Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting toward 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 or comment 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. I'm currently tracing my Martinist lineage.  That's rendered complex by the Martinist tradition that one does not name one's initiator, so we'll have to go back through less evasive routes. Both of the last two honorees, and most of the other Martinist lineages in existence, were also taught and influenced by this man, Robert Ambelain, a prolific writer and occult scholar whose work extended from astrology and Freemasonry to Druidry and Martinism. Ambelain was born in 1907; he became an astrologer in the 1920s, proceeded to become a major figure in the Martinist scene and a bishop in one of the French Gnostic churches, played a central role in reviving several defunct occult orders, published 42 books, and earned the Croix de Guerre for his service to France during the Second World War. He died in 1997.

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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

Effects of Shipping Costs and Girardian Memetic Contagion

[jprussell]

Good Evening,

For any who marked it, I hope you had a lovely Summer Solstice. For everyone in the Northern hemisphere, I hope you're finding fun ways to stay cool.

To Share: After reading a blog post about how the costs of shipping in space would affect a sci-fi setting, I got to thinking about what the costs of shipping mean for our own world: https://jpowellrussell.com/#how_the_cost_of_freight_has_shaped_the_world

To Ask: Have you, JMG, or anyone else here, ever grappled with Rene Girard's theory of memetic contagion and its leading to scapegoating and violence?

Briefly, Girard believed that folks mostly want what they see their neighbors wanting/having, but since your neighbor has it, you now see your neighbor as a rival. This works both ways, so your neighbor sees you wanting what he wants/has, and sees you as a rival, and wants the thing all the more, since you wanting it proves its worth wanting. Girard believes that this leads to ever increasing rivalry and violence that can only be resolved (temporarily) by blaming some scapegoat group and doing violence to them. He claimed that Christianity (and to a lesser degree, Judaism) uniquely solved this by offering a religious myth that short-circuited this cycle (you don't need any more scapegoats, because Jesus is the ultimate scapegoat).

It's an interesting theory that seems to have some explanatory power, but when he loses me when he gets to "and Christianity is the only religion that has solved this." That being said, I don't yet have particularly good counter-arguments. I'd welcome any thoughts from either JMG or the commentariat, either for or against his moral theory.

As always, thanks very much to JMG and everyone else here for all that you do.

To any who will have them, I put forth my blessings and best wishes,
Jeff

Re: Effects of Shipping Costs and Girardian Memetic Contagion

[ecosophia]

I've read Girard, and I was unimpressed. To begin with, it simply isn't true that everyone in the world is locked into the kind of rising spiral of envy he describes; human beings are more complex than that. More crucially, though, his logic is flatly disproved by history. If he was right, Christian societies would be less prone to scapegoating than other societies, and this simply isn't true -- er, pogroms against Jews? Witch hunts? Red-baiting? I don't propose to argue that Christian societies are more prone to such excesses than non-Christian societies, but they're certainly no less so.

[(Anonymous)]

I made this question on the other blog last week.

I unfortunately got two doses of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine (no other doses). Would spiritual practices be helpful to undo the potential blocking of the Unseen? Would be some specific practice be more advisable?

[open_space]

Good Evening!

I wanted to thank you for the initiation of the Healer, I was a little shaken after it and I've no idea what I said when I stood up! Whatever that was, it felt powerful, and the theatrical voice helps! It was nice to put a physical body to the astral one and it's mental sheath, after a long while of interacting online. Heh :-) Looking forward to next years potluck.

1) I noticed that the Coelbren has 24 letters but there where 2 that were added at a latter time. Would it be "incomplete" to trim those two letters and use the remaining 22 to form a cube of space using the Coelbren?

2) I found some time ago that syncing the breath during a healing session works pretty good. Inhaling while the energy flows through the left and exhaling with the energy flows out from the right to the healee, without retention in between breaths of course, would you consider that a problem to the way Healing Hands work?

[ecosophia]

Nobody knows. That's just it. The vaccines weren't adequately tested for their health effects, much less their mental and spiritual effects. I'd encourage you to pursue whatever spiritual practices appeal to you, see what happens, and post your experiences somewhere; that will provide some data points for others who are in the same situation you are.

[open_space]

To all that have a question that would like me to ask my Tarot about it, or would like to know what astral forces are influencing you and your life right now, here is the latest iteration of the Ecosophian Public Divination Service:

https://open-space.dreamwidth.org/16546.html

[ecosophia]

1) That's an interesting question which can only be settled by experimentation.

2) I don't know of any reason why that should be a problem -- but again, you'll want to test it and see what happens.

Asatru Folk Assembly

[brenainn]

To both JMG and the commentariat: is there any merit to claims that the AFA is a racist hate group? I've been visiting their website and reviewing some of their materials, and they strike me as very reasonable (at least on the surface). Since the Anglo-Saxon Gods are a major part of my religious practice now, and the AFA has a decent real world presence, I've been considering applying for membership.

Re: Asatru Folk Assembly

[ecosophia]

I have no idea. I don't have a lot of contact with Asatru circles; I know there have been some groups connected with that scene that are fond of armbands and jackboots, but I also know that accusations along those lines have been flung at groups that don't deserve it. Anyone else?

DOGD Question

[wizard_in_the_woods_1949]

Greetings JMG and All,

JMG, have you had occasion to grant any DOGD charters since the inception of
your order? If so, what is the quorum call for a lodge, and what radius around
the hall to allow that number? I assume that it would be permissible to commute
a reasonable distance to celebrate with other members for Equinoxes and Solstices!

Thanks

N.B.
Of course I understand one must be a member of DRUID grade in good standing to
merit such a charter. I really like those Banners! (Website Header)!

random questions

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG and friends of Magic Monday,
I hope you are well and healthy!
Some random questions:

1. I have Mars in Taurus in the 12th house and I seem to have all the negatives aspects here. I tend to repress my own anger or irritation or have delayed responses to what brings me frustration. This pent-up anger, however, is often channeled against myself or the universe. How to work better on this aspect? How to let anger go or even not let it grow?

2. Imagination is the matter of the astral!? Can a good work of imagination (with a beginning, middle and end) lead to the fulfillment of the magician's will? Any recommendations for good books on the subject, please?

thanks you!!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG! I am continuing to learn both natal and mundane astrology. I love it! What a perfect mix of meditation fodder, rational logic, and intuitive openness! I have a single question about a mundane chart I am looking at, which also may help me in general with evaluating dignities.

I want to know which is stronger, the sun or the moon. The Sun is peregrine in Gemini, and intercepted in his fifth house. He is also conjunct Venus, has an exact (!) trine with the moon, an applying tribe with the north node and Chiron. He has an inconjunct/quincunx with Jupiter.
The Moon is peregrine in Aquarius, in the first house. She has the aforementioned exact trine with the sun, in addition to a trine with the north node, a trine with Venus, and loose squares with both Mercury and the midheaven.

Since I want to know the relative strengths of the central government and other parts of society, it is crucial to know, and you can surely see how close it is.

Re: Asatru Folk Assembly

[jprussell]

So, I do not have any close contact with AFA and I may be mistaken, but I was also taking a look at their website after they came up in one of last week's comments as an example of an organization focused more on doing its own thing than on decrying others.

From what I've seen then and now, AFA is a "Folkish" group. Folks like the SPLC will tell you that "folkish" is just code for "racist," but folks who use the label mostly have a more nuanced way of describing it, but it's one of the lightning rod issues among Germanic polytheists. My understanding is that those of a folkish persuasion believe that 1) most religions do/should have some link with the ethnicity that historically practiced it, 2) that worship of the Germanic Gods is historically linked with people of Northern European ethnicity, and 3) it's right and proper for at least some modern groups to insist that if you want to be a part of this historically-ethnically-linked religion, you should be a part of that ethnicity.

Now, notice I used "ethnicity" here, in part to skate around the core issue that causes most of the fighting: by "ethnicity," do we really just mean race? From what I've gathered, different folkish groups come down on this differently. Some seem to really mean "it's for white folks," others want you to have some amount of ancestry from Germanic-language speaking countries, and some seem to embrace a more cultural definition of "ethnicity" - if you speak a Germanic language (like English) and were raised in culture predominantly shaped by a Germanic culture (like America coming from England), then sure, you're part of the Folk.

What seems to cause most of the fighting is a combination of two factors: 1) the fact that any kind of White/Germanic ethnicity exclusivity is viewed as morally repugnant by many folks these days, no matter the fine points, and 2) the belief that such beliefs are attempts to put out up respectable front for secret full-on, Hitler-loving, goose-stepping, Sieg Heiling Nazism. This is not helped by the fact that some actual, self-describing Nazis have adopted some Germanic polytheistic beliefs, practices, and symbolism, which leads some folks to treat all Germanic polytheistic beliefs, practices, and symbolism as potential dog whistles for Nazism, and doubly so if folks start talking about what blood you have or what soil your ancestors came from.

Now, for the AFA specifically, I have seen some video clips of its founder, Steve McNallen, saying some stuff that sounds rather a lot like actual white supremacy (not the current hot definition, but what folks would have meant by those words a few decades ago). I do not know the degree to which he's still involved, whether he still holds those beliefs, or if they have anything to do with what the AFA teaches or does now, but it was enough for me personally to think "maybe this isn't all PC nonsense." I just haven't looked into it much since then.

Sorry for not having anything more definitive, but I hope this helps!

Ecosophia Prayer List

[tunesmyth]

Here are all of the requests for prayer that have recently appeared at ecosophia.net and ecosophia.dreamwidth.org, as well as in the comments of the prayer list posts. Please feel free to add any or all of the requests to your own prayers.

If I missed anybody, 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.

* * *
This week I would like to bring special attention to the following prayer requests.

It's a boy! Hippie Viking and his wife are the parents of a new baby; for blessings on the child according to his nature and the nature of the deity prayed to; and for good health for both mother and child. (Original request here)

Tamanous's friend's brother David got in a terrible motorcycle accident and has been diagnosed as a quadriplegic given the resultant spinal damage; for healing and the positive outcomes of upcoming surgeries and rehabilitation, specifically towards him being able to walk and live a normal life once more.

Nicole's (shewhoholdstension) 41 year brother Robert died suddenly in bed on May 15th; for a smooth and blessed journey on the other side. Robert was a single dad and he leaves behind three children: Hannah, Zack, and Jordyn; that they and Nicole be blessed and protected, and find what comfort they can during this very difficult time. (Update here.)

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. (Lp9 gives updates here and most recently here, and says "things are a bit... murky"), and 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 still warranted.

* * *

Guidelines for how long prayer requests stay on the list, how to word requests, how to be added to the weekly email list, how to improve the chances of your prayer being answered, and several other common questions and issues, are now to be found at the Ecosophia Prayer List FAQ.

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: DOGD Question

[ecosophia]

During my time as head of DOGD, no, I didn't grant any charters. I don't believe the current leadership has done so yet, either, but you might contact them via the email linked on the website to find out what their current policy is.

Yes, I stepped down a little over six months ago. I'd trained up a set of students who were ready, willing, and able to take over the project, so I handed it over with a sigh of relief and went onto the next project.

Re: random questions

[ecosophia]

1) I very strongly recommend the Order of Spiritual Alchemy practices for this sort of thing. You have to deal with the childhood experiences that are at the root of your anger before you can let it go.

2) Imagination by itself won't make changes on the material plane, because the planes are discrete and not continuous -- if you do the whole working on the astral plane, it will stay there and not affect any other plane. That's why you need to include actions on the material plane in any work of practical magic, so the pattern you imagine can move down the planes into matter.

[ecosophia]

If it's that close, trying to work out which one is slightly more powerful than the other doesn't seem useful to me -- especially since you've got a trine connecting the luminaries, showing that they're going to work well together. I'd delineate this by saying that both luminaries are in mixed dignity but work together to strengthen each other.

Re: Ecosophia Prayer List

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this as always.

Re: Asatru Folk Assembly

[brenainn]

Thanks, Jeff! This is quite similar to what I've discovered so far. I did see some clips from McNallen that struck me as borderline as far as White nationalism/supremacy might go. But having some controversial views on race does not necessarily make one a racist. Do you happen to recall where those video clips can be found? They might not be the ones that I saw, and so it might provide a clearer picture of the situation. McNallen retired as leader of the AFA in 2016 (I think) but I do not know how active he is in still guiding the organization. That said, the current leadership still speaks quite highly of him (and that might be quite justified, for all I currently know) and so I'm guessing the AFA's current teaching is still heavily influenced by his thought.

FWIW, I'm mostly finished with reading McNallen's book "Asatru: A Native European Spirituality." I haven't found anything overtly racist, or even anything I'd think of as covertly racist. But maybe I missed something.

I suppose my primary concern would be if the AFA actually condones (in secret or not) hatred for non-White races and/or teaches that the White race is superior to all other races. At least, that's how I'd define actual racism.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG
I am working through the GSF and have a query about scrying. I am new to all this magic & occult stuff so have needed to build up all my basic skills. I am working through each card in the deck by re-doing the meditation exercise and then doing a session each on the meaning for the card upright & reversed. Then I do a scrying session for the card with the recommended 3-4 mediation sessions reviewing the scrying session. Scrying is something I am struggling with a little bit, but I am seeing some improvement. Sometimes I struggle to get any results, or I request a guide but none show up. I have recently had a guide appear but when I ask for confirmation that they have been sent as requested they have replied no and left. For these scrying sessions that do not go to plan should I be dedicating a mediation session or two to review them or just trying again the next day.

Thanks

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Monday JMG,
Thank you for sharing the materials of the Octagon Society. I've completed all the lessons and found them tremendously helpful. I've sent you an email asking for the examination and await a reply. Is the option of taking the examination and going further still available?
Kirsten

[(Anonymous)]

A couple of responses to questions from last week:

Someone asked bout how I use salt jars. I have one in each room and the upstairs and downstairs hallways. I just have them wherever is convenient. I don't have them in the bathroom, cellar or attic. Cold and damp conditions make them rust much faster, regardless of any malign energies.

On the problem of gurus in the West, there are Mariana Caplan's books Halfway Up The Mountain, The Guru Question, and Eyes Wide Open. They're also the best things I've read on enlightenment traditions in general, and what the quest for enlightenment actually means.

[antoine_eva]

First, let me thanks you for this place and the time you put in it, it's really appreciate.

1) Is there any reason i shouldn't do the Carey Cells Salts protocol more than once a month on the date prescribed ?

2) With the talk on natto on the others tread, i started to make my own again. I used to make it in a slow cooker and in a yaourt maker, but i decide to make it faster and buy a Instant Pot (basically a presto with a electronic control). I notice the food cooked with it is different. Any one else notice that food cook under pressure feel deader for a lack of better word ? I suspect the food get some etheric changed.

3) The dust from the forest fire have reach me and its really heavy, my last 2 Sphere of Protection have been different. Can the dust be enough to block some of the Sun energy or its just my imagination and the change is due to something else ?

On the Subject of Egregores

[(Anonymous)]

Blessed Alban Heruin.
As far as I understand it, from what you wrote, am I correct that an egregore is the spirit of a group? Sort of a created entity on a psychic realm that both influences and is influenced by members of a group? So that joining the group, one would become more connected to the egregore as time goes on?
Thus people who work or spend time together develop a kind of group mind, and begin to associate their sense of self with that of the organization?

I am wondering, first, if the idea of an egregore is related to Adam Crabtree's group trance which he describes in "Trance Zero". He describes interactions in terms of a trance, defined as a process of focus and abstraction: the more one focuses on something, the more abstracted from the rest of the world one becomes. Two people in an engaging conversation are in a degree of trance. A family can create a trance to function as a unit with society, so can a society create a level of trance, which is how the majority of people from a society come to think in very similar terms. Could one say there is a national egregore? Certainly either view could describe the way we see the bulk of a society suddenly adopting a particular viewpoint.

Second, would the fact that I spent my youth moving from place to place every couple of years, including different countries, explain why I don't "get" connection or community? Is it possible that the ability to be absorbed into or at least connect with an egregore must be nurtured as a youth? My girlfriend also moved from place to place as a child and youth and she too feels no sense of connection to organizations, places, communities. I've lived in the same house for 20 years, yet I don't feel particularly connected to my neighbours. People who just moved in last year spend more time socializing than I ever have.
When I met my girlfriend she was working for the same corporation -- different locations -- and we giggled together about some of the incomprehensibly garbled and essentially meaningless corporate missives, the kind that reads as if one is being attacked by a swarm of buzzwords. Yet both of us had the eerie sense that others in our respective offices actually took this seriously and believed in it, with almost religious fervor.

I was just wondering about egregores within the context of watching the woke movement coming apart at the seams. As the corporation is pushing the racist 'anti-racism' bunk, and decorating itself with the 'new angry-pride' flag you so cogently described (BTW, if you put four flags together in a pinwheel, it makes a swastika), and pushing the abusive DEI policies, it occurred to me that this whole craziness might be due to the creation of a hostile egregore. Certainly cultural Marxism that took over the university world in the mid-20th century and entranced students (the only word for it) seems to have something more than merely enticing but bad ideas going for it, as if it took on a life of its own as it metastasized across departments and out into the corporate world.

Bruce
AKA Renaissance Man.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG, I currently do SOP/daily meditation and daily tarot divination. I don't have much extra time for more but could manage to do something else once or twice a week. Is there any natural progression of something you would recommend to be added as a next step?