ecosophia | Magic Monday

Current Mood: pensive

Entry tags:

Magic Monday

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. Papus and Chaboseau, the honorees of the last two weeks, each got their Martinist lineage by a tangle of mostly forgotten figures, so we can jump straight back to one of the founders of the tradition, Louis-Claude de St. Martin. St. Martin was born in 1743 in an aristocratic family and became a student of the elusive master Martinez de Pasqually, learning the distinctive system of theurgic magic Pasqually taught. Later in life, after Pasqually's death, he focused more of his attention on Christian mysticism, studied Jacob Boehme's writings, and penned a series of influential mystical tracts under the pseudonym "The Unknown Philosopher."

Buy Me A Coffee

Ko-Fi

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!***

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Hi John Michael,

I asked a question a few weeks ago about potential issues with caring for some necromantic amulets I've inherited and my personal practice of western ritual magic.

This is only a data point but I found that rituals like the LBRP make the ghosts in the necromantic amulets "quiet" for a short period of time but doesn't expel them. Perhaps because the amulets contain bone/flesh relics? Or do the dead exist on a plane that is not impacted by the astral energies of the LBRP (would this mean the dead are more etheric than astral?)

Anyway, just a data point and it explains partly why necromancy was considered such a verboten practice in Western magic if the dead do not respond strongly to typical banishing.

The LBRP did make me realise how spiritually "noisy" (I hope that makes sense?) ghosts can be even if I can't sense then using astral senses yet.

Thanks,

P

To what extent is fire purifying? For example if an object has a nasty charge or has absorbed bad energies, will burning it solve the problem or will the smoke and ash still be dangerous? The same with metal, will melting reset it to neutral, or will the effect persist even after it's recast?

Dear JMG, I have a question about the intuition exercises in John Gilbert's book The Doors of Tarot. He describes quieting all of your active minds (subconscious, imaginative, bodily, and rational minds) to be able to hear the intuition. Are these active minds the same thing as the ego/false self, or are they created by the ego?

Thanks!

To share, for those who wonder what LBRH, BOL or SOP mean, a list of Ecosophia abbreviations is available.

To ask, a question about Dion Fortune's definition of magic: the art and science of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will. Up until now, I read unconsciousness, but it says consciousness. Merriam-webster defines consciousness as:

the upper level of mental life of which the person is aware as contrasted with unconscious processes

Merriam-Webster defines will as:

the power of control over one's own actions or emotions

So consciousness is the mental life you are aware of, minus the control you exert over it. To help me better understand what that means I have this question:

What is an example of a change in consciousness? From what consciousness to which consciousness?

Another question, if I may. You've critiqued before the Buddhist idea that "life is suffering" as being so general that it is meaningless (if I remember correctly). I'm wondering if the same applies to statements such as the Christian idea that "God is love" or in the Kybalion that "all is mind"? Is the difference that we can verify whether life is indeed suffering through experience, but we can't with the latter two statements?

Thanks again!

As I understand, one point of magical practice is to awaken modes of experiencing that are for one reason or another not operational in the practitioner. Likely due to consistent practice of the ritual, meditations etc. I have had something curious happening. The best I can describe is is some sort of a divine call.

It started more or less around when I found myself drawn to a local deity, "The Master of the Woods". The best I can describe is some sort of a pull that is not in any way violent in its nature, but can perhaps be called an "urge" to somehow "get into contact" with the said deity. There is a sense of "otherworldly joy" in the experience and also something I could perhaps call "a meaning". It is also something very raw and likely powerful. I somehow "know" that I could easily give in to it and get lost in the experience.

Now instead of fully opening myself to that experience, I performed the closing gesture and basically calmed down. I still feel the "sparkle" inside, but I am not sure what to do with it. I have carried on with the rituals etc. as before, hoping I could open up to that sensation with the opening ritual, but so far it has not happened. There may be some subtle changes, but nothing overt.

My questions are:

1) is magical practice compatible with a closer union with a deity?
2) if I were to let this union take place, how should I go about doing it?
3) is it appropriate and wise to ask the deity for assistance in the magical practice, namely to become open to the higher realities?

Upon learning one’s elemental balances via natal chart, how should one proceed with elemental magic? Is it better to focus on the elements strongly represented in your chart, or should you do the opposite and work with the ones you have less of, in order to even things out?

3) I'm not the OP, but strictly speaking, isn't there always a choice even if most or even all of them are terrible? In the case of forced military service, there have been quite a few people who choose to go to prison rather than serve; and even in cases where the outcome of refusal is harsher, there have been people who chose to defect, tried to mutiny, or allowed the state to kill them.

So I suppose then it's more a case of the less control you have, the less karma you generate? Is this a topic for meditation?

1. What's the best way to dispose of baby teeth? I've no intention of keeping the kids around forever, *or* booting them from the house early-- so perhaps burying them in the front or back yard is out? Does intent matter? Trashing them seems a bit wrong, but maybe I don't want them hanging around and available for use with bad intent either?

2. A second disposal question: I was gifted a feather, by... an oak tree? Was having a temporarily rough time, had a chat with the tree about it, it gave me the feather, I carried it around for several days until the situation resolved, and felt it protected me. Now it's all manky and crushed, and I feel like I should probably dispose of it respectfully. Ideas?

Would this step help with closing down a contact made several lifetimes ago, or in this case would it be best to leave it alone altogether?

I've had what appears to be past life memories from a long time ago coming up, in which I was a mystic and then I willingly, deliberately, consciously, and horrifically betrayed the god I worshiped. He provided me with a vision of the future of my people, and rather than accept it, or ask him to change it, I turned to demonic forces; the results of which were, predictably, disastrous.

Is there an accepted method for what to do in these circumstances in order to apologize to the god?

This is a very odd question, but is there any occult factors in the way that the idea "We should never change our mind about anything because how convincing an argument sounds is unrelated to how true it is" seems to be taking off in the "rationalsphere"? It seems to me that it might be a desperate attempt to avoid admitting that their beliefs are obviously false, but it seems bizarre enough that I wonder if there's something else going on here...

Dear JMG,
You thoughts, if you would be so kind, on an odd use of the Middle Pillar Exercise.
I'm a lifelong insomniac, and with age have begun to wake in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep again. (I could write a book on clever ideas to counter insomnia, by the way.) One night, in desperation, I tried mentally doing the MP Exercise, lying in bed and just repeating the names of the spheres and trying to move the energy up and down, and soon found myself apparently dozing for a few seconds, or at least forgetting where I had got to. After a while, it became clear that a lot of time had passed, without being sure that I had actually slept. I've continued doing this from time to time: at the very least it's better that being consciously awake. From your knowledge of the MP Exercise, what do you think is going on here? And is it the sort of thing you can do for long periods of time without risk?
Thank you.

jruss - could you give the backstory behind the "usual suspects along with the coming storm, tower time, and war in the otherworld, are now going on about a new Storm Goddess reaching out to them."? I'm guessing this is from another part of the esoteric space but confused on the mention of tower time.

Off topic from your post but I know that eschatology can be a fascinating topic and will probably hold human interest forever, despite whatever religions and spiritual practices replace our contemporary ones but really wish the current iteration of usual suspects would give it a break. Here's a prediction though, they won't, too much money and control to give up.

A blessed and joyful Lughnasadh to all who celebrate it!

Good Morning JMG,

0. Knowing that some energies don’t mix well (i.e. SoP and LRP,) and that you have proficiency in multiple systems, I’m curious as to how you discern which practices and correspondences you use. Do certain situations respond better to magic of one kind or another? Is there a seasonality? Or do you have a "home" system you primarily use and return to after working with others for experimentation and research. I ask all this only for a data point as I move into learning a new system, I do not seek to aggrandize whatever it is that works for you.

Technical questions on Celtic Golden Dawn:
1. When making the cross and circle, the cross is clearly 5" by 5". Should the circle have a 5" outer diameter (similar coverage as the cross) or a 5" inner diameter such that the cross fits within it and it is 7" total across.
2. I'm used the imaginal and verbal banishing from the SOP and the intentionality of stating exactly what is banished. With the Celtic LRP should I be more cautious about the space I perform it in, and/or is it appropriate to give a disclaimer targeting what I am banishing (or omitting the spirits living in the area) before I open, or even just to mentally hold the intention of only banishing harmful, hostile, and imbalanced beings and energies?
3. The Rite of Rays bookends each LRP, so when opening and closing the temple there would be 4 per temple working, correct?
4. If I am also doing prayer, tarot divination, and MOE work, is it appropriate to do this within the opened Ovate Temple? ...
5. And, if yes, can this work be done in the same session along with the book meditations and geomagnetic divination, or should it be done at a separate time.
Thank you for this space and support; and thank you for the books you've written. I'm amazed and excited by the density and depth of information in the Celtic Golden Dawn book.

Dear JMG,

I have some questions for this week's Magic Monday that I hope you can help me with.

1. Is the basic Sphere of Protection from the Apprentice Manual of the Modern Order of the Essenes (page 16) a good protection practice? I'm attracted to its simplicity, but I don't have any experience with such practices. Also, why would a practitioner pick one protection practice over another? How does one decide?

2. Regarding the UGC reading requirements for Ordination. Would the Science of Mind textbook be a suitable form of material to study? I am also interested in the Unity school of Christianity, but they don't have a single text. Would a variety of Unity material be suitable as well?

3. Is there a search function specifically for your blog? I can't seem to find any.

Many thanks for your help.

I need to be discrete with magic where I live, and burning incense would be bad. A potpourri was mentioned as an alternative.

1. Could I use a lidded flask with powdered black pepper as a substitute for burning incense with the Celtic Golden Dawn?
2. For how long can I reuse the pepper?
3. How should I discard the pepper after use?

Thank you for the Magic Mondays!

I am still beavering away at understanding Tarot/Qubalah and while I am making decent (not good just decent) progress, I think that I need to understand the "elements" better than I do.

Is there a resource you can recommend that thoroughly discusses the four (five?) elements? I am thinking that having a solid grip on these (or at least a better grip than I have now) will help the progress toward understanding the whole.

Thanks again.

(BTW: I picked up your re-release of "the Doors of Tarot". Thanks for this and good job.

A wonderful day to you, JMG, and to everybody else! :-)

I‘m trying to hone my magical thinking, i.e. my understanding of how magic works and what it can do, and promptly got stuck on one of my thought exercises :D - would appreciate your input!

1. You often stress that if somebody uses hostile magic on a victim, the best thing would be for that victim to put the energy which is thrown at them to another, productive and positive use.

How could one apply this principle on cases of energy vampirism? In my understanding, in this case there is no excess energy, but rather energy being pulled away from the victim, so to speak.

How could one turn this around to something productive and positive?

2. A potential solution I came up with is giving the energy vampire something to pull towards them, in particular something the victim wants to get rid of anyway. E.g. excess weight for an overweight victim etc.

Would something like that, in theory, work, or is this not something magic could do?

3. What is your personal take on the ethics of such a solution as in 2.?

(For what it‘s worth, I‘m torn on it. If there is no other, milder way of stopping things, I suppose this would be better than letting the energy vampirism continue unchecked. On the other hand, it‘s not exactly taking the high road… Your thoughts appreciated!)

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us again this week. And if you would have them, my blessings to you and your wife.

Milkyway

It would be interesting, or at least fun, to humorally classify magical systems/practices, and to think about them in terms of how they complement and support personal humoral balance.

I have a dearth of earth in my chart which reflects in my life and I had been trying to forcefully balance that by choosing telluric energies to work with. I recently recognized that I have struggled at this and have pivoted to trying more solar, ceremonial work. Perhaps, as with food, it's beneficial to lean in to my nature for balance, rather than thinking it must be balanced by things counter to it. (With the understanding that there is always risk of leaning in too far and becoming unbalanced.) It's surprising to think about "balance" in general being fraught with dualistic thinking.

Not JMG, nor have I heard of this idea in the 'rationalsphere', but isn't this just saying 'be careful about rhetoric in arguments'? Rhetoric seeks to persuade even if the argument the rhetorician is making isn't necessarily true, as far as I understand it.

Curious what your thoughts are on methods of magic from those who provide a very practical breakdown of how medidation works to change your reality.

Someone like Joe Dispenza, but there are many others who offer I suppose more general motivation advice. The type of advice which relies on aligning a vision in your mind, with emotions in your heart. To practice gratitude and see how you will feel once you achieve your goal and act through that to turn yourself into a force which attract and receives back what you are seeking and holding in your mind and heart.

I recently stumbled upon these and felt that it was a type of scientifically(?) explained approach. One which speaks of how your vision, voice, emotions act upon and influence your DNA, which also say that everything is energy in the form of light. That there is an underlying unified consciousness to everything, etc

Do you feel these type of approaches work and may last? Do you feel they may be equivalent to other forms of magic, in terms of the art and science of causing change in consciousness in accordance with will?

My inkling is yes, but that they either do not open up the possibility of interacting, or knowing they are interacting with entities, and that there is a greater risk of negative consequence from less study in a symbolic tradition.

I hope this background and questions made sense!

Really appreciate this response, and it affirms my intuition about it as well. Thank you.

Yes, that's a good generalization -- and yes, it's a fine topic for meditation.

That's certainly my experience. You incarnated at the time you did for a reason, quite possibly because you'd overemphasized earth in previous lives and need to work on the other elements for a while, so it's more useful to accept that and work with it. A hawk does not prosper by trying to be a groundhog, nor does a groundhog prosper by trying to be a hawk!

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 2 of 9

Magic Monday

Necromantic amulets and LBRP

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

An awakened sense - a divine calling?

no subject

no subject

Baby teeth & Disposal questions

Re: Ending relationships with spirits

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: And now a new goddess

Adapting to new system

no subject

Alternative for incense with CGD

Elements

Magical thinking practice

Re: Seed of Yggdrasill Review Part 1 and Being Drawn to Humorally Unbalanced Foods

no subject

no subject

Re: Ending relationships with spirits

no subject

Re: Seed of Yggdrasill Review Part 1 and Being Drawn to Humorally Unbalanced Foods