today, just wanted to thank you for this space and your generosity. Also, not sure if your fan club is growing or your ideas are spreading across the planes, but there's this: https://darkfutura.substack.com/p/age-of-regression-upon-us. Seems your Kung Fu is best. :)

May the Radiance rest in pieces.

_grey_

[ecosophia]

Good heavens -- I didn't know that Simplicius had another substack. I've been following his war room, as it has a lot of good data on the fracas over in Ukraine. Thanks for this; the more attention gets paid to the spread of technological regress, the better off most of us will be -- and the more trouble the Radiance, or the social trends and power structures I satirized under that label, can expect to have. Iâ!

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Equinox!

A few weeks ago, you mentioned that wood absorbs subtle energies. I do a lot of woodworking and it's very cathartic for me. Whenever I want to yell at somebody, I go cut wood instead. Is all that displaced anger and frustration getting added to the things I make and do I need to worry about it popping out again?

Sawdust

[ecosophia]

No, not at all. Wood doesn't hold onto the energies that flow through it -- that's why it's the standard material for wands in magic. You can direct one energy through it, and then turn around and direct a different energy with it, and they won't get muddled together.

[deketemoisont]

1) last time for now I'm linking to a message board about the Golden Section Fellowship work: https://goldensectionforum.boards.net/ .

2) https://twitter.com/the_wilderless/status/1634909159442509824

[ecosophia]

1) Many thanks for this.

2) Ha! Dead on target.

[(Anonymous)]

In recent astrological charts, an emerging feature of Aires ingresses is the conjunction of the Sun and Neptune. In your reckoning, this just about the worst kind of conjunction in mundane astrology. H.S. Green notes in his Mundane Astrology, “something in the nature of a downfall or collapse takes place.”. A conjuction for a cardinal ingress implies squares and oppositions for the other cardinal ingresses of the year

I have taken the liberty of casting Aires charts to see how far this continues, assuming an 8 degree orb for conjunctions, this condition continues out to 2029, and assuming a 10 degree orb, this continues out to 2030.

Further out, the Cancer ingresses for a Sun-Neptune conjunction are in the 2062-2071 timeframe. And likewise for the Libra ingresses for 2102-2111.

I want to thank you for obliquely answering a question I had back in August regarding a certain inaguration.

[ecosophia]

Yep. The next six years or so are going to be a very difficult time for presidents, prime ministers, and governments generally.

The inner dimmensions of language learning

[esingletary]

After trying to learn several languages growing up both in and out of school never getting anywhere, and walking away discoursged and frustrated, I have spent most of my life telling myself I was just not capable of language learning. I remember the talk you gave that was eventually expanded into the title essay in A Magical Education when you mentioned learning a second language as an essential aspect of magical training just mentally checking that off as beyond my abilities and a handicap I’d have to cope with. Anyway, last year it clicked that every time I said “I just can’t learn languages” I was making a negative affirmation and actually ensuring I never would so I decided I’d try. Since then I’ve devoted a minimum of half an hour of every day or more to learning a second language (this time Cymraeg). Over the process of attaining this language I have made some observations that have led to questions for here. The first thing I’ve noticed since beginning is that this particular language has been easy for me in a way the others I’ve tried have not. It’s unfolded in natural and intuitive ways in my mind and half the time learning has felt more like remembering. The second thing I’ve noticed is what learning has felt like. The actual process of attaining language fluency so far has not felt like academic education, it has felt far more like magical training in an initiatory tradition. The types of changes that are happening in my mind have felt far more like the sorts of changes that unfold over time through daily ritual, divination, meditation, and pathworking through symbol systems than a purely mind level process of rote memorization.

All this has led to the question of what exactly is happening here on the inner planes?

What are you doing to yourself magically when you learn a second language? Is there a reason that it should feel so much like initiation?

Also, why do some people come more naturally to certain languages than others? I’ve talked to other language learners who have had that experience of struggling with several languages then finding something that just clicks into place.

Re: The inner dimmensions of language learning

[(Anonymous)]

My personal hunch, and this is just my opinion, is that there may be a reincarnation component to it. I have had an affinity for Japan since I was 6 years old, and had the same kind of 'click' you did with Cymraeg, only for learning Japanese.

- Cicada Grove

Planetary charity

[(Anonymous)]

I'm planning on doing a solar planetary charity this coming Sunday and am looking at the various organizations for bald eagles here in the US. I was wondering if you or other commenters are familiar with any of them in the sense that any of them should be a avoided.

I know some nonprofits are pretty corrupt and very little of the money they take in reaches their intended targets. Just curious if anyone here has already done the legwork.

Re: Planetary charity

[ecosophia]

I don't happen to know much about these, so please post what you find out!

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

First off, thank you for this forum. I've been using it as a source of knowledge and education for a couple years and always find it both educational and useful. I am especially appreciative of the time and effort you put into answering questions and moderating the forum.

I do have a question regarding some strange happenings I'm trying to make sense of.

The other day my wife mentioned to me that she's been seeing a male figure in the corner of her peripheral vision. When she turns to look directly it's gone. It's happened more than once. She asked if I had noticed anything over the past few days but no, I had not.

My wife has always been sensitive to things like ghosts and spiritual energies. We always joke that strange things happen around her, although it's been awhile since we've experienced any strange happenings, so I didn't really concern myself with what she was saying.

Then last night we were sitting on the couch a couple feet apart. I was reading when I noticed a very distinct cool breeze go by. It was distinct enough that I actually paused to look up to see if the ceiling fan was on. It was not. At the same time my wife said, "There's that man again. He just walked by. Did you see that?" Again, I didn't see anything but the while thing was weird and indicates to me that there is a presence in the house.

Of course I'm curious as to what this might mean. She says she doesn't sense a malevolence from this being, but it does give her a creepy feeling (sic).

One thought, she recently had a cadaver bone placed in her jaw to repair some dental work. I joked that she needed to make sure she didn't get the bone from a serial killer or psycotic person since she'd pick up some spiritual junk. It was a joke but now I'm thinking there might be something to it. These siting didn't happen until after the cadaver bone was installed.

What do you think? Any substance to this?

Regards,

Steve

[ecosophia]

Fascinating. Yes, it might be the ghost of the former owner of the bone, or it might be some other kind of phantom. Divination might be helpful here.

Something in the Air or Meme time?

[neptunesdolphins]

Recently I was reading Jonathan Cahn's "The Return of the Gods." He is a Monotheist who has a cottage industry predicting the war between God and the Gods. He believes that the Pagan Gods have entered our world in force and are well - taking over. Of course, that set off a lot of blogs at Monotheist sites about this and the Great Spiritual War.... etc.

Normally, I would dismiss this as a group of people who are feeling unsettled about the unravelling of the American Empire since other places, I have read discuss that we must return to traditional Christianity to offset the coming collapse.

However, now various Neo-Pagans are saying the same thing. There is a Great War between the Making and the Unmaking or Pain and Hope - that the Wars of the Otherworlds have entered ours. And Mr. Beckett added that we must listen to the Gods as to how to fight in the War i.e. the Tower Time meme that seems to be popular among various Neo-Pagans. (Tower in reference to the Tarot Card.)

Now, I am asking myself, am I missing something? Or is this a meme that is plaguing certain groups of people - some sort of spiritual warfare to explain the unravelling of the empire?

I decided to ask the Squirrels. From what I have been able to uncover, animal rehabbers are reporting more kind people bringing them wounded animals. People like employees of a local casino or drivers seeing an animal distress. And the animals themselves know where to seek help for their ailments. The animal rehabbers have reported great success in getting the animals back on their feet. An example is The Hedgehog people are receiving donations to expand their facilities which is a surprise to them.

So from my point of view, perhaps the people who are declaring there is a war haven't talked to their local wildlife. Is there a war going on? Or just various Gods asserting Themselves? Or just people reacting to what they perceive to be making them unsafe?

Re: Something in the Air or Meme time?

[ecosophia]

I agree with the squirrels. I don't think there's a war on, though I know there are plenty of people just now who frantically want one, who wish that they could take the evil they sense in themselves, project it onto other people, defeat it, and be done with it. That never works, but it's something that has a lot of appeal when there's a sufficiently huge mismatch between the way people like to think of themselves and the way they actually behave.

[(Anonymous)]

For JMG, or the wider commentariat who might know more about esoteric Christianity:

Does anyone know anything about esoteric or deeper religious meanings to the Visitation episode in the New Testament? The Visitation is when Mary, after the annunciation, goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth (pregnant with John the Baptist) and speaks the words known as the Magnificat. (“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord…")It was a favorite topic of medieval/Renaissance painting, and it's one of the mysteries of the rosary.

My 5-year-old daughter is obsessed with the Visitation and draws it over and over again, acts it out, etc., so this has prompted me to look into it more deeply. This started after she read a picture book about Mary. We pray but don't go to church at the moment, so the influence is not coming from outside.

Thanks!

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

Certain saints were known to re-enact scenes from gospel and/or liturgy even as small children. Carlo Acutis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Acutis) converted his parents who were kind-of-agnostic with his demands to know more about Catholic Faith. Probably best know example from modern times is Therese of Lisieux. Her biography and commentaries on it are worth you time even if you are not Catholic.

Magnificat (as mystical reading) is strongly associated with holy nuns both in Catholic Church and Orthodoxy and beatific vision.

Is it a budding saint? I am not saying that. Maybe those are traces from former live as woman monastic (to use JMG' understanding of reincarnation). Maybe both - at this moment all you can do is watch and pray.

Hope it helps a little.

--changeling

Eulogy

[(Anonymous)]

I gave a eulogy for my older brother this past weekend, incorporating ideas I gleaned from The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic as well as a link to a Dion Fortune book about the journey of the soul after death. As painful as it was to deliver, my words and thoughts were well received.

Thank you JMG for all you do here. Happy spring equinox!

My question today, for the life of me, I cannot find that Dion Fortune link, do you happen to know which of her books spoke about soul transition?

Re: Eulogy

[booklover1973]

It is the book "Through the Gates of Death" .

Jupiter and..

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG. I was messing around on my son's Violin yesterday and ended up picking out the notes to a familiar tune which turned out to be Holst's Jupiter theme.

(I had tried Googles song finder,and it initially told me it was Alvin and the chipmunks!)

Anyway,I have been getting hints that Jupiters presence is needed in my life before this.

Do you think Holst was "astologically" inspired and would playing this song help in attuning myself to Jupiters presence?

Also I've strangely been getting numerous instances of say my bank balance,credit card balance,bills etc being 666 any thoughts as to the significance of this? I'm finding it unnerving to say the least...
Thanks
Dylan

Re: Jupiter and..

[ecosophia]

1) Whether or not Holst was astrologically inspired, a very large number of astrological mages have used Holst's pieces as musical accompaniment to planetary magic; I've done it, with excellent effect, and Holst's Jupiter piece is especially good. So yes, you can certainly play it to help make your life more Jovial, especially on Thursdays.

2) Ah, the dreaded number 666! It's one of the magical numbers of the Sun, as John of Patmos knew perfectly well; in the Book of Revelation it refers to the cult of Sol Invictus, Christianity's great rival in the later Roman world, and more broadly to the cult of the emperor and of centralized political will, the solar influence run to extremes. In your case it's probably telling you that just as you need more Jovial influence in your life, more solar influence would not be amiss.

[(Anonymous)]

I thought I heard someone mention a Discordian LBRP around here somewhere. Did I dream that up, or if not, do you (or commenters) have a link or reference handy?

Addie Ilios

[ecosophia]

I've never encountered a Discordian LBRP, but there's a Discordian Sphere of Protection, if that's of interest:

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/161626.html?thread=22836826#cmt22836826

Etheric energy books

[(Anonymous)]

Hello Mr. Greer, et al.,

Any good books on etheric energy?

Thanks!

Re: Etheric energy books

[(Anonymous)]

Similarly but not quite the same question,
Which of your books/magical systems feature the most body movement or breathing practices?

Ecosophia Prayer List, Week of March 21

[tunesmyth]

To those who are interested, here are all of the requests for prayer that have recently appeared across the Ecosophia community. Please feel free to add any or all of them to your prayers.

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 a few 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 was given a "cardioversion" to make his heatbeat regular, and it appears to have been successful; he is now due to be released some time this coming week.

Luke Dodson's friend B, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, and is still in serious condition though she's already had surgery; for blessing, protection, healing, and a full return to health.

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.

And with the equinox here, this week I'd like to ask that each of us who are praying give thanks to the powers and entities we connect with for all of the blessings that they've brought to everyone who has been on the list these last few months.

* * *

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.

Re: Ecosophia Prayer List, Week of March 21

[tunesmyth]

Update to the Prayer List: 2 year old ES, who is having upwards of 60+ seizures a day. As his first brain surgery was unsuccessful, he is getting one more surgery on Tuesday or Thursday this week. Please pray that his surgery is a success and that he blessed, protected, and healed completely.

Ancient Greek Religious Practice

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
I just read a translation of Homer's Odessey and in it, I noticed all the characters washed their hands before praying to the Gods. I have started to do this and it feels quite right to me. What effect do you think this hand washing has?
Maxine

Re: Ancient Greek Religious Practice

[(Anonymous)]

In Works and Days, Hesiod says: “Never pour gleaming wine to Zeus in the morning with unwashed hands, or to the other immortals, for then they pay no heed, and spit out your prayers.” Hesiod also gives detailed instructions about which direction to face when you pee 😁

I am a Hellenic polytheist and I always rinse my hands off with cold water before I approach the Gods and have been for years. I see this as energetically cleansing and, by doing so, I am showing respect when I come before the Gods with clean hands.

This has always felt good for me, so I just keep doing it.

Essene Healing Hands Question

[(Anonymous)]

First off, thank you, JMG for all you do!

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question to the Essenes post, https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/225022.html?thread=39846142#cmt39846142

I'd been practicing Essene Healing Hands daily from October 2022 to March 2023. At the same time, since 20 years ago, I've been doing several Chinese forms a couple of times a week, which are similar to T'ai Chi and Chi Gong and have the effect of bringing up chi in my hands.

Over late February and early March I started noticing an effect in my belly (behind and below-to-above my bellybutton) with each Essene Healing Hands sigil I drew during the sessions. It was a kind of pulse, rather pleasant. Then, when I would put the Jewels together, there'd be a stronger, longer version of the pleasant pulse in my belly. This effect increased each time I did Essene Healing Hands, until the last time I put the Jewels together, it was a full-on belly orgasm (not genital).

At this point (2 weeks ago) I stopped both practices and asked JMG for advice in the thread linked above. He suggested I find a TCM practitioner to ask, but all the ones I've found say they do herbs and acupuncture only, not chi gong. So, I wanted to ask the wider Ecosophian community here for your thoughts.

My main concern is that I don't want to wreak some kind of damage on myself. Are these sensations a warning sign, or are they OK; what do you think?

Thanks,

- Cicada Grove

Re: Essene Healing Hands Question

[(Anonymous)]

Cicada Grove,

I'm NOT a physician or other health professional, so can't give you any advice on what is causing this - but maybe a few ideas on how to figure it out.

First, have you tried the body testing methods from the MOE posts? This strikes me as something that should work here - although you might be too emotionally involved to do it yourself.

Secondly (or maybe in addition), there are a lot of people out there who can do body testing on others. Find a good physician or naturopath who specialises e.g. in kinesiology, and they should be able to do the testing even if they don't fully understand the background. There are also health professionals specializing in other methods of energy healing, and I suppose a lot of them will also be able to check out whether whatever is going on is harmful or not. (From memory, people working with Donna Eden's methods might also be helpful, although it will of course depend on the individual.)

In the end, what you need most is somebody to answer your question "is this harmful or helpful", not somebody to treat you. I.e. if this were me, I'd focus on finding a good "tester" for now, and only worry about treatment if that should prove necessary.

Just my two cents, for whatever they are worth... :-)

Milkyway

PS: If this isn't harmful, you might have found yourself a winner. Practice the combination a bit more, and then sell it in expensive online courses - I'm sure a lot of people would pay good money for belly orgasms... ;-) (just kidding!!)

[(Anonymous)]

John--

I had an experience recently that I'm pretty sure involved contact by a greater power, presumably the one I've been praying to these past many years. It was something of a dream/vision, but the portion that I remember (*very* clearly) made a distinct impression on my consciousness. I was in the presence of a female figure, much larger than myself, and I knew that she was powerful in a way that I was not. I have no recollection of her features, only an impression of white (corona, vestments, etc.) and a voice saying, without any threat or malice but with a distinct aura of command: "You will follow me." Pause. "Perhaps reluctantly, but you will follow."

What is an appropriate response? How can I understand what I am supposed to do?

[ecosophia]

It may have been a prediction rather than a command. If you don't know what to do, wait, and the way will be shown to you. (Or you may find that you've stumbled into it without knowing.)

[kylec]

I was reading The Creative Mind by Henri Bergson, and in an essay on metaphysics, he uses the phrase "tracks in space" in terms not dissimilar from Dion Fortune. Do you know if Bergson influenced, or was influenced by, esoteric philosophy?

Based on the book publication date,the Cos Doc precedes it, but I don't know when the essay was published, or if it was a term he used in his earlier works as well.

[robertmathiesen]

There may very well be a strong connection here. For a while Dion Fortune was a member of one of the offshoots of the Golden Dawn, namely, the Alpha et Omega, which was headed by the Mathers, husband (Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers) and wife (Moina/Mina Bergson Mathers). And Mrs. Mathers, as it bhappened, was the sister of Henri Bergson. And both Henri Bergson and the Mathers were living in Paris at the time.

[vitranc]

Good morning JMG,

A random question, but it did pop up three times this week.
The Roman Church announced, that the pope is reconsidering celibacy. This and other events propose a question.
Would it be enough, what would, your opinion be, the Roman Catholic Church has to do to be better prepared for the times ahead?

Best regards,
V

[ecosophia]

He really does want to tear the Catholic church apart, doesn't he?

Mind you, I consider mandatory clerical celibacy to have been perhaps the single greatest mistake the Catholic church ever made, but it's become so central a part of Catholic teaching and practice that trying to change course at this point will shatter the egregor of the church and result in cascading schisms and divisions.

That said, I don't think the Catholic church will survive long anyway. Back when I was head of AODA, I met a lot of people who'd quit Catholicism, and every single one of them did so because of appalling abuses of authority on the part of priests and religious, which were condoned and enabled by the hierarchy. There are a lot of devout laypeople and I hope they can find suitable options for themselves, but the church as an institution has a ghastly problem with abuse of power and zero willingness to change that -- and that's not something organizations can survive indefinitely.

Q

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Is it generally fine to do a single (or multiple less than the ideal number) of planetary charities to a planetary spirit while requesting help? This would involve not making a vow to x number, instead doing it each time you did the ceremony.

Would it be detrimental esp with certain planets that are stricter?

Re: Q

[ecosophia]

Sure, you can do that, but it'll be less effective than vowing to do the number and then doing it.

From the Dept. of Interesting Coinkydinks

[(Anonymous)]

ponerology: study of evil (fGreek poneros)
ponent (from Latin) In or of the West

hmmmm....I wonder.

Is there a Sanscrit or other Indic root to either of these words that might link them?

Re: From the Dept. of Interesting Coinkydinks

[ecosophia]

Nope. Ponerology is from Greek poneros, from ponos "hard work, drudgery, pain," from Indo-European *(s)penh₁, "to weave or twist," the origin of the English word "spin," as in spinning yarn or thread.

Ponent ("where the sun goes down") is from Latin pono, "to place or set," which was *pozno in early Latin, in early Italic *po- + *sino' po- is "off, away," and *sino is "put, set, lay down," from Indo-European *tḱi-né-ti, a declension of *tḱey-, "to settle, to live."

(You can find all this in Wiktionary...)

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG. Do you know why Christopher Columbus used the Templar cross on his ship? Was he a member of a surviving offshoot of the Knights Templar?

[ecosophia]

We have no good contemporary images of Columbus's three ships, so nobody knows for sure what was or wasn't on the sails. Spanish ships generally had some form of cross on the sails to differentiate them from the pirate vessels of Muslim North Africa, but it's pure supposition to claim that Columbus had the Templar cross in particular.

Now if you asked why Portuguese vessels of the same era used the Templar cross, that's another matter; Portugal was one of two countries in Europe that refused to suppress the Templars when the Pope and Philip IV of France ganged up on them (the other was Scotland). The Templars in Portugal were renamed the Knights of Christ, and played an important role in Portugal's age of exploration -- the famous Prince Henry the Navigator was among other things Grand Master of the Knights of Christ. Portuguese ships used the cross of the Knights of Christ (aka the Templar cross) because of that. But that's Portugal, not Spain.

Occultism's relative importance

[hearthculture]

Felicitous spring greetings to all :)

I've been pondering your posts on cycles of enchantment and a response to last magic Monday where you described the features of religion, occultism, and science. What has been formulating is a image of religion, occultism, and science as the three primary colors in Venn diagram form, with the places they overlap (the secondary colors,) begin defined as philosophy (occultism and science,) ethics (religion and science,) and psychology/mythology (occultism and religion.) I'm wondering if the state of disenchantment comes as those secondary pursuits try to stand on their own as if they aren't derived from the primary forms of knowing. This seems to be worth pondering, but it feels like perhaps a broken analogy/visualization.

Where is breaks for me is the role of occultism. Perhaps I'm skewed because of commitment to occult study, but it feels like through delving into occult practice and working on understanding one's own perception and intention and the power and limits of both, the practices of religion and science become more powerful and accurate so that occult practice is a balancing force. In contrast, from observing the lives of others, it appears that deep diving into religion or science, without a balancing occult practice (even mundane ones such as journaling) leads to imbalance and delusion.

One of my first thoughts as I read your most recent post on "The Destiny of Disenchantment," was that occult study provides a framework with which to avoid being thrown by tides of enchantment/disenchantment - a surfboard of sorts to ride the currents because you can actually see, and see through, those currents' effects on society's and one's own perceptions of the world. It also seems like the active parts of occult study are eminently useful, the creation and use of rituals is a way to maintain enchantment during low tide, and reflective arts like journaling and mediation are a way to maintain reason during high tide.

Am I giving occultism too much precedence?
Do you believe the original analogy of primary and secondary forms of knowing is worth pursuing or misguided in some way not obvious to me?
Do you view occultism as a mediating factor to the ebb and flow of enchantment; or is it perhaps tied to and reactive to those flows?

I appreciate this space and your thoughts.
Blessings to all who would receive them.

Re: Occultism's relative importance

[ecosophia]

I see the Venn diagram a little differently:

Occultism is crucial because it deals with the realm between the material world that science investigates and the spiritual world that religion discusses. That middle realm is where enchantment and disenchantment take place, and it's precisely because our culture pretends that the middle realm doesn't exist that we're so clueless about enchantment and disenchantment -- and also why our sciences and our religions are so detached from one another.